Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

Vito advised.

"Don't worry too much, Ms. Gloria. David will understand. The Arasaka Academy incident was really strange. They might want David to go back so they can use him as an experiment to meet Johnny Silverhand. Rather than that, it's better to just spend some peaceful time with your family."

David also said.

"Yes, Mom, don't worry, I will stand at the top of Arasaka Tower one day."

The three arrived at the H4 apartment in Santo Domingo. Gloria felt better after returning home. After having a light dinner together, Gloria rested, while David carried Vito's large pile of belongings and got into the car with Vito.

"You're pretty good, kid. You must have been working out a lot lately."

Vito praised.

David blushed slightly and said.

"Thank you, Vito."

Vito patted David on the shoulder.

"You seem to be getting stronger and stronger. Keep it up and keep training. Maybe I'll need your help in the future."

David nodded.

"Vito, I'll help you whenever you need me!"

Afterwards, David asked Rebecca about gun modification, which was exactly what Vito wanted to do. Guns and people in Night City are not worth much, but after being modified with their exclusive technology, guns and people can achieve a leap in value. Therefore, Vito planned to start selling modified guns first.

"Just send me the guns you need. I'll give the Mann team a discounted price. If you want to modify some guns that are hard to get on the market, we'll need to get the prototype guns depending on the situation."

Vito said to David.

"Okay, I'll send a message to Rebecca now."

……

The two arrived at the H10 skyscraper apartment building. The elevator doors opened with a "ding," and a smell mixed with synthetic cleaning agents and cheap perfume wafted out.

The walls in the stairwell are peeling, and there are graffiti by children at the lower levels depicting a "giant dragon breathing fire and burning little people," while the higher walls are covered with various patterns and slogans.

The two found room 3204 and were about to open the door when they saw Jack and Misty walking over from the outdoor boxing ring.

"Hey Vito, looking forward to your new home?"

Jack shouted over in his loud voice.

"It's alright. I have a feeling my house in Night City will be tactically cramped."

Jack laughed heartily.

"That's a brilliant use of the word."

Vito opened the door and invited the three of them to sit down, while he looked around the room.

"Hey Vito, you haven't introduced your little buddy yet."

Vito also realized he had forgotten about this, and explained.

"I'm sorry, I'm overwhelmed by my palace. This is David Martinez, a talented edge walker and my little brother. This is Jack Wells, a capable motorcyclist, squad sniper, and vice president of our medical dispute mediation group. Misty and David know each other, so I won't go into too much detail."

David and Jack shook hands.

"I saw your mother. Is she feeling any better?"

David replied.

"Much better, thanks to Dr. Viktor and Viktor!"

Vito embraced the two men on either side.

"Let's not stand on ceremony, how about a moving party?"

"Hey, that's great!"

"I'm fine with anything!"

"Don't drink too much, David still has to go home!"

……

The group bought wine and various other items and hosted a cocktail party at Vito's house.

Misty smiled knowingly as Jack prepared his legendary recipe. Vito also prepared his own recipe for everyone to drink, but everyone looked miserable after drinking it.

Then Jack made a Johnny Silver Hand for David. David pinched his nose and drank it, then coughed incessantly. Everyone quickly brought him a small Coke to help him recover.

"Cough cough cough! It's so pungent and spicy, truly a magical liquor!"

David said, coughing as he spoke.

"This beer is indeed as fiery as Johnny Silverhand."

Jack said, patting David on the back.

Vito seemed to have thought of something and asked.

"Have you had your lungs replaced?"

David shook his head.

"Not yet, I've been busy with training lately. I'll change it after training is over."

"Alright, by the way, do you have training tonight?"

David suddenly realized he had forgotten to tell Lucy that he was helping Vito move today, so he quickly called Lucy.

"Hey, Lucy!"

"What's up?"

"I forgot to tell you, I'm here with Vito today and can't participate in training. I'm very sorry!"

"understood."

"Uh, um, you, uh, me."

"Is there anything else? If not, I'll hang up now."

"Uh, that's all."

After the call ended, Mann had already told Lucy about David taking the day off. Lucy smiled as she thought of David's flustered appearance.

"Fool."

After David finishes his call, Jack will help everyone read the tarot cards.

Misty produced a deck of cards as if by magic.

Everyone tried it one by one: Jack used a chariot, Vito used strength, and David used his life force.

Looking at the three completely different cards, Jack scratched his head.

"Misty, I don't really understand these things, could you explain them to me?"

Chapter 24 Room

Misty sat on the sofa, the dim light spilling onto the cards in her hand. She stretched out her fingers, her fingertips lightly tracing over the three distinct Major Arcana cards.

“This is truly a… suspenseful deck.” Misty’s voice was soft, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping spirits within the cards.

"Hey, Misty, stop beating around the bush. What does all this mean? Explain it to me."

Jack felt a little flustered looking at Misty's serious expression.

Misty first pointed to the imposing "chariot" in front of Jack.

“Jack,” Misty looked up at the burly mercenary, “this card is yours. The Chariot represents absolute willpower, conquest, and victory. The warrior in the picture, riding two sphinxes, black and white, is using pure spiritual power to control two opposing energies, charging at full speed toward his goal.”

Jack grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and patted his chest triumphantly: "Ha! I knew it! This means I can become a legend, and I can crush everything in my path, right?"

“There are signs of victory,” Misty smiled slightly, but her eyes remained fixed on the cards. “But the Chariot also means you need to stay on your toes and maintain control at all times. If you loosen your grip on the Kings or lose your bearings, this immense momentum could cause you to lose control and overturn. Jack, your strength is undeniable, but remember, sometimes slowing down takes more courage than going full speed ahead.”

Jack scratched his head and nodded as if he understood: "Okay, I'll be careful not to crash."

Then, Misty's finger moved toward the "power" in front of Vito.

“Vito, this card is yours.”

Vito raised an eyebrow, looking at the woman on the card gently stroking the lion's mouth: "Power? I thought I'd draw the Emperor or the Pope or something."

“This card is numbered 8 or 11, depending on your system, but it doesn’t represent brute force; it represents inner resilience,” Misty explained. “It symbolizes the wisdom of overcoming strength with gentleness. The woman on the card didn’t use weapons to conquer the lion, but tamed the beast with patience and tolerance. This is very much like you, Vito. In Night City, a place full of violence and chaos, you can bring everyone together and maintain a delicate balance. You are the ‘anchor’ of this team, using inner strength to defuse external impacts.”

Vito stroked his chin thoughtfully, then raised his glass and swirled it: "Using softness to overcome hardness? That doesn't sound like me. I prefer something simpler, the kind that's head-on."

Finally, Misty's gaze fell on the card in front of David—"Destiny is Mute."

David eagerly awaited Misty's explanation.

“David…” Misty’s voice became somewhat unsteady, “You drew card number 10, what a disaster!”

David looked at the huge, constantly spinning roulette wheel on the card, which was engraved with various mysterious symbols. The Sphinx sat at the top, with Anubis and Typhon rising and falling on either side.

"What does this mean?" I asked nervously.

“Fate is unpredictable!” The man looked up at David, “The wheel keeps turning, symbolizing the ups and downs and cycles of life. It means you're at a huge turning point; the wheel of fate has started to mesh, and some things, once they happen, can never be undone.”

She paused, her tone becoming serious: "This card is telling you, David, your life is no longer entirely under your own control. External forces, whether opportunities or disasters, are pushing you forward. Like the inscription on the wheel says: 'The wheel turns, I rise; the wheel turns, I fall.' You must learn to go with the flow, not try to fight it. Because when fate moves, no one can stand still."

David's expression turned somewhat serious, at which point Vito put his arm around David's shoulder.

"Don't be nervous. We don't know our own fate. Why fight against it? Let nature take its course. At least we're together today, and we have wine to drink!"

Vito knew these young people loved to believe in these superstitions. He believed that if you viewed the world through the lens of your own mindset, that's how the world would be.

If you look at it with the idea that the world is about to be destroyed, you will find that humanity is destroying the earth in every way.

If you look at the world with the idea that it's a wonderful place, you'll find that humanity is protecting the Earth in every way.

If you apply a single idea to something, you'll eventually find something suitable that you can apply.

David smiled. Yes, a lot has happened during this time, but it has also brought David genuine joy.

Jack opened a few more bottles of wine.

"Yes, let's focus on the present, David. What's your legendary recipe?"

David scratched his head.

"Uh, I don't know, I haven't decided yet."

Jack laughed.

"We should really think about it carefully, otherwise it would be terrible if other people couldn't swallow it."

"Hey! Jack, my recipe isn't that bad!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

After another round of laughter, David took his leave and went home first, as Gloria had just been discharged from the hospital and still needed care.

Jack wanted to drink more, and he glanced at Misty, Vito teased.

"Mr. Jack Wells, are you alright? Is that your wife calling?"

Jack said with a pained expression.

“Vito, you must be getting revenge for me saying your recipe tastes awful.”

Misty covered her mouth and chuckled.

The three of them drank a few more cups and then went their separate ways. After all, the hacker Qiwei was coming tomorrow, and Vito needed to take on more orders to expand his business.

It's better to build your own fully equipped team than to be a mercenary. According to Night City's rules, newcomers can only get 30% from the middleman.

This is still too slow for Vito. He needs to raise some funds first and then sell modified weapons. He should start by selling guns and then some big stuff. He also needs to learn about prosthetic implants and self-modification properly, so as not to waste those 20 points of intelligence.

After seeing the two off, Vito leaned against the sofa, looked at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

"Whew! To struggle against the heavens is pure joy!"

……

The next day, at Vito's request, Qiwei and the two members of the medical dispute mediation team met in person at a restaurant.