Chapter 1 Mental Assessment Normal

In the decades following the defeat in the corporate wars, Earth 0791 gradually recovered from the chaos of military occupation.

To revert to a multiverse civilization order dominated by the public safety system, the Ye Group led the implementation of several economic recovery policies. These policies redrew the lines of interest and promoted rapid economic growth, but they also further widened the wealth gap on Earth 0791.

Following the defeat, the forced bankruptcy settlement and restructuring of the old financial conglomerate Takamanohara Corporation led to an outflow of technology and weapons as company employees lost their jobs, causing a rapid surge in crime rates in the slums.

Militant local groups advocating armed struggle to overthrow Ye Corporation's rule rose rapidly. Their strength quickly surpassed that of the dimension's security forces, which had lost their deterrence power due to excessive losses in the war, resulting in severe social unrest.

In light of this, to prevent new chains of hatred from brewing on Earth 0791, balance the powers of the war victors—the vested interests—and avert the situation from spiraling out of control, potentially triggering a new multiverse corporate war...

Authorized by the Earth Zero Public Safety Committee, a decision was made to establish the Special Mobile Police Squad with autonomous authority and battlefield command rights, equipped with enhanced armor suits, battlefield drones, and heavy weapons, empowered to use level five military technology. It would report directly to the 0791 Public Security Bureau, codenamed CERBERUS.

That was about twenty years ago.

...

The young man, sporting a buzz cut he'd just given himself, walked through the grimy apartment block's corridors, stepping over bankrupts, junkies, and homeless people, past those wearing holographic glasses, illegally watching Super Dream and slapping vending machines, probably trying to knock out cheap alcoholic drinks—Cyber Lunatics—until he reached the doorway of the 45th-floor elevator, where the controls had been ripped out, and he had to look into the surveillance camera.

Yellow, yellow, red, blue, yellow, yellow, red, blue, yellow.

The neon light flickered in his irises, then a bland electronic voice from the public security system, translated by the chip implanted in the young man's head, whispered in his ear, while the flashing pale blue light, like floaters, projected onto his retina.

"Citizen Li Pan, current cash balance is 1147.95, due payment is 3379.38. Total debt 25XXXX.XX.

Your next debt payment will be due on the 15th of this month; please ensure your account has sufficient funds.

Your mental deviation value exceeds the system median by 15 percentage points. Please visit a qualified mental health counselor promptly to obtain a valid mental health certificate and upload it to the security system for backup updates.

Thank you for using the public safety system, and we wish you smooth sailing."

After completing the iris scan and verifying tenant identity, the elevator doors grudgingly opened.

"Damn, mental evaluations are even loaded onto the apartment's subnet now, but go figure, someone could've at least fixed the door..."

Li Pan, impatiently tugging at his collar, carefully squeezed into the elevator, facing the dirty window adorned with graffiti and stains, straightened his rented cheap suit, adjusting his pullover tie while casting his gaze beyond the grid-like slums to the colossal metal jungle that pierced the skies of Night City, the artificial island between earth and sea.

Right, Night City, but not the Night City of 2077; it was a huge metropolis in a parallel universe named Earth 0791, not located in North America, but standing in the central area of the old archipelago, which sunk due to volcanic eruptions and nuclear wars. It rose atop the ruins of the thirteenth New Tokyo after several cycles of destruction and rebuilding.

Decades ago, symbolized by the Takamanohara Corporation, which used to rule over the thirteenth New Tokyo, being torn apart by wolves, the corporate wars came to an end, and the Ye Group took over as the new rulers of Earth 0791. Thus, this new Night City sprang from the largest city's debris on Earth 0791, feeding off the blood and rotten flesh of the losers.

And Li Pan, a transmigrant without a system, background, or supernatural powers, with average looks, intelligence, and stature, reborn from an ordinary Earth to a world with far more advanced technology and disparities in wealth, naturally found it difficult to make a name for himself.

But regardless, Li's cards weren't utterly lousy; at least he wasn't like the homeless outside the door, lost in a dream woven by alcohol, drugs, and illegal games. He struggled in the cruel reality, relying on interest-free loans from war orphan aid funds, doing off-the-books work, managing to complete his studies at the Military Engineering Academy, graduating successfully, registering as a reserve Engineer, and implanting a level two Civilian Chip in his brain, obtaining legal citizen status with access to the public network.

Of course, that was only the minimum ticket to enter a normal social life.

Just look at the account statement; after graduation, Li Pan had to become self-reliant and repay the 200,000 interest-free orphanage condolence fund loan. He had to find a way to earn a living in Night City, where the unemployment rate was as high as 45 percent, or else he faced maxed-out credit cards, losing even access to his slum apartment, begging on the streets, and living a miserable life sustained by relief funds and scavenging through trash.

"Sorry! Sorry! Wait a moment, please wait for me!"

Hearing the woman's urgent call, Li Pan instinctively extended his left hand and caught the elevator door as it ominously clanked shut.

Squeezing through the crack was a mature woman with lively orange-red hair tied in a ponytail. You could tell that if she were ten years younger, she would be a rare beauty. Even now, with heavy bags under her eyes and somewhat messy hair, obviously in too much of a hurry to apply makeup and with an exceptionally weary demeanor, you could still glimpse her past charm.