Starting from Night City

This is a good start.

"Get in the car. I just got a gig, and I'll tell you about it on the way."

Winding Street, a sleazy place filled with desire.

Surrounded by tall buildings, just like other parts of the city that never see the sun.

Filthy and dark.

Su Xiao parked the car by the roadside.

The four of them walked past a holographic cherry blossom tree.

Electronic cherry blossom petals drifted onto their shoulders.

"What's the client's name?"

"Bryce Stone. Know him?"

"Isn't that the pastor from the TV station? What happened to him?"

Jack, who was once a member of the Valentino Gang and believed in God, paid close attention to Bryce Stone.

He dedicated himself to helping the less fortunate, solving their spiritual and psychological problems.

Helping them break free from their dependence on alcohol or other addictive substances.

Even more commendable was that most of his help was free of charge.

A person like that was naturally respected and loved.

"His son was brutally murdered."

"Damn! Who the hell did that?"

"I don't know, but someone recorded the whole thing and made it into a Black Market Dream."

"Black Market Dream? What's that?"

Jack only knew about Dreams.

He had never heard of Black Market Dreams.

In fact, Jack wasn't even a big fan of regular Dreams.

For one thing, he had a girlfriend.

Naturally, he didn't need to engage in piston-like movements with virtual pleasure toys.

For another, he preferred lifting weights in his free time over doing things that were harmful to his body.

Su Xiao frowned, looking at the sex dolls in the shop window, their bodies constantly writhing.

"Black Market Dreams are recordings of criminal activity—rare fetishes, violence, sadomasochistic fantasies, even death are the most common themes in Black Market Dreams."

"The people who record Black Market Dreams are often forced to perform, and they are rarely edited."

"Because Black Market Dreams contain the dark emotions and primal thoughts of criminals or victims, experiencing these emotions is very dangerous. There is little barrier between the recorder and the end-user, and the experiencer may suffer severe psychological trauma as a result."

Chapter 49: Why Do Dream Chips Always Come in Umbrella Packaging?

"Shit, that sounds way more dangerous than regular Dreams," Jack said, slapping away a male doll that had approached them on the street trying to solicit customers. "Then why watch that stuff? Are they crazy?"

"Even if we find it hard to understand, it's undeniable that Black Market Dreams have their own dedicated audience."

"People who are used to their ordinary daily lives and want some excitement, or simply have peculiar tastes and like this kind of subject matter."

"In short, Black Market Dreams are quite popular among those people, and they are also a stable source of income for various criminal organizations. Some have even established their own well-known brands."

"Black Market Dreams are not circulated on the market; they can only be experienced privately or in hidden venues operated by gangs."

At this moment, Jack found a loophole.

"Wait, you said earlier that the employer's son was murdered and made into a Black Market Dream. So, are we here to find a Black Market Dream?"

Su Xiao nodded, then shook his head.

"Yes and no."

"We don't need those edited Black Market Dreams; we need the unedited original footage that preserves the entire process."

"Because only in the original footage can we find clues to the bastard who killed the child."

Lucy asked doubtfully, "Original footage? Wouldn't that usually be leaked to the market?"

"That's true, but I know a dealer in Black Market Dreams on Winding Street. We can start with him."

Deep within Winding Street.

A Corp Dog furtively slipped into a hidden underpass.

Inside the underpass, he found a vendor dressed in a coat and wearing sunglasses.

"Hey, got anything new that hasn't been touched?"

"My friend, I only sell special varieties here. What kind of flavor are you looking for?"

"The kind that makes your knees go weak and your nerves explode."

"Then you've come to the right place, brother. Unarmed combat, intense shootouts, torture and interrogation in a dark room, severed limbs..."

"No, I mean that kind of thing... you know."

"You mean kinks?"

"No, you definitely know what I mean."

"No, I don't. If I could read minds, would I still be doing this job?"

"I really want to know... what it feels like... to kill someone."

He glanced at the nervous Corp Dog in front of him.

So that's why you're here?

Regular combat Dreams aren't satisfying enough, you want the real experience?

"You should have said so earlier. I thought you wanted something else. I have some classic films from the last Corporate War. If you don't like war movies, I also have armed robbery ones..."

The Corp Dog selected a genre.

The vendor pulled a disposable small bag, like a mini umbrella, from his coat.

Inside this bag were the Black Market Dream chips.

The two settled on a deal. The Corp Dog paid and left.

The vendor crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

He'd easily made another profit.

Money came in faster than if he'd gone into the sea.

At this rate of earning, he'd soon own his own place in Charter Hill.

Just as the vendor was dreaming of crossing class boundaries, the sound of approaching footsteps shattered his thoughts.

He looked up and froze.

Because this time, it wasn't one person, but four.

So many people coming to buy Dreams?

This instinctively made him feel a sense of unease.

But he couldn't figure out who would come to cause him trouble.

The gang managing this area was the Tiger Claws Gang. He'd already paid protection money.

Suppressing the urge to run that kept bubbling up, he forced a smile.

"How can I help you?"

V and Jack silently moved to the vendor's sides, blocking his escape route.

Su Xiao stood in front of him.

He flashed a friendly smile.

"I'm looking for Dreams, the R-rated kind."

Seeing their formation, the vendor became flustered. "Are... are you cops?"

Although Night City was a sinful city, it wasn't a lawless place where nothing was regulated.

If the people surrounding him were indeed NCPD, they had the authority to send him to jail.

"No, we're customers. What's wrong, don't you want money brought to you?"

The vendor steadied himself.

He glanced at Su Xiao with doubt.

If they were really NCPD, they wouldn't waste words with him.

His coat was full of Black Market Dreams.

If they caught him, a search would reveal all the evidence.

The vendor gradually calmed down, reverting to his businessman persona.

"What do you want?"

"I heard there's a Black Market Dream on the market recently about killing children. Do you have that one?"

The vendor's eyelids twitched, and he quickly denied it.

"No, I don't. Sorry, please look elsewhere."

"Is that so? Then never mind."

Su Xiao turned his head, intending to leave.

Then, with lightning speed, he suddenly pounced, pinning the vendor against the wall.

The Power Gauntlet pressed against the vendor's neck, and Su Xiao hadn't even used much force.

The vendor was already struggling to breathe.

His face gradually turned purple from the pressure.

Until he felt like he couldn't breathe anymore.

Only then did Su Xiao let go.

The vendor knelt on the ground.

His hand went to his neck.

He gasped for air.

Su Xiao squatted in front of him, "Do you have it now?"

"Cough, cough... Yes, yes... I remember, the one about a child being killed, right..."

When the vendor looked at the group, especially at Su Xiao, his eyes were filled with obvious fear and panic.

"You... you guys are here for that child?"

"You don't need to know that much. Do as I say."

"First, give me the Black Market Dream chip."

The vendor didn't dare to not cooperate.

He chose to sell his goods under this bridge precisely because it was remote and had few people.

Moreover, let alone no one seeing.

Even if there were people.