Chapter 67

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Chapter 67

Late at night, the city by the sea brimmed with waves, neon lights, and a gentle breeze.

Together they painted a tranquil night scene, exuding a serene aura.

On the seawall, two silhouettes stood as if they were characters in the painting, silent and without words.

Lucy gazed out at the ocean, her eyes fixed on the distant rocket launch platform.

After a moment,

She reached into the pocket of her hoodie, pulled out a brown leather case, and, flipping it open, deftly plucked out a cigarette between two fingers.

With the cigarette in her mouth, she passed the brown case to Tang Yu.

"Want one?"

Tang Yu declined.

Lucy closed the case with one hand and slipped it back into her pocket before giving Tang Yu a doubtful look.

"Hmm?"

"There are executives who don't smoke?"

Tang Yu thought to himself that he'd had his fair share of vices in his past life.

Lucy lit her cigarette and said through puffs of smoke, "Now we're even."

Tang Yu leaned against the railing, the sea breeze carrying a faint scent of burning tobacco past the tip of his nose.

"Yeah, we're even."

"But next time, on the train, you might not be so lucky."

Lucy held the cigarette between two fingers, letting the sea wind flicker the lit end, carrying away tiny embers.

"Obviously I won't go again."

"I drew attention from security last time,"

"Need to lay low for a while."

Tang Yu turned his head to look at her, doubtful of her approach, which targeted only the chips of Arasaka employees.

If it was just for money, there was no need to take such risks. She could have targeted employees from various corporations; none of them were up to any good after all.

Clearly, there was a more profound purpose behind the silver-haired girl's theft of the chips.

"Your approach is dangerous. It's not a wise choice. There are many ways to make money,"

Lucy turned to eye Tang Yu quietly, staring at him for a moment without a word.

Tang Yu explained, "You should be aware of Arasaka's intelligence methods. Although most of the people on the train are low-level employees, drawing attention could still get you marked."

Lucy looked away, taking a drag on her cigarette before flicking off the ash.

"Truly an executive accustomed to corporate work; you know so much."

Tang Yu could sense the chill returning to her demeanor, her eyes filling with a familiar fierceness at the mention of Arasaka.

"You're young, yet you haven't undergone cyberware enhancements."

"Being an executive of two departments speaks to your capability,"

"Or perhaps it's just your luck."

Tang Yu candidly admitted, "Maybe, as you say, I'm just luckier than others. In this damned city, if you're unlucky, you might not even live to see tomorrow's sun."

Lucy seemed touched by Tang Yu's words, exhaling a stream of smoke as if sinking into memories.

After a brief pause, she spoke again.

"What you say might be true,"

"In life, a little luck is indeed necessary."

"After all,"

"Who knows whether an accident or luck will come first."

Her indifferent tone seemed tinged with melancholy as she spoke.

Tang Yu felt that Lucy's words were meant more for herself than for him.

The girl before him seemed to be avoiding certain past events and experiences.

"So why did you decide to come to Night City? Arasaka's influence isn't small here. Maybe you should consider somewhere else,"

"Somewhere else?" Lucy's gaze deepened, steadfastly focused ahead.

"In my view, everywhere is hell."

"At least coming to Night City was of my own free will."

"Wanderers, gang members, the homeless – this city has room for all secrets."

Tang Yu agreed with the inclusivity of Night City.

People of any identity could come to Night City to take a chance.Tonight, you might still be in the gutter, but tomorrow you could stand at the pinnacle of the city, basking in a different kind of glamour.

"As you said, Night City is inclusive enough, but it's certainly not friendly."

"Arasaka, Militech, biotech—these megacorps monopolize the city and even the world."

"Everyone wants to live and catch their breath, but there's no chance for a halftime break."

A flash of surprise crossed Lucy's eyes, seemingly not expecting someone like Tang Yu, a corporate executive, to utter such words, so she teased with a smile,

"Is this also one of the pleasures of being a corporate executive?"

"Standing at the top of Night City, observing the teeming masses below like ants, busy and bustling."

"And then you can't help but feel that the world is in a sorry state."

Tang Yu's expression turned somewhat resigned.

He knew that the silver-haired girl before him had always been quite wary and distrustful of him.

At least his identity as a high-level Arasaka executive had become an insurmountable chasm between Tang Yu and others.

Tang Yu never blamed anyone, not even himself, despite detesting the role of a corporate puppet, only able to sigh silently within his heart,

"Ah, I really didn't plan on being a corporate dog after my rebirth..."

Seeing that Tang Yu fell silent without responding, Lucy turned around, facing the city, her back to the sea.

Neon signboards shot up into the sky above Night City.

"Looking at Night City from here, it's like a prison made of flashing lights."

Following her lead, Tang Yu asked, "Is that why you chose to come here and run at night, to at least feel like you're escaping the cage?"

Lucy calmly replied, "Yeah, I just want to fly high and far, to a place that's high and distant."

As she spoke, her gaze slowly drifted upwards, toward the starry cosmos above.

After a pause,

The silver-haired girl brought her focus back and looked at Tang Yu teasingly.

"Night running is a nice choice."

"Sure... the thrill of a joyride isn't bad either."

"After all, danger always lags a step behind us."

"Doesn't it?"

Tang Yu was at a loss for words.

The car ride tonight was indeed superfluous, like taking off your pants only to fart.

A simple phone call could have resolved the matter, yet it turned into a needless display of speed and passion.

Tang Yu bore no ill will; after all, it was an extremely fortuitous event.

He appreciated Lucy's good intentions.

She asked again,

"Running again tomorrow?"

Tang Yu affirmatively replied, "Of course, night running helps relieve stress."

Lucy extinguished her cigarette butt and said to Tang Yu, "Hmm... the pressure of being a deputy head is indeed great."

"Running on the seawall is nice, but you haven't undergone cyberware enhancements yet. It's too secluded here and you might encounter dangers like you did today."

"I suggest you bring a couple of Arasaka personal bodyguards. At least the road sweepers wouldn't dare to mess with you."

"Night City's future king... um, the Arasaka corporate star on the news headlines wouldn't look good."

Tang Yu looked amused, sensing an underlying message in Lucy's words, as if she was intentionally hiding something.

"What about you, do you run every night?"

Lucy pulled up the hood of her hoodie, turned around, and started walking away. She waved to Tang Yu behind her.

"If you run too slow, danger will catch up with you."

"I'm free tomorrow night."

"Let's meet here again."

With that,

She left only a silhouette for Tang Yu, gradually disappearing into the distance.

Tang Yu straightened his sportswear and looked in the opposite direction.

"It's too far; I'll call a taxi back."