By the time school let out, dusk had already fallen.
The setting sun, as if unwilling to surrender, tried its best to scatter what little light remained across the city—yet it couldn't stop Night City from slipping into its own darkness.
Students in Arasaka Academy uniforms streamed out of the building, emerging into the inner section of the ring-shaped plaza.
This was a small urban park dotted with a few trees. Above it stretched a massive canopy of refractive glass and intertwined highways. And even higher, a circular pedestrian walkway ringed the area.
Lin Mo couldn't help but admire the city's architectural design—it was urban space optimization taken to its peak. Within this single ring-shaped district, there was a resting park, bars, the academy, a public transport hub, and a network of roads and walkways—all stacked together in layers.
Inside the classroom, only a few students remained. Most had already left.
In this age, students no longer carried heavy backpacks or textbooks. All they needed for class was a braindance headset—so when school ended, they could just stand up and go.
"See you tomorrow, David," Lin Mo said lazily, still lounging in his recliner as he waved.
"Have you lost your mind? Tomorrow's Sunday. We don't have school," David replied, hands stuffed in his pockets, his tone flat.
"Haha, so what? Can't we hang out? You could come over to my place. I told you the address, didn't I?" Lin Mo offered.
David looked down and thought for a moment, but ultimately shook his head.
"Better not. I've got stuff to take care of."
Though the two had grown close, David still saw their bond as something limited to school. The social gap between them was too wide for anything more.
Sure, Lin Mo didn't treat him any differently, but who was to say his family would feel the same?
No point bringing trouble into someone else's home...
"That's too bad. But if you ever change your mind, the door's always open!" Lin Mo said cheerfully.
He gave a small wave, then jumped off the recliner with a kip-up and followed David out of the classroom.
"Don't you have evening classes?" David asked, a little surprised to see Lin Mo tagging along.
"Forget it. It's the weekend—no point staying late," Lin Mo shrugged, skipping class without a care.
After all, in this world, education had long since become a business. Teachers were AI constructs, and no one really cared about old-school concepts like "respecting your teachers." Cutting class was no big deal.
And like any business, it offered multiple service tiers.
At Arasaka Academy, there were two packages:
The basic one, like David's, let students leave in the evening.
The VIP package was modeled after corpo life—996 hours, with mandatory evening sessions. It was sold with promises like "more knowledge, brighter future," and "guaranteed return on investment."
"So, your mom's picking you up today?" Lin Mo asked casually. "Funny, we've known each other this long, and I've never seen her."
"Yeah. She had time tonight," David answered, not wanting to elaborate.
Lin Mo nodded slightly, his eyes flickering with a deeper, unreadable emotion.
According to the simulator, David's life-changing moment began with a tragedy—his mother dying in a car crash. That loss forced him to drop out, and it was only then that he began his journey toward becoming a legend in Afterlife.
If he could help it, Lin Mo wasn't about to let his friend become an orphan like he had.
Outside the plaza was a road that circled the entire ring. Parents' cars lined the curb, waiting for their kids.
One woman stood beside her vehicle—a redhead with her long hair tied up in a bun. She wore the signature yellow jacket of Night City's emergency medtech personnel. Her figure was soft and curvy, with two red heat vents at the corner of her right eye, like beauty marks.
Time hadn't dulled her looks. If anything, it made her more refined—like aged wine, rich and alluring.
"David, over here!" she called with a wave the moment she spotted him.
Lin Mo followed behind David as they approached.
"And this is...?" she asked, eyeing Lin Mo with curiosity.
"Lin Mo. Classmate," David replied quickly, not wanting to explain more.
"We're not just classmates—we're friends!" Lin Mo said, smacking David playfully on the head. David scowled back like a porcupine bristling.
"Oh? A friend of David's?" The woman's eyes lit up. "I'm Gloria. It's so nice to meet you."
"I'm Lin Mo. A pleasure, ma'am," he said with an elegant smile, extending a hand.
"Alright, alright. Let's head home," David interrupted, clearly trying to cut off the conversation. "Didn't you say you had to work overtime tonight?"
"Guess we'll talk later then," Lin Mo said loudly enough for Gloria to hear. "Don't forget to visit me sometime, David!"
Gloria blinked but didn't say anything. She got in the car with David and drove off.
"Thorton Galena…" Lin Mo watched the car disappear into traffic. "Worst-performing vehicle in the whole game… Looks like they're not doing too well financially. So where the hell did they get the money to put David into Arasaka Academy?"
In Night City, good people didn't survive.
Especially not poor ones.
If someone at the bottom had money to spare, it usually meant they were doing something dirty.
That wasn't Lin Mo being cynical.
That was just how this screwed-up world worked.
Even his own sister—who came off as a sweet, clueless rich girl—was far from what she seemed on the surface.
And David?
Right now, he was just a regular student at Arasaka Academy. The only thing noteworthy about him might be his grades.
"But fate's already decided," Lin Mo murmured. "You're going to be a legend, David… whether you like it or not."
He and David were the same age—both born in '59.
David's rise to fame would happen next year—at just 17.
To reach a level mercs spent decades chasing?
That kind of path wouldn't be smooth.
It'd be lined with blood and thorns.
With a sigh, Lin Mo's eyes lit up orange. His lips moved in a silent command. A few seconds later, a car pulled up beside him, its doors opening automatically.
He got in the back seat.
"Welcome to Delamain Taxi Services. Choose Delamain—leave your worries at the curb."
On the backs of the front seats, twin screens lit up with the image of a bald AI in a suit, his lips glowing blue.
"Take me home, Delamain. Mansion No. 7, North Oak," Lin Mo said, leaning back and closing his eyes.
"Sir, at this time, you are scheduled to be in class at Arasaka Academy," the AI replied flatly.
"School let out early. Don't ask. Just drive."
"As per Ms. Xu Wanxue's contract agreement, I must report your whereabouts to her," Delamain said.
"Go ahead. Just get me home first," Lin Mo replied, rubbing his temple in frustration.
"Understood."
Delamain—a taxi company run entirely by AI.
No matter how jammed the roads, it always found a way through.
Lin Mo, having played the game, knew how insane this service really was.
In the game, the protagonist once escaped a full Arasaka kill squad with the help of a Delamain cab.
Even Adam Smasher couldn't scratch it.
One of their premium packages even included full-corpse delivery.
Aside from the price tag, it was flawless.
But Lin Mo had no plans of using that feature anytime soon.
It was already 2075.
Time to pick up the pace.
.
.
.
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