Chapter 11
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"You have a new message."
Tang Yu, groggy in the early morning, heard the smart housekeeper's voice prompt. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, he donned his portable communicator and then got out of bed to head into the bathroom.
[Trauma Team Medical Center: Dear Platinum Member...]
Standing in front of the smart screen mirror, Tang Yu brushed his teeth while checking the message. It was an electronic bill from the Trauma Team, detailing the treatment and hospitalization costs for Gloria and her son David. It seemed they had been discharged and the total expenses had reached twelve thousand Eurodollars—a substantial sum for them.
Next, he saw a message left by Gloria through the Trauma Team Medical Center's relay. Medical facilities like this wouldn't disclose personal information of Platinum Members without their consent, at least not officially.
Gloria had passed out following her car accident.
It was Tang Yu who had carried her onto the medevac vehicle, and he had not shown himself since, so Gloria did not know who exactly had saved her. She only knew that someone from Arasaka had rescued them. So her message of thanks could only be conveyed through the Trauma Team.
"Dear Sir, hello, I am Gloria,"
"I'm truly grateful for your help. My son David and I have both been discharged, and I've prepared the costs of hospital treatment as well as a thank you fee."
"Please add my personal number, so we can arrange a meeting to express my gratitude and repayment."
[Gloria Martinez ID]
Tang Yu speculated, "She has the money now, probably from selling that cyberware. I wonder if the deal went through."
But Tang Yu was unconcerned about whether the ware had been sold, confident that eventually, it would end up in his hands no matter who it was sold to.
Additionally, he didn't need to pay out of his own pocket for Gloria and David's treatment costs. Reimbursement through Arasaka with an electronic bill and evidence would suffice with a simple trip to finance.
Using his Arasaka Counterintel Division authority, Tang Yu accessed Gloria's personal financial transactions through Arasaka's internal financial network. The finance department and NetWatch had collaborated to create a system that could monitor nearly all Night City transactions within individual or small business electronic accounts. Only management level M and above had the special authority to retrieve such information.
As for the company's overreaching privacy intrusions, the people of Night City had become accustomed to it. After all, even if they used just a cyberware finger, it was company-made; escaping the company's surveillance was impossible, even in death.
Gloria's account reflected that the money had been transferred the evening before, just three hours after the cyberpsycho had been killed by the MAX-TAC team.
"It seems she got thirty thousand Eurodollars. She has to cover her own treatment costs and also compensate Arasaka Academy. There's a large deficit still."
He confirmed the addition of Gloria, and the message was transmitted immediately.
...
Santo Domingo super-skyscraper Apartment H4.
Gloria had just tied up her red ponytail, ready to clean up the remaining trash at home. David was still in a semi-comatose state, occasionally muttering dream talk, repeatedly murmuring "mom" in his sleep.
This made Gloria abandon her plans to complete a delayed trade and search for a new job as she was tied up caring for David. The buyer of the cyberware had called several times during her post-accident coma with no response.
Currently weak, and to avoid accruing further medical expenses, she reluctantly had to leave the hospital with David on her back and care for him at home. She felt utterly exhausted.
Suddenly, Gloria received a new message alert.
[Tang Yu Friend Request]
Quickly tidying the stray hairs by her ears, she swept her bangs behind her root, and then rubbed her somewhat pale cheeks.
After confirmation, Tang Yu's contact information was added to her interface.
Gloria knew Tang Yu was from Arasaka, and given his use of a company high-class vehicle and Platinum Member status with Trauma Team, she realized his identity must be significant.
Unsure if it was gratitude for the favor received or admiration for the Arasaka employee status, Gloria, about to dial Tang Yu's number, felt an emotional turbulence and her cheeks flushed with color.
If it weren't for Tang Yu, she and David might not be at home, but rather in a morgue.
Having worked in a public medical center, she knew all too well what happened to ordinary people who died on the streets.
After taking a few deep breaths, Gloria dialed Tang Yu's contact.
"Hello, I am Tang Yu."
Hearing his voice, Gloria was surprised by how unexpectedly young he sounded. Perhaps due to her preconceived image of Tang Yu being an Arasaka mid-to-senior level employee, someone in his forties to fifties sitting in a business car, she had not expected this.The man with the bushy hairstyle, who appeared to be a mature male between 30 to 40 years of age, was caught off-guard for a few seconds before quickly regaining his composure. Gloria hurriedly responded, "Hello Mr. Tang, I'm Gloria."
"It was you who saved us on the highway that day. I really can't thank you enough," she said. "I'll repay the medical expenses immediately, just let me know when it's convenient for you, and David and I will definitely visit to express our gratitude."
Mr. Tang did not respond to the thanks; instead, he asked, "How come you were discharged so soon? Has David woken up?"
Gloria quickly explained, "David is still a bit weak and resting. According to the doctor's advice, he should recover by tomorrow."
Tang Yu said, "I'll come to see you later."
Upon hearing that Tang Yu intended to come directly to them, Gloria hastily replied, "There's really no need for that, Mr. Tang. Just set a time, and I'll bring David to visit you!"
Tang Yu replied, "I need to talk to you alone about something. For now, just stay at home and take good care of David, and put everything else aside. Understand?"
Gloria felt bewildered. The man had something to discuss with her individually, but she had no prior dealings with him before the car accident, and it definitely didn't sound like it was about money. Almost instinctively, her hand moved toward the synthetic skin on the back of her Jackieet—had he discovered that she had stolen a secret?
Once again, her heart raced with the anxiety of a narrow escape. To avoid being tracked, she had submitted her resignation to the Night City Public Medical Center's emergency department, using the car accident as an excuse. Could it have been something from the news?
Gloria suddenly remembered that David was excitedly pointing out on the morning news how she appeared on camera, in front of the trolley carrying the corpse of the cyberpsycho. This was a potentially fatal oversight!
Gloria became increasingly uneasy but dared not rashly inquire about Tang Yu's true intentions. Looking at David still weak in bed, she weighed her options. If the company was after her, where could she possibly run? And if Tang Yu really demanded the cyberware, and she was unable to deliver it after taking the buyer's money, she knew offending a gang of cyberpunks could have disastrous consequences.
Perhaps sensing her prolonged silence, Tang Yu continued, "Don't be nervous. I know you have the item."
Gloria's heart skipped a beat with his words; this was her deepest secret, which even David was unaware of.
Tang Yu went on, "But what I want is not the cyberware. I'm interested in making a deal with you. The real bastards after that piece are sniffing around outside. Just stay at home, like I told you."
Despite Tang Yu's words, Gloria's anxiety didn't subside, and she could only reply, "I understand, Mr. Tang."
After hanging up the phone, Gloria took off the cyberware from her back and placed it on the table. It no longer seemed necessary to keep hiding it. Whether she handed it over to Tang Yu or the buyer, she felt like her outcome would be grim either way.
All she hoped now was that this affair wouldn't implicate David...