Woodhaven Street was getting more and more crowded, and the sharp smell of burning was drowned out by the stench of cheap alcohol. The grease from the synthetic meat mingled with it and drifted through the air.
Though the food was cheap, the atmosphere throughout the place was surprisingly lively, and the people eating were genuinely happy.
There was no other reason: 15% of Night City's population earned less than 2,000 euros a year, or less than 170 euros a month, and more than half of them were concentrated in Santo Domingo.
The cheapest food sold in stores, like the Pink XXL burrito, cost 10 euros apiece, more than many bullets. Even a bucket of roasted chicken nuggets from a fast-food joint cost upwards of 30 euros.
Street snacks made with black-market synthetic meat or other cheap ingredients might cost a little less, but not by much.
All in all, 170 euros wasn't even enough to rent a decent place. People might even have to scavenge for food once or twice a month.
There were many causes behind these distorted prices: corporate wars, the Unification War, and the financial crises and inflation brought about by all kinds of wars.
The world had been in the grip of terrible inflation since the early 21st century, and the prices of basic necessities had risen especially outrageously.
No matter what had gotten into the Sixth Street gang, free food and booze?
It was hard to imagine.
Even leaving the homeless aside, the average annual income in all of Santo Domingo was only around 3,000 to 4,000 euros. A free meal still wasn't something they could take for granted.
These people wished they could split every euro in half to make it go further.
"Awesome!" A man missing an arm drank heartily with his