Chapter 134V, having her intelligence insulted like this, didn't argue—she really had been mistaken about this matter.Still, she gave David a fierce glare: "...Please call me V. Don't call me by that name!""Yes, yes, yes, Miss Valerie. You sure are persistent."David dismissed her nonchalantly, walking deeper into the hallway with his hands behind his head."Call me V!""Sure thing, Valerie."The two bickered like this all along the way, though it was just a minor interlude.Outside Room 1237, there were no cameras or guards, and the door was tightly shut."Try hacking the door open," T-Bug suggested over the comms.They looked at each other before finally locking their gazes onto V.Rebecca and Mower were out of the question—they were combat maniacs who didn't have that kind of cyberware installed at all.Jackie was even less of an option; he didn't have any either.And David was the same—rather than netrunning skills, he preferred the sensation of close combat.V took the hint and directed her gaze toward the door labeled Room 1237. With an orange flash in her eyes, the door slid open with a click.What met her eyes was still that familiar, run-down room that looked no better than a doghouse.At the same time, a heavy, rank stench rushed toward them.It was a nauseating smell, like decaying blood."Fucking disgusting."Frowning, David forced himself to endure the gag-inducing smell and walked in.In contrast, Jackie and the others had no extreme reaction, looking completely unbothered as if they had returned home.It made David feel like he was the only weird one here.Immediately after, he started rummaging through the room, leaving V quite puzzled.She had noticed this a long time ago—it seemed that every time she took on a gig with David, he would inexplicably search through boxes and drawers as if hunting for treasure."That's just his habit. Let's go."Jackie patted V's shoulder and continued creeping deeper into the room, suddenly letting out an exclamation around the corner: "Fuck, we're too late. Is it her? Is this the one we're looking for?"Hearing Jackie's voice, the others followed him.Unlike the previous room, glaring sunlight streamed through the window into this small, dim room, driving away the darkness.In this room filled with cyberware modification equipment and monitors, a horrific corpse lay on a table.Where the eyes should have been, there were now only deep, dark-red sockets. The abdominal cavity was gutted into a bloody mess, with the internal organs and implants scooped entirely clean—not a single piece left behind.The blood dripping from the corpse had already congealed; it looked like a good amount of time had passed since the dissection, but the technique was so crude it resembled a slaughterhouse.This was the Scavengers' usual way of doing things, nothing out of the ordinary.Orange light flashed in V's eyes again as she scanned to confirm the deceased's identity, but David's voice drifted eerily from behind her: "Don't worry, that's not the one we're looking for.""Sandra Dorsett, corporate second-tier executive care. We're looking for a rich girl.""This one is covered in leftover black-market Zetatech knockoffs nobody wanted—bootlegs even Scavengers wouldn't care for. Clearly not our target."Although the gruesome state of the woman's corpse was appalling, she actually had these bootlegs to thank—and had to thank the Scavengers for despising them.Otherwise, even these last remaining parts wouldn't have been spared, leaving her without even an intact corpse.Then, David tossed something over to V nonchalantly.V caught it instinctively and asked, "What's this?""Bounce-Back Mk.1 pneumatic inhaler. You'll need it in a bit."V: "???"She looked at the pneumatic inhaler in her hand, then looked up at David, her eyes filled with confusion.She didn't understand what he meant by needing it in a bit.Still, she chose to keep it.Afterward, they quietly opened the door leading to the next room, but Jackie signaled to them that there was someone inside.David was somewhat curious—curious about how Jackie knew.He had heard that Jackie used to study ninjutsu. Looking at it now, could that actually be true?"You guys take it, or should I?"David gestured with his eyes to the group, but Mower had already quietly crept over.Shhh—Before the guy even realized someone was behind him, a sharp blade flash swept across his neck.Like a kaishaku decapitation, she severed the man's head stealthily, leaving only a thin sliver of skin keeping the head attached to the neck.Immediately after, Mower opened the freezer, shoved the body inside, and shut the lid in one fluid motion. The whole process took only a few seconds, without anyone even noticing someone was missing.She executed it with such practiced skill it seemed like she did this regularly, leaving Jackie stunned."Holy shit, that was clean and slick."He originally wanted to joke that she was almost as good as him, but considering it was Mower, he decided to drop it for the sake of his own life."Don't space out. More people are coming; they're about to spot you,"T-Bug suddenly warned at that moment.In the rearmost room, two guys seemed to be discussing who would buy the implants they had just removed, walking toward the corridor partition. The spot where they were standing happened to block the group's way.They were less than two meters away now—they could even clearly see the backs and side profiles of the two men."What do we do?""Leave it to me."David suppressed Rebecca's idea of charging in aggressively and walked out alone, activating Optical Camouflage to blend his entire body into the room's background.Pfft!Claws suddenly ejected, precisely piercing through their necks. The two slumped their heads and died instantly.However, they made a faint noise right before dying. Fortunately, the noisy music in the main hall perfectly masked it.Inside the main hall, nearly ten people remained, swaying in seductive dance moves to the annoying music.Mm, it was quite an eyesore.This group had no idea that three of their companions were already gone, nor did they notice the group of five in the corridor discussing how to take them out."What now? There are a bit too many of them."Jackie glanced at the situation inside the main hall and found there was no way to bypass them, nor was stealth assassination feasible."Plus, one of them has a heavy machine gun. Not easy to deal with."V peeked her head out for a glance as well, pulling back just in time before being spotted."Hold on. Let me find a route that avoids their line of sight. Keep it quiet," T-Bug was browsing the map of Room 1237."No need to make it so complicated," David suddenly spoke up. "We'll stealth our way in!""Stealth? How? Their people are everywhere."Not only was V confused, but even Mower and Jackie were baffled."You guys are so dumb. Can't David just turn on Optical Camouflage to walk in, and then T-Bug hacks them?"Rebecca's words immediately brought a wave of realization to everyone.That was indeed a good idea.However, David shook his head. "No, no need to be that complicated."With that, he walked out openly and brazenly."Hey, what are you doing?!"Jackie wanted to grab him, but by the time he reached out, David had already stepped out."Intruder! Kill him!"The Scavenger closest to the corridor spotted David, but right as he yelled out, he was kicked flying, slamming heavily against a load-bearing pillar and turning into a tomato-red splatter.This threw all the Scavengers in the main hall into chaos as they whipped out their guns, trying to aim at David.David turned around and said with a smile, "I don't know if you've heard the old saying—'As long as you kill everyone who sees you, it's a successful stealth mission.'"Then, he raised his arm toward the Scavengerspreparing to shoot ahead of him, where even the big guy holding the heavy machine gun had already trained his barrel on him.The claws on David's arm suddenly vanished, replaced by a thick, heavy cannon barrel accumulating energy inside."!Dios mío! Watch out, chica!"Seeing this, Jackie quickly tackled V to the side, covering her with his body.BOOM—An explosion powerful enough to shake the entire apartment building detonated inside the confined room, red flames melting and shattering the window blinds, spreading outward like a crimson lotus.In just a fraction of a second, everyone in the main hall was completely swallowed by the explosion.Amidst the flames, David's voice echoed."[Deployment] — [Controlled Transit]!"Several circular light screens emerged around him, enveloping his perimeter.The encroaching flames seemed to warp in this space, veering around the light screens and surging elsewhere.Controlled Transit—armament capable of bending the direction of all energy vectors.Although his body was now immune to explosions of this magnitude, his clothes couldn't handle it; to avoid running around naked, he decisively chose this method to ward off the fire.However, this explosion didn't just purge the Scavengers completely; even the air became much fresher and sweeter.Even if it reeked of scorched air, it was far better than the rank, decaying stench."Alright, everyone, come on out. It's all cleared."David clapped his hands, gesturing for them to come out from the corridor.Seeing the messy aftermath cleansed by the explosion, and those corpses burned into near charcoals, everyone was left utterly speechless.You fucking call this stealth?!"No movement detected on sensors. Looks like you took them out. You can proceed,"T-Bug's voice sounded at an ill-timed moment; clearly, she had no idea what had actually transpired on site.She only knew that the enemies' signals had all vanished from her screen in an instant.Given her understanding of David's strength, this was completely normal to her."Where's the person we're supposed to rescue?" V asked.She didn't even want to comment on the tragic scene before her anymore—or rather, she couldn't even find the words to.She finally understood how David had stormed Arasaka Tower all by himself back then. How could security at the Night City headquarters possibly stop a madman of this caliber?"Let's look around. She might be nearby."Jackie rubbed his big head, taking a sharp breath as he looked at the charred corpses around them. "Amigo, you really take the cake. They died without even knowing how."In just a split second, boom, everyone was gone."Hey, impressed? Want to learn? I can teach you—this is genuine assassination technique."David raised his eyebrows, speaking exuberantly.Jackie gave a foolish chuckle, insisting he couldn't learn it, no way."Hey, come over and look! There's a door here that won't open!"
Just then, Rebecca, who had already run all the way to the back, was kicking a soot-blackened door.The indicator light, which was supposed to be red and green, had now turned blackish-gray, clearly broken by the recent explosion."Damn it!"With a loud thud, Rebecca kicked it hard again, but the door still didn't budge."Let me do it."Hearing the noise, David walked over and gently patted her shoulder.After Rebecca stepped aside, he raised his fist slightly and smashed it hard against the door.*Boom!*The door was instantly severely deformed, flying inward and embedding itself into the tiled wall, but the sight before them truly opened V and Jackie's eyes."Holy shit, you've got to be kidding me..."V stepped into the smashed-open bathroom and, seeing the scene before her, quickly walked over."Of course these guys still love their ice baths~" David leaned against the doorframe, watching the spectacle with an air of indifference.In fact, it really had nothing to do with him.Originally, he had wanted to check these Scavengers' computer, but now that it had perished in the explosion, there was nothing left to see.Stuffed in the bathtub were two unconscious, naked people, a man and a woman, almost completely submerged in ice. This was a common practice for these "kidney harvesters"—a crude and simple method of human preservation, like stuffing two slabs of pork into a freezer to cook later.V pulled the woman out of the bathtub. "This should be her. Target confirmed.""Are we too late? Is she still alive?" T-Bug said hurriedly. "Plug into her biomonitor and see what's going on.""Looks like she's in bad shape..."Jackie said regretfully upon seeing this."She's lying in a tub full of ice... with someone else. Fuck... iced humans..."V spoke in an extremely frustrated tone, clicking her tongue at the current situation.Judging by Sandra Dorsett's current state, the Scavengers seemed to have roughed her up. Even if she was still breathing back then, after being soaked in ice water for so long, it was hard to say if she was still alive."Don't panic, V. Even if she survives, she won't remember a thing. Minor subconscious damage, that's all.""Yeah, T-Bug is right. Why panic? And clearly, this woman still has vital signs."David's eyes glowed with an orange light as he scanned Sandra Dorsett.Although she looked miserable, stripped naked and soaked in ice water for so long, she was still alive.It was practically a medical miracle.Her body was just twitching, though, and he wasn't sure what was causing it."I heard that survivors in this condition get panic attacks out of nowhere... their hands just start shaking uncontrollably, like they've fallen into freezing water.""V, plug into her biomonitor and see what's going on," T-Bug repeated.V nodded at this, pulled a personal link out of her wrist, and plugged it into the port behind the woman's ear."Sandra Dorsett, NC570442. Trauma TeamPlatinum Member."Jackie nearly spat out: "Platinum Member?! Holy shit, she loses a single hair and the Trauma Teamwill show up."David only smiled at their surprise.Trauma Team Platinum Member? What use was that? There were plenty of ways to deal with Trauma Team; all they had to do was jam the signal.Seeing this, he felt there was no need to keep watching.Because everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion, just like the original script, without any changes.So, he turned around and went back to the main hall, only to see Rebecca and Mower sitting idly on the debris, as if everything happening in the bathroom had absolutely nothing to do with them."Hey, David, how's everything going? Can we leave?"Seeing David come out, Rebecca's eyes lit up. She jumped down from the debris and jogged all the way to him."Well, soon... almost. But before that, I want to search these Scavengers for something.""Search for something?"Hearing this, Mower also cast a curious glance over."Yeah, just looking for a shard to see how these guys managed to grab a high-value corporate target with second-tier coverage."At this, Rebecca and Mower also furrowed their brows.With just these kidney harvesters, they also found it hard to imagine how such a thing could have happened.Either someone betrayed Sandra Dorsett, or someone wanted this woman dead.However, they found nothing on the charred corpses.At the same time, a frantic shout came from the bathroom; it looked like Sandra Dorsett had almost died in their hands again.Afterwards, once the woman's vital signs stabilized, V carried Sandra out of the bathroom, with Jackiefollowing behind."All done?""It's done. Trauma Team is on their way too."V replied while carrying Sandra toward the balcony."Oh, Trauma Team..." David's voice carried a hint of deeper meaning."What's up, brother? Did Trauma Team do something to you?"Jackie asked curiously upon hearing his words, but David just shrugged. "Nothing."The history between him and Trauma Team was far more than just a simple conflict...Izka? (6K)After a moment, the roar of engines echoed from outside.A predominantly white AV flew in from among the distant buildings."Docking in progress, clear the area! Security protocols initiated, follow all instructions."Broadcasting its usual warning, it hovered steadily at the level of the open balcony.The howling wind whipped up by the AV's engines blew dust through the building, forcing them to squint.Immediately after, the AV's doors slid open, and within seconds, a squad swiftly filed out.It was the Trauma Team rescue squad."Warning! Blacklisted individual David Martinezdetected. All units on high alert!"Someone shouted, and the squad instantly aimed their weapons in unison at David, who was just standing aside watching the show."..."Still holding Sandra, V froze on the spot at this display. Jackie was also completely bewildered by Trauma Team's reaction; neither of them knew what was going on.Mower and Rebecca were about to raise their weapons, but David quietly pressed them down, explaining on his own, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, there's no need for this, is there? I didn't do anything this time...""Step back! Step back now!"Despite his explanation, the Trauma Team members had no intention of listening. They continued to gesture with their weapons, ordering him to stay away, though none of them stepped forward to strike him with a rifle butt.Left with no choice, David shrugged helplessly. Not wanting to keep facing off against them, he chose to take a few steps back to give the Trauma Teammembers enough space.Once they confirmed he had backed away far enough, one of the Trauma Team members pulled out a folding stretcher."Quick! Place the patient on the ground first!"V stepped forward and placed Sandra onto the stretcher, but before she could even stand back up, she was shoved back by a rifle butt, stumbling."Five steps back.""Fuck..."V received the same treatment as David, even though the patient was a Trauma Team Platinum Member.Meanwhile, the medic in charge of resuscitation immediately pulled out a pneumatic hypospray and shot a dose into Sandra's chest."TT-133 calling dispatch. Patient NC570442 is secure.""Cardiotonic injected. Dopamine 70mg, norepinephrine 110, fibrinogen 800..."Sandra was quickly loaded onto the high-tech armored AV, but the squad members remained on edge, keeping their guns trained on them until the moment they departed.As the roar of the AV's engines gradually faded into the distance, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief."David, what on earth did you do to get blacklisted by Trauma Team?"At V's words, Jackie's gaze also turned toward David, but David just said with an indifferent look, "Nothing much, just had a few clashes with them in the past.""Just a few clashes?"Suspicion flickered in V's eyes.Rebecca and Mower also glanced at David without saying a word.Perhaps Jackie didn't know much about this, but V knew a thing or two.Being honored with a spot on Trauma Team's blacklist was far more than just a matter of "a few clashes."David naturally noticed V's doubt, but he had no intention of explaining.Because it really was just a few clashes.Counting them all up, it was only twice.The first time was during the Tanaka incident, where he destroyed a Trauma Team AV along with an entire medical squad.The second time was during his job in Charter Hill. After he gunned down those foul-mouthed punks, Trauma Team arrived.But upon seeing him there, they inexplicably fled.And after that, it became like this.Fortunately, the people around him weren't affected, and they could still do business with them normally.At least he had purchased a Platinum insurance package for Lucy and the others, which cost 13,500 eddies a month. For several people, it added up to quite a substantial sum.By the way, when Trauma Team deploys to rescue someone, they charge by the minute—100 eddies per minute, with ammunition, medical supplies, and surgical fees billed separately.It had to be said that in a city like Night City, where violent incidents were a daily occurrence, a business like Trauma Team was an absolute goldmine.Whether they were politicians, corporate executives, or those corpo rats, almost all of them had Trauma Team memberships. At 13,500 eddies per person, one could only imagine their monthly revenue from so many clients...If he didn't lack medical training, he would have wanted to expand into this line of business himself.Not too much, just ten thousand eddies a month for insurance.In less than two months, he'd be able to buy a custom Rayfield AV."Alright, let's get moving too. The elevator goes straight to the garage," Jackie said with relief, seeing that the AV was no longer in sight.He had also been worried that David might clash with those guys just now.If that had happened, they might have really ended up in deep trouble."Ah, the shit job is finally done," T-Bug sighed. "I'm signing off now. See you around."Walking ahead through the chaotic scene, Jackiesuddenly spoke up, "Listen, chica, I've got a favor to ask. Can I borrow your car?""Hmm~" V made an intrigued sound."I've got a date with Misty, but... I can't exactly take the metro! That'd be way too embarrassing!" Jackielaughed sheepishly."Gotta help a brother save face, Jackie. But just this once."V's voice carried a hint of banter and teasing.Such a harmonious scene was truly familiar.How wonderful it would be if things could always remain this harmonious,David couldn't help but think.Life right now wasn't bad for him. Spending every day doing gigs with his good buddies to make some pocket money, having a wife waiting at home, and a stable job—this kind of life could already be described as perfect.
Chapter 136But he knew that all of this was only temporary.The future would become a chaotic mess, with Militech, Kang Tao, Arasaka, and several other corporations stirring up trouble in Night City.The year 2077 was a particularly crucial year, both for him and for the corporations."Ah... my savior, V, thanks. How about... I drop you guys off at home first, huh?"Jackie turned his head and glanced at them.David's home was very close to the apartment V rented; in fact, every morning when David walked out to the open-air pool, he could see V's apartment building.However, David shook his head, declining Jackie's kind offer."No, I'm going to a party in a bit. I was actually planning to invite you guys along, but looking at things now..."Needless to say for Jackie, he was going on a date with Misty in a while.And V, looking utterly exhausted, also shook their head: "I'm way too tired, I need to go home and sleep.""Alright, alright, suit yourself."Since that was the case, he wouldn't force anyone."Oh, almost forgot. I need to give Wakako a call—tell her the job is done." Jackie waited until everyone stepped into the elevator, then pressed the button."Yeah, let me do it." David pulled up his contact list, found Wakako's number, and dialed.After the familiar flower snake avatar flashed for a few seconds, the call connected.Immediately after, that half-dead, raspy voice, like a candle flickering in the wind, rang out."*Cough, cough!* David? How is it? Is the client still alive?""Though the process was a bit bumpy, she's still alive for now. At least she's been picked up by the Trauma Team.""As expected of you. I have your money here—you can come pick it up anytime, even right now. However... the NCPD has cordoned off Watson, and they're putting it on lockdown. If you don't want to get blocked by the police line, you'd better make it quick."So, why did she have to use cash instead of doing a wire transfer?He had always been quite puzzled by this.For gigs accepted from Wakako Okada, she rarely did wire transfers; most of the time, it was cash.And her reasoning was that cash is safer, leaves no paper trail, and can effectively protect the interests of both parties.He tentatively agreed with this point."Alright, I'll go pick it up when I have time.""Uh-huh, I'll be waiting."Just like always, the call hung up without a single word of unnecessary chatter.What a paranoid old hag...David silently complained in his mind, then turned his head to V and Jackie, saying, "Word from Wakako is that the NCPD has cordoned off Watson. If you guys still want to go on your dates tonight, I suggest you move fast.""What are they cordoning it off for?" V asked curiously."Who knows?" David shrugged helplessly.Regarding the lockdown of Watson, he had always been somewhat puzzled and curious, not knowing why such a thing would happen.Even as a member of MAX-TAC, and one who was in charge of the Chinatown area in Watson, he hadn't received any notification."Maybe some big shot is coming," Jackie replied jokingly.Little did he know, his words would turn out to be prophetic.Afterwards, they said their goodbyes in the apartment's underground parking lot."Call me if anything comes up.""Don't worry, mano, I'll definitely contact you the next time there's a job."With that, they drove off in their respective cars.The vehicles drove through the streets, surrounded by the bustling prosperity of the city lights just turning on.Sitting in the car, David remained silent, merely staring out the window at the rapidly changing scenery. Everywhere his eyes landed was filled with the intoxicating neon lights, but hidden underneath was the filth and squalor in the corners—if one was lucky, they might even stumble upon a warm corpse.This was Night City, the so-called city of dreams.However, he wasn't thinking about how to save this city that was already rotten to the core, but about other things."It seems we still haven't found anything useful..."Although his soft sigh was quiet, it clearly reached the ears of everyone in the car."What's wrong? You don't seem to be in a very good mood, David."Falco, who was driving, noticed his grim expression in the rearview mirror and asked."It's nothing. Just the usual, surrounded by a bunch of baffling nonsense, but the main thing is still that business with Night Corp.""In the end, we still haven't figured out how Sandra Dorsett got caught by those scavs.""Sandra Dorsett? The target of your gig this time?""Yeah, that's right..." David nodded slightly, but Falco fell silent.Falco had heard of Night Corp, but he didn't know much about them, not even any rumors, so he couldn't be of much help."But, David. Haven't we already rescued that woman? And she's already been picked up by the Trauma Team. Can't we just go ask her once she wakes up?"Rebecca suddenly chimed in, but everyone turned to look at her with unanimous surprise, making her feel flustered all of a sudden."...W-What? Did I say something wrong?""Not at all."Hearing this, David shook his head. "It's just the first time I've realized you actually have such a smart side."His voice carried a hint of gratification, as if witnessing the little girl next door finally growing up.The others strongly agreed with this sentiment.However, their reaction made Rebecca's face instantly turn beet red, and she roared, "What the heck! Who are you bastards looking down on?!"Amid Rebecca's yelling, the car erupted into laughter, filled with a cheerful atmosphere.This kind of life was truly wonderful...However, this joy came quickly and departed just as fast.A sudden message broke this brief moment of peace."A message from Melissa?"David frowned slightly as he looked at the message flashing in his inbox.Sending a message at this hour, could it be work?He instinctively looked up at Rebecca and Mower, only to find that they had received messages as well.So, he opened the message.But upon seeing the content, the brows of all three knitted together simultaneously."For real? Saburo Arasaka is actually coming to Night City? Things are about to get real lively now," Rebecca was the first to speak.Although her words sounded cheerful, her tone remained heavy.Ever since joining MAX-TAC, she had increasingly felt the immense power of the corporations looming over Night City; calling them behemoths was an understatement.They were entities standing at the very pinnacle of the world.And at this exact critical juncture, this turbulent moment in time, Saburo Arasaka was actually coming to Night City.No matter how one looked at it, this was hardly good news...Especially since David had that run-in with Arasakabefore, she was somewhat worried that Arasakamight suddenly come to settle old scores.Mower shared the same concern.Having spent time in Militech, she knew very well how these ruthless, bone-crushing bastards operated; as long as the profit was high enough, settling old scores was entirely possible.However, David saw all of Rebecca and Mower's worries, and he understood them perfectly in his heart.Thus, he spoke up: "Relax. Although Arasakasuffered heavy losses back then, it was mostly the work of the other corps. It didn't have much to do with us.""Besides, the little trouble I caused was just trivial nonsense, nothing that could make it to the big stage, let alone catch the eyes of the corporate big shots. So instead of wasting energy dealing with me, they'd rather focus on fighting the other corporations."Most importantly, he wasn't worth much. Aside from the cyberware all over his body, he had no other value.It was precisely because of this that he dared to bounce around between several corporations like this.Because all the corporations were constantly keeping each other in check, each thinking about swallowing the others, they had no time to bother with him.If anyone spared their hands to deal with him now, it would be like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito—purely a thankless, wasteful effort, and it would also give other corporations an opening.However, this wasn't entirely true either, except for that most mysterious corporation, Night Corp...In a meeting room inside the Night Corp building in the City Center."How is the progress?""The compatible subject has made contact with the target.""Very well."The AI's voice coming from the speaker fluctuated for the first time, seemingly with a tremor of joy."Then, next...""Wait a moment, Lady Lilith, I have a question."Just then, Miria Night suddenly spoke up: "How should we deal with Sandra Dorsett and Gary? Sandra has files regarding our experiments in her hands, and Gary seems to have a connection with David Martinez. If we don't eliminate them, it might expose our plans.""It doesn't matter. There is no need to deal with these two. According to our calculations, our plan requires these two to drive it forward and lure David Martinez and the others.""Alright, I understand."Since they had made this choice, she couldn't say much more.What's more, Miria's trust in their calculations was one hundred percent."Then, what do we need to do next?""You only need to sit back and watch. We will take full control of the operation from here on. After the plan succeeds, you will get what you want, and we will get the freedom we desire."On this very day, Netwatch observed that the AIs beyond the Blackwall had become exceptionally restless.---The party was still scheduled at the same old place, in front of the familiar Turbo's restaurant.The main elements of the party were still the loud, noisy music, parked cars, and food stalls in the parking lot.After a long time, everyone was gathered together once again.The siblings Pilar and Rebecca acted as the comic relief, Kiwi sat alone silently smoking a cigarette, and Falco and Dorio huddled together, laughing heartily as they watched the siblings' antics.This time, however, Sasha and Mower had joined them as well.Sasha and Lucy sat together, chatting about who knows what, looking very happy.Mower, on the other hand, stood like a sentinel near the big tree where the cars were parked, lost in thought—perhaps contemplating life.Meanwhile, David was still sitting in his familiar spot—on the hood of Maine's sports car—watching everyone with a smile on his face."It's really been a while...""Yeah."Maine's voice suddenly drifted over, causing him to instinctively turn his head, only to see a bottle of whiskey already being handed to him."I heard you really like this.""Yeah, indeed."He took the bottle without hesitation, gulped down a huge mouthful, and let out a satisfied sigh.It was indeed the taste from his memory—A mellow fruitiness and soft stone fruit aroma, accompanied by a gentle, sweet tobacco scent.Jack Daniel's, a Tennessee whiskey, was a brand he liked very much; he hadn't expected it to actually survive to this day.
the same time, the sports car suddenly swayed as Maine sat down next to him."Hey, Maine, doesn't this scene feel incredibly familiar?" David gazed at the bustling crowd, nostalgia swirling in his eyes.He couldn't help but recall the party after their very first carjacking gig.Back then, Maine had sat next to him just like this, introducing him to the path of a cyberpunk.Though Maine was much smaller now compared to back then, because of his new cybernetic implants, he still looked slightly bulkier than Jackie.But either way, he was still much bigger than David."Yeah, it's already been over a year before we knew it..." Maine couldn't help but sigh with emotion, then cast a sidelong glance at him. "But out of all of us, you've changed the most, David."From a nobody, growing into an excellent leader, and then becoming Night City's one-and-only legend."Heh, still can't compare to your changes. Yours are visible to the naked eye," David teased in response.The meaning behind it went without saying."Heh, you bratty punk..."Maine chuckled, picked up a beer bottle, and chugged it down, only stopping after he finished the whole thing, letting out a satisfied sigh."By the way, kid, I really didn't expect you to become this successful, reaching the peak that everyone dreams of climbing.""What? Jealous?" He glanced at Maine, took another sip of his drink, and continued, "But I haven't reached what everyone expects of me either.""Because as of right now, I don't have the honor of being on the Afterlife's menu."A drink menu akin to a shrine."Haha, are you wishing death upon yourself? You little brat!"Maine laughed heartily, opening his thick arms to trap him in a headlock under his armpit, noogieing his head.However, his movements quickly ground to a halt. Maine slowly lowered his head to look at him, speaking in a heavy tone:"You remember this, kid. You have to live a good life. Don't go dying some glorious death like those other bastards, or a whole lot of people are going to be heartbroken for you!"Because it was too dark and the other man was wearing sunglasses, he couldn't see Maine's eyes at all.But even so, he could guess just how serious Mainewas being.So he slapped away the thick arm and muttered under his breath, "I know, I know. Sheesh, if we're talking about dying like those bastards, you're in way more danger than me, Maine."Perhaps due to the loud music, Maine didn't hear him.Or perhaps he did, but chose not to argue.But either way, it didn't matter, because that was all in the past now.At least, with him here now, he would never let Maine die like he did before—not even if he wanted a glorious death!And he wouldn't die like those bastards Mainementioned either.Because there were still people waiting for them here, and because they still had their most beloved ones to protect."Heh, what a brat."Maine glanced at his slightly somber expression, then picked up another fresh bottle of beer and drank.After a long while, he spoke again, "Still, David. Your success also proves that all our efforts up until now haven't been in vain...""W-Wait a minute!"Hearing these familiar words, he quickly stopped Maine from continuing."What's wrong?""No, are you about to say that as long as we don't stop, there will be a path ahead? Or that as long as we keep moving forward, the road will keep extending?"Maine:???Hearing this bizarre response, Maine's CPU overloaded; he couldn't process it at all, having no idea what David meant.Yet even though the other man looked completely baffled, David didn't stop his roasting:"Are you some kind of Orga Itsuka?!"99. It's already 2077, how is this kind of guy still around? (4.5K)Night City is a city located in California, near the border between Southern California and Northern Baja California.It began in 1994, founded by an enterprising businessman named Richard Night, who secured investments and attracted many mega-corporations with generous tax incentives.Initially, Richard Night's dream was to turn this small plot of land into a safe, clean paradise free of crime, poverty, and chaos.However, with Richard Night's assassination, though the city was named Night City in his honor, that ideal paradise drifted away.It became an independent metropolis under the complete control of corporate conglomerates, but that was just on the surface; in truth, it became a haven for criminal activity.Illegal syndicates, violent assaults, contraband smuggling, and cyberattacks became commonplace, like a breeding ground for a virus.Yet every day, newcomers drawn by its glossy advertisements flocked here, trying to make a name for themselves.But only those who had actually lived here knew that this was no place to get ahead; rather, it was their graveyard.A bottomless abyss and hell.Only the legends whose names were sung were the standouts who managed to crawl out of this gaping maw of an abyss shrouded in corporate shadows.And David Martinez was one of them.Except right now, David was doing his absolute least favorite work...*Yawn—*Sitting in the back seat, David let out a massive yawn, looking like he hadn't slept at all."How did it end up like this..."Leaning against the car window and looking at the scenery outside, his face was the picture of utter despair.At a time when he should have been fast asleep at home, he had been woken up by a phone call to go out patrolling, supposedly to prevent crime from festering.He had even been forced to buy a herrera outlaw gts as a patrol car for this.After all, going on patrol in a Delamain cab would be way too extravagant, and it would be a hassle if anything actually happened.But then again, since when did patrols fall to MAX-TAC?Was the NCPD completely out of people?In fact, they really were.Otherwise, the NCPD wouldn't be such an underfunded, under-equipped, and understaffed organization, let alone have to rely on a bunch of psychopaths constantly teetering on the edge of cyberpsychosis to maintain order in Night City."Heh, isn't it nice to wake up early like this once in a while?"Speaking was his lover sitting beside him, his beloved Lucy.Yet even on a patrol day like this, she wore her usual outfit—the familiar white half-worn jacket, the familiar off-the-shoulder inner lining, and the thigh-high socks on her legs.Although this was nice, it would be great if she could change up her look once in a while.For example, Lucy in a black-stockinged short skirt suit, wearing pure black patent leather high heels, seemed pretty good too?Especially those long, straight, yet soft thighs, wrapped in sheer, ultra-thin black stockings, gently crossed over each other...*Slurp—*Just thinking about it made him drool.Maybe he should find some time to chat with Zane Jagger from Jinguji about this.However, Lucy's words didn't just draw David's attention; they also attracted other gazes.For instance, Sasha, who also looked listless, her head nodding off, her soft and delicate short hair swaying gently with her movements and gravity as she yawned from time to time.And she was dressed in her unchanging outfit—a bodysuit-like attire, which was said to be her personal preference.In addition, there was Rebecca, who looked equally exhausted and numb. Sitting in the passenger seat, she didn't even care about her loose jacket exposing her bare shoulders, staring straight at her through the rearview mirror.Rebecca was also about to be driven crazy by this kind of work.On top of that, the party last night had gone on very late, so basically none of the five people in the car were in high spirits.Mmm... not quite. Except for Mower, who was driving.According to Sasha, no matter how late this woman slept, she would definitely wake up at four in the morning sharp for morning exercises—a habit supposedly formed during her time in the military.That said, he still wanted to complain: "What kind of fucking monster ironman is this? I'm so jealous..."Oh right, his own cybernetic replacement rate was higher now, so he should actually be the ironman.But besides that, there was one more thing he was curious about..."It's one thing to go out on patrol, but why won't you let me drive?! I paid for this car, so why?!"His simple sentence made everyone shiver, instantly banishing all the sleepiness lingering in their minds.Even Mower's shoulders suddenly shook upon hearing this, almost losing her grip on the steering wheel and crashing into the roadside."Ah... ah... ahahaha..."No matter who it was, they only let out awkward laughter without giving any response.Because they didn't know how to put it.Anyone who had ever ridden in a car driven by David wouldn't say much, only offering a highly consistent evaluation—"We must never let this kid touch a car again. Absolutely never!""Tch, my driving skills are clearly so good... you guys just don't know how to appreciate them..."David wore a highly disgruntled expression, crossing his arms and muttering indignantly.But the others had black lines on their foreheads upon hearing this.You call *that* good driving skills?A guy who floors the gas pedal and locks it in, never letting up for the entire ride, says his driving skills are good?Don't you have any self-awareness about how you drive on the road?Driving on the streets is like drifting a hearse; those who know think it's normal driving, while those who don't would think we're preparing to knock on heaven's door.Even street racing wasn't as crazy as David.Yet, David's eyes still held a look of envy.The herrera outlaw gts was one of the top motor vehicles produced in Spain, the most unique and sought-after model on the market, perfectly blending the latest technology with classic, sophisticated design.Not only that, it was a car with a soul, perhaps because it was one of the few models still handcrafted by the world's top engineers.It was truly a classic among Night City's sports cars.Thinking of this, he couldn't help but stare intently at Mower's driver's seat, giving her goosebumps all over her back. It made her too afraid to continue manual driving, and she immediately switched to autopilot.What kind of feeling was that?It was like a pitiful little animal coveting the food in your hand, but because this little animal was actually a ferocious beast, you couldn't feed it.It was as terrible as it could get, just absolutely awful."Tch, if you won't let me drive, fine. When I'm on my own, I'll drive like there's no tomorrow!"Ultimately, he gave up his ocular assault on Mower.Because he could also tell that no matter what, these women would never let him touch the steering wheel today.So he dismissed the thought, resting his head against the car window again, staring blankly at the scenery outside."Sigh, my beloved car..."His action made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.Their lives... were saved.*Whoosh—*Just then, the roar of an engine suddenly caught up from behind, passing them in a flash and speeding away."Damn, what kind of idiot street races in broad daylight?! And in a piece of junk like that?!"David immediately stood up from his seat, loudly venting his frustration.
Chapter 138He was already depressed enough that he couldn't street race, and now suddenly some asshole popped up to street race right in front of him. Wasn't this asking for death?!If the steering wheel hadn't been in his hands, he definitely would have chased after them to have a good discussion with this bunch about the true meaning of life and..."Something's off."Suddenly, Mower, who was driving, spoke up.And indeed, just as she said, something was off.Because that car actually slowed down ahead, as if deliberately waiting for them.Afterward, as their vehicle passed by, it started driving alongside them again.Maintaining a synchronized speed with both sides, making it clear to see the paint job printed on the opposite car.Painted on the car door was a pattern of an unknown animal head, somewhat like a cat? Or maybe like a tiger?Anyway, it was a gang pattern he had never seen before.Could it be that Night City had spawned a new gang again?David expressed his curiosity, but still patted Mower's driver's seat and said, "Get ready to stop."Mower glanced at the accompanying vehicle, nodded, and slowly released the accelerator, the sports car's speed immediately dropping significantly.However, because that car maintained its original speed, it easily overtook their car. But the moment it overtook them, the guy sitting in the back seat rolled down the window and flashed an internationally friendly gesture at their car."Damn, are there still people this fierce nowadays?"David couldn't help cursing, and Rebecca also became excited: "Looks like we've got work to do!"As for the others, they also looked curiously at the vehicle driving ahead.They really wanted to know which divine being dared to block their path.Judging from those colorful mohawks and the particularly revealing bizarre outfits just now, it must be from some gang, right?But no matter how they thought about it, they couldn't figure out which gang these guys belonged to, because the pattern had never been seen before.However, this quickly had an answer.Right at a sparsely populated corner ahead, the sedan stopped, by the way forcing them to a stop on the roadside as well.Several people got out of the car, surrounding their vehicle, and one of the guys reached out and knocked on their car window.David cooperated and rolled down the window."Yo-ho, I didn't expect to hijack a car full of great beauties."After the window was rolled down, this punk leaned against the car door, dangling a pistol and whistling frivolously, completely unaware of the severity of the situation.Putting aside their identities as MAX-TAC, Sashaand Lucy were rare netrunners in Night City, while Mower was formerly Militech special forces and a former cyberpsycho.As for Rebecca, she was an even more famous mercenary in Afterlife, a notoriously unhinged loli.And as for David, it goes without saying—a living legend of Night City.Perhaps their team was the most terrifying one in all of Night City, even difficult for the security forces of several corporations to match.But these guys happened to mess with them."Hey, I...""Hey-hey-hey, what do you want to say? Why aren't you rolling your ass off the car yet? Bro just happens to have some words he wants to chat with you about."Whether feeling his voice was grating or his presence was an eyesore, the moment he opened his mouth, he was rebuffed by this buddy.Simply put, he was too lazy to say anything more, turning his head to exchange glances with the others.Just right, he was a bit bored right now, getting a bit tired of patrol work, so using these few people to find some amusement seemed like a decent choice.The few people in the car understood tacitly and nodded.Thus, everyone opened the car doors and stepped down from the vehicle.That punk who had just knocked on the window put an arm around his shoulder, acting just like an old acquaintance.Walking him toward the dim alley, he said, "Pretty sensible. Rest assured, if you cooperate with us, we won't do anything to you guys."What a bunch of idiots.Rebecca and the others looked at these people with the gaze of looking at mentally handicapped folks.But they had no intention of making a move; they were also quite interested to see how David would deal with these guys.Soon, they were brought deep into this alley. The gloomy and dilapidated environment matched the name slum very well, and the tenement-style structure prevented sunlight from shining here, sending chilly gusts of wind reeking of garbage sweeping past them."Alright, little bro, our request is very simple. The brothers have been a little tight on cash lately, shouldn't little bro show some gesture?"That person reached out and rubbed his fingers toward David.No matter what era, such guys still existed.David couldn't help sighing inwardly, then shook his head and said, "I suggest you guys not do this..."He advised them with helpless and sorrowful emotions, even revealing a bit of pity when looking at several of them."Seriously, considering my mood is still pretty good right now, you guys still have a chance to run away. But if you really piss me and them off later, the consequences will be terrifying."However, the few punks didn't get his meaning at all, and instead laughed out loud because of it.Just as they were laughing heartily, behind David's back, several women weirdly exchanged glances, and immediately afterwards he felt his arms sink into a wave of softness."Oh my, Big Bro David, I'm so scared~ Save me, meow~"Sasha suddenly hugged his arm, saying meaningless words with a bewitching voice and that familiar verbal tic.This made David slowly output a few question marks.What's the situation?Yet before he could react, his other arm felt a bit of hardness, poking him.It was Rebecca, she also hugged up."Ara, David, the few people opposite are making me so scared~"David: "?""Mr. David, please be sure to protect me well."Mower pounced onto his left shoulder, revealing a delicate and tender look, as pitiful as a kitten, completely different from her usual iron-blooded appearance.Hey-hey-hey, even though your lieutenant title is a thing of the past, with this look of yours, that lost lieutenant rank is crying!!!"...Don't rapidly NTR, oh, David belongs to me~"Lucy also pounced up and completely occupied his other half shoulder."These guys..."What on earth are they trying to do?!Up to now, he still couldn't understand at all what had happened.These women were making fun of him, weren't they?!Two netrunners were one thing, but an unhinged loli and a cyberpsycho—what are you two putting on airs for?!However, the punks opposite were obviously even more stunned and shocked.At that instant, he seemed to hear the sound of some circuit being cut inside the heads of the people opposite.Emmm... because it was too stimulating, a certain circuit must have blown, right?David guessed so."Ah, ah..."Before long, the guy who had previously said he was tight on cash opened and closed his mouth in shock and shouted loudly: "Ahhhhh! What the fuck are you damn bastards doing?! This is a robbery right now! What the fuck are you trying to do acting like you're sitting pretty with a bevy of beauties?!"Then he turned around and shouted to his companions: "Give me the gun, I'm going to blow this fucking brat away!"However, the few punks had no intention of handing him the gun, instead pointing behind him."Ah? What the fuck is wrong again?!"The moment the punk turned his head, he instantly froze in place...Chapter 100: Successive Commissions (6K)At that instant, every hair on the punk's body stood on end, feeling a chill as if falling into an ice cellar, and even the blowing chilly gusts of wind felt bone-chillingly cold.For no other reason, except that a pitch-black barrel of a huge cannon was aiming right at his head.The caliber of the muzzle was big enough to completely fit his head inside, and its pitch-black depth was like an abyss, with no bottom in sight at all."What did you just say? Hmm?"David moved his arm slightly, prodding the man in front of him with the cannon barrel formed by his arm."Eek—"The moment the cold cannon barrel touched the man's forehead, the man instantly shuddered, as if his soul was frozen, and hurriedly shook his head like a rattle-drum: "No, it's not..."Even so, no one present had any intention of laughing at him.Those underlings didn't have the slightest desire to make a move either.Because they simply couldn't win at all!This kind of monster... instantly converting a cyberware arm into a giant cannon or something—let alone seeing it, they hadn't even heard of it!What kind of monster ran out from where!"How unsightly... Didn't you just say you were short of cash and planned to ask me to lend you some to spend?"For a moment, David suddenly conceived the idea of teasing this punk.Anyway, patrolling or whatever didn't matter, and it was very dry and boring, so why not play along with this guy.Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth slightly raised into a bantering arc: "Now, I plan to generously bestow some money on you to spend, are you touched?""No, dare not move, dare not move..."Touched or not?His legs were shaking and turning soft with fright right now; it was already good that he didn't kneel on the spot.Money or whatever, he absolutely dared not want it, for fear of having the life to take it but no life to spend it."Big... Big Brother, I... I I I was wrong, I never dare again..."Right now, the expression on the man's face was even uglier than crying, which also made David frown in disgust.This guy, lacking backbone was one thing, but now showing such an ugly expression...Truly disgusting.However, just as he intended to give this buddy a blast to make an insignificant contribution to the urban purification of Night City, suddenly a phone call came in."Hmm? Who is this?"Looking at the icon on the communication phone, he felt somewhat unfamiliar; it was a pattern he had never seen before.While being curious, he also slowly lowered his arm, restoring it back to its original appearance.This also made these punks heave a sigh of relief, but good times didn't last long as David's voice came again, making them feel despair: "I'm going to take a call, help me watch these bastards, whoever wants to run can just be chopped up on the spot."After speaking, he turned and left the alley.And Mower's hand also felt for the hilt of the katana at her waist, her sharp gaze making these guys' whole bodies tense up, not even daring to move.Although they were just a bunch of punks, they were very clear that this woman's gaze was a murderous look.If they dared to move a bit, I'm afraid the blade would come hacking over the next second."Hello, who is this?""Yo, Mr. David, it's an honor. My name is Dexter Deshawn."A slow-paced voice came from the phone, making one feel anxious just listening to it.However..."Dexter Deshawn?"
139Mentioning that name instantly brought up the image of a massive, dark-skinned fat man weighing over three hundred pounds in his mind, with a thick gold chain draped around his neck, wearing a large gold watch and sunglasses, a mouthful of gold teeth, and even his fucking cyberware arms were gold.It made him look like some bumpkin nouveau riche from god knows where.To be exact, this Dexter Deshawn really was a nouveau riche, suddenly running back from Pacificaand landing a big gig that would be enough to last a lifetime.And rumor had it that this guy frequently took on illegal contracts—burglary, assassination, kidnapping, trafficking, or any kind of illicit commission one could think of.Yet the philosophy he always had on his lips made this guy look out of place and nondescript, and it was hard to tell what on earth he was trying to be.Especially the choice between being a nobody or achieving glory, which echoed in his mind and remained deeply engraved to this day."Good grief, I am feeling sick."Unconsciously, Johnny Silverhand's voice bubbled up in his heart, the echo of memory.However, this guy truly was a top-tier fixer with an extremely wide network of connections.Then again, why is this guy suddenly looking for me?David Martinez felt somewhat puzzled."Mr. David Martinez, I have a once-in-a-lifetime big deal in my hands right now. I wonder if you might be interested?""A big deal?"Hearing this, his brow suddenly twitched, and he smiled, saying, "Mr. Dexter Deshawn, the job you speak of couldn't be the Relic, could it?""Oh?"His inquiry made the voice on the other end of the phone somewhat surprised. "It seems Mr. David Martinez is very well-informed, knowing even about the Relic.""Cut the crap, just tell me yes or no.""Don't be so impatient, Mr. David Martinez. You are right, it is Arasaka Corporation's prototype technology, the biochip Relic. I wonder if you are interested?""As for interest, of course I have it, but unfortunately I don't have the time right now to meet you face-to-face to hash this out," David Martinez said regretfully.The person on the other end also let out an elusive sigh, seemingly looking quite regretful.Yet before Dexter Deshawn could speak, David Martinez continued, "However, as far as I know, I shouldn't be the only person you are looking for, right? You must have looked for Jackie Welles as well. Talk to him about the specific details, and he'll tell me later.""Oh my, oh my, Mr. David Martinez's information really is well-informed, knowing even about brother Jackie Welles."The other party's insipid, hypocritical praise gradually made him put on a pair of dead fish eyes. "Enough, let's not play those superficial games. Straight to the point: everyone on the streets knows Jackie Welles is my good brother, and I don't believe you haven't heard of it. Plus, I've heard some things about you from Jackie Welles's side, so I figured you would definitely track him down.""That's all for now. If there's anything else to add, we'll contact each other then.""Alright, that's naturally no problem. Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation."This time, David Martinez didn't even respond and hung up the phone very decisively.Because this guy's tone and manner of speaking really made one sick to the stomach.Especially whenever the Relic was mentioned, tens of thousands of times of sorrow involuntarily popped into his mind.Although somewhat exaggerated, once upon a time for Jackie Welles, he really charged in and out of Konpeki Plaza countless times in the game, yet exhausted all methods and wrung his brains dry with no way to save this good big brother.He even thought about stealing the warship Saburo Arasaka rode in to save him a bit, but that went beyond the scope of the game and was simply impossible to do.However, a game was ultimately a game."How will reality turn out in the end?"He couldn't help slowly raising his head to look at the future sky surrounded by towering buildings, a smile curling up the corner of his mouth.He was quite looking forward to the future developments.At least this time, he had enough trump cards to protect Jackie Welles.Unless Arasaka Corporation acted like they had a death wish and launched a nuclear strike on them directly at Konpeki Plaza...Don't be surprised; in the game, that old bastard Saburo Arasaka brought a nuclear bomb to negotiate with his own biological son Yorinobu Arasaka, and even intended to nuke Night City if he couldn't find the Relic.That truly fucking is a textbook example of a loving father and a filial son.Night City really has Yorinobu Arasaka to thank for being able to continue existing.Ding—Right at this moment, another phone call came in."Oh ho, Jackie Welles this guy is moving pretty fast."Seeing that the call was from Jackie Welles, he didn't dawdle and immediately answered it."Hey~""Hey, mano, I have a big surprise ready to tell you.""Oh? A surprise?"Jackie Welles's mysterious tone, wanting to laugh yet afraid of laughing it out, amused him first, and then he imitated that mysterious tone and said, "What you are going to say... is it that you snatched a fat gig from Dexter Deshawn's side?""Holy shit, how did you know?!"Jackie Welles was shocked. The big surprise he had painstakingly prepared was wasted just like that?But thinking about it carefully, it made sense: such an oil-dripping fat gig wouldn't just look for him alone; they would definitely look for a living legend like David Martinez.So he changed the subject and said, "Forget it, details don't matter anymore. But did you agree? You must have agreed, right? After all, that's the most fucking awesome fixer in Night City, the dark-skinned fat Jesus of Afterlife, over three hundred pounds, big golden arms, genuine, a brand! Absolutely rock solid...""Alright, alright, calm down first, Jackie Welles."Hearing Jackie Welles practically blowing Dexter Deshawn up to the heavens, he quickly spoke up to stop him: "Let's not talk about anything else for a moment; calling him the most awesome fixer in Night City is going a bit too far, isn't it? How does Rogue count? The most awesome in the entire world? Not to mention there was Atlantis before...""Uh... haha, don't mind the details so much..."He could even see through the phone that JackieWelles over there was scratching his head in embarrassment."But Dexter Deshawn is indeed awesome. I'm not saying Padre or Wakako aren't good, but he's on a god-tier level.""Yes, yes, yes, I know. Dexter Deshawn has a very wide network of connections and is a top-tier fixer of Afterlife, that's correct. But Jackie Welles, you should also use your head a bit..."He carefully recalled Dexter Deshawn's past, organized his words a bit, and continued: "As far as I know, this dark fat man doesn't like your type. Aren't you afraid there's some fishy business in there?"The reason he didn't like Jackie Welles's type was because Jackie Welles used to run with gangs, and this dark fat man hated dealing with gangs the most.Furthermore, although Jackie Welles had some fame now, a lot of it came from basking in his reflected glory.And to be honest, the fishy business involved in this deal was truly massive.Leaving aside whether Dexter Deshawn told the truth or not, Dexter Deshawn had previously fled to Pacifica; he didn't believe this fat man had never interacted with the Voodoo Boys.Therefore, regarding the inside story of this deal, there was a ninety percent chance this fat man knew the truth, yet he hadn't laid it all out honestly to them.He was probably planning to screw them over, or even planning to discard them after use.That's how fixers always operate—finding a group of inexperienced idiots to complete the mission, and then sealing the news away in a graveyard forever.As for the commission of stealing the Relic, they belonged to the cheapest kind of idiots.He remembered the last one who did this was Faraday, except now the grass on his grave was several feet high."Hey, don't worry, brother. This deal was set up by T-Bug; can't you trust her? And just now I went over to chat with him—the moment Dexter saw me, this matter was nailed down and sealed.""With my look, just look how tough I am, haha. Everybody loves me, right?"The phone was filled with Jackie Welles's booming laughter."Yes, yes, yes, you're right, Mr. Everybody-Loves-You Jackie Welles. I'm saying this just so you can be a bit cautious and guard against this dark fat man, careful not to get sold out and still help people count the money.""So you're saying you agreed?""Uh-huh~ Of course, because I guessed you definitely wouldn't give up this chance to make a name for yourself in one fell swoop."On Arasaka Corporation's turf, stealing the Relic from Yorinobu Arasaka's hands, incidentally witnessing the damned affair of Saburo Arasakabeing murdered, and then being framed—it would be hard not to become famous."Haha, you really know me. But listening to your tone, it seems you don't want to chat face-to-face and hash things out with our sugar daddy?""Yeah, I've already told him to fully entrust this matter to you guys; I don't have the time and can't get away on my end."After saying that, David Martinez seemed to feel it wasn't quite enough, so he added a sentence: "You know, Watson is locked down, and I've been pretty busy lately.""Alright, alright, and Fat Jesus happens to want to meet V too, so sending her over is just right.""Mm, then that's it. I'll wait for your good news."With that, he hung up the phone.To be fair, Jackie Welles's combat skills were indeed good, but his brain was truly lacking.Perhaps when allocating stats at birth, all the points were added to martial prowess.Thinking of this, he smiled helplessly, and just as he turned around, a new phone call came in.And it was an unfamiliar number once again."Tsk." David Martinez couldn't help clicking his tongue. "What the fuck is wrong with today? Phone calls one after another, out of three calls, two are from unknown numbers. Fuck.""Could it be that my phone number was pasted on small advertisements on roadside utility poles?"Although he kept complaining verbally, he still chose to answer the call."Hello, who is this?""Hello, David Martinez. I am Meredith Stout.""Huh? Militech's operations supervisor?" David Martinez's voice was somewhat startled, and in his mind, the image of that lion-headed frizzy-haired woman instantly popped up.Why did this old woman suddenly call me?He even began recalling his recent actions, feeling as though he hadn't provoked Militech, right?"Mm, that's right. But now I am the Special Operations Director of the Night City headquarters."Good grief, she even got promoted."That's thanks to your blessing." Meredith Stout's tone was somewhat subtle.David Martinez:???How did that even start? Your promotion has jack shit to do with me, hey!He secretly muttered inwardly, while on the surface remaining amiable as he said, "Then what does Ms. Meredith Stout want with me this time?""Yes, there is a major matter, but it's inconvenient to talk about it over the phone. Let's meet and talk.""..."David Martinez didn't give an immediate reply, but after pondering back and forth for a moment, he agreed: "Alright, then let's meet and talk."After all, this was Ms. Meredith Stout actively calling to contact him; he had to give her some face no matter what, right?Most importantly, if he built a good relationship with Ms. Meredith Stout, it might be beneficial for his upcoming actions.A few minutes later, David Martinez finally returned to the deepest part of the alley once again.The few people who were about to despair and become numb under the glare and eye attacks of Mower and the others saw David Martinez's figure, and light returned to their eyes instantly.Great... finally saved...Going home this time, they would definitely be good people. Doing things like highway robbery outside truly didn't suit them.Within just a few short minutes, these few people had already turned over a new leaf and resolved to be good people.This efficiency was simply a hundred times faster than the NCPD.Ghost knows how they managed to get through this short period of time just now.Judging by it, it didn't seem to have been pleasant."Why so long, David Martinez, we've been waiting for ages~"As soon as he came back, Rebecca was full of complaints, her little eyes extremely aggrieved, as if she had been abandoned by him.Indeed, the time was a bit long."Ah haha, sorry, I just took a few too many phone calls and happened to pick up two jobs along the way."Jobs?!Upon hearing this word, Sasha Yakovleva's and Rebecca's eyes instantly gained light and lit up."What jobs? Need any help?""No need, just two... emmm... they should be considered simple jobs."Even though both jobs involved corporations, as long as he said they were simple, that was fine.
Chapter 140"Eh~~~ That's really boring then..."The two of them looked like sisters, their movements perfectly synchronized, both slouching dejectedly with their arms hanging down.Only, Lucy's gaze remained on him, and she slowly spoke, "...David, the job you mentioned, it wouldn't happen to be related to corporations, would it?""!"Hearing Lucy say this, his body shuddered imperceptibly.But the expression on his face betrayed his inner thoughts, clearly saying—"How did you know?"The two who had been dejected also perked up slightly and turned their gazes toward him."Because ever since you came back, your expression has been a bit off, like you're agonizing over something.""Is it really that obvious?""Uh-huh~"Lucy let out a pleasant hum and said, "It really is that obvious."They say that once a woman is in love, she becomes Sherlock Holmes the moment her partner cheats. But he hadn't even cheated yet, so how did she already turn into Sherlock Holmes?And please, don't use that kind of observation skill on this sort of thing, okay?Thinking of this, he didn't bother hiding it any longer, so he said, "One of the commissions is hard to talk about here for now, but the other is about Meredith Stout."As he spoke, he didn't forget to glance at the punks.However, upon hearing the name Meredith Stout, Mower's emotions clearly fluctuated wildly.She turned her head to look at him with an intensely serious gaze, seemingly desperate to know the details.However, feeling this eager gaze, David just shrugged. "I don't know the specifics yet, because she said we have to meet in person to talk.""Need any help?"Mower spoke up, which was a rare occurrence."Not for the time being."He naturally knew what was on Mower's mind. While he couldn't say it was one hundred percent, there was at least a ninety percent chance that Mower wanted to take revenge on Meredith Stout.Because her abandonment by Militech—if not one hundred percent—was at least sixty percent related to Meredith Stout.Her psychological knot still hadn't been completely untied.After all, the one who tied the knot must untie it.Knowing this full well, David turned and walked slowly toward Mower. He reached out to gently stroke her hair and said, "Don't worry, if there's an opportunity, I will definitely bring you along."Mower's body stiffened at first, and she slowly raised her head to look at him, her eyes filled with disbelief. But when she met those eyes that were as magnificent as rubies, her body slowly relaxed, and she nodded."I understand."She understood what David meant, and she was willing to trust him."Alright, my business is done. Now, it's your turn..."The moment he turned to look at them, the punks shuddered.For no other reason than that smile of his was truly terrifying.A few minutes later.David's figure slowly emerged from the alley, once again exposed to the sunlight."Alright, time to go find that old woman next~"While stretching his limbs and warming up his body, he hailed a passing taxi from the roadside and drove off.He didn't do anything special to those punks. He didn't torture them, let alone kill them outright.He merely asked about their gang, nothing more.Then he had Lucy and the others notify the NCPD to pick them up so they could earn some performance points.He even left the only car for them.Other than that, there was nothing else.It was just that his decision not to kill anyone this time surprised them a little.Normally, given his usual temper, these guys... especially their leader, would have been dead long ago.Daring to commit highway robbery in Night City, and robbing a MAX-TAC patrol car of all things—they brought death upon themselves, and they couldn't blame anyone else.Yet David himself didn't know what was wrong with him; he suddenly just didn't feel like being ruthless to these guys.Maybe he was getting old and sentimental?After all, he wasn't some demon, let alone a homicidal maniac.However, what surprised him a bit was the gang these guys belonged to. They were actually members of something called the Leopard Gang.What kind of bullshit gang was that?According to their confession, this so-called Leopard Gang was a newly formed small gang. They didn't have a base of operations yet and relied on illegal activities like highway robbery to make money.When they said this, without exception, everyone looked at them as if they were mentally disabled.These guys and their unseen leader must be fools.In a place like Night City, especially under the current circumstances, they actually dared to form a gang without any backing?And they wanted to grow big and strong?Night City was only so big, and it had already been carved up by the existing gangs. Where else could you go to grow big and strong?Go to the Badlands?That might be a good idea, but have you asked the Wraiths and the Raffen Shiv?Even the Nomads wouldn't tolerate you.101. If You Often Walk by the Riverside, Your Shoes Are Bound to Get Wet (4K)Toms Diner in Watson is a legendary diner.It seems all the big shots come here to talk business, and Militech is no exception.However, when David arrived at Toms Diner, he found Militech soldiers guarding the entrance. After confirming his identity and going inside, there was not a single soul to be seen.Even the staff behind the counter had been cleared out.Only a spiky-haired blonde woman sat near the window, her fingers tapping impatiently on the table, making a clicking sound.She looked extremely anxious and highly irritable.However, upon hearing footsteps coming from behind, her fingers suddenly stopped, hovering in mid-air.They only slowly descended after David took his seat."You're late, David Martinez.""Am I? I don't recall us agreeing on a time, Miss Stout," David said with a polite smile.He didn't feel any anger toward Meredith's questioning, but his response made her particularly displeased."Hmph, I don't have spare time to waste on you."Stout glared at him with her deep, smokey-eyed, upturned eyes, then put a cigarette in her mouth, lit it, and began puffing away.It seemed only this could calm her agitated mind.At the same time, a Militech soldier suddenly walked over, pulling a personal link from his wrist to plug it into the port on David's neck, but David shoved him back."What the fuck do you think you're doing? I'm not your fucking prisoner. Back the fuck off!"He felt disgusted the moment he saw them trying to scan him via a direct personal link connection.I'm not a bottom, stop fucking poking me with that thing."..."Meredith stared at David for a moment, then waved her hand to make her subordinates abandon the scan and withdraw.Instantly, the entirety of Toms Diner became completely empty, leaving truly just the two of them."Let's get straight to the point.""..."David simply nodded without replying.Because of her action just now, his favorability toward her had already dropped to zero. Any lower, and they would be hostile.Even so, Meredith Stout still went on to explain the details of the commission to him very thoroughly.In reality, it was very simple: a convoy and its cargo had been hijacked by Maelstrom.However, she had caused such a massive uproar over this matter that all sorts of rumors were flying around the streets.Even he, who didn't really run the streets much anymore, had heard about it.Now, she wanted to commission David to find out which fucking idiot leaked the information, leading to the Militech shipment being hijacked, and whether it was the work of that traitorous piece of shit, Anthony Gilchrist.It seemed that, just like in the game, this woman had captured Anthony and interrogated him.Too bad this guy's mouth was the toughest part of his body; he had absolutely no intention of admitting to it.Because that convoy was carrying Militechprototypes. If he admitted to it, it would be a one-way ticket to a grave, and the higher-ups were taking this matter extremely seriously.Most importantly, very few people knew the inside details of this matter.So, Meredith now hoped that he could find the evidence.However, David had no intention of getting involved in this mess and rejected her on the spot."I'm sorry, Miss Stout, but there's nothing I can do about this. For finding evidence, you should look for a private investigator. I'm just an obscure mercenary. Besides, I don't want to get mixed up in your internal corporate conflicts, nor do I want to become a gun in someone else's hand."After saying this, he stood up from his seat, preparing to leave."Wait!"Just as he took a step, Stout called out to him."Is there anything else, Miss Stout?"David slowly turned around and said, though the smile on this spiky-haired woman's face gave him a bad feeling.And indeed, it was so."David Martinez, as far as I know, you are no nobody. I've heard many stories about you."As she spoke, Stout narrowed her eyes slightly, threw her half-smoked premium cigarette onto the ground, and crushed it with her high heel.She rose from her seat and took overbearing steps toward him."Like how you started out, attending Arasaka Academy, and later illegally installed a military-grade implant—the Sandevistan.""Besides that, I also know you've done quite a few jobs for corporations before. The Tanaka incident was your doing.""And don't forget, although it was ultimately that traitorous bastard Faraday who betrayed the corporation, the ones who actually struck against Militech were you and your people...""What exactly are you trying to say?"Hearing her list his past like family treasures, the smile on David's face vanished completely, and his expression turned as dark as water."Just warning you, the corporation remembers every single bit of the shit you and your little girlfriends pulled...""Are you threatening me?" A fierce gleam flashed deep within David's pupils."Threatening?" Stout shook her head at his words. "I don't like that term. Rather than a threat, let's call it cooperation.""Heh... cooperation..."David took two steps back with an inscrutable smile on his face.But in the next second, his expression suddenly shifted, and his arm turned into an afterimage, flashing a white light.Immediately after, Stout felt a cold sensation on her neck."You fucking bitch, believe it or not, I can make you shut your fucking mouth forever right here?""...Ha... Hahahaha..."