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

V's fists were as hard as granite; it felt like he could crack someone's skull with a single punch.

Unfortunately, that was her employer. She was a well-mannered and ethical mercenary who didn't follow the old ways of subservient to superiors.

You can't hit them, you can't scold them... the only remaining option is to run away.

Da da da--

Bang!

V fled back to the shelter, protesting with a loud banging on the door.

Leo chuckled: "We're all under the same roof, where can Vivian hide?"

With a clever trick, he forced V out in just twenty minutes.

dong dong dong-

"Dinner's ready, come out quickly!"

dong dong dong-

Persistent knocking led to the desired result.

V walked out with a stern face, exuding a powerful aura, but her eyes were unfocused and wandering aimlessly.

Leo led her to the dining area and warmly invited her to dinner.

A typical Western dinner consisting of steak, mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon, a vegetable salad, and some snacks.

V seemed to have a good appetite, but Leo... felt that the meat was lacking, not as good as the reconstituted steak he used to eat.

Noticing that he was frowning as he ate, V suddenly felt a little smug: "You stepped on a landmine, didn't you? This is Haywood, if you want to eat Western food you have to go to the city center."

What should I order?

"Heywood's main population is Latino, so next time you could try Mexican food or Brazilian barbecue. But if you ask me, this dinner is already quite luxurious; the average person in Night City doesn't usually eat this well."

After finishing their meal, the two cleared the table and sat back down on the sofa.

Leo casually handed her the membership card and tentatively said, "Don't forget your card, Vivian."

V took the card but didn't put it away, instead fiddling with it in her hand. After a moment of silence, she looked directly into Leo's eyes, as if she had made up her mind:

"There is no love without a reason, nor is there hate without a reason. I've understood this since I was very young. We've only known each other for a few hours, but you've spent more money on me than I earn in a year..."

"Just tell me straight, what exactly do you want? You're not actually in love with me at first sight and want to keep me as a mistress, are you?"

For a moment, Leo considered nodding to see V's amusing reaction. But then he remembered this wasn't a "game," and it was best to avoid overly risky options.

If he scares V away, where will he find a replacement for the top-tier fighter he's missing...?

Just as he was carefully choosing his words, intending to give a few vague replies, V spoke up again: "Let me make it clear beforehand, I'm from Haywood, unlike those women in Watson District who will scramble to get into your bed if you pay them!"

"The reason I carry a gun on the streets instead of just getting a doll chip and making quick money in Genting is because I'm not the kind of person who's willing to degenerate and do whatever I want! Even if you try to bribe me... I... I won't let you do whatever you want!"

If she didn't stutter or blush, Leo might have believed her.

But now... the magic of the Euro has clearly softened V's attitude, making her speak less confidently.

Leo pondered for a moment, then decided on his words: "Vivian..."

“Call me V! That name sounds too weak. People in the underworld need a more resounding name.”

“Alright, V-Zhentian, that’s a catchy name, isn’t it?” Leo didn’t wait for her to answer and sped up his speech, “You’re being way too defensive. I haven’t done anything yet, and you’re already acting like you’re drawing a line between us. We’re a team, after all.”

"What a weird name... Never mind, let's get down to business—it's not that I'm overly cautious, it's that you're too easily guarded."

This is Night City, a city rife with lies, deceit, and betrayal. Nine out of ten people here are bad. Someone as foolish as you, so easily trusting, and with money at that, is in danger here.”

This attitude was truly earnest and persuasive; Leo should appreciate it.

"Of course I know, but I don't 'easily' trust others; rather, I have a special skill in judging people."

Take you, V, for example. I could tell at a glance that you value honor, are unafraid of authority, and are also very kind. I hired you as my bodyguard precisely because I admire your excellent qualities.

"Yes...really?"

V was confused. She liked hearing this, but wasn't he exaggerating?

She was just a street mercenary, yet she was being talked about like some kind of legendary figure.

"Of course, don't you have that superhuman intuition that's almost like mind reading? So what do you think of the other member I chose—Jack?"

V pictured the burly man with the bun hairstyle, hesitated, and nodded. "Jack seems very reliable to me. He must be the kind of leader in the gang who's well-liked by his underlings. A teammate like that is definitely reassuring."

“I think so too. Besides Jack, I also know the most reliable prosthetic doctor in all of Night City, and a metaphysical master whose personality is so good that it doesn’t seem like that of a Night City native.”

Leo spread his hands, emphasizing his imposing presence.

"Look, on my first day in Night City, I was able to find the four of you in this place full of bad people. Is that what you call being stupid or gullible?"

V fell silent; what he said was indeed correct. To be able to see through someone's true nature at a glance and then actively strive for their benefit is not foolishness, but rather a sign of great wisdom appearing as foolishness.

She herself dared to join the "lone wolf" profession, a high-risk career with an average professional lifespan of less than five years, only because of her extraordinary sixth sense or intuition.

"So...you've taken a liking to my talent?"

“It’s character and ability,” Leo corrected her. “When choosing a bodyguard, character is far more important than ability.”

V breathed a sigh of relief: "If that's how you see it, I can accept it. Don't worry, I'm a very good fighter. As long as the difference in cybernetics and equipment isn't too great, I can always win!"

The atmosphere between the two eased, and V leaned back on the sofa in relaxation: "As long as you don't have any other thoughts, that's fine. Just the look in your eyes when we first met... I still get goosebumps when I think about it now."

At that moment, I really wondered if I looked a lot like your deceased wife or lover, which was why you looked at me with that strange gaze.

“Your intuition is truly amazing…” Leo affirmed this point again.

"That's right. I've been a mercenary since I was twelve. I rely on my amazing intuition to sense danger and other people's true thoughts in advance. Otherwise, I would have died long ago."

"Twelve years old...that's quite young. How old are you now?"

"Seventeen, almost eighteen."

"No wonder he still looks a bit chubby."

V rolled her eyes at him, feeling there was something wrong with his eyesight...

Nobody: Chapter Thirty-Eight - A Wonderful Cohabitation Life

Night City.

As its name suggests, the night brings not tranquility, but a liveliness and hustle far exceeding that of the daytime.

A drunk person was shouting and yelling in the street.

The Bosozoku (motorcycle gangs) revel in the streets, their motorcycles screeching and making the tires and pedestrians scream.

Worse than either of these was the faint sound of gunfire coming from afar, whether it was robbery, murder, or gang conflict.

The City of Night awakens in the darkness, revealing its bloodthirsty fangs.

Even with the curtains completely drawn, Leo still felt uncomfortable in this turbulent environment and moved a little closer to V once more.

Poor V had already been squeezed to the edge of the crescent-shaped sofa; if he moved any further, he would have to sit on the floor.

"Are you serious? The gunshots were coming from so far away, at least several blocks away."

"My hometown isn't this chaotic..."

"So why did you come all the way to Night City? There are three guns per person here, even if you include newborn babies."

What could Leo say? It wasn't something he could decide...

"Sigh, just pretend I was kicked out. Anyway, let's not talk about that. What do you think... how about we buy one of those?"

The "that" he was referring to was a product being advertised on television.

For those who prioritize home security above all else, consider installing your own home turret system; then even the most ruthless criminals will be helpless...

The TV is showing a cartoon-style automatic turret, the kind you see everywhere in games—a defensive turret that hangs upside down from the ceiling and shoots down any enemies it scans.

V sighed: "But if you run into a skilled hacker, it's hard to say who that turret will be firing at. High technology isn't always more reliable than human intervention, and besides..."

She snatched the remote control.

"【Pingping An'an】This kind of children's program is only for little kids. Can't we watch something that adults should watch?"

drop.

The scene changes.

Good evening, Night City!

Welcome to the evening rebroadcast of Dead Man's Lottery. Dear viewers, whether you slept in late, worked the night shift, or... simply love the show and want to watch it again, we can make it happen!

Without further ado, let's see how many people died yesterday... Oh dear, a full forty-two! What a fruitful day!

The TV was playing an intense fighting game animation, and Japanese onomatopoeia filled the entire screen with shouts of "Ora Ora!"

There was absolutely no trace of the sadness and solemnity that should be present when "so many people have died."

[Here, we must thank the Valentino and Vortex gangs; they contributed twenty-one of them, accounting for half of Night City's total. I have no doubt that if it weren't for the Civic Center separating Haywood and Watson Districts, those two groups could have pushed the death toll into triple digits...]

At this point, the scene switched to the NCPD collecting the body and sealing off the scene, and the screen full of severed limbs and bloodstains made Leo's heart pound.

"Minors should not watch such violent programs."

He tried to grab the remote, but V simply held it in her arms, making him hesitant to reach for it.

"This isn't a violent show; it's the weathervane of Night City, the mercenaries' favorite show."

Bang.

V opened another can of Coke and watched TV while drinking it: "Through Dead Man's Lottery, you can see the changes in the situation in Night City most directly, where it is safe, where it is dangerous, and where... there is work to be done."

For example, right now—the Valentino and the Vortex gangs are at war, which puts the industrial heartland of Watson District and the beautiful area of ​​Haywood in great danger. More specifically, you can ask Jack; I suspect his injury and departure from the gang were because of the Vortex.”

Leo was impressed by her intuition, because it was true—Jack had almost been killed by the Vortex gang in a gang war; he remembered being shot three times near the heart.

V mistook his silence for fear, so he patted him on the shoulder to comfort the poor employer:

"Don't worry, this apartment is in the safest part of Haywood—west of Wil Springs, bordering the city center. The Valentino gang has long kept watch on the intersections around here, just to prevent troublemakers from scaring away rich people like you."

Leo shook his head noncommittally and continued watching host Stan introduce the latest developments in Night City in an exaggerated and darkly humorous tone.

Hackers sabotage the power grid...

Thugs robbed a store...

Cyber ​​psychopaths everywhere...

This is amazing, this is Night City, that damned place...

All night long, Leo stayed by V's side, forcing her to huddle together for warmth.

Until 10 p.m., the growing sleepiness pushed the anxiety to the side.

"I'm going to wash up and go to bed. Don't stay up too late, or you'll stunt your growth..."

Ever since he learned that V was just a seventeen-year-old girl, Leo subconsciously put himself in the position of an elder and patted her head.

V, who had a half-shaved hairstyle and dyed her hair red, was dumbfounded—she was a veteran mercenary who had been on the streets for five years and had been through countless battles. She had never been looked down upon like this before.

However, there was truly no malice in his eyes, leaving her with no reason to get angry.

Feeling stifled by being alone, V, forced to end her solitary life, ran to the window, opened a crack, and looked down at the night view.

She also had this habit in the anthill, but the feeling when looking around was completely different.

Although the skyscrapers in the anthill are tall, you can only see the building's exterior walls, which are like "well walls," and you can't see the sky at all.

It's different here...

The upscale residential area near the city center is brightly lit, and NCPD police cars can be seen driving by from time to time, maintaining local security.

The same city, but two areas feel like two different countries.

"It's so good to be rich..."

V took out the Qianxin gun and played with it in both hands. Its elegant, technologically advanced design made her heart race.

The gold membership card in his pocket and the numbers in his account also added fuel to the fire.

"Considering how generous our benefactor is, let's be patient... Earning 36.5 euros a year is an incredible fortune..."

*