Chapter 5
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A gloomy cloud cover obscured the sky, making the early morning overcast and slightly cool.
David left for classes at Arasaka Academy when he paused at the corporate plaza of the municipal center, where two holographic koi fishes—one gold and one blue—still swam in the mid-air above him.
David watched for a moment; his gaze inadvertently met someone else's on the second-tier plaza, who was dressed in the same Arasaka Academy uniform.
It was his classmate at Arasaka Academy, Katsuo.
Faced with Katsuo's unkind smile, David felt a toothache and wanted no entanglement with Katsuo today.
Unfortunately, things did not go as he wished.
In the dark passageway underneath the corporate plaza.
Katsuo, along with two classmates, cornered David at the exit of the passage, a necessary route for David to get to Arasaka Tower.
Light beamed from outside the exit, casting Katsuo's elongated shadow.
David saw his face darkly covered with shadows.
With his hand casually slipped into his pocket, Katsuo said in a domineering tone, "Drop out already, David Martinez. Recognize your situation."
"What situation?"
"You keep causing trouble for the class."
"If this is about what happened yesterday..."
"It's not just yesterday!" Katsuo interrupted David, then continued contemptuously.
"I'm not targeting you because you're poor, I'm quite open-minded. After all, it's not your fault you were born into a poor family, and there's no rule that poor people can't attend Arasaka Academy—as long as they can afford the tuition."
Katsuo's tone grew colder, "But what I can't forgive is another matter, do you know what it is?"
David did not want any entanglements with Katsuo and avoided friction from the beginning. Shifting his gaze to the side, he said coldly.
"Sorry, I didn't understand a word coming out of your mouth."
Katsuo immediately pointed at David and shouted, "That's it!"
Katsuo loathed David and targeted him because his face was filled with defiance and a non-conformist attitude, always tinged with stubbornness.
"Just drop out and disappear."
"You don't belong here, freak."
David reluctantly stared at Katsuo, not understanding why he was so persistent, but at this moment, he had no choice but to accept the situation.
Katsuo, indifferent, went on: "Trash that can never fit in with the class, if ignored, will only dirty others. The best you can do is not to drag us down."
"You just said it, as long as I pay the tuition, it shouldn't be a problem."
Katsuo mockingly cocked his head with a taunting expression. "I heard your mother came to the academy yesterday, begging the principal for forgiveness, weeping and pleading not to expel her precious son, right?"
"How embarrassing."
"I've always wondered, what kind of money does your mother earn to pay for your tuition here? Care to share with everyone?"
"David Martinez?"
"What exactly does your mother do outside to afford your academy fees?"
Insult after insult, provocation after provocation, all hitting David's most sensitive nerve.
Regardless of how Katsuo bullied or insulted him, he could endure it or pretend not to see, but he would never allow anyone to sarcastically mock his mother.
David's right foot started to shake uncontrollably, his whole body became restless, and for the first time, his eyes filled with a murderous look.
Katsuo didn't let up and continued his assault. "I can think of a way to make quick money in Night City, and it's not exactly legal."
David stopped his shaking foot and stared at the menacing Katsuo.
"Enough!"
"Wait, who said enough?"
"Get lost," David said, wanting to avoid this pointless quarrel and attempting to walk past Katsuo.
But Katsuo deliberately blocked his path and shoved David back.
"Hmm? Just like that you want to leave?"
Katsuo raised his hands and bumped David three times, then nonchalantly activated his cyberware, sending David stumbling back several meters.
"Oh? What now?" Katsuo gestured provocatively at the angry David.
"Come on."
David finally unleashed his inner rage, swinging a punch at Katsuo, but to his surprise, his fist was easily caught by Katsuo's hand!
"What kind of cheap scrap is that? A free chip?"
As soon as the words fell, Katsuo displayed a set of lightning-fast punches, striking David's face, chest, and abdomen, culminating with a kick that sent David flying.
"Behemoth 400 series, the essence of real kung-fu chips. You're still using natural joints; if you want to seek revenge on me next time, better get some decent cyberware installed, or just drop out already."
Katsuo dropped the words, adjusted his school uniform, and left.
David sat on the ground, his face covered with blood, in so much pain he could hardly stand up. It took a while before he could ease the pain.
Now his school uniform was torn again; it was impossible to attend classes at Arasaka Academy in his current state. His only option was to visit the ripperdoc for a kidney transplant operation to get some money.
Dragging his weary and injured body, David arrived at the ripperdoc's clinic. Seeing him in such a state, the ripperdoc couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Fighting with someone? With all this blood, you're not suitable for a kidney transplant—it will kill you."
"Cut the chatter!" David pressed his belly enduring the pain, lying on the operating table and snarling. "If I die, it doesn't concern you; just make sure the money gets to my mother's clinic."
The ripperdoc, wearing multispectral goggles and sitting in a wheelchair, glided over to David. He connected rubber tubes and data lines to various parts of David's body, codes and physiological data scrolling through the goggles. He couldn't help but marvel, "What a remarkable body you have, healing so quickly from such grievous wounds. Almost all your bodily functions are at peak levels. Your organs would sell for a lot—look at your strong heart and the filtration rate of these kidneys. I must say, it's like your body was made for cyberware implants."
David urged in a deep voice: "Enough talk, start the surgery!"
Soon after.
Barely rested from the surgery and money in hand, David received a call from the ripperdoc who performed the operation.
"Is this Mr. Martinez?"
"The call is to inform you about Gloria Martinez's condition."
"Please come to the hospital right now."
Weakened David speculated it was about medical fees, so he took a bundle of Euro bills and returned to that grim ripperdoc's building where he was met once again by the same surgeon.
Standing in front of the second-floor operating room, the surgeon in the same clothes and cold tone, hands still stained with fresh blood, seemed to have just completed a surgery.
"She was stable this morning, but her vitals suddenly plummeted, and she has passed away. Considering the cheap package chosen and her prior weakness before the accident, perhaps due to overwork, here are the funeral arrangements we can provide."David became increasingly confused as he listened, feeling his eyelids begin to close involuntarily as if he was being submerged into the icy depths of the sea, on the brink of being devoured by the dark terror of the ocean floor. He was too weary to struggle, merely stretching out his hands, trying to grasp at something.
"Mom..."
His consciousness faded away.
Falling into darkness...
"Ugh..."
A sudden headache jolted David awake, and a fierce beam of light shone directly into his eyes, causing his pupils to contract involuntarily.
When the intense white light dissipated, David rubbed his eyes, trying to make out the scene in front of him.
"David,"
A voice, all too familiar, reached him.
"Huh?!"
David looked intently and saw his mother, with her red hair tied back in a ponytail, sitting beside the hospital bed, anxiously soothing his forehead.
"Mom?"
"David, you're finally awake!"
Gloria was almost in tears, clinging tightly to David's hands, pressing them to her forehead to feel their warmth.
David seemed not to have fully grasped what was happening yet, murmuring in confusion.
"Mom, what's going on?"
Gloria wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
"Mr. Tang saved us..."