Great, now we are dead!

"But anyway, you've helped me a lot... Thank you."

Gloria looked at Ye Shou gratefully.

The boy didn't seem to mind: "It's nothing, just a normal transaction. I got what I wanted."

He spoke lightly, but Gloria believed that "Ye Shou's kindness can never be repaid."

Ye Shou came into contact with the medical center's underground organization in order to collect rare prosthetic bodies. After accidentally meeting Gloria and confirming her identity, he designated her as his trading channel.

Since then, Gloria has had a stable side income. Ye Shou would always give her an extra 20% profit margin, which was significantly higher than the market price of the prosthetic body... So everyone else in the organization felt that Gloria must have "given" something to keep this big client.

Gloria initially wondered if Ye Shou had designs on her. To be honest, she wasn't that resistant, since Ye Shou's appearance and mannerisms were exactly what she liked (she had a special longing for "elites" deep down).

However, after dating for a while, she realized that Ye Shou didn't mean it that way at all, but she never clarified it to the outside world... because she found that the people in the organization respected her a lot more because of this client.

Morally speaking, Gloria disliked this, but she actually felt much better because of it... She felt quite guilty when facing Ye Shoushi.

If Ye Shou knew what she was thinking, he would definitely advise her to relax.

He's already got the Coin of Destiny; this reward is more valuable than anything else!

Although Gloria only appears in one episode of the animation, she is the "first domino" that drives everything. Her death starts David's legendary journey, so her fate carries significant weight, and Ye Shou made a small profit.

Interestingly, while Gloria's fate was indeed changed, Ye Shou did not receive David's Destiny Coin... as if to say that some things will still happen, and that's not enough.

……

After obtaining the decoding key for the "transfer point," Ye Shou left Martinez's house, declining the invitation to stay for dinner.

Although it was very impolite, he refused to touch such things again after eating them once. He always ate only what he brought from his hometown and avoided people.

And this unpleasant air... The air in this godforsaken place even smells sweet. If it weren't for my good physical condition and the [transition effects] that can cleanse me, I would have been poisoned to death long ago!

If he could, he would even like to learn from the Celestial Dragons and get an oxygen mask!

Every time he returns from cyberpunk, he undergoes a full medical checkup, if it weren't for acquiring advanced technology...

As Ye Shou approached home, he turned a corner and suddenly heard a "thump." Turning his head, he saw a shimmering light flash past.

Boom!

Annoyed, I kicked the metal casing of the vending machine with my calf, causing the projected light screen to flicker slightly.

"Hey, I've already swiped it!"

Boom!

"You piece of junk, how dare you steal my money!"

"..."

Ye Shou watched this scene and chuckled to himself.

"That machine is disguised as a broken vending machine; it's been placed here to scam people out of money. It's actually empty. If you vandalize it, the management will come and demand compensation from you."

"..."

The girl stopped what she was doing, her bright silver hair swaying and reflecting the neon lights, as if it were dyed with a layer of brilliance. She turned her head to reveal a beautiful face that was sharp and aggressive.

But upon seeing Ye Shou, his hostility and fierceness towards the entire world dissipated considerably.

"Doctor...you're back. Well, that's perfect, I came to see you."

"Long time no see, Lucy."

Ye Shou looked at the bad girl and smiled with a hint of tolerance.

Chapter 37 Would Cyberpunk Humans Dream of Cyberpunk?

Her tall, slender thighs bent down, stretching her low-waisted hot pants and outlining a rounded curve. Slightly upwards, the waist was exposed by the bodysuit, and her slender yet strong lines gave a youthful and energetic impression. Her skin had the slightly sickly white complexion common in the city of night.

The full curves of the shorts fell onto the soft cushions, leaving a deep imprint, perfectly complementing the gray sofa. The comfort made the girl lean back contentedly.

Her off-shoulder jacket hung loosely on her body, and she casually put her arms outstretched on the back of the chair, showing no trace of ladylike demeanor, but rather as carefree as a female race car driver.

There were no obvious signs of alteration on her body, but upon closer inspection, there were quite a few:

Brain-computer interface, electronic brain modification, prosthetic eye, arm, partial artificial skin, deep-sea spinal interface... Without any unconventional non-human modifications, he looks almost like a normal person from the outside, which is considered quite "conservative" in Night City.

This city is crazy. Almost everyone, both the people inside and the city itself, pursues high-end prosthetic bodies. Performance and cool appearance take precedence over everything else, and many people are happy to do so even if it means they no longer look the same as before.

Over-modification—is the inevitable death of countless street vagrants.

Lucy crossed her legs, deftly pulled out a cigarette, and was about to light it when she glanced at Ye Shou and reluctantly put it away.

Witnessing this, Ye Shou smiled with satisfaction and took two cans of beer from the refrigerator and placed them on the table.

"Oh ho?"

Lucy was taken aback, and said with a playful tone, "You have this in your house? Don't you abstain from smoking and drinking?"

"I won't touch it myself, this is for you."

Ye Shou sat on the armrest of the sofa: "Consider it a reward."

"Tsk! So nosy!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, but the cool, refreshing beer still cheered her up.

This world is strange. People at the bottom of society can't get fresh and healthy food, but cigarettes and beer are still available as usual. However, compared to the normal version, they have a burning and restless taste, as if they have been soaked in gasoline.

It can only be said that the supply of materials is not particularly scarce; rather, it is the companies that, for profit or other reasons, have deliberately monopolized and controlled essential goods.

Like most street vagrants, Lucy has a few hobbies, and she inevitably feels a little uncomfortable around the extremely self-disciplined Ye Shou.

Ye Shou wouldn't directly advise her like a doctor, nor would he hypocritically say it was for her own good. But Lucy, who was very sensitive to other people's emotions, could sense that every time this man saw her smoking, he would have a strange regret or pity, which was genuinely for her sake. Lucy naturally wouldn't easily change her habit, but she would restrain herself a bit when the two of them were alone.

What's with that look in a teacher's eyes, like they're seeing a student turn into a Shibuya-style gyaru?!

Are you my dad or my older brother?

"Coo coo coo... Ah"

Using the ice-cold beer to dispel the heat and fatigue, Lucy looked around the room more comfortably. She swayed her body a couple of times, and the sofa pressed tightly against her buttocks like a balloon, giving her a comfortable feeling of being perfectly enveloped.

"I've wanted to say this for a long time, Doctor, your home has almost no lived-in feel, except for this sofa... it's so comfortable."

"This is my personal hobby."

Ye Shou poured himself a glass of ice water, but he just held it in his hand.

A good sleep schedule can keep you energetic. Without enough sleep, no matter how smart a person is, their brain will become rusty and difficult to function, resulting in extremely low work efficiency.

Therefore, Ye Shou has always opposed Japan's overtime culture, and his companies strictly investigate excessive overtime and after-get off work parties, making him an anomaly in the island nation—but there's no way around it, the "Golden Rule" allows for such capricious behavior.

He himself sets an example by never pursuing luxury and enjoyment, but he is very particular about objects related to "rest", whether it is a bed or a sofa.

(Actually, he has a [transition effect], so poor sleep quality doesn't affect his energy recovery, but it's like Saber's appetite—it's mainly about rewarding himself.)

Is there anything planned for today?

"……correct."

Lucy's hand trembled, and her fingertips were already holding a chip. Its silver-black packaging made it look like a guitar pick.

"After all, he hasn't shown his face for a month, and Boss Mann is eager to complete the mission. As usual, all the information you requested is in there, and there are no encryption steps as you requested."

Lucy handed the chip to Ye Shou, who looked delighted, and asked, puzzled, "I still don't understand. What's the point of going through all this trouble to get this outdated information... Even if you wanted to resell it, you wouldn't be able to find a buyer, would you?"

"Collecting vintage items is my personal interest."

Ye Shou bent down and pressed on the corner of the table, and a narrow card slot popped out automatically. He placed the chip in the slot and put it back in place, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"That's pretty much it..."

"That's something from almost half a century ago. Even if its performance is still decent, it's no longer compatible with the current system ecosystem, right?"

Lucy's words were laced with disdain: "It's like trying to recreate a matchlock gun in the age of automatic rifles; no one but a die-hard collector would do that."

"Perhaps I am just a fanatical scientist."

Ye Shou chuckled: "In the Fourth Corporate War, due to the disintegration of the global network, a large amount of data was lost, and companies erected technical barriers to each other. Cyberspace was divided by a black wall, and terrifying AI devoured every hacker who tried to enter the old network..."

Human civilization made almost no significant progress after that; it merely cultivated seemingly vibrant flowers on corpses using carrion.

"Are you trying to piece together a database from before the corporate war? All by yourself? You must be kidding!"

Lucy's expression turned strange, as if she were looking at some kind of madwoman.

"Doctor, are you sure you don't need to check the brain nerves? There aren't any strange proteins mixed in with the synthetic cerebrospinal fluid you're using, are there?"

—Of course, I was just kidding.

Ye Shou smiled but didn't speak, which made Lucy feel even more that he was unfathomable. However, he didn't actually have such crazy ideas; he was just giving his behavior a reason that sounded very mysterious and impressive.

Ye Shou's reason for collecting "old-fashioned" technology is simple: to rewind cyberpunk technology by several decades and bring it as close as possible to modern times (early 21st century), which would also make it easier for the researchers at the Jiushi Group to perform reverse engineering.

"Shanzhai" (knock-off) Zaku is definitely easier to analyze and imitate than Gundam.

Ye Shou's goal is to find a model even more primitive than the Zaku, one that modern researchers can quickly understand.

Pave the way forward step by step, and it's best to thoroughly understand the entire system so you won't get stuck at any point!

With these data chips, Ye Shou believes that his hometown will soon be able to produce results, and in ten years, or even just a few years, it will be able to make decent flagship products.

If Ye Shouneng could be a little more capable, he could just move a production line back with him, which would speed up the process even more.

After all, there are quantum physics geniuses like Kayaba Akihiko over there. If TPC is established in the future, it might even "refresh" the ranks of black technology experts like Horii—they are definitely capable of mastering these technologies!

If there were a "technological explosion," it might be able to overtake them.

"I don't understand... weirdo."

Lucy shook her head: "Putting aside his quirks, the fact that he doesn't touch any drugs or fetishes makes him even rarer than a virgin in this city—is his family very strict?"

“My parents are laissez-faire; I’ve never caused them much worry growing up.”

Ye Shou then changed the subject: "I think it's incomprehensible to let nicotine and alcohol damage one's nervous system."

"...Tsk!"

Lucy clicked her tongue. If anyone else had said that, she would have walked away dismissively, but not now.

Ye Shou is not only a big buyer, but Lucy also owes him a favor, having helped her more than once... If he had ulterior motives, that would be one thing, but this guy just acts like a saint, without any desires!

That's why, even though she could guess he was a rich man's son, Lucy couldn't bring herself to give him the cold shoulder—she might seem like a carefree wanderer, but she was actually quite loyal.

"So you really don't care."

Ye Shou stroked his chin, remembered something, and suddenly said, "Let's try reward therapy!"

"What's the reward?"

Lucy leaned back on the sofa, tilted her head back, looked up at the ceiling, and smiled disdainfully.

"You want me to quit smoking? Putting aside whether I'm willing to cooperate or not, what does this have to do with you anyway?"

Lung cancer and the like are no longer a problem for modern prosthetics.

Yes, after all, even if the original breaks, you can just replace it with a prosthetic body. If you can't afford the expensive one, there's always a cheaper version—this is a common self-comforting thought among Night City residents when they indulge themselves.

It's not just about smoking and drinking; there's something even more exciting... In this city, "entertainment" is the only resource that's easier to obtain than any other.

Even homeless people can daydream at a roadside stall!

"Don't be so absolute, why don't you take a look at the prize I'm offering?"

Ye Shou walked leisurely to the bedside table, seemingly opening the drawer, but actually imagining what a "zipper" would look like in his mind.

Lucy remained unconcerned: "If it were just about money, I wouldn't care, but I'm not... What kind of helmet is that? It looks like something from the last century."

"By the way, where did you take that from?!"

"Named NERvGear, a brainwave receiving device of unknown origin that can be connected without a brain-computer interface."

Ye Shou placed the helmet and a small server on the table as he spoke.

"Oh"

Lucy wasn't too surprised.

While wireless devices may sound more advanced, they are actually irrelevant to the cyborgs of this world; they're a bit of a waste of time and energy.

They go to school, work, travel, and have fun... almost all of these require brain-computer interfaces, so most of them were modified when they were young or even infancy!

Physical transmission is certainly more efficient than wireless transmission, and people who prioritize performance will not like this roundabout machine.

Of course, the key feature of what Ye Shou took out was not its performance.