Plans Change, Lucy

"I never expected Mom to have been doing something so dangerous."

David sat down at the table and exchanged information with Mann.

It turned out his mother was not only a city government body collector; she had also been secretly moonlighting as a cyberware dealer.

No wonder the clinic address he had found in his mother's clothes had led to a Scavenger ripperdoc den.

And the military-grade cyberware, the "Sandevistan," taken from that cyberpsycho he had seen on the news—the one who had gone berserk and been executed on the spot—had been removed by his mother and used as merchandise in her deal with Mann. That also explained how a single-parent household like theirs could afford Arasaka Academy's exorbitant tuition.

"Did she get caught up in a street fight?" Mann now understood why Gloria, who had always had a good relationship with him, had suddenly withheld his money. She had been injured and hospitalized.

"So what about my cyberware?" Mann asked back.

"Uh..." David fumbled awkwardly. "Mom's injuries have only just stabilized. She still hasn't woken up."

"I can't wait that long." Mann cut him off. "The cyberware should be at your place, right? I'll go get it myself."

David hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Okay, I'll take you there."

"V Ge."

"What is it?" V, who had been eavesdropping from the booth next door, poked his head out.

"I might not be able to go on that job this afternoon. I need to take them to get the cyberware." David looked apologetic. "Sorry, V Ge."

"It's fine. I can go by myself, or I'll call my godfather if I have to." V looked at Chu Ke with pleading eyes. "You'll come, right?"

Chu Ke shot him a sidelong glance. "Don't go claiming relatives at random. I've got things to do this afternoon."

Just moments ago, the Fundamental Forces—or rather, the clone—he had sent into the Cosmic Sea seemed to have found a very interesting world.

From its structure, it appeared to have several planes, and even the legendary "immortals and gods" existed there.

It was most likely a Cultivation World. He could add it to his list of possible travel destinations.

If he had nothing to do that afternoon, Chu Ke planned to go scout it out. Then he could find a time to take a stroll there.

"Ah." V sighed. He could only call the fixer and say the other person had suddenly run into trouble, so he would have to take the job alone.

That was the kind of thing that really damaged one's reputation.

"Sorry!" David realized the problem too and hurriedly apologized again.

"I said it's fine. We're fucking bros."

But before long, Mann's phone rang.

"Kiwi? What is it?" It was Kiwi, saying she would be back later.

"The assault team suddenly changed people. That's a little unreliable... Huh?" Mann froze, then looked at David and V. "What was the name of your job again?"

"They said we're stealing data from a factory in the North City Industrial Area." V glanced at the briefing.

"Well, what a coincidence." Mann fell silent for a moment, then looked at his girlfriend, Dorio. She gave him a look.

"How about this? David keeps doing the job, and we'll talk about the cyberware after you get back."

Though he had no idea why Mann had suddenly become so agreeable, David hurriedly thanked him. "Oh, okay. Thanks. You're such a nice guy."

Mann burst out laughing as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, and the other crew members started laughing one after another.

"What are they laughing about?" David looked bewildered.

"They're laughing because you're so innocent." V checked his watch and patted David on the shoulder. "It's about time. Let's go."

The two walked out of the shop. V looked around and recognized the area near the Afterlife Bar.

"Damn it, my car's still at home." V smacked his forehead. He had just remembered that Chu Ke had dragged him straight out of bed that morning; he had not driven here.

"It's fine, I called a car." Chu Ke's voice came from behind him.

"Huh?" V turned around in delight. "Didn't you say you had something to do?"

"Waaah, I knew I was still important!"

"Stop acting crazy here." Chu Ke shoved away V, who was trying to hug him. "I'm coming because I need to meet someone."

Mann's call naturally could not escape Chu Ke's listening. That was how he learned the hackers assigned to David's team were Kiwi and Lucy.

Chu Ke glanced at David.

The intersection of their fates had finally begun. Of course he had to be present for such a memorable moment.

"Hmph, he's just being tsundere." V was still acting up.

"If you keep acting crazy with that shemale character of yours, I'll punch your chest into a valley. Believe me." Looking at V, who puffed out his cheeks and looked cute on the outside but was actually a grown man underneath, Chu Ke's fists clenched.

V immediately behaved himself and switched into mute mode.

The original V had not been this much of a chatterbox either. Was this the power of a transmigrator?

Before long, a self-driving car slowly pulled up by the roadside.

The three got in, and a blue, bald man in a suit appeared on the window.

"Dear Platinum customer, Delamain Motors is at your service. Our destination has been confirmed. We will now proceed to the North City Industrial Area."

"Whoa!" The moment V sat down, he felt how exceptional the seat was. It even seemed to have heating and climate-control technology.

"Platinum membership? You really are something, Chu Ge."

"We have arrived at the designated destination: North City Industrial Area. Thank you for choosing Mandala."

The car slowly pulled over at the side of the road. The three got out. On the way over, V had already taught David the basics of shooting—safety, reloading, and the like.

The idea was simple: this is forward and backward, this is attack and dodge. All right, now go fight the boss.

As for Chu Ke, V said nothing. As long as no blind idiot decided to mess with him, everything would be fine.

"We're here." V activated his comms and joined the job's shared channel.

"Good. See the trash can in the distance?" A voice, obviously processed through a voice changer, sounded in the earpiece. "There's a black USB drive underneath it. Just plug it into the mainframe when the time comes."

Very cautious. A standard Cyberpunk person.

Chu Ke traced the connection back through the net and discovered that they were actually in a van nearby. Lucy sat in the driver's seat, smoking as she kept watch, while Kiwi lay in the rear compartment with her eyes closed. A cable ran from the back of her head to a signal amplifier beside her.

"Okay." V patted David. "Go."

David—the human tool—jogged over, retrieved a USB drive, and ran back.

It was his first job. Everything felt new to him, and his heart pounded with excitement.

"Got it. What now?"

"Now, see the warehouse in front of you? There's a gate on its southeast side for cargo trucks. In three minutes, we'll disable the scanners there. Hide under one of the trucks and get in with it... Wait, who is he?" Kiwi looked at Chu Ke, her voice instantly turning wary.

She had not noticed him before, as if his presence had been especially faint.

"He's our backup. He won't take part in the operation, just in case."

"You never mentioned that before. Fine, you'd better be telling the truth." Kiwi relented. If anything went wrong, she could escape immediately anyway.

"Lucy, jack into that guy and investigate him." Kiwi said to Lucy in the driver's seat.

"Okay." Lucy's eyes turned red. Just as she was about to connect, the man in the distance suddenly turned his head and smiled at her.

"Creepy girl, stop taking sneaky pictures of me."

Though he had only mouthed the words, Lucy somehow understood exactly what he meant.

Fuck, why did I get a recommendation slot now? I'm already struggling to make ends meet lately, don't do this to me!!! Brothers, please keep reading and send votes! Whether I survive depends on you all, waaah!