Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

Even if someone catches a lot of frogs in a rice paddy, they will inevitably get covered in mud.

Oh, I forgot, Night City doesn't have rice paddies or frogs anymore, but it has plenty of sludge.

Life in Night City continued, with David and his team continuing to carry out various miscellaneous tasks.

Every few days, Jack and Vito would receive a job they wanted to do.

Yes, these two guys now have the capital to pick and choose their clients.

Gunfire Children's Clinic does good business, but most of the profits come from selling guns, and few of the children can come back to the clinic to have their prosthetic bodies repaired.

Vito told Gloria that if anyone struggling financially came to him to repair his civilian prosthetic body, Gloria could offer a discount, and he wouldn't reduce her salary.

Days passed by, and Jack was now a well-known mercenary on the streets. He went to Vito's clinic as usual.

Vito lay under the awning outside the clinic reading a book, with a bucket of ice-cold beer beside him.

"Hey Mano! My mom's nagging again. She says you haven't eaten at her place for days, and she's starting to wonder if her cooking skills have gotten worse."

Vito put down his book, smiled, and tossed a bottle of beer from the ice bucket to Jack.

"Find a seat yourself. Mrs. Wells' cooking is the best in Heywood. I look forward to that every day."

Jack opened the beer bottle with his bare hands and chug it down. He had put a metal shield on his hand so that his fist could break through some ordinary prosthetics.

"Then hurry up and come visit me at my house. My mom's been missing you. Where's Gloria?"

Vito opened another bottle for Jack.

"They were practicing medicine inside. A poor child had cut his head open, and his mother brought him to see a doctor. When she saw the room full of guns, she thought she had gone to the wrong place."

Jack burst into laughter.

"Damn! This whole mess is all because of your name, hahaha!"

Jack noticed Vito's book and asked.

"What book are you reading?"

Vito picked up the book and shook it.

"Would you like to read Chukpalanick's *Fight Club*?"

"Talking about combat sports?"

Jack was somewhat puzzled.

Vito shook his head.

"No, it's a work by an author from decades ago that confronts consumerism and nihilism."

Jack pulled over a plastic stool and sat down.

"That sounds pretty good. I'll get a copy and read it in a few days."

Vito lay down on the recliner again.

"I thought you only read Hemingway's books."

Jack immediately became interested.

"You know him too? Damn, Vito, I think he's even more amazing than those legends from Morgan Mafia. I read 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' every time I do something big."

Vito stretched and then lay back in a comfortable position.

"Yes, he was a real tough guy. His 'The Old Man and the Sea' was one of my first books."

Jack suddenly seemed to remember something and said mysteriously.

"Have you heard lately? A remarkable figure has emerged in Night City's underworld."

Vito raised his eyelids and asked.

"Which mercenary has been born this time?"

Jack pulled Vito up from the recliner.

"Hey buddy, you've been so lazy lately. I think we should find you a companion. Anyway, seriously, that guy is a real shrew."

After being pulled up by Jack, Vito lazily took a sip of beer to moisten his throat and asked.

"Who is it that our legendary Jack speaks so highly of?"

Jack continued.

"A strange guy suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He wore a weird mask and killed all the gunmen, gangsters, and smugglers. I heard he even killed company employees. Now everyone in the underworld calls him 'Square Head'! He basically leaves no survivors where he goes. But he was recorded by someone who makes 'Black Dream' (a type of sunglasses), and he beat those perverts to pieces. He then used their own methods against them, melting down the street cleaner. Now, 'Black Dream' is said to be selling like hotcakes, it's practically impossible to find a single copy!"

Vito shrugged.

"Sounds like a cyber lunatic."

Jack retorted.

"Many people say that, but I think he did a good job killing them. There are always so many scoundrels to kill, and they need ruthless characters like him to teach them a lesson!"

Vito remained noncommittal.

Jack continued.

"After Square Head became famous, many people said they had seen him and that he didn't kill anyone or draw a gun. He just came out for a walk and only killed those bastards."

"Some of the bolder ones went to the places where the Square Head killed people, and it was absolutely horrific. But he released all the innocent people who had been taken away by the Cleaners and gangs unharmed, so some people also called him the Punisher."

Vito couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"The Punisher? That sounds like an outdated anime character. Even a blocky-haired guy would sound better."

Jack gestured for Vito to be serious, and then continued telling Vito about the blocky head.

"Right now, all the middlemen in Night City are looking for Square Head, especially the group of guys that Arasaka keeps. According to the old captain's inside information, Square Head executed several of Arasaka's corporate dogs. Now, those guys in suits see everyone as an assassin."

Vito pondered, realizing he'd been killing people at night a bit too often lately.

At this moment, Gloria's patient came out. When she reached the door, the child's mother kept thanking Gloria.

"Thank you, doctor, thank you for the discount. To be honest, I was counting on this money to pay for the washing machine."

After seeing the patient off, Gloria greeted Jack.

She invited Jack into the clinic and then helped them put away their beer.

Looking at Gloria, Jack sighed.

"We rough men just aren't as meticulous as women. Sometimes I wonder what I'll be like after I get married."

"You've never brought Misty home?"

Vito asked, puzzled.

"Hey, we're not there yet. Although we've known each other since we were little, my mom doesn't really like Misty, so it's been dragging on for a while."

Jack said helplessly.

"That can't be, how could Mrs. Wells not like Misty?"

Vito is a bit of a gossip these days.

"I have an ex-girlfriend named Camilla. We were really close back then, and my mom decided that she was going to be my daughter-in-law. Now, my mom finds fault with everything about Misty, and it's driving me crazy."

Jack sighed.

Vito patted Jack on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to Mrs. Wells sometime. Misty is a good girl, and I have to help you out, both morally and practically."

Jack patted Vito on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Mano, but let's not talk about that. I think you should find a partner to settle down with. We're not short of money now, and we don't need to run around doing errands all the time. I've noticed that you've been talking less and less while doing quests lately, like a machine."

"Huh? Really? I didn't notice."

Vito laughed it off.