The next morning, before Jiang Heng and Lucy woke up, major news channels in Night City began broadcasting the information about the BioTech tower heist.
Every company sought to curry favor with BioTech, so without exception, all television stations labeled Jiang Heng and his companions as terrorists, claiming they were criminals who endangered the city.
Even news channel 54, sponsored by MilitaryTech, condemned Jiang Heng and his group.
While the incident ultimately stemmed from MilitaryTech's machinations, they had to put on a show. Even though MilitaryTech was unhappy about BioTech's close relationship with Arasaka, they didn't dare to completely break with BioTech. It was unwise, as it would push BioTech further into Arasaka's camp.
However, in stark contrast to major corporations, the citizens of Night City were overjoyed when they heard about the company being robbed.
Every single company in Night City was unpopular. People wished for their downfall, and those who dared to fight against them were considered heroes and legends.
Of course, there were also those who fawned over the corporations.
…
Waking up naturally, Jiang Heng and Lucy finally got out of bed after ten in the morning.
After breakfast, they went to the greenhouse on the terrace as usual to check on their plants.
When they arrived at the strawberry greenhouse, they were surprised to find that many of the strawberries had turned a deep red.
“Jiang Heng, are these ready to eat?” Lucy ran to a strawberry plant, knelt down, looked at the shiny red fruits, and asked.
“Hmm, they should be,” Jiang Heng said with a smile.
Lucy had been eagerly anticipating these strawberries and couldn’t wait to taste them.
With Jiang Heng’s permission, Lucy didn’t hesitate. She extended her delicate hand, gently picked a strawberry, and popped it into her mouth.
These strawberries hadn't been treated with pesticides or fertilizers, so they were clean enough to eat directly.
Lucy took a bite and the sweet and sour juice exploded in her mouth.
The subtle sourness made her frown, but it quickly disappeared. Her face was filled with a smile, as the sweetness overwhelmed the sourness.
A simple strawberry. But in Night City, only the elite could enjoy them.
The streets of Night City rarely saw any kind of fruit. However, if players were observant enough, they would find scattered bananas in the kitchen of the villa where Arasaka Hanako was imprisoned in the Devil ending of the game.
So, many things weren’t actually unavailable, but people just couldn’t access them. Because those things were all monopolized by capital.
Reality was cruel. And the cyberpunk world laid bare this cruelty, amplifying it many times over.
…
After finishing her strawberry, Lucy didn't forget about Jiang Heng. She picked another one and walked towards her, offering it to her.
“Try this one too.”
Looking at Lucy, who seemed to be showing off a treasure, Jiang Heng smiled and said, “I have a better way to eat strawberries to enhance their flavor.”
Hearing this, Lucy’s eyes lit up with curiosity. She asked, “Ah, are there other ways to eat strawberries?”
“Yes, it's called imported strawberries!”
“Imported strawberries?”
…
Soon, Lucy finally understood what imported strawberries were.
Jiang Heng: “Do you feel it’s more delicious? I want to try it too. Lucy, quickly feed me the imported strawberry.”
“…”
The two of them were lovey-dovey, the atmosphere warm and sweet.
In this Night City, where everything except the gun barrels was frigid, being able to enjoy a moment of peace with someone you loved was precious.
…
They spent another day relaxing in the apartment. In the evening, Jiang Heng received a call from Mann, who said he wanted to meet with Faraday to discuss the previous night's commission.
Lucy and Sasha had successfully obtained the technical data for the immunosuppressant, as well as some extra gains, such as the secret of the “Nightingale Project.” It was time to deal with Faraday.
However, Faraday had emphasized that the operation should be kept as quiet as possible when placing the commission, but it was clear that Jiang Heng and his team had not kept it quiet. They didn’t know if the reward would be forthcoming.
Of course, if Faraday, or MilitaryTech, wanted to back out, it wouldn't be a problem. After all, many people wanted this technical data. To name just one, selling it to the Corpo was a good option.
ps: Seeking flowers, seeking evaluation tickets. Everyone, get active in the comments!