Chapter5:Dark Star

"Of course, you should ask them directly."

　　Nanshan gave Beihai and Bull a look that suggested they were idiots.

　　"Explain the pros and cons to them. If they want to go home, send them back to a B-grade city. If they want to go to an A-grade city, drop them near A05. If they want to join STORM, give them the contact info. Let them choose for themselves—why should we make the decision for them?"

　　Bull gave a thumbs up."See? That's what happens when you've read some books—clear thinking!"

　　"I'm heading back." Beihai shrugged and turned to walk back up the hill.

　　"Your name is Beihai, right?"

　　Nanshan called out to her from behind.

　　"We'll meet again!"

　　"Better not!" Beihai waved dismissively.

　　As she watched Beihai's retreating figure, Nanshan walked to a secluded corner, keeping an eye on the drifters as they worked, while dialing a number on her phone.

　　"Miss Zhen."

　　"Oh my, my dear benefactor! I'm always ready for your call. What can I do for you?"

　　"Miss Zhen, I'd like to add a bonus to this commission." Nanshan smiled.

　　"I'll add another 200,000. Please take half of that and transfer it to the mercenary named Beihai, as a reward for her excellent performance on this job. And let her know that I have another task that I want her to handle personally."

　　"Not a problem at all! Love you, dear benefactor, mwaa~"

　　...

　　"Here's an extra 20,000 from our benefactor."

　　Beihai was surprised.

　　"Anything out of the ordinary usually means trouble. What's going on?"

　　Zhen Cheng smiled slyly."Our client was extremely pleased with your performance. In fact, they specifically asked for you to take on another job."

　　"Honestly, can't I get a single day of proper rest?" Beihai grumbled as she watched Yu Ming dive headfirst into a group of women, disappearing completely.

　　"Alright... How much will I get paid for the next job?"

　　"That depends on our client's mood," Zhen Cheng replied with a grin.

　　"Because for the next job, you'll be serving as a personal bodyguard."

　　"Just me?"

　　"You alone will be enough."

　　Beihai sighed."Fine. When do I leave? Where am I going?"

　　"This time, you're headed a bit farther—B-2077 City on the other side of the globe."

　　Beihai froze."You mean the 'Night City' in North America?"

　　Zhen Cheng's fox ears twitched mischievously."Exactly, that hotbed of corporate giants. Beihai, why not take this chance to make your mark in Night City? See how your skills stack up in that place."

　　Beihai's lips curled into a smirk."Now that you mention it, I'm intrigued."

　　But her expression quickly dimmed."It's just... I'm worried about him."

　　"Don't worry," Zhen Cheng said, gently stroking Beihai's head with a bittersweet smile."I'll take good care of your brother. I've already covered his hospital fees for the month. As long as he's in C18, no harm will come to him."

　　Beihai let out a deep sigh.

　　"I'll go see him later... Zhen Cheng, give me your 'special service' as well."

　　"No problem~"

　　Everyone who came to Hailaer District for fun knew about the top-tier services offered there: black silk lap pillows, fox tail body pillows, and Zhen Cheng's heavenly ASMR lullabies.

　　Zhen Cheng lifted her cheongsam, and Beihai rested her head on Zhen Cheng's smooth, black silk-covered thighs.

　　A fluffy, soft, and lightly trembling fox tail draped over Beihai, which she hugged tightly. It was fragrant, soft, and well-maintained—clearly, Zhen Cheng took good care of her tail.

　　"Sleep... sleep... tired child, gentle child..."

　　Zhen Cheng gently stroked Beihai's wolf ears.

　　Beihai's eyelids grew heavy, and she unconsciously curled up, her wagging wolf tail showing that she was slowly letting her guard down as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep to the soothing sound of Zhen Cheng's voice.

　　"..." A trace of bitterness crossed Zhen Cheng's face.

　　"You're such a dense fool... How far do I have to go before you realize how I feel about you?"

　　She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and lightly kissed Beihai's ear.

　　"I don't want to spend my whole life just being your friend..."

　　...

　　Nanshan's house arrest was finally over.

　　Her mother had gone to the company early, leaving the large house occupied only by her father, her idle brother, her show-off sister, her studious younger sister, and the maids who were cleaning.

　　There were no classes today, and Nanshan had something planned for the evening, so her morning was relatively free.

　　"Hey, bro." Nanshan suddenly asked her older brother, Nan Yan, who was sipping coffee.

　　"Do you think the giant Titans worshipped by the Bestiarian Cult really exist?"

　　"How would I know?" Nan Yan replied irritably from where he lay on the couch, playing a video game."I don't even know where the edge of the universe is, so how would I know about that?"

　　"Biologically speaking, it's nothing but a fantasy," her younger sister Nan Ling said without looking up from her studies.

　　"The Earth's climate no longer supports the existence of such massive creatures. Even if they did exist, they would've gone extinct long ago due to climate changes."

　　"Don't be so sure," Nan Yan retorted, as if deliberately trying to provoke her."A century ago, beastmen were just fictional characters in movies, and now they're running around the streets like cockroaches. Are you really going to use biology as your argument?"

　　Nan Ling rolled her eyes."Anyone with less education than me isn't qualified to judge whether I'm right or wrong."

　　"Pfft, show-off."

　　Nanshan, however, fell into deep thought.

　　It wasn't a particularly difficult concept to grasp.

　　But surely the Bestiarian Cult was aware of these theories, weren't they?

　　Could it really be, as the general public believed, that the Bestiarian Cult was just a group of people so utterly disillusioned with reality that they placed their hopes in something intangible as a way to lash out at society?

　　But if that were the case... what exactly did Bull and Chief Chiyun see during that mission to drive out the Bestiarian Cult two weeks ago?

　　She was so curious. No matter what, she had to get to the bottom of this—even if it wasn't going to be tonight.

　　"Nanshan." Her father's voice gently called to her.

　　"B-2077 is a dangerous city. Make sure you take the entire security team with you when you leave tonight. I've heard that the crime syndicates in Night City are far more brutal than those in any other B-grade city."

　　"I'll be careful, Dad."

　　"Nanshan, come with me~"

　　Her sister, Nan Yan, draped an arm over Nanshan's shoulder from behind and grinned."Tonight, I'm going to make you look absolutely stunning! You'll have the Night family's eldest son wrapped around your finger!"

　　Nanshan's mood sank again.

　　An arranged marriage...

　　...

　　"Welcome to Night City!"

　　As the hatch slowly opened, the dazzling nightscape of Night City came into view.

　　Strong winds whipped into the cargo plane's cabin, almost blowing Beihai's cap off. She had to grab onto the railing with one hand while pressing her cap down tightly with the other.

　　Zhen Cheng's network of connections was truly unbelievable. To get Beihai to Night City as quickly and comfortably as possible, Zhen Cheng had used her influence to arrange for Beihai to hitch a ride on a cargo plane that flew directly to Night City.

　　The cargo plane landed at the airport. Beihai stepped into the terminal and left the airport along with the flow of people.

　　Hovercars zipped by overhead one after another. Following the direction in which the hovercars were headed, Beihai saw the towering skyscrapers of Night City projecting massive advertisements into the sky, as if merely showcasing meaningless products to the public wasn't enough—they had to pull the heavens into their consumerist frenzy as well.

　　"Hey, pretty lady~"

　　A fluffy tail brushed across Beihai's cheek. She swatted it away and turned to find a cat-girl beastman standing beside her.

　　The blonde girl smiled mischievously, her hands behind her back."Is this your first time in Night City?"

　　Beihai sized up the girl in front of her. Unlike Yu Ming, this cat-girl clearly had the blood of a calico cat, with a fluffy tail, half-golden hair tied into a playful ponytail, and naturally alluring eye shadow accentuating her eyes.

　　There probably wasn't a more stereotypical delinquent look. Her bare upper body was only covered by a denim bralette, and tattoos spread from her lower abdomen to her arms and neck. Below her denim shorts, she wore fishnet stockings that disappeared into a pair of thick hiking boots.

　　While Beihai was silently appraising her, the calico girl had already sidled up to her, smiling slyly."It's obvious that this is your first time in Night City. Night City never turns away visitors, not even beastmen. I can smell the wolf in you from a mile away!"

　　Beihai crossed her arms."Night City doesn't have racial segregation?"

　　The calico girl laughed."Our Night City is a diverse metropolis! Even beastmen corporations have their headquarters here—who's got time for racial segregation?"

　　Either you adapt, or you leave—that's Night City's first rule.

　　Beihai decided there was no need to hide anymore. She removed her cap, letting her wolf ears breathe, and shook out her wolf tail.

　　"My name's Xiao Qi." Xiao Qi twirled a set of car keys around her finger in front of Beihai.

　　"Need a ride? I'm super cheap! Only 60 bucks, and I'll take you anywhere in Night City."

　　Beihai looked out at the distant Night City, then at the groups of five or six people cramming into overstuffed taxis to save on fare. She asked Xiao Qi,"Can you take me to 768 Wushiji Avenue in Morgan District?"

　　Xiao Qi caught the spinning keys with a flourish."Hop in!"

　　Beihai raised an eyebrow."I'll pay when we get there."

　　"Sure, sure!"

　　Beihai followed Xiao Qi to the parking lot across from the airport, walking through rows of luxury cars. Xiao Qi bounced along, humming a tune, clearly in high spirits.

　　"Here we are!"

　　Xiao Qi stopped, and Beihai looked at the vehicle in front of her—a rickety old three-wheeler parked between the luxury cars.

　　Beihai glanced at Xiao Qi."This thing isn't going to fall apart, is it?"

　　Xiao Qi had already started the engine and was wearing a pair of sunglasses, looking as cool as could be."Don't worry! This baby's been with me for years! Low on gas, low on power! Sturdy, durable, eco-friendly, and just the right amount of breeze to keep you cool! It's way better than those supercars that need a team of engineers just to maintain!"

　　"I don't care about that," Beihai said.

　　"I just want to know if we'll get to Night City before dawn."

　　"Come on, sis, 60 bucks to get you to Night City is a steal! It's not like I've got the cash for a fancy car. Are you getting in or not?"

　　Beihai climbed into the back of the three-wheeler, curling up her legs."Go."

　　"Better hold on tight! If you fall out, it's gonna cost extra!"

　　Put-put-put-put-put... A trail of black smoke sped toward Night City!

　　To be fair, Xiao Qi's three-wheeler was surprisingly reliable. In just an hour, they were already on the city's main road, and the chaotic bustle of Night City hit them like a wave—the overwhelming advertisements and the sheer urban atmosphere of the city pressing down on Beihai.

　　"Welcome to 2077's exclusive news channel! I'm your old friend, Stanley! Tonight's going to be another explosive night! We've got reliable intel that the Beasts Gang and the Black Flag Gang are going to have a shootout at the old studio on Liz Avenue South! If you think you're tough enough, or just lucky enough not to get caught in the crossfire, go check it out! After all, in Night City, the dead and the legendary are never in short supply! Hahaha!"

　　"The Beasts Gang is a beastman gang that controls the northwest part of Night City, while the Black Flag Gang has been at odds with them for ages over the illegal cyberware market in the west."

　　Xiao Qi pedaled along, giving Beihai a friendly rundown of the city.

　　The sound of spatulas clashing and the smell of food filled the air. Beihai glanced over to see a few beastman cooks setting up stalls on the street, cooking up fragrant scallion fried rice that drew passersby like flies, with no one caring whether the cook was a beastman or a human.

　　Beihai brushed the dust off her cap.

　　It was her first time walking through a crowded street without any disguise, without anyone paying her any special attention, and without being stared at for her features... It was a strange but oddly satisfying feeling.

　　"Get lost!"

　　A group of cowboys in hats suddenly kicked over one of the stalls and started beating the beastman cook.

　　"Those are members of the Cowboy Gang. They're said to be descendants of the original inhabitants of this land. These guys control most of the eastern districts and really don't like beastmen, so be careful."

　　Xiao Qi continued to chatter away, guiding Beihai through the streets and alleys, showing her the city's bustling center, the towering Three Titans skyscrapers, the neon-lit red-light district, and the shadowy underground zones.

　　They even passed by a scene where the Territorial Defense Force had captured a high-profile criminal. Although the action was over by the time they arrived, the sight of a car neatly sliced in half by some unknown force still piqued Beihai's interest.

　　Coming to Night City had definitely been the right choice.

　　Beihai listened intently as Xiao Qi enthusiastically described the city's wonders, until suddenly, the three-wheeler veered off the main road and stopped by an old basketball court.

　　"We're here~"

　　Beihai looked around, only to find that all the thugs smoking and cyber-enhanced gangsters on the court, as well as the beastmen leaning against the railings, were eyeing her with unfriendly looks.

　　"Aw, damn it."

　　Beihai jumped out of the three-wheeler, looking around in confusion.

　　"Where the hell are we? Is this Wushiji Avenue?"

　　"Huh?"

　　When she turned back, Xiao Qi was already leaning against a wall, a sly smile on her face.

　　"Let me teach you another rule of Night City, pretty lady."

　　Xiao Qi grinned, a toothpick in her mouth.

　　"Don't trust anyone in this city—especially a girl who'll drive you around for just 60 bucks."