Cyberpunk 2074: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 5 Gloria Martinez

January 8, 2074, was the happiest day that Heda Kasdei had spent after he fled to Night City.

Whether it's the first time you get a mission reward of more than 10,000 euros, or you meet a strange AI that "want to become a human": Yahweh, it is a happy event that is worth celebrating with a few drinks at the bar in the next life. .

"How's it going, little girl? Did you complete the task well?" Claire Russell, the bartender in the afterlife, was wiping the wine glass. When she saw Xi Da coming back from Roger after handing in the task, she was jumping around.

"Today is really great!" Xi Da made a subtle gesture, then giggled.

Claire looked at Xi Da who looked cute and raised the corners of her mouth.

"I invited you today, girl," Claire said with a smile. Today is indeed a good day worth celebrating.

"Ha! Thanks, Claire!" Xi Da looked even happier. She did not refuse the bartender's kindness and slowly sat down at the bar. "Give me a drink... let me think about it..., give me two glasses of 'Qiang'." Ni.Silverhand'!"

"Two glasses of old-fashioned tequila, plus some beer and chili..." Claire recited the recipe silently while quickly mixing the drinks. She was always very good at her craft.

"Thank you..." Xi Da took the two wine glasses from Claire's hand.

"A glass to all my friends in this night city and the next life, and to the rock legend with a burning heart!" Xi Ta smiled and raised a glass of wine, looked around, drank it all in one gulp without hesitation, and felt the liquid The fire flows down the throat and falls into the belly. The taste is sweet, mixed with a hint of spiciness.

"Well done! Girl!"

"so cool!"

"handsome!"

Not only the bartender Claire, most of the mercenaries who often come and go in the afterlife know Xida. Seeing the girl's heroic appearance, they do not hesitate to give her cheers.

Although he has only been in Night City for a few weeks, Xidan Kasdeyi has already become famous in the next life because of his proud beauty, kind and cheerful personality, and excellent efficiency in completing tasks. Although Rogge made some covert care, in the mercenary industry in Night City, those without skills have long been thrown into the garbage dump.

While feeling the lingering taste of strong alcohol in his mouth, Xi Ta waved his hands around as a response.

"There is another drink I want to drink with someone," Xi Da pursed her lips and pointed at her eyes, which were shining with blue light, as if she was in contact with someone. Claire and the other mercenaries wisely stopped disturbing her, leaving a private space for the happy little girl.

In fact, Heda was just talking to Yahweh, and he looked exactly like he was talking on the phone, so as not to be misunderstood that he was talking to himself.

"Yahweh," Xida glanced at the man sitting next to him. Under the flashing neon lights, his figure was real and illusory. "This cup is a toast to myself and to you for meeting me today..." Still After drinking it all in one gulp, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Xi Da..." Yahweh leaned sideways, supporting his head with one hand, looking at the peach blossom face of the girl next to him, her bright and charming appearance, and the corners of her mouth raised slightly.

"Let's go... let's go home!" Xi Da sat at the bar and rested for a while. The wine had great stamina beyond her expectation.

"I'll drive." Seeing Xi Da's dazed look, Yahweh decided to condescend to be the driving AI and escort the little princess home.

"Are you coming? Like Delamain? That's great! Ha!" Hearing this, the drunk Xi Da declined Claire's offer to escort him, saying that he had already been escorted.

Claire blinked at Xi Da in a joking manner. Although she was curious about which guy was so lucky, she did not ask further.

"Hmph... Xida really drank too much. He is such a little kid. His ability to drink is so bad..." On the way outside the store, Yahweh followed Xida closely, muttering that anyone who tried to get close would not be allowed to drink. People with good intentions all moved out of the way as if they were being manipulated. Seeing that Sheeda was drunk, Yahweh decided not to bother with the folly of comparing him to Dramain.

Yahweh waved his hand gently, and the door of Heda's favorite car, the Sky Hera, opened automatically. After watching the drunk Heda obediently sit in the passenger seat unexpectedly, Yahweh followed and got into the driver's seat. .

After connecting to the network with the help of Xida's personal terminal, Yawei seems to be at home like a fish in water, and can even affect the real world to a certain extent with his virtual body, if it were not for the constraints of the rudimentary terminal network connection chip used by Xida...

Yahweh shook his head, dispelling an idea that he had given up. He had already made a promise to Heda, and he never intended to break his promise.

Yawei glanced at the girl's rosy cheeks, forcibly connected to the car system, and controlled the passenger seat to slowly lower to a comfortable angle.

As soon as we entered the car, it started to rain in Night City. Xi Ta was very quiet after getting in the car. She just glanced at him and then closed her eyes peacefully, seemingly falling asleep.

"Alas..." Yahweh pretended to be driving. In fact, he forcibly invaded the two old Sky Hera through the Internet and simply wrote a driving program that did not require his manual operation. Although there is no need to pose as if you are driving, life still needs a sense of ritual to be interesting. Yahweh seemed to realize something and nodded slightly.

Shida Castei's little home is located in the super skyscraper H4. Although the name sounds quite grand, it is actually just a large apartment building. There are people here who rely on their meager work income to rent small rooms; there are also people who cannot afford the rent at all and simply sleep in the corridor outside the apartment, covering the sky and the floor.

When Xi Ta got out of the car, she had already sobered up. Although she was curious about how Yahweh, who clearly only lived in her own mind, could do all this, she was not in a hurry to find the truth.

She had no reason to believe in Yahweh, and believed that he had the ability to handle everything, otherwise she would not have been so wary by nature and would not have gotten drunk in the Night City.

"Let's go," Heda smiled as she watched Yahweh get out of the driver's seat, waited for him to lock the car door, and then walked out of the garage together toward the stairs.

Yahweh just said "Hello" softly, and his virtual figure followed the girl not far or near. They made a tacit agreement not to communicate more outdoors to avoid prying eyes.

The ground was wet and there were footprints everywhere. It seemed that many people did not bring umbrellas and were soaked by the sudden heavy rain. Xi Da thought, and bought a box of cheap lunches and snacks from a stall near the stairs that was not yet closed. He was already hungry after being so busy.

When I slowly walked to the elevator, I unexpectedly met an acquaintance - Gloria Martinez.

The acquaintance of Xi Da and Gloria is a long story.

Xi Da, who had just arrived in Night City not long ago, had just moved into the super skyscraper H4. When completing the second task, Xi Da accidentally scratched her arm by a stray bullet. Since she didn't want to waste money to find an expensive prosthetic doctor to treat the wound, she simply covered the wound and walked home.

It was at the elevator entrance that Xi Da met Gloria who had just finished her night shift. Out of good intentions and professionalism, Gloria treated the wounds of this girl who was pretending to be strong without taking any money.

Xida Kasdeyi is a person who always repays kindness, especially when Rogge scolded him angrily the next day in the next life - "Thank you for treating the wound in time, otherwise this native arm will be useless." "

After that, Heeda regarded Gloria as one of his benefactors. From time to time, he bought Gloria and her son David some daily necessities and provided some free help. Although Gloria resolutely refused Xi Da's reciprocation at first, Xi Da couldn't bear it anymore and kept nagging her at home for three days, so she had no choice but to accept the girl's sincere kindness.

Today, coincidentally, I met Gloria again at the elevator entrance, Xi thought, and smiled and said hello to Gloria, exchanged a few words, and said that he would come to visit her home when he was free in a few days. Nagging nagging.

Gloria looked troubled and nodded, getting off the elevator on the third floor without looking back, but the smile on her lips still betrayed her true thoughts.

After living in the Night City for so many years, single mother Gloria Martinez naturally understands the evil nature of people's hearts, but when faced with the kind-hearted Xi Da, she always finds it difficult to refuse.

"She looks very tired, Xi..." Yahweh watched the two communicating in silence. He didn't speak until Gloria got out of the elevator, and pointed at the retreating figure of the single mother.

"She is supporting her son to go to school...at Arasaka Academy...with her salary, it is really hard..." Xi Da sighed, secretly determined to put Gloria's family out of misery.

Yahweh looked at Heda's side face, was silent for a while, and then spoke softly,

"Don't worry, Xi Da... we agreed... I'm here too."

"Ding!" When the elevator arrived, Xida didn't say anything, just smiled silently, and walked out of the elevator side by side with Yawei, walking towards their little nest together.

The author is still in school, updates are a bit slow