Although Lin Mo couldn't quite understand what Sasha's feelings were right now, seeing her with a smile on her face, he felt like she probably no longer had any guilt or regret left.
"Are we heading back now?"
Lin Mo lazily leaned against the wall. The three of them were sitting in the corner of a small alley, dirty and disheveled, looking rather pitiful.
Even though there was no one around now, Lin Mo suspected their appearance probably resembled that of homeless people.
Tonight, they were supposed to be the winners, so why were they acting like they had fallen from grace, as though they had gone bankrupt?
Maine's eyes brightened a little. Glancing at the time, he replied:
"At this hour, Dorlio and the others probably haven't wrapped up yet. If we head back now, we should still be able to catch the last drink."
Saying this, he flashed his trademark grin and said, "As per the usual tradition, once a job's done, it's time to celebrate. What about you, Lin Mo? Coming along?"
Lin Mo gave him a sideways glance, shaking his head and sighing:
"Don't you realize you missed something? Didn't you notice Sasha's abdominal wound?"
At the mention of this, Maine's gaze hardened, his large hand rubbing his chin as his eyes turned back to Sasha. Her face was still calm, but her expression looked a little weak.
Sasha's abdomen, where her tight black outfit had been pierced by a bullet earlier in the office, was now exposed, showing her pale skin and dried blood clot.
Lin Mo's hemostatic agent had worked well, and the bleeding had stopped, meaning the most dangerous part was over.
Seeing Maine still staring at her, Sasha hurriedly spoke:
"It's just a small wound. I'll go find an Ripperdoc. You two go ahead to the bar if you want. I'm not someone who constantly needs others' help."
She had already caused enough trouble for Lin Mo and Maine tonight. If she still asked them to accompany her to see a Ripperdoc, she didn't consider herself to be that much of a burden.
"Well… it's definitely worth checking out a Ripperdoc, but I'm not sure about letting you go alone," Maine said, deep in thought.
He then grinned widely and slapped Lin Mo on the shoulder, a mischievous grin forming.
"Lin Mo, this one's on you. Make sure to get Sasha safely to the Ripperdoc. Don't let me down!"
Without waiting for Lin Mo to respond, he ignored Sasha's surprised expression, stood up, dusted himself off, and gave them a wide back as he walked off, waving.
"If you don't have time for the bar, I'll drink your share for you, hahaha!"
Watching Maine laugh as he left the alley, Lin Mo wore a "should have known" expression, not at all surprised.
In fact, Maine's reaction had been entirely expected.
Now that it was just the two of them, Lin Mo could better implement his next move.
Turning his attention back to the quiet Sasha, who had lowered her head in silence, Lin Mo spoke again.
Since Maine had told Lin Mo to take her to see a Ripperdoc, she had neither refused nor agreed.
"That wound must hurt a lot. The security robots were using large-caliber assault rifles. The bullet's shockwave effect likely caused more than just blood loss. Even though we stopped the bleeding, the bullet's energy must have affected your internal organs."
Lin Mo spoke with quiet certainty, not guessing, but stating facts.
Sasha barely looked up at him, and after a long pause, she nodded silently.
As a hacker, she didn't have bulky skin armor. The bullet had hit her abdomen without any reduction in velocity, and the damage it caused wasn't just bleeding.
The bullet's kinetic energy would continue to spread throughout her organs, causing damage until it had dissipated.
"So, like I said, don't try to be a hero. Didn't the lesson in the office teach you enough?" Lin Mo said lightly, slowly pulling a chip from his waist pouch. Without warning, he inserted it into the slot on Sasha's chip socket.
At his current speed, she couldn't react in time.
Sasha quickly placed a hand over her chip slot, staring at him in confusion, about to ask when her eyes suddenly widened.
"Dear Platinum Anonymous User, we've detected serious gunshot wounds to your lower left abdomen. While the injury has been treated, the bullet is still inside, and your internal organs have suffered varying degrees of impact. For your safety and health, we've dispatched an emergency Trauma Team to your current location. Please hold on for 3 minutes, and we will safely transport you to a medical center."
On the data panel in front of them, a countdown timer appeared, accompanied by the Trauma Team's company logo.
"Platinum member Trauma Team? Why?" Sasha asked, her mind nearly spinning.
When the chip was inserted, the biological detection system immediately linked to her brain processor, checking her internal condition. The chip's communication device then broadcasted the message.
"Seven minutes to save, or we refund" was the Trauma Team's slogan. Their services were worldwide, with stations in every part of Night City.
For platinum members, a hovercar would arrive within three minutes and take her to a medical center. Even if she were clinically dead, as long as she wasn't completely gone, the hovercar's low-temperature pod could preserve her body functions until they could "revive" her at the center.
Facing Sasha's question, the boy remained indifferent, standing up slowly and pulling out a prepared card. He flicked it with his fingers, sending it spinning toward Sasha's chest.
"Destiny's gifts aren't priceless, Sasha," Lin Mo said with a playful smile, his movements carefree like a rogue.
"I saved you tonight, and while I didn't force anything, at least you can repay me a little, right?"
Tonight's backup plans had all been prepared. Hao Kitagawa had been instructed to be on standby, yet he had spent the whole night blowing wind in the rain.
One of Lin Mo's backup cards was these anonymous platinum membership contracts, with a few detection chips. They weren't cheap.
Lin Mo liked these all-inclusive service packages where money could get things done.
If he could legally make Maine and Sasha "owe him" through these chips, then he could have a reason to pull them under his wing.
Unfortunately, he probably could only recruit one of them now.
Sasha stared up at the boy, feeling more confused than she had ever felt in her life.
She sat weakly on the ground, Lin Mo standing above her, and if the timing were right, it almost felt like an evil man bullying a helpless woman.
"What do you want?" Sasha asked, looking up at him in confusion.
"Look at that card," Lin Mo said.
Sasha picked up the card that had fallen to her chest and saw the text on the other side. She was immediately struck with confusion.
Lin's... Waste Management Studio?
Was he aspiring to be a garbage collector?
Lin Mo didn't bother with her skeptical expression, continuing:
"Good thing Maine left early, or I really couldn't have said this."
He sighed lightly, his expression becoming serious as he proposed his invitation.
"Sasha, though it might sound opportunistic, I need to ask you something. No, this isn't a question, it's an invitation."
"How about joining me in my team? If you agree, it means you're leaving Maine's team. From now on, all our jobs will be done under me."
Sasha blinked, her eyes wide in shock.
So that was his goal?
She suddenly found this boy more difficult to understand than ever. His actions and intentions were hard to grasp. One moment, he risked entering the company building to save her; the next, he didn't care about money and gave her a platinum membership chip.
But his ultimate goal was simply to recruit her into his team?
Sasha couldn't help but laugh, her smile soft and almost tearful, her gaze warm.
"Do I even have a choice?"
"Considering your current debt, you really don't have the option to refuse me," Lin Mo shrugged.
"Plus, I saved your life tonight. As they say, saving a life is more valuable than building a seven-level pagoda. A pagoda, you know, it's a pretty expensive thing."
"What about Maine?" Sasha asked, still smiling.
Lin Mo sighed again, clearly conflicted.
"I'm still working on that part."
After all, recruiting someone else was never an honorable thing. If Maine found out, Lin Mo was sure he would likely get a punch from those enormous fists.
Of course, with his current attributes, Maine wasn't a real threat in close combat.
"Let me handle it," Sasha volunteered, her gaze softening.
"Given the debt I owe you, there's no way Maine will stop me now. Please, take care of me from now on, Lin Mo~"
Lin Mo let out a relieved breath and nodded.
"Glad to hear it."
Just then, a jet of air rushed from above, and Lin Mo looked up. A Trauma Team hovercar with its signature colors descended slowly.
Three paramedics in green protective suits, with synthetic metal armor on their chests, quickly ran toward them, moving with purpose and efficiency.
"The Trauma Team's professionalism is reliable. You don't have to worry about your identity leaking. As a platinum member, they won't risk it. Once they take you, you'll be safe," Lin Mo explained.
"This is my first time enjoying platinum-level service," Sasha said, looking at Lin Mo.
"You should pray you won't need this service too often. Let's call it a night. If you need anything, call me," Lin Mo waved his hand in farewell.
The Trauma Team members swiftly ran up, observing Lin Mo for a moment before realizing he wasn't the one needing medical attention. They didn't bother with him, wordlessly opening the stretcher and gently lifting Sasha onto it, moving her toward the hovercar with professional efficiency.
It was less like carrying a valued client and more like handling ordinary cargo. However, this cargo required their lives to protect.
Sasha lay on the stretcher, watching as the boy she owed her life to moved farther away. She felt an inexplicable sense of melancholy.
Tonight, the girl who had almost been lost forever had been saved by this boy.
In a way, it was he who had given her a reason to live.
She had no reason to refuse his invitation to join his team.
And she didn't want to.
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