Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

Chapter 98 Aftermath

No one asked Vito what he had done; the deed was done, and everyone was doing what they could.

Vito wanted to hide at the clinic for two days until his wounds were fully healed before contacting Jack, to avoid Jack nagging him.

Unfortunately, when Jack heard that Vito was injured, he rushed to the Gunfire Children's Clinic. To Vito's surprise, Jack didn't even ask him what he had been doing that had gotten him into this state.

"Jack's loud voice is gone," he said to Vito.

"Mano, call me next time you need something, otherwise if Little Cha becomes the second-in-command, won't I lose to the newbie?"

Vito understood what Jack meant; he may seem rough, but he was actually gentle and sensitive.

"Thank you, Jack."

Gloria leaned against the gate, calmly watching the traffic flow outside, while Liying practiced shooting at the Gunfire Kids shooting range.

Under the bright sunshine, it seemed that many of the city's hidden evils had been killed by the ultraviolet rays.

An armed SUV pulled up in front of the clinic, and Carlo got out of the vehicle.

"Vito, your goods have arrived."

"Thank you, Carlo. A new car?"

As he spoke, Vito walked over to Carlo's car and inspected the cargo.

"This is from Max. He said I'm leading a group of guys on my own now, so I need to get a new car."

After Vito checked the goods, he sent Carlo a list.

"That's good. I heard that the Snake Gang is quite powerful now, and the Bet family is about to merge with you."

Cha and Jack moved the goods to the clinic. Carlo offered Vito a cigarette, but Vito waved it off.

"You're quite well-informed. What's up? Quit?"

Vito shook his head slightly and glanced in Gloria's direction.

"I haven't quit yet, but my parents are watching. I'll stop smoking for now."

Gloria and Vito's eyes met for half a second, after which Gloria nonchalantly continued looking at the cars on the road.

"I have something to tell you, something you definitely don't know."

Carlo lowered his voice and said mysteriously.

"What is it?"

"Last night, a huge group of company employees got into a chaotic brawl on the highway leading out of Taiping Prefecture; even armed helicopters were deployed!"

"last night?"

"Yes! There were several companies involved. They started with a chaotic fight, then one of the companies blew up an SUV, and then all those company dogs inexplicably scattered and ran off in a swarm to the other side."

This was the same situation Vito encountered last night; those Zeta's external armor squads and that bastard Adam Hammer all left as if they had received some unified order.

After the cargo was unloaded, Vito patted Carlo's arm.

"Let me know if you have any updates. I'm quite interested in this. My next shipment needs to be delivered soon, I'm in a bit of a rush."

"Wow! Your business is booming? I'm practically giving you an armory."

"Of course, that would be great. We're using up a lot of stock every day. Oh, by the way, do you have any external combat armor? Military-grade, even the old-fashioned kind will do."

Carlo was somewhat embarrassed.

"This stuff is hard to come by. Even if you have it, your family will use it sparingly. I'll try to think of a way for you."

"Thanks, Carlo."

After seeing Carlo off, Vito called Rebecca to let her know that the goods had arrived.

beep~ beep~

"Hey, Vito."

"Hey Rebecca, your shipment has arrived. You can pick it up today."

"Vito, not today. Mann and Dorio are dead—"

"Dead? When did that happen?"

"Last night, I was preparing a niche for columbarium in the North District."

"I will come to mourn them."

After hanging up the phone, Vito was somewhat lost in thought; two more people he knew had died.

He took out two Malorian Overtures and a bunch of parts from the cargo, connected them to the robotic arm, and prepared to begin the modification.

Gloria placed a glass of real water for Vito.

"Mann is dead."

Gloria's reaction was not as strong as Vito's.

"Perhaps this is the fate of cyberpunk. Sometimes I dream that David is injured and I try to stop the bleeding, but I can't stop it no matter what I do."

Only when I wake up will I be thankful that it was just a dream, but I know that one day it might become reality, and I can't stop it from happening.

Mercenaries are people who risk their lives, and in Night City, Gloria had no choice but to accept this fate.

Vito began modifying the firearm, with a robotic arm assisting him in first removing parts for modification.

"Would things be better elsewhere?"

Vito asked Gloria.

"It might get better, but wherever there are companies, it's pretty much the same everywhere."

Gloria gave a wry smile.

"Don't worry, Gloria, these damn corporate colonies will be destroyed one day!"

"I hope I can live to see that day."

In the evening, before the lingering heat of the sun had completely dissipated, Vito and Gloria arrived together at the North Cemetery.

He saw Rebecca and Kevy, and standing next to them was someone Vito had never seen before.

Vito looked at Rebecca's gorilla arm with a helpless expression.

"So you still installed it? Couldn't even wait a little while?"

"The squad has a mission, and I don't have much time left. Oh, let me introduce you, this is Falco, our newest member, the squad's driver and backup."

"Hello, Falco, I'm Vito."

Falco had heard of Vito's reputation before, and he shook hands with Vito.

Vito took out a modified Malorian Overture and handed it to Rebecca.

"The free gift I promised you last time is exactly the same as the one you mentioned. Now that you've installed the gorilla arm, I think recoil won't be a problem."

"Thanks!"

Rebecca took the revolver, and Qiwei glanced at the gun, then at Vito.

The group waited for David and Lucy to arrive.

A dozen minutes later, David and Lucy arrived, looking exhausted and numb.

David seemed somewhat surprised to see Vito and his mother Gloria.

"Mom, Vito, you—"

"I've come to see Mann and Dorio off; they're one of the few people in Night City that I think are decent."

""

Everyone watched as the holographic text on the urn niche was illuminated.

Two soldiers, a pair of lovers.

—After Dorio's memorial service, Vito learned what had happened the night before, and that after Pira's death, Mann had slowly begun to show symptoms of cyberbullying, which were getting worse and worse.

Vito pulled David aside.

"Do you remember what I told you before?"

"Which sentence? Vito."

"Take your mother and Lucy and leave Night City."

"Vito, thank you, but I'm not alone now. Mann and Dorio are gone, and I can't abandon the rest of the team."

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind."

Do you have any plans right now?

David hesitated for a moment before revealing his true thoughts.

"I want to install Mann's prosthetic body first."

Vito looked back, then lit a cigarette.

"I looked at the information that the golden-nosed guy gave me. It seems that piling up semantics can have some impact. I'm working on a chip. Come to my place in a few days so your mother can have a check-up. You have to come."

Sometimes, they actually know everything, but they choose to bury it in their hearts and torment themselves.