Starting From Night City

The door to the weapon modification room opened, and Su Xiao walked out, yawning.

First, he went to the bathroom to take a comfortable shower.

He collapsed onto the bed, and the moment he touched the pillow, he fell into an infant-like sleep.

He didn't get out of bed until the sun was about to set.

He brushed his teeth and washed his face.

After waking up, he returned to the weapon modification room.

Parts and tools lay scattered on the floor, too messy to clean up.

But Su Xiao's

attention was entirely focused on the table.

More accurately, it was on the two Power Gauntlets on the table.

From their appearance, they looked like the armguards of a medieval European plate knight.

The polished Power Gauntlets reflected a sharp, silver cold light under the fluorescent lamps.

The main material used to construct the Power Gauntlets was not ordinary metal.

It was Tyran Steel.

This material was also used in some expensive cybernetic limbs.

It had excellent bulletproof performance.

It had a small engine built inside the armor, allowing the wearer to possess immense strength, similar to having implanted Gorilla Arms.

The Power Gauntlets Su Xiao created were a pair, one for the left hand and one for the right.

Once worn, they not only allowed him to punch people but also to use firearms without hindering each other.

Su Xiao put on both Power Gauntlets.

He closed his hands, fingers together, then opened them.

Next, he threw punches and blocked.

He struck various poses.

There was no sense of obstruction.

His gaze flickered to the wall.

After thinking for a moment, he suppressed his eagerness to try them out.

This was his own apartment.

If he broke something, he'd have to call someone to fix it.

Su Xiao decided to go out and look for some people who harvested kidneys.

He wanted to use them for experiments.

And so, the wall was spared.

The moment he stepped into the elevator, he received a holographic call from Jack.

"Su, are you out of seclusion?"

When Su Xiao was in the weapon modification room, crafting the Power Gauntlets, he had greeted V and Jack.

Even though he was going into seclusion to manufacture them, he had told them to call or visit anytime if they had urgent matters.

He hadn't shared the good news of his successful creation with them yet.

Yet Jack was calling.

Had something happened?

"What's wrong, Jack? You don't look too good?"

Jack's next words stunned Su Xiao.

"Something happened with the Priest."

Let's rewind the clock to a week ago.

Fidel walked into a dilapidated small hotel somewhere in Heywood.

The hygiene conditions of this hotel were extremely poor, even by Night City's standards, it was incredibly dirty and messy.

Coupled with the shockingly high prices on the front desk's price list, this was enough to keep the shady hotel empty.

However, this hotel wasn't actually in the business of providing accommodation.

Fidel wasn't here to stay either.

He was the Priest's subordinate, specifically here to buy materials and parts for making Tech Weapons.

The man at the front desk glanced at Fidel and pointed to the side.

"Go in."

"How many times have I been here? Can't you trust me yet?"

Despite his complaints, Fidel obediently entered the room next to the front desk.

The room was small, barely able to fit two or three people.

After he entered, the room door closed automatically, and then a beam of light swept back and forth.

"Firearms, not detected."

"Knives, not detected."

"Explosives, not detected."

"Biological weapons, not detected."

"Listening devices, trackers, not detected."

The scan lasted for nearly a full minute before the room door finally opened.

"See? I told you I was clean."

"Go on, upstairs. They're waiting for you."

Fidel, familiar with the way, went up to the second floor, walked through the corridor, and all the way to the end.

He pushed open a door marked "Fire Exit."

Behind it was a hidden room.

Several men were waiting for him inside.

One of the men pointed to the travel bag on the table: "The materials and parts you wanted are all packed for you. Want to count them?"

"No need, I trust you." Fidel opened the travel bag, confirmed it contained what he wanted, and didn't bother counting.

He nodded, and two beams of light covered his pupils, "I've transferred the money to you."

"Thanks, man."

"I'm leaving then."

Since the Priest's errand was done, Fidel didn't waste any more words.

He picked up the travel bag, left the small motel, put it in the trunk of his car, and drove away.

After he left, the people in the motel started chatting.

"You know, that kid is really a weirdo. He comes here every so often. The problem is, if the Priest wants Tech Weapons, why doesn't he just buy them? Why does he have us get the materials and parts? Does he even know how to make them?"

If in 2022 you could insult someone by saying, "They're a dropout from the nine-year compulsory education system."

Then by 2077, you couldn't say that anymore.

Because many people didn't even have a primary school education.

The distribution of educational resources in Night City was extremely uneven.

Those who received an education received an extremely good one.

But those who didn't receive an education knew nothing beyond basic literacy (in reality, American math and geography skills are also poor, Americans themselves often complain about how bad American math and geography are).

Chapter 40: What's Most Important in the 21st Century? Talent!

Education and technology were tightly monopolized by the major corporations.

Even among the lower strata of society, the Nomads were the best at education.

Because Nomads were expected from a young age to contribute to their families and tribes, they followed the traditions of American rural family education.

Teachers among the Nomads were responsible for educating adults and children, and the camps usually had mobile libraries and communication centers to stay in touch with the rest of the world.

Larger Nomad camps even had their own mobile cinemas and theaters.

The teaching curriculum for Nomads focused on practical knowledge, such as mechanics, agriculture, or engineering, which could help them better perform their jobs.

Some Nomads even studied classical literature and philosophy.

In many cases, the spoken language of Nomads was more complex and refined than the language used by Night City citizens.

"Why do you care? We're just selling these things anyway. Who we sell them to doesn't matter. At least the Priest pays more than others. That's enough. Why bother with other people's business?"

"I heard that on the territory controlled by the Priest, those weapon shops have started selling Tech Weapons in large quantities, at lower prices than other weapon shops, and they even offer after-sales service, only exchanges, no repairs. It's gotten so that everyone in Heywood goes to his shops to buy weapons."

"He probably knows someone in charge of warehouses at a Corporation, just like us. Taking a salary from the Corporation while deliberately fudging the accounts and stealing things from the warehouse to sell outside... After all, he's the Priest, it's not surprising he has such connections."

"The Priest isn't a good person, but he's a traditional one. He likes to do things by the book. I wish I was a subordinate of the Priest. I heard he never mistreats his subordinates."

Looking in the direction Fidel had left, they were consumed by jealousy.

At this moment, one person suddenly said.

"You know, what if those weapons shops in the Priest's territory are selling tech weapons made with parts and materials bought from us?"

"If that's the case, then maybe the Priest has a gunsmith under him who can make tech weapons."

"Very possible, but even if that's true, so what? Don't forget, we guys are just Corp Dogs making a quick buck by stealing stuff from Corporations. What does it have to do with us?"

The first person to speak let out a disdainful laugh. "If you think that, you're dead wrong. Do you know this intel is worth money to certain people?"

Seeing the others still looking completely clueless.

He had no choice but to patiently explain, "Aren't the Sixth Street Gang and the Valentino Gang at odds lately? They've been trying to take the Heywood residential area away from them."

"Think about it. If the Sixth Street Gang finds out the Priest has a gunsmith, and a rare talent who can make tech weapons, what do you think the Sixth Street Gang will do?"

The others were shocked.

"This isn't good, is it? We do business with the Priest, and then we sell him out... that's not right, is it?"

The man snorted, "What do you mean 'not right'? We studied so hard just to get into a Corporation, and then what?"

"Because we have no background and no connections, anyone can step on us. What's the point of having excellent grades at Arasaka Academy? Your high scores are worthless in others' eyes."

"I've seen through it. This world is a rotten world. If you want to live comfortably, if you want freedom, you have to have money. Without money, you're nothing."

"This intel can be sold for money, so why not sell it?"

Someone raised an objection, "If the Priest finds out we're behind this, he'll skin us alive!"

"You don't say, I don't say, and only heaven, earth, you, and I know about this. No one else will ever know. The Sixth Street Gang and the Valentino Gang have had grudges for more than a day. As long as we're careful enough, who will know it was us?"

The others fell silent.

After a long while, one person stood up.

"I'm out. You guys can have the money. I don't want it, and I won't say anything."

As he turned around, intending to leave.

A shot hit the back of his head.