Chapter 83: Incident: Subway Theft

David didn't know Leo's real name; he just knew that this guy was definitely a big shot. So after thinking for a while, he finally called him "Big Bro." Leo was also curious about what this kid was up to now, and since they were headed the same way, he decided to chat with him. "Dropped out?" David nodded. "I'm officially dropping out tomorrow. Arasaka Academy isn't a place for poor kids like me." "So, what are you planning to do now?" Leo glanced at the kid's skinny frame— Of course, it only looked skinny. If David really started getting cyberware, given his physical condition, he could bulk up in just three weeks. But his mind was too fragile. If he got that much cyberware, the chances of developing cyberpsychosis would be 99%. "I... I plan to find a job first." After saying that, David gritted his teeth. "Big Bro, I know you've got something going on at the academy. I can still get in tomorrow. If you need anything..." "Oh, starting tomorrow, I won't be going to the academy either. I've officially graduated." "Huh?" David was dumbfounded. A street kid—no, a street big shot—how could he be connected to Arasaka Academy? Anyone seeing this combination would think this street boss was planning something big, like kidnapping all the students and demanding ransom money or something. Of course, in David's mind, Leo was too cool for kidnapping. He was probably eyeing some high-tech score. But the one thing that never crossed his mind—the one thing that seemed impossible—was that Leo was actually attending classes! "Look, here. An A-level license, double specialty. Unfortunately, the name on it isn't mine—it's a fake name." Leo half-heartedly displayed his physical license, the shiny card appearing right in front of David. Night City Occupational Qualifications and Talent Management Center—Joint Certification by Arasaka Academy. David's mouth hung open wider and wider, and he suddenly felt like a clown. His mind went blank. "Do you need a degree to be a street boss now?" "Of course not, but it never hurts to have more skills. I'm just someone who enjoys learning." Leo put the license away and asked, "So, what kind of job are you planning to find? But with the job market so tight, where do you plan to find work? What can you do?" Good question—David was stumped. Could he say that he could recite the student code of conduct and Arasaka Academy's corporate ethics courses backwards and forwards? "Uh... if I had to say, the school did teach us cyberware calibration and technical knowledge..." "That's not bad. Can you get a license for that?" David opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. A license—yeah, right. He knew his own level well enough. But that question really stumped him. He started to think about what he had actually learned at Arasaka Academy. Advanced math, basic physics—out the window! Aside from the mandatory corporate culture courses, like maintaining professionalism in business meetings, there were also history, economics, and finance classes. Which of these were actually useful? David hesitantly said, "History... economics, and finance? Will those help me find a job?" Leo clicked his tongue. "They help, but definitely not for street punks looking for work. Strictly speaking, if you mastered those, you'd be well-suited for a corporate job. But outside the corporate world... not much use." He never expected that by 2076, high school students wouldn't even get basic scientific education—although it's also possible David skipped over the right answer: Understanding basic science doesn't necessarily make you a tech expert, but most people good at foundational subjects pick up technical skills quickly. David's shoulders visibly slumped. He was out of ideas. He felt that the only thing he was decent at was chip and cyberware calibration—but in 2076, what did that amount to? It was equivalent to having an associate degree in 2011. You couldn't say it was worthless or had no use, but it wasn't particularly valuable—especially if you weren't a recent college graduate. Yes, the world is that contradictory. Not everyone has a certificate, but having one doesn't guarantee a job, and not having one doesn't mean you'll live poorly. But that's okay; Santo Domingo factories always welcome skilled young people to come in and plug in a work chip, and the construction sites in Pacifica would also welcome them to help pour concrete. David quickly perked up again: "Then I'll go help my mom at her job. I hear that corpse collection is a tricky business; maybe I can land a freelance contract. If I have time, I'll go to bars and see if any fixers have jobs. The Strong Arms chip is pretty decent; I'm sure it's enough to teach some punks a lesson." This kid was serious this time. Leo rubbed his chin and said, "You've got more drive than last time. Got a gun?" David nodded and patted his bag. "Not bad. Even though starting to learn this stuff at 17 is a bit late, it's still better than learning after someone's already dead." Leo finished speaking and glanced at the large subway window—suddenly, through the reflection in the glass, he noticed a red light flashing on David's external chip slot at the back of his neck. That's a sign of a chip being forcibly ejected. Interesting— Leo's lips curled into a smile—the person had targeted David and was attempting to break through his personal ICE defenses. Personal ICE, as a means of individual cyberware protection, is primarily hardware-based, relying on the brain and neural implants for defense. Without considering software architecture, the higher your intelligence, the theoretically more complex your personal ICE. In other words, a netrunner's individual offensive and defensive capabilities largely depend on their intelligence. Most netrunners, when choosing a target to hack, first obtain the target's personal information sheet—this sheet usually resides in the outer layer of the data structure, like a business card, and is relatively easy to dig up. And Leo had such a business card too, except it was fake. And because of data discontinuity, most netrunners couldn't detect that there was more data nested behind the fake card and would believe it. However, a 12-point intelligence score in this world is already considered super high. Whether in intelligence, reflexes, or physical attributes, exceeding 8 points is already excellent, and 10 points is the pure physical limit, almost impossible for an ordinary person to reach. 12 points in intelligence, although far from Leo's limit, is a level most people could only dream of. Clearly, the intruder still had the confidence to go big—but unfortunately, this wasn't Leo's full computational power. Once they failed to break through the ICE, both netrunners would enter real-time offensive and defensive combat—and Leo would have the opportunity for a counterattack. Thud. A heavy object hitting the ground sounded from behind, and David quickly turned around, stunned. He saw a stylishly dressed, white-haired girl lying on the ground behind them, clutching her head in pain. David, acting like a fool, quickly crouched down to help her up. "Are you okay? What happened?" Leo's cyber eyes glowed with data streams. "Nothing serious. She just got countered while trying to hack my system." The white-haired girl bit her silver teeth, suppressing the nausea caused by system disruption, and pulled an almost invisible wire from her arm, then looped it around David's neck! Leo clicked his tongue—wasn't this David's favorite "white moonlight," Lucy? In the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime, David often saw a white silhouette on his way home. Now, that white silhouette was holding him in her arms—except it might not be as romantic as he imagined. "Step back, or I'll kill this kid." Leo's mind whirred with data. "Strictly speaking, he's not with me. Secondly, are you sure your monowire is functioning properly?" The girl hesitated, then noticed that the wire in her hand had gone dark. Monowire is a technology in 2076 that's overpowered but not widely applied. These molecular wires are made of a special arrangement of single molecules from the moment they're produced. However, thinness isn't the only factor for sharpness; it also needs to be rigid. When using monowire, the cyberware must supply electricity to enhance the intermolecular forces, thereby increasing its strength to cut through metal. Experienced netrunners can exploit this characteristic of monowires to regulate the current output, using it as an interface to hack devices, or even gradually charging it when deploying the wire, making it as deadly as a whip. But without this force, monowires are more fragile than you'd expect. Leo crouched down and picked up the Strong Arms chip from the ground, seeing this, David suddenly felt incredibly foolish. "I've disabled your cyberware. I should probably take it back. But this is my first time getting hacked, and personal ICE defense is a valuable experience—David, your chip. Most street kids start their first job as thieves. Maybe you should ask this girl if she has any jobs for you. She's a pretty decent netrunner." "Is it normal to praise yourself like that?" The white-haired girl managed a smile, though her wariness didn't lessen. If she was a decent netrunner, then what did that make Leo? Come to think of it, the ICE structure during the real-time offensive and defensive exchange wasn't particularly sophisticated, even rather conventional. But what was with that complexity, and the computational speed Leo displayed in his counterattack? Leo didn't intend to chat any longer—he had to head to The Afterlife tonight, and he didn't want V to yell at him for being late again. As for Lucy and David, well, it was up to David now. At this point, all he had was a Strong Arms 400 chip worth a little bit of money that Leo had given him. Lucy wasn't likely to steal anything from him. In the original story, David had not only lost his mom by this time but also recklessly installed James Norris's Sandevistan. Now, he didn't have anything special, just an entry-level combat cyberware—and a still-alive mom. How far he could go and how much he could hold onto in this city was entirely up to him. If he proved himself, Leo might toss him some side jobs in the future. As Leo walked away without looking back, the white-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief. David awkwardly smiled, "So... do you have any jobs for me? I've got a Strong Arms chip; it might be pretty useful for this kind of work." As he spoke, he felt a bit embarrassed—the girl's arms were quite soft. This was also the first time in his life that David had any physical contact with a girl. The white-haired girl, feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion, looked at the innocence in David's eyes and sighed. "Are you serious? An Arasaka Academy kid wants to do this kind of work?" "I'm dropping out soon, gotta find a job." David said, counting on his fingers. "Alright then." The white-haired girl, having recalibrated her system, stood up from the ground. "I'll give you a nine-to-one split—if a fight breaks out, you'll cover the rear, and I'll give you a bit more. And... when do you plan on getting off me?" "Uh..." David quickly stood up, "Sorry about that. So when do we start?" "Right now—just act normal, don't be a blockhead. My name's Lucy, and yours?" "David." As she looked at the silly expression on David's face, the same thought crossed Lucy's mind that had occurred to Leo: This kid's the type to get sold off and still help count the money. He didn't even try to negotiate.