Chapter 76"Right, how is Lucy?""Lucy?" Mentioning his girlfriend, David Martinez paused slightly, turning his head to look at her: "Why suddenly bring this up...""Hehe, you and I know very well, you were supposed to team up with her." Kiwi averted her gaze slightly: "Am I right? You should have asked her, right?""Yeah, I asked before, but she said she still needs time, and I'm not in a hurry either. Besides, there's another equally talented netrunner now, isn't there?" A hint of teasing flashed in David Martinez's eyes."You really have a silver tongue, David. Don't tell me you used this method to win Lucy over?"Facing David Martinez's teasing, Kiwi responded in the exact same tone.But this teasing carried a hint of a languid posture; honestly, it felt more like flirting."Tch, who are you looking down on?"After throwing back that line, David Martinez put his attention back on the whiskey in his hand.Thinking back carefully, he really didn't know why he ended up together with Lucy.Although he liked Lucy very much, looking back at their journey, it felt more like mutual attraction, except during the process Lucy kept holding back from getting close due to some reasons in her heart..."But then again, I didn't expect her to be the timid type inside..."Kiwi was also reminiscing about the little details of the past, everything about Lucy.However, in David Martinez's view, this remark was somewhat biased; Lucy was not timid at all, but rather very brave and strong.It's just that he didn't want to refute it because there were too many secrets hidden within...But the next second, Kiwi dropped a startling statement: "That's right, aren't so-called cyberpunks either fugitives hiding from some shameful life, or dream-chasers lost in distant ambitions?""...Dream-chasers?" David Martinez cast his gaze once more toward the dark-shrouded firmament, sighing: "Yeah, well said, just a bunch of dream-chasers."A bunch of dream-chasers who had experienced failed lives and tried to escape something, dream-chasers who numbed themselves with endless desires, dream-chasers who regarded Night City as their final resting place.It reminded him of a classic line from a certain movie— "No street racing, give me death."This sentence still applied here, no matter who it was.Johnny Silverhand was no exception.Silverhand had once witnessed the darkness of corporations—stealing land from the people; experienced war, returning defeated from it, and thus embarking on the rebellious path of rock. Even Johnny Silverhand himself didn't know if this path was right, only knowing to charge headfirst and try to smash through everything.But in the end, it was nothing more than a handful of dust, buried out in the badlands.Unable even to protect his beloved girlfriend...He didn't have lofty ambitions like Johnny Silverhand; he just wanted to properly protect the people around him, nothing more."Hey hey hey, why does your expression look so ugly, David!"Just then, Rebecca, who had been performing acrobatics moments ago, was now using her nimble, thick fingers to replace the function of those short little legs as she moved in front of him."Stop making eyes at the old hag, come dance with me!"Sitting down next to him with a boss-slump posture, holding her head, she let out a nasal hum."We were just talking about people living a certain shameful life.""The most shameful one should be my idiot brother, getting half his head blown off by a tape-hoarding cyberpsycho, leaving him looking half-paralyzed to this day."Kiwi's words caused Rebecca to sigh involuntarily.Thinking of her brother's current state, she didn't know what to say.But thanks to David Martinez's help back then, her brother's life was saved."Let's drop that. David, want to come dance with me? I really want to see your super trashy dance moves once more.""Oh-ho? You sure dare to talk~"Hearing this, David Martinez glanced sideways at the twin-tailed loli beside him.Speaking of which, this stemmed from a celebration party.It was also because this loli Rebecca insisted on dragging him to dance, but the system store didn't even sell dancing chips.According to the system's explanation, dancing was not within the scope of becoming a legend, so it wasn't provided for sale.Therefore, knowing nothing about dance steps, he made a complete fool of himself."Hehe, so come on, one more time?" Rebeccaextended the invitation to him again.But as luck would have it, Viktor's call came in."Alright, I'll be right over."Hearing Viktor finish speaking on the other end of the phone, he turned his head back to say to them: "Sorry you two, I have some urgent business to handle, so I'm heading out first.""Uh...? Hey! Is it that urgent?!""Yeah, extremely urgent, I have to go.""Tch, aren't you avoiding me?! I just want to ask you out once, is it really that hard?" Rebecca watched his back and shouted loudly."Sorry, next time, definitely next time." David Martinez waved his hand without looking back.He didn't dislike active girls like Rebecca.But the problem was, your direction was a bit off, young lady.Even if he had nothing to do today, it was impossible to go dancing with her again.Dancing or whatever, he never planned to touch it again in this lifetime!That last time, he almost went berserk, planning to tear down the nightclub to erase that dark history.Come to think of it, one more time and he'd probably really "turn his broken body into blazing fire" and burn Night City to ashes.Not only David Martinez, even Kiwi saw it and couldn't help massaging her forehead: "Why don't you change your offensive strategy?""Well, also... should I adopt a shy and introverted offensive against a shy introvert?""..."This remark made Kiwi even more helpless.This idiot really was hopeless...---Soon, David Martinez took a taxi to Viktor's underground clinic.The communication content with Viktor just now was very simple, nothing more than saying that woman had woken up and needed him to come over.Therefore, he was in such a rush to get here back then.After all, Mower was a Militech person.Heaven knows if this woman would do something to Viktor and the others due to her baffling loyalty to Militech.After all, the brainwashing strength of those corporations was seriously awesome.But in reality, it wasn't what he thought..."Uh..."Mower, lying on the operating chair, let out a faint moan as Militech's brightly lit laboratory flashed through her mind.But forcing open her heavy eyelids, she discovered a dim basement allegedly run by an illegal ripperdoc.A cyberware doctor who didn't look very old, yet seemed worldly-wise and weathered, was busy with his work at the desk."Are you a Scavenger?... I didn't expect one day I'd also fall into the hands of kidney-cutters.""Hehe, Scavengers don't save people." The ripperdoc smiled at her, and that smile looked quite amiable.Yet this made her even more unable to understand.If this wasn't the Scavengers' turf, where else could it be?And who on earth carried her here?Countless doubts filled her heart.Viktor, who was cleaning his tools, glanced at her, seeing through the woman's inner confusion."A little fellow is rushing over here, you can ask him whatever questions later, it was him who decided to save you."Leaving just that remark, he pushed the tool cart aside, then sat on a swivel chair not far away watching the monitor.It seemed a boxing match was playing on the screen.It seemed this indeed wasn't the Scavengers' turf, but where on earth was it...Thinking of that ripperdoc's words, she suppressed the doubt in her heart and quietly waited for the arrival of this so-called little fellow."Viktor, I'm here!"After a while, a young-sounding voice came from above.Immediately after, with a rattle!, the iron door was rudely pulled open.It was a person who looked very young, and somewhat familiar..."Where is she?""Over there."Viktor pointed towards the operating chair, and saw that short-haired woman lying on it, locking eyes with him."Oh-oh!"Making meaningless sounds with his mouth, the corners of his lips curved slightly as he walked over briskly."Good morning, ma'am.""..."Mower looked at him, not responding to this greeting, but instead asking in return: "Did you save me?""Yeah, that's right." David Martinez nodded in response."Why did you save me?""Well, I'm not entirely sure myself, maybe because you look quite pretty, and it feels a shame for you to die?"David Martinez said this, seemed to feel it wasn't quite right, and corrected himself: "Consider what I said before nonsense, it's probably because I feel you might be useful to me.""You want to use me?""Mhm~" David Martinez shrugged: "You're not wrong at all. If I felt you were useless, perhaps you'd already have died at my hands, or even if you didn't die at my hands, right now you might be lying in some cyber pirate's infirmary, or on a corporation's dissection table, but ultimately you probably would have died at the hands of a Militech cleanup squad.""Impossible, absolutely impossible!"It was fine at first; hearing that she would die at the other person's hands didn't cause much fluctuation on her face.Because she remembered, this teenager was mentioned in Militech's intelligence reports as having joined MAX-TAC within the last few months, and being the youngest among them.It was said his strength was second only to MAX-TAC's ace—that female madwoman Melissa Rory.Therefore, given her state at the time, dying at this teenager's hands wasn't anything strange.But the more she listened, the more wrong it felt. Who were the cyber pirates, and why would she die at the hands of Militech people?!Clearly the doctor had promised back then to help her."You really are naive..."Seeing the woman's expression, David Martinez couldn't help shaking his head, then casually tossed over a shard: "Take a look, this was found on the bodies of those squad members you wiped out."Mower looked at the shard in her hand, then looked at the youth in front of her, and ultimately plugged the shard in.But upon seeing its contents, her eyes suddenly widened, filled with utter disbelief.Then she lowered her head and fell silent."How is it? As a lieutenant of the corporation's special forces, you should be able to see the meaning behind it, right?""...Yeah."Mower nodded slowly, softly spitting out four words: "Kill on sight."Her voice was very cold, just like her already chilled heart.Everything of hers had been dedicated to Militech, but in the end, when she had no value left for utilization, she was ruthlessly discarded.Although she knew this was the corporation's consistent style, when it happened to herself...
Chapter 77No matter how you looked at it, it was somewhat unacceptable.But she immediately raised her head again, gazed at David, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?""Eek~ That gaze... Why does it feel like she's been broken?" he muttered inwardly.Numb, icy, and vacant, just like a tool.And like a defeated dog, a puppy ruthlessly abandoned by its master.But what he needed wasn't something like this; at least she had to act like a normal person.So he shook his head and said, "You're not ready yet. You should get some good rest first."Asking for LeaveRT, I have a few things to do today, so I'm taking a leave, which is also a good chance to clear my head.Lately, my brain feels almost numb from writing...And I have no idea how badly I'm going to get cursed at in tomorrow's opening post... (Sad)...70. You Won't Even Call Me Dad (6K)After installing the new artificial skin at Viktor's place, David took Mower and left.He settled Mower in the mega-building located in Santo Domingo, which was his old home.Along the way, Mower remained silent without asking any questions, obediently following behind him.Leaving him with no clue what was actually going on inside this woman's head.Perhaps she was planning her future?Or pondering a new way out?Well, anyway, it was none of his business.However, when he left the apartment, he received a call from Kiwi."Hey, what is it? Did you miss me just after such a short while apart?""Can you come to the Afterlife right now?" Kiwi's lazy voice came through the phone, sounding as if she could never wake up fully.However, she directly and magnificently ignored his teasing.But it didn't matter; David didn't mind at all and even teased her again: "What? Did you not drink enough at this time and plan to go for a second round?""Stop joking, someone wants to see you."Seeming somewhat impatient with his jokes, she hung up the phone immediately."Jeez... I was just making a few jokes."David muttered helplessly.However, this wasn't the first time such a situation had happened; sometimes if he said the wrong thing, this old woman would put on this attitude.But then again, go to the Afterlife?It seemed Kiwi had hooked up with that damned pervert Faraday again."In that case, I'll go take a look."Thinking of this, a subtle smile appeared on his face.---The Afterlife Bar is one of the most famous locations in Night City.Almost everyone of any status mixing in Night Citywould enjoy the temporary thrill brought by alcohol here.However, compared to other places where people could drink and make merry, the interior decoration didn't look all that different.Yet this place was not somewhere ordinary people could enter.It was one of Night City's several famous intelligence exchange stations, drinking alcohol while talking business, giving quite the feel of cowboys in last century's American Western movies.Fifty years ago, Night City's most formidable mercenaries and fixers all gathered at the Atlantis Club.But fifty years later, it was here.It gathered a large number of people from all walks of life lingering outside, but those qualified to go inside were not many.Because this was Night City's most prestigious "mercenary holy land".And David was one of the frontrunners among them.Amidst everyone's whispers and surrounding gazes, David slowly walked down the stairs.He had long been used to such gazes.The corridor below was still the same; unlike the scorching heat hitting you from outside, it was extremely cool here, even chillingly so.Especially the cold air cast down by the central air conditioning above, making one feel a shudder of fear.According to Jackie, this place used to be a morgue.Later, after it was taken over by Silverhand's ex-girlfriend, the Queen of the Afterlife—Rogue, it was converted into a bar."Mhm, the familiar scent." David took a deep breath of the cold air pervading the atmosphere.It was mixed with a subtle scent, as if smelling the unique odor of frozen corpses.He had to admit, it really had quite a vibe to it.A morgue turned into a bar and all that was most suitable for mercenaries like them who hung their heads on their belts and licked blood off knife points.Just ahead not far away, a cold-faced, burly giant with his arms crossed in front of his chest blocked the doorway.In front of that giant, there was a punk chattering endlessly."Why the hell can't I go in?""Hey, are you listening?! I'm fucking talking to you?!"The punk seemed to want to throw a punch, but his accompanying companion stopped him, "Hey man, don't start trouble here, this is the Afterlife!""Tch, I don't care about Afterlife or before-life, I'm going in today!"Well, needless to think, this was another greenhorn who had just arrived in Night City.Still, it was nothing new.Every day countless people broke their heads rushing into Night City, and countless people sharpened their brains intending to squeeze into the Afterlife Bar.Commonplace, completely normal.But fortunately, his companion had some brains and stopped this greenhorn in time, otherwise there would be two more corpses at the entrance of the Afterlife today."Yo, Emerick, how are you."David bypassed these two people and walked straight over."Mhm, hello, Mr. David."The giant called Emerick stepped aside, letting David walk in.But this once again provoked dissatisfaction from the clamoring punk."Why can that asshole go in, but you won't let me in?! Is my gear not big enough?!"As soon as those words came out, the air instantly fell silent.The crowd of onlookers in the stairwell just now was shocked dumbfounded."Hey hey hey, doesn't this little brat want to live anymore? He even dares to curse that guy.""Hehe, I guess this guy won't be walking out of the Afterlife today."A few old-timers spoke words of pity on their lips, but their eyes were entirely full of spectator amusement.Dying a person or two wasn't rare; what was rare was actually having such a death-seeking fellow.Emerick, who was in charge of guarding the door, also expressionlessly stared at the foul-mouthed brat in front of him.He was not only responsible for guarding the door of the Afterlife, but also for ensuring the reputation of the Afterlife and its customers."Hey, kid."Emerick stepped forward, looking down at the punk before him."What, letting me in now? Then hurry up and get out of the way!"This person was completely oblivious even on the verge of death."Look, Emerick is about to make a move."Someone whispered quietly, and everyone's gazes turned toward the burly Emerick.Seeing Emerick's hand already reaching behind him, estimating that in the next second he would draw a pistol and execute this arrogant, reckless unlucky bastard with one shot.However, the punk's companion clearly had a better eye than this guy; seeing Emerick's motion, he hurriedly grabbed his friend and covered his mouth."Sorry, sorry, my friend is drunk and didn't mean to offend."Apologizing while dragging him toward the stairwell.Seeing this, Emerick also put down the hand behind him."Sigh, what a pity, didn't get to see a good show.""Break it up, break it up."Seeing no more good show to watch, the onlookers scattered in a hurry.However, David was completely unaware of everything that happened outside the gates of the Afterlife, not even hearing a single curse uttered by that punk.Because it was simply way too noisy here; the deafening rock music and the surrounding mercenaries' revelry made it almost impossible for him to hear any other sounds.And he didn't know if it was because that old hag Rogue missed Johnny Silverhand that she made it like this."Still, what is there to reminisce about regarding that madman?"David muttered inadvertently, then sat down in a booth in front of the counter and greeted the busy "female" bartender inside the bar."Hey, Claire.""Hey, David, how are you."The "female bartender" called Claire stopped what she was doing in her hands and responded enthusiastically, "What are you drinking today? Same as usual?""Mhm right, same as usual, an Old-Fashioned tequila, some beer, some chili. And another glass is vodka, on the rocks, lime juice, ginger beer. Oh, and most importantly... a little bit of love.""Got it, a Johnny Silverhand and a Jackie Welles, right?""That's right, sorry to trouble you." David smiled and nodded.As for the drink Jackie Welles, it was his own idea, planning to give Jackie a surprise in the future.The only pity was that this drink was temporarily sold only to him alone and didn't count as part of the menu.But soon this drink could officially make it onto the menu of the Afterlife.Regarding this, he had confidence."This is my job."Claire always smiled gently, and chatting with her was very comfortable, completely unlike that gatekeeper who pulled a deadpan face all day long, as if someone owed him a fortune.But speaking of Claire, there were some things that needed to be understood...Claire Russell was the full name of this "female" bartender, and basically all the regulars at the Afterlife knew her.This bartender not only knew what wine they liked best and what they drank last time, but was also crystal clear about what their friends had ordered.Similarly, most people knew a thing or two about Claire.For example, although she was a great beauty, most people had no interest in her.Although part of it was due to the untouchable title of Afterlife bartender, the most crucial point was that Claire was transgender...That's right, exactly as one imagined: she was originally a homosexual and underwent gender reassignment surgery for her husband.
Chapter 78But unfortunately, her husband lost his life because of a car race.In addition, all the drinks on the Afterlife menu named after legendary figures were personally mixed by Claire."One Johnny Silverhand, one Jackie Welles, please enjoy."Just like now, in less than a minute, both drinks were mixed."Thanks."David responded instinctively, picking up the two glasses of wine placed in front of him.Only dead legends are qualified to have cocktails named after themselves featured on the Afterlifemenu.This is the rule of Afterlife.The purpose is to let them go down in history on the menu.Of course, if a living legend could make it onto the menu, Claire would still be very willing.However...Due to the overly bizarre recipe, the two mixed drinks also looked strange.Perhaps it was because he didn't understand cocktails?David thought this every time, then picked up the two glasses and drained them in one go respectively.Jackie's cup was fine, just a bit sour, coupled with the stimulation of carbonation making his expression somewhat ugly, while Johnny's cup almost cost him his old life.What kind of messy taste is this.The spiciness of old-fashioned tequila, plus the extreme spiciness of chili peppers, and the stimulation of carbonation, the three stimuli mixed together, completely turning into a new unknown substance, clearly interpreting the four words "spicy into the throat".That feeling was just like Johnny Silverhand himself, so chaotic.This taste almost made him spit it out on the spot, but he still managed to swallow it down.It's just that his facial features were all squeezed together."David, looking at you, you shouldn't be good at dealing with carbonation, but why do you order these two drinks every time?"Watching him look so miserable, Claire asked curiously."It's nothing, just to commemorate a friend."But this taste is still unacceptable..."Hmm..."Claire let out a hum through her nose for a moment, then took another look at him.As the bartender of Afterlife, she considered herself to have a strong ability to read people, but she couldn't quite figure out the youth David.Especially the phrase "commemorate a friend".At such an age, normally he should still be in school.But in that case, what kind of friend would be worth commemorating with wine?"By the way Claire, can I leave a recipe?"When David said this, many passing mercenaries stopped in their tracks and looked at David curiously.Being able to come in here naturally meant they knew a bit about the youth David Martinez, who could already be considered a legendary figure of Afterlife and the youngest mercenary.But as for the recipe, it had not been finalized for a long time, and today they happened to run into it, of course they wanted to watch."Of course you can, it's my honor."Claire's face still wore that familiar faint smile."Alright then, let's set the content like this..."David propped his chin on his elbows on the counter, looking at the metallic ceiling while thinking: "Add one-third vodka with ice, one-third rum, and one-third cola in a shot glass.""Oh right, add a slogan along the way — [Great in life, glorious in death.]""Hmm alright, no problem." Claire nodded, remembering everything he said in her heart."Thanks."David got up and left the counter.The contents of this drink were actually David's original drink.Among them, the vodka was street liquor from the Russkies, so it represented the street kid David, while the cola represented Lucy, who liked to tease him with things like carbonation.As for why add rum?Because rum is called pirate wine, it couldn't be more suitable for a newcomer like him.Only, the meaning behind this was only understood by himself.As for the taste...Anyway, he wasn't the one drinking it, no matter how bad it tasted, what the hell did it have to do with him?Tricking one counts as one.Afterwards, in a private room-like area deep inside Afterlife, he found Kiwi."David.""Yo, Kiwi."He greeted Kiwi quite warmly, but besides Kiwi, inside also sat a four-eyed guy — Faraday, and his three beloved heavily-modified male sex dolls.The kind with completely no self-awareness, just like a pile of dolls."Tch, what a disgusting old pervert, actually a perverted male homo..."He lightly complained in his heart.Although he already knew, seeing it still made him feel nauseous.However, he still chose to walk in."Good luck."When passing by Kiwi, she left those words and walked away.Upon seeing Kiwi leave, Faraday, who was sitting inside with a gentlemanly posture, finally spoke: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Martinez.""That's not right, is it? You sound rather distant, Four-eyes... No, Mr. Faraday."Just like returning to his own home, he strode over and sat on the sofa, teasing with a smile: "During that carjacking gig, we've already met.""Is that so? Then please allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Faraday.""I know, aren't you just from Militech, I understand."David waved his hand disappointedly, "Instead of dawdling here, let's get straight to the point, what do you want with me?"If it weren't for Kiwi contacting him as a fixer, he wouldn't even bother coming, better to go home and accompany Lucy.But Faraday said unhurriedly: "Don't rush, let me buy you a drink."He pointed at another drink on the table, but he didn't intend to pick it up.After all, boys need to protect themselves when going out, especially facing this damn male homo.He definitely didn't want his butt to hurt the next day after a glass went down his throat.But Faraday didn't mind and continued: "I've heard many stories about you recently, continuously building your reputation, even joining MAX-TAC, a newcomer equipped with a Sandevistan who keeps upgrading.""Tch, what on earth are you trying to say? And the Sandevistan you mentioned is just one of the cyberware on my body.""Indeed, you now look like you have more cyberware than flesh, yet you still maintain such a slim figure, looks like you have a good ripperdoc."Faraday kept rambling about a bunch of irrelevant things, which made David's emotions increasingly irritable. What he hated most was this kind of red tape and a bunch of unnecessary pleasantries.Can't you just say what you have to say directly?Why do you have to beat around the bush.However, before he could flare up, Faraday brought up the main point."In the past, when I had jobs, I often looked for Maine, because he was quite excellent in teamwork, but sometimes his obsession with others distracted him and lowered the quality of work... I heard you're also quite good at teamwork.""Don't you already know?"Having heard enough nonsense, David pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a deep puff, and slowly exhaled: "From Kiwi."The curling blue smoke separated the two of them with a hazy veil of mist, making it impossible for them to see each other clearly.But their gazes never shifted even a fraction."That is indeed true, but I hope you can prove that you have the same level of professional competence as Maine."Faraday's tone never changed, talking about trivial things on his own while using a very slow tone."Want to test me?" David narrowed his eyes slightly."You can understand it that way.""Heh."David suddenly chuckled: "Mr. Faraday, I don't quite understand what you're rambling on about by yourself...""However, don't forget one thing, you are the client, and I am the mercenary... In other words, you came to me for help.""What do you mean." Faraday's brow furrowed slightly, and the three eyes on one side flashed a red light."Nothing, just feeling a bit emotional."As David spoke, he slowly sat up, straightened his body, and imitated Faraday's tone as he slowly said:"We've known each other for several months now, and this is the first time you've come to me for help... I'm almost losing track of what attitude you had the last time you came to us.""Furthermore, my old buddy Maine was your old partner, and you never went to see him once after the accident.""Let me be frank! You never wanted our friendship, you only knew how to blindly engage in dirty monetary transactions with us.""What on earth are you trying to say?" Faraday's four eyes narrowed slightly.What the youth in front of him said, he seemed to understand, but also didn't quite get it.But David didn't care at all, continuing on his own:"I understand, you got rich over at Militech, your business is doing great, your life is going well, you have Militech people protecting you when you go out, and nothing is hard, you don't need a friend like me.""But... now you come to me and say: 'Mr. Martinez, I want to test you.' You have no respect for me at all. You don't treat me as a friend, you're not even willing to call me Daddy David."At this point, Faraday finally understood."In other words, you don't want to take my gig?" Faraday's eyes gradually turned unfriendly.The preceding part was alright, but the later part became more and more outrageous, especially that "Daddy" part, which was simply insulting him."That's right." David leaned back against the sofa back, crossed his legs and said: "It's best if you can understand that."But even so, Faraday still sat there without leaving."What, still not planning to leave?" David teased once more."Martinez... No, Mr. David, won't you reconsider? The gigs in my hands are not cheap at all, they're all corporate jobs, the kind with the highest pay."Faraday tried to salvage the situation one more time.Normally, under the current circumstances, there was nothing left to talk about.But there was no help for it, there was something in David's hands that he must get, only then could he continue to cooperate with Militech."So what?"David slowly stood up, looking down at Faradaysitting on the sofa, his gaze revealing a bit of coldness: "I don't lack money right now, nor fame, nor gigs... Especially your gigs, I lack them even less.""You...""If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first."Completely not giving Faraday a chance to continue speaking, he immediately turned around and left the private room.Leaving Faraday alone sitting there grinding his teeth in hatred.Before preparing to talk business, Faraday had prepared countless plans, including a plan where David demanded an exorbitant price.But he never expected that this kid would reject his gig so decisively.
Chapter 79He even went so far as to hurl insults."This brat..."He immediately dialed Kiwi's phone...However, what Faraday didn't know was that David Martinez simply didn't lack him as a fixer, nor did he lack such high-paying gigs.Did he really take him for a beggar begging on his knees?Was he really starving for the meal handed out as charity by Faraday?If he were really that strapped for cash, wouldn't it be better to just go straight to Rogue?Rogue was the most badass fixer in Night City, wasn't she a hundred times better than a corporate lapdog like Faraday?As for choosing to come here today, it was partly to save face for Kiwi, and partly to humiliate this guy.Yet judging by the actual situation, the effect didn't seem to be all that great..."Well, whatever, as long as I feel good, that's all that matters."71. Why aren't you playing by the rules? (7K)"Kiwi, you don't need to try and persuade me anymore. I am not going to take any gigs from that guy Faraday."Inside the elevator, David Martinez was communicating with Kiwi.To be honest, he hadn't expected Faraday's actions to be so swift and persistent, actually dragging Kiwiout to act as a persuader.Sure enough, no sooner had he almost reached home with his front foot than Kiwi's call came through with her back foot."Why is that? Faraday is also an old client of ours, and the payouts for the gigs in his hands are not low at all. We are mercenaries; it's enough to complete jobs and make money.""Remember a few months ago, you were constantly rushing around just to make money, endlessly looking for all sorts of fixers, weren't you?"On the phone, Kiwi's voice was still as languid as ever, but this was the first time she had said so much at once.And it was indeed just as Kiwi had said.A few months ago, after joining MAX-TAC, he had risked his life doing gigs almost every day, to the point of completely draining Regina Jones and Father.Precisely because of that, he had risen to prominence, building the loudest reputation in the shortest possible time.At the same time, he had accumulated a fair bit of fatigue, though he hadn't noticed it himself.Back then, even Lucy felt a pang of heartache just looking at him.Yet hearing these words made David Martinez shake his head continuously."Kiwi, you still don't understand.""What do you mean?""It's very simple. Corporate-related gigs pay a lot—that goes without saying—but they also come with the risk of being targeted by corporations.""Especially the conflicts between two corporations, like Arasaka and Militech right now. It's best if we don't get involved in their affairs; otherwise, who knows when we'll end up being pawns in their hands, and disposable ones at that.""There's one more thing I need you to remember, Miss Kiwi. Faraday is not a man you can trust. Don't wait until you've been sold out by this guy to regret it with bitter tears."However, the other end of the line fell into silence.Meanwhile, his elevator had just reached the top floor."Well, I've said all I have to say. Think it over carefully, Kiwi."The communication was hung up right then and there.Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, Kiwi overlooked the scenery of this City of Desire before her. The colorful, dazzling neon lights seemed to blur her vision."Faraday... untrustworthy?"Her mouth softly chewed over the words David Martinez had spoken to her right before hanging up."That's not like you, Kiwi. Don't forget, in Night Cityyou can't trust anyone, otherwise suffering betrayal is entirely your own fault..."Kiwi's gaze gradually shifted, staring at her own reflection mirrored on the glass, speaking as if lecturing herself.Only now did she realize that she seemed to be paying a bit too much attention to Faraday's matter.She had even forgotten the survival rule of Night City that she herself had set down.Yet, the reason she had established such a rule stemmed from her past experiences.Just as she had once said to David Martinez—"Aren't so-called cyberpunks just refugees fleeing some shameful life, or dreamers holding distant ambitions while losing themselves?"Even she was no exception.She was likewise a refugee fleeing a shameful past.It was just that she no longer wished to bring up that bygone era...Meanwhile, David Martinez had already returned home to the duplex villa on the top floor, which resembled a sky garden.Outside, it featured a landing pad and a swimming pool, while the interior decoration exuded utter luxury, lacking nothing compared to those detached villas in North Oak, Westbrook.In the game, this place had once been V's residence after becoming the king of the city, a place for lingering romance with Judy or Panam, but now it was a sweet little love nest for him and Lucy.Purchasing this set of property back then had cost him quite a bit of money, and he had also pulled plenty of strings, almost hollowing out his entire savings.Fortunately, he still managed to secure it smoothly..."Welcome home.""Ah, I'm back."Hearing this, David Martinez instinctively replied, turning around and raising his head to look up the stairs.There stood Lucy, completely naked and leaning against the stair railing. Her slender yet full-figured physique and her soft curves were all completely taken into his eyes.Fine droplets of water clinging to her smooth skin shimmered faintly under the illumination of the lights."You came back quite late today." Lucy slowly walked down from upstairs, took a bottle of alcohol from the kitchen, and handed it into his hands."Well, a bit too much happened today..."Holding the bottle, he took a massive gulp, as if venting the pent-up gloom and fatigue in his heart.The familiar carbonation irritated his throat, causing him to cough again.Seeing him like this, Lucy let out a soft chuckle and immediately asked: "What, is it about your superior, Miss Melissa Rory, again?"Regarding Melissa, Lucy had heard a lot from David Martinez.For instance, she was a violent female lunatic who hit heavily no matter who she was dealing with, yet inexplicably cared about her subordinates.Or perhaps that she showed exceptional care toward David Martinez—the physical kind of care."She's part of it, but not all."David Martinez shook his head, took another sip from the bottle, and then lit a cigarette, smoking quietly: "Today, I saved a cyberpsycho.""?"Hearing this, Lucy tilted her head slightly.It was truly quite rare for David Martinez to save a cyberpsycho; aside from requests by the fixer Regina Jones, David Martinez genuinely showed very little mercy to cyberpsychos.And judging by today's situation, it was completely unlike what Regina had requested.Yet she had no intention of questioning him further, simply acting as a listener and listening quietly.Just like a qualified wife listening to her husband's complaints after coming home from work.To be precise, right now, apart from not being married, the two of them were indeed like a newlywed couple.At least that was what they believed themselves.Moreover, for them, the love between each other didn't need to be confined to a piece of paper."That person is named Mower, a lieutenant in Militech's special forces. Due to having too many military-grade implants installed on her body, coupled with the overload of some components, she turned into a cyberpsycho.""Fortunately, Viktor saved her in the end.""Is that so~?" Lucy's voice grew subtle, though filled mostly with amusement: "Then how do you plan to deal with her? Are you going to have her join MAX-TAC? I remember the only member of your unofficial squad is just yourself, right?""That's true, but I don't want Lieutenant Mower to join MAX-TAC; I've temporarily placed her at the house in Santo Domingo."Saying this, David Martinez took another drag of his cigarette, and the curling wisps of smoke he exhaled made his gaze look somewhat hazy: "I think Lieutenant Mower can still serve another purpose.""What is it? Keeping a mistress in a golden house? Or the kind where colorful flags flutter outside?" Lucy couldn't help teasing.There was completely no hint of jealousy in her words.Because she trusted David Martinez and believed that David Martinez would always love her, and that was enough.Besides, it wasn't like she didn't know she had competitors.At least Rebecca was one of them.As for the other, Melissa Rory, she couldn't be sure.After all, that was a former cyberpsycho; nobody knew what was going on in her head.But the fact that she paid exceptional attention to David Martinez was true.The most crucial point was that this was Night City, a city full of desires.Moral principles didn't seem to apply all that much here, yet relatively speaking, she herself was still rather traditional.However, her remark earned her a roll of the eyes from David Martinez."What is that supposed to mean? Do you think I'm that kind of person?""Aren't you?" Lucy retorted."Tch, of course not." David Martinez turned his head away and stopped looking at Lucy.But Lucy let out a series of silver-bell-like laughter.She even laughed until her stomach hurt a little.Still the same as always, she loved seeing David Martinez get flustered and defeated in her hands, just like right now.For them, this was their unique way of getting along, and it had never changed.After laughing for a moment, Lucy finally stopped and continued asking: "Aside from that? What else happened today?""Other than that... there wasn't really much else."David Martinez slowly raised his head, gazing at the ceiling and saying thoughtfully: "Tonight, I received a gig from Wakako Okada.""Eh? That Wakako Okada from the Tyger Claws? Isn't she on terrible terms with you?" A look of surprise appeared on Lucy's small face."Yeah, but today she inexplicably threw a gig my way."As David Martinez spoke, he took another sip of alcohol, letting out a sound of refreshing satisfaction."The content of the gig was pretty simple: some wealthy young lady got intercepted by Maelstrom, and we were responsible for rescuing her.""Except a newbie was shoved into the mix, claiming to be a fan of mine.""However, this fan of mine, due to his own carelessness, got blown into mincemeat by a Maelstrom bomb." David Martinez said with a helpless shrug."What kind of story is that?"This witty and humorous narration managed to amuse her."Well, that's how it went."Saying that, he immediately took a careful look at Lucy beside him.Lucy naturally noticed his gaze and didn't avoid it in the slightest, even puffing out her chest slightly.Following her movement, her soft curves swayed slightly a few times."What, do you want to do it?" she asked with a somewhat bewitching voice.That voice, that posture, was simply enough to make one's blood run hot.Yet David Martinez shook his head: "No, I'm a bit too tired today, it's just that no matter how many times I look, you always feel so beautiful...""Mnh-hm~" Lucy let out a pleasant hum."But having said that, did you dive again today?"
Chapter 80"Yeah." Lucy didn't hide it, just like how she never hid anything from him."Aren't you cold always soaking in ice water? Why don't you buy a Netrunner suit? As for the latest Netrunner chair...""No need, thank you... I don't like Netrunner suits."David Martinez's words stirred up bad memories for her, making her voice sink a little."Sorry..."The moment those words left his mouth, he regretted them, feeling as though he had asked a stupid question.Clearly knowing what was going on, he had blurted it out instinctively."No need to apologize," Lucy said softly, turning her gaze outward to watch for a moment.After a moment, she suddenly said, "Hey, David.""Hm?""Follow me."David Martinez:???This scene felt somewhat familiar?He remembered the last time Lucy said that seemed to be when she brought him back to her apartment.Where were they going this time?A few minutes later..."Vroom—"The roar of the engine echoed across the desolate, empty wilderness.David Martinez was riding his motorcycle, carrying Lucy as they galloped across the Badlands outside Night City, flashing past the slightly dilapidated highway like a streak of light."Hey, Lucy, where are we actually going?""A bit further ahead!"Although the howling wind by his ears and the violent roar of the engine masked most of the sound, he could still faintly hear Lucy's words.Lucy seemed quite excited?But he didn't think too much about it, twisting the throttle all the way and accelerating once more.---Atop a towering rock in the Badlands on the outskirts of Night City."Whoa, the starry sky here is amazing!" David Martinez exclaimed as he sat on top."You can't see this kind of sight in Night City, right?" Lucy's voice carried a hint of showing off, just like a child boasting about their secret base."Indeed, it feels like I could pluck one down right now and give it to you."He slowly reached out a hand toward the depths of the starry sky above his head, gently closing it.For the first time, he discovered that the starry sky was so beautiful, so close to him, and so dazzling.Just like diamonds.Perhaps Diamond Star Tears were nothing more than this."Dummy."Lucy glanced at David Martinez out of the corner of her eye, filled with a trace of fondness.In the past, she always came here alone, but bringing the person she loved this time truly gave her a different feeling.It seemed everything had become even more beautiful."Sigh, the only pity is that we can't see the moon.""The moon didn't come out, which is why the stars are shining so brightly.""Is that so?" David Martinez asked, tilting his head in confusion."Of course, the moon's light would overshadow the stars. Didn't they teach you that at the academy?" Lucy turned her head and said earnestly."...Is that so?" David Martinez asked in confusion once more.In fact, Lucy's claim wasn't entirely accurate; there were times when a bright moon and brilliant stars coexisted, but he had no intention of exposing her.Instead, he smiled and said, "I dropped out, did you forget?""That's not right. I remember the academy still hasn't shown that you dropped out; it's just that you aren't willing to go back.""Whatever, I consider myself dropped out anyway. Besides, what kind of student works as both a mercenary and a part-time MAX-TAC officer?""Yeah."His explanation was accepted by Lucy."Speaking of which, this is my first time leaving Night City to come outside, and it feels pretty good."No noisy clamor, no gang turf wars, and even less of all that treacherous scheming.Even the air became much fresher, no longer filled with that pervasive, nauseating stench of industrial exhaust."Is that so..." Lucy's voice was very soft, almost inaudible."Hey, Lucy, I remember you lived outside Night City, right? What was that feeling like, can you tell me about it?"Facing his inquiry, Lucy didn't answer; instead, she cast her gaze toward that distant city of desire and sighed with emotion:"Looking at Night City from here, it's like a cage made of colorful neon lights."He glanced slightly at Lucy without continuing to press, instead gazing into the distance at the city together with her: "Indeed."Indeed, just as Lucy said.The beams of light shooting from inside the city into the sky bound Night City within like a birdcage, and the people living in Night City were like pets raised inside a cage.Once you go in, there is no possibility of escaping ever again.Either you become a corporate lapdog, or as a member of the rebels, you become a legend and ultimately die in a graveyard.This was a common, undeniable fact in Night City."Hey, David."Suddenly, Lucy called out his name."What is it?""Do you want to know?... About my past.""If you're willing to tell, I'm all ears, and I'm also willing to understand you a bit more."Lucy merely smiled slightly at this, then slowly settled her mind, taking a deep breath as if she had made some major decision.The words about to leave her lips were indeed a major decision for her.Everything that no one had ever known."Arasaka.""I'm an orphan and have never seen what my parents looked like... No, maybe I did, but I can't remember clearly anymore.""During my childhood, I grew up in Arasaka facilities in other countries..."Lucy recounted quietly, spelling out her background, her past, and everything about herself in detail.From the moment she was adopted by Arasaka, she became Arasaka's property. Thirteen children, including her, passed the Netrunner ability test.Afterwards, they basically lived on Netrunner chairs, wearing Netrunner suits, lurking in the shattered network.The Old Net shattered by the most powerful Netrunner in history, the founder of Daemons, the most legendary progenitor of netrunners—Rache Bartmoss.They were sent to the Blackwall just like that, crossing the Blackwall.Collecting all usable programs and code beyond the Blackwall.Among them were some rogue AIs collected, but more often than not, they were attacked by rogue AIs and malware, ultimately dying beyond the Blackwall.Just because of this, out of the thirteen children, their numbers dwindled, and only a few besides her survived.However, even this wasn't the end.A steady stream of children continued to be sent here.Batch after batch, then dying beyond the Blackwall; only she herself survived.It was just like a mine from the early 21st century.To be precise, this was a mine, and they were the miners.Except that previously high-intensity computations were used to calculate cryptocurrency algorithms, whereas they were mining the value beyond the Blackwall—those heritages existing within the shattered Cyberspace—Massive amounts of lost knowledge and information.Yet even so, she never stopped her steps, always working hard and striving.Just because of the words Arasaka kept instilling in them—"One day we will become Netrunners, serving the most powerful corporation in the world."This dream was the pillar of all the children, and all of them worked hard for this dream, enduring grueling training before being sent to the outer side of the Blackwall.They were also endlessly chasing this dream that was fundamentally not voluntary.However, the continuous passing of her companions around her also caused Lucy to give up on herself, even attempting to let herself die beyond the Blackwall.But she still survived.The instinctive desire to survive made her live on.From then on, she finally awakened, a heart of rebellion slowly rising within her.Since she was going to die either way, she might as well make a desperate bid to escape.Therefore, their batch of graphics card girls trained by Arasaka escaped en masse, but during the process, they were hunted down by corporate agents who pulled the triggers without a shred of mercy.All her companions perished under the hail of bullets.In the end, only she, who ran the fastest, survived.Because of this, she hoped David Martinez could run faster than her.Because she hoped David Martinez could live on well.Because of this, she also thoroughly despised Netrunner chairs and Netrunner suits, and even held a certain fear of deep-diving.If not for David Martinez's support, she didn't know if she could still take that step...As for David Martinez, the expression on his face also became very calm.He didn't know what expression or what words to use to comfort her.Although he had long known everything about Lucy's past, hearing it in reality... his heart was truly a mix of complicated emotions.This made his determination to wipe out Arasakaeven firmer.But right at this moment, he seemed to think of something, turned his head and said, "Hey, Lucy, do you want to meet that Rache Bartmoss.""Eh? What are you talking about...""Well, come with me."He stood up, grabbed Lucy's wrist, and brought her away from here without allowing any argument.According to his memory, he found the scrapyard where V was once buried.But upon seeing this place littered with discarded electronics and all sorts of garbage, Lucy's eyes were filled with incomprehension.Until now she still didn't understand what David Martinez actually wanted to do.Until she saw David Martinez standing in front of a freezer.She was very familiar with that freezer; it was a dedicated freezer for netrunners.It's just, what was this for?"Come over quickly, let you meet the legendary Netrunner Rache Bartmoss.""Eh?"
Chapter 81Although she still couldn't understand David's actions, she chose to walk over anyway.Then, under her gaze, the freezer was opened.At the same time, the sound of Johnny Silverhandseemed to echo in David's ears."There's a saying I know better than my own name: never blindly open a stranger's freezer. Best case scenario, you see a half-gallon tub of spoiled milk; worst case—"Just like right now, there's a corpse lying inside.It was precisely the legendary netrunner praised by Lucy, the one Johnny Silverhand called—oh for crying out loud."This is…?""This is the very forefather of netrunners you mentioned, the first person to ever create a Daemon, Rache Bartmoss.""You're saying… this person is Rache Bartmoss?!!!"Lucy's eyes were filled with disbelief.Yet, compared to Rache Bartmoss's corpse, what she found even more unbelievable was that David actually knew where this person's corpse was located.What on earth was going on here?However, David's subsequent actions baffled her even more."What are you doing?""Well, you'll know in a minute."Seeing this, David reached his hand into the freezer, frowning as he flipped the corpse over, seemingly searching for something on the body.While searching, he muttered to himself, "Tch, where did it go? I remember it was right here…"Fortunately, the freezer was still using its meager battery power to keep the corpse fresh; otherwise, the smell and appearance wouldn't have been very pleasant at all.But even so, a foul odor still rushed into his nasal passages.Finally, he managed to find what he was looking for.He took that small object out from inside and waved it in front of Lucy's eyes."This is for you. A cyberdeck that once belonged to Rache Bartmoss, produced by SGI Technologies called "Alicia". It's the best of its kind. Although it's dilapidated and broken down from years of neglect, it was used by Rache Bartmoss after all, so consider it a souvenir."As he spoke, he pushed the compact cyberdeck forward.But Lucy frowned and took two steps back."I don't want it.""Huh? Why?""It reeks of a corpse, and besides, I don't worship Rache Bartmoss.""Ah, well…"David instantly froze in place, the corners of his eyes twitching incessantly.Why aren't you playing by the book?!Logically speaking, don't all netrunners worship Rache Bartmoss?How is Lucy so atypical?And what on earth was the point of him going through all this trouble?!However, seeing his expression, Lucy's demeanor suddenly shifted as she extended two slender fingers to gently pinch the half-century-old unearthed artifact in his hand."But since you went out of your way to find it for me, I suppose I'll reluctantly accept it," Lucy said with a charming smile."…"David looked at Lucy speechlessly."Fine, whatever you say. The script I had all prepared was completely ruined by you.""Mhm~ What script?""It's nothing. I just wanted to tell you that the meaning behind giving you this cyberdeck is simple: it represents my determination, the determination to destroy Arasaka," David said helplessly.Yet, just as he finished speaking, he was suddenly embraced.It was Lucy; she was hugging him."Thank you for everything you've done for me.""But…""Please don't do that, David. I'm begging you, don't try to provoke the corporation. I don't want anything to happen to you."He had long anticipated Lucy's reaction, so he reached out to gently stroke Lucy's back and said:"Rest assured, I've said it before, I won't die. Besides… taking on Arasaka and all that has long been my goal."At worst, I can just take out that bastard Saburo Arasaka.In the truest sense of the word.Find a way to smash Mikoshi so Saburo Arasaka's engram has nowhere to hide.But before that, a whole lot of preparation work is still needed…PS: Sorry, I woke up late again…Regarding the subsequent parts, I plan to find a way to connect it with 2077.It's not like it ends just because Edgerunners is finished; there's still plenty of content anyway…It's just that the ending part here doesn't seem handled very well, feels a little bit awkward.Bounties reopened.Per everyone's request, opening up bounties again.Conditions are the same as usual.1,000 recommendation votes = 2K extra words.100 monthly votes = 2K extra words.100 blades = 2K extra words.5K book coins tip = 2K extra words.No upper limit.That's about it.November 1, 2022 13:13:30Monthly votes (861), recommendation votes (10,714), tips (34,016), blades (314).Hope my dear readers can support me, I just beg for death!72. Arasaka's Big Move (6.5K)Over the next few days, David lived a few days of peace of mind.He didn't show his face over at MAX-TAC either, spending every day wandering around with Lucy, enjoying the decadent scenery of Night City.It's just that every night, Lucy would take advantage of when he wasn't paying attention, or find various excuses to go out.He naturally knew the reason, but had no intention of stopping her.Since she wanted to do it, then let her go ahead and do it.No matter what happens, he would cover for Lucy. What's more, Arasaka Corporation in Night Cityright now was just a bunch of waste without those big shots around.Dealing with Militech already had these guys exhausted and stressed out; they didn't have the time to care about Lucy's side.Furthermore, without V's counter-intelligence department and Adam Smasher's security department, they couldn't stir up any trouble at all.It's not looking down on them; that's just the reality of it.However, one thing that bothered him quite a bit was that neither Kiwi nor Faraday had come to bother him ever since that day.Just when he thought Faraday seemed to have given up, a sudden piece of news piqued his interest."Welcome to News 54, bringing you today's local news.""Last night, a shocking shooting occurred in the Arasaka industrial park, during which Project Manager Evans was shot and killed…""Ho-ho, that guy Faraday finally made a move after all."Looking at the bloody news footage playing on the TV, the corners of his mouth curved upward into a subtle arc.He originally thought Faraday would give up because of this, or try a different way to persuade him, but he didn't expect this guy to actually choose to send someone else to do it.All just to find that so-called data.Only by holding that data in his hands would he have the bargaining chips to continue negotiating and cooperating with Militech.When all is said and done, Faraday is nothing more than a small fry…Similarly, Arasaka's counter-intelligence department was also analyzing the clues on hand."To openly commit murder within Arasaka's jurisdiction, we're really being looked down upon.""That was the laboratory mainly researching countermeasures against Militech."Inside a building marked with a circular clover logo.A man and a woman were inside a narrow, elongated space, analyzing the intelligence on the screen.[ Arasaka ]Arasaka Corporation.A super behemoth with a market value of 890 billion euro and over 595,000 employees.And this was the counter-intelligence department of Arasaka's Night City branch.The man and woman here were current agents of the Night City counter-intelligence department, active personnel who held a portion of power in their hands.Following Tanaka's death, they could be considered to have taken over Arasaka's Night City branch for now.As the saying goes, when there are no tigers in the mountains, the monkeys act as kings—that's how it was. Without the presence of the big shots, all sorts of small fries dared to step up and call the shots."Then, could it be related to the netrunner who killed Jamie and Marcus?" the woman put forward her guess."No… Manager Evans was also shot. That poor guy got his head blown off with a single shot by these people, but the scene cleanup was done very crudely. I bet it wasn't the same netrunner."The man was pulling up three pictures.The first two pictures were precisely the scenes where Jamie and Marcus had their heads fried by a netrunner.Meanwhile, the third one was a bloody mess; basically nothing of the head remained, save for just a tiny scrap of skin.Splattered blood repainted the office.Such crude methods were definitely not done by the likes of a netrunner; at a glance, it was the masterpiece of some newbie."Mhm, indeed." After comparison, the woman nodded seriously in agreement: "Set arresting the netrunner as the primary target; they are too dangerous.""But we don't know their motive," the man shook his head regretfully: "We can't trace any clues. This is not the work of ordinary netrunners."The man's discernment and experience weren't bad either.Such clean and neat methods indeed weren't something any ordinary netrunner could pull off.But saying they didn't know the motive wasn't entirely accurate either.Because ever since Tanaka died and they tried to recover the shattered experimental data, their netrunners had been targeted.And they were constantly being killed off.It's just that they didn't think in that direction at all, thinking this was merely some petty tricks played on them by their rival company Militech."How dare they provoke our esteemed Arasakacounter-intelligence department…" The woman's voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction and disdain, then she sneered: "It seems we'll have to take the long way around to find the whereabouts of this netrunner.""Are we going to intervene in Evans's case?""Mhm." The woman nodded: "Although these are two independent cases, we might be able to find intersecting clues between them…"
Saying this, the woman's voice suddenly paused, as if thinking of something: "Change the method, go find a fixer first. It won't be too hard to find a fixer related to Militech.""But if the fixer is connected to netrunners, there's a high chance they'll leak product info to Militech.""You can't be a broker in Night City if you aren't mercenary, sinister, and cunning..."The woman looked at several people pulled up from the database on the screen, a slight sneer curving the corner of her mouth: "But in the end, aren't these guys just hyenas licking the boots of corporate handouts?""We just need to give these people a slight reminder——[The corp is the master of Night City, and only by obeying can you survive], that will be enough."But these words were met with the man's incomprehension:"What are you planning to do?""Hmph." The woman smiled smugly: "Let's use the usual way of Night City to tell them. It just so happens we have a woman on hand we can use."She shifted her gaze back to the screen, staring at Wakako Okada's avatar as she spoke.Wakako Okada... No, to be precise, how the Tyger Claws really started—others might not know, but Arasaka knew it inside and out.Originally, they were a criminal group from Japantown, later transforming into an organization resembling the Japanese Yakuza, active in areas like Westbrook's Japantown and Charter Hill, as well as Watson's Kabuki and Chinatown, and they had some murky, indescribable relations with Arasaka...They were also the gang Arasaka most frequently used for dirty work outside of their security department...---Nighttime.A luxurious classic sedan sped down the road.Faraday was sitting in the back seat of the sedan, looking thoughtfully at the rapidly changing scenery outside the window, his brows written all over with deep worry.Yesterday's mission was completed, to be sure, but the methods were far too crude, leaving a massive amount of traces at the scene.Furthermore, he hadn't managed to get his hands on the most crucial item.This was also the main reason for his anxiety.If this continued, he was afraid he would lose the qualifications and protection to continue cooperating with Militech.He was crystal clear on this point.But before that, those rookie mercenaries...He had to find a way to sever ties with these guys, because due to their stupidity, retaliation from Arasaka was basically a done deal.However, just as he was pondering when and in what manner Arasaka would retaliate, a van overtook him from the side and cut in front."Hmm?"This van caught his attention because it felt like he had seen it somewhere before.It should belong to some gang...The next second."Bang, bang, bang——"A series of gunshots rang out on the highway, sharp bullets piercing through the windshield and seats, killing the joytoys on the spot.The back doors of the van were wide open, and several punks holding firearms inside were wildly spraying Faraday's sedan with gunfire.It was the Tyger Claws.However, Faraday wasn't the only one targeted.Regina Jones, Father, and the other fixers met with the exact same fate.But unfortunately, Regina Jones kept a batch of cyberpsychos, and in terms of combat power, aside from lacking the absolute top-tier ones, they were by no means inferior to MAX-TAC.Therefore, the attacking squad was completely wiped out.As for Father, with Heywood's protection and being a ruthless man himself, even the 6th Street Gangcouldn't do anything to him, let alone a few Tyger Claws members.It didn't hurt him at all.Then there was Rogue from the Afterlife Bar, who naturally was also attacked.But unfortunately, this bunch didn't even make it through the door before they were wiped out by punks wandering outside.Daring to mess with the Afterlife Bar?They were simply tired of living.But the remaining fixers didn't have such strength and luck; two of them even died, and even Faradayonly narrowly escaped with his life.Faraday, who had survived by sheer luck, immediately contacted Militech.The meeting place with Militech was set in a certain underground parking garage."I almost got killed."As soon as they met, Faraday began recounting his tragic experience along the way.But the Militech people had no intention of getting out of the car, and looked entirely unenthusiastic about Faraday's encounter."That still doesn't prove the mastermind is Arasaka, does it?""Do you take me for a fool?! Who else could it be besides Arasaka?!" Faraday's emotions were somewhat agitated."Hard to say, you fixers are in a line of work that easily offends people, and there's no way I can know who you offended and where. We won't take on any extra responsibility, nor can we give you corporate immunity.""Are you kidding me?"Hearing their words, Faraday found it hard to believe.He had clearly done so much for the corp before, and now..."Do you know how much money the Tanaka incident cost us? Yet you can't produce a damn thing." The person in the car couldn't help scoffing, then said matter-of-factly: "If you want more funds, you have to produce results.""Are you saying I haven't done enough?""That's not what I'm saying, but you've indeed spent way too much time."Faraday's voice was tinged with anger, but the people on Militech's side still maintained an indifferent attitude."Arasaka's security system is stricter than usual, which proves just how important the cyberskeletonis to them—don't you know that?"It was precisely this indifference that made the corner of Faraday's eye twitch, and his heart calmed down accordingly."Precisely because I knew, I invested this much."Mentioning this made the person in the car furious.He had given Faraday too much time and provided too much funding.Yet until now, nothing to show for it..."Please show us the results.""If you can't prove your worth, then we can't continue investing. That's it for today."Their patience had been worn thin, and they didn't want to drag things out with Faraday any longer.With that, they rolled up the car windows and left the underground parking garage.Regarding Faraday being attacked, all of them knew very well it was Arasaka's doing.But ever since the failure of the last Tanaka mission, Militech had felt extremely dissatisfied with Faraday; to Militech, he was now dispensable.Even the person responsible for contacting Faradayhad been reprimanded by higher-ups.Provide protection to Faraday now?No way, Faraday simply didn't have that kind of value.What's more, Arasaka didn't send security forces, but the Tyger Claws, giving them even more reason to stay out of this matter.This was also what displeased Faraday the most.To actually treat him as a pawn that could be discarded at any time...Thinking of this, Faraday's four eyes narrowed slightly into a dangerous curve."Tch, damn corporate bastards, since it's like this, don't blame me."A bold yet dangerous thought popped up in his mind.That was, to cooperate with Arasaka.He knew quite a lot about Militech.Since Militech was heartless first, he couldn't be blamed for playing a double game.He believed Arasaka would definitely be very interested in Militech's intelligence.Meanwhile.Having weathered the passion, Lucy woke up on the large bed.It wasn't because she couldn't sleep from insomnia, but because she felt her bedmate was surprisingly not by her side.She slowly got up and walked to the railing, only to see a completely naked David sitting in front of the television, watching the commercials playing on screen while seemingly talking to someone on the phone."Mm, I got it, thanks for the reminder."The call was hung up right there, and he let out a helpless sigh.Tonight's calls had pretty much blown up his phone.Aside from Father and Regina Jones, even Jackiehad called to show his concern.This really was..."David?""Ah sorry, did I wake you up?""No."Lucy gently shook her head, slowly walked down from upstairs, sat down next to him, and asked with concern: "Did something happen?""Not really a big deal, it's just that Arasaka suddenly went crazy for some reason and started a major purge of the fixers in Night City, and two have even died."David said quietly, as if it was none of his concern:"Father, Regina, and Jackie all called just now, mainly talking about this matter.""According to their intel, Arasaka recently seems to have had two very important netrunners killed, and a lab in the industrial park was also attacked. It's the one broadcasted on TV this morning; a project manager named Evans and his assistant both died."Hearing words like "Arasaka" and "netrunner", Lucy's heart suddenly skipped a beat.Her tender red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back down.She only spat out a single phrase: "...Is that so?"Then she lowered her head and fell into deep thought.Evans' side definitely wasn't her doing, that was true, but those two netrunners were both hit by her dirty hands.If Arasaka found out...No, even so, they must never be allowed to recover the data...The struggle in Lucy's eyes gradually transformed into determination.Furthermore, under no circumstances could David know about this, nor could anyone else.Yet little did she know, all her reactions were seen by David, and he even knew what she was currently doing.He just didn't point it out.Because there was no need.Or rather, he hoped this matter would develop just like this.Only by letting nature take its course could he finally get news about the cyberskeleton.However, for now, there was still the final piece missing, and the most crucial piece at that."Kiwi."He silently chanted this name in his heart.When the time came, he had to find a way to turn Kiwi over to his side, so that he could control that old perverted freak Faraday through Kiwi.However, Faraday was going to make a move next, so he had to keep close...He had to keep a constant eye on the trends of the situation.
Chapter 83However, right at that moment, an advertisement playing on the TV caught his attention.For no other reason than that the TV was broadcasting an ad about lunar travel, and especially the 250k price tag, which left him marveling."It only costs 250k to go to the moon? That's really cheap...""But that's just going up, right?" Lucy's tone softened a lot, seeming somewhat happy."Well, a ticket to the moon for just this price is actually pretty good."At least this price was quite a steal in Night City.Yet Lucy didn't care about his subsequent words, only murmuring in a barely audible voice: "...I didn't expect you to still remember...""Of course, after all, that's your dream, and I also said that one day I would definitely take you to the moon, this is our promise..."Saying this, he suddenly thought of something and proposed: "Hey, Lucy, let's go to the moon at the end of this year, how about it?""It's up to you."Lucy slowly stood up and walked toward the stairs: "I'm going to sleep, you go to sleep early too, good night.""Yeah, I'll be right there, good night."David turned his head back with a smile, his mind already planning the year-end trip to the moon.Seeing his expression of deep thought, Lucy showed a silent smile.I didn't expect you to really still remember...But now, she felt that going to the moon or not didn't matter anymore.Because she had already obtained something far more important than going to the moon.---The next day at noon.Tom's Diner in Watson.This diner could be considered a legendary one, and the customers dining inside were truly a gathering of extraordinary talents.In the game, V, Johnny Silverhand, and Goro Takemura met here, and now Arasaka executives and the well-known fixer Faraday came here to discuss business.As for how David knew?Well, he was right in the innermost corner of the diner, eating the pancake that V once recommended to Goro Takemura."Ugh~ It's as unpalatable as ever, but compared to the others, it's barely swallowable."This was his evaluation of the delicacy spoken of by V.Night City truly lived up to its reputation as a culinary wasteland.The things sold here, at best, only stopped at the stage of being edible.He wondered what the rich people living here actually ate.Could it be that they injected nutrient solution while enjoying culinary braindances from half a century ago?He couldn't help feeling a bit skeptical.Because these things were really not fit for human consumption.Right at that moment, the door of Tom's Diner was pushed open."Oh ho, they're here, they're here."He muttered quietly, instantly activating his Optical Camouflage, and his whole body vanished into thin air.The person coming in through the diner entrance was none other than Faraday.Faraday looked around the surroundings, and after finding no issues, walked straight over and sat down opposite the man from Arasaka Counter-Intelligence."I didn't expect the number one corporation in the world to discuss illegal job commissions in a ghost place like this."As Faraday spoke, he lit a cigarette and quietly began to smoke.The lingering smoke added a touch of haziness to the two of them."We thought it wouldn't be bad to use your routines occasionally." Facing Faraday's "praise", the man responded without any fluctuation.However, hearing these two people's words, David almost laughed out loud.What shameless self-praise.And they dare call themselves the number one in the world?Did they even take Kang Tao seriously?You must know, Kang Tao controlled the energy lifeline of the entire Night City.Even if Petrochem converted millions of genetically modified wheat grown on fertile fields into the future biofuel CHOOH2, the energy within it was merely a drop in the bucket, only able to supply some basic equipment.The main energy of Night City was still in Kang Tao's hands, and the power plant outside Night Citybelonged to Kang Tao.To put it bluntly, if they weren't happy, they could just cut off your electricity directly.By then, no matter how badass Arasaka was, what could you do?Could you generate your own electricity?Immediately following that, a new voice came from over there."Forget it, I've come too, what is your reply?"Faraday was waiting for the man's reply, or more precisely, waiting for Arasaka Corporation's decision.But regarding this reply, the man remained silent, instead bringing up the matter of the cyberskeleton."The cyberskeleton is a very sensitive topic, and Arasaka's internal circles are no exception.""Tanaka overly concealed operational data in it, causing a lot of trouble. How much does Militechknow about this?""Intel is the foundation of my business; before discussing more details, I need guarantees."Faraday truly was an old fox; even when the other party tried to fish for information like this, he still kept his mouth shut about the intel he held.At least until he got a definitive answer, he would absolutely keep his mouth shut.This also left the man somewhat disappointed: "We respect that you are the most outstanding fixer in Night City. If Militech rejects all your conditions, we will gladly accept it.""As for Tanaka's mess, consider it settled to clear your debts.""Very good." Having obtained the desired answer, Faraday also breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.He could be said to be dancing on the edge of a blade right now.If the man in front of him didn't agree to the conditions he proposed and receive Arasaka's protection, he would face joint manhunts from both Arasaka and Militech.But at the same time, the other party's tone suddenly shifted: "However, we also have a few conditions...""Oh ho, it's here, it's here, the content I wanted is here."David carefully listened attentively to the man's conditions.But just like his memories, there was not the slightest difference.Everyone who knew about the cyberskeleton had to die, because this was an experimental cyberware belonging to Arasaka's security department and the bodyguard of Yorinobu Arasaka—Adam Smasher. Afterwards, it was even going to be mass-produced unexpectedly, so no one could be allowed to know.And the other condition was to track down the netrunner who killed the Arasaka netrunner, destroyed data, and even prevented data recovery.They even offered a price of one million, and even a corpse would fetch five hundred thousand.Faraday readily accepted both of these proposals.Especially the latter; one million eddies was not a small sum. As long as he had this money, he could even leave Night City when the time came.And he already had a target in mind.Only Kiwi knew about this matter.Therefore, Faraday had already set his upcoming schedule.Meanwhile, after the two of them left, David deactivated his Optical Camouflage, couldn't help rubbing his chin, and clicked his tongue: "Tsk, I didn't expect the Arasaka fugitive graphics card waifu to be worth so much. This is way more valuable than some 3090 female knight."He had worked himself to the bone to earn nearly three million, and that was after hollowing out two fixers and stripping a lot of loot from cyberpsychos and various gangs to make that much money.Sometimes he even hacked the internal equipment of MAX-TAC.Truly, comparisons between people drive them to death, and comparisons between goods make you want to throw them away."However, the main point is coming next."Suddenly, a strange smile curled up slightly at the corners of his mouth."Don't let me down, Faraday... and Kiwi."Chapter 73. A date with Rebecca? No, it's crashing the party (6K)"Ding—"Kiwi, who had just finished a dive, suddenly received a phone call, and the caller made her feel somewhat surprised."You actually taking the initiative to contact me is really rare.""Long time no see, Kiwi."The voice coming from the other end of the phone was Lucy's, which was why Kiwi felt surprised.Although Lucy was found by her and brought into this team, the two of them rarely contacted each other and had almost no interaction.Perhaps because their personalities didn't match, or perhaps because of something else.But taking the initiative to contact her was the first time in Kiwi's impression."What's wrong?""...It's nothing, just wanted to ask about some things.""What things?""No big deal... just wanted to ask how David has been doing lately?""David?" Kiwi felt a little puzzled: "You spend more time in contact with him every day, why come ask me?""For some reasons... so I want to ask if his state is alright when he's working?""Is that so?"The voice coming from the other end of the phone was clearly somewhat hesitant, but Kiwi wasn't one to probe into other people's secrets, so she didn't mind.She stated directly: "I think he's pretty good.""When he first found me, I thought he wasn't very good and had to help him a lot. But looking at it now, I was overthinking it; he is a true team leader."This level of excellence had already surpassed Maine in her mind, especially his ability to read the situation, which was particularly outstanding.Whenever it was time to make a move, he never hesitated, and he did it cleanly and neatly. It was truly hard to imagine that this was a newcomer who had joined the mercenary trade for less than a year."Even Faraday came looking for him for work, only to be rejected by him.""Yeah, I heard about it."This matter was just casually mentioned when chatting with David, and she didn't know the details of it."I reckon Maine and the others would definitely praise David's current appearance without reservation.""Yeah... Maine and Dorio are very satisfied with the current David..."As early as two months ago, she and David had gone to visit Maine.By that time, Maine's mindset had adjusted, and seeing David's appearance, he was also extremely satisfied.It's just that he kept yelling about making a comeback and things like that, and then he got beaten up severely by Dorio.They truly should retire.Thinking of this, Lucy felt somewhat emotional, but what she wanted to know hadn't been inquired about yet.For instance, the matter of David dealing with Arasaka.This was also the main reason she took the initiative to contact Kiwi.Kiwi over there also seemed to catch the hidden meaning behind her words and continued to ask: "Is there something you're worried about?""...It's nothing." Lucy hesitated for a moment, "As long as everything is well with him, that's enough."