Chapter 90

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After dinner, Tang Yu and David left the valley area and took the hover rail transit home.

On the train, David was surprised that Tang Yu, a high-ranking company executive, always chose to take the subway. He wanted to ask about it but felt it wasn't polite to do so.

David's gaze was somewhat vacant as his mind was occupied with the events of the day.

Everything happened so quickly that he had no time to process it.

In the morning, he was ridiculed by Tanaka Katsuo, worried about his internship the next day, and then, by lunch with Tang Yu, all his problems were seemingly solved with ease.

In fact,

David was young and shy, but not stupid.

When Tang Yu took the initiative to invite him for a meal and offered him an internship at Arasaka, David had a vague idea of what was happening.

Is there really such a thing as unconditional favor in this world?

Perhaps providing an internship was trivial for Tang Yu, not even a favor to ask.

Many parents would queue up just for the chance to attach their children to someone like him.

At the end of the meeting, a large group of leaders from the Arasaka Academy were surrounding Tang Yu.

One could sense Tang Yu's not inconsiderable status at Arasaka—an absolute heavyweight.

David glanced at Tang Yu and noticed that he was intently admiring the scenery outside the window.

He thought that if not for the car accident, he wouldn't have met Tang Yu.

Perhaps, from the moment he met Tang Yu, many things had changed drastically.

The excitement was gone, and as David envisioned the future, his mood became heavy again, mumbling to himself.

"It must have been Mom who approached Mr. Tang..."

"Otherwise, why would Mr. Tang suddenly come forward... It's inexplicable..."

"I really don't know how my mom will repay this kindness."

"Fortunately, Mr. Tang didn't make things difficult for us; otherwise, we would surely be laughed at..."

David recalled the moment Tanaka Katsuo mocked him, despising everything from his high horse—utterly detestable.

Tang Yu heard David mumbling something next to him but could not quite make it out. So, he asked,

"What's on your mind?"

David was taken aback and quickly explained,

"Nothing, nothing..."

Speaking of which, the train had already arrived at the Santo Domingo River Valley area.

David quickly said goodbye to Tang Yu and hurried out of the subway to avoid more awkwardness.

Leaving the station, David tried to clear his mood, deciding to race back home to share the good news with his mother.

He felt he had changed a lot, especially after experiencing that real dream. He realized that his mother was always the one who truly cared about him.

Since his mother wished to see him join Arasaka, even though it was difficult and perhaps not what he truly wanted, David did not want to disappoint Gloria anymore.

David sprinted all the way home and as he entered the house, he noticed it was tidy, the laundry dried and neatly hung, but no one was there.

"It looks like Mom went out to look for work."

David took off his shoes and entered the house. With nothing better to do, he took out his Braindance headset and held two new Braindance chips in his hand that he got from a ripperdoc.

He had prepared these Braindance chips early, planning to experience them alone at home—one of the few pleasures he enjoyed.

David looked at the Braindance headset. Considering he had an internship at Arasaka the next day, he put everything back.

He stood in front of the mirror and started practicing.

"Hello, my name is David Martinez. I am here to report to your department, invited by Mr. Tang..."

"No, no, that's too silly. Let's try again."

"Hello..."

Meanwhile,

After saying goodbye to David, Tang Yu continued his subway ride home. 

He didn't plan on going to work in the afternoon, and in the absence of news from Gloria, he had to wait.

As for David's internship in the counter-intelligence department, reporting to the reception was enough; a seasoned colleague had already been arranged to guide him.

Several days had passed since Michiko assigned Tang Yu a task.

Not in a rush, Tang Yu kept to his old habit of not taking action before completely understanding the situation.

Militech wasn't easy to handle. He needed to wait until the other party showed some vulnerability.

Regarding Susan Abernathy, the fallout from her three-month suspension had subsided. The incident last night with the Scavenger seeking revenge found no traces linking to the company, which likely meant it was a personal vendetta.

In the past, Tang Yu, together with V and Jackie, had stormed the Scavengers' den and rescued a woman named Sandra Dorsett.

Later, a Scavenger van chased them demanding a fight to the death.

V was then tricked into watching a Braindance on the street, which led to a bitter feud with the Scavengers.

With increasing blood on his hands, Tang Yu's name grew infamous.

None of the Scavengers mingling around Watson could ignore the names Tang Yu and V.

Shortly afterwards, Tang Yu returned to the Watson District's Chinatown and entered his upscale apartment.

Seeing that it was still early, he decided to enjoy some afternoon tea.

As he was settling down on the balcony with tea and snacks, he suddenly received a communication request from Gloria.

Picking up the call,

Gloria was straight to the point, "Mr. Tang, Maine and his team have completed the task, successfully located Reli Hayne, who was indeed abducted by the Maelstrom gang."

Tang Yu never doubted Maine's team's capabilities to accomplish the task, but their quick response indicated they had some tricks up their sleeve.

"I understand. How is Reli Hayne? Has he been returned to Valentino?"

Tang Yu chose this place not only for Gloria's convenience but also because he had some interactions with the stall owner in the past. It was at this owner's strong recommendation that he and V once tried Dumb Dumb Monkey, a high-fructose corn syrup drink with a potent corn sweetness. In truth, Tang Yu wasn't fond of such sugary drinks; it was mainly because that wild girl V liked them, which led him to giving them a try. He even bought a whole box of Dumb Dumb Monkey for V's place, hoping she would get sick of them. To his surprise, she became addicted instead.

The stall owner Darius was busy heating water to prepare some noodles, with steam billowing out, adding a touch of liveliness. Tang Yu had sent the address to Gloria in advance, so he waited there for her arrival.

After a short while, Tang Yu heard a familiar voice beside him. "Mr. Tang, sorry for being late."

Gloria appeared slightly apologetic, wearing her yellow cyber jacket, the uniform of the public medical health center. Tang Yu didn't say much, simply gesturing for her to sit down. It was clear to Gloria that Tang Yu had chosen this meeting place to save her the expense. Dining at high-end restaurants, even if she paid, would ultimately come out of Tang Yu's pocket, which made her feel quite awkward, especially since the expenses would indirectly fall on him.

The stall owner, Darius, came up and asked, "What can I get for you?" Gloria inquired, "Do you have Rainbow Scorpion Lion here?" Rainbow Scorpion Lion was a popular, affordable drink in Night City, a common choice for the working class to grab for a quick energy boost.

Darius, with a look of disdain, said, "Why do you want that slop? I heard some batches even glow in the dark at night!" Changing his tune, he added with a smile, "We've got Dumb Dumb Monkey here, much better taste!"

Seeing Darius's eagerness to sell, Tang Yu couldn't help but smile. It seemed like Darius might well be the major distributor for Dumb Dumb Monkey, always pushing that sales spiel.

Catching Gloria off guard, Tang Yu took the initiative. "Let's get two cans of Dumb Dumb Monkey."

Pleased with the successful upsell, Darius beamed as he took out two bottles of Dumb Dumb Monkey from under the counter, displaying them on the stall. The cans were green, adorned with a cartoon monkey head. Gloria tried one, pulling off the cap, and was almost knocked out by the pungent, sweet corn scent. She took a sip, holding her nose; the taste wasn't too bad, just a bit overpowering, prompting a minor cough.

Tang Yu too opened a can and took a sip. He quite liked eating corn but despised corn-flavored drinks—strangely enough, after having a few, he felt it wasn't so bad after all. Setting down his Dumb Dumb Monkey, Tang Yu turned to Gloria. "How's the taste?"

After wiping her mouth with a paper napkin, Gloria responded, "Not bad, just a strong corn flavor."

Tang Yu laughed, "To be honest, I'm also not fond of the corn taste, but at least it doesn't upset the stomach."

Gloria nodded in agreement and with a hint of apology said, "Mr. Tang, I really appreciate your help with David's internship at the company."

Gloria seemed hesitant to look directly at Tang Yu, her cheeks blushing slightly. It was embarrassing to repeatedly trouble someone, even if she had previously completed tasks for Tang Yu and received payment, it still couldn't offset this favor.

Tang Yu was unconcerned, "It's nothing, and besides, David has been performing quite well in his college courses. Having an internship at the company is a good opportunity."

Gloria knew that such formalities weren't to be taken seriously. Excelling at Arasaka Academy was entirely different from securing an internship at the Arasaka Corporation. Moreover, to avoid embarrassing David, she had specifically asked Tang Yu not to reveal the truth to him. David was still unaware of the true cost of his stay at the academy and the internship at the company.

Gloria was indeed in a dire situation, with no solution other than turning to Tang Yu. As they conversed, Darius, noticing Tang Yu in his smart suit and Gloria's professional demeanor, couldn't help jumping into the conversation while busy working, "Sir, ma'am, seeing as you both work for a company, my sister just got a job at one too. She's finally found a decent opportunity." 

"She used to help me here, but now she's gone off to work for a company." Darius's face brightened with a smile, clearly proud and relieved that his sister had joined a company.

Seemingly struck by his words, Gloria probed further, "Which company did your sister join?"

"ZetaTech," Darius replied with some pride. 

Gloria was impressed, as ZetaTech was a significant company in Night City; for someone from a small vendor's background, it was quite an accomplishment. Tang Yu knew the story—all too well. Darius's sister had grown up on this street; the local thugs, who despised corporations, often harassed Darius, resenting his sister for joining ZetaTech.

It had been V who intervened and dealt with the thugs, allowing Darius some peace. Now, Darius still seemed joyous, unaffected by any trouble so far. Gloria, initially a bit tense, relaxed after the interruption and turned to the matter at hand. 

"Mr. Tang, regarding the Reli Hayne case, there are new developments." 

Tang Yu nodded for her to continue. 

"A member of the Valentinos, Reli Hayne, was indeed kidnapped by the Maelstrom gang recently," Gloria calmly related the information she'd gathered. "He was held captive at Maelstrom's secret lab in the industrial area of Watson, near Martin Street by the sea. 

Maine found the place and exchanged fire with Maelstrom members. By the time he rescued Hayne, he was barely conscious and hardly human anymore."

"He had been implanted with various odd cybernetics, like excavator arms, the back half of his skull replaced with an electronic metal plate and an interface for cyberspace deep dives—none of which had been sewn properly. His eyes were gouged out for mechanical cylindrical implants; any part of her body that could be replaced had been. He looked like a cyborg zombie, to put it crudely."

Tang Yu frowned. Maelstrom was notorious for their extreme cybernetic augmentations, not just for their members but also for any captives, who would endure cruel modifications, flesh made weak, machines ascendant.

"You mentioned Militech being involved," Tang Yu said, cutting to the core, "does that mean the implants on Reli Hayne were experimental Militech?"

Gloria nodded gravely. "After examination, Hayne had not only been implanted with experimental Militech but had also been administered an unknown hormonal drug. Moreover, signs of data intrusion were found in his cybernetic interface at the base of his skull. 

Maine stated that the Valentinos didn't want anything to do with what happened afterward and could only hint that more than one company was involved with Maelstrom in this matter."

Tang Yu remained silent. He hadn't expected a simple kidnapping to unveil such deep secrets. From the information he had, he could confirm that both Militech and biotechnology companies were involved, and judging by the brain interface invasion, Militech wasn't to be excluded. 

As for Maelstrom engaging in such activities for money, it wasn't new on the block. Tonight, at any cost, he needed to speak with Maelstrom's leader Brick, to dig out some useful intelligence.

Tang Yu finished his Dumb Dumb Monkey in one gulp, the syrupy corn flavor overwhelming his senses.

"Tonight, we need to go somewhere to listen to some heavy metal music."

Gloria, puzzled, looked up at Tang Yu. 

"To listen to music?"

Tang Yu nodded, "The Totentanz Club. You might not believe it, but they have a band called 'Tinnitus'. Every time they perform, it's with different members."

"Brick dreams of making it in Night City's music scene, imagining success with his heavy metal music."

After explaining, Tang Yu called Jackie to join them.