Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

With the fight day approaching, the people at the Devil Boxing Club were making tense preparations for Vito, while Vito himself didn't care at all, eating and drinking as usual, and occasionally taking on a couple of gigs to earn some extra money.

What? What do you mean by "cheating makes all the difference"? It's all about talent and hard work. I, Vito, didn't cheat!

During this period, Vito's prosthetic clinic has been doing much better business. Many members of the Valentino gang come to Vito's clinic to handle minor issues and, incidentally, to sound out Vito's intentions.

These short mules weren't rich by nature, but they knew how powerful Vito was and wanted to bet on him to make some extra money.

In the original work, Johnny said this after he saw Street V's past.

"You just mustered up the courage to go a few blocks away to make a living."

This statement is sharp but true. The Valentino gang has a large territory, but more than 6,000 members. Many of them just need a gang to protect them as they grow up. Apart from the frequent shootings, their lives are no different from those of ordinary people.

"Thank you, Gloria, I feel much better!"

After thanking Gloria for her treatment, a member of the Valentino gang came to Vito, who was still sitting on the deck chair by the door, drinking an ice-cold beer and reading a book.

"Hey, Vito, can you be honest with the brothers? How confident are you really?"

Vito didn't even lift his eyelids as he spoke.

"If the opponent doesn't use any special items like the Mantis Blade or any single-target burst damage, then I'm 99% confident."

The Valentino gang member hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said.

"Damn, that's all I need to hear! I'll get the guys together and back you up! If the Animal Gang or any other lousy gang tries anything underhanded with you, I'll take them down with the guys!"

Vito nodded slightly.

"Don't worry, I've looked at the list of contestants in each district. There aren't any legendary figures. Unless the Animal Gang can get Adam Hammer, no one can make you lose money."

The Valentino members walked away while making a phone call, while Vito continued drinking his beer.

Beep~ Beep~ Beep~

The general-purpose telephone in Night City rang.

It was a call from T-bug, the team's new hacker. After Qiwei returned to the team, Vito and Jack did a few more jobs, not big or small, but they had to work out with T-bug for a while.

T-bug isn't some half-baked roadside hustler; she's cautious and precise. If it weren't for Dexter's affair dragging her into it, she wouldn't have joined Vito's team.

"Is something wrong, bug? Or do you finally want to meet up with the team members in person?"

Vito's voice was languid.

"No, let's talk about meeting later, Vito. I found a job, let me tell you about it."

T-bug's voice was calm, but Vito sensed something unusual in it.

"No offense, Bug, but even though you're the third-in-command and technical director of the medical patient relations mediation group, you can't just accept jobs first and then notify us. So, what kind of job is it?"

T-bug was a bit helpless. Vito was usually unserious, and Jack was a big mouth, but when the two of them got to work, they were like different people, just as they boasted—efficient and precise.

But this was a complicated matter, and T-bug had to ask Vito for help.

"To be honest, this has to do with me. Dexter DeShawn messed up that middleman job last year. Those guys can't find Dexter, so now they're coming to me! Saying I'm close to that fat black guy, that maybe he's hiding in my house. Damn it! How am I supposed to know where he is!"

As a professional hacker, T-bug has always been able to manage his emotions, but this time the situation may indeed be urgent.

As anyone who frequently surfs the internet knows, people who spend a lot of time online are most afraid of being confronted offline, especially when the person who comes to you in person is fully armed and covered in blood.

"OK, bug. This should be handled through the normal commission process. Send me the mission objective, and emmm, give Jack a copy too. Let's get this done as soon as possible. Jack's been obsessed with winning the championship lately. We need to get him working so he doesn't go crazy."

T-bug breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Vito readily agree.

"Thank you, Vito. Consider this something I owe you."

Vito didn't take it seriously.

"No need to say that, Bug. Since we've given you a commission, it's a mission. There's no question of owing anything. You haven't been with the team long, but you're still the third-in-command. We can't let some scoundrels take advantage of the core of the group."

T-bug knew that Vito didn't want to feel guilty.

"Okay, I'll send you the mission objectives now, I'll hang up!"

The phone hangs up.

Gloria came out and added some ice to Vito's ice bucket.

"be safe."

Vito put down his book and smiled.

"It's just a small job. The shop's been really busy lately, so I'll give you a bonus at the end of the month, Gloria."

Gloria shook her head.

"I'm talking about boxing. I've seen many people ruined by dirty tricks in the ring. I hope you're not next."

"It's okay, if all else fails I'll cheat. Once the prosthetic body is activated, bullets can't penetrate it."

Gloria smiled and nodded, then suddenly asked a question.

"Have all the items in the warehouse been sold? If so, I'll update the accounts."

Vito shook his head.

"They were all dismantled and used for modifications."

Gloria stared into Vito's eyes, a hint of worry in them.

"Vito, are you having prosthetic surgery on yourself?"

Vito paused for a few seconds before replying.

"Yes, but it's just an upgrade to the prosthetic body. You've also connected to the personal network before; that machine is very stable and won't malfunction."

Gloria was somewhat taken aback after receiving the answer.

"But, but that's very dangerous. If something goes wrong with the surgery you perform on yourself, you might never wake up again! All those prosthetics, removing them and then modifying them to fit yourself—that's bound to cause serious problems sooner or later!"

Vito waved his hand.

"This is my experiment. I can improve the quality of the prosthetic body within a controllable range. Don't worry, Gloria, I know what I'm doing. The subcutaneous armor I've modified is already close to military grade, and in the future, it will be even stronger than military grade."

Gloria's fingers were twisted in her white coat.

"Don't take your life so lightly, Vito. You're a good person, the kind of kind I've never met before. You should..."

Vito interrupted Gloria.

"Don't worry, Gloria, I cherish my life. Actually, we're all the same. We all want to be able to protect the people we care about and fulfill our wishes as soon as possible. You are like that, Jack is like that, and David is like that too. I used to think that all of this was just a game, but when I came to Night City and met you all, I know that now, even though Night City is still as smelly and disgusting as it is, I have a home here."

Gloria looked at the man who had pulled her back from the brink of death, her eyes filled with tears.

That day, she was sustained by her own will to live. She didn't believe in God, but she couldn't stop praying in her heart until the man carried her from a deathbed to a lifebed.

"Vito, I know you're aware of this, but please don't let it come to the point where you need to replace your heart too, okay?"