Chapter 25: Evil Plan to Make Big Money!

The moment Arthur started talking business, his energy surged.

"I'm telling you, there's no competition between suppressors and inhibitors!"

Lucy, intrigued, reviewed the data Arthur had sent her. After a moment, she nodded thoughtfully.

"Compared to suppressors, inhibitors are indeed inferior. They require regular injections, precise dosages, and the body can quickly develop drug resistance."

Arthur blinked, caught off guard, then looked at Lucy as if she'd just grown a second head.

"Who told you that? Inhibitors are clearly better! Think about it—they can be sold repeatedly. As long as someone is alive, they'll keep buying. A suppressor, on the other hand, is a one-and-done deal!"

Lucy fell silent. She lit a cigarette and was about to take a drag when Arthur snatched it from her. Without missing a beat, she lit another one.

Is this the world of capitalists? Lucy thought, exhaling a plume of smoke. She had been focused on functionality—what was better for people. Arthur, meanwhile, only cared about profitability.

Arthur took a drag of the strawberry-flavored cigarette and continued, his enthusiasm growing.

"What I need you to do is optimize this program—not to make it better, but to add a few extra features."

Lucy raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"First," Arthur explained, "reduce the chip's performance to 50%. Then, connect it to the Internet and load it with ads. Finally, sell the chips at a 20% markup. Once someone buys a chip, they'll have to spend an hour every day watching ads. If they don't want to sit through basic ads, they can pay for a membership."

Lucy's silence deepened. She considered his idea carefully. A 20% markup wasn't unreasonable. And the one-time purchase for a lifetime of use? That could sell.

"So, if someone becomes a member, they won't have to watch ads anymore?" she asked skeptically.

"Of course not!" Arthur shot back, almost offended. "If they don't watch ads, how are we supposed to make money? Ordinary members will still see selected ads."

Arthur's excitement built as he outlined the rest of his plan. "We'll introduce membership tiers: regular, black iron, bronze, silver, and gold.

"Regular members get their ad time reduced to five minutes, but they'll still see our curated ads. Black Iron Members? No ads at all. Bronze Members get a 10% performance boost. Silver Members, another 10%. And Gold Members? They get a full 30% boost, unlocking the chip's full potential!"

Arthur was practically glowing by the time he parked the car at their destination. He turned to Lucy, his grin stretching ear to ear.

"With this plan, my suppressor chip will make more money than any inhibitor ever could! In no time, I'll be out of Santo Domingo, living in a skyscraper downtown. I'll be the CEO of a listed company, married to countless beauties, and living the dream. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!"

Lucy sat there, stunned, completely at a loss for words.

What kind of evil plan had she just heard?

This scheme didn't just target the rich; it would exploit every resident of Night City. Arthur's vision wasn't to fleece a select few—it was to strip the entire city of its wealth, one chip at a time.

Lucy lit another cigarette, this time swatting Arthur's hand away when he tried to grab it. She tossed the cigarette case into his lap, glaring at him.

"Every fiber of your being is soaked in greed. It's disgusting," she said, exhaling smoke.

Arthur, unbothered, plucked a cigarette from the case and lit it. After inspecting the case, he pocketed it without any intention of returning it.

"Compared to the big corps in this city, I'm just a small fish," he said, shrugging. "So, are you in or not?"

Lucy sighed, taking another drag. She had to admit, the idea was brilliant in its twisted logic.

"No, I'm not against it," she finally said. "I just wanted to know—does your company need funding? Are you offering shares?"

Arthur smirked. "Sorry, I'm not looking for investors right now. But I could hire you as my chief network consultant. Once the chips hit the market, plenty of people will try to crack them to bypass the ads. I'll need someone like you to stay one step ahead."

Arthur opened the car door and stepped out, scanning their surroundings. They'd arrived at a factory building covered in graffiti—Night City's signature touch. A few shady figures loitered nearby, watching the area intently.

"Let me guess," Arthur muttered, lighting his cigarette. "They're gathering intel. What kind of idiot cyberpsycho comes to the Pacifica district for sightseeing?"

Lucy followed him out of the car, her eyes landing on the group of black-clad men in the distance. She frowned.

"Are you sure about opening a factory here? The Voodoo Boys aren't exactly friendly."

Lucy had a point. The Voodoo Boys, mostly refugees from the same island, were notoriously hostile to outsiders. Trust was not in their vocabulary, and any partnership with them was likely to end with betrayal.

Arthur, however, was undeterred.

"I should track down the real estate agent who sold me this place. Anyone who can convince a cyberpsycho to buy property in Pacifica deserves a medal," he joked, shaking his head.

Lucy glanced at him, unimpressed. "Seriously. The Voodoo Boys won't take this lightly. You'd better be prepared for trouble."

Arthur just smiled, exhaling a cloud of strawberry-scented smoke.

"Trouble? In Night City? Isn't that just another Tuesday?"

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