Starting From Night City

Arasaka can remotely deactivate any employee's cybernetics.

That's why, before defecting from Arasaka, Zank found a tech expert and had them make some modifications.

His cybernetics would bypass the Corporation's surveillance.

They would go offline without Arasaka noticing.

This was also why he'd managed to survive the pursuit of his former colleagues.

But Arasaka is Arasaka; their technological prowess is something a ripperdoc running a back-alley clinic in Night City can't match.

Although Zank's cybernetics weren't remotely deactivated, they triggered other security measures.

This caused Zank, who already had mild cyberpsychosis, to become a late-stage, severe case.

He completely lost it.

That's why he ended up in that dilapidated shack, living among garbage for who knows how long.

After driving for a while, the outline of a small town appeared before him.

But Su Xiao thought about it and didn't drive into the town.

He still couldn't let go of that commission.

It was the first commission he'd received since arriving in this world.

Call it obsession or persistence.

He still felt a sense of unwillingness.

Besides, he had a nagging feeling in his heart.

That he hadn't been stood up, and there might be another reason why he and the client missed each other.

With that thought, he opened the car door.

"Get out."

The townsperson looked bewildered. "What are you doing?"

"Go find the Sheriff first. I have something to take care of and will be there later."

After sending the townsperson away, Su Xiao slammed the steering wheel.

The SUV skidded, spun around, and headed towards the broadcast tower on the outskirts.

Since the client wanted to transport something to Night City, It meant the other party should still be out in the Wasteland.

He needed to find a friend to help.

Ten minutes

later, Su Xiao climbed the broadcast tower located outside the town.

Standing on the tower, the wind whistled past his ears.

The small town below was in full view.

In the distance lay Night City, a place that countless people yearned for.

After admiring the scenery for a while, he opened the cover of his communication device and plugged the cable that enhanced the communication signal into his walkie-talkie.

After some adjustments, Su Xiao finally contacted the person he wanted to reach.

"Hey, McCoy."

"Su?" The voice from the walkie-talkie sounded both surprised and delighted.

"McCoy, I had no idea you'd leave your heirloom to me."

"I thought you wouldn't find it. That thing will be more useful with you than with me. Keep it safe." McCoy paused on the radio. "But I guess you didn't contact me just to ask about this, right?"

Su Xiao got straight to the point. "I need your help."

"Su, you know the Wasteland belongs to the Nomads. Since you've chosen to leave the family, I can't help you anymore."

Su Xiao was speechless.

"I can't believe you, of all people, are so cowardly."

"It's loyalty. Rules are rules. Without rules, things can't get done. No way."

McCoy paused, then continued, "If you were still part of the Buckle Family, it would be fine. You should learn from them and join the Serpent Nation like everyone else."

"I'll say it again, joining the Serpent Nation won't end well. They'll regret it sooner or later."

"Then what about me? I'm in the Serpent Nation now. Do you think I'll regret it?"

"I can't say." The wind on the upper level of the broadcast tower blew Su Xiao's hair. "But if anything really happens, you can come find me. I'll cover for you then."

"Then I'll be counting on you. Alright, just for that, tell me, what do you need my help with?"

"I need to find a client to unload something, but I don't know where he is."

"Did you adhere to the agreed time and place?"

"Of course, I did. The client might have left me a message. Can you help me check?"

"I can, but this will be the last time. Tell me the client's name."

"Jack Wells."

A silence of about half a minute followed on the other end of the radio.

"Hoo, I actually have some news about him. He's waiting for you at a farm. I'll send you the address now."

"Thanks, McCoy. I owe you twice."

"You do owe me. Be careful not to lose your life. I don't want to attend your funeral."

After descending from the broadcast tower, Su Xiao went straight back to town to find the Sheriff.

The Sheriff was still in his usual state.

However, the townspeople who had come to deliver the message earlier were no longer in the office.

Now, there were only the two of them in the office.

"I heard you've already dealt with that big problem?"

"That's right. So hurry up and pay me. Didn't you not want to see outsiders wandering around town? Give me the money, and I'll leave immediately."

The Sheriff, however, did not take out any money. Instead, he revealed a smile that made one feel very uncomfortable.

"Where is your family's camp?"

Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Does this have any necessary connection to what we're discussing right now?"

"Of course, it does. I hope you can leave as soon as possible. Go back to whichever camp you came from."

Su Xiao frowned.

He knew things wouldn't be this simple.

He crossed his arms. "I'm not going anywhere until I receive the payment I deserve."

"Payment? I remember already giving it to you."

Su Xiao's expression finally turned grim.

He was easy to talk to, but that didn't mean he was a pushover with no bottom line who would just swallow his grievances.

"Are you playing me?"

"Don't speak nonsense. I am an upright person."

The Sheriff, as if not seeing the expression on Su Xiao's face, maintained his infuriating demeanor and continued.

"You didn't come directly, did you? Before coming to me, you went to the broadcast tower first?"

"So what?"

"So what? The broadcast tower is town property. Did you use it so casually without asking my permission?"

Seeing that Su Xiao had fallen silent, the Sheriff mistakenly thought Su Xiao had nothing to say.

"The fee for any outsider using the broadcast tower is five thousand Eurodollars per use. You're lucky, kid. Considering you helped me solve the trouble, we'll call it even."

"Now, if you understand, hurry up and leave. Don't be an eyesore here."

Seeing Su Xiao still standing there, unmoved.

The Sheriff's face instantly turned ugly.

He stood up from his seat.

He opened the holster at his waist.

His right palm rested on the grip of his revolver.

"You know? I'm the Sheriff here. I have the right to execute all rioting criminals. This is the power granted to me by law."

"Now, are you going to get out obediently, or should I shoot you dead and have someone throw you in the trash?"

"Two choices. You pick."

"But I advise you to use your brain. When I was serving in the 'Silver Shotgun,' my fastest draw speed was 40 milliseconds."

"40 milliseconds, huh?"

Su Xiao, far from being intimidated.

Instead, he placed his left hand on his scabbard.

The implication was obvious.

Seeing Su Xiao's action, the Sheriff sneered. "A gun is fast beyond seven steps, but within seven steps, it's both fast and accurate."

"I already gave you a chance, stray dog. This was your choice, don't blame me."

The Sheriff leaned back, a movement designed to draw his gun faster.

But a second before he drew his revolver.

He saw the long blade at Su Xiao's waist fly directly towards him.

The speed was far greater than his own boasted quick-draw speed.

Completely unprepared, the Sheriff was hit in the face by the hilt of Muramasa.

He crashed through the office window, headfirst, landing in a trash can outside the building.

"I already gave you a chance, Sheriff. This was your choice, don't blame me."

Chapter 9 You're the Real Big Shot, Jack

"You call this a farm?"

Leaving the Sheriff's office, Su Xiao drove out of town and found the farm McCoy had mentioned.

However, Su Xiao felt that McCoy might have some misunderstanding about what a farm was.

This was clearly just another shack, the kind found everywhere in the Wasteland.

The shack was haphazardly constructed from sheet metal, plastic, wood panels, and all sorts of other messy materials.

Behind the shack, a car was parked.

This indicated someone was inside.

Su Xiao pulled out the car keys and put them in his pocket.

Then, with his hand on Muramasa at his waist, he walked inside.

The outside of the shack looked bad, and the inside was no better.

It looked like no one had lived there for a long time, with cockroaches crawling on the floor.