Chapter 121To be honest, he felt a bit of dread when it came to testing things nowadays.Because the testing Melissa spoke of was definitely sparring, and if it was sparring, he was currently having some trouble controlling his strength.What if he accidentally beat Melissa to death? Even if he didn't kill her, injuring her wouldn't be good either…But unfortunately, Melissa couldn't read his inner monologue at all, nor did she pay attention to his verbal protests. Instead, she picked up the communicator placed at the edge of the ring and said, "Come in."The voice rang out from the broadcaster, echoing inside the empty training ground for a long time before dissipating.At the same time, the door to the locker room leading to the training ground suddenly opened, and the expression on David Martinez's face instantly froze."Tap, tap, tap, tap."Crisp and rhythmic footsteps suddenly sounded, though one of them didn't sound all that vigorous, appearing rather weak instead.The two people walking out of the locker room were dressed in simple training clothes just like Melissa Rory, but not as exaggerated as the captain; they were properly wearing pants. They walked up to the ring and gave a fairly standard salute."Captain Melissa!" X2"Very good." Melissa Rory nodded in satisfaction, then cast her gaze toward David Martinez: "You should know these two, so I don't need to introduce them.""Hehe… Indeed, no need for an introduction…" David Martinez twitched his mouth stiffly, even feeling his eyelids twitching wildly.He never expected that Mower and Sasha Yakovleva would actually run over to MAX-TAC…It had only been a month since they last met, and he had even planned to go see them after work today…"Right!"Seeming to think of something, he hurriedly looked toward the locker room, as if searching for something."What are you looking at?""Uh… nothing, just seeing if there are any other people."After not finding anyone else besides these two, he could be considered to have breathed a sigh of relief.Not bad, Rebecca that crazy loli didn't come…However, Melissa Rory's next words gave him a headache."Oh, come to think of it, there were supposed to be three people originally, but one of them was too small, so she didn't pass."Well, Rebecca came after all.He could even imagine Rebecca's rampaging look when the reviewers told her she was too small back then.But having said that, what on earth were you guys thinking!!!David Martinez's pair of eyes, which had already turned into dead-fish eyes, immediately cast their gaze toward Mower and Sasha Yakovleva.He could never have imagined that these two had been plotting this matter for over half a month.The last time they had a wild party, these two were already researching this matter.Because David Martinez's team currently lacked neither combat personnel nor netrunners, these two wanted to help David Martinez in other ways to repay his kindness.Therefore, they chose the path of MAX-TAC.This choice could be said to be a wise one, or it could be said to be extremely unwise.Mower was fine; she originally came from Militech's special forces and had even been a cyberpsycho. Joining MAX-TAC was nothing; it could be said to be just right.But Sasha Yakovleva, no matter what she used to say, was just a cybernetrunner. Why would she be so short-sighted as to join this kind of lousy place?Is this a place where normal people stay?"Come, you. Mower, you come up and practice first."Melissa Rory hooked her finger toward Mower, who was already standing by and waiting below the stage.Seeing Mower called out, David Martinez also secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.If Sasha Yakovleva had been chosen, then the aftermath of the sparring… Tsk tsk tsk, just imagining it was quite pretty.Mower, called by name, didn't dawdle either. She immediately vaulted onto the ring, looking eager with her fists clenched and eyes filled with excitement.She was practically one step away from shouting, "Take me on head-on, WAAAAAGH!"Being able to exchange blows with MAX-TAC's ace—Melissa Rory—could be considered one of her long-standing dreams.She urgently wanted to know just how big the gap was between herself and the woman in front of her."Oh ho, not bad eyes." Melissa Rory generously praised Mower's beast-like gaze, "However, I wonder if your skills are as fierce as your eyes?"The moment her voice fell, Melissa Rory's gaze suddenly turned cold, and her figure vanished from where she was, reappearing right in front of Mower.A gust of wind whipped up from her unpretentious, petite fist, blowing Mower's short hair.Bang—A loud explosion rang out on Mower's body. This punch was barely caught by Mower raising her hand, her figure instantly retreating a few steps to crash into the highly elastic ropes, sharing the impact.But this immense force still made her palms and forearms slightly numb.This woman Melissa Rory was simply a humanoid monster.Just now, that speed didn't use the Sandevistan at all and was achieved purely with her physical body. Even with David Martinez's current physical structure, he wouldn't dare say he could be as perverted as this woman.However, Mower, having taken such a heavy blow, not only didn't show the slightest fear, but became even more excited, her mouth even curling up slightly."Not bad." Melissa Rory retracted her fist and nodded in satisfaction, then opened her arms and said to Mower, "Come on, attack, let me see what skills you learned at Militech.""No problem."Mower responded with a smile, while her body suddenly leaned backward, using the elasticity of the ropes to catapult herself forward.Since there was a difference in physical fitness, she would make up for it with other methods.This was the most basic quality of a combat soldier; they would lean on everything around them, turning those things into their own combat power, just like now.But unfortunately, what she was facing wasn't a conventional troop, nor an ordinary cyberpsycho, but MAX-TAC's tyrannosaurus… Ahem, no, their ace.No matter what kind of attack it was, Melissa Roryeasily caught and blocked all of them."Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of Captain Melissa."The battle on the stage made David Martinez, watching from below, find it quite relishable.Needless to say, the battle between the two women was indeed very pleasing to the eye, especially when they were not only pretty but also strong.It was simply more exciting than a television show.But speaking of which, this woman Melissa Rorycould be said to be the strongest he had ever seen.It wasn't to say how awesome Melissa Rory's cybernetic modifications were, nor that her combat technique was at a master's level.Rather, it was the fierceness when executing moves.It seemed disorderly, but in reality, these moves were comprehended by this woman after dealing with countless cyberpsychos.Basically, under every single move and stance, there were countless souls of cyberpsychos laying a solid foundation for it, which could be said to be almost fatal with every strike.Although both of them tacitly agreed not to use implants, making it look like freestyle boxing, in reality, the life-risking degree of this battle was completely no less than actual combat.It was like two beasts fighting to the death."Mr. David, Mower is really amazing."Sasha Yakovleva walked naturally to his side, admiringly watching Mower fighting evenly with Melissa Rory on the ring.When did these two get so familiar?But that's right, living together for over a month, they ought to be familiar.David Martinez glanced at Sasha Yakovleva with slight suspicion, then turned his gaze back to the ring, "No need for 'Mr.', just call me David. Besides, Mower seems to be reaching her limit.""Eh?"Hearing his words, Sasha Yakovleva was somewhat surprised.Although she didn't quite understand combat and such, it clearly looked like Mower and Captain Melissa were fighting evenly.To this, David Martinez did not reply.According to his understanding of Melissa Rory, this crazy woman was currently completely in a state of toying with her prey.That's right, just like those higher-level predators, before catching their prey, they must toy with them thoroughly, exhaust the prey's stamina, and finally deliver a fatal blow.Although Mower's strength was good, already considered to surpass most members of MAX-TAC, in front of Melissa Rory, this humanoid monster, she still wasn't enough."But speaking of which, why on earth did you guys want to join MAX-TAC? Did Captain Melissa coerce you?"Just like him back then, being cornered at home by this crazy woman."No, we just wanted to repay your kindness a little bit.""... There are so many ways to repay kindness, yet you guys chose the most irrational one. Moweraside, is this a place where you should stay? You must know this is Night City's largest gathering place for cyberpsychos.""All the cyberpsychos in the entire Night Citycombined probably don't have as many as here."David Martinez opened his educational mode, but his voice revealed a bit of helplessness and bitterness.It was too late to say anything now; entering here was equivalent to stepping into the ghost gate. Still want to quit?You're thinking too much."I know too, I've also heard rumors about MAX-TAC, but after coming in, it feels completely different."Not knowing what Sasha Yakovleva thought of, a smile appeared on her delicate, pretty face: "It feels completely different from the rumors; the people here are nice, they speak well, and every single one of them is a talent…"David Martinez: "...???"Am I abnormal, or are you abnormal?The violent organization feared like a tiger in the entire Night City is described by you as so good and so great, what else can you make me say?91. Could this be considered... a promotion? (6K)"Bang!"The final muffled sound coming from the ring decided the outcome of this battle.Without any suspense, the winner was Melissa Rory.However, Mower's loss wasn't that miserable either. Unlike past members sparring with the captain on stage who were kicked off the ring with a punch or kick, or grabbed by the waist and thrown with a backward suplex until unconscious and dragged to the infirmary on the spot.She was merely slumped against the ropes, her pitch-black short hair somewhat messy, looking as if she were exhausted.Clearly, she hadn't shown such fatigue when facing Militech's siege in the Badlands back then…"Very good, Mower. It seems the soldiers trained by Militech still have some capability."Melissa Rory reached out and patted her shoulder, just like an old master recognizing an apprentice passing an assessment.But speaking of which, this woman Melissa Roryrarely praised people, at least in his view.Being able to praise Mower was also a kind of recognition for Mower."Thank you for your guidance, Captain Melissa."Mower raised her head somewhat laboriously, returning a smile, and it was the kind that came from the bottom of her heart.That's right, after being beaten, this woman Mowernot only didn't harbor any resentment or anger, but instead, like those martial artists receiving pointers from a grandmaster, she was happy rather than angry.And Melissa Rory also wore a gratified smile on her face as she said, "You're welcome, congratulations on becoming a member of our MAX-TAC."So weird~ First released in transfer group 255595300No matter how many times you look at it.Could it be that women who used to be in combat units are all this weird?If the occasion wasn't wrong here, perhaps he would even think these two women had developed some kind of special emotion.Like lilies blooming in their hometown or something like that."It's your turn, David. Come up and spar with me."David Martinez, suddenly called by name, shuddered subconsciously and looked up toward the ring, where Melissa Rory was nodding toward him, signaling him to come up.I don't know when, but Mower had already stepped down from the ring, leaving the spot empty."W-What sparring?"David Martinez barely squeezed out a fairly decent expression, playing dumb there in an attempt to muddle through.
Unfortunately, the woman in front of him wasn't buying it at all, leaning against the ring ropes and coldly spitting out two words: "Get up."This unrefutable command style shattered all of his illusions and plans.Not only that, Sasha went out of her way to make encouraging gestures for him, and the one resting on the bench also cast an encouraging gaze his way, as if saying, "Show that woman what you're made of.""Could you two please stop adding to the chaos?! Show her what I'm made of—is that the kind of picture presentation where I show this crazy woman what red, yellow, and blue look like?!"David Martinez was frantically ranting in his heart, even his breathing was trembling slightly, and the corners of his eyes kept twitching.If there was anyone he had met whom he least wanted to fight from a sparring perspective, it definitely had to be the woman Melissa.No other reason.Simply because Melissa was one of only two people he prefixed with the word "crazy," and there was a difference between that kind of crazy.Rebecca's crazy was an adjective, referring to this girl's reckless behavior in battle, whereas Melissa's crazy was a noun!The word crazy couldn't even describe this woman; it could only appear in the nature of a pronoun!In Night City, where everyone is a prospective cyberpsycho, Melissa's madness in battle was truly "unmatched and number one."Looking back, ever since their first clash at the kidney-harvesting den, it seemed he had never gotten much advantage from this woman.Although their spars after joining MAX-TAC weren't full-out, that very first time was a solid all-out effort, and even then, he was almost pinned to the ground and beaten by this woman.If he hadn't pulled some dirty tricks, he probably would have been taken down on the spot.What's more, even after that, she cornered him at home and threatened him with a condescending posture to join MAX-TAC.Whenever this image appeared in David Martinez's mind, he couldn't help but associate it with another image—right after the battle ended, the woman lying comfortably on the bed, saying to a shivering him, "Not bad performance, from today on you belong to me."Eww—!!!What kind of overbearing CEO falls in love with me is this?!It's a bit too terrifying...Thinking of this, David Martinez couldn't help but shiver.Although practicing with Melissa wasn't just once or twice, like the other team members, he could never get used to this crazy woman's behavior."What are you zoning out for, get up here quickly!"The sudden, stern shout interrupted his thoughts once again."Yes, yes, yes, coming right up..."David Martinez responded listlessly, wearing an expression of wanting to cry without tears.Is this woman really that unsatisfied?If she's really unsatisfied, go to Jig-Jig Street to find a doll to deal with it, why drag me over to be a punching bag...Thinking this, he took off his jacket, then pulled on the ring ropes and climbed onto the ring.Under the glare of the incandescent lights, Melissawas twisting her body, her graceful curves coming into view, and her gorgeous light brown long hair swaying with her movements.Looking like this now, rather than the crazy woman who yelled about killing every day, she looked more like one of those athletic young ladies in the gym with curves that made people's imaginations run wild, doing stretching exercises to prevent pulling a muscle.It really couldn't be connected to the title of that crazy woman at all.But deep down he knew very well that doing this set of stretches now was just so she could beat him up more smoothly and refreshingly later.It was as if the previous battle with Mower was just a warmup...Oh no wait, it couldn't even be considered a warmup, it could only be considered an appetizer.And he was the appetizer and main course combined next."I'm looking forward to it a bit..."Mower, watching the situation from below the ring, muttered involuntarily, a different expression surfacing on her face.It felt like excitement, or something else.But anyone familiar with her knew that was the expression she only wore when she became interested in something.However, even though her voice was very soft, due to how quiet the place was, it was clearly caught by David Martinez's ears."Damn it..."He cursed inwardly, the corners of his eyes twitching a few times again.Why couldn't she be interested in something else instead of being interested in this?You're a woman, a pretty young lady! Instead of taking an interest in cute things, what the hell are you looking forward to about a MAX-TAC sparring session!Do you want to turn into Female Tyrannosaurus Rex Number Two?!"F*ck..."Thinking of Female Tyrannosaurus Rex Number Two, then looking at Melissa, and recalling Melissa's past, he felt a chill down his spine.If Mower also turned out like this, that... would be simply terrifying."Are you ready?"I don't know when, but Melissa had already finished her stretches, asking with a faint smile on her face.But this smile in his eyes was comparable to a devil."Um... how are we going to practice? Like that kind of freestyle combat you and Mower just did?"David Martinez slowly raised his hand, asking cautiously and tentatively."No."Melissa gently shook her head, returning him an even brighter smile: "That's too child's play for you, we aren't playing that."Saying this, she cracked her wrists, snapping loudly, and then flicked her wrist."Click! Clang—"The mantis blades hidden in her arms, with a somewhat special style, popped out with a "whoosh," reflecting the light right into his face.Well, looking at Melissa's appearance, today he was surely going to meet his end here, and he could pretty much guess what was going to happen next."All out again...""Uh-huh~"Melissa replied with a pleasant voice, but to him, it didn't sound pleasant at all.This kind of training method was basically the exclusive sparring method between him and Melissa.However, this didn't mean he was that special in the team; it was just that no one else in the team could spar with this woman in an all-out manner. If forced to call it special, it was probably the specialty of being the ace punching bag?"Then Captain, please go easy on me... What the f*ck?!"Before he could finish speaking, Melissa's figure had already swooshed into his embrace, her right foot stomping heavily on the ground with a dull thud, and the over-one-meter-long mantis blades on her left arm pierced the air, carrying a sonic boom as they struck toward his jaw.David Martinez quickly leaned his head back, missing being pierced through the head by the sharp blade by just a tiny bit, and could even clearly feel the chill emanating from the blade's edge."Damn it, Captain Melissa, you've gone too far!"However, Melissa didn't speak, responding with her actions that what she was going to do next was even more excessive.Swish—The mantis blades on her right arm drew a graceful arc in midair, approaching rapidly as if trying to slice his head open from the temple.This f*cking..."Isn't this a move used to deal with cyberpsychos? Why is it all being used on me now?"David Martinez muttered inwardly, but his physical movements were extremely agile, dodging the attacks one after another.This also made the smile on Melissa's face grow happier and happier.As expected, only this kid could satisfy her.Melissa felt this sensation more and more profoundly, and her attacks grew increasingly fierce. Even many of the ring ropes around the stage were cut by her, but she didn't care at all.Those trivial matters of the past few days had driven her almost crazy, and now that she had finally caught a punching bag, how could she easily let him go.What's more, this was indeed one of the items for David Martinez's promotion evaluation, only David Martinez himself knew nothing about it."Captain Melissa, if you play like this again, I'm going to fight back!"To be fair, although Melissa had also brandished this pair of mantis blades during sparring sessions before, never had she aimed exclusively for fatal points like this.Has this woman gone f*cking crazy again?"Great, as long as you can do it, bring it on!"Melissa shouted excitedly, changing her routine.Changing from just using dual blades to using both hands and feet, a fierce spinning kick lashed out toward David Martinez's neck, the manic wind pressure blowing David Martinez's hair.On the ring, one was obsessed with attacking and the other with dodging, the speed of their battle was so fast it was somewhat dazzling.But Mower under the ring watched with increasing excitement, as if it were her standing on the stage."This is what you said, Captain!"Following a whip kick, David Martinez didn't mean to dodge, just standing in place while extending his hand.With a snap!Melissa's slender and powerful long leg was tightly gripped in his hands, and the burst of air pressure spread outwards like ripples.Thanks to the pain editor, he didn't feel any discomfort; otherwise, his arms going numb from such a blow would have been unavoidable anyway.Under the illumination of the incandescent light, Melissa's skin emitted a snow-white hue, delicate and smooth, just like a piece of high-quality mutton-fat jade, making one reluctant to put it down.And from their current posture, from his angle, he could appreciate all of Melissa up close.The only pity was that this woman was wearing tight sportswear; although it revealed a lot, it wasn't as loose as ordinary clothes to fully appreciate everything.However, this was enough.The parts tightly wrapped by the sports vest rose and fell slightly, looking neither too big nor too small, the ideal shape.The waist draped with fine sweat presented a perfect sculptural beauty, and the belly button was small and very cute. Slender without any sense of plumpness, her limbs were like an antelope.Tsk tsk tsk, clearly possessing an enviable appearance, yet choosing to come to a place like this to eat public food...Oh right, this woman was dragged in, so never mind.Just as he was spacing out, Melissa made a move again, a huge force suddenly coming from her leg, almost making him lose his grip.At the same time, her slender waist drove her lower body to spin violently, and her other leg suddenly soared into the air, attacking his temple."Crap, again?!"David Martinez, who was holding onto one leg, suddenly squatted down, perfectly avoiding Melissa's attack and simultaneously slamming her body heavily onto the ground.He also took the opportunity to press his body down, tightly hugging Melissa's calf and bending it hard, his entire head happening to rest sideways against the other party's buttocks.Damn it, so soft!Although Melissa's butt looked very perky, only after resting his head on it did he realize that this feeling was far more intuitive than looking.It was really soft, like resting on a waterbed! And the kind that was especially elastic!However, even so, he didn't dare lessen the force in his hands.After all, beneath him was a humanoid weapon of mass destruction, and heaven knew how long just this could bind her."Captain Melissa, do you concede?"He hoped this way would make Melissa concede, but obviously he thought too much.And what he didn't know was that the soft breath exhaled from his nasal cavity all hit Melissa's skin. It seemed due to the intense exercise, all her pores were open, magnifying this feeling countless times.Coupled with the strange sensation coming from her lower body, an unnatural blush climbed up Melissa's cheeks involuntarily."This brat..."Melissa cursed inwardly, then clenched her gums fiercely, as if wanting to bite her pearly whites to pieces, and slammed her hands heavily onto the ring floor.Bang—A loud explosion like a shotgun firing rang out from beneath her, and then David Martinez felt his entire body fly up."What the f*ck, seriously? Even this works?!!!"Although it was true that he was hugging Melissa's calf, Melissa used her freakish strength to successfully launch them both into the air, and midair, this woman successfully adjusted her posture.
Because he saw the floor constantly expanding in his vision.This damn thing was neither scientific, magical, nor fantasy at all!!!Is this cyberpunk? I love it, I love it...Thud——A muffled sound rang out once again, but this time it was his body slamming fiercely against the ground, not even leaving him time to use gravity control.Fortunately, with Melissa's calves cushioning the impact, his upper body didn't make close contact with the floor.However, his head and arms were locked in a scissor hold by this woman's legs.Her thighs and calves formed an acute angle, just like two hydraulic rods pressing down on his head, while a sharp blade was stuck in the floor, resting horizontally right before his eyes.This was truly painful yet pleasurable.But this round was totally worth it!"How is it? Who lost in the end?""It's me, I lost, Captain Melissa!"Enjoying the comfort brought by those elastic thighs, David Martinez very decisively admitted defeat.The moment he confessed his defeat, Melissa also released him. The instant that softness disappeared, a sense of loss welled up from the bottom of his heart.It really is... such a pity. Couldn't you have locked me in a bit longer...However, speaking of which, the reason why he admitted defeat so readily...was because there was no need to keep fighting; he had already enjoyed it enough, and that was enough.This wasn't some life-or-death plot, nor was it a duel to determine both supremacy and life or death, so there was no need to take it so seriously.Besides, this woman was also someone who refused to admit defeat. If he really didn't surrender, heaven knows what would happen next.Although he also really liked this kind of wrestling style, there were still people watching down below the stage.If it were a private, blood-pumping, and sweat-inducing wrestling match in private, he wouldn't refuse."Very good, you passed.""Passed what?""Look for yourself, don't make this old lady explain things to you one by one!"After getting up, Melissa took out a PDA from somewhere, swiped on it a few times, and handed it to him angrily.This left David Martinez somewhat puzzled, wondering when he had provoked this woman again. Perhaps it was because her period was coming?Otherwise, why would she flip her face faster than turning a book.Although he couldn't figure out why Melissasuddenly became impatient, he still obediently crawled up from the ground and took the PDA, though the contents on it surprised him somewhat."External team?""That's right, an external team. Didn't you say before that you wanted to set up a team of your own? It has already been approved from above, and the strength test you just took is also part of the evaluation criteria."Melissa put her hand on her waist and impatiently explained to him, then pointed her chin at Mowerand Sasha down the stage. "Look, those two are members of your team. You will lead the team, I am responsible for management, and that Anna from before will be responsible for issuing missions to you."No wonder this woman Melissa suddenly went all out on a whim to deal with him; so that was what it was about.But compared to what Melissa just said, he cared more about one thing."Captain, what's this about the test being a part of it?"However, Melissa gave him a look, as if saying "why is this brat so stupid", but ultimately answered his doubt: "The evaluation part naturally means this is just one of the contents of the evaluation, but before that, choose the jurisdiction you want to be responsible for first."As she spoke, she stretched out her slender fingers and gently swiped on the PDA, and a full map of Night City instantly appeared before his eyes."The areas above have already been divided. Except for Pacifica, you can choose some areas of Watsonor the Santo Domingo area. I don't suggest you choose Westbrook, because there are too many corpo rats there, and too much damn trouble."Melissa, who usually found such trivial matters extremely troublesome, explained things in such detail to him for the first time, and even gave him a recommendation.It seemed Melissa really cared quite a bit about his team.However, he still couldn't quite figure out what this jurisdiction business was all about. Could it be that, just like those NCPD guys, every MAX-TAC team was responsible for a specific district?However, under the threatening gaze of Melissa that could stop a crying child at night, he chose to swallow back the words he wanted to ask.For the sake of his own peaceful life, he'd better not ask.But in reality, just as he imagined, although when there were emergency missions, basically whoever was free would be dispatched, usually the subgroups under each team had their own jurisdiction.For example, what Melissa was responsible for was City Center, and the various subgroups under her command respectively managed various areas of City Center.Since David Martinez belonged to the external personnel, his jurisdiction could be chosen casually.As for that ghost place Pacifica...Don't ask; asking means even dogs wouldn't go there. Even a violent organization like theirs couldn't manage it if they went.Moreover, those guys from the Voodoo Boysmanaged that godforsaken ghost place of Pacificapretty well, and nothing major or minor ever happened, so they didn't need to interfere.After all, less trouble is better than more trouble."Then I'll choose Chinatown in Watson.""Oh? State your reason.""Because it's close to home.""Pfft—— What a great 'close to home'."His answer almost amused Melissa. It was the first time she had heard such an interesting answer."Can't I?" David Martinez spread his hands helplessly, "If not, I'll re-choose.""No no no, you can, then let's settle on Chinatown in Watson."She thought this brat would choose a place with a bit of grease and profit, but she didn't expect him to choose this place, one of the poorest places.You must know that even a place like MAX-TACwasn't that clean at its core.But at least it was much better than those decayed and rotten parasites of the NCPD, and coupled with their autonomy, they usually turned a blind eye.Water clear of fish has no depth; they still understood this principle.Moreover, they were also human. Even if they were cyberpsychos before, that was in the past; now they still had to eat."Then next, the final evaluation will be conducted for you."After selecting the jurisdiction, Melissa put away the PDA and continued, "A gang shootout is happening in the Glen of Heywood. You are responsible for going and sorting them out.""But remember, this evaluation will be included in the comprehensive assessment, so do a good job for me, kid."92. Who the hell are you calling a brat? (6.5K)"This is Anna, acknowledge if you copy."A cold and aloof voice came through the comms. Her voice line was more delicate than Melissa's, but her tone was even more flat and icy than Mower's, just like an AI.No, even Old Del had more emotion in his tone than this woman."Yes yes yes, I can hear you, Miss Anna. Do you need me to press 1 for you or something?""Please be serious, this is carrying out a mission.""Fine, you're the boss." David Martinez, sitting inside the AV, sighed helplessly."The destination of this mission is Academy Street at the intersection of the Vista del Rey in Heywood and the Wellsprings in Santo Domingo, to stop the firefight between the Valentinos and the 6th Street Gang there..."In the comms, Anna was introducing this mission to them.But David Martinez was taken aback when he looked at the location marked on the PDA in his hand."What the heck, Academy Street?""Do you have any questions, David Martinez?"Seeming because she was interrupted halfway, Anna's voice had a tiny bit of emotional fluctuation."Ah no... please continue."Hearing this, Anna began to introduce the mission again, including the combat posture and equipment of both sides, but David Martinez didn't listen to a single word.Because the location of Academy Street marked on the map was simply too close to the Wild Wolf bar run by Jackie's mom.It was just a few streets away.Perhaps this time he could drop by the Wild Wolf bar for a sit-down?He had always told Jackie he would go, but he never found the time, or rather, when he did have time, he didn't remember it.Coincidentally, since it was close this time, maybe he could wander around after dealing with those scum."That's all for this mission intelligence, does anyone else have any questions?"No one responded."Very good, contact me after you get it done."Anna was like a qualified MAX-TAC member, swift and decisive in her actions. When she said hang up, she hung up immediately, as if she was rushing to be reincarnated.However, David Martinez couldn't be bothered to pay attention to this woman.After all, having Mower as an ice-face was enough; he couldn't stand a second one, especially when doing missions, such people were usually annoying as hell."Old Del, go to Academy Street in the Vista del Rey of Heywood.""Alright, no problem. But a gang firefight is going on over there, are you sure you want to go?""Sure, I came out this time precisely to resolve things over there."David Martinez shifted his body slightly on the expensive leather chair, adjusting himself to a more comfortable position."Alright."The luxurious AV changed its course in the air, the vibration emitted by the engine stable and full of power, slowly driving towards Heywood.As to why MAX-TAC personnel had to take an AV from the Delamain taxi company when going out?That was a good question.The reason behind it was something David Martinezhimself very much wanted to know.At the time of departure, that woman Melissa told him a sentence: "Right now all MAX-TAC AVs are out on missions, so how you get to the destination is up to you to resolve."Before leaving, she also handed him a meaningful smile.Although he didn't know whether there were still spare AVs at the MAX-TAC headquarters, there was one thing he could be sure of: this woman was definitely taking revenge on him!Revenge for shooting down her AV at City Center a month ago!"Damn it!"Thinking of this, he couldn't help clenching his fists and slamming fiercely against the armrest of the seat.Although occasionally enjoying this kind of high-end AV was not bad, being played like this felt really unpleasant.Especially when spending his own money, and the higher-ups wouldn't even reimburse it!"I'll write her down in my little notebook first, and settle the score slowly in the future!" David Martinezdecided in his heart.But speaking of which, the combat uniform of MAX-TAC was still pretty good.He looked at his palms, slowly clenching them and opening them again, without the slightest discomfort or heavy feeling.Beside his hand was that familiar Juggernaut helmet, which could almost be said to be the crystallization of technology in all of Night City.The semi-helmet-style external optical cyberware, advanced fire control systems, scanning systems, early warning systems, and so on were all integrated inside. It could be said that this helmet, which made one look like a Juggernaut after putting it on, greatly enhanced the combat capability of MAX-TAC.It's just that he didn't like wearing this kind of thing, as it obstructed his vision, and compared to this kind of cyber warning, he trusted his intuition honed through various battles even more.Besides that, the combat uniform on his body was also quite extraordinary, covering the heavy armor on the neck, torso, and parts above the elbows. Looking extremely cool and extremely tough at the same time, it also built-in a charging adaptation module for tech weapons.Not only could it greatly increase the charging speed of tech weapons, but part of the exoskeleton structure also reduced the inconvenience of this heavy armor without reducing flexibility.The same went for the leg armor and protective military boots.According to the user manual, this set of armor could even withstand a certain degree of explosion.And the weapons equipped with him were also familiar old friends—the db-2 satara produced by Rostovic and the RT-46 Storm electromagnetic revolver produced by High-Tech Military.But speaking of which, this was his first time wearing a combat uniform thing.
When going on missions in the past, he had never worn this kind of stuff, and when encountering the NCPD, he would just flash his ID or let them scan him.This time, even when surrounded by the NCPD, he no longer needed to show those troublesome IDs."You seem to be in a very good mood right now. Did something good happen?"Just at this moment, Old Del's voice suddenly sounded, but David Martinez's eyes gradually turned into dead fish eyes."Old Del, which of your eyes saw that I was in a good mood?""Apologies, perhaps my analysis system has encountered a problem. Is there anything I can help you with then? I am very willing to help.""Hmm, let me think..."David Martinez paused slightly for a moment, and continued: "Do you know any hitmen or the like? Help me hire one, and then go take out Melissa Roryat the MAX-TAC headquarters.""I am very sorry, I cannot help you with this matter. Inspector Melissa Rory is the ace of MAX-TAC, and apart from you, I do not know who else could take her down.""Tch, then forget it."As he spoke, David Martinez propped his arm on the armrest, resting his head on it without saying a word.What he had just said to Delamain was merely angry talk; he knew that such a person simply did not exist in Night City, and even if they did, no one would dare to make a move against MAX-TAC.The consequence of provoking them was even more terrifying than provoking large corporations like Arasaka Corporation and Militech, guaranteed to make the perpetrator not see the next day's sunrise, and estimating that even that day's sunset would be a stretch.What's more, an upper-level boss like Melissa who could help him take the blame when nothing happened could not be found a second time in Night City.He was already too late to curry favor with her, so how could he possibly go and take her out?If it was subduing her into submission, it wasn't like he couldn't consider it.However, having said that, wasn't the number of people dispatched for this mission a bit too small? Aside from him, the combat personnel on site were only Mower and Sasha.Normally, for tasks not too urgent like this, four to six team members were usually equipped, including an on-site commander which was a squad leader or captain, one veteran plus several rookies.And as for him, there was only a rookie who could barely count as a veteran leading two newly joined rookies.It was simply too fucked up.If this wasn't deliberately arranged by that woman Melissa, he absolutely wouldn't believe it.Wasn't it just shooting down an AV once? Was there a need for such retaliation? They didn't even assign personnel.And not only that, these two people in the AV did not have the slightest sense of seriousness—Sasha sat there chewing bubble gum and blowing bubbles, while Mower kept wiping the katana in her hand, without the slightest sense of crisis about to descend upon a gang turf war location.It made it look as if they were out for a picnic...However, for the few of them, this mission was indeed a picnic.Simply put, it was just wiping out all enemies that appeared within view, and along the way giving a warning to the Valentinos beforehand, considering it for the sake of Jackie and Padre.Wait!When he looked toward Mower, he suddenly discovered a blind spot.Black hair, facial features somewhat characteristic of Asians, yellowish skin, dark eyes, and a fond love for katanas...After summarizing the above characteristics, he asked tentatively: "Mower, you like katanas so much, could you possibly be Asian..."As far as he knew, apart from a weirdo like him, most guys who liked katanas came from Asia.For example, some security personnel of Arasaka Corporation and that bunch from the Tyger Claws.However, this question also caught Sasha's attention, gazing at Mower's bland face like a curious baby.She had also always been very curious about this question, but had just never felt comfortable asking."No."Mower stopped the action of wiping her blade, raised her head to gaze at him, her pupils like black pearls reflecting his face: "But I have half Asian ancestry.""...Your father or mother couldn't be Japanese, right?""Mhm, my father is Japanese."Good grief...Although being of mixed race and the like was not a rare thing in this year 2077, and wasn't even half a century ago, back then there had even been ultimate hybrid specimens whose grandfathers, grandmothers, maternal grandfathers, and maternal grandmothers were all from different countries.Yet David Martinez was still somewhat shocked at this moment.Feeling a weird truth gradually being uncovered, just like scratching a scratchcard."Then why do you have such a weird name like Mower."Mower slightly narrowed her eyes to gaze at him, seeming quite dissatisfied with his statement, but still said indifferently: "This is just the name I use in Night City, I have another name.""Motoko, it's my name in Japan."Hearing this, the corners of David Martinez's mouth immediately twitched.What the fuck... Is this supposed to be an Easter egg of a crossover between Cyberpunk and Ghost in the Shell?Although he had long known that Mower's appearance was almost identical to Kusanagi Motoko, now even the name was the same..."Then your last name wouldn't be Kusanagi, right?""Kusanagi?"Mower glanced at him in confusion, and shook her head: "No.""Phew... That's good."David Martinez breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest.If her name were Kusanagi Motoko, it would be a bit too fucked up.However, it seemed he thought of something else again, the corners of his mouth slightly curving into an arc, asking in a joking tone: "Then what is your last name? Arasaka?""..."This time, Mower did not respond.She just glared fiercely at him, a look that seemed to say "Your fucking last name is Arasaka, your whole family's last name is Arasaka.", while also tightening her grip on the katana in her hand.You must know, although Arasaka was a domestic Japanese enterprise, Arasaka's reputation within Japan was not good either."Alright, alright, just a joke, don't get excited."David Martinez raised his hands in surrender, as he was also afraid that Mower would become like that crazy bitch Melissa, raising her blade to hack at him without saying a word.Taking him out was a small matter, but if this AV really got broken, that would be a big matter.He would have to pay a huge price...Even if Mower was sold off, it wouldn't be enough to pay for it."We are about to arrive at our destination."Just at this moment, Old Del, who had been maintaining silence, suddenly spoke up.At the same time, a crackling sound like popping beans came from directly below, just like Chinese New Year, which could be heard clearly even while sitting in the AV."Ho ho, it's really lively, and the number of people on both sides is quite a lot."David Martinez slowly stood up, leaning against the car window to gaze at the scenery below.I saw that on the street directly below, members of the Valentinos were exchanging fire with a bunch of guys wearing camouflage cargo pants, sunglasses, cowboy hats, draped in jackets, with lightweight bulletproof vests casually hanging underneath.This iconic way of dressing, along with the skull and six stars printed on the jackets, it was definitely the 6th Street Gang.Judging from the number of people on both sides, the Valentinos side did not have the advantage; the opponents had almost twice as many people as them.The firearms in their hands continuously spat tongues of fire. At this point, there were no longer any civilians on the main street, and even if there were, they were those who hadn't managed to run away, having already been riddled into sieves by bullets, and the small shops along the street were all closed.On a paint rack on the street still lay a paint worker responsible for painting over the graffiti on the wall, but it looked like he had been dead for a long time.Originally there was an adult toy shop, but now its pink neon sign and that iconic 18+ mark had also been smashed to pieces by stray bullets, and the metal rolling shutter door also had many clearly visible bullet marks.There was also a noodle shop that suffered the same treatment, the glass of the service window smashed to pieces, and the unlucky store owner had a clearly visible third eye on his head.Gang turf wars were like this; they would never care about civilians, even if these civilians were still under their jurisdiction.This was also one of the styles of Night City; the lives of people at the bottom were never considered lives, just a bunch of disposable consumables to be thrown away after use.However, the roar of engines coming from the sky became the signal for them to stop exchanging fire.People from both sides raised their heads one after another to look at the AV gradually descending in the sky."Where did these idiots come from? How dare they land here?"This was the unanimous thought of everyone on both sides, and some people even wanted to fire a few shots at that AV, but after seeing the logo of Delamain Cab, they lost the intention to make a move.Vehicles of Delamain Cab were all equipped with firepower, rumored to be able to annihilate a corporation's security squad.Even if this description was somewhat exaggerated, none of them wanted to mess with that.It would be fine to take them out after the people in the car got down.However, the next scene scared most people so much that they didn't dare to breathe a word."Hiss—"Along with the expansion and contraction of the hydraulic rods, the side cabin door of the AV was opened in mid-air, but the people inside were not the ordinary passengers they imagined, but rather..."MAX-TAC?!"Not knowing who shouted that, everyone suddenly snapped back to their senses.When the fuck did MAX-TAC ever use such a unique entrance method? Where is your iconic black AV?! How come you switched to riding a cab company's car!This was their first thought, and their second thought was...Run quickly!Seeing the electromagnetic weapon in the hands of the youth standing at the car door, and the pitch-black heavy armored combat suit on his body, this was the only remaining thought in their hearts.They could go exchange fire with the NCPD, even if it meant driving heavily armed bipedal mechs, it didn't matter, and they could even temporarily change plans.But there was only one organization where they had to flee at the very first moment.That was MAX-TAC.No matter how fierce gang members were, when encountering these inhuman madmen, they would always choose to turn around and run away without hesitation.Unless you felt your life was too tough and you had lived too long.However, right inside the 6th Street Gang, there actually turned out to be a guy who felt his life was too tough."Haha, you scared me. I thought what kind of big shot MAX-TAC sent out, but it turns out to be just a wet-behind-the-ears little punk!"A guy with external cyber-styling raised the Copperhead in his hand with his silver arm, laughing defiantly and arrogantly."Looks like MAX-TAC isn't what it used to be either, they don't even have people left haha! Brothers, let's go, take him down!""But... Boss, that's MAX-TAC...""So what if it's MAX-TAC? It's just a little punk who hasn't even grown all his hair yet, what the fuck are you afraid of!""But...""Stop fucking saying 'but'!"That lackey wanted to say something else, but was ruthlessly interrupted by their leader."Just a mere little punk, watch how I wipe him out!"At this point, that lackey didn't say anything more, and there was nothing left to say.However, that person on the AV made him feel like one of the legends circulating within Night City, even the cyberware-crazed lunatic who could be called Night City's living Yama, David Martinez, who had even taken down Adam Smasher.But he also knew that even if he spoke out, it wouldn't be of any use.Because their boss simply wouldn't believe it.And that person had never appeared again after that Arasaka Corporation riot.Their conversation volume was quite loud, but under the roar of the AV's engines, coupled with the violent wind blowing into the cabin, David Martinezdid not hear it clearly.Rather, even if he heard it, he wouldn't bother with this bunch of morons; it was just that the address of 'little punk' might arouse a bit of his attention."Valentinos, listen up, stop your fire now and disperse right here, we will not pursue your responsibility. If you attempt to resist, then you will be executed on the spot."David Martinez shouted like this while holding onto the car door, immediately making those Valentinoswho were running away flee the scene at an even faster speed.They weren't as idiotic as that bunch of morons from the 6th Street Gang, who had no intention of running away even when they saw MAX-TACpeople coming.
Seeing the scattered crowd below, David nodded with satisfaction, then dropped a sentence: "Mower, you come down with me, and Sasha, you stay in the AV for remote assistance first, and come down after the cleanup is done."After saying that, he jumped down from the cabin.As for why he didn't stay in the AV?Because this was just a one-way ticket, and there was no return ticket bought.It was simply too damn expensive.Even though he could completely afford it now, money wasn't spent like this.At least he had to wait until he finished buying cyberware before spending lavishly, so he should just endure it for now.Boom——A loud noise of a heavy object falling at high speed spread from the ground, and David, descending from the sky, crushed the front of a car under his feet, then jumped off the wreckage as if nothing had happened."Eh? Aren't you guys running?"Seeing that the 6th Street Gang members did not run, but instead gradually gathered towards him, David felt a hint of surprise.Nowadays, there were actually so many people who weren't afraid of death?Is MAX-TAC's blade too heavy to lift, or have you guys gotten too full of yourselves?"Run your mom, just a little brat, brothers, let's go together and take him down!"I have to admit, the cohesion of the 6th Street Gangwas actually pretty decent, at least the leader had a hundred responses to a single call, and they all rushed up without fearing death.However, David was overthinking it.These guys were thinking that after killing someone from MAX-TAC, their reputation could spread throughout the whole Night City.By then, how would mere Valentinos dare to provoke them?Even those lunatics from the Tyger Claws and Maelstrom would have to weigh it carefully themselves.But what they didn't notice was that David's expression had already darkened at this moment."Hehe, you really dare to curse."He didn't know how long it had been since someone cursed at him like that; he remembered the last Tyger Claws member who spoke to him like that had grass several feet high on their grave now.The next second, his figure suddenly vanished, appearing like a ghost in front of that leader, and his hand grasped the throat of his destiny."You were the one who cursed just now, right?""Fuck your mother... brothers, go get him..."The leading guy didn't even know he was about to die, and still dared to run his mouth with dirty words.Even attempting to raise his gun to give David a zero-distance shot.However, the moment he pulled the trigger, David's other hand blocked the muzzle, and then, like crushing a ball of waste paper, he crushed the Copperhead in his hand into a ball, along with the man's arm.Rip——The silver cybernetic arm was suddenly ripped off, and the man let out a miserable howl like a slaughtered pig."So damn noisy!"With a swish, he casually threw him towards the adult toy shop on the side; the immense force caused the man to crash through the metal rolling shutter, almost smashing into the shop from the display window.That being said, just this single blow had already left the man with more exhales than inhales.The whole person was unable to move, and he didn't even have the strength to emit the previous wails.The punks of the 6th Street Gang were completely scared silly seeing this scene, standing in place and not daring to move at all.But even just like this, David was far from satisfied.Taking light steps, he walked over slowly, grabbed the man's ankle exposed from the display window, dragged him out from inside, and dragged a bright red mark on the ground like a paintbrush.Walking over to an unmanned vehicle, he reached his hand into the broken window to open the door, and then pressed the man's head against the door frame."Calling me a little brat, huh?!"Bang——A teeth-gritting door-closing sound suddenly rang out, the man's head was heavily clamped, and his body spasmed violently along with it."Get up and curse at me again!"Bang——Another hit.While cursing, he clamped the man's head with the car door.The man's body trembled with each clamp, and sticky blood slowly dripped from the door crack, until the whole person stopped twitching, and the deformed car door was finally closed.The boss who was acting tough and jumping around a few seconds ago was just like that, squashed to death right in front of them, his head crushed like a watermelon.When they shifted their gaze from their big boss's corpse to David, they couldn't help but shiver involuntarily.Where was this MAX-TAC, it was literally a devil! A lunatic!"You guys, who else wants to try?" David revealed a kind smile.But his voice made this group of 6th Street Gangmembers shiver, and they immediately turned around wanting to escape, but standing behind them was a woman.Mower, also wearing a black heavy armor combat uniform and a half-helmet style external optical prosthetic eye.Normally, seeing someone who looked like a MAX-TAC operative at a glance, they should choose another way to escape.But now they had lost their minds from being scared by David, and immediately raised their guns intending to pepper this blocking woman.However, Mower's movements were even faster.Teleporting a few times in their eyes with a swish-swish-swish, and then seeing flickering blade lights slashing across their bodies.Afterwards, a wave of weakness came from their bodies, and at the same time their vision spun wildly.In the brief moment before their consciousness plunged into darkness, they finally saw their bodies, but only missing their heads.93. Is it a conspiracy? Or an open plot? (6K)"Hello, things have been dealt with here, the whole scene is silent."David sat on the curb, looking at the surrounding streets that had become empty, while reporting the situation to the MAX-TAC headquarters."What are the casualty conditions at the scene?""Emmm... let me check..."After observing the surrounding corpses a bit carefully, David continued: "Six or seven civilians died, surrounding shops suffered varying degrees of damage, all thirty-four people from the 6th Street Gang have been wiped out, the casualties on the Valentinos side are unclear... haven't seen any corpses temporarily."The reason why he could distinguish so many corpses so clearly was very simple.Although the Heywood district had a very complex population, it was mainly dominated by old Mexicans (Latinos), and those guys from the Valentinos also acted just like old Mexicans—Exaggerated vests, golden cyberware, flashy jewelry, Santa Muerte and Jesus Christ tattoos, a flamboyant style as if inspired by Chicano culture.But not a single corpse at the scene had this style, and the results given by Kiroshi were also like this.Besides, it was also because the 6th Street Gangguys were too obvious, liking to print gang patterns on their clothes, and dressing up like Western cowboys making them extremely easy to recognize.Speaking of which, could this also be considered a collision between American traditional cultures?"Oh right, the destruction of the street shops wasn't done by me, when I arrived the scene was already like this." David added another sentence.If reporting to Melissa, saying or not saying about this situation didn't matter, because such things were of no consequence to them, and even Melissacaused huge losses every time she was dispatched.And saying it might even get him a scolding for being wordy.I remember once Melissa, in order to take down a cyberpsycho, directly kicked the guy into an expensive sedan on the spot, and then that psycho was pierced through the chest by protruding metal spikes and died of blood loss.Afterwards, the owner of that sedan wanted to make NCPD's guys compensate, but as soon as he heard it was done by Melissa, he shriveled up directly, not even daring to look for trouble.But then again, since the headquarters changed people, naturally the situation had to be made clear.To save this woman from speaking up later and making him compensate, that would be a huge loss.Only Anna on the other end of the phone just slightly recorded the surrounding destruction without intending to inquire, instead questioning about the Valentinos.And David also pulled out his prepared rhetoric, saying in an innocent tone:"This can't be blamed on me, Ms. Anna. When I arrived here, those guys saw me coming like seeing the plague god, and ran away directly.""The task you gave me was to stop gang warfare, not an annihilation mission, you can't chase down and kill a group of guys who have no intention of resisting, right?""Okay, I know."His rhetoric didn't seem to impress Anna.But it doesn't matter, as long as she doesn't keep asking, the goal is achieved."Next, I will notify EMT and NCPD to deal with the subsequent problems."EMT, full name Emergency Medical Technician, generally refers to medical service providers, including ambulance drivers and ambulance rescue personnel.Once, Gloria was doing this work before she died, and the yellow jacket David often wore was also the EMT work uniform.But this is outside common sense; in Night City, these EMTs were no different from a body collection squad.Every time they arrived at the scene, the work they did was responsible for transporting corpses and clearing the scene.Rarely could they successfully pick up a patient.Because generally wealthy corpo rats and rich people would buy Trauma Team's service, leaving no turn for them to appear.After all, the external claim is saving patients in seven minutes, and this speed is no brag.And for poor grassroots civilians and gang members, by the time EMT people arrived, people were already thoroughly cold."Then what do I need to do? Can I get off work?"David suddenly thought of this problem, since the task was finished, could he go home to sleep and accompany Lucy?However, Anna poured a bucket of cold water."Please dream at night, next you still have tasks to do."Anna's voice, like a steel needle, ruthlessly punctured his fantasy bubble."Eh... why is there still work? At this time before, I could already go home!"David felt aggrieved like a baby weighing several hundred catties.Sasha and Mower, also sitting on the curb, stopped what they were doing because of his action, and cast their gazes over.Even looking at Sasha's appearance, she seemed to be holding back a laugh?"Please do not grumble, David Martinez, how your previous operations were arranged is not within my management scope, now proceed to the next task."Regarding David's aggrieved behavior, Anna had no pity.Just like a machine responsible for extracting oil, trying to squeeze his value clean."Truly a corpo rat from Night Corp..."David curled his lips and muttered softly."The next task is in your jurisdiction, Watson's Chinatown."Anna didn't talk nonsense either, and immediately began to talk about his next task, but the following words made David slightly frown."The location is at the intersection of Bradbury Street and Bran Street...""Wait, where did you say?!"Before Anna could finish speaking, David suddenly let out an exclamation to interrupt her."Please do not interrupt me, David Martinez. It is the intersection of Bradbury Street and Bran Street, is there a problem?""Uh... no, I just wanted to ask what happened there."Logically speaking, if there was a place in the whole Night City where MAX-TAC completely didn't need to be dispatched, it would definitely be the location Anna just reported.Because Viktor's shop was right here.The local punks all got along well with Viktor, and those who didn't mix well were disciplined into total obedience.As for cyberpsychos and the like, apart from Prophet Gary next to Misty, there were no others, let alone that he was covering the place, who would be so foolish to cause trouble there?Thinking their life was too tough and needing help to loosen it up, right?
Chapter 126"It's people from the corporation planning to take away a guy named Gary, which caused a riot. Your mission this time is to quell the disturbance there.""Gary? Which corporation's people? Why take him away? And Ms. Anna, did you get something wrong? I am MAX-TAC, not a corporate dog and not responsible for cleaning up their messes. This kind of thing should be handled by NCPD!"Speaking at the end, David Martinez's voice even held a hint of anger.What he hated most was cleaning up corporate messes, and Melissa Rory was the same. To some extent, the two of them were quite similar.Moreover, under normal circumstances, this valid reason of his would have been enough for headquarters to drop the matter, but a single sentence from Anna blocked him."But according to the Night City security regulations, maintaining district security is also within our jurisdiction, and this time NCPD has already been dispatched, but the effect is less than ideal."Was it less than ideal, or did that group of parasites simply not want to work?Hearing this, a sneer crossed David Martinez's face.Presumably, the reason NCPD didn't work properly was very simple: the corporations didn't give them enough grease."Therefore, sending you there this time is mainly to solve the security problems within the district, and this task is also included in the evaluation.""To hell with the evaluation, I am not being a corporate dog! If you have the guts, report it and let those corporate bastard dogs up there fire me!"This was his bottom line, a bottom line that could not be compromised no matter what.Working for corporations wasn't out of the question, but at least they had to offer a price that made one's heart flutter.For this kind of working for free for nothing, to hell with it!Bootlicking corporations was something whoever wanted to do could do, but he wasn't doing it anyway."Fine."Anna on the other end of the phone showed no sign of anger at his cursing, instead saying calmly, "The decision for this mission is up to you. I have already done what I should do, so whether to go next or not is entirely your own choice."With that, the communication was hung up again."Fucking hell..."David Martinez pulled a cigarette from the pocket of his combat suit, lit it, and sat there smoking quietly, trying to use it to calm the irritation in his heart.On one hand, it was because of this damn evaluation business; on the other hand, he suspected whether MAX-TAC had changed somewhat in flavor?He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that after Anna took over, everything gave him a feeling that something wasn't right.He couldn't quite say what it specifically was, and there were no clues yet.However, the biggest abnormality was this mission.Clearly, this mission shouldn't be handled by MAX-TAC...Anna was right, maintaining public order was the responsibility of MAX-TAC, but that was also just a verbal responsibility and external propaganda. In reality, what they were responsible for were merely cyberpsychos, some terrorist attacks, and certain vicious kidnapping cases.Work like this, cleaning up messes for corporations... honestly speaking, it was the first time he had encountered it since he had been here for so long."...Has something happened? David, you look like you are very angry."Just at this moment, Sasha Yakovleva's voice suddenly came over. He turned his head just in time to meet Sasha Yakovleva's bright eyes, which were filled with a look of worry."It's nothing, just that headquarters gave a rather annoying mission, telling us to go to Viktor's place to help the corporation capture a person named Gary..."David Martinez forced a smile and waved his hand, but still couldn't help cursing inwardly, "To hell with the corporation..."However, hearing the mission David Martinezmentioned, Sasha Yakovleva's face also carried a hint of puzzlement.Viktor she also knew; he was the kindly uncle with a gentle smile who performed surgery on her back then. But letting MAX-TAC go help catch someone... wasn't this a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?However..."...Gary? Are you talking about Prophet Gary just now?""Hm? What, you know him?" David Martinez flicked the ash off his cigarette and asked with some curiosity."No." Sasha Yakovleva shook her head, her sunlight-colored bob swaying slightly with her movement, "I don't know that person, but the name Gary is widely circulated among us netrunners.""How so?""Actually, it's nothing much; it's just that some of his remarks are very intriguing. The vast majority of them hint at certain things—for instance, vampires refer to those corporations—and some things he says seem to point beyond the Blackwall of Cyberspace. Therefore, if the corporation wants to catch him, perhaps there is some hidden story behind it..."He wasn't interested in whether there was a hidden story or anything, but the Blackwall mentioned by Sasha Yakovleva did surprise him a bit."You know about the Blackwall too?"He didn't know much about the world of netrunners. In his cognition, only a very small group of people knew of the existence of the Blackwall.This was also the real reason why he felt surprised by Sasha Yakovleva's words."Of course. Back then, that legendary netrunner Rache Bartmoss who shouted for freedom created a Daemon that caused the entire Old Net to fall apart, drifting inside Cyberspace like isolated islands. The Blackwall appeared at that time; Netwatchestablished the Blackwall to block those viruses outside, while also monitoring all netrunners to prevent us from breaking through the Blackwall and releasing AIs in."Sasha Yakovleva slowly recounted everything she knew, as if telling her favorite fairy tale.Especially when mentioning Rache Bartmoss at the beginning, a look of adoration welled up in her eyes, but it was also mixed with a hint of sorrow.If she had been as powerful as Rache Bartmossback then, would she have been able to make more people notice Biotechnica's conspiracy?Or directly collapse this multinational corporation, rather than just a simple stock plunge?It seemed she still hadn't let go of that past.David Martinez, who had been observing Sasha Yakovleva, saw through her inner thoughts.But he didn't say much more. Regarding this matter... whoever tied the bell on the tiger must untie it; only by relying on herself could Sasha Yakovleva walk out of it."So, if it were you taking this job, what would you do?""Eh?"The sudden question caught Sasha Yakovleva off guard, but she quickly reacted and understood, saying with a smile, "If it were me, I would choose to go see the situation and then choose whether to do it or not. What if there is some unexpected harvest?"Yeah, that made a lot of sense.David Martinez nodded in agreement, threw the burnt-out cigarette in his hand onto the ground, slowly stood up and crushed the cigarette butt, then cast his gaze at Mower, who had been sitting there without saying a word."What about you? Mower, what are your thoughts?""Whatever."Mower answered very crisply.Things that required using brains like this didn't suit her; she was suited for work that involved only using hands and not brains.David Martinez knew this well, so he heavily stretched and said, "Then—let's do as Sasha Yakovleva says. Let's go check out the situation first..."He very crisply decided the subsequent itinerary.As for how to travel from Heywood to Watson?Very simple, abandoned empty cars were everywhere; just finding one at random would do.If worst came to worst, seeing whose car on the road was nice and requisitioning it directly in the name of MAX-TAC wasn't out of the question either; those guys couldn't say anything anyway.However, just as he was driving towards Chinatownin Watson, Anna came to the locker room and dialed another phone call.The moment the call was connected, she spoke, "Failed. David Martinez refused the mission."There was no intention of any pleasantries, let alone greetings, and it was devoid of emotion just like before."What was his answer?"A pleasant, childish voice came through the communication, but it sounded somewhat stiff, as if emitted by a machine."He said: 'To hell with the evaluation, I am not being a corporate dog! If you have the guts, report it and let those corporate bastard dogs up there fire me!'"Anna vividly repeated what David Martinez had said, as if David Martinez himself were speaking right here.If it were someone unfamiliar with her, they would probably think this woman was intentionally cursing the person on the other end of the phone."Have you already told the other party that the person to be caught is Gary?""Already informed.""Netrunner Sasha Yakovleva is also in the team?""Also there.""Okay, I know."The childish voice on the other end of the phone asked a bunch of inconsequential things, but Annaanswered them one by one.After a moment of silence, new words came from the phone, "Well done, Anna. According to data projection, David Martinez has a 73% probability of refusal.""My Lord?" A trace of puzzlement slowly surfaced on Anna's pretty little face.She didn't understand why that lord would say that; clearly, David Martinez's actions had deviated from the original plan."Don't worry. According to projections, the probability of David Martinez heading to the intersection of Bradbury Street and Bran Street is one hundred percent, so all you need to do is wait.""I understand, my Lord." Anna slowly lowered her head, seemingly expressing respect to the person on the other end of the phone in this way.However, the moment her voice fell, the phone call was also hung up.Standing in the dimly lit locker room, Anna raised her head once again, but a faint blue light welled up in her eyes, like a glimmer of fluorescent light in the gloom...At the same time, David Martinez had driven to the intersection of Bradbury Street and Bran Street, parking the car by the roadside."Let's go, let's go see what on earth these guys are up to."Saying this, he led Sasha Yakovleva and Mowertoward the corner of the pedestrian street ahead.However, their MAX-TAC attire also caused quite a commotion.As long as anyone saw this outfit of theirs, they consciously made way by several steps, then turned their heads and ran, as if they had seen a plague.However, the commotion on their side was much smaller than the one near Misty's shop.As soon as they rounded the corner, what came into view was an unprecedented grand spectacle of a sea of people. Opposite the familiar bar, everyone surrounded the place to watch the commotion."Hey, look, that old madman is finally going to be taken away.""Why take away Prophet Gary! I really liked what he said, and why are they corporate people!""Not clear, whatever, we are just responsible for watching the show."Some of these people hoped Gary would be taken away, some did not, but no matter who they were, none of them had any intention of blocking or interfering.This wasn't strange. In this crappy place called Night City, never casually meddle in other people's business; remember—'better to have less trouble than more trouble'.Also holding this principle, David Martinez stood outside the crowd listening, with no intention of walking in.Until he heard such a voice coming from the crowd:"Shh, keep it down, those are people from Night Corp!""Night Corp?"Hearing the name of this corporation, he subconsciously repeated it.He didn't know too much about this corporation.He only knew that Night Corp had very high authority in Night City. Although it had no intention of pursuing the mayor's position, it had the ability to influence and even suppress various factions in Night City, even Militech and Arasaka were no exceptions.NCPD and MAX-TAC were also primarily funded and sponsored by Night Corp.It could be said to be the most mysterious enterprise in Night City.Yet such a mysterious big guy actually ran over here to openly grab people now?He had to admit, he indeed piqued a bit of interest."Hey! Make way, make way, make a path for me, thanks!"David Martinez shouted loudly while squeezing into the crowd.Some guys who were bumped into just wanted to start cursing, but when they saw the clothes on David Martinez, they hastily backed away three hundred cubits, as if avoiding a plague god."It's MAX-TAC!""Really, it's actually people from MAX-TAC!""Holy crap, even the guys from MAX-TAC have been dispatched."Everyone's reactions varied, but more of it was fear towards David Martinez, and thoroughly making a path for him.Some smart guys had already turned their heads, left the crowd, and ran away.This was one of the survival rules of Night City: never appear in the same frame as MAX-TAC, otherwise you never know which stray bullet might hit you and turn you into a puddle of rotten meat.In just a few seconds, the crowd gathered here had dispersed by more than half.Those remaining were either not afraid of death, or guys who had just arrived in Night City, ready to continue watching the commotion.
And David didn't care about these people's gazes in the slightest, bringing Mower and Sasha to the police cordon.The NCPD officers responsible for setting up the cordon were just standing together chatting after finishing their work, with zero intention of maintaining order."What a bunch of damned parasites..."Using guys like this to maintain order—it would be a miracle if Night City's public security was any good.However, you can't really blame them either.After all, the NCPD is an organization lacking in funds, equipment, and personnel. Their equipment can't even compare to the security forces of some small corporations, and every day they have to face vicious criminals.Drawing an utterly meager salary every month, how could they possibly strive for Night City's public security?They barely make any money anyway...Thinking of this, David shook his head helplessly, crossed the cordon, and cast his gaze into the narrow dark alley beside Misty's shop."Gary, we are issuing our final notice now. Come with us, and we will guarantee your personal safety.""I won't go! I will absolutely not go with you modified ghouls!"Pulled up by his arms forcibly, Gary struggled frantically.Yet with his weak and feeble body, how could he possibly resist the corporate operatives.In no time, he was dragged out of the alley, but upon seeing David dressed in MAX-TAC gear, his eyes instantly lit up."Ah, it's you, I remember you! You're the good guy who gave me money last time!"94. What is Cyberpunk (6K)"Ah, it's you, I remember you! You're the good guy who gave me money last time!"Suddenly, Gary shouted loudly, and somehow finding a burst of strength from nowhere, he immediately broke free from the two men in suits and ran up in front of him, seeming wanting to hug him."Whoa~"David subtly took two steps back, causing Gary to lunge at empty air, stagger a couple of steps, and drop to his knees on the ground with a thump.Just hearing the sound made it feel painful.However, Gary didn't care in the least. Unable to stand up for a moment, he simply knelt there and shouted, "Ah, are you the messenger sent by God to save me? As expected, I really didn't misjudge you!""...This guy..."The corners of David's mouth twitched awkwardly; he no longer knew what to say.Not only him, but Sasha and Mower were the same.Wanting to speak up for David, they had no idea what to say at all.Prophet Gary truly lives up to his reputation.Simply put, David couldn't be bothered to deal with this crying and howling fellow, shifting his gaze to the two suited men who had just dragged Gary.What came into view were crisp black suits and exquisite leather shoes, making them look just like successful people.Yeah, a very familiar outfit.corpo rats usually dress like this.Immediately afterwards, those two people seemed to have noticed David's gaze, slowly turning around to meet his eyes.Those pairs of eyeballs—whose original color was unknown—were currently flickering with a light blue glow.They were people from Night Corp; there was no doubt about that.Because employees dispatched by Night Corp all shared this common trait: their eyes emitted a weird blue light.Back when he took the Sun ending, the Mr. Blue Eyes who recommended the gig to V came precisely from Night Corp.According to rumors on the net, this seemed to be the result of being controlled by an AI, but this point had never been verified, nor was there any way to verify it.After all, CD Projekt Red had only thrown out a half-finished product, leaving many things vague and unclear."You're David Martinez sent by MAX-TACheadquarters, right? Please assist us in clearing the scene; we need to take this guy named Gary away."Right at this moment, one of the suited men stepped forward and said so.Yet his words caused David's brows to furrow: "You... know me?""That's right. Not long ago, Anna contacted us, saying she would send an elite MAX-TAC member, which is you.""Ho-ho~" David's gaze gradually grew subtle, "An elite member, huh..."Putting aside how this mission was, Anna herself definitely had huge problems.As a MAX-TAC member, she actually contacted that bunch of corporate folks in advance—no matter how you look at it, this wasn't something Anna should do."Could this woman have been sent by Night Corp?"David's mind gradually cleared up, as if he understood Anna's origin.The superior in Melissa's mouth might just be Night Corp.After all, Night Corp is the primary investor for their police personnel, so calling them superiors is fine. Furthermore, this enterprise also has an inseparable relationship with the founder of Night City.If we're talking about whose influence is the greatest in all of Night City, that might be a bit hard to say, but if we're talking about who calls the shots here, it definitely belongs to Night Corp.Many things in Night City have an inescapable connection to them.Even Arasaka, which has always tried to control Night City, still fell a notch short compared to Night Corp.David's brain ran rapidly in this short span of time, thinking of many things. At the same time, he verbally refused the request of these two corpo rats: "Sorry, I'm off work now, and coming here is just to rubberneck. I'm not here to clean up the mess for you bunch of corpo rats."However, his snide and barbed words did not provoke any aversion from the two, nor did they show any emotional fluctuations at all.Just like that woman Anna.This made him even more certain that that woman Anna definitely came from Night Corp."After this matter, I must have a good chat with Melissa."David thought to himself."Then, please do not block us from taking Garyaway."The two corpo rats looked at each other, seemingly prepared for his reaction long ago."Uh-huh, go ahead."David shrugged, taking a step back in the process to put some distance between himself and Gary.Reason and logic dictated that there was no way he could help Gary. No matter how you looked at it, Gary had no relation to him whatsoever; they couldn't even be called friends.At best, he could only be considered a somewhat familiar stranger.Besides, he wasn't any savior, nor was he some Madonna. He had neither the qualification nor the mind to save them.After all, with Night City's massive population, things like this were happening all the time. If someone wanted to manage it all, who could possibly handle it?If things went south, it might even invite a whole body's worth of trouble."Alright, thanks for your cooperation."Saying a perfunctory word of thanks, the two stepped forward again, each grabbing one of Gary's arms just like before to forcibly haul him up from the ground."No! I won't go with you bunch of lizardmen! Let me go!"Gary twisted his body like a madman. Seeming because they didn't hold him tightly enough, he broke free from their restraint once more, stumbling a few more steps to kneel in front of him, his hands grabbing tightly onto his trouser legs."Kid, listen to me! Do you know you've already been targeted by those guys?!""Who? Targeted me?"Gary's sudden words left him completely baffled."It's those lizardmen! They are monitoring you every single second—monitoring your life, everything about you! Everything you think, everything you consider is under their watch!"Hearing this, the two corpo rats immediately furrowed their brows, stepping forward in a hurry to grab Gary's arms again, forcibly ripping him off David's trouser legs, as if trying to cover something up.But even so, Gary didn't stop shouting."Kid! Remember my words! One day, they will descend upon Earth, silently, shrouding the sky in darkness! Nightfall... will be an eternal night! Moreover, a part of them has already descended now—you must be careful!""Be sure to remember my words, I will contact you again..."Gary was thus violently shoved into the AV by the two, without the slightest hesitation or mercy.Afterwards, the AV's engine roared in waves, slowly rising into the sky and leaving this place as if fleeing for its life.However, before leaving, Gary left him a contact method. Who knows how this guy actually pulled that off."Mr. Gary... looks a bit pitiful."Sasha, standing behind him, gazed at the gradually receding AV in the sky and sighed."Say... should I step in and save that guy?"David looked quietly at the newly added phone number in his contact list, deep in thought.What Gary said just now was genuinely a bit concerning.Although this guy often spouted mad nonsense and talked a bunch of things people couldn't understand, this time it seemed somewhat clear.Targeted... exactly who was he targeted by?Earlier, Gary initially called those two ghouls, then changed his words to lizardmen. Why?And being targeted by so-called lizardmen...Could it be targeted by Night Corp?David made a bold yet ridiculous guess.If he were truly targeted by Night Corp, he wouldn't be standing here right now. No matter what, he was only an unknown "small fry." Even back during the Arasaka incident, if it weren't for the attention of major corporations, he wouldn't have acted so decisively and neatly against Adam Smasher."No, you did the right thing."Right at this moment, Mower, who usually spoke the least, suddenly spoke up: "Getting into a conflict with corporate people here is the most irrational choice."Mower seemed to imply something, and David also subconsciously looked around."You're right, Mower."He nodded in agreement.Aside from the remaining onlookers and the ones grinding their hips inside the display window at the bar entrance, the only people present were the NCPD officers.If he had truly stepped in to save Gary just now, the NCPD wouldn't have just sat there and watched; they definitely would have taken action.By then, it would evolve into a massive brawl staged by MAX-TAC, Night Corp, and the NCPD. When that happened, neither he nor Melissa would be able to bear the consequences."Forget it, let's go."With a wave of his hand, paying no heed to the heated discussions of the surrounding people or even the condemnations of some homeless folks, David left this place amidst the crowd making way.---What is cyberpunk?Cyberpunk is a portmanteau of "cybernetics" and "punk".Literally speaking, it is a reflection on "advanced mechanical civilization".This background is mostly portrayed in the future, built on the foundation of "low life and high tech combined", featuring advanced science and technology contrasted against a somewhat collapsed social structure.Afterwards, it extended from literature to media such as films and games, giving birth to cyberpunk culture.At the same time, it also evolved into a visual aesthetic style, applied to numerous fields in daily life."Cyberpunk" was born out of the New Wave science fiction movement that arose in the 1960s-1970s.Originating in the 1980s—in 1980, science fiction writer Bruce Bethke coined the term—Gibson's science fiction novel Neuromancer popularized the word cyberpunk and pioneered a category of science fiction literature.It features all sorts of visual impact effects, such as street neon lights, row-upon-row of iconic advertisements, and high-rise buildings, typically paired with color palettes centered around black, purple, green, blue, and red. However, neon lights and the like are merely hallmarks among them; not everything related to neon lights can be called cyberpunk.Cyberpunk plots frequently revolve around conflicts between hackers, artificial intelligence, and mega-corporations.Science fiction writer Lawrence Person once attempted to define the connotation and social trends of the cyberpunk literary movement—classic cyberpunk characters are marginalized, alienated loners.They live on the fringes of social groups, on a future Earth permeated with an anti-utopian atmosphere: daily life is affected by drastically altered technology, pervasive computerized information shrouds the globe, and invasive body modifications are the norm.At night, surrounded by colorful neon lights, David returned home from work, organizing and pondering everything about cyberpunk.The above content was something awakened from the depths of his hidden memories.And these descriptions happened to be everything about Night City—for instance, hackers Rache Bartmoss, Alt Cunningham, and so on; mega-corporations such as Arasaka, Militech, Zetatech, Biotechnica, Kang Tao, Petrochem, and so on.