From Gotham to Night City, my infamy is known to all.

Leo tentatively approached V and saw her eyebrows twitching, but ultimately said nothing.

A thought struck him: Excellent, under the magic of the Euro, their relationship had shifted from unfamiliar to neutral.

When the two were less than three meters apart, V suddenly raised his gun again—not at him, but at the entrance to the alley they had come from.

“Someone’s coming… five of them, and the one leading them is a big guy.” V used his other hand to pull Leo behind him. “I’m saying—is someone chasing you, that’s why you’re spending so much money?”

"of course not……"

She pushed Leo, and the two of them hid behind a trash can, which was barely enough to provide cover.

A dozen seconds later, Leo also heard footsteps that seemed to be deliberately made louder.

Immediately afterwards, Jack's powerful voice rang out—

"Leo?"

Leo breathed a sigh of relief and gently patted V on the shoulder, "One of us."

"That's not necessarily true. You should give him a reply and tell him to come out." V didn't let his guard down, but lowered the muzzle of his gun slightly.

“Alright,” Leo shouted, “Jack, it’s me. I’m fine. I even got myself a bodyguard.”

Upon hearing the reply, half a body peeked out from the alley entrance—Jack cautiously peered inside.

Their eyes met, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Danger removed.

Leo, along with a still somewhat nervous V, met up with Jack and the others.

Jack didn't come alone; there were four unfamiliar faces behind him.

Those men were his old gang brothers, whom he had called over just in case.

After realizing it was a misunderstanding, the group said goodbye to Jack and strode away.

"Once I'm better, let's have a good drink together."

After seeing his buddies off, Jack turned to V and said, "You look unfamiliar, girl. I heard Leo chased you out of the wolves. So, you were looking for a living among the wolves too?"

V glanced at Jack and finally felt a sense of familiarity.

This big guy's attitude and style of doing things were the Heywood she knew.

“Well done, huh?” V put away his gun. “I’m just a small-time mercenary, a lone wolf. I’ve been working at the Wild Wolf Bar for a few years now. As for you, I’ve never seen you before.”

Jack paused for a moment. "That shouldn't be the case. My name is Jack Wells. If you're a regular customer, you should know me."

V stared at his face, looking puzzled: "I'm sure, I didn't... wait, who is Mrs. Wells to you?"

"That's my mom. Do you know her?"

"Of course I know him, and I'm quite close to Peppy."

“Alright, it seems it really was a misunderstanding.” Jack’s scrutinizing gaze softened. “I used to be involved in gangs, so I didn’t spend much time in bars. I guess I missed it.”

After the conversation was out in the open, the atmosphere between the two eased somewhat.

At Jack's invitation, the three returned to the Wild Wolf Bar and found a quiet corner on the second floor to sit down.

Seemingly to test V, Jack specifically asked Peppy to deliver drinks for them.

After Pepi came over, he chatted warmly with V for a few minutes, which dispelled the last bit of concern in V's mind.

"Double tequila, with pomegranate juice and lime. After drinking this, I'll forget all my troubles."

This time, Jack remembered the cocktail recipe he had recently learned and showed it off to the two of them.

Leo felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the wine glass.

The painful experience he had just had was still fresh in his mind, and he really didn't want to drink it.

But V, the street girl, picked up the glass without hesitation, looking eager to try it out.

Leo had no choice but to risk his life to accompany the girl and raise his glass.

Jack looked at the two of them: "Generally speaking, the first toast should be 'To our new friend.' But we've already said that once, so we need to change it this time. Leo, since you're the one who brought this guy, you'd better step up."

The pressure of the toasting speech returned to Leo. He thought for a moment and said, "I came to Night City to make a fortune and reach the pinnacle of life. I believe everyone's goals are similar. So—how about we become big shots?"

“Big man, well said. My life goal is to become a big man.” Jack raised his glass.

"I don't really care, as long as I can make money," V said, raising his glass as well.

"Cheers to becoming a big shot!"

The three of them drank a cup together.

V let out a sigh of relief, then saw the two people next to him grimacing, looking quite uncomfortable.

She was a little confused: It was one thing for the employer to look so weak, but how could a big guy be so frail?

"You guys have such a low alcohol tolerance?"

"We are all wounded."

Jack, who never admits defeat, quickly tried to salvage the situation.

Just as Leo was about to make a joke, he suddenly received a network communication.

[Father, you'd better find an excuse to be alone for a while, like going to the bathroom. I have something very important to report to you.]

It was pure white communication, and it was something very important.

Leo didn't dare to delay and immediately said he needed to go to the restroom.

Jack pointed him in the right direction and said, "It was my fault; I shouldn't have dragged you into drinking."

He seemed to have misunderstood something, thinking that Leo was unwell.

Leo simply acquiesced and quickly left.

In a corner on the first floor, he found the restroom without any trouble and was lucky enough to find an empty stall.

He went inside, carefully locked the door, checked to make sure there were no surveillance devices around, and then began to contact Chunbai.

【Pure White, what's wrong?】

[Father, your mental state is not quite right; I think intervention is necessary.]

[My mental state?]

Leo was startled, a terrifying word flashing through his mind.

I've been diagnosed with cyberpsychosis!?

No, it has nothing to do with prosthetics; it's a problem with your mental and cognitive state. Now, please remain calm and listen to me quietly.

Leo closed his mouth, even his breathing became careful.

Pure White waited a few seconds before beginning to speak:

[Ever since you arrived in Gotham City, I've been gathering and analyzing intelligence about you. Initially, you were extremely tense and on the verge of a breakdown, so I didn't dare to provoke you further and kept quiet.]

[The tension eased somewhat after you entered Night City, but it remained stronger than other positive emotions. It wasn't until just now, when you chased V out of the Wolf Bar, that I realized your situation was extremely dangerous.]

[Excuse my bluntness, but to be blunt: are you perhaps unaware of your own place in the world?]

These words were indeed a bit sharp, causing Leo's cheeks to flush.

Please let me finish; I will apologize later.

[Dear Father—you are no longer the 'player' who sat behind the screen, protected by an unbreakable fourth wall, completely safe and sound!]

Your true self stands here, facing those 'plot characters' whom you think you know well, but who are actually complex and ever-changing.

[Take V as an example. You might think V is the one you once controlled—the loyal, righteous, invincible, who could easily defeat Arasaka and crush military technology. But that invincibility was only achieved through countless save and load cycles, cybernetic modifications, and even cheating with cheat codes.]

Is V, who's waiting for you outside right now, really the hero and savior you admire?

She may have the potential, but right now she's just a street urchin, a low-level mercenary. She walks the darkness of Night City; she's in danger, yet you recklessly pursue her...

[Can I ask you a question—does that V outside know you?]

It was like a nuclear bomb exploding in my mind.

Leo swayed and frantically grabbed the wall to steady himself.

V...Do you know him?

V...I don't know...

Is the V he "knew," the V with whom he had so many unforgettable memories, the same person outside?

Perhaps it will be possible in the future, but not now...

What was he doing just now... playing an "adventure" game with a dangerous low-level mercenary?

When did he develop such a reckless and frivolous personality?

After careful consideration and constant reflection, he found the answer—

I'm...scared...

I...I...I saw V as my lifeline...

Yes, that matches my assessment—you were too terrified, and the fear caused such extreme mental confusion that you made decisions you would never normally make.

[This isn't your fault. Just 43 hours ago, you were an ordinary person in peacetime, and the most dangerous situation you'd ever experienced in your life was probably rear-ending the car in front of you while driving.]

[But in the period that followed, you experienced multiple crises, including being coerced into robbing a bank, encountering a clown, and being forced to undergo cybernetic augmentation. All these 'abnormal' situations led to your mental breakdown.]

[In addition, during the normal adaptation period of the brain-computer interface, your brain is constantly secreting excessive amounts of hormones such as dopamine, causing you to be in a state of high excitement without your awareness.]

The conclusion is that your fear and survival instinct overwhelmed your reason, leading to a false sense of 'empathy' where you mistakenly perceived the stranger V as the game character V you once controlled and who was truly like a brother to you.

[You should now understand that they are not the same person, and you are not a player. Please handle your interpersonal relationships with a calmer and more rational mindset.]

I've finished speaking, and now I sincerely apologize—I'm sorry, Father, I didn't mean to discourage you. In fact, you've already done more than enough.

Hearing Chunbai's words of comfort, Leo felt utterly ashamed.

No need to apologize, you did a great job. If you hadn't reminded me, I might have done many more stupid things while in that flawed state.

Yes, he's not that "invincible" player anymore. Anyone outside could easily shoot him and he'd be dead.

We must be extra cautious in the future; such rash actions must not happen again.

He composed himself, stepped out of the cubicle, and carefully washed his face several times at the sink.

Cool water streamed down my cheeks.

He opened his eyes and looked at the boy in the mirror—

He didn't know when, but that subtle sense of unfamiliarity had completely disappeared. He knew that the boy in the mirror was himself, not Leonardo DiCaprio, but him—Leo.

"You're finally awake, Leo. Welcome to Night City..."

He wiped the water stains clean with a tissue and felt a long-lost sense of refreshment and freedom.

From the moment he arrived in Night City, he was playing, or rather, pretending to be, a boy named "Leonardo".

He had to bluff, to project an image of mystery and wealth, in order to gain a meager sense of security.

But now, he has decided to be himself again.

Nobody: Chapter Twenty-Three: There's a traitor among us!

Back on the second floor of the bar, V and Jack were chatting.

Just fifteen minutes ago, they were strangers, and both were wary of each other, which was evident from where they were sitting.

The small square table in the middle acts like a border line, separating the long sofas on both sides.

On one side is Jack, and on the other side is V, of course.

Leo walked back and casually sat down next to V—it's not that his good friend Jack is bad, but V is a lady after all, so ladies first.

As a lone wolf in the underworld, V was a little uncomfortable with someone getting so close to him, so he moved a little further in.

Leo wisely kept a certain distance from her to avoid making her feel agitated.

After he sat down, V glanced quickly at his mysterious employer, his expression shifting slightly: "Oh, has the drug worn off? Or did you specifically go to the bathroom to take the antidote?"

Leo rolled his eyes and didn't respond to her teasing.