Chapter 64: Lower District Specialty

The moment Bruce heard the words “Paradise Computing Center,” his eyes widened in horror as if he’d glimpsed something unspeakably terrifying. He screamed in desperation:

“I don’t want to go to the Paradise Computing Center!”

“I’ll pay back the money! I’ll find a job! I don’t want to go there!”

But the older officer only sneered coldly.

“That’s not up to you.”

With that, the younger officer dragged Bruce out of the alley toward the patrol vehicle.

Once the Black man was gone, the alley was left with only Lu Yan and the older officer. The man, who just moments ago had been full of arrogance, now plastered on a flattering smile, rubbing his hands together as he politely asked:

“My name is Old John. Sir, is there anything else I can help you with?”

Lu Yan’s lips twitched. After witnessing that entire display, he had already formed a preliminary understanding of this unhinged cyberpunk version.

Pointing at the Black man being shoved into the patrol car, Lu Yan asked:

“Are there many people like him?”

Old John spread his arms wide, wearing an exaggerated grin.

“City No. 14’s Lower District has over nine million residents. Trash like him? Absolutely everywhere.

“They hide in the sewers to evade taxes, leech off corporations like parasites… they’re a hopeless bunch.”

“I fully support Senator Shelton’s proposal—raise the Lower District’s Spirit Energy Tax to three hundred years in advance! Use the tax bill to launch a total purge of the district.

“Only then can the Paradise Computation Center meet its processing demand, and only then can we live better lives.”

His answer felt oddly scripted to Lu Yan, like he wasn’t replying to a question but rather rehearsing a pre-approved statement—likely meant to please higher-ups.

Lu Yan immediately realized that Old John must have misunderstood something about his identity.

But given that Lu Yan himself still hadn’t figured out what his identity in this version even was, it was best not to say too much. If he slipped up, it might bring unnecessary trouble.

Adopting a cold, aloof expression, he simply nodded and offered a curt evaluation:

“Very good.”

Old John’s face lit up in joy. Seeing that Lu Yan had no intention to continue the conversation, he bowed respectfully and said:

“Then I wish you a pleasant visit to the Lower District.”

With that, he strode out of the alley and got into the patrol vehicle.

The police car slowly drove off. The younger officer, having long waited with Bruce in the backseat, immediately asked as soon as Old John got in:

“Old John, why were you kissing up to that yellow-skinned monkey?”

Old John’s eyes went wide in panic. He quickly clamped a hand over the rookie’s mouth and hissed:

“You idiot! Didn’t you sense the Spirit Energy? That man is a genuine Spirit Energy User!”

The young officer’s eyes bulged in disbelief.

“But his body didn’t show any signs of spirit-energy modification. And physically, he looked so ordinary—how could he possibly handle that much energy?”

Old John gave him a withering look, full of exasperated disdain.

“What did you even learn in academy? You didn’t know advanced modifications happen at the genetic level?

“And did you miss that robe he was wearing? That’s a spirit-energy artifact. Just that piece alone is worth at least a million credits—enough to buy both of our lives.”

“I didn’t go to the academy. My uncle got me in.”

“Who’s your uncle?”

“Deputy Chief of Midtown’s Fourth Precinct.”

Old John’s face stiffened. He quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, just remember this: someone of that level probably comes from Uptown. He might even be related to that big Spirit Energy Tax Bill everyone’s been buzzing about. Mind your damn mouth next time.”

The young officer nodded seriously, his face filled with envy.

“I really wonder when I’ll get to become a Spirit Energy User…”

Old John snorted coldly.

“Without enough money or talent, becoming one of them is a curse, not a blessing.”

The police car vanished into the distance, but neither officer noticed the faint glow that flickered from a spell talisman tucked into Bruce’s pocket. A moment later, it silently turned to ash.

First-Rank Low-Grade Talisman: Eavesdropper’s Charm!

Back in the alley, Lu Yan had caught every word of the police conversation.

A thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes.

He looked down at the robe he was wearing. It was a low-grade magic robe purchased during the Immortal Cultivation version. It had basic formation arrays for dust repelling and temperature regulation and had cost about thirty spirit stones.

“Old John assumed I’m a Spirit Energy User because of my clothes… and he could sense mana on me.

“So in this Cyberpunk version, Spirit Energy might be linked to mana, maybe even a divergent form of spiritual qi.”

“If that’s the case, I might be able to use this world’s Spirit Energy system to boost my cultivation…”

“But before that, I should first understand the structure of this Cyberpunk version—and figure out what the USB and battery I got from the version update are for.”

With that in mind, Lu Yan walked to the mouth of the grimy alley.

The moment he stepped onto the street, his eyes were nearly blinded by the overwhelming neon lights.

The dazzling glow covered every inch of the street—signboards, streetlights, and even building walls were all painted with glowing graffiti. The intensity of the light could literally blind an ordinary person. For a moment, Lu Yan thought he’d stepped into the Land of Light.

People of all kinds filled the street—musclebound men built like double-door refrigerators, cyborgs with half their bodies replaced by rusted machinery, and heavily made-up, gender-ambiguous figures beckoning customers at doorways.

But regardless of type, all of them had bizarre tattoos—just like Bruce.

The alley and the street felt like two separate worlds.

Lu Yan tried to keep his gaze calm, but curiosity gnawed at him as he scanned the unfamiliar crowd.

He quickly noticed that most of the people on the street were Black, with some White, and very few East Asians like himself.

That alone made this Cyberpunk version vastly different from any he had experienced before.

“How did a version update change racial demographics? Did I land in the Cyberpunk version’s United States or something?”

He lacked the information to be sure—so for now, it was just a guess.

Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“First time in the Lower District, huh? Need a guide?”

Lu Yan turned and saw a girl with bright green twin-tails, heavily made up so her real face was impossible to see. With her flat chest and stick-thin frame, she looked about seventeen or eighteen.

Lu Yan gave her a quick once-over, then nodded slightly.

The girl immediately beamed.

“You can call me Green Ivy!

“Since it’s your first time in the Lower District, you’ve got to try out our special local feature!”

“What feature?” Lu Yan asked, intrigued.

“Take a deep breath.”

Lu Yan did as instructed—and a sickly-sweet scent instantly rushed to his brain, causing him to frown deeply.

Back in the alley, the stench from the sewage had covered it up. He hadn’t noticed it earlier since he hadn’t taken a deep breath.

“What is this?”

“Every month, PanCosmic Enterprises adds Pleasure Mist to the air supply in the Lower District,” Green Ivy said proudly. “It stimulates the nervous system so people are happy to pay their Tier-3 Air Tax! You won’t get that in Midtown or Uptown!”

(End of Chapter)