"What good can one man do in a city as big as the City of Hope?" Reynold asked himself, a twenty-something-year-old detective. This question always plagued him whenever he encountered a dead end in his life, and now he found himself at a dead end in his recent case.

Reynold was amazed at how he had managed to avoid answering this question this long. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to confront the truth or admit it to himself. It felt like a cliché advertising line, something a glamorous celebrity would ask before promoting a product or service that no one truly needed. They would then claim, "Not much, unless he possesses this miracle."

His thoughts returned to the case he was working on. No matter how hard he tried to divert his thoughts, they kept gravitating back to his case. like a rubber band snapping back with even greater force the more he resisted.

The case revolved around the murder of a blonde teenage girl who had been choked and stabbed multiple times. Her father had discovered her lifeless body on the bedroom floor a few hours after the crime and promptly called the police. The crime scene yielded no significant clues or evidence that could identify the perpetrator, except for the presence of a substantial amount of blood splattered throughout the room, particularly on the bed. Further investigation revealed that the blood belonged to two individuals: the victim and presumably the killer.

As Reynold reflected on the case, a growing sense of frustration overwhelmed him. Despite his best efforts, there was no clear motive or apparent conflict between the victim and her murderer at the crime scene. "This case is giving me a headache," he muttered to himself. "The few leads I've managed to find have all led to dead ends It’s really like my sister’s case, and it seems like there is no resolution in sight. there is just a beautiful dead-end that is mocking me,’ he thought with a mixture of bitterness and annoyance.”

Reynold picked up the glass he had emptied three times in less than half an hour and absentmindedly toyed with it, as if the glass was alive and could telepathically help him solve the case, “How can these two cases be so similar to each other? The victim looked just like Jessica; both of them were around the same age, and both crime scenes were drenched in blood. But this time, at least there's a body and a few clues, even if they lead me to a dead end. Could these two cases be connected? But after ten years, is it even possible?

“Why so sad? ”the bartender asked with a cheerful tone, then made a silly exaggerated sad face. she was a red-haired twenty-something girl with a playful, childlike voice that matched the freckles that dotted most of her face. She was wearing an eye-catching red dress that had a slit bottom, covering her left knee and extending to the first quarter of her right thigh. She wore a violet sparkly high-heel boot on her left foot, which covered her ankle, and a long sparkly high-heel boot on her right foot, extending up to her knee. A cartoonish unicorn sock peeked out from under her right boot,

The bartender gave Reynold a mischievous smile. “You know,” she paused then continued, “it’s been about three days that I haven’t seen your face; I was getting worried,” she winked, “after all, the economy of Neoni nightclub counts on you.”

city of Hope was a mega cyberpunk city divided into different districts, so different yet similar to each other, with tall skyscrapers providing luxury homes for residents of richer neighborhoods and tiny covers for the majority of people, most of the penthouse owners preferred to watch the always awake and energized city from the top while others preferred to turn on virtual views and see their favorite places rather than watching the crowded city of hope full of neon lights and busy people running around from up close, advertisement holograms covered most of the walls and floors, even on the furthest points of sky you could see your favorite brands of drinks inviting you to a delightful break from daily ails of the city life.

All the nightclubs in the City of Hope had the same spirit, even the most luxurious ones in the rich neighborhoods, The interiors of these nightclubs were typically adorned with a lot of neon lights, holographic displays, and interactive digital installations. Dance floors were usually equipped with advanced lighting and sound systems, creating an immersive environment for party-goers. There were always plenty of tables and chairs, dance poles, and a stage for performers. Although the decor varied depending on the nightclub’s theme, they all seemed the same in the eyes of the high and drunk customers.

The bars at these nightclubs were often staffed by robotic bartenders, who could create a wide variety of custom drinks with precision and speed. Some of these robots made special drinks for really special customers. Some nightclubs even had virtual reality lounges, where customers could immerse themselves in a completely different world while enjoying their drinks.

All in all, the cyberpunk nightclubs of the city of Hope were places where people could break free from their mundane lives and escape their reality, and immerse themselves in a futuristic, high-energy euphoria, The atmosphere was electric and surreal, with neon lights, thumping music, and cutting-edge fashion that transported guests to another reality.

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outside of the clubs and entertainment places, most people had noticed that they should associate the terms futuristic and innovation with extravagance and impracticality, rather than progress. especially because the ones who were very interested in these kinds of words were the ones who changed nothing for the better or in the best-case scenario they didn't change anything at all.

and the high-energy vibes were mostly associated with the wealthy elites and dangerous gangs, the determined ones who wanted to change their lives beyond society's hidden laws and ways and the more idealistic ones even desired to change their favorite playground, the city of hope itself. but just because people knew didn't mean they would restrain themselves from following colorful celebrity and their brand new cars and house or don't get excited over claims and promises of a politician who swore he is as different as his tie color is from other politician's. and when it came to clubs and entertainments everything was permitted.

The downtown nightclubs had the best advertisements that any club could ever have to entice people inside, so they always managed to encourage others to go inside, have some drinks, spend some time, and then drink some more. Their first and best advertisement was the hot and dirty air of the downtown; it is the best encourager you could have for your nightclub. The second-best advertisement was to play a very loud song to guarantee your customers they will forget all their thoughts and emotions as soon as they entered the club, or in the most extreme cases, after a few drinks. The third one was the attractive bartender who pays attention to you or at least pretends to pay attention to you.

Neoni nightclub was the epitome of these enticing advertisements, offering even more to its customers and making it the ultimate destination for anyone seeking a wild and unforgettable night or a refuge from the outside world. Its neon lights, holographic displays, and advanced sound system created an immersive experience that was impossible to resist. The bartenders, whether human or robotic, were not only efficient but also seductive and charming, offering their customers personalized drinks and conversation. In the virtual reality lounges, customers could lose themselves in a world of their own creation, free from the constraints of reality. All in all, Neoni nightclub was the perfect escape from the mundane and a place where anything was possible, whether you were a wealthy socialite, or a member of the city’s dangerous gangs or just someone boring looking for a short break from the monotony of everyday life.

“Neoni nightclub was Detective Reynold’s favorite place in the city because it always had enough strangers to keep him from feeling lonely, but not so many as to annoy him. generaly Reynold liked the club-goers because they rarely talked to him and didn’t bother him with unnecessary small talks. For this reason, he always went to Neoni nightclub and spent his nights, and often his afternoons and evenings, there.”

Reynold like always was sitting on his favorite sofa, one of three placed in a quiet corner of the club, away from the crowd but still close to the bar. he answered the bartender “I am sad because I wonder how it is possible that such an attractive bartender has so few customers,” Reynold said with a bit of annoyance in his voice because of being disturbed.

The bartender looked around with exaggerated, wide-open eyes and replied, “They’re not as loyal as you are.” Reynold chuckled and added, “When the sun is up, they’re usually down.”

He then let out a sigh and said bitterly, “Lucky them. I wish I could be down too.”

“I am Nina, but my friends call me Neoni.” Without waiting for Reynold, Neoni bent over the table, picked up his hand that was on the table, and shook it.

“I’m Reynold. Nice to meet you,” Reynold replied, as Neoni continued to shake his hand enthusiastically.

Neoni pointed at her red dress. “Not because of my clothes, I guess, probably more because of my hair. Well, you are a good detective, so you tell me, what do you think?” She looked at Reynold curiously.

“How do you know I’m a detective?” Reynold asked suspiciously.

“I saw your badge once when you were tipping,” Neoni replied with a smile.

“And how do you know I’m a good detective?” Reynold asked, curious.

Neoni put her elbows on the table and looked directly into Reynold’s eyes. “Well, my father used to say we have three kinds of law enforcers: the first kind are the ones who want to just do their jobs as soon and easily as possible and make money, the second kind want to do the opposite of their jobs and get way more money than the first ones and the minority, the third ones, they want to do their duties properly, and so they become loyal customers.” Neoni winked and stood straight, waiting for Reynold’s comment.

“Well, he sure knew how to make his loyal customers feel good about themselves,” Reynold replied.

Neoni smiled. “So tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Reynold asked, surprised.

“What is bothering you?”

“I am working on a case and reached a dead end,” Reynold said sadly.

Neoni went and sat beside Reynold, crossed her legs, and said, “You know, sometimes all we need to do to get out of a dead end is to stand aside for a while and look around us once more. But this time, pay attention to the details, but not so much that makes us not see the point. And also, we do that without any prejudgments. Sometimes the things we were looking for had been there all along, but we never paid attention to them or couldn’t see them clearly because of our prejudgments. So I think the best way for you to get out of the dead end is to say the whole story out loud. It gives you a new perspective, and also..." Neoni paused for a moment, "I am curious to know about it, so tell me about the case and start from the beginning.”