After collecting all the scavenged items into his system backpack, Alex Knight turned his attention to the pickup truck beside him. Despite the messy decorations and graffiti on its gray-black body, they didn't affect its performance.
**[mackinaw: Ghoul]**
- **Quality:** Common
- **Description:** Produced in 2067, rear-wheel drive, 420 horsepower, modified by Wanderers with heavy bulletproof armor, weighing 4458 pounds.
- **P.S.:** Its bed is large enough to hold two cows—or two corpses, of course.
Alex tossed the cold bodies of the Black Skin and Japanese into the pickup truck's bed, hastily covering them with the canvas inside.
Seated in the mackinaw, Alex began exploring, curious if he could drive it.
**Vroom!**
Unexpectedly, as soon as his hand touched the steering wheel, the engine roared to life, automatically starting the car.
Future technology—amazing!
It seems this car lacks specific biometric or electronic locks; anyone can drive it. Fantastic! He never imagined his first car would be in the Cyber World.
Happily, Alex familiarized himself with the car's controls. The mackinaw had no clutch or gears; besides some mechanical buttons and connectors whose purposes Alex didn't understand, it featured only the brake, accelerator, and steering wheel. Simple operation.
Through the car's electronic clock, Alex learned the current exact time in the Cyber World.
**May 11, 2075 - 9:40 AM**
This timeline is quite early, so the red-haired lady should still be safe. He just wondered how the cat girl was doing now.
Not thinking too much, Alex knew it wasn't wise to linger here. To avoid any Night City Ghosts finding him, he decided to slip away.
Under the influence of his learning talent, after driving in circles a few times, he skillfully stepped on the accelerator, turned the steering wheel, and headed toward the road leading to the farm.
As for potential troubles on the road? With a car and a gun, what was there to fear? If something went wrong, just empty the magazine.
"Night City, here I come!"
As a first-time driver, Alex didn't drive very fast.
So, as soon as the car left the desert Gobi and entered the flat, straight road, he immediately experienced Night City's unique charm.
"Son of a bitch, would it kill you to drive faster? Even my little brother drives faster than you."
"If you block the road again, I'll shoot you."
"Idiot..."
Alex almost wanted to floor the accelerator and run them over. But considering he had just arrived in Night City, familiar with the place but not the people, he couldn't start shooting immediately.
Suppressing his irritation, he pressed harder on the accelerator to speed up the car.
With a car, the miles passed quickly.
**P.S.:** Unified distance measurement in kilometers and miles.
**P.S.:** Unified weight measurement in pounds, kilograms, and tons.
A fork in the road appeared ahead. According to the road sign, turning left would lead to Pacifica in 3 kilometers.
In the game, Pacifica had no law and order; bullets flew on the streets, there were no NCPD patrols, and it wasn't under Night City's political jurisdiction.
So Alex had no intention of turning left and continued straight ahead.
**Two kilometers ahead – Night City. Welcome to Santo Domingo.**
The Santo Domingo River Valley District, or the Southern City Industrial Zone, housed numerous heavy metallurgical factories, nuclear power plants, and toxic waste landfills. Tall chimneys constantly spewed excessive black smoke, making the entire district appear hazy.
Driving through the River Valley District, Alex soon noticed a thin layer of black dust covering his car window.
If it were only obstructed vision, he wouldn't mind, but the air's stench was unbearable; a few more breaths felt life-threatening.
Even with the car windows closed, a faint, lingering burnt smell persisted at his nose, a sensory experience the in-game Night City couldn't convey.
On the streets, nearly all passersby wore air-filtering masks; those who didn't either had cybernetic lung implants and a fully modified respiratory system, or they were too poor to afford masks, relying on scavenging for food.
Alex glanced at an old woman rummaging through a trash can, her life's flame flickering like a candle in the wind.
Perhaps even organ snatchers wouldn't bother with her.
He parked the car on the sidewalk.
Before getting out, Alex rummaged through the storage compartment in front of the passenger seat and pulled out a few items.
**Padded Face Mask**
- **Quality:** Common
- **Description:** An air-filtering mask with a fierce green-faced demon design. Intimidates the faint-hearted at night.
- **P.S.:** Second-hand item. You might taste the previous owner's saliva residue.
**Silly Monkey Drink**
- **Quality:** Inferior
- **Description:** High-sugar corn syrup juice significantly replenishes body sugar and heat.
- **P.S.:** You don't really think its raw material is corn, do you?
**Extra Large Burrito**
- **Quality:** Common
- **Description:** Synthesized with artificial additives, provides basic vital nutrition.
- **P.S.:** Its only advantage is its size; one piece can last several days.
After a moment's thought, he put the mask back. These artificially synthesized foods were real trash to be discarded.
Alex pulled up the hood of his jacket-hoodie, covering most of his head. In a Cyber World where even elderly scavengers had brain-computer interfaces, it was wise for him, a native without one, to keep a low profile.
Holding the items in his left hand, he hooked the collar of his short-sleeved shirt with his right to cover his mouth and nose, then exited the car.
His destination was the street's convenience store, and he planned to dispose of some trash along the way.
Passing a trash can, Alex tossed the items from his left hand towards it, but his aim was off.
The items arced through the air, landing at the feet of the old woman still rummaging through the trash.
Pausing her stiff movements, the old woman glanced at the unopened food at her feet. Mechanically, she raised her gray, mottled head, her cloudy pupils reflecting the blurry figure entering the convenience store.
"What do you want to buy? Take a look," the black female store owner offered as Alex's gaze passed her, scanning the goods behind the wire mesh.
Condoms, fridge magnets, makeup kits, lighters, spray paint, lottery scratch cards, chewing gum, Night City postcards, disposable air-filtering masks—mostly industrial products.
"Don't you sell sugar, salt, soy sauce, or other seasonings here?" Alex asked, puzzled.
"People here don't have leisure to cook. They buy burritos and energy bars from street vendors or vending machines," the store owner replied, a bit impatient but answering his question.
Alright, it seemed Cyber World's high-tech, low-life was more exaggerated than he imagined.
Resigned, Alex asked for two lighters, three disposable masks, and one Night City postcard.
"Two lighters for 6 euro, three masks for 15, postcard for 10 euro, total 31 euro. Transfer or cash?" The store owner stated, eyeing Alex as if expecting a penniless pauper.
Indeed, after two hours trekking the wilderness, scavenging, and fighting cybernetic beasts, his shoes and clothes were dusty, and his pants torn, revealing his strong thigh muscles, making him look like a Wanderer.
Reaching into his jacket pocket, Alex retrieved cash from his system space, paying readily.
He had scavenged over 400 euros from the two Night City Ghosts, enough for basic supplies.
Seeing him pay, the store owner handed the items through the wire mesh gap.
"Thanks," Alex said, pulling down his collar, tearing open a mask, and putting it on. He picked up the remaining items and left the store.
"Thanks? Haven't heard that word in a long time. Look at that clean face; he's probably another young master from North Oak," the store owner mused.