Maine's Crew

Maine's Crew put V and David back into the small world to train, but this time, Chu Ke would periodically spawn monsters in the world, such as Deadpools or rampaging ghouls, to improve their combat experience.

With nothing else to do, Chu Ke started wandering around and saw quite a few sights unique to this world.

The never-ending neon light pollution was somewhat weaker during the day. People of all races, dressed in all kinds of clothing, streamed endlessly through the streets, with countless cyberware ports visible on their exposed skin.

A beggar lay sprawled beside a sewer entrance, watching stolen Braindance while masturbating. Smoke continuously drifted from the leaf tube in his mouth, and even sparks falling onto his skin failed to wake him.

As he walked, street graffiti reading "Tiger Hooks" began appearing on the walls. Chu Ke realized he had probably wandered near Little Chinatown in the Watson District.

Though this was not the territory of the Asian gang, the Tiger Claws Gang, they would occasionally come here looking for fun. Most of their members were of Japanese descent, and groups of thugs with glowing tattoos and Japanese swords could often be seen loitering around.

Chu Ke wandered around Little Chinatown and spotted a few familiar restaurant names, but after taking a couple bites inside, he discovered they were full of technology and shady additives.

Every bite tasted like chemicals. He had no idea how people here could enjoy this stuff so much.

It counted as a local specialty, perhaps, but Chu Ke couldn't appreciate it.

With a light snap of his fingers, the building before him suddenly seemed to come alive and parted to both sides, revealing a small, low-rise shop in the middle.

Yet despite something so utterly unscientific happening, the pedestrians around him acted as though they saw nothing and went on with their business as usual.

Chu Ke conjured a signboard and a calligraphy brush out of thin air, then wrote several bold characters in sweeping strokes. He hung it above the storefront and clapped his hands.

Shaxian Snacks

"Now that's more like it." Chu Ke nodded in satisfaction, changed into a chef's uniform, and walked inside.

How could a snack street with Hua Country elements not have Shaxian Snacks?

It was as disgusting as taking a dump without toilet paper.

Fortunately, Chu Ke had made up for that flaw.

It was worth mentioning that the entrance to the famous Afterlife Bar was directly behind the building Chu Ke had just moved aside.

"Yo, Boss Chu, long time no see!" A muscular man wearing sunglasses and a security uniform strode in familiarly and sat at a table. "The ingredients finally arrived?"

"Yep. The restaurant can reopen now too." Chu Ke smiled.

When Chu Ke created the storefront, he had naturally altered the memories of everyone nearby as well.

His current identity was that of a Chinese restaurant owner. Because his prices were fair and his food was delicious, plenty of people liked coming here.

Not long ago, he had been forced to close because his ingredient supply had been cut off. Now, he had just reopened.

"Then I've gotta get the boys to come support you." The big man laughed happily, speaking in awkward Chinese. "One serving of Yangzhou Fried Rice. That's what it's called, right?"

"Your accent's getting more and more standard." Chu Ke returned to the kitchen and immediately brought out a steaming plate of fragrant fried rice. "You're the first customer after reopening, so this one's on the house."

If he hadn't read the man's mind, Chu Ke wouldn't even have known his name.

"Thanks, Boss Chu!"

"Waha!" The big man stuffed a mouthful of fried rice into his mouth and let out a satisfied sound.

Before long, the people the big man had called through the chat channel began arriving one after another. They greeted Chu Ke enthusiastically, and some even had gang tattoos.

After thinking it over, Chu Ke released David and V. Three hours had passed since the two entered, meaning they had trained for three hundred days. A year was enough to lay a foundation.

"Whoa, where are we?" David was somewhat surprised. Hadn't they just been outside that ripperdoc's place?

V, on the other hand, was no longer surprised. Even if Chu Ke became Arasaka's CEO the next second, V would consider that him holding back.

"This is the restaurant I just opened. You two should rest too. Come help me serve food." Chu Ke pulled out a rattan chair from nowhere and sat down, pointing at the dishes in the kitchen.

"Oh, okay." Honest David didn't ask questions. He picked up the dishes and started walking outside.

"What a capitalist." V grumbled, then picked up a serving tray and began delivering food as well.

"So this is the restaurant you said you'd treat us to?" At that moment, a voice came from the entrance.

"Hahaha, give it a try. I've been craving this place's food for ages."

While delivering food, David saw a large Black man in sunglasses lift the curtain and walk in. Behind him came a little girl with gray-green skin, her hands in her pockets and a cocky expression on her face.

Next came a sleazy-looking man with implanted cybernetic arms that were absurdly long, followed by a sturdy woman with short yellow-green hair.

David blinked as he looked at them.

These people were probably Cyberpunks like Big Bro V.

He wondered whether he could beat them now.

After a year of training, David was quite confident in his current strength.

Although he could only activate the Sandevistan Technique to the "novice" stage, nowhere near Big Bro V's "proficient" stage, he could still put up a fight against ordinary Deadpools and the like when paired with the Invincible Cat Paw.

"Huh?" Rebecca, dressed in oversized clothes, noticed the boy who had been staring at her. She gave him a disdainful look and flipped him off. "What are you looking at?"

"Wow, he's got a crush on you, Rebecca." Rebecca's brother Pilar poked his head out from behind her and said with a lecherous grin, "There are lots of lolicon freaks these days."

"Fuck off!" Rebecca knocked him flat with one punch, then sat down beside Dorio.

"You're here?" Chu Ke came out of the kitchen and walked over to Mann. "Where are Lucy and Kiwi? Why didn't they come?"

In Chu Ke's setup, he and Mann knew each other, but the members of Mann's Crew did not know him.

"They went to handle a job involving stealing data. There wasn't any danger, so I let them earn some extra cash." Mann explained.

"How's business been lately?"

"Ah, don't mention it." Money gave Mann a headache. "The person I ordered cyberware from skipped out on me. Scammed me out of a huge sum."

"Oh?" Seeing Mann finally bring up the topic, Chu Ke smiled. "Who was it? Got some nerve."

Skipping out on orders was common in Night City, but there should only be one person daring enough to skip out on Mann.

"An old friend. She owed me some favors. Her surname's Martinez." Mann still refrained from giving Gloria's full name out of consideration for their past relationship.

"Huh?" David froze. "What surname?"

"Hey, who said you get to talk here?" Rebecca had been annoyed with him for a while and snapped at him from the corner of her eye.

"He works at my little restaurant. He's a distant relative of mine, and his surname is Martinez too." Chu Ke explained.

"Huh? So the person who skipped out on me is somehow related to you, Boss?" Mann looked at Chu Ke in surprise.

"I'm not sure yet. What's her full name?"

Mann hesitated, but the cyberware he had ordered was no small amount after all. He finally said, "Her full name is Gloria Martinez."

"Huh!? Mom?" David looked utterly bewildered. How could his mother be involved with Cyberpunks?