"I..."
Gloria swallowed the words she wanted to say. Two thousand for twenty sets—much cheaper than buying individually at stores, but... this stuff piles up like mountains in the REO company warehouse, and they don't even bother to check.
"Are you sure you want these two items?"
"Haha, I've paid the deposit. Do you think I'd scam you?"
Buying a large quantity of neural connectors individually easily attracts attention. Lin Miao buying from her avoids unnecessary trouble.
"Alright then, Mr. Lin, I'll bring them over later." Gloria sighed, planning to return to the warehouse to fetch them on her way, knowing that no one would care even if they got lost.
This month's rent is at least covered, and David can be equipped with new Super Dream Device instead of that antique set from decades ago. The pressure on her shoulders suddenly eased a lot, and she felt a bit joyful.
Meanwhile, Lin Miao checked the time. It was almost eleven; Night City's corporate work hours typically end around twelve. Standing around in this sewer was boring anyway, so he thought he might as well do Gloria a favor and drive to pick her up after work.
Bang!
"Damn it, find that hacker who dared to steal my chip! I'll sell you to the club today to be a sex doll!"
The sudden gunshot and shouting interrupted his conversation with Gloria. Lin Miao immediately hung up the call, instinctively reaching for his waist to find cover when a tall silver figure under the moonlight crashed into him, grabbing his coat collar to make a 180-degree turn, using his body to hide herself.
But she hadn't expected this guy, seemingly with few cybernetic implants, to be much heavier than he looked. Dragging him felt like pulling a solid statue, and she couldn't budge him at first. Plus, there was a heavy bulletproof vest under the coat...
Hacker?
Lin Miao looked down at the woman who was over twenty centimeters shorter than him. With shoulder-length silver hair, red eyeshadow, rainbow-hued pupils, and a mixed-race face, she appeared to be a fairy born under the moonlight, but the mood between them was rather odd.
"...."
"...."
The girl released Lin Miao's collar, showing a slightly awkward smile. Realizing that he wasn't someone to be trifled with, she prepared to run away as if nothing happened.
But at that moment, a dozen Valentino gang members had already rushed nearby. The boss, holding a rifle, was shouting curses, while the underlings grabbed every escaping pedestrian, releasing them only after they recognized their faces.
Lin Miao sighed, his luck usually wasn't good. "Ah...."
As expected, the girl's unique outfit and striking hairstyle were immediately spotted by the Valentino gang members. A green-haired female thug with a bun pointed a machete at the two and shouted,
"Boss, she's over there, and she's got company!"
Nois was also furious. He had just gotten the chip from a Huang Ban company dog, and before he could even warm it up, it was hooked away by that woman with a monomolecular line.
That was a hard-earned commission!
Eight thousand euros!
"Gilipollas! Catch them all! Sell the guy to Big Bird for a spin and the girl to Cloud Top!"
Damn it....
In Night City, explanations are useless, and gangs are even less likely to listen to your defenses. The best reply is a bullet.
Even if it means offending the Valentino gang, Lin Miao didn't want to be entangled with these people. He immediately drew his pistol from his waist and fired three shots.
But he wasn't a sharpshooter, and without aiming, in public, the effect was even worse. All three shots missed, but it did startle the thugs, sending them scurrying for cover.
"Run!"
Realizing that she had drawn a random passerby into trouble, Lucy was too embarrassed to leave him behind and quickly grabbed Lin Miao's hand.
Before fleeing, Lin Miao didn't forget to fire two more shots backward. The bullets hit the crash barrier, sending debris flying everywhere, causing the thugs who wanted to retaliate to duck their heads down.
When they peeked out again, the two had already fled far, leaving Nois feeling humiliated as he shouted at his underlings,
"What are you waiting for? Get the gear out and chase them down!"
The girl running ahead had clearly undergone cybernetic modification and long-term training. Her panther-like agility easily propelled her over chaotic fences and obstacles. Although Lin Miao maintained regular exercise, his body was still solid, but he couldn't compare to a cybernetic person. Even with leg reinforcing tendons, he barely kept up, and from gaining thirty kilos just before, he was already feeling a bit tired after running a short distance.
Until he saw his car parked by the roadside did he realize,
Wait a minute...
Why am I running?
Don't I have a car?
Lin Miao felt like his brain was stuck. He quickly stopped, vaulted the fence, got into his car, and floored the accelerator to catch up with the girl.
Hackers in Night City are considered rare, worth helping out. Maybe she could be of assistance in future situations.
"Hey, you, whoever, get in the car!"
He didn't know the other's name, so he simply called her 'Hey'.
This term seemed to have a special magic. The silver-haired girl glanced sideways at Lin Miao, who had already driven up to her, and without much thought, she leaped and grabbed the car door while the car hadn't slowed down, the strong wind blowing her silver hair wildly. A wildly free smile was etched on her face.
Under the cascading neon lights flashing along the street, her entire body emitted a faint white glow, and time seemed to slow its pace.