Chapter 24
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Arasaka Tower.
33rd floor, Counter-Intelligence Department.
Tang Yu leaned back in his office chair, sipping tea while perusing the information he hadn't finished reading this morning.
[According to the annual report provided by "Night City Perspectives," Arasaka Academy has ranked first among educational institutions in Night City for the fourth consecutive year. Although the magazine's advertising revenue mainly comes from the academy's namesake company, the editorial department insists that their economic partnership does not influence the rankings in any way.]
[Furthermore, the persistent high dropout rate remains one of Arasaka Academy's prominent features, putting immense pressure on the children, inevitably leading to anxiety and depression, and in some cases, even suicide. This phenomenon is particularly apparent among students who are not the offspring of company executives.]
Tang Yu noted that Arasaka Academy maintained a superior attitude, treating the students unequally within the academy.
Children of Arasaka executives belonged to the first tier, other corporate executives' children to the second tier, and all other students were lumped into the third tier.
Third-tier students had to pay huge tuition fees and also make donations to the academy's board to even be considered for admission.
Tang Yu suddenly thought of David Martinez, who was still attending Arasaka Academy.
"That brat is probably in a league of his own, a true ninth-tier."
He knew that attending Arasaka Academy depended not just on personal ability but more importantly, on family background.
Seventeen-year-old David was about to graduate without any remarkable skills, his mother toiled at the bottom of Night City for a meager income, and his stubborn and proud nature wouldn't let him butter up those executives' children.
Naturally, they looked down on him. If David had been submissive and sought their favor, he wouldn't have been targeted this way, but then he would have lost the most valuable thing in life—his youthful spirit.
Even if such a person lived a life full of bullying and setbacks, at least they had once fought against their destiny and lived a life of defiance.
Tang Yu pulled up David's report card to see that his written exam scores in all subjects were not bad, but his scores in integrated practical skills were low, which he guessed had to do with David's dire equipment.
"To survive in Arasaka Academy like this is somewhat interesting."
Tang Yu not only saw David's actual plight at the academy in his simulated life but also how he was badly bullied by the children of company executives like Katsuo, forced into selling a kidney to save his mother, and enduring hardship at Arasaka Academy for the sake of his mother's wishes.
All in all.
It was apparent that David was the kind of person who considered others, but fate often likes to mock the poor.
"People with this kind of spirit become legends or madmen if they don't succeed."
Tang Yu made his final assessment.
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and started searching again through the company intranet, his gaze landing on entries related to Arasaka's pre-graduation social practice.
Tang Yu casually clicked through a few entries and discovered that David would soon need to complete a three-month social practice before graduation.
"It looks like the kid is in trouble again."
As he browsed through various scattered entries, he received a message from Gloria, an invitation to dinner at the Yu Jin nightclub in the valley area adjacent to the city center.
Yu Jin was also a place Tang Yu often checked in at in the past, as familiar to him as his own home.
Yu Jin, as a famous high-end leisure and entertainment venue in Night City, includes dining, nightclubs, bars, hotels, and leisure centers among its operations.
The problem was that the price level at Yu Jin was quite high; for Gloria to invite him to such an expensive restaurant for dinner was indeed a very sincere gesture.
Additionally, Tang Yu noticed that attached below the invitation was a photo.
He clicked to view it.
In the photo were Gloria and David, together at the Yu Jin dining bar.
But to Tang Yu's surprise, the usually simple and efficient Gloria was not wearing her bright yellow cyber jacket uniform; instead, she was dressed in a red trailing silk gown, with the deep red hem fading to dark black. Her slightly curled red hair naturally hung down, tucked behind her ear, her delicate cheeks lightly made up, smiling gently at the camera.Her elegant posture and mature demeanor made her appear like a noble lady of high society, impeccably poised and dignified.
Standing next to Gloria was David, dressed in a full black suit, his face a picture of resignation.
Tang Yu had thought it was just going to be a casual meal, but he hadn't expected Gloria to prepare such a grand reception, which made him feel a bit out of his element.
He closed the documents on his computer screen, deleted all browsing history, and after shutting down, he quickly grabbed his overcoat and hurried out of the office.
As he passed by the office area, he saw Carter on the phone, unable to suppress a smile. His face immediately turned stern and he barked.
"Mr. Carter Smith!"
The sound startled Carter, causing him to jerk upright and hang up the phone hurriedly, his smile switching to an awkward grin.
"Keep it professional during work hours. By midnight tonight, I want to see your investigative report sitting unscathed in my inbox."
Carter quickly nodded in a bowing manner: "Understood!"
After giving his instructions, Tang Yu strode off towards the elevator. Moments later, he arrived at the grand lobby on the first floor of Arasaka Tower.
Even at dinner time, the Arasaka Tower was still teeming with activity, with employees clad in Arasaka uniforms bustling about making phone calls, delivering reports, checking documents, and some networking in small clusters, whispering amongst themselves.
Tang Yu stepped out of Arasaka Tower onto the plaza and looked at the time. There was plenty to spare, and since the club wasn't far, he decided to walk to The Afterlife club.
The Heywood district neighboring the City Center could be reached in less than twenty minutes on foot from the plaza, heading south.
The landscape and demographics of Heywood were starkly different from the rest of Night City – a vivid contrast of wealth and squalor existed side by side.
The affluent northern part of Heywood, not only boasted top-tier green spaces like Harmony Plaza but also housed important institutions like the City Hall and NCPD headquarters, establishing it as an absolute power hub of Night City with high-end venues like The Afterlife club and Embers gathering to form the central business district.
However, the situation was less optimistic in the southern part, filled with slums and gang skirmishes. It was a territory contested by the Valentinos and the 6th Street gangs, with beer being a best-seller throughout Heywood, and entertainment options like basketball courts, pool halls, shooting ranges, arcades, dance halls, and boxing gyms were almost always packed.
Jackie, Tang Yu's good brother, was a native of southern Heywood, and people from there were mostly known for their loyalty and sense of brotherhood.
However, due to the intense development in the valley area, most of the original Heywood residents had been relocated to live in the southern areas of Vista Del Rey and The Glen.
Walking through the busiest commercial streets of Night City, Tang Yu saw the well-dressed passersby, their expensive cyberware glittering under the blue neon lights, and he couldn't help but muse.
"No wonder the sweepers love to lurk in the shadows of the valley area, quietly admiring the passersby. After all, these are walking riches."
Soon enough, Tang Yu arrived at the entrance of The Afterlife club. He entered the revolving glass doors of the club where a host welcomed and guided him after he mentioned Gloria's name. He was then led by the host through the elevator to the floor above.
As Tang Yu entered the upscale dining area of The Afterlife club, his gaze landed on the red-haired beauty in a red dress near the piano by the floor-to-ceiling windows, her chin propped up in contemplation of the evening view outside, with David in his black suit beside her.
Tang Yu handed his overcoat to a staff member, then ordered two Emerald City cocktails and one juice drink, while allowing the staffer to set up tip-less payments through his electronic account.
All set, Tang Yu straightened his suit jacket and walked over to where the lady in red was stationed.