Cyberpunk: The Magnet fruit

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After leaving his rental house, David walked through familiar streets. The moment he stepped out of the slums, the sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on the city.

"Good afternoon, residents of Night City, and welcome to the 'Intelligence Talk' program. I'm your friend, Ruth Zheng," a voice echoed from the 3D screen in the center of the square.

"Now, we bring you a news report from the NCPD in Little Chinatown. Last night, during a patrol near Little Chinatown, NCPD officers discovered the corpse of a burly man. The subcutaneous implants all over his body had been removed, leaving him bloody and gruesome. It's a disturbing sight!"

"The NCPD suspects a street fight and has issued a reward notice. Anyone with information should report to the Watson District Police Station."

"Tell us what you know and contribute to Night City!"

David glanced at the scrolling news report, sneering in his mind. Humph, those guys from the NCPD don't even have enough money to feed themselves, and they still think offering a reward will solve anything?

Such incidents were common on the streets of Night City. The rich paid to settle their issues, while those without money put up reward notices. This was the NCPD's consistent approach—lacking resources, they had to rely on public help.

David kept walking, heading towards a nearby street. He hailed a taxi that would take him to the address Lucy had sent him.

After about ten minutes, the taxi pulled up to the destination: a Chinese restaurant decorated in a retro style, standing proudly on the corner of the street. Across the road, David saw Lucy sitting by the window, her striking white hair easily visible.

With a few quick steps, David entered the restaurant and sat down next to her. He asked casually, "Why did you want to meet here?"

"Aren't you Chinese?" Lucy said, taking a drag from her cigarette and offering the menu to David. "It's lunch, so let's order something to eat first."

David took the menu and flipped through it, seeing a variety of familiar Chinese dishes: Kung Pao chicken, braised lion's head, Peking duck... his mouth watered. For a moment, he forgot about the mission at hand.

The restaurant was high-end, and eating here didn't come cheap. This was his first time here, and David had to admit, Lucy was thoughtful.

"Hey, shouldn't we talk about the mission first?" David couldn't help but ask, even though his stomach was growling.

Lucy flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray and sighed, "I've been sitting here for a while and didn't have lunch. Let's eat first."

David immediately realized that her irritation was probably due to him not answering his phone in the morning. Ah, so that's why she's upset.

"Alright, let's eat first," David agreed, shrugging. "Do you have anything in mind?"

Lucy rested her chin in her hand, staring out the window. "This is my first time here, so I'll eat whatever you order."

She looked almost like a sulking child, and David couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, then I'll order whatever." He glanced at the menu and chose a few Chinese specialties: four dishes and a soup, enough for the two of them.

As they waited for the food, David asked again, "By the way, Lucy, about that mission you mentioned in the morning—what's going on with it?"

Lucy looked at him, pursing her lips. "If you had answered your phone, we would have finished the mission by now. But now that time has passed, things have gotten complicated."

David listened carefully as Lucy explained the situation.

It turned out that Lucy had logged into the darknet earlier that morning and discovered a post about a mission: Steal Mewtwo's information. The target was the office of a Mewtwo Experience Bar run by Jotaro, the leader of the Tiger Claw Gang. The mission offered a hefty reward of 100,000 euros—a fortune for most mercenaries.

The moment Lucy saw the mission, she thought of David. His abilities, demonstrated when he successfully stole the chip the day before, made him one of the best thieves in Night City. Coupled with Lucy's own hacking skills, the two of them were well-equipped to steal the required Mewtwo data without Jotaro ever finding out.

The mission seemed simple enough, but there was a catch. Due to David not answering his phone, they couldn't begin the mission on time. As a result, other hackers on the darknet had taken notice and started eyeing the job.

The mission's publisher had made an announcement: whoever brought the data first would receive the bonus, creating fierce competition.

Now, what had once been a simple task had become a race, with multiple parties trying to grab the reward. If David and Lucy wanted to take on this mission, they would have to face the challenge of competing against others.

David took a moment to digest the information. Just then, the waiter brought the food to their table, and the aroma of the dishes filled the air. The meal looked delicious, and David couldn't wait to eat.

Lucy looked at him, curious. "What do you think of the mission?"

David picked up his chopsticks, his expression calm as he handed them over to her. "Eat first."

Lucy's eyes widened in frustration. "You're unbelievable! Can't you just let me eat first without playing games with my appetite?"

David grinned, teasing her. "If you don't eat, how will you have the energy to complete the task?"

Lucy rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "You're impossible."

As they began eating, the conversation turned back to the mission. David knew this job would be more complicated than he initially thought. Not only did they need to acquire the information, but they had to be quick, stealthy, and outsmart other competitors.

The challenge was set. And as the two of them dug into their meal, David couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. This mission was going to be one hell of a ride.

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