He blocked the katana slashing in from the right.
Facing the katana chopping in from the left, Su Xiao had no blade—and did not need one.
Instead, he simply extended his left hand.
Using the Power Gauntlet on his left hand, he seized the blade tightly.
The Ripper had never expected things to turn out this way, and his face was filled with horror.
He tried to pull with all his strength.
But no matter how hard he strained, he could not pull the blade from the Power Gauntlet's palm.
The two sides wrestled against each other, locked in a standoff.
Now, it came down to who would run out of strength first.
Whoever did would be torn to pieces.
Then he saw Su Xiao, so close at hand, suddenly smile at him.
The next moment, a headbutt slammed into him.
The Ripper was struck senseless.
Su Xiao released the katana and pinned the dazed man to the ground.
He raised the Power Gauntlet on his right hand. Beneath the cold rain, it looked like a cross symbolizing judgment.
He brought it crashing down onto the man's head.
The Ripper's head was hammered into the ground, and spiderweb cracks spread across the pavement.
The blood that sprayed out dyed the ground and the Power Gauntlet red before the falling rain washed over them.
Like a pile driver, Su Xiao kept hammering his fists into the Ripper's head.
By the time Su Xiao stopped, the Ripper's head no longer existed.
The corpse was like a lump of rotten meat, utterly silent.
The people hiding in nearby shops and buildings witnessed the scene with their own eyes and were completely dumbfounded.
Even the captain and the female medic Su Xiao had rescued had dry throats and stunned expressions.
A shopkeeper who had been trembling in hiding had just called NCPD.
But after seeing Su Xiao beat the Ripper into Ripper paste,
he stammered as he changed his mind.
"If you're busy, you don't have to come after all."
Seeing that Su Xiao was about to leave, the captain finally recovered from his shock and hurried after him.
"Um, please wait a moment."
"Is there something else?"
Su Xiao turned and glanced at the captain.
The captain shuddered from head to toe.
Although he knew that the other man had saved his life,
he still could not help feeling afraid.
"You saved us. I should repay you."
As he spoke, the captain transferred several thousand euros.
"I know it isn't much, but this is the most I can spare."
After confirming the transfer, Su Xiao nodded and did not linger.
Under the astonished gazes of the captain, the female medic, and the people hiding in the nearby houses, he left.
Chapter 47: I'll Show You Something Amazing
In front of Lucy's apartment.
"Then I'll be going."
"Wait," Lucy called from behind him. "You're soaked. Why don't you come in and take a shower first?"
In 2077, colds and fevers had not yet been eradicated.
Even poor people who could not afford the cheapest Trauma Team package could die from ordinary pneumonia.
Su Xiao thought about it and did not refuse Lucy's kindness.
While Su Xiao went into the bathroom to shower, Lucy went out again to buy him some clothes.
After all, the clothes Su Xiao was wearing had been soaked by the rain.
He could not exactly put them back on after showering.
Lucy returned quickly. There was a clothing store not far downstairs.
"I left the clothes outside for you."
"Thanks."
After showering and changing into the clothes Lucy had bought for him,
Su Xiao walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
"I have a hair dryer."
"No need. I think a towel can dry it just fine. Men's hair isn't that long, anyway."
Lucy had already found the hair dryer. She came over and grabbed Su Xiao's hand. "Sit down."
So Su Xiao stopped resisting and obediently sat in the chair.
He let Lucy blow-dry his hair.
Unable to move while sitting in the chair, Su Xiao instinctively began studying Lucy's home.
The layout was roughly the same as when he had visited last time.
There was only a bathtub filled with ice in the corner, and an old poster had been pasted onto the wall.
He remembered that it had not been there when he first rented the place.
In other words, this somewhat faded poster had been brought by Lucy herself.
Noticing his gaze, Lucy pretended to be nonchalant. "What do you think?"
"This poster must have been issued when the moon colony was first being developed, calling on the proles and laborers to go to the moon colony and lay bricks. That was quite a long time ago."
"That's right. So?"
"You want to go to the moon?"
"Mhm."
Lucy did not deny it.
She had a secret buried deep in her heart.
Ever since escaping from the Arasaka facility, she had lived in fear of being found by Arasaka all these years.
Arasaka's eyes and ears were everywhere.
That was why she had never dared stay in one place for long.
After suffering so much drifting from place to place, Lucy felt that there was nowhere on Earth that could give her a sense of security.
Perhaps only by reaching the moon could she gain true freedom.
"Sounds good."
The corners of Lucy's mouth lifted slightly.
Even if he had only said it to make her happy,
Lucy still felt delighted.
But she said aloud,
"If you're only saying that to make a girl happy, I won't be pleased."
"I'm not saying it against my will. That's really what I think."
Live in space?
Come on, how could that not be cool?
Su Xiao was not just trying to humor a girl.
He genuinely loved the stars and space.
Before crossing over, Su Xiao had even participated in the crowdfunding for Star Citizen and preordered Bethesda's Starfield.
In this era when game companies were gradually giving up, who would crowdfund or preorder a game without genuinely loving it?
Unfortunately, even if those two games really were fun, he would never get to play them in this lifetime.
"That should do it."
After finishing his hair, Lucy set down the hair dryer and walked over to open the refrigerator. "Want something to drink? Or cola?"
"Yes, please. Thanks."
Lucy took a bottle of cola and a bottle of beer from the refrigerator.
Normally, Lucy's refrigerator would contain nothing but beer.
This time, however, she had prepared several bottles of cola.
She handed the cola to Su Xiao.
The two sat together, drinking their beverages in silence.
Neither said a word.
As the drinks in their bottles gradually ran low, Lucy suddenly stood up.
"I'll show you something good."
She took out something that looked like a sports earbud.
"Have you ever used this?"
"Isn't that a Braindance Headset? Don't underestimate me. In Night City, people who haven't used a Braindance Headset are the minority." Su Xiao glanced at the item in her hand and asked curiously, "What are you going to show me?"
"You'll find out in a moment."
Lucy gave a sly smile and placed the Braindance Headset in Su Xiao's hand.
She then had Su Xiao lie down on the bed.
Next, she took out a pink bag that looked like it contained small condoms.
She tore it open.
Then she inserted the chip inside into the Braindance Headset Su Xiao had put on.
She also took a Braindance Headset, put it on, and lay down beside Su Xiao.
"There are a few things that need editing. Just a moment... Let me see. For someone entering a braindance for the first time, these parameters may need to be lowered. And these..."
"This one can stay. It won't have much effect, and it can even enhance the immersion..."
Su Xiao watched the white-haired girl's profile.
Compared with Lucy's beauty, even the multicolored nightscape outside the window seemed to lose its luster.
"What is it? Is there something on my face?" Noticing Su Xiao's gaze, Lucy turned her head curiously.
"No, it's nothing."
After a series of adjustments, Lucy finally finished configuring everything. "Are you ready?"
Su Xiao nodded.
Before you continue