The trip went smoothly. "Arthur's driving wasn't the smoothest, but he handled the wheel just fine.
V remembered clearly—just a few months back, it was Arthur behind the wheel of his old John that had barely saved her from going over the cliff.
City Center was as lively as ever, crowds of stylishly dressed people coming and going, enjoying their rare holiday.
After parking, Arthur stood on the street and instinctively glanced in one direction. The luxury apartment tower was still hard to miss, its dark glass façade gleaming in the sunlight.
He shrugged. It had been a while since he'd dropped by Meredith's place. Come to think of it, he still owed that woman a company armored vehicle.
"Let's go. This old buddy's long overdue for retirement..." V said, patting the faded roof of the beat-up car.
Jessica, hopping out of the passenger seat, looked up at V with curiosity.
"So what kind of car are we buying?"
"Maybe one won't be enough... Badlands, Night City... these places are worlds apart."
V replied as she confidently took the lead, already knowing the way.
"Besides... don't you want a ride of your own?
You've been pretty busy lately, haven't you? Bet your little purse is stuffed by now."
Though she said it playfully, V wasn't exaggerating. In Night City, netrunners could rake in just as much as mercs. Jessica's skills were solid, and with Lucy's veteran training, she might not be elite-tier yet, but she'd never lacked gigs.
"Me... my own car?"
Jessica started counting on her fingers. After setting aside cash here and there, she realized she probably could afford something decent.
But almost immediately, as if remembering something, she shook her head quickly.
"Nah, forget it. I don't like going out alone."
She shrank back as she said it.
For most netrunners, avoiding the spotlight was second nature—rarely were there exceptions.
"Fine. Then maybe use that money for an external processor, or a netrunning pod, or some gear for running the Net."
V suggested confidently.
"Don't worry—our new base will have more than enough room for your setup."
...
Chatting as they went, the three reached their destination.
The dealership had no flashy ads, not even a prominent sign. It looked almost bare.
Through the spotless glass, they could make out lush greenery and hints of the showroom inside. Cars were definitely parked in there.
V and Jessica—both ex-corporates—seemed perfectly familiar with this kind of setup. They strode casually toward the grand double glass doors.
Arthur trailed after them. He had no idea what kind of game this place was playing, but it didn't stop him from following.
Inside, the vast hall gleamed with polished black stone floors, the emptiness broken only by plants along the windows.
A lineup of pristine sports cars stood under perfectly tuned lighting, their colors glowing bold yet refined.
No staff came over to greet them.
Instead, a woman seated in a lounge quietly poured water for another guest, offered the trio a polite smile, then returned to her seat.
Arthur shifted uneasily and glanced at V for an explanation.
"Rayfield. That's just how this company is. We might as well enjoy the peace and quiet."
V said openly as she walked toward the central display.
"Their staff are fitted with special cyberware—they can't hear us. If you do need something, just hit the call button and they'll come."
Jessica understood immediately, but Arthur lingered, staring at the women in the lounge.
All of them wore sleek black uniform dresses, lounging comfortably on the sofas without a hint of stiffness.
Were they all deafened on purpose? Was that really necessary?
Catching his expression, V glanced back and chuckled knowingly.
"No, they're not deaf. Their hearing's just managed by implants.
We don't see it often, but sensory-restricting mods are popular in the service industry. Think of it as a toned-down version of sex-doll cyberware."
Arthur shrugged at the explanation and finally turned his attention back to the cars.
Damn it. This country-boy-in-the-city feeling again... a little too familiar.
"Rayfield—the absolute king of car manufacturers. Almost every rich prick drives one. Their showrooms can run things however they like."
V said with a hint of annoyance, pointing to the display ahead.
"So? Any interest?"
Arthur looked at the car encased entirely in metal. He didn't look shocked—he'd seen plenty of these on Night City streets, the kind where you could see out but no one could see in.
"Not really..."
He studied the sleek, rounded frame. It was smooth, stylish, comfortable to the eye... but—
"I don't like blindfolding my horse, even if it's with see-through cloth."
"Come on, you've gotta embrace new things. This glassless design is top-notch sniper protection...
Not to mention, it gives you total privacy. Hell, you could park it in the middle of an intersection and nobody'd know what you're doing inside. Could be exciting, who knows?"
V smirked, slipping in the innuendo.
Arthur frowned, not taking the bait this time. Instead, he asked,
"You came here to buy one?"
"Me? Nah. I'll stick with the Herrera Outlaw GTS. Solid ride.
Only shame is, I got canned from Arasaka. Their mod shops can't be matched anywhere else."
Arthur rubbed his chin, peering deeper into the showroom.
All the cars were fully sealed in metal—nothing that caught his interest.
"Maybe we should just head straight to where we need to go, instead of wasting time in this boring joint."
Only then did they remember they weren't alone.
V scratched his cheek awkwardly and turned to Jessica.
"What about you?"
He really hoped that dirty joke hadn't reached the girl's ears.
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser