Starting From Night City

"Yesterday's Dead Man's Lottery ended with a full count of thirty!"

"Thanks to the endless gang wars, ten alone dropped in Heywood."

"But one officer also dropped, I think you'll all have to pay."

"Because the NCPD definitely won't let this go."

"Santo Domingo experienced another blackout, the power grid was sabotaged, another job for netrunners."

"Meanwhile, in Westbrook, the trauma team was still collecting bodies of cyberpsychosis victims on the sidewalk."

"And in Pacifica... well, Pacifica is still Pacifica."

"I'm your bro Stan, and with me, let's start a new day in the City of Dreams."

Su Xiao was woken up by the voice on the radio.

He opened his eyes.

He found himself sleeping on a cracked leather sofa.

He was alone in the room; Jack wasn't there.

He turned off the cash register.

He walked out of the garage.

The sunlight outside was a bit harsh.

He walked through the alley and entered the Wolf Bar.

There weren't many people in the bar during the day.

Peppy, the bartender wiping down the counter, greeted him, "Hey."

"Hey."

"Haven't seen you before, you're not from around here, are you?"

"I'm Jack's friend."

"So you're the one Mrs. Wells asked about, that makes things easier. Mrs. Wells said you could order whatever you want, it's on the house."

"Then I'll have a cola, with ice, thanks."

Peppy mumbled strangely, "What's the difference between a salted fish and someone who doesn't drink first thing in the morning? You don't look that old, are you already starting to live a healthy lifestyle?"

Su Xiao didn't hear what Peppy was mumbling, "Speaking of which, Jack, have you seen him?"

Peppy brought the cola over, "He drove out early this morning, and he wouldn't say where he was going when I asked."

"Oh, I see."

Su Xiao stopped talking.

He picked up his cola, found a seat, and sat down.

He took out the laptop he brought from Zank the Decapitator and started browsing the internet.

He had just finished reading "The Social Status of 2077" when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Su, you're up. I was thinking if you were still asleep, I'd let you sleep in longer before calling you."

Chapter Thirteen: Follow Your Bro, Starve for Three Days and Nine Meals

Su Xiao was about to get up, but Jack stopped him.

"Hold on, let me get a drink first. I'm dead tired."

He held up two fingers towards the bar.

"Peppy, vodka, with ice, lime juice, ginger ale, give me a double."

"Mrs. Wells said you can't drink anymore."

Jack walked to the bar, "Then I'll pay for it."

"Mrs. Wells said she's not selling you alcohol."

Jack held his forehead, "My own mother."

Su Xiao closed his laptop, downed his cola in one go, and walked over, placing his cup on the counter.

"It's okay, Peppy, I just checked, my mom isn't here. Some of the Valentino Gang guys had a conflict, and she went to mediate."

Jack leaned his elbow on the bar, leaning forward, "She won't know if you give me two bottles."

Peppy said with a helpless tone, "Jack, don't make it difficult for me. I'll be the one getting yelled at."

Jack pointed at the bar's sign.

"Peppy, who owns this bar?"

"It's Mrs. Wells, of course."

"Her full name?"

"...Ms. Guadalupe Alejandra Wells."

Jack pointed to himself again.

"Then what's my name? Say the full name."

Peppy seemed completely confused. "Jack, what are you..."

"Remind me, Peppy."

Peppy sighed. "Jack Wells."

Jack grinned and spread his arms as if to embrace Peppy.

"Peppy, isn't it a coincidence? The owner of this Wolf Bar and I share the same last name."

"Do you think there's a possibility, I mean, a possibility, that I'll be the future owner of the bar?"

Peppy: "..."

He was truly defeated by Jack.

Sighing, just as he was about to get a drink, he suddenly saw someone walk in from outside, silently appearing behind Jack.

They made no sound at all, their movements as light as a master assassin.

Peppy's expression immediately changed, and he whispered, "Jack, behind you."

"Ha, don't try to fool me, do you think I'm a three-year-old kid?"

Su Xiao coughed.

Jack glanced at Su Xiao strangely.

"Su, is your throat uncomfortable?"

"No, Jack, maybe we should go."

"No rush, don't worry, Su. Your share... I remember it clearly, I haven't forgotten. We'll sort it out later. I'm just going to have a drink to wet my throat, I'm dying of thirst."

Seeing that Jack wouldn't give up until he got his way, Su Xiao said, "How about a glass of happy water? This stuff tastes no worse than alcohol, what do you say, Peppy?"

Peppy understood the meaning in Su Xiao's eyes and nodded repeatedly.

"Yeah, yeah."

"What's wrong with you two today? You're so strange."

"Jakie!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an imposing aura that demanded respect.

Jack's cheerful expression froze instantly.

It was as if he was standing in the Siberian wind wearing only a thin shirt, shivering.

Mrs. Wells beckoned to Jack, who looked like he had done something wrong.

"Come with me for a moment."

Half an hour later, Jack emerged.

"Let's go, Su."

"You're not drinking anymore?"

"Cough, cough," Jack suddenly coughed loudly, then shouted with great volume, drawing the attention of the other patrons in the bar, "Hey! Bro is planning to never drink again!"

After they left the Wolf Bar, he quietly added, "Only in the Wolf Bar."

Seeing Jack like this, Su Xiao's lips curved into a smile.

Actually, in 2077, maintaining health through diet control was no longer as popular as in his previous life.

Why say "previous life" and not "early 21st century"?

Because the timeline of this world's development was very different from the Earth Su Xiao had lived on.

CCCP had survived all the way to 2077.

Surprise!

Instead, a certain superpower had become a "quintessential blossom."

New America, Western States, Republic of Texas, Pacific Alliance, were locked in a love-hate struggle across the North American continent.

As for Night City, it belonged to no country.

Although geographically still located on the mainland of New America, it was in fact an lawless land that had long since broken free from the legal control of California, and even New America.

Instead, it was an independent metropolis fully controlled by corporations.

In this world, the rich could replace any organ in their body with a new one.

Therefore, they no longer had to worry about drinking damaging their liver, smoking damaging their lungs, or kidney deficiency from... well, you know.

Some might ask, if the rich can replace things at will, that's fine.

But what about the poor?

They have a lower level of education, or none at all.

Diligently maintaining their small businesses.

Forced to rent housing in impoverished areas with low safety standards, they are more susceptible to criminal activity.

They have to pay for their own social and medical insurance.

And they also have to pay protection fees to the gangs controlling the area.

These people cannot afford to replace damaged organs at will.

Not to mention those who are unemployed or homeless.

In reality, there's no need to worry about that either.

It's better to worry about the endless shootings and murders than about ruining your health with alcohol.

You might get killed by a stray bullet walking down the street one day...

Or you might be selling synthetic meat at a market when members of the Tiger Claws Gang storm in, all because one customer offended them, dragging everyone at the market into a gang conflict...

It's also possible that a corporate executive, drunk, drives their sports car onto the sidewalk and hits you, who did nothing to provoke anyone, sending you flying.

Then they leave the scene without even slowing down.

Let alone getting out of the car to check.

As if they had just crushed an ant.

You see, compared to so many bad endings, isn't ruining your health with alcohol actually a better outcome?

You're welcome, it's all thanks to the company you keep.

Leaving the bar, they returned to the garage.

Jack pulled down the roller door before pulling a thick wad of cash from his pocket and handing it to Su Xiao.