Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

Gloria put the car model away.

"Thank you, but he'll like it."

……

The luxurious Arasaka Tower office.

“Abernathy was willing to join, but her request was to be supported to the position of Director of Security.”

Yoshitaka Sato frowned and did not reply.

His men, knowing his temper, stood aside and waited.

After a long pause, Yoshitaka Sato finally spoke:

"Yes, but she also needs to play her part and not just think about weaving the net."

The subordinate hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke with difficulty:

"Tanaka has gone missing, we..."

Sato Yoshitaka's eyes were filled with dissatisfaction.

"What are you even capable of! A bunch of idiots!"

He was no longer the elegant and composed man he once was, and he angrily berated his subordinate who came to report.

"Tanaka's gone missing? Go find him! Go find him! Is the action team in position yet!?"

His subordinate spoke hesitantly, his voice trembling.

"Yes, uh, the action team is ready, consisting of three assault squads."

Sato Yoshitaka roared.

"Not enough! Add another team of hackers, we must take down Square Head!"

"Uh, yes, we will apply..."

Sato Yoshitaka slammed the panel onto the ground.

"Fine, I'll lead the team myself and take care of the blockhead first. If you guys make any mistakes, you'll be out here picking up trash in Chiba!!"

"Can……"

"Get out!"

"Yes!"

The subordinate bowed, picked up the tablet, and left the office.

After his subordinates left, Yoshitaka Sato took three capsules to calm himself down.

Sato Yoshitaka was able to climb to this position thanks to his own intelligence sources. He already knew that Zhu was very important, and various companies were looking for Zhu.

He worked under Rintaro for twenty years, studying Rintaro for twenty years. In order to continue to gain Rintaro's appreciation, Yoshitaka Sato began to imitate Rintaro's style of doing things.

Now, he feels he can no longer suppress his true self. He had a fiery temper when he was in the action team, and years of sitting in an office haven't changed it.

Now, he felt the time had come when he no longer needed to suppress himself. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if he could capture Solomon, he could find Zhu through him.

He believed that Zhu would definitely seek refuge with the military technology group; if she did, she wouldn't need to travel halfway around the world to Night City.

As for siding with Zeta, that option never even crossed Sato Yoshitaka's mind.

If he succeeds this time, he can directly contact the Arasaka family, and then Rintaro will be under his control.

As for Tanaka, what business is it of his whether this pig lives or dies?

This is the company. Arrogance and suits are just a facade; inside, it's all scheming and backstabbing. They need to devour others to have the energy to iron their own suits, and only by using despicable methods can they always see their own tie buckle clearly under the light.

……

A dilapidated safe house.

The people who kidnapped Tanaka were the members of Mann's team. Tanaka had come to Jimmy Kurosaki to order a Mewtwo, but was stopped by Mann's team, who had been lying in ambush.

Tanaka's signal was blocked, but he chose to use his hand to launch his prosthetic body to eliminate Mann's squad.

He managed to control Mann, who had the most prosthetic equipment, but David interrupted his output by activating Sionstein, and he was eventually knocked unconscious by a punch from Mann's prosthetic arm.

The unlucky Jimmy Kurosaki, in collusion with Mann's team, tricked Tanaka, but was ultimately killed when Tanaka stabbed him in the throat with a needle.

Before he died, the old artist smiled and gave David a look, as if he was certain that David would become his best work.

While unpacking Tanaka's ICE, Mann suddenly exhibited symptoms of cybernetic derangement. In his dazed state, he seemed to return to the time before he had his prosthetic body and was diligently training.

Unconsciously, he injured Qiwei, who was unpacking data. The new member Falco punched Mann and then took Qiwei to the hospital.

David and Lucy were called to the safe house at the last minute. Lucy took over from Kivy to unpack the package, otherwise the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it would be for Mann's team.

David heard Dorio talk about Mann's cyberpsychotic disorder, and at that moment, Jimmy Kurosaki's meaningful smile suddenly flashed through his mind.

The boy didn't know how to comfort people, so he followed Mann, who was walking out of the room alone.

“Uh, Mann, I heard from Dorio that you…uh, you’ll be alright, won’t you…”

"You're okay? What do you mean by 'you're okay'? Are you asking me if I'll turn into a cyber madman?"

Mann's tone was icy, completely unlike his usual self.

"Do you think I'd go on a rampage like a madman and then die?"

Mann approached David step by step.

“Mann, that’s not what I meant.”

David really couldn't figure out Mann now.

"Stay away from me, David. Your constant peeping is already making me sick!"

Mann stomped on the empty bottle of inhibitor on the ground, then slapped David with his prosthetic arm.

“You think you’re something special just because S.A.S.S. allows you to move around freely? Remember this: that should have been mine.”

David stared blankly at Mann's departing figure.

Chapter 88 Fictional Distance

After modifying his body, Xiao Cha put on clothes, but the prosthetic body was so big that it made his clothes bulge.

He slowly shuffled out of the operating room, looking quite comical.

Vito wiped his hands and followed Cha out the door. After wiping them clean, he casually patted Cha, almost knocking him over.

"Vito!"

Xiao Cha was dissatisfied.

Vito then looked at the two women sitting next to the computer.

"Let's go home, Gloria. Liying and I will take you home. Open the magician's gate."

Gloria nodded and then put the toy car into her bag.

"Hey, Cha, get some rest. Don't stay up too late watching movies! It's bad for your health!"

Xiao Cha plopped down next to the computer with a thud, shoving the chair down twenty centimeters.

"Little Cha is a robot, he'll be fine."

After Vito and the other two walked out of the hotel, Little Cha said in a low voice.

"But Cha really likes it."

The three were chatting in the car.

"Gloria, has David been staying with you lately?"

Gloria smiled and shook her head.

"No, he lives with Lucy."

Vito had a wicked grin on his face.

"Wasteland~Gloria is going to be a grandma!"

Li Ying scolded playfully.

“Vito, don’t talk nonsense. I heard from Gloria that David is only nineteen years old. How could he be so fast?”

Gloria, however, didn't seem to care at all.

“I’ve met Lucy, she’s a nice girl.”

"It seems the mothers are very satisfied with their daughters-in-law, don't you think?"

Vito winked at Li Ying, who blushed and nodded.

“Let’s call David back for a meal sometime. It seems like the job he’s taken on isn’t easy.”

"Oh, by the way, Gloria, if David and you save up enough money, where would you like to go?"

Gloria thought about it seriously.

"I don't know, maybe we'll go to Asia. In the end, it depends on David and Lucy's decision. Actually, I'm doing quite well in Night City right now."

Vito shook his head.

"Forget it, let's leave once we've saved enough money. Night City is a terrible place."

……

In the dimly lit and cramped room, empty wine bottles and cigarette butts were piled on the floor.

"I've come this far, and it's impossible to downgrade the prosthetic body now. What was the point of all this effort?"

Mann was no longer the same as before; he seemed dazed and dazed.

He was talking to himself in his room.

David, who had been slapped, walked back to the door of the safe house and heard Dorio and Lucy arguing.

“Those idiots are probably catching up soon! We only have tomorrow morning, you know that! We have no other choice!”

The door opened, and bright light shone on David's face, revealing his gloomy expression.

He regarded Mann as family, a mentor, and an older brother, but Mann's words just now had pierced his heart.

"I said no! You are! Do you even understand? That guy is Arasaka's..."

David saw Lucy's emotional state; her hands began to tremble and twitch involuntarily as she spoke of Arasaka.

David sighed and said weakly.

"Let's give up, let's go home, Lucy, don't push yourself."

"Shut up, David."

Dorio tried to stop her, but his tone wasn't harsh.

“We can throw Tanaka back where he was and pretend nothing happened,” David continued.

Lucy trembled as David spoke.

Dorio raised his voice and roared.

"Have you said enough?!"

Amidst the shouts, Lucy ran out of the room.

"Lucy, you can't run away forever!"

David followed Lucy out of the room.

Lucy shoved David against the wall.

“David! Tell me, I can do it!”

"Uh, what? I thought you didn't want to..."

"Tell me! You have absolutely no idea what Arasaka is like! They're watching us all the time!"