"I brought him."
"Appreciate it, Jackie. Sorry for making you head to Santo Domingo alone."
"No problem, Oliver. It's not like you haven't told me about your situation before. If 6th Street doesn't want you back, then screw 'em. We'll see how they act when they need us."
Jackie led a meek-looking David Martinez into the restaurant, practically dragging him along like a lost puppy.
David nervously glanced around at his surroundings—only to realize that he'd been brought into a high-end restaurant.
One that he'd never dare step into.
One that he had only ever looked at from the outside.
A place where no dish cost less than 100 eddies.
"Go ahead, take a seat. We're actually using this as an excuse to treat ourselves for once—so don't be shy. Order whatever you want, it's on me."
Karl flashed a friendly smile, gesturing for David to sit down.
Their table was next to a floor-to-ceiling window, and as David sat by the glass, Jackie immediately took the seat next to him.
Effectively blocking off any chance of escape.
"No need to look so tense. Here, have a drink."
Oliver, grinning like a wolf luring in Little Red Riding Hood, pushed a glass toward him.
"Apple juice. Real apples. Try it."
David hesitated.
His eyes darted left to Jackie, then right to the window.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed dryly—then, as if accepting his fate, he grabbed the glass and chugged half of it in one go.
"Whoa. Didn't expect you to down it like that."
Karl smirked, watching the scene unfold.
As David forced himself to swallow, the real taste finally hit his tongue.
Real fruit.
His eyes lit up for a brief moment.
Then—perhaps thinking "fuck it"—he grabbed the glass again and drank the rest down in a single gulp.
Unfortunately, he choked on it.
"Easy there, kid."
Jackie patted his back, helping him clear his throat.
As David caught his breath, he looked at the three grinning men around him.
He had no regrets.
That was real apple juice.
"Alright, just say it—what do you want from me?"
David had already resigned himself to whatever fate awaited him.
But Oliver, watching the scene unfold, looked... genuinely surprised.
He turned to Jackie. "Wait—you didn't explain things to him?"
"I did. But the kid doesn't believe me."
"Of course I don't! You stalk me, drag me into a fancy-ass restaurant, then tell me you want me to sell black-market BDs with you?
Who the hell would believe that?!"
David was losing it.
This had to be a setup.
He had been prepared for anything—being used as a fall guy, forced into some terrorist attack, maybe even sent off to die for some corporate scheme...
As long as it didn't involve his mom, he was ready.
"Keep your voice down."
Noticing a few side glances from other diners, Karl tapped a button on the table.
A transparent soundproof barrier silently rose around them.
"...Damn. High-end places really don't hold back."
Muttering under his breath, Karl double-checked for any recording devices.
Satisfied, he pulled down the curtains by the window and turned slightly toward Oliver.
Then—
His face began to change.
A sharp twinge of pain ran through his nerves as the cyberware in his skin shifted his facial structure.
The face that emerged—
Was one David recognized immediately.
"You—"
David's jaw dropped.
Staring at the face before him, his mind reeled.
He knew this face.
Everyone at school had been talking about it.
A new student had transferred in—a "professional" BD smuggler from the streets, looking to make a fortune in Arasaka Academy.
David had seen the announcement on the academy's official site.
And now—that same face was sitting right in front of him.
"Do you believe me now?"
Karl swiftly reverted to his original face, frowning slightly.
Every transformation came with a sharp nerve pain.
Annoying.
Once this mission was over, he was getting this implant removed as fast as possible.
If it synced too deeply with his nervous system, that'd be a real problem.
"It still feels... unreal. Like I'm dreaming..."
David, having never seen a face-changing implant before, stared in a daze.
"Well, now you have."
Karl chuckled—then, to ease the conversation along, came up with an idea to keep things relaxed and prevent David from overthinking.
"As a sign of our partnership, take this money as an initial investment for buying BDs. Don't worry— as long as you don't try to pocket it, it's all yours in the end."
A stream of data flickered through Karl's neural interface.
His vision locked onto its target.
'Good thing I have built-in cheats— otherwise, I'd probably need special glasses or a cyberware implant to do this.'**
"Initial investment? As long as I don't pocket it, it's all mine? What do you mean—"
'Ding.'
A soft chime echoed in David's head.
Then—his already pitifully low account balance of 17.5 eddies suddenly jumped by an amount so absurd that he couldn't even comprehend it.
"T-Ten thousand eddies?!?!"
David froze.
For the first time in his seventeen years of life, he experienced the sensation of being knocked unconscious by money.
The feeling was so intoxicating that, for the next half an hour, he remained in a dreamlike trance—half-afraid that if he fully woke up, it would all disappear.
Could he help them sell BDs?
Absolutely. No question.
Was he willing to work with them?
Hell yes.
Could he even focus on eating right now?
...Sort of.
When Oliver casually asked if he was actually eating his food, David suddenly realized—
He was cutting into thin air.
The actual food had been shoved to the side of his plate without him even noticing.
Snapping back to reality, David adjusted his posture and began eating properly.
But—
For the first time ever, the taste of high-quality food didn't matter.
Only one thought consumed his mind.
His mom wouldn't have to worry about rent anymore.
She wouldn't have to stress over paying for laundry machine repairs.
She—
Wouldn't have to work herself to death just to survive.
For the sake of giving his mother a better life...
David was willing to walk straight into the fires of hell.
Karl watched David's determined expression—
His eyes, burning with newfound resolve.
And sighed.
"Dude, it's literally just selling BDs.
You don't have to act like you're throwing your life away."