Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

Back in the vibrant and beautiful city of Night, Vito lit a cigarette to dispel the stench lingering in his nostrils.

Several cars were parked in front of the Gunfire Children's Clinic. Vito slowed down and sent a message to Jack, asking him to prepare the Magician's S7 heavy machine gun.

Vito's prosthetic eye swept over a few passersby dressed as thugs. They seemed to be doing nothing on the street, but in reality, they were all staring at the Gunfire Children's Clinic.

Vito parked the car, opened the clinic door, and went inside.

Suddenly, a dozen or so people surged out from the surrounding area, each equipped with Shingen smart rifles. The few idle thugs also displayed a competence that did not match their attire, drawing their Kenshin pistols and approaching.

"What? Arasaka's stock hit its daily limit down? Are you company dogs being sent to play the thugs on the street?"

Vito remained completely calm; he recognized these people as Arasaka's agents at a glance.

At that moment, an Arasaka agent who appeared to be a leader stepped forward and spoke to Vito.

"Vito, captain of the mercenary squad of the afterlife, we have all your information. Since you recognize us as people from the Arasaka Company, you should know what you have to say."

Vito snapped his fingers.

The company's sycophant sneered.

"Don't waste your energy, our hackers have already shut down your turret, you can't open it."

"oh."

Vito snapped his fingers three more times.

A mechanical sound rang out.

The machine gun turret popped out.

"Sorry, forced voice control is enabled; my code is above yours."

The company's boss looked grim; he couldn't believe that in 2076, someone would still be pulling out such an outdated idea.

Sometimes, it's okay if things are a little old. Grandpa's old tricks are outdated, but they still work well against the Japanese.

Jack then drove his car to block Agent Arasaka's retreat.

"You're surrounded. Now, tell me, what does Arakasaka want with me?"

The company's dog boss gritted his teeth and spoke.

"We know you're connected to the 'Cube Head' group. If you cooperate with us, Arasaka will give you unexpected rewards! You'd better..."

"Stop talking nonsense, transfer the money, and I'll tell you all the information about the blocky guy."

The company's dog boss was stunned. He hadn't expected Vito to betray Blockhead so readily, and he secretly despised him in his heart.

"These marginalized scum have no honor whatsoever."

He thought this to himself, but on the surface he nodded and looked satisfied.

"Great, but how do I know if your information is true or false?"

"Stop talking nonsense, transfer the money. I don't have time for your messy affairs in Arahabaki. Square Head uses a revolver and a Nine-Tails, and he has military-grade bulletproof subcutaneous armor. Am I right?"

Vito waved the euros around and casually pointed to Agent Arasaka next to the leader, the gun barrels on the turret turning in sync with his hand.

"Unable to hack the turret. This turret is now out of automatic control and is being operated manually by that guy."

The hackers in the task force reported the situation to their leader.

"Okay, this is Arasaka's money chip, but it's encrypted. I know the password..."

Vito snatched the chip and began decrypting it. After a series of 7A, 55, and 1C decryptions, Vito transferred the money to the account.

"I don't care about this or that. The blocky guy said his name was Solomon, but he didn't say his last name. The guns were bought from me, one Malorian Overture and one Nine Tails."

He's an agent of the new America, with close ties to military technology. The reason he's causing you trouble is supposedly because you beat him to a pulp on a train a few years ago, and now he's seeking revenge.

"That's all. Get out of here. I don't want the shop full of dismembered limbs; then I'll have to call someone to clean it up."

The leader got the information he wanted, and he was also very wary of Vito, so he ordered the squad to withdraw. They boarded the car one by one, and two minutes later, the whole street returned to silence.

Vito casually crushed the decrypted money chip and tossed it aside.

"Tch, Arasaka, you country bumpkin, you believe whatever you're told."

Jack and Chapman got out of the car and walked into the clinic with their guns in hand.

"Who were those people just now?"

Vito put the euros into his holster.

"Arasaka's corporate dog, instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, comes to deliver money."

At that moment, another Villeroy & Boch pulled up in front of the clinic.

"Again? Looks like I can't slack off anymore. This clinic is doing pretty good business at night."

Two women got out of the car, both dressed in bespoke suits. One of them was Anne Cornwall, an old acquaintance of Vito's, whom they had rescued at the Fuji bar.

"Long time no see, Annie. Did you bow too much and your back hurt? Come in, lie down on the operating chair, let me take a look at you."

Anne gritted her teeth but remained silent, while the woman next to her praised her.

"Vito, as expected of a rapidly rising mercenary. Many people in the company's action team don't have your abilities. To be honest, you're wasting your talents as a mercenary. Join Arasaka."

Vito gestured for Jack to take Little Cha to the warehouse.

"Did all the Arasaka gang come to my place for a team-building event today? What should I call you? Valerie? Or V?"

Valerie smiled.

"V, that's my name. We only had one encrypted call. How did you recognize me?"

Vito scanned the surroundings with his prosthetic eye to see if there were any other Arasaka agents hiding, and answered casually.

"Your voice is very distinctive, and I'm very sensitive to the aura of a sugar daddy. What brings you here in the middle of the night?"

Valerie waved to Anne, who walked up to Vito and handed him a chip.

Unlike V, who is not so foolish as to wear any random sunglasses he picks up off the street or stick any microchip in his head, Vito is not so clueless.

He inserted the chip into the clinic's computer, and a message appeared: personal information and behavioral data of a woman named Kim Yeon.

"V, I don't have time to catch your mistress."

Valerie now understands why Anne said Vito was an infuriating person.

"She was transferred from the Arasaka Asia region, but she recently disappeared. Find her for me! The commission will be very generous!"

"Then you've come at the right time. I can introduce you to Jack Wells, the chief person-finding expert at our medical dispute mediation group. You two will definitely get along well."

Valerie's voice remained calm and steady.

"It doesn't matter who comes, just don't mess it up, or you won't be able to handle the consequences."

Vito knew that V from the company spoke arrogantly like that, but he didn't care, as long as the money was there.

"Want to pay extra for our plus service? I'll take care of Jenkins for you, and you can be promoted to head of the counterintelligence department. Doesn't that sound amazing!"

Valerie was shocked that Vito knew so much. It seemed that Vito was not just a mercenary as he appeared. She put away her arrogance.

"No need, thank you. Just give me your contact information."

"OK, I've sent it to you. We'll make sure you get what you paid for."

Valerie nodded and left with Anne, realizing she had completely underestimated Vito.

Vito smiled as he watched Valerie's departing figure. Perhaps this was the beginning of V and Jack's acquaintance.