Looking at the pile of chips in front of her, stacked like a small hill, Lucy couldn't hide her surprise.
"You managed to collect so many chips in just one run?!"
Even with her skill set, sweeping through the carriages herself would yield only about twenty or thirty chips. And that's with the constant risk of being discovered. Usually, she had to jump off the train immediately after grabbing her haul to avoid any sharp-eyed passengers catching on.
But today was different. Following David's lead, they strolled casually through the train, disembarked at the station without a fuss, and somehow managed to score more chips than she ever thought possible.
What surprised her even more was the man standing in front of her. A Dragon Kingdom native, David had no prosthetics—just his natural body. And yet, he operated with an ease and precision that baffled her.
"David," she asked curiously, "have you done this kind of thing before?"
David, still counting the chips, didn't even glance up. "Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight... Nope, first time today."
Lucy's jaw nearly dropped. His movements were so practiced, so precise, that she found it hard to believe him.
He's bluffing, she thought instinctively.
But as she looked into his clear, dark brown eyes, her doubts began to waver.
What am I even worried about? she mused. This guy doesn't even have prosthetics. There's no reason to overthink it.
She smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "Maybe it's just like he said. Maybe he really does know some kind of mysterious Eastern magic."
"Finally finished counting!" David exclaimed, straightening up. "There are 52 chips here in total, and—huh?!"
He stopped mid-sentence, noticing Lucy giggling to herself.
Lucy jolted back to reality, quickly covering her smile. "Uh, nothing..."
The sunlight streamed through the cracks in the parking lot's roof, casting a soft glow over David's face. His angular features, illuminated by the light, made his dark brown eyes seem even clearer and more striking.
And yet, the slightly confused, somewhat goofy expression on his face at that moment made him seem oddly endearing.
Without thinking, Lucy leaned in.
Their faces were so close, separated by barely a breath.
A mischievous smile played on Lucy's lips as she whispered, "Isn't it a pleasure meeting me today?"
David froze. He could feel her warm breath against his skin, catch the faint scent of her hair.
The proximity was overwhelming.
He stumbled backward in a panic, landing flat on the ground.
"Ah!" he yelped, rubbing his sore backside.
Lucy burst out laughing, her voice like the chime of silver bells. "Hahaha! You're so clumsy!"
In the sunlight, her silver hair shimmered, and her laughter made her look almost angelic.
David, flustered but unable to help himself, scratched his head and laughed along. "I guess... I guess it really is a pleasure meeting you."
Lucy laughed even harder, her guard completely dropping.
What could a guy possibly lie to me about?
For the first time, she let her doubts about David fully dissipate.
"Come on," she said, extending her hand toward him. "Get up!"
David took her hand without hesitation, letting her pull him to his feet.
"All right, back to business," he said, dusting himself off. "We agreed on a 70-30 split, right? Do you want to handle the sale yourself, or should I come with you to meet the buyer?"
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "You're really desperate for money, huh?"
"Very." David's expression was serious, his eyes unwavering.
Lucy sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. "Fine. Since you did well today, I'll make an exception and pay you upfront."
Halfway through her sentence, she paused. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot—you don't have a payment device installed, do you? What's your bank account? I'll transfer it to you."
David's face lit up. "Really? That's great! Here, let me pull it up."
He quickly opened his phone and showed her his electronic bank account details.
Moments later, Lucy's eyes flicked over the numbers displayed on her neural interface. "Transfer complete. Check your balance."
David's phone buzzed with a notification:
[Arasaka Bank Alert: 55,000 euros have been deposited into your account at 10:05 AM. Current balance: 55,010.20 euros. Thank you for using our services!]
David stared at the screen, stunned.
"She actually transferred 55,000 euros?"
It was far more than he expected—almost double what he'd anticipated. Not only could he afford the frog cub's next trip, but he'd even have money left over.
"Lucy," he said, his voice full of disbelief. "Are you sure you sent me the right amount?"
Lucy, still crouched on the ground picking up chips, didn't even look up. "It's what you deserve. No more, no less. Besides," she added casually, "you need the money."
The way she said it was so nonchalant that David almost missed it.
But her words struck a chord deep within him.
In a city as ruthless and profit-driven as Night City, where self-interest reigned supreme, Lucy's small act of kindness felt like a ray of light cutting through the darkness.
"Thank you," he said softly, his gratitude genuine.
Lucy finally looked up, smirking. "If you're really grateful, then stop standing around and help me sort these chips. Don't just stare into space."
"Oh, right! Sorry!" David squatted down beside her, eager to help. "How do I do this?"
Lucy rolled her eyes playfully. "See this code? It's a standard credit chip. And this one—ugh, no! You're doing it wrong!"
Their laughter echoed softly in the quiet parking lot as they worked together, sorting through the pile of chips.
But neither of them noticed the shadowy figure lurking in the corner, eyes gleaming with greed.
"That's a lot of Arasaka chips," the figure muttered into a communicator. "We could make a fortune off this."
"What is it, Seth? I'm busy!" came the irritated response.
"Boss, we've got a big score in our territory..."
"...Fine. Keep an eye on them. I'll be there soon."
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