Chapter 163: Stolen? No, Found!

Roshan, being an expert in firearms, vehicles, and even home security modifications, had a lot of good stuff in her store. The 100 eddie rental fee for the equipment was quite a bargain—after all, who would have expected something to literally fall from the sky? The Bratsk truck "bounced" into the junk heap, and David quickly got into the exoskeleton and connected his personal link. [Σ Linear Framework (Custom Mod Version)] Description: An old exoskeleton scavenged from a junk heap, a best-seller back in 2020, now modified for heavy lifting. This thing was connected through a personal link and cellular network. It wasn't particularly secure or flexible, but it had all the necessary functions and did the job. The labor exoskeleton provided 250 kg of lifting capacity and allowed for quick running while carrying things, though it looked a bit stiff. David flexed his body a bit, just about to express his amazement when Lucy smacked him, making him quickly straighten up and focus—it was work time. Carrying a pile of equipment to the junk area, David said, "Let's move faster. I'll carry the stuff, Lucy, you scan the junk, and Rebecca, Pilar, you two handle the dismantling." By the dam, three military trucks were sparking with electricity and smoke. The cargo holds had cracked open under the force of gravity and impact, scattering their contents all over. Yet, from the outside, the trucks still looked relatively intact. Pilar's eyes lit up: "Russian-made military trucks are top-notch. If I had one of these, I'd be unstoppable in Night City." "Rebecca, power it up—also, can't you grow up a bit?" he teased. As he spoke, Pilar's welding and cutting tools buzzed with sparks, clearly showing Rebecca had already connected the circuits. Though it was a bit of a struggle for her: the battery wasn't big by adult standards, but it was heavy, and Rebecca had to hang on to David while adjusting the lines. David, although not very tall himself, at least had an adult build. Unfortunately, there was no exoskeleton made for kids. "Get lost!" Rebecca cranked up the current, and the electric arcs almost jumped onto Pilar's face. David set down another pile of equipment, silently admiring the power of the exoskeleton, gearing up to continue the work. "I don't know much about the tech, so I'll rely on you guys. Lucy, have you scanned the stuff we need?" "Yeah... Burger King really knows how to steal. Even the lowest-grade items here are second-level restricted equipment. If they're intact, this haul could be worth..." Lucy trailed off in shock after scanning, as she hadn't expected such a massive sum. If the equipment was in good condition, the contents of just one truck could be worth over 2 million eddies. These were all high-end devices used by the wealthy and in biotech labs—some couldn't even be scanned. A trash truck? If this was a trash truck, then what were they? Mercenaries worth less than garbage? She thought of her dream—getting a ticket to the moon, which only cost 200,000 eddies. "Lucy?" Lucy snapped back to reality and marked the targets for the group: "I've marked the items for you. We've got 20 minutes to dismantle and gather everything, then load it up and get out." Twenty minutes was both short and long—especially since their payment depended on how much they could salvage. But Lucy listened well—Leo had told her not to mark the value of the items for anyone else, no matter what she saw. The reason was simple—they only had 20 minutes. Though she wanted to grab more, the situation was far beyond her expectations, and greed could cost them their lives. She could only mark the high-value items and those specifically requested by Burger King, praying that time would move slower. Roshan, eyeing the high-priced junk in heaps, clicked her tongue in awe, feeling a bit stirred inside. "Who are you working for?" "You don't need to know. Just know that the client gave you a path: we only need 20 minutes. Whatever you can grab in 20 minutes is yours to keep. He even suggests you call other scavengers in the area. Trying to take it all for yourself could lead to trouble." A path? Roshan swallowed nervously, remembering the white scratch marks on her counter, quelling her brief thoughts of hiking the price or getting in on the action. But the big boss hadn't forgotten the little guy—he left some soup for the smaller players. "I know the rules. First come, first served, right?" With that, she dashed back into her shop, keeping an eye on the time while calling in her contacts: "Petrochemical Dam, a company transport fleet crashed! Come quick and grab some money! If you grab it, you've earned it! Stealing? NCPD? Are you stupid? It's scavenging, scavenging, you get it!" The four of them worked even better together than expected, and the 20 minutes flew by. With the last piece of equipment loaded onto the truck, Rebecca and Pilar yanked up a spot where the paint was peeling. At first glance, it looked like some scuffed paint. But when you looked closely—both of them teamed up, peeled it off, and changed the truck's color entirely to blue and white with black highlights. Then they sprayed an NCPD logo on it. Now, the truck had transformed from a respectable logistics vehicle to an NCPD outsourcing transport truck. After unloading at the Llama Armory, Pilar floored the gas pedal, suddenly shouting with excitement: "Scavenging is awesome!" Rebecca smacked him hard on the head: "Drive properly, you idiot!" The truck sped out of Santo Domingo, barely encountering any traffic as it left Hydehaven Street, even brushing past NCPD patrol cars. They drove in the opposite direction, heading straight out without a hitch. They even passed NCPD's patrol vehicles without any hassle. At the exit of Highway 15, there was a joint checkpoint operated by NCPD and Militech. However, half an hour ago, Militech's forces had suddenly withdrawn from the checkpoint, leaving the task of inspections entirely to the NCPD, resulting in a significant drop in efficiency. Officer River and his partner, Old Han, were idly watching the long line of Mackinaw trucks. Old Han remained in the same position, expressionless. "Why'd you take on this crappy job?" "Is there a problem with cops doing security work?" "No problem, but why volunteer for it?" Old Han shifted in his seat, getting more comfortable. "You don't think the lizard people left the sewers and moved out to the desert, do you?" River stayed silent. A week ago, a suspect had triggered an EMP in the city center, releasing... lizard people. The existence of such creatures hadn't been confirmed publicly yet, but River knew they were real! He had seen them with his own eyes! No evil would escape his pursuit of justice—not even the lizard people! Old Han waved dismissively. "Come on, that stuff's out of our league. It's enough if we bagged ourselves a medal." Beep— The police radio buzzed to life. "All NCPD units, be advised: A carjacking has occurred near the observation point at Santo Domingo Dam. Nomads have hijacked a MoorE Technologies scrap truck. The vehicle lost control and crashed off the dam, landing in the Santo Domingo area. The cargo includes restricted Class 1 equipment. Scavengers are closing in. On-duty officers, maintain order." Static "A hijacking involving a scrap truck, and they crashed it off the dam? Those nomads must be out of their minds. Let's go handle it. Dispatch, any word on overtime pay? Still not approved?" Static. Old Han chuckled. "This kid's still hoping for overtime, just like you—headstrong and naive." "What's wrong with wanting overtime pay? You've got to criticize that too?" River sighed. "There's a vehicle approaching—is that one of our transport trucks?" "Yeah, a newly approved permit came through today. Check it and let them pass." Two Columbus cargo trucks, marked with NCPD contractor logos, drove in the wrong lane, bypassing the waiting vehicles lined up for inspection. River got out, raising his hand to signal for them to stop. "Stop. Inspection." He glanced inside. In the backseat was a young girl and a teenage girl. The driver had a cheap cyber-arm, and his hair had a punk style, though NCPD records indicated he wasn't affiliated with any gangs. Lastly, there was David, sitting in the front passenger seat, who looked surprisingly innocent. There weren't many people in Night City who looked as pure as he did. A fresh-faced kid just starting out? David fumbled in his bag and pulled out a document. "Uh, wait... is this the one?" River took the paper certificate and asked, "Electronic signature?" After the document was transmitted, River glanced at it. "Everything checks out. First time hauling cargo?" "Yeah, first time." "Alright, move along—but steer clear of the dam. There are nomads nearby." "Got it! Oh, and the truck behind us is ours too." "I know." Maine drove past River with his girlfriend, both of them grinning like idiots. River sighed, watching the two trucks head onto the highway. "I think we should be focusing on the hijacking, not clogging up traffic and holding up citizens," River remarked. Old Han shrugged. "That's Militech's jurisdiction. NCPD has no say." "Militech's jurisdiction." As River watched the trucks drive off, a sudden thought flashed in his mind. "What do you think those trucks are hauling? And for whom? Nomads are experts at hijacking; would they really make such a rookie mistake? Is it possible..." A sense of unease stirred within Old Han. Everyone knew that over 70% of NCPD contractors were dirty! No matter the issue, finding ties to a criminal organization like the Havana Cartel wasn't surprising. But if they discovered connections within their own ranks, that would be a whole different catastrophe! "What the hell are you worrying about now? Is there an issue with the documents?" "No issue—but if there is, I'm taking it to Internal Affairs." "Internal Affairs?" Old Han immediately slammed on the vehicle's emergency brake, stopping River's plan. "You need to get a grip!" But River was quick, immediately restarting the vehicle and flooring the gas pedal. "Just trust me. Let's see where they're headed—if it's the border checkpoint, we'll leave it alone." "Even if they're dumping the cargo in a ditch, it's none of our business—stop the car, STOP THE CAR!"