"Did you guys take on a big job this time?"
Inside Viktor's cyberware clinic, Viktor casually asked while treating Jackie's wounds.
"Something like that. A corpo job—almost lost my life out there."
Jackie continued, "We sold off the guns and other stuff. After splitting everything up, each of us walked away with about forty grand. The gear we took from the Maelstrom gang wasn't worth much—only kept a Crusher shotgun."
"Just making it back alive is good enough."
Viktor took out a canister-style suturing tool, pressed it against Jackie's hand, and with a click, the wound was sealed. Patting Jackie's good arm, Viktor stepped back, sat down in his chair, and said, "You're patched up. Take some pneumatic injectors when you leave. Next time you run into something like this, jab yourself first—it'll help a lot."
"How much for the treatment and the injectors, Vik?"
"Consider it my way of celebrating your big score. This one's on the house."
Viktor casually waved off Jackie's attempt to pay, as well as Kai and Oliver, who were waiting beside him. "Just bring me more business in the future."
With that, Viktor turned back to his computer, engrossed once again in his never-ending boxing matches.
"Thanks, Vik. I'll bring some drinks next time, and we'll have a few rounds."
Jackie rolled his shoulder, making sure he could move freely again, then turned to Kai and Oliver. "Alright, let's go celebrate a successful job."
"Any restaurant recommendations?" Oliver asked. "I don't know Watson all that well."
"There's a solid Japanese place over in Kabuki. How about we go there?"
Jackie looked at Kai for his opinion.
"Japanese food, huh?"
Kai hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, been a while since I had any. Might as well try it. But isn't Kabuki just a place full of rip-off artists? Didn't expect to find a decent restaurant there."
"Even scammers gotta eat. Don't worry, the food there is great. Not that I've had real authentic Japanese cuisine, but still."
With Jackie's enthusiastic recommendation, the three of them hopped into Oliver's car and headed toward Kabuki. On the way, they casually discussed how they planned to spend their forty grand.
In Night City, forty thousand eddies was more than what 90% of people had in total assets. Even among mercs, few managed to save up that kind of cash—most lived day to day, burning through their earnings as fast as they made them. Even if they did try to save, getting past ten thousand was a rare feat.
Many low-level mercs weren't even as well-equipped as a standard Maelstrom gang member.
Jackie was the first to decide how he'd spend his money. "I'll save ten grand toward getting a car or a bike. The rest? I'm heading to Vik's to get subdermal armor. That Maelstrom psycho we fought today had armor tough enough to tank Copperhead rounds. If I get a set like that, I'll be unstoppable."
Jackie preferred buying cyberware from Vik rather than scavenging from the dead Maelstrom gang member they had taken down. Two reasons:
His heritage. Jackie had Mexican roots. While Mexicans often joked about death, they respected it deeply. Looting corpses wasn't his style—it felt too much like something a Scav would do, and he hated those scumbags.
Compatibility and cyberpsychosis risks. Cyberware was usually fine-tuned for the original user. Second-hand implants rarely matched perfectly, leading to malfunctions or even triggering cyberpsychosis. Jackie wasn't about to risk losing his mind just to save some cash.
Cyberpsychosis was a mental disorder caused by excessive cyberware installation. When a person started feeling like their body wasn't their own, they could snap. Even NCPD couldn't handle cyberpsychos—specialized teams were needed to take them down. Jackie wasn't about to end up like that.
Oliver, curious about Jackie's savings plan, asked, "A used car costs about ten grand, right? What kind of ride are you looking for?"
"At the very least, it needs to have four seats."
Jackie gestured at their current seating arrangement—he and Kai were crammed together in the passenger seat. "I mean, come on. I need more space than this."
"Tch. This car's meant for picking up chicks, not carrying two grown men. And for the record, even second-hand, this ride's worth twenty-nine grand."
Oliver's love for his car made him defensive.
"Picking up chicks? In a Nomad hauler?"
"Girls in Santo Domingo are practical."
"Yeah, right. I've seen the girls in Santo Domingo. The east side of your district is practically a wasteland. They get sandblasted all day, yet they still have high standards. Now Haywood girls? They're the real deal—passionate, fiery, and honest."
"Please. Haywood girls are too easy. Say a few sweet words, and they'll hop in your car like it's nothing."
"Alright, enough."
Kai, stuck between them, was nearly squashed as their playful argument got more intense. He changed the subject.
"More importantly, Oliver—how do you plan to spend your cut?"
Oliver thought for a moment before answering. "First, I'm renting an apartment. Sleeping in my car or cheap motels isn't sustainable. Then, I'll get some cyberware. Can't survive as a merc without it. After that, I'll see if I can specialize—maybe as a squad medic or a sniper. Oh, and Jackie, I'm looking for a place in Watson. Any recommendations?"
"Super high-rises in Little China. Rent's decent, and there are plenty of cheap food stalls nearby."
"Ah, that place."
Oliver recalled that he had met Kai there.
Glancing at Kai, he asked, "What about you? Any plans?"
He remembered that Kai didn't have a place to stay either.
"I'll check out the apartments too. If I like one, I'll move in—it'd be convenient. Other than that, I haven't decided yet. Probably gonna buy a better pistol. My Lexington needs replacing."
Chatting along the way, they followed the GPS and finally arrived at their destination.