Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 95 Warning
"What?" Jack frowned, looking at the woman sitting in front of him, dressed in a suit and with exquisite makeup, and the Arasaka agent standing behind her, with a cold expression, her hair in a bun, and wearing sunglasses.

Valerie merely curled the corners of her lips slightly, repeating what she had just said in a seductive tone.

"If you can help me find that mercenary named A, whether it's him or the members of his team, I'll give you 500,000 euros."

Valerie has a striking short blue haircut, a blue prosthetic eye, and delicate, high-bridged features. Whether she smiles or not, she always gives off a somewhat aloof vibe.

(The character creation image is from Bilibili. If you can't see it, you can view it on your mobile device.)

At this moment, she simply looked at Jack, keenly observing him while continuing to raise the price: "If you can find a way to lure the other party out and provide us with assistance, as long as we can catch the person, this price can be doubled."

Jack's head was spinning for a moment from the numbers 500,000 euros and 1 million euros, but he sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm not that familiar with them."

Jack stood up as if to leave, but Valerie suddenly spoke up: "Really? As far as I know, the man named A may not come often, but the mercenary named V is a native of Haywood."

"Then you should know even better that the Haywood people never betray the Haywood people."

Jack's expression turned cold, and he sneered without any politeness: "Perhaps you corporate dogs can't understand this thing called morality, but now you do, so goodbye."

Valerie simply observed her surroundings calmly, then sneered, put down her wine glass, and stood up gracefully.

The agents behind her cast questioning glances at Valerie—should they teach this big guy a lesson?
Valerie simply shook her head, signaling the agent to stop causing trouble.

As she stood up, she naturally looked around, her prosthetic eye gleaming slightly. The moment her gaze landed on the camera, she immediately realized that the location of the bar's camera seemed a bit unusual.

Is someone watching her? The bar's security? Does this bar have professional security?
Valerie calmly surveyed her surroundings and concluded that this was no high-end entertainment club. All the cameras were probably connected by a simple mainframe, and there was no way there was a dedicated security room monitoring the situation.

The sudden shift in the camera's shooting angle makes this seem rather suspicious.

Valerie instinctively reached for her waist with one hand, while at the same time giving a wink to the agent Arasaka beside her.

The man immediately became alert, touching the handle of his gun and cautiously looking around before preparing to leave the bar with Valerie.

As the two cautiously and slowly walked out of the bar, Valerie's cybernetic access device on her head began rapidly hacking into the camera in front of her.

Without encountering any obstacles, she easily gained access to the cameras and then hacked into the computer host that connected to all the camera feeds.

She cautiously pressed her hand on the physical power-off button on the network receiver, her prosthetic eye flashing as she tried to figure out what was controlling the camera.

The server here is still connected to the internet? Damn it, is a hacker remotely monitoring it?
Were they from the Military Science Department? Or were they from the Fire Seed Squad? Did I arrive too late, or did I just happen to walk into their observation zone?

The Arasaka Counterintelligence agent, who already had some work experience, immediately realized that the situation was not good. She was very confident that her judgment and intuition would not be wrong.

She quickly went out, but did not get into the car immediately. Instead, she kept a safe distance and checked the car.

Only after confirming that no one had secretly planted a bomb in his car did he immediately get in. Surrounded by bulletproof steel plates, he was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Damn it. We're still too slow?" Valerie could only assume that she was a step too late, that someone had alerted the guy named A beforehand, or that someone from the military science department had already come here to wait for her.

At this time, Junke had not yet officially launched a press conference. The people of Arasaka still believed that the exoskeleton was still in the hands of the Fire Seed Squad, and Junke, as a member who had suffered heavy losses, should obviously also stand on the opposite side of that group of mercenaries.

Another agent, acting as her driver, quickly started the car and asked, "What's wrong? Where are we going?"

Valerie said with a grim face, "Wait, don't let me get too far away and disconnect the device's data connection."

After connecting directly to the computer at the Wild Wolf Bar via camera, she immediately transferred her puppet program.

Valerie was very confident in her hacking skills. Although she was cautiously prepared to disconnect the network receiver from data transmission at any time, her actions were quite bold.

She suspected that the other party was remotely controlling the cameras at the Wild Wolf Bar to monitor the premises via the internet, and that any hacking would leave traces.

What Valerie is currently doing is trying to find the control software hidden in the other party's computer, and then follow the clues to find out the other party's identity.

The data stream in Yi's eyes was flashing rapidly, but Valerie's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

Can't find it!?

This is quite unusual for her.

After patiently filtering remotely for five or six minutes, Valerie finally found a virus program disguised as a system file on the computer. She smiled and began to analyze the program without hesitation.

She wanted to see who was watching her remotely. If it was Mercer's group, she could use the software's network tracking and location services to find their current location directly.

After confirming that it was indeed a network-connected program, Valerie transmitted a location software to the computer and then started the monitoring program on the computer to begin network location tracking.

Next, we just need to wait patiently.

As long as the other party views the program via a remote device, she can immediately lock down the other party's IP address once the location tracking program, which has been transmitted into the bar's computer, is installed online.

With Agent Arasaka's efficiency, once the IP is locked, if the target is within Night City, it only takes less than 5-7 minutes to parachute directly to their doorstep.

"Let's go, we can leave now." With Valerie's order, the agent in the driver's seat stepped on the gas.

Valerie sat patiently in the passenger seat, leaning back with a composed posture, even having time to admire her blue manicure.

She wasn't worried at all that it was a trap; in fact, to some extent, she was even waiting for the other party to notice something amiss and launch a cyberattack.

With the skill level of these hackers in Night City, they think they can compete with her online? That's just too ridiculous.

"Hit by a hacker?" The agent standing nearby wasn't working with Valerie for the first time and was well aware of her hacking skills, so he was very confident.

Valerie casually touched her manicured nails as she said, "Someone just hacked into the camera and is watching us."

"Shouldn't we leave immediately?" The agent looked around nervously.

Valerie calmly replied, "Don't worry, I've taken over the cameras near the wolf. Have any suspicious targets been spotted around there?"

“No, just a small-time thug from the Valentino gang, but that guy probably wasn’t there to stalk us. Ha, he even has the nerve to give us the middle finger.” The male agent said, driving while keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.

"Wait a minute, my phishing program has activated."

The moment Valerie discovered that the program had detected a network data connection to the computer at the Wolf Bar, she immediately activated the puppet program she had planted on the computer, her prosthetic eye flashing as she waited for the phishing program to complete its automatic hacking.

Hooked!
She curled the corners of her lips into a smile, confidently awaiting the program to send back the other party's IP address.

She didn't have to wait long, only about ten seconds later, when her puppet program sent her a piece of data.

However, Valerie's expression changed drastically as soon as she opened the data.

[A: Hello, Miss Valerie, were you looking for me?]

Without hesitation, Valerie pressed the power-off button on her network access module. Then, she immediately reached out and forcibly disconnected her brain-computer interface from the network, using the self-protection system files she had stored on the interface to format it.

In an instant, all of her prosthetic eyes and other cybernetic devices malfunctioned. Valerie could only gasp for breath and wait quietly, while the agents beside her anxiously asked repeatedly, "What happened? You've been hacked? Where are the enemies?"

Valerie remained calm, though she said with some annoyance, "I should have used a laptop to collect the data, damn it. It's okay, just drive your car!"

A dozen seconds later, the brain-computer interface was reactivated, returning to the safe version, and the prosthetic body was also restarted.

As her prosthetic body restarted, Valerie couldn't help but mutter under her breath in the car, "What the hell is this? I've been hacked?!"

Unbelievable!

How can this be! ?
The moment the other party connected to the computer at the Wild Wolf Bar, they discovered the puppet program they had planted, and within those ten seconds, they cracked the program.

Valerie had to tell the truth—she had never encountered such a powerful hacker!
Valerie didn't even dare to open her network access bay directly.

With a dark expression, she could only order the agents around her to drive back to the company immediately. She needed to format and restart her access pod using a laptop to prevent the other party from hiding any magical artifacts in the data.

well
Valerie felt no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, she became even more interested in this guy named A.

After graduating from Arasaka Academy with top honors, Valerie skipped the entry-level employee process and was directly hired into the Arasaka Corporation's counterintelligence department.

Furthermore, he was directly dispatched to work at the current headquarters of the Arasaka Corporation, the business center of Night City. Everyone knows that the Arasaka Corporation in Night City will eventually become the new headquarters of the company.

The value of being an operations manager here is even greater than that of other branch managers.

In the two years she has worked there so far, her salary has tripled, rising from a regular counterintelligence network team member to Agent Arasaka.

Although being an Arasaka agent isn't a particularly high-ranking position, there's no doubt that if you aspire to advance your career in Arasaka through technical means, once you become an agent, you'll be just one step away from management.

When you are promoted from a special agent to a senior special agent, it means that you can command ordinary special agents and soldiers, and you are in a management position with real power.

Now, because Arasaka has lost his exoskeleton, the company's senior management has determined that Chris, the former senior agent, made a serious mistake and has been suspended pending investigation.

While his boss Arthur Jenkins tried his best to deflect blame, he needed to find a way to recover the company's losses as soon as possible in order to secure his position.

Valerie was the one handpicked by Arthur Jenkins.

He promised that if Valerie could capture those damn mercenaries or retrieve the exoskeleton to recover the losses, she could replace Chris as a member of Arthur Jenkins' faction and be promoted to senior agent.

Valerie had initially thought that after this heist, the other party would probably have to flee for a while to lay low, and she was prepared for a protracted struggle. However, she never expected that the other party would dare to provoke her.
Very good, when it comes to hacking skills, she's never afraid of anyone!

As Valerie sat in her seat, pondering how to retaliate against Mercer, she was unaware that her journey was proceeding unexpectedly smoothly.

After one green light, there was another. The continuous green lights made the agent next to her, who was already feeling uneasy and eager to get back to the company, unconsciously speed up the car. However, Valerie and the agent were completely unaware of this.

Until, in her mind's eye, a message that had just been sent to her private contact information suddenly popped up.

【Miss Valerie, I have a suggestion.】

Valerie wasn't nervous; she just frowned and gave a cold laugh.

[Valerie: Stop pretending, I knew it was you, A, right? You guys are much more troublesome than I thought, managing to get my contact information so quickly.]

[?: I never intended to hide it, but I think you should listen to this friendly suggestion.]

Valerie squinted, pondering the other party's purpose in contacting her.

【?: For some personal reasons, I do not wish to be at odds with Miss Valerie and become her enemy, so I hope you will give up the pursuit and stop bothering me.】

In that case, perhaps one day we can help each other and become friends.

Valerie almost burst out laughing—a mere mercenary, it seems he really thinks he's some big shot?
[Valerie: Okay~ How about we become friends now? If you return the exoskeleton, I can apply for some money for you, consider it as us paying for its return. After this is all settled, you can have a couple of drinks with me if you want.]

【?: I've already sold this exoskeleton to the military science department. Besides, I'm not discussing this with you.】

【?: I'm warning you, Miss Valerie.】

[?: If you keep holding on to me, your life might be in danger!]

Valerie: You can give it a try.

【?: Okay, give it a try—by the way, wearing your seatbelt is a good habit, keep it up.】

Valerie's expression changed slightly. Before she could warn the agent beside her, she suddenly saw a small truck speeding towards her from not far from the intersection through his car window.

The fully loaded truck had clearly noticed a car about to cross its path and had already honked its horn and turned on its brake lights, but its weight was not enough to stop the car's momentum instantly.

Any experienced truck driver knows that when faced with a situation requiring emergency braking, sometimes all you can do is pray that the other driver is lucky, and you yourself wouldn't dare to swerve the steering wheel recklessly at high speed.

"Watch out!" Valerie only had time to let out a cry of alarm before she covered her head with her hands to brace herself for the impact.

The moment the agent driving the car turned his head, he involuntarily exclaimed in horror, "Holy crap!"

The agent instantly activated his Krenzikov and desperately tried to save the car as the world slowed down.

Instead of foolishly slowing down, he floored the accelerator, and the V sports car accelerated rapidly, shooting forward in the blink of an eye.

It must be said that the agent's reaction was really good. With the sudden increase in speed and the truck driver's slight steering wheel adjustment after a change of heart, the entire vehicle only had a minor scrape between its rear and the truck.

In an instant, the car was hit and slid 360 degrees on the ground, almost rolling and flying off.

Valerie covered her head with her hands, but fortunately the airbags deployed in time, causing her to hit the airbags headfirst before hitting the car window and seats. Even so, she was still a little dizzy for a moment.

The built-in biomonitoring device started alarming, and the trauma team's alarm was also triggered. Valerie took several seconds to barely open her eyes and regain consciousness.

At that moment, the agent in the driver's seat, still shaken, asked, "Are you alright, Valerie?"

"It's alright." Valerie nodded, still somewhat shaken, then struggled to open the car door, unbuckle her seatbelt, and get out of the car.

The small truck still braked for another seven or eight meters before finally stopping.

[?: Wow, that was a brilliant immediate reaction.]

Valerie: Damn it! Was this your doing?!

[?: This is the only and final warning you'll receive. Don't cause me any trouble.]

[Valerie: You think we're afraid of this? Do you know how important what you took is to Arasaka? Do you know what it means to attack Agent Arasaka?]

Valerie couldn't help but curse, "What the hell is this?!"

She looked up at the traffic light in disbelief—at that moment, a bizarre green pixelated smiley face lit up on the traffic light in the distance, and then the green light suddenly turned red, becoming an angry round pixelated face.

Is this some kind of roving AI?
The first word that popped into Valerie's mind was "migrant AI".

Before Bartmouth destroyed the network, there were other roving AIs that had done similar things.

When the roving AI was being hunted by the "Dragon Hunter" hacker, it faked its own death by falsifying data, deceiving the hacker who came to hunt it. Then, out of revenge, it took control of a city's subway system. It caused a bloody subway accident, causing two subway trains to speed and collide at a bend, resulting in the deaths of the hacker's wife and child who were riding in one of the trains.

The agent standing nearby, unaware of the reason, only knew that he had almost been hit and killed while crossing a green light. Now that he had escaped death, he immediately grabbed his gun and went to settle accounts with the truck driver in a fit of rage.

However, before he could take two steps, another van speeding towards him suddenly appeared from the side of the intersection and knocked the agent who was crossing the road into the air.

The agent had clearly started the Krenchikov and made a lunge to try to dodge—but it was no use, because the car inexplicably turned the steering wheel and crashed into him!

The impact sent him flying seven or eight meters, rolling as he crashed into the sidewalk at the intersection!
Valerie's pupils contracted sharply.

Because the car windows were wide open, she could clearly see that there was absolutely no driver in the car!
After the van arrogantly hit her and drove away, Valerie felt a chill run down her spine and quickly took a few steps back to the sidewalk. She pressed herself against the wall, breathing heavily as she looked around at the road.

The once ordinary road now seemed to have suddenly transformed into a terrifying battlefield, with each vehicle appearing to be a horrific killing machine.

Valerie: Who are you?!

【?: Don't mess with me, Valerie. This is the last time I'm warning you. I don't really want to deal with you for personal reasons, but those 'personal reasons' are limited.】

Don't let others' kindness go to waste; it's better for both of us, don't you think?

Valerie gritted her teeth and made a quick decision. In just a second or two, she figured out how to talk to this damn guy.

Valerie: Listen to me, A. Even if I give up this mission, Arasaka's pursuit of you will not stop. I will report to my superiors that you have sold the exoskeleton to the military.

But I bet the people from Arasaka won't let you off so easily; it's only a matter of time before you get caught!
How about this: although I don't know why you're so kind to me, since that's the case, you help me, and I'll help you.

Valerie's mind raced, and she immediately offered a very constructive suggestion.

[Valerie: Help me find out the location of the exoskeleton. I'm not talking about the general term "military science," I mean the exact location of this thing. If you get the exoskeleton back, I can apply to my superiors to stop the warrant for your arrest. How about it?]

【?: Valerie, you still don't understand. I'm willing to chat with you not because I'm afraid of Arasaka, but because I don't want you to be pitifully used as cannon fodder.】

Stop getting involved. How much do you earn a month? Is it worth risking your life for Arasaka like this? Find another job and don't cause me any trouble. It's better for everyone.

Damn it, if I don't close this deal, how am I going to get a promotion and a raise? In the company, if you want to get promoted, how can you get promoted without the support of a faction?
Valerie stomped her foot in frustration and turned to look at her agent partner, who was still convulsing on the ground, seemingly not quite dead yet.

She returned to her car, took a strong nitroglycerin injection from the glove compartment, and, regardless of whether it would work or not, gave him a shot, considering that she had fulfilled her duty.

Valerie took out a cigarette, put it in her mouth, lit it, took a drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke before finally suppressing some of the irritation and fear in her heart.

Since becoming an agent of Arasaka, Valerie had never encountered such a fearless person before. She drove her car and rammed Arasaka's agent into the air as a warning to them.
Damn it, even the Military Science Academy doesn't dare to openly attack Arasaka's agents, how dare they!
But the truth is, the other party not only dared to do it, but also dared to warn her that if she continued to investigate, she might be the next one to be hit by a car!
Valerie dared not delve too deeply into the technical principles behind this—she strongly suspected that the other party possessed at least one highly intelligent AI at this moment, otherwise it would be absolutely impossible for them to accomplish everything she had witnessed!
Standing dejectedly by the wall, Valerie fell into deep thought: should she continue to risk capturing this guy named A, or give up?

Now, she's in the open, while that guy named A is in the shadows. Given the terrifying surveillance capabilities he's displayed and his ability to kill someone at any time through a traffic accident, if he's truly plotting against her, she'll probably have to be careful even when taking the elevator.

As an agent with exceptional hacking skills, no one knows better than Valerie just how easy it is for a hacker to assassinate someone.

But if she gives up... damn it, what will happen to her career?!

Valerie paced anxiously back and forth until the trauma team's airship sped over and urgently carried Agent Arasaka onto the airship on a stretcher. Only then did she grit her teeth and send a message to Mercer.

Valerie: I can abandon this mission, but you have to tell me why you're letting me go—do we know each other?

[?: I know you, but you don't know me.]

[Valerie: Huh? You're not some kind of pervert who's been secretly in love with me all this time, are you?]

She jokingly tested Mercer's personality, trying to see if he might be someone she knew. She also casually changed his name to 'A' in her contacts.

[A: ?]

A: Okay, stop overthinking. Anyway, it's better for both of us if you stay away from me. I think we'll meet when the time comes.

Even if it's for your career prospects at the company, you'd better not stand against me.

The biotechnology director wanted to get rid of me; she died.

Arasaka's agent wanted to use me as a guinea pig; I bet he's already under internal investigation and suspended.

That idiot Faraday tried to scheme against me and even dared to put a warrant for my arrest afterwards. He's already escaped Night City. I guarantee that when I find out he's back, he won't be any better off.

Keep your mouth shut, don't say what you shouldn't say, don't investigate what you shouldn't investigate, be my friend, not my enemy, Valerie.

Valerie's face darkened. She thought this guy was incredibly arrogant, but the amount of information revealed in his words was still a bit unsettling. After thinking for a moment, she decided to feign ignorance first.

Valerie: Okay, I'll listen to you, friend, but I think maybe we could find a chance to meet up and have a good talk? Like you said, we could try being friends, who knows?

[A: Then be patient, we'll meet. Gold shines wherever it is, Valerie, don't rush to work for fools.]

After she finished speaking, no matter how many messages Valerie sent to the other party, they all disappeared without a trace.

Valerie breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the street cameras and the NCPD cleaning up the mess, and made a somber call to her insurance company to deal with her car.

After glancing at the NCPD, she didn't say anything more, but simply hailed a De La Man taxi and headed back to the company first.

A
I will find out who you are sooner or later.

Valerie made a decision—she disliked the feeling of being held hostage, with the enemy in the shadows while she was in the open. Although she had promised A that she would no longer pursue him, that did not stop her from trying to find out his background herself.

She had a premonition, or rather, a judgment, that someone like A was no ordinary person, and that this robbery was definitely not the last big thing he had done in Night City.

Even if you miss this opportunity, there will definitely be another one.

No one, or group, can stand up to a company, especially a behemoth like Arasaka—Valerie firmly believed this, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to climb the corporate ladder.

What she needs to do now is to shift the investigation from overt to covert, gradually uncovering the identities of those people, and then...
I need to think about how to get along with these guys.

Valerie, having figured out the key point, didn't foolishly tell her superiors that she was quitting. After all, there were plenty of agents investigating A now, and all she had to do was coast along.

[Jack: Hey, MANO, how have you been lately? Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to get information from you for a bounty. I have to warn you, Arasaka's agents have come to my bar, and they've probably already investigated you all thoroughly.]

They even want to pay me to sell you out, to lure you out. You'd better be careful, don't trust anyone lately, and don't wander around the city.

Once things are settled here, let's go out for a couple of drinks. Uh, I'll treat you to a Coke and some French fries from my mom.

Mercer: I know, Jack. Don't pay any attention to that female agent named Valerie. I've already warned her, and she shouldn't dare to cause me any trouble now.

Our situation is much better than you think. Although it's not a good time to wander around, if you run into any trouble, feel free to contact me. If you want to come to Dogtown, just give me a call. No matter what trouble you're in outside, once you're in, I'll have your back.

[Jack: Is her name the same as V's? Valerie, I remember V's name is that.]

[Mercer: Yes, same name, same surname, same birth year, what a coincidence.]

[Jack: Tsk tsk, same name, different fate. This woman from Arasaka seems quite arrogant. You'd better watch yourself.]

Mercer: You too, take care of yourself, Mano. I don't want to hear about you getting killed by some thugs one day.

Jack: No problem. However, I've been thinking about whether I should continue this line of work.

[Mercer: What do you mean?]

[Jack: I just feel like I can't see any hope. Because of the conflict with the Sixth Street gang, there were a lot of vacancies in the gang, and I thought it was my turn, but damn it...]

Jack: My mom always complains about me, saying I don't earn any money every day, and that I act like a big brother but haven't made it big in the end.

My girlfriend keeps nagging me to work harder. I don't know what to say, I just feel a little annoyed.

Recently, some people in the gang have been saying that they want to take advantage of the fact that the Sixth Street Gang has been dealt a blow by you and is now severely weakened, so they want to take back our territory.

That means I'll have to go out and risk my life again, but the problem is, I won't get much money for it. Their attitude is, at most they'll give me a low-level boss position. When will this ever end?

Jack poured out his grievances, but Mercer knew very well that between adult men, there was no need for so much 'complaining' without drinking.

So Mercer replied to the message in a very understanding manner.

Mercer: I told you long ago, there's no future in joining a gang. It's the same life of risking your life for money, but being a mercenary is much more glamorous than being in a gang.

I said, Jack, you always said you'd think about it, but now you should have thought it through by now. We're a group of people born to do great things, and you're perfect to work with us.

Our base is currently undergoing renovations, so if you decide to join, I'll reserve a room for you.

Jack didn't reply immediately.

After about ten seconds, he finally made up his mind.

[Jack: I need to talk to the gang members and figure out where I can leave first. I also need to talk to my mom. I'm fine with anywhere to stay; I can stay at my own place.]

Mercer: I'll reserve a room for you, it's a deal then, Jack. Once you've settled things on your end, I'll introduce you to the rest of the team.

[Jack: Thank you, Mercer. I don't know why you value a nobody like me so much. I swear, I won't let you down.]

Mercer: I know, Mano, I believe you. Some people you only need to meet once to know they're a reliable and good person. In Night City, a trustworthy brother is more precious than gold.

[Jack: Mano]

After replying to the message, Mercer finally looked up and let out a long sigh of relief.

Is this a double blessing?
This not only prevented Company V from going down a dead end and preserved the possibility of completing the entire Pokédex later, but also gave Jack the opportunity to finally decide to join his team.

Hansen in Dogtown has been dealt with for the time being, and the military police's pursuit should stop soon. As for Arasaka's wanted notice...
Come on, if you're a mercenary in Night City and don't even have a wanted poster, then you're pretty much a failure.

This thing is just like a wanted poster in the anime One Piece. The more valuable you are, the higher your status in the underworld. Take a walk around the streets, and even the small-time thugs of the Whirlpool Gang have a bounty of several thousand euros from the NCPD on their heads.

As long as you have some powerful backers, and don't offend all these companies, just selectively choose which side to support.

Mercer now sees himself as a mercenary team similar to Adam Hammer and Morgan Blackhand, squeezing money out of the company while simultaneously seeking protection and acquiring equipment from them.

But in essence, it's still just a simple monetary employment relationship; if you're going to jump ship, you're going to jump ship.

In high spirits, Mercer finished his tacos and went to the kitchen, where, as expected, several pot-bellied men were still wolfing down their food.

At this time, Mann and Dorio also arrived—they were worried about being ambushed when they returned to their own residence, so they decided to stay in Dogtown for a couple of days to avoid trouble and wait for the Adka people to expand the base so they could live there directly.

Anyway, the base's living room is empty, and the first floor has plenty of space. Sleeping in the workspace or in the car for a few days wouldn't be a problem. If all else fails, everyone can share a bed. Mercer feels he has quite a few options right now.

It's said that Sasha has also decided to move here, and now Mercer's base is really bustling. The base, which originally felt very spacious and had more than enough space, suddenly feels a bit crowded.

At this moment, both Mann and his partner transformed into ruthless eating machines, devouring every last bit of the tacos V had made. V himself also possessed an appetite that belied his appearance, and his hands were now covered in oil from eating.

Seeing Mercer come out, she raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Not full?"

"I'm full, but I suddenly got a little bored, so I took a walk around," Mercer said. Actually, he just wanted to come and see V.

He sat on the sofa staring at V, and soon this perceptive guy, as if sitting on a fire, glared at him, itching all over, and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing, I just feel that only our own V looks the best." Mercer's words left her with a face full of question marks.

"Our own V? What do you mean? And it's not our own! I'm telling you, what do you mean by 'our own V'? Family is family, but this explanation just doesn't sound right to me."

V revealed a terrifying expression: "You've got nothing better to do lately, haven't you? Then get some exercise and practice your mantis knife and close combat skills with me."

"Who's crazy enough to spar with you? You go and mess around with Rebecca, she could fight you all day long."

Mercer made a sarcastic remark, but then briefly mentioned the matter of Company V.

“Today, an agent from Arasaka went to see Jack. They probably found out that you like to hang around there, so they want to use Jack to lure us out.”

I casually gave Arasaka a lesson and a warning—guess what? That female agent of Arasaka's is also named Valerie, and she was born in the same year as you, and she looks...

Mercer deliberately dragged out his words, and seeing V staring at him with wide eyes, he laughed: "Although she's quite pretty, I don't think she's as pleasing to the eye as my own V. That woman looks a bit arrogant."

"Damn, your V sister is just as arrogant outside!" V pointed at him with dissatisfaction: "Remember, there's only one V in Night City! What about that female agent? You let her go?"

“Yeah, it’s a bit hard to do it when I think about the fact that she’s also named Valerie,” Mercer joked.

He's just talking nonsense. If you have to give a reason, it's probably the same as when he first recruited V – it's purely out of love for the character of V.

Imagine a player who, after traversing the game world, personally kills their favorite game character that they've always controlled.

This is too cruel.

Unexpectedly, V frowned and looked at him twice, then suddenly turned her face away with a flicker in her eyes: "You're just talking nonsense. I think you're just a lecherous womanizer."

Even so, she suddenly seemed to lose her appetite and didn't plan to continue eating. Looking at her hands covered in meat oil, she even felt a little embarrassed. She took the plate to the sink and started washing the dishes and her hands.

“Bullshit, what I value most is the soul!” Mercer said, and he, Mann, and Dorio all burst into laughter.

It's so rare to see V so shy.

V then glared at him fiercely: "You're finished, A!"

"I have something to do, I'll be going now." Mercer quickly got up and went back to the server room to work on the Soul Killer program, while V washed his hands and chased after him without saying a word.

Want to run?

I'm definitely not letting you off the hook today, kid.

Let's practice a few rounds with Sister V first!
(End of this chapter)