Why Are Braindance Chips Always Packaged Like Condoms?

This was a good start.

"Get in. I just picked up a job. I'll fill you in on the way."

Winding Street was a sleazy place steeped in desire.

Surrounded by towering buildings, it was just like all the other places in this city that never saw sunlight.

Filthy and dark.

Su Xiao parked by the roadside.

The four of them walked past a holographic cherry tree.

Digital cherry blossoms drifted onto their shoulders.

"What's the client's name?"

"Bryce Stone. Know him?"

"Isn't he that preacher on TV? What happened to him?"

Jack had once belonged to the God-fearing Valentino Gang, so he paid particular attention to Bryce Stone.

The preacher devoted himself to helping those at the bottom of society, addressing their spiritual and psychological problems.

He helped them overcome their dependence on alcohol and other addictive drugs.

Even more remarkably, most of his help came free of charge.

Naturally, someone like that was deeply respected and loved.

"His son was brutally murdered."

"Fuck! What bastard did it?"

"We don't know. But someone recorded the whole thing and turned it into a Black Market Dream."

"A Black Market Dream? What's that?"

Jack only knew about braindances.

He had never heard of Black Market Dreams.

In fact, Jack wasn't particularly fond of ordinary braindances either.

For one thing, he had a girlfriend.

He naturally had no need to jerk off to virtual tits.

For another, he preferred pumping iron in his free time to doing something that unhealthy.

Su Xiao frowned at the Sex Doll constantly writhing in a shop window.

"Black Market Dreams are recordings of criminal activities-unusual

sexual fetishes, violence, sadomasochistic fantasies, and even death are their most common themes."

"The people featured in Black Market Dreams are often forced to participate, and the recordings are rarely edited."

"Because Black Market Dreams contain the dark emotions and primal thoughts of criminals or victims, experiencing those emotions is extremely dangerous. There's very little insulation between the recorder and the end user, so viewers can suffer severe psychological trauma."

Chapter 49: Why Are Braindance Chips Always Packaged Like Condoms?

"Fuck, that sounds way more dangerous than ordinary braindances." Jack shoved back a male Sex Doll that had approached from the roadside to solicit them. "Why would anyone watch that shit? Are they sick?"

"Even if we find it hard to understand, there's no denying that Black Market Dreams have a dedicated audience."

"People bored with their mundane daily lives who want a little excitement, or people with particular fetishes who simply enjoy that kind of content."

"In short, Black Market Dreams are incredibly popular among those people. They're also a steady source of income for various criminal organizations, some of which have even established recognizable brands of their own."

"Black Market Dreams aren't sold openly. They can only be experienced privately or in hidden venues run by gangs."

Then Jack picked up on something.

"Wait, you said our client's son was murdered and turned into a Black Market Dream. So we're here to find that Black Market Dream?"

Su Xiao nodded, then shook his head.

"Yes and no."

"What we need isn't an edited Black Market Dream. We need the raw recording, completely uncut, with the entire thing intact."

"Only the raw recording can give us clues about the bastard who killed the kid."

Lucy looked puzzled. "The raw recording? Those don't usually leak onto the market, do they?"

"That's right. But I know there's a dealer selling Black Market Dreams on Winding Street. We can start with him."

Deep inside Winding Street.

A Corp Dog sneaked into a secluded space beneath a bridge.

There, he approached a dealer wearing a coat and sunglasses.

"Hey, got any fresh stuff that hasn't been tampered with?"

"I only sell specialty stuff, buddy. What flavor are you after?"

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

"Then you've come to the right place, brother. Bare-knuckle boxing, intense shootouts, torture in dark rooms, severed hands, amputations..."

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

"You mean fetishes?"

"No. Come on, you know what I mean."

"No, I don't. If I could read minds, would I need to do this for a living?"

"I really want to know... what killing someone... feels like."

The dealer glanced at the jittery Corp Dog in front of him.

So that was all he wanted?

Ordinary shootout braindances weren't enough, and he wanted something real?

"You should've said so. I thought you meant something else. I've got some classics from the last corporate war. If war movies aren't your thing, I've also got armed robberies..."

The Corp Dog chose what he wanted.

The dealer took a small disposable packet resembling a condom wrapper out of his coat.

Inside was a Black Market Dream chip.

They settled on a price, the Corp Dog paid, and then he left.

The dealer folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

Another easy payday.

The money came faster than selling his body.

At this rate, he would soon own a home in Charter Hill.

Just as the dealer was dreaming of climbing the social ladder, approaching footsteps interrupted his thoughts.

He looked up and froze.

This time, there wasn't just one person approaching. There were four.

This many people came to buy braindances?

Instinctively, he sensed something was wrong.

But he couldn't figure out who would want to give him trouble.

The Tiger Claws Gang controlled this area, and he had already paid his protection money.

Suppressing the mounting urge to run, he forced a smile.

"Can I help you?"

V and Jack silently moved to either side of the dealer, blocking his escape routes.

Su Xiao stood in front of him.

He gave him a friendly smile.

"I'm looking for braindances. The restricted kind."

Seeing the four of them surround him, the dealer couldn't help panicking. "Are... are you cops?"

Although Night City was a city of sin, it wasn't truly a lawless place where people could do anything without consequences.

If the people surrounding him really were NCPD, they had the authority to haul him in.

"No, we're customers. What, you don't want people giving you money?"

The dealer steadied himself.

He gave Su Xiao a doubtful look.

If they really were NCPD, there was no need to waste words on him.

His coat was full of Black Market Dreams.

All they had to do was arrest him and search him, and they would have all the evidence they needed.

The dealer gradually calmed down and slipped back into his role as a businessman.

"What are you looking for?"

"I heard there's a Black Market Dream going around lately of a kid being murdered. Got that one?"

The dealer's eyelid twitched, and he hurriedly denied it.

"No, I don't

have it. Sorry. Please try somewhere else."

"Oh, well. Forget it, then."

Su Xiao turned to leave.

Then, before the dealer could react, he suddenly lunged and pinned him against the wall.

The Power Gauntlet pressed against the dealer's throat, even though Su Xiao barely exerted any force.

The pressure alone left the dealer struggling for breath.

His face slowly turned purple.

Only when he could no longer breathe-

did Su Xiao release him.

The dealer dropped to his knees.

He clutched his throat.

He gasped for air.

Su Xiao crouched in front of him. "Got it now?"

"Cough, cough... yes, yes... I remember now. The one where a kid gets killed, right..."

The dealer looked at the others, his gaze showing unmistakable fear and panic, especially when it landed on Su Xiao.

"You... you're here because of that kid?"

"You don't need to know that much. Just do what I tell you."

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

The dealer didn't dare refuse.

He had chosen to sell beneath this bridge precisely because it was secluded and few people came by.

Besides, it wasn't just that no one was watching.

Even if someone was.