Can't you see him if you work with him?""Eh?"Lucy, who had also just finished a dive, unplugged her dive cable while being taken aback by Kiwi's sudden words."In my opinion, compared to me, David Martinez might want to work with you even more. Although he doesn't say it out loud, he somewhat misses those past times.""I know." Lucy's voice suddenly dropped."Still no?""Not yet, but it's almost over."For her, now wasn't the time yet; there were still things to handle.At the very least, Arasaka had to completely abandon the cyberskeleton project.Furthermore, judging by the current progress, Arasaka didn't have many netrunners left who could recover the data.At least that was the case here in Night City."Is that so~"The naked Kiwi stood by the window, gazing out at the scenery of Night City, and the sound she made was somewhat subtle."Well, I won't ask too much. Never trust anyone in Night City, and being betrayed is your own fault—that's how I taught you back then, right?""Ah haha, you taught me that, that's right."Lucy's voice carried a hint of a smile.Kiwi's words weren't wrong at all, but unfortunately, neither Lucy herself nor Kiwi had followed those words through to the end.Perhaps it was like that at the very beginning.But after getting to know Maine and the others, as well as David Martinez, Lucy found that the people she could trust seemed to be increasing more and more..."Anyway, you should hurry up. Rebecca is very interested in David Martinez, you know. At least as far as I know, she's constantly making moves on him. Be careful your little boyfriend gets stolen~""Ah, and one more thing, that guy David Martinez doesn't listen to me at all!""Haha, what kind of problem is that~"Kiwi's subtext was obvious: right now, only Lucycould control David Martinez. This was a threat from someone keeping him on a tight leash.Lucy also understood this point.As for Rebecca, she wasn't all that concerned; she was still quite confident in this regard."Then that's it for now, see you later."With that, the call was hung up.Kiwi quietly smoked a cigarette, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and looking down at the passing vehicles on the road below, lost in thought.She genuinely hoped Lucy could return to the team sooner.Because David Martinez's current fighting style was truly unspeakable; his level of cruelty and madness toward enemies was already comparable to a cyberpsycho.Kill everything, loot everything, scavenge everything—this had almost become David Martinez's code of conduct. Plucking every passing goose, leaving skin behind wherever a beast walks—this was basically the foundation of David Martinez's operations.Any implant of even slight value would be taken away and sold by David Martinez.If it were only that, it would be fine.What she was more worried about was that if one day David Martinez was truly mistaken for a cyberpsycho and brought down MAX-TAC...Oh right, David Martinez was part of MAX-TAC, so never mind.However, just at that moment, the doorbell rang."It's me."A rather steady voice came from the security screen, but Kiwi's eyes instantly turned into dead fish eyes, and a trace of impatience appeared on her face.It was Faraday.But what was the purpose of this guy's sudden visit?Could he be planning to continue letting her persuade David Martinez to accept Militech's commission?Or was there something else?Whichever possibility it was, it made her somewhat impatient.But she still turned back into the room, put on a bathrobe, and then opened the door to hear what this guy had to say.Downstairs, Faraday, still dressed in that gentlemanly outfit, saw the door open and his figure slowly disappeared into the doorway.However, what he didn't notice was that at a corner not far away, David Martinez was quietly sticking half his head out, paying attention to all of this."Ho ho, this guy really came to find Kiwi. Everything seems to be going smoothly."David Martinez gently rubbed his chin, starting to plan his next few steps in his heart.Half an hour later, Faraday's figure appeared once again, walking out of Kiwi's apartment looking refreshed."It seems things are progressing very well... This guy Faraday can be considered to have obtained the stepping stone to knock on Arasaka's door."David Martinez muttered this while hiding in the shadows.After all, the fugitive GPU maiden Lucy and the data regarding the cyberskeleton were the true passes to Arasaka.After Faraday got into his car and sped away, he finally walked out from the street corner.Even though quite a few people nearby were pointing at him.Fortunately, no one called the NCPD.Immediately after, he walked toward Kiwi's apartment again and rang the doorbell.Now, the trump cards in his hands were sufficient; he could show his hand to Kiwi."Who is it?" Kiwi's lazy voice came from the intercom.If he didn't know that Kiwi was naturally like this, and that guy Faraday was a perverted gay guy...He would have suspected that in the past half-hour they weren't discussing business, but doing business."It's me, David Martinez, I have something to talk to you about.""Oh..."The voice from the intercom seemed a bit hesitant and nervous, but in the end, it still opened the door.Half an hour later, David Martinez also walked out looking refreshed, casually straightening his collar."Mm, it seems everything went very smoothly..."The corners of his mouth curved up slightly into the arc of someone whose conspiracy had succeeded.Next, he just had to wait for Faraday to make a move.However, before that, he still needed to contact someone.Thinking of this, he dialed two phone calls.Briefly explaining the work content, those two didn't refuse and accepted it on the spot.This level of readiness made one somewhat surprised.The first one was fine, because he understood them reasonably well.As for the other... how should he put it? It was a bit unfathomable, and he didn't know what this guy was actually thinking."Forget it, whatever. As long as things can be completed smoothly, I'm going home to sleep!"Walking on the street, he had just waved to stop a taxi when suddenly a phone call came in."Yo, what's up Rebecca? Is there work?""Hey, why is it always work the moment I call you!" Rebecca's characteristic dissatisfied and irritable voice came from the phone.Even across the communication link, he could practically see Rebecca stomping her feet in anger.What an irritable loli.He couldn't help but smile."Yes, yes, yes, it's my fault. So what does little Rebecca want with me?""Don't call me by that title!!!""Tsk, was I found out?"He couldn't help muttering softly."Tch." A dissatisfied sound came from the other end of the phone.Ever since classmate Julio became little Julio, Rebecca seemed to have realized something was wrong with that title, and ever since then, she had forbidden him from calling her that way.However, Rebecca quickly resumed a calm tone and asked, "Are you free now? Come keep me company.""Hm?"Rebecca's sudden invitation still surprised him quite a bit.This girl suddenly changed her tune?Stopped talking in that tone like a combination of a rockerboy and a hip-hop kid?Then a playful smile appeared on his face: "I am free right now, but is this considered a date?""Yeah, that's right! Get over here right now!"She tried to raise her volume to cover up her shyness.Little did he expect that Rebecca could sometimes be so pure-hearted; this really was an unexpected harvest."Yes, yes, yes, Miss Rebecca, I'm heading over right now."With that, he hung up the phone.After a car ride of about twenty minutes, he arrived at the location specified by Rebecca.But looking at the somewhat dilapidated neon sign above, the corners of his eyes couldn't help twitching a few times."Rebecca, you asked me to keep you company just to come to this kind of place?""Is there a problem with this place?"Hearing this, Rebecca put on an innocent look."..."This time, not only did David Martinez's eyes twitch, but even his stomach ached a little."An arcade doesn't have any problems... but isn't this the Tyger Claws' territory? Is this shop also run by the Tyger Claws?"He pointed at the graffiti on the wall by the entrance.That was a tiger head sprayed with red paint, with three characters inside its open mouth, but unfortunately he only recognized the character for tiger and didn't know the others.This was indeed the symbol of the Tyger Claws.Even so, Rebecca still expressed that she didn't care: "It's fine, we're just here to play. Would they really lay a hand on customers?""Maybe they really would..."He didn't say these words out loud, but just silently followed Rebecca inside.Rebecca clearly underestimated the grievance between him and the Tyger Claws.Fortunately, no one came to cause trouble after going in. Even though some people had already recognized him, they didn't step forward to make a fuss.Instead, they quietly retreated.This also made him breathe a sigh of relief; at least today his implants could officially take a day off.Besides that, the inside was somewhat foul and smoky, like being blanketed in a heavy fog.And the equipment inside was also somewhat antiquated, seeming like antique devices that had traveled across from the previous century.For example, arcade games like motor racing and The House of the Dead, and you could even find things like The King of Fighters '97 here.Truly nostalgic...
Chapter 85Who would have thought that in the Night City of 2076, one could still see things from childhood play...Although these devices were a bit too outdated, judging by Rebecca's appearance, she seemed to be having quite a lot of fun?However, one thing made him a bit curious.There didn't happen to be any of those drama-like scenarios where a few punks suddenly ran out to harass them.Perhaps it was because Rebecca's figure was too petite?But one thing to know, Rebecca was already an adult; despite looking like she was only one meter four, she was most definitely an adult...Although he was quite surprised when he found out about this.Not only that, Rebecca joined the crew quite early; she was already in the team before Kiwi, and she knew a fair bit about that Sasha Yakovleva.It was said that previously Sasha was a member of the Moxes, and later she followed them.By the way, the feud between the Moxes and the Tyger Claws mainly originated in 2067.At that time, the Moxes and Lizzies Bar did not yet exist; it was a strip club established by a woman named Elizabeth "Lizzy" Borden to protect girls who, like her past self, were sex workers from being treated roughly by customers.Until later, a girl was brutally murdered by Tyger Claws members.To avenge her, Elizabeth used an axe to kill three of the attackers, dragged their bodies out in front of the club to display them, and declared that anyone who harmed girls would meet the same retribution.That very night, the Tyger Claws attacked and destroyed her bar, and then killed Elizabeth.After that, the girls who inherited Elizabeth's philosophy established the Moxes, and in memory of Elizabeth, they rebuilt the bar and named it Lizzies.From then on, the Moxes had been engaged in friction of all sizes with the Tyger Claws, the kind where even NCPD intervention had no effect at all.However, these girls were no saints; they still engaged in their past trades to make a profit.There was no difference from what was done elsewhere in Night City.If one had to name a benefit, it was that the safety of those female sex workers was guaranteed.Thinking of this, he couldn't help glancing at Rebecca beside him, who was shooting at the screen with great joy.If Rebecca knew about this, would she still be playing games so happily right here in Tyger Clawsterritory?Based on his understanding of Rebecca, if she knew, she probably wouldn't be shooting at the screen, but rather shooting at this group of people..."Boss, I didn't see wrong, that person is right here!"Just at this moment, a commotion suddenly coming from outside the door caught his attention.Turning to look, aside from a lackey-looking fellow talking to a leader-looking fellow, there was also a group of other Tyger Claws members following behind them.Each of them was holding weapons, looking like they came with ill intent.Moreover, the gaze of the leading person was still fixed on them.It was very obvious that this group of people had come straight for them.Thus, he patted Rebecca on the shoulder."Rebecca, it looks like we can't continue playing anymore.""Hmm? How..."Following the direction David pointed, Rebeccacurled her lips into a pout: "Tch, it really ruined my mood."Originally, it was so hard to ask David out to play, and yet these guys were so blind?"Ah you Da-vid Martinez, huh?" The leading person walked up to him and asked.This accent made one involuntarily think of the cheap sushi sold along the streets of Kabukicho in Watson; just smelling the scent made one's head ache.It was just like Goro Takemura's damn attitude... No, Goro was still better than him.Could this guy have just been smuggled into Night City from Japan?His expression became strange.Well, in Night City, having a few more smugglers wasn't strange, and for a big gang like this, having a few more smugglers was even less unusual."Ah-sking yu a kweshun!"Seeing that he seemed to be zoning out, the man's tone grew heavier and became impolite."That's right, David Martinez is your great-daddy here. What can I do for you?""Ver-y gud, den pleez go wif us.""What the hell are you saying?" David immediately dug into his ear.Just from that sentence alone, he utterly failed to understand."Pleez go wif us!" The other party repeated.This time he roughly understood; it should mean "Please come with us".But what kind of dog-shit accent was this?!David showed no mercy at all, roasting him: "Can you straighten out your tongue when you fucking speak? Stop bringing that fishy stench from your hometown, it sounds disgusting."Hearing this, Rebecca beside him burst out laughing on the spot."Hahahaha, that's right, it's a fishy stench, it sounds so disgusting, hahahaha!"The piercing laughter spread throughout the entire arcade, and the air instantly grew heavy."Yu-guys...""Fucking hell, you two brats actually dare to laugh at my boss? Tired of living?!"Before the leading man could finish speaking, one of the lackleys rebuked aloud.But David completely ignored this person's intent, continuing to gaze at the man before him.This person looked somewhat like a human being in terms of clothing.Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a big tank top exposing a body full of colorful tattoos, making it look as though neon lights were printed all over his body.He was still the one most resembling a human among a bunch of beasts."Hey, I'm fucking talking to you! Didn't you hear...""Bang——"Before the punk could finish speaking, a gunshot instantly drowned out his words.His head blew open on the spot.Red and white repainted the floor once over.And the muzzle of the gun in David's hand was still emitting wisps of blue smoke."Watch yourself when you speak in your next life."Gazing at the corpse slowly slumping onto the ground, his eyes were filled with ice.He hadn't planned to make a move originally either.As a result, this guy was too noisy, so he might as well send him off to be reincarnated first.However, the Tyger Claws members present were instantly stunned in place upon seeing that the brother who had been chatting and laughing with them just moments ago had now become a headless corpse.But the next second, they all pulled out their firearms and aimed at David.The leader also forcibly suppressed his anger and slowly spoke: "Yu-actually dared to shoot here?""Yeah, I'm from MAX-TAC, I have the right to kill, what about it?"As David spoke, he pressed the muzzle of the gun against the man's head."Do you want to try it too?""Boss!"Just as the Tyger Claws members wanted to make a move, they were stopped by this person, who sneered: "Yu-don't dare touch me, our Tyger Clawsare backed by Arasaka!""Oh, is that so? So impressive, I'm so scared." David said in a deadpan tone.Then he slowly pulled the trigger."Bang!"A second headless corpse appeared, and one could even see residual disbelief on its shattered facial skin.Presumably, this guy didn't understand even in death why the half-grown boy in front of him dared to shoot.Wasn't he afraid of Arasaka?Sorry, he really wasn't.Perhaps if it were Kang Tao, he would consider it.Immediately after, Rebecca pulled a heavy machine gun out from under her clothes and pulled the trigger without a second word."Da da da da da——"The bullets spat out instantly bloomed gorgeous flowers on this group of Tyger Claws members, delicate and vivid.The indoor space, originally filled with the smell of smoke, was now replaced by a thick stench of blood.However, rather than that, David was more curious about another question.Wait a minute, a heavy machine gun?!David was completely dumbfounded; exactly where did this berserk loli hide this thing?!Good grief... everyone else has a four-dimensional skirt, but you have a four-dimensional outfit, right?!"Hahahaha hahahaha! There's also ground meat here!"Rebecca laughed wildly.Any target that entered her field of view was torn into pieces by the manic laughter and bullets just as they prepared to fire.There was completely no need for David to make a move; Rebecca single-handedly resolved this bunch of guys.Well, the mere Tyger Claws were only to this extent.However, the fired bullets also affected quite a few onlookers watching the show.Originally, these passersby only thought the Tyger Claws came to their own turf to grab someone, but they didn't expect that these two people were not to be trifled with at all.The fine arcade hall had now been re-decorated, with a destructive power not a bit inferior to a demolition team."Rebecca, let's go.""Eh, so fast?"Rebecca expressed that she hadn't had enough fun yet; compared to shooting at screens, she definitely preferred shooting at people."Are you planning to be killed or captured by the NCPD?""Oh... oh!"David glanced at her slightly, and Rebeccaimmediately reacted, dragging the still-hot heavy machine gun and following behind him out of the arcade.In the blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared on the street...74. A Lin Sister Descends from the Sky (6K)Evening, at sunset.David and Rebecca strolled along the streets of City Center, surrounded by dazzling shops everywhere.But neither of them had the mood to patronize them.Although luxurious and elegant, it was likewise overly pretentious.To them, it felt like coming to another world, feeling out of place everywhere.Ever since smashing up the Tyger Claws' turf in the afternoon, the two of them had been wandering around Night City, and eventually walked here involuntarily."I really don't get it, how did those guys from the Tyger Claws dare to do that?"Passersby brushing past them who heard the three words "Tyger Claws" involuntarily stopped in their tracks to stare at him for a few moments.But David simply treated them as nonexistent, hugging the back of his head and sighing repeatedly: "What a pity, such a good dating day, just ruined like this. It's such a buzzkill.""Don't say it like that, I actually think it's pretty good."
Chapter 86Rebecca walked beside him, similarly clasping the back of her head with her huge hands. "It's way more fun than drinking with old men and old women, and besides, this is what Night City is all about.""Heh, indeed."Born free, dying at random.You never know what you will encounter in the next second, and even if some asshole with a gun suddenly pops up and blows your skull off, it wouldn't be anything surprising.This is Night City.This is the City of Dreams."Still, I have to thank you, Rebecca." David glanced at the twin-tailed loli beside him and said, "Clearly I came out to accompany you, but instead you ended up strolling the streets with me for the better part of the day… You must feel really bored, right?""Don't underestimate yourself," Rebecca said. "Just taking a walk like this with you is already a lot of fun.""You really are easily satisfied.""Now you know how good I am?""I know, I know."Subconsciously, David reached out and gave Rebecca's small head a rough rub."Don't touch my head, I won't grow taller!"A huge palm slapped his hand away with a single smack.David just smiled at this, then rubbed the spot that had been slapped red, continuing to wander aimlessly down the street."Hey, David.""Hmm?""What's going on with you lately?""What?" Hearing this, David stopped in his tracks, stood under the illusionary cyber electronic tree, turned his head, and looked at Rebecca in confusion. "Why are you suddenly asking this?""Cut the crap, you know what I mean." Rebecca's voice gradually lowered as she added, "It's your mental state. Lately, your fighting style has been getting more and more wild, right?""Just like last time at Totentanz dealing with that big guy, that wasn't your style at all.""Totentanz?"Now that she mentioned it, he did remember.That time at Totentanz really wasn't his style.Under normal circumstances, he would choose to take out enemies in the simplest way possible, rarely using such a troublesome head-to-head friction style.Unless the opponent was very tricky, just like the first time he met Melissa Rory in the Scavengers' lair.Besides, he was still training in Night City's Arkham Asylum—MAX-TAC, coming into contact with those lunatics everyday, so he would occasionally show an eccentric side.But that day was none of those situations.He just wanted to change his mood.That was all."Are you misunderstanding something?""Don't play dumb." Rebecca gave a hum and turned her head away, then her tone shifted with a hint of teasing and smugness. "You think I didn't notice? David. Your combat habits have already been firmly memorized by me.""Afraid of trouble, finding things cumbersome, and liking to resolve battles alone in the fastest way—that is you."Rebecca's conclusion made him slightly surprised. "Eh~ I didn't expect you to observe so closely.""That's for sure, don't look down on girls."Hearing this, David immediately raised his head to look around, and then looked at Rebecca, who was much shorter than him. "I don't see any girls, I only see a crazy loli, a crazy loli who likes to charge forward holding a heavy machine gun and a heavy shotgun.""I'll kill you."Such playful words not only amused David, but also amused Rebecca.However, after laughing, Rebecca relaxed a lot, and her inner thoughts involuntarily popped out. "Well, I only pay attention to you alone, you know that."It seemed like a brainless and accidental sentence, but in reality, it took a lot of courage for Rebecca to say it.After all, the one accompanying David was not her, but Lucy.And Rebecca also knew just how important Lucywas in David's heart, a level of importance that made her feel deeply envious.But envy could only ever be envy.All she could do was silently follow by David's side fighting side by side, silently guarding his back.When did this feeling actually begin?She herself wasn't clear either.Perhaps when she first saw David at the carjacking party?Or rather, when David single-handedly broke into Maelstrom's lair to rescue her?Or perhaps, when David was running around for the sake of her older sibling Pilar?She didn't know.And she couldn't be bothered to know.As long as she knew she liked David and could guard by his side, that was enough.But times when she could reveal her true feelings like this were perhaps only this once...However, David's answer made her eyes light up and filled her heart with joy."Yeah, I know." David nodded. "And likewise, I care about you a lot too.""Really?""Really, no faking it.""Yay!"Rebecca immediately raised both hands high, making a gesture of pumping herself up.Looking at her childish appearance, a faint smile appeared on David's face. "Alright, let's go, let's take a walk some more."With that, he once again started moving, walking towards Corpo Plaza ahead.Although Rebecca was usually eccentric and crazy in battle, he knew that Rebecca was a good girl and also the most reliable friend.Even if he said right now that they were going to attack Arasaka Tower.Rebecca would probably only complain and stop him verbally, but in action she would choose to go with him.Even knowing clearly that ahead was an irredeemable hell.Sacrificing herself for others, she was a very good girl.Facing this feeling, he also chose to accept it.But how things would develop… could only be left to time."Hey, David." Rebecca suddenly called out his name and asked, "I'm curious about something.""Hmm? What is it?""Well, today at the arcade, why did we run after dealing with the Tyger Claws?"This was something she could never figure out, especially after running away, making her even more confused."Didn't I already say back then? Aren't you afraid of being arrested by NCPD?" David answered in a calm tone, completely unaware of his own identity."But… David, aren't you MAX-TAC? Don't you have the right to enforce the law with violence?""Uh…"Being told this, David suddenly stopped in his tracks and froze in place.That's right.I'm fucking MAX-TAC, why did I run!Cleaning up the cityscape and eliminating gangs were also within the law enforcement scope of MAX-TAC…I actually forgot about it?!!!What the actual fuck…His instinctive reaction was actually due to the habits left over from playing the game originally.When playing the game, he was used to wiping out gangs and then running away.Therefore, he subconsciously made this choice now.But how on earth should he answer the crazy loli Rebecca-chan beside him?Just as he couldn't find an excuse, a building next to them exploded.Boom—The sound of the explosion echoed across Corpo Plaza. The crowd below heard the sound and were fleeing in all directions, leaving only David and Rebecca standing there blankly, watching the explosion scene above."It's Biotechnica…"Looking at the name marked on the building in front of her, Rebecca muttered quietly to herself.This company stirred up some bad memories for her.She clearly remembered that Sasha had disappeared because of this company back then, and there had been no contact nor any news of her ever since…"Yeah, it's the Biotechnica building, but whose guts are so big to carry out a terrorist attack on a corporation in broad daylight?"This style was simply comparable to certain guys wearing white headscarves.Oh right, it was the batch that specialized in terrorist attacks, not the filthy rich ones.Biotechnica was a company specialized in genetic engineering and biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and microbiological research.Although it couldn't compare to behemoths like Kang Tao, Arasaka, and Militech, it also occupied a territory in Night City thanks to its unique technology of making synthetic alcohol using genetically modified wheat, holding a status similar to Zetatech.But unlike Zetatech, Biotechnica controlled a portion of the energy market.Not only that, it also controlled a portion of medicine.Yet, someone actually dared to attack Biotechnica, which held such a special status?Even if Biotechnica's own forces were trash, weren't they afraid this company would contact other corporations or even MAX-TAC to handle it?In Night City, carrying out a terrorist attack on a corporation was equivalent to pulling teeth from a tiger.Must say, it was truly too hardcore.I really want to see them… if there's a chance.David smiled and shook his head, then patted Rebecca on the shoulder."Let's go, nothing to see here. Chances are I'll have to go to work in a bit."Hopefully that old witch Melissa wouldn't call him…David prayed inwardly like this.However, Rebecca didn't have much of a reaction, and even reached out to point at the sky."Hey, David, look quick, someone is falling down!"Hearing this, David turned his head and exclaimed, "Holy shit, really."High up in the sky dozens of meters above, a woman dressed like D.VA was in free fall.Only with short hair, which was the result of Kiroshizooming in.Could this woman be the person who attacked Biotechnica?If that was the case, they had to get to know each other properly, just in time to learn a thing or two from a senior.After a lengthy 0.5 seconds of thinking time, he decided to save this person.Therefore, he said to his companion Rebecca: "You stay right here and don't move around, I'll go up there and be right back.""Eh? Hey! David!"Just as Rebecca turned her head, David's figure had already disappeared.At this moment, David was frantically accelerating using his Sandevistan, but even so, that woman was falling at a speed of a few millimeters per second
Chapter 87It was also thanks to being several tens of meters away from the ground, otherwise he might not have really been able to catch up.Thinking of this, David Martinez accelerated his pace once again, turning into a series of afterimages in the slowed-down space-time.Running onto the road, he immediately jumped up, stepped on a seemingly expensive supercar, and stomped down fiercely.Bang—The supercar beneath his feet was instantly smashed to pieces, and with the reinforcement of his implants, David Martinez leaped high into the air, vaulted directly onto the overpass, and continued repeating his previous action.Experiencing a brief moment of hang-time.Until his entire body flew towards the surface of the building."Bang!"One foot kicked fiercely and shattered the outer wall of the building, forming a foothold.David Martinez's feet exerted force once more, sprinting along the building's wall while repeatedly performing his previous actions."Two eight two fifty-six, two eight two fifty-seven, two eight two nine thirty-one..."He hummed a strange ballad with his mouth while acting like Spider-Man.That appearance was simply like Alex Mercer running vertically up buildings in Prototype.It's just that the force of each of his steps was quite large.After a brief vertical run, he finally got closer and closer to that woman."Finally caught up."Muttering such words with his mouth, he began to build up strength in his feet."Boom!"With a loud roar like an explosion, a deeply recessed pit filled with cobweb-like cracks appeared on the wall beneath David Martinez's feet.And David Martinez himself rushed towards the sky like a cannonball, and the moment he brushed past the woman, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist and flew towards the distance.Likewise, the time dilation also expired.In the eyes of ordinary people, it was just a streak of light that suddenly darted out, smashing through several sedans, and then speeding upwards along the wall.The huge noise caused even drew the onlookers of people working in the surrounding buildings.They were all watching his Spider-Man-like behavior.If David Martinez noticed, he would definitely curse at them—"What are you staring at, never seen someone fly through the air before!"To be honest, this kind of bottom-to-top running really hadn't been seen before."Bang, bang, bang—"The moment he caught the woman, a flurry of gunfire rang out behind him.I saw that at the location of the explosion hole, a group of robots were using weapons produced by Arasaka to strafe him.Even a few rounds hit his back and bounced off.That was Biotechnica's robot unit."Fuck..."Thanks to installing sub-dermal armor earlier, otherwise he might have been shot into a sieve by this bunch of electronic parts right now.However, this feeling made David Martinez more and more angry the more he thought about it. He immediately freed one hand to point behind him, turned his head and cursed angrily: "What the fuck, go to hell!""Boom—"The large-caliber grenade launcher emerging from his arm instantly fired a grenade, launching a secondary attack on the Biotechnica building.Brilliant flames pervaded the near-top floor of the building and gradually spread around. The glass on the building was blown into a rising, twisting wave like paper before shattering with a bang.The incoming violent blast and air wave pushed him into the distance, just like a fluttering fallen leaf."Hey, David!"Seeing David Martinez flying towards the distant overpass, Rebecca shouted out and quickly followed."Boom—"Landing fairly steadily in the very center of the overpass like Superman, dense cracks were stomped out beneath his feet, looking precarious as if they would shatter in the next second."Tch, a bit uncomfortable," David Martinez muttered like that, and then pulled his feet out from the asphalt road.His shoes were still quite sturdy and actually didn't break.It's just that his pants were a bit torn.However, due to his sudden descent, the traffic system of the entire overpass was completely paralyzed, and a chain-reaction car accident extended all the way to Corpo Plaza."Holy shit, I flew this far?!"With one hand clamping the girl and the other shading his brow, he looked out at the Biotechnicabuilding being swallowed by raging flames.The grenade launcher he used just now was not just an ordinary explosive shell; it also had a burning effect, just like this now.How long it would burn specifically, he didn't know, nor did it concern him.As for whether it would burn other buildings?Sorry, none of my fucking business."Cough, cough, cough..."Just at this moment, the girl clamped at his waist acting like a waist drum finally woke up."How is it, are you still alive?" David Martinez gave a somewhat considerate condolence, completely ignoring the congested vehicles ahead honking incessantly.Illuminated by the setting sun's afterglow, he finally saw the girl's face clearly.How should I put it...Jet-black short hair radiated the lingering warmth of the setting sun, a girl just like a black cat, except that for some reason, the corners of her eyes were still stained with undried tear traces.A strange light flickered within her light-blue pupils, as if she had just recovered from confusion.He wouldn't get this wrong; it was an experience summarized from dealing with so many cyberpsychos.Besides that, her delicate pretty face was also stained with a trace of blood.However, judging from this child's attire, she seemed to be someone from the Moxes?But why had he never seen her before?As an old acquaintance of the Moxes, he expressed some confusion."Who are you..."The girl opened her eyes and said weakly.Seeming to feel the warmth on her cheek, she struggled to raise her head to wipe away the blood on her cheek, gazing at the boy clamping her at his waist with extremely exhausted yet slightly nervous eyes.Breathing slightly, she looked like she didn't have many days left."David Martinez."David Martinez met the girl's eyes and reported his name.But the girl felt somewhat confused.She had never heard the name David Martinez, indicating he wasn't someone she knew.But why did he save her?However, none of this mattered anymore; the most critical evidence regarding Biotechnica had already been obtained.Next, as long as it was sent to that person, her mission would be completed...Mom, I can finally avenge you.Thinking of this, the girl struggled at his waist."Let me go...""Not letting go."David Martinez tightened his arms expressionlessly, completely securing the girl."With what you look like right now, what else do you plan to do? Haven't you felt that both of your legs have been shot?"Speaking, he changed his movement to hold the girl in his arms and reached out to press the wound on the girl's leg."Hiss—"The sudden excruciating pain made her instantly gasp a breath of cold air.These were the scars left on her body when that group of robots strafed her just now.However, not only that, there was also a gunshot wound in her abdomen position, but fortunately it didn't damage any internal organs like Jackie in the game; it was just a through-and-through bullet that happened to miss all internal organs."..."Hearing David Martinez say this, the girl seemed to understand her situation and slowly handed a small memory drive into David Martinez's hands."Please, please give this data to a person named Regina Jones... Please...""??? Then what about you?"This last-words-like speech stunned him for a moment.What's the situation?What are you going to do after handing the data to me? Stay here and wait for the pursuers from NCPD or Biotechnica to catch up and do pleasant things with you?Or plan to stay here for the New Year?"I might... already not be able to leave, put me down..."The girl's voice grew increasingly weak. The lips that had a bit of color before were now frighteningly pale.Moreover, the weight in his arms also showed a subtle change.It was the blurred consciousness caused by excessive blood loss, and all the muscles in her body had relaxed."Damn it, then stop talking nonsense!"Holding the girl, David Martinez ran towards beneath the overpass without saying another word.It turned out that the young girl's abdominal gunshot wound was not left behind when the building exploded, but earlier than that.Therefore, she was now entering a state of excessive blood loss.If he had known it was like this, why was he still wasting words with her here!Immediately afterwards, he dialed Rebecca's phone."Hey, no need to come pick me up, gather at Viktor's clinic!"Rebecca, who was rushing towards David Martinez's location, was completely bewildered, still having no idea what had happened.But seeing those armored vehicles labeled with Biotechnica she could more or less understand.David Martinez succeeded.He rescued that person, and now they just needed to run away.At the same time, David Martinez, who was running away, still had the restless girl in his arms at this time."Put me down... I can't make it anymore..."Feeling the roaring wind blowing against her face, the young girl said laboriously."Stop nagging, I haven't said I can't do it yet, and you're here shouting you can't?! Aren't you from the Moxes? Aren't you a doll? Stop fucking telling me you can't!"He didn't even know why he wanted to save this girl.Even more inexplicably than Mower back then, let's just temporarily treat it as his sudden surge of benevolence, and by the way want to ask a senior for advice on technical exchange.But even so, the girl in his arms was still restless."... If this goes on, neither of us will be able to get away... NCPD and Biotechnica will catch up..."She didn't deny the matter of the Moxes, or rather, she had no energy left to deny it.Although her consciousness was already starting to blur, her brain was still very clear, especially regarding this matter.
What she stole is Biotechnica's secret, and she has already uploaded a copy to News 54; the corporation will never let her go."Don't worry, they wouldn't dare.""?"The girl opened her mouth, wanting to ask something, but could no longer make a sound.But David still kindly answered her confusion."Because I am from MAX-TAC.""...?!!!"Whether because his words were too shocking or due to excessive blood loss, the girl widened her eyes abruptly after hearing this sentence, and then dramatically passed out."Good grief, was that really necessary?!"75. Neon Lights and Neon-Like Dreams (6K)Sasha Yakovleva, former teammate of Maine, Dorio, and Rebecca, served as the netrunner in the team.In her childhood, her mother passed away due to the side effects of a drug produced by Biotechnica.She came to Night City, joined the Moxes, and learned netrunner and braindance techniques. Afterward, she worked with Maine and others. One day, she gathered with Maine, Dorio, and Rebecca at the top mercenary nightclub Afterlife, but after that gathering, she left no trace.It was as if she had evaporated into thin air, leaving no news and contacting no one.Until today, she suddenly reappeared, and it was amidst an attack by Biotechnica."Tch, so she was the Sasha Yakovleva that Maineused to mention..."Outside Viktor's underground clinic, David was sitting on the steps puffing away, occasionally glancing at the brilliant stars in the sky, feeling as if he were looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.Because they needed to perform surgery on this girl named Sasha, as a male, it wasn't convenient for him to be present, so he was kicked out.And it was done by the joint efforts of Viktor and Misty at that.This really is...Just a mere woman, it's not like I haven't seen one; I look at our Lucy everyday.What's more, he was the person who brought this girl over.But fortunately, he wasn't the only one staying outside; there was also Rebecca, who had rushed over.Only now, Rebecca's gaze remained fixed on the diamond-shaped iron door down the stairs, her expression somewhat complex."What an idiot, it would've been fine to just tell Maine and do it together, why suddenly disappear for several years, and then suddenly reappear to single-handedly storm a corporate building!"Rebecca's small face was full of anger, but even more so, worry.Sasha was Kiwi's senior and the team's former netrunner, and her relationship with them was extremely good.But on that very day, Sasha vanished into thin air, and the vast Night City never had a shred of news about her again.She even clearly remembered that Sasha drank whiskey on the rocks...Yet today she suddenly popped up again.If not for luckily running into David, I'm afraid Sasha...would probably have fallen to her death, or else been caught by Biotechnica's people...Rebecca didn't dare to keep thinking about it.Although people dying in Night City is a very common occurrence, just thinking about her own friend dying made her feel exceptionally uncomfortable inside.Moreover, Sasha also raided a corporate building; generally, people who offend corporations meet a particularly miserable end after being caught."Well, being able to meet again can be considered fate, and her injuries aren't too severe either; Viktorhas also taken action, so her life is at least safe." David reached out and patted Rebecca's small head to comfort her.David saw all of Rebecca's worries, and slowly turned his head to look at the buildings surrounding this place tightly."Furthermore, this is Night City, the legendary City of Dreams. Being able to survive in this goddamn world is already pretty good; there's no need to dwell on so much. Perhaps back then she just didn't want to cause trouble for you guys, or maybe she had some unspeakable hardship.""That's true, but..."Rebecca was still somewhat resentful.She wished she could run into the clinic right now and slap Sasha across the face a few times to beat this stupid woman awake."Alright, alright, I've already contacted Maine; they'll be here in a moment, you can complain to them then."David slowly stood up, threw the burnt-out cigarette on the ground, and crushed it."Tch..." Rebecca pouted with dissatisfaction upon hearing this. "Hey, David, where are you going?"Seeing that David was walking towards the outside of the stairs."Well, a bit of business, contacting the old witch."David waved his hand and walked without looking back into a remote corner of the building cluster.The so-called old witch referred to his dear Captain—Melissa Rory.Ever since the incident happened, during the escape, Melissa had already called him countless times, but due to the emergency, he didn't have time to answer."Hopefully she's not throwing things and hitting people out of temper right now?"Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shiver slightly.This crazy woman, whenever she encountered something displeasing, would use MAX-TACmembers as sparring partners to vent; this had already become the norm and could be said to be part of the MAX-TAC daily routine.Even he had received this special treatment many times, but fortunately he was relatively strong and wasn't beaten up too miserably.As for the others, it wasn't so pleasant..."Observing 0.5 seconds of silence for the brothers in MAX-TAC."He slowly lowered his head and said as such, then dialed Melissa's phone."Hey, brat, you finally remembered to call me back?!"The tone coming from the other end of the phone was extremely unkind, and she was panting heavily; it looked like she had just finished beating someone up or smashing things.In response, he only gave two foolish chuckles: "Ha... haha, Captain Melissa, calm down. Getting angry all the time is bad for the skin, and you know how urgent the situation was back then...""Cut the useless crap."Although separated by communication, it seemed like he had already seen Melissa rolling her eyes at him with disdain."Don't you have anything else to say to me?""Uh... say what? Haven't my performance metrics for this month already met the target? Could I still be short a few? I'll go catch them right now!"David intended to play dumb and get away with it, but was ruthlessly exposed by Melissa."Stop playing dumb there, tell me, what on earth did you do in Corpo Plaza?! People from above have already been sent down to investigate, and to help take the blame for you, I'm almost being annoyed to death by that group of fat-headed idiots!""Ah haha, calm down, calm down. As a woman, you must be elegant, Captain Melissa."Speaking of all of Night City, who was he most afraid of?Not Arasaka, nor other corporations, but this Melissa Rory.No other reason.Melissa was the only person he dubbed with the title "crazy woman".In Night City, where everyone is a prospective cyberpsycho, Melissa's madness in combat truly is "unrivaled number one."The first time he faced this woman head-on, if he hadn't pulled some underhanded tricks, he probably would have really crashed and burned.She was simply a monster wearing human skin.Even if someone said this woman could beat the legend-maker—Adam Smasher, he wouldn't find it surprising at all.After all, every person has their own area of expertise.Adam Smasher specialized in team fights, equipped with all sorts of heavy firepower.Whereas this crazy woman specialized in solo fights, her pair of mantis blades could literally be played to dazzling heights—the kind that if she said she'd chop off your forearm, she definitely wouldn't chop off your shoulder."Stop fucking talking nonsense, spit it out!""Ah yes, yes, yes." David said with an awkward smile: "Actually, it's nothing much, just doing a good deed by acting chivalrously, rescuing a girl who was blasted out of the Biotechnica building when it exploded, and then sending her to a clinic for medical treatment.""Mhm, and then?""And then? There is no then. Then it's standing right here calling you to report the situation...""Stop fucking bullshitting me!"A sudden burst of irate scolding came over the phone, interrupting his words, and he could even clearly hear the sound of a pen shaft snapping.Melissa was currently sitting in her office, holding the metallic debris in her hand and sneering: "If it really were as simple as you said, then please tell me, what's up with the wreckage of those AVs on the street, and the pile of robot fragments?""Don't tell me that wasn't your doing; those wrecks are still blocking the road and haven't been cleared away yet. Are you planning on making me send people to haul those wrecks back and investigate them one by one?""Ah haha, that won't be necessary, Captain Melissa... there's no need, no need..."David scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly: "You know how it is, Captain, I'm allergic to roadblocks, so when they blocked my way, I just cleared them out by the way..."Cold sweat involuntarily trickled down from his temples.Those wrecks didn't even need investigation; at a glance, it was obviously his doing.The marks on them were all left by wolf claws and incendiary-attribute grenades. In the entire Night City, only he used these things; you couldn't find a second person."Sigh, whatever, this isn't the first time..."Melissa suddenly sighed, rubbed her forehead with a headache, and said: "However... brat, this time's incident has blown up a bit too big.""The woman you rescued stole Biotechnica's confidential files, and now higher-ups are demanding people. What do you plan to do?""Uh... regarding this... Captain Melissa, please wait a moment."David's tone suddenly shifted, becoming somewhat heavy: "You also need to take a look at this."He skillfully took out a memory chip, inserted it into the slot, and sent a copy of the data inside to Melissa.Having received the file, Melissa opened it, and her expression gradually grew solemn.The so-called Biotechnica secret inside was actually a shady cover-up regarding a drug.[Category: Painkiller][Undisclosed Side Effect: Progressive Neurodegeneration][Remarks][1. Side effects will not be disclosed to the public][2. This product will not be recalled from the market]Seeing this, Melissa's fists clenched slightly, making a creaking sound.Although it was just a few short lines, it was already enough to make Melissa realize the severity of the matter.It wasn't the first time a corporation treated the common people below like non-humans, but this was the first time it was so egregious.What is this supposed to be?Selling unfinished products to the public?And selling them for so many years?Or treating everyone like laboratory mice?If it were just the matter of exploiting employees, she couldn't be bothered to care and wouldn't care either.Because such matters weren't hers to manage, nor could she manage them all.This is the norm in Night City.But for something like this to happen in pharmaceuticals?!Even the three major corporations like Kang Tao, Arasaka, and Militech wouldn't dare to do this!Furthermore, birth, old age, sickness, and death are a normal part of human life; who knows when one might need medicine. What should someone do if they encounter this kind of drug?Wait for death?!Melissa narrowed her eyes slightly, but her heart did not run wild with anger; instead, she was surprisingly calm, and said evenly: "I will keep this file as the content for negotiation with Biotechnica.""However, I don't wish for similar things to happen a second time."
Chapter 89"Yes, Captain Melissa, just this once! I guarantee there won't be a next time!""I hope you keep your word."With that, a busy tone came from the phone.At the same time, David let out a sigh of relief.As long as the captain was willing to say that, it meant his attempt to bluff his way through this time was a success.At least Melissa was willing to step forward and help resolve this matter.That being said, although Melissa Rory could be quite crazy at times, she wasn't bad to him, having cleaned up his messes many times already.He was still quite grateful for this, even though he hadn't figured out how to repay her yet.Try to cause fewer troubles in the future?Yep, that's settled!But before that, he still had to make a call to someone.Thinking of this, David dialed the cyber pirate's number."Hey, old friend, long time no see.""Hey, David, long time no see. What's up? If it's about a gig, I don't have any left to give you on my end, at least not for now."Regina's voice on the other end of the line had a bit more human warmth compared to their first phone call, at least no longer feeling so cold.But David shook his head."No, it's not about a gig, it's something else.""Oh? What else? I happen to have time today, we can chat slowly.""That couldn't be better, my old friend, Ms. Regina."After organizing his thoughts a bit in his head, David said: "Old friend, you're not playing fair.""How so?""Do you remember the person I asked you to find, Sasha Yakovleva?" David walked from one corner of the alley to the other, found a relatively clean spot and sat down: "I asked you to help me find this person about half a year ago, but in the end, you kept it from me. You clearly found her but didn't tell me.""You have no respect for me at all.""???"Hearing his words, Regina on the other end of the line slowly typed out a few question marks: "I don't quite understand what you're saying, David. I've been investigating the intel on Sasha Yakovleva all along, but there hasn't been any news at all.""You have to believe me on this, us fixers don't lie about this kind of stuff.""Is that so?" David's voice turned a bit subtle as he pulled the memory chip out from the back of his neck and toyed with it in his hand: "Then why would Sasha want me to send you the dirt on Biotechnica?""What are you talking about? What dirt on Biotechnica? I have no idea at all."Regina was completely dumbfounded.She had no idea when that Sasha Yakovleva David mentioned had ever contacted her and said she wanted to send her the dark secrets about Biotechnica."You really don't know?"David's tone also became puzzled.Because he could hear Regina's confusion."Of course it's true, we've cooperated for so long, is there any need for me to lie to you?"Emmmm... When you put it that way, that's true.Among all fixers, if you talk about who pays the highest price, it's hard to say, but when it comes to who has the most integrity, Regina and Viktor are definitely tied for first.They never dragged their feet when giving money, paying right when the task was completed, unlike that old hag Wakako Okada, who always pulled stunts like making you go to her territory to collect the reward...And they weren't stingy with information at all, never hiding anything.In comparison, scum like Faraday were just garbage."... Fine, let's just assume that's the case, Ms. Regina. I hope everything you said is true." David replied in a standard mercenary tone.That being said, if Regina completely didn't know someone named Sasha, then how did Sasha know Regina?And she actually wanted to send the files over, which meant she had Regina's contact info...How did she pull that off?You have to know, normally these fixers were elusive; if they didn't actively contact you, you couldn't find them at all.Oh right, except for Viktor, who was still hanging out with the Valentinos in Heywood.That being said, the only person who could give Sasha the contact info was the Queen of the Afterlife—Rogue.Still, to actually be able to talk with Rogue..."She really has some chops...""Hmm? What did you say has chops?"The sudden voice reminded him that the call hadn't been hung up yet."Oh, nothing, well let's leave it at that for now, remember to contact me when there's a gig.""Of course, among the mercenaries you can hire with money in Night City, you're the best. But if you ask me, you might as well head out of the city to clear your head. No matter how tough your body is, it can't handle constant overdrawing, taking a little break is necessary."Regina inexplicably started caring about his body.Probably because that period of time really scared Regina."There's no more, really not a single drop left."Viktor and Regina were in that state back then, and even Rogue was quite speechless about him.He'd never seen someone so crazy, actually managing to drain the fixers dry.As long as a gig was reasonable within his cognition, he basically never turned anything down.What a maniac.jpg"Um... Um... I know, alright, hanging up."After perfunctorily brushing her off with a few words, David hung up the phone.Resting or whatever, now wasn't the time; when he died, there would be plenty of time to rest, even an eternal sleep.Furthermore, instead of resting, it's better to go check on how that cat-like girl is doing first.Three hours have passed since she was sent there, the surgery should be done by now, right?After all, it's getting so late, delaying a bit more and it'll be midnight...Getting enough rest is the foundation of everything.Glancing at the pitch-black sky, David thought to himself.But normally at this time, he wouldn't be sleeping at all; he'd either be watching TV, watching BDs, or fighting a life-or-death battle with Lucy.Though no one has died from it yet.Maybe because of the implants?Probably, right?David walked back while thinking about how to make a baby with Lucy.But when he walked to the stairs of the entrance to Viktor's underground ripperdoc clinic, he happened to run into Maine being kicked out.By the look of him, he must have intended to go in and see that former friend, only to be chased out jointly by Viktor and Misty?Thinking of this, David couldn't help smiling, raised a hand and greeted: "Yo, Maine, you're here.""Oh, David, long time no see. You've been quite the big shot lately, kid."Seeing David's arrival, a signature smile appeared on Maine's face, and he reached out a palm-leaf-sized hand—a size smaller than before—and patted David on the back.He was still dressed the same way: leather jacket, black sunglasses, bare-chested, looking just like a yakuza big boss."Well, I just accidentally made a bit of a name for myself, still can't compare to you back then, Maine.""Oh come on, David. You're now called a living legend, even corporate folks don't dare look down on you, not to mention you've even joined MAX-TAC."Maine glanced at him slightly, his voice filled with emotion: "David, my destination has long been clear, but right now is merely your starting point. Where your destination will finally stop, even I don't know.""But what I do know is that you run fast, you're better than anyone among us, and you can reach heights we can't even glimpse by looking up.""So, keep running hard, run, carrying the hopes of all of us..."As he spoke, Maine's eyes revealed a hint of gentle fondness.The old Maine used to argue endlessly with David over implant issues, acting like enemies.And now, after Dorio's tutoring, the two of them had made up.They didn't mention that matter anymore either."What are you talking about, Maine, making it sound like last words... I don't like it." David scratched his head in distress."Compared to this, I want to know more, you've started installing new implants again, haven't you?"He looked over the parts on Maine's body.The answer given by the system mentioned that there were a few newly installed implants on Maine's body.Just like those hands, although they looked similar to ordinary human hands, just slightly larger in size, they were solid implants."Hahahaha!" Maine suddenly laughed loudly, patting his shoulder: "Rest assured, Doctor Viktor installed these for me, he said there's no problem."He even gave him a thumbs up, revealing his iconic big white teeth.Yeah, pretty white, even a bit blinding.But why did he inexplicably think of a certain master and disciple wearing matching couple's green tights?No, now is not the time to think about that.David shook his head and threw that image out of his head."Ahem, Maine, is what you say true? Should I go ask Viktor in a bit?" David asked suspiciously.Maine wearing green tights or whatever, that was simply too terrifying, comparable to a nightmare."Of course it's true." Maine thumped his chest loudly to show his sincerity.But in reality, he had spent a lot of words a while ago just to trouble Viktor to install such an implant for him.This was carefully selected by Viktor from his own collection.Although there was a load on the body, for Mainewho was recovering well, he could already bear it."Fine, let's just assume that's the case."David gave up the argument.After all, he wasn't a mother figure, no need to make himself have to take care of everyone's body.Moreover, these people weren't children anymore."Right, where is Rebecca? Where did she go?"He peeked around Maine's side and found that the crazy loli with those familiar Miku-colored twin tails was unexpectedly gone."Oh, Rebecca? She said she went back first to get some beauty sleep.""???"Hearing this, David slowly typed out a few question marks, even imagining the scene of Rebecca waving her little hand at him and running home.What's the situation?Did the two of you plan this? You even take shifts?Do you dare switch me back too? I want to go home and get some beauty sleep too!!!76. Are there actually such treasure girls in Night City? (6K)The next morning.David had already returned to his previous hideout, his home located in the Megabuilding H6 in Santo Domingo.
Chapter 90However, he brought Sasha back with him, who was still unconscious and hadn't woken up.Why did the current situation come to be?The reason was simple: during the darkness before dawn, Viktor finally finished the girl's surgery.But he claimed he was closing the shop to rest and told David to quickly leave with Sasha, also saying things like not to cause him such trouble next time.It seemed Viktor knew exactly what the girl had done.The incident had happened less than half a day ago...He could only marvel at Viktor's well-informed network.But honestly, after frequenting Viktor's place for so long, this was the first time he'd encountered being rushed out because the shop was closing.Still, it was understandable.After all, he had been performing surgery for half the night and must have been tired.However, just as he had this thought, muffled thuds came from inside.It was the sound of Viktor hitting a sandbag."Tsk tsk tsk, Viktor's body is really something. After a surgery, he still has the energy to exercise."David then rubbed his chin and sighed softly.Don't let Viktor's age fool you; his punching power hadn't diminished, and his body was still very robust.With a punch from those sandbag-sized fists, even Maine's physique might not be able to withstand it.Oh, by the way, Maine also ran off early.He said something about leaving Sasha with David, and that one should be responsible for the kitten they picked up.He also said this girl was an excellent netrunner.He was a bit sleepy at the time and didn't hear clearly, but that was roughly the gist of it.He had to admit, what a scoundrel.This wasn't a shelter; who would take in these kittens for no reason?Besides, isn't this girl your former teammate? Is this how you treat your friends, Maine?Back home, David sat on the sofa, silently accusing Maine of his crimes."Sigh, a night without Lucy, I miss her."He sighed to himself, and this thought involuntarily popped into his head.He wondered what Lucy was doing at home right now.Although he had already called, he was still a little worried.Especially about the things Lucy had been doing behind his back.With Lucy's abilities, there shouldn't be any problems... probably.However, now was not the time to think about that, because a woman was staring intently at him."Hey, hey, Lieutenant Mower, you don't have to be like this, do you?"Ever since he brought this girl back here, Mower, as the current temporary resident, had sat up from her bed and stared at him for at least half an hour.And he felt her gaze was somehow subtle?Like she was looking at a criminal who had abducted a young girl?Thinking this, he deliberately met Mower's gaze for a few seconds, finding her dark eyes as clear as a deep pool, without any impurities, and he didn't detect any subtlety.He must have been too tired and was hallucinating."Just call me Mower. I'm no longer a MilitechLieutenant."The woman, who resembled Motoko Kusanagisomewhat and had been silent, suddenly spoke, startling him."My goodness... Big sister, you can talk! I thought your language module was broken and you couldn't speak.""…"Mower closed her mouth again, remaining silent, just quietly staring at him, but subtle fluctuations appeared in her pupils.It seemed to be because of what he had just said."Alright, alright, if you don't want to talk, then don't talk..."David shrugged helplessly, then slumped his entire body onto the sofa.Honestly, ever since he settled this woman here, he had never heard Mower speak. Even when he occasionally visited, she was as silent as she was now.Even when he called her last time to give her a mission, she only replied with a 'hmm' and nothing else.He thought her language module was damaged and was planning to take her to Viktor sometime.But today, she suddenly spoke so much.He really couldn't understand...That's right, Mower was one of the people he said he would contact after leaving Kiwi's home last time.The next thing he had to do required this woman's help.However, this woman's indifferent, poker-faced attitude made him unsure if she could properly complete the mission."Mmm..."Just as he was pondering Mower's situation, a sudden whimper caught his and Mower's attention.On the other side of the sofa, the girl lying there slowly opened her eyes. Her slightly dilated pupils gradually refocused. Her delicate little face, though having regained some color, was still quite pale."...It's an unfamiliar ceiling...""Of course it's unfamiliar, this is my home.""Hmm...? Meow!"Although her voice was soft, she still looked startled."Hiss—"She seemed to want to get up from the sofa, but accidentally pulled at her wound, causing the girl to gasp sharply.However, this strange verbal tic and odd reaction almost made him laugh.Meow?Are there still such cute and rare types of girls in Night City now?It would be even better if she had a cat tail attached to her back...He gently rubbed his chin, thoughtfully observing the girl named Sasha, a faint smile appearing on his face.His gaze was like he was evaluating an item, causing Sasha to instinctively shrink into the corner of the sofa."You... what do you want to do?"Although she had experienced many trials and tribulations and had seen villains like the Tyger Claws, this was the first time she had felt the aura emanating from the young man before her.It was like facing a natural predator.And that gaze, devoid of any emotion, even subtly tinged with coldness.So scary...However, David just smiled at her words and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, although I'm not a good person, I'm not the kind of heinous villain you imagine. At least compared to those Scavengers, I'm a kind person."He shouldn't have comforted her; with his words, Sasha felt even more frightened and shrank further into the corner. She ignored the pain in her body and tried to curl herself into a ball for protection.As if David would harvest her kidney the next second, and without anesthesia."…"Seeing this, David's mouth twitched a few times involuntarily.Am I that scary?He even subconsciously touched his face, finding nothing out of place, and no strange horns growing on his forehead.Then why was she so afraid?David thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then said again, "Seriously, don't be afraid. Have you forgotten who saved you yesterday afternoon? It was me."At this, Sasha indeed relaxed her guard a bit and carefully recalled what had happened yesterday.It was just as he said. Yesterday, when she jumped out of the Biotechnica building, she thought she would die.But then this person suddenly appeared and saved her.And also sent a few grenades to Biotechnica, almost blowing up the building."Remember now?" David tried to use a calm tone to help her recall, "You even fainted when you heard I was from MAX-TAC.""...!!!"The girl's eyes widened at his words, and she moved back a little more, showing a 'I'm scared, don't come closer' expression, her eyes full of vigilance.She even issued a warning: "Don't even think about turning me into a puppet with those brainwashing techniques!""…"What in the world was she talking about?Brainwashing techniques? What was in this girl's head?Since when did MAX-TAC have such technology? Why didn't I know?And even though I already knew MAX-TAC's reputation wasn't exactly great, treating your savior like this still hurts, you know!David silently grumbled in his heart.But then again, although he didn't know exactly what was going on in her little head, he could guess most of it.She probably thought he was MAX-TAC, acting on Biotechnica's orders, ready to execute her.In the eyes of ordinary citizens, MAX-TAC was also the company's dog, and the fiercest, most volatile breed.Mower, who was beside them, almost burst out laughing at their little drama.The name MAX-TAC was fine for those who understood it, but for those who didn't, it was like a fearsome deity.How many people dare to provoke a fearsome deity?In all of Night City, there was probably no other organization more violent than MAX-TAC.Even the forces cultivated by the major corporations themselves couldn't compare; they weren't on the same level.The only one who could go head-to-head with MAX-TAC was probably that legend-making, chrome-demon Adam Smasher.So, David seriously looked into the girl's eyes and spent the next while thoroughly educating her on MAX-TAC's scope of business.And their operating principles.Sasha nodded, half-understanding, and a blush of embarrassment appeared on her face.She felt a little awkward.Her behavior just now was indeed a bit excessive.Especially towards this savior before her."Sorry..." Sasha softly expressed her apology, occasionally glancing at David with her bright, lively eyes.After hearing all that, the people from MAX-TACseemed... not so scary after all.But the subtle aura emanating from him was still something she couldn't quite get used to.Auras are something everyone has, and each person's is different, yet they are profound and mysterious.Some people can perceive them, some cannot, and some can even control them.And Sasha happened to be one of those with sensitive senses, able to clearly perceive the aura David unconsciously emitted.That feeling was like a sharp knife pressed against her throat, making her afraid to move.Oh, and the woman behind him was the same, but not as terrifying as this young man."...It's fine, I'm used to it." David waved his hand indifferently.