Chapter 30: The conflict between the snipe and the clam brings disaster to the fisherman"Alright, that's enough for now, I'm hanging up, David!"Leon casually brushed him off and quickly ended the call.Although he couldn't see David's face, Leon could guess that a hint of resentment must have appeared on his face.How could someone praise another's future as a legend one moment, and then hang up the phone as if they were just going through the motions the next…But Leon was not in the mood to think about these things. After hanging up the phone, he also looked at Kitagawa Hiroshi with a serious expression and asked in confusion, "Gunshots?""Yes, gunshots. They shouldn't be far from this bar. Although very faint, I have a hearing enhancer, so I can still hear some movement."Kitagawa Hiroshi nodded, then narrowed his eyes without a word, focusing all his attention on his ears, discerning the faint gunshots."Holy cow, are you a clairaudient? You can even hear gunshots outside the bar." Leon was a little surprised.It should be known that the partition walls of Lizzies Bar were all made of sound-absorbing materials.Inside the suite, even the deafening sound system from the dance hall, after being blocked by the walls, became as faint as a kitten's purr.This ensured the privacy and quietness of the suite, so even if guests had any small movements, they wouldn't be socially shamed.Kitagawa Hiroshi could actually hear gunshots from an unknown distance outside under such circumstances?To say he was clairaudient was absolutely not an exaggeration.Kitagawa Hiroshi opened his eyes and saw Leon's astonished expression, and a strange sense of pride inexplicably arose in his heart.Finally, I've made this kid look at me in a new light!"I didn't expect Leon-kun to have a moment of misjudgment." Kitagawa Hiroshi smiled mysteriously, straightened his back slightly, and asked smugly, "Leon-kun, what do you think is the most valuable Cyberware on me?""Isn't it your epidermal Skin Guard?" Leon was puzzled, but quickly guessed the correct answer: "You wouldn't be trying to say that the unremarkable hearing enhancer is your most valuable Cyberware?"Kitagawa Hiroshi nodded:"Although it's a bit unexpected, that is the correct answer. The hearing enhancer can collect sound waves, then process the data and transmit it to my auditory nerves. But it has also been adjusted to be particularly sensitive only to sounds like gunshots. As for other sounds, the settings need to be modulated.""So you're especially sensitive to gunshots, and other sounds require adjusting the settings to get an enhanced effect?" Leon summarized the information."Hmm, speaking of which, this is a Cyberware I obtained by chance back then. It's said to be an original lab prototype. Of course, after all these years, it's not the best version anymore, but it's still durable." Kitagawa Hiroshi pointed to his ear."How much could it sell for?" Leon asked curiously.Kitagawa Hiroshi triumphantly held out one finger."Holy shit, a million!" Leon was greatly alarmed, feeling that he had, after all, underestimated the world.Kitagawa Hiroshi's eye twitched, and he waved his hand, saying, "No, Leon-kun misunderstood. This thing is just a single-person piece of equipment. How could it be worth a million? It's only ten thousand eddies."…Is that all?Leon blinked, sighed, and looked a little disappointed."Then you just said you heard gunshots outside, could it be that the Tyger Claws have attacked?" he asked again."Uh… no." Kitagawa Hiroshi continued to listen intently: "It seems to be a small-scale gang skirmish. Wait, why are there so many explosions?""Could it be that those people will rush into the bar? Are they Tyger Claws members?"Leon became vigilant, silently gripping the Black Unicorn beside him, and a scene involuntarily appeared in his mind:Several Moxes members desperately blocking Tyger Claws members who came to cause trouble. These speeding Tyger Claws were driving sports cars and motorcycles, and both sides were shooting at each other, with bullets flying."No, the Moxes are well-established now. Those Tyger Claws wouldn't dare to extend their reach this far to cause trouble. It should be one or two unknown small gangs in a firefight."Kitagawa Hiroshi explained the situation to Leonwhile narrowing his eyes and listening.Leon frowned and continued to ask, "Can a firefight between two small gangs affect us? Can the Moxesnot even protect a bar?""Uh… that's not it. I just heard gunshots and told you, Leon-kun. With the Moxes guarding the bar, they wouldn't dare to get close here." Kitagawa Hiroshianalyzed seriously."Damn it, then why did you even say anything!" Leon cursed in a low voice, looking speechless, feeling that he was purely wasting his Reflexes.Damn it, listening to his tone, looking at his expression, and how he interrupted his call earlier…Leon almost thought it was an urgent war at the front, and Vice Officer Kitagawa Hiroshi had come scrambling in to say that the front lines desperately needed him, the commander, to provide support, or to find an opportunity to sneak away at any time.Turns out it was just two kids fighting in the village, but this guy treated it as "two great emperors fighting to the edge of the universe, with the Great Dao itself being ground away.""Isn't this a normal phenomenon? A few gunshots scared the shit out of you?" Leon cursed softly.In Night City, let alone a few gunshots, it wouldn't be strange to see someone urinating in the street.After all, when Night City enters the night, how many hidden evils will bloom like ephemera, those are the sparks bursting from gun muzzles.Timid little devils dare not cause trouble during the day, so at night they use the darkness as their fig leaf, seemingly thinking that this will give them courage.Kitagawa Hiroshi did not feel ashamed because of Leon's scolding, but instead said with a serious expression, "Leon-kun, do you know why I pay attention to these gunshots?""Because you have nothing better to do." Leon was almost unwilling to bother with this guy anymore; how much Braindance time would be wasted going back and forth like this."No, that function of mine is still very normal." Kitagawa Hiroshi seemed unaware that this was just a tease, and continued to express his thoughts:"Every gunshot means an opportunity. There's an old Chinese saying, 'When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.' When gunshots ring out, no matter who the warring parties are, as third parties, we can always observe the situation from the side. If there's profit to be made, we intervene. If there's risk, we just turn around and leave!"A hint of covetousness appeared in Kitagawa Hiroshi's eyes:"As a gang, the Moxes are destined to consider their stance and cannot act casually. But we are different, Leon-kun. We are just ordinary Edgerunners, seen everywhere, with no stance involved. If there's profit to be made, we can meddle!""First things first, I'm not someone who likes to meddle!" Leon interrupted: "Besides, your main purpose in saying all this shouldn't be for that small profit, right?"Kitagawa Hiroshi nodded:"You're right, Leon-kun. Although Night City is always promoted internationally as the city of dreams, in reality, anyone who has lived in this city for a period of time will know that chasing dreams is merely a privilege of the strong. Because it's chaotic and dangerous here, but behind the danger often lies opportunity. As long as you can resolve these dangers, your reputation can rise, and you might even gain unexpected rewards…""To be honest, Leon-kun, I owe you a lot now… I can't repay it temporarily. So, I want to go outside and see the situation. If there's an opportunity, perhaps I can gain something and then repay you." He said with a serious and earnest expression.Simply put, he was broke and needed to find an opportunity to make money, then repay the debt.Leon looked at his expression, frowned, and pondered.He remembered the text plot on the simulator yesterday, which seemed to mention encountering some trouble tonight, right?Leon recalled briefly, and immediately felt a bit more confident.Yesterday's simulation reward was 1 skill point and 1 attribute point.The reason for this was most likely the small-scale battle encountered at noon today, and the trouble and conflict tonight.The occurrence of these two events led to the appearance of attribute points and skill points in the simulation reward.If he didn't go with Kitagawa Hiroshi, this friend he had just managed to get to know might kick the bucket. But if he went together, although the gains wouldn't be huge, he could also figure out the rules of the simulator based on this incident.Now it was just a small problem.What if the simulator described him encountering a big problem in the future, and he had no comparison, that would be too passive."Leon-kun, if you're not going, I'll go alone. If I see that it's impossible, I'll be back very soon." Kitagawa Hiroshi bowed in apology, about to leave, but saw Leon also pick up his Katana and stand up."Let's go, there's no harm in watching the excitement." Leon said with a smile.At this point, he drank the remaining juice on the table in one gulp, as if a brave man fortifying himself with strong liquor before setting out, the blade in his hand gleaming brightly under the bar's lights!...Walking out of the private room and into the dance hall, Leon subconsciously glanced at that spot, only to find that the man with the slender Cyberwarewas gone.Upon arriving outside the bar, the sporadic gunshots became clearer. Even without a hearing enhancer, Leon could hear the sounds coming from the road not far away."It should be a parking lot." Kitagawa Hiroshijudged; he was very familiar with the surrounding area."Let's go."At night, Night City seemed like a crouching giant just awakened from its slumber.The city's flashing neon lights and holographic projections enveloped the entire city in bright light pollution. It was as if they had descended into another world, but this prosperity ultimately did not belong to everyone.Walking on the road, pedestrians were scarce, and the few people present were homeless wanderers looking for a warm place.Finally, the two arrived at an empty parking lot, where many vehicles were parked, as well as several Deprecated car shells.Several cylindrical iron barrels burned with flames, with wire mesh shelfed over them, and grilling ingredients placed around, as if someone had just held a small gathering here not long ago.On the field, gunshots echoed loudly. More than a dozen people, dressed in various ways, occupied half of the parking lot, while the other half was defended by two people.The two relied on a modified emperor 720 SUV, occasionally raising their guns to counterattack. Facing the attack of more than a dozen people, they surprisingly seemed to be at ease.Leon recognized this car model—the emperor 720, a car with sturdy armor plates and bulletproof glass. After being modified and driven on the road, it was like an emperor personally leading an expedition, no car could block its path.Turning his gaze to the two people, Leon's pupils instantly constricted.He clearly saw that these two people were precisely the man with the peculiar Cyberware he had seen at Lizzies Bar, and the mature-looking man dressed as a Western cowboy.Since the parking lot was open-air and close to the commercial street, Leon and Kitagawa Hiroshi hid in the bushes of the green belt to observe the situation on the field.Their position was very concealed."Leon-kun, let's stay here first and not expose ourselves for now." Kitagawa Hiroshi turned his head and instructed Leon.However, his words got stuck halfway.Because he saw Leon helplessly spread his hands, sighed deeply, raised a finger, and pointed in one direction.Following his gesture, Kitagawa Hiroshi's gaze shifted.Three men, armed with firearms and panting, had just run to this spot, seemingly resting. Then Kitagawa Hiroshi saw the tattoos on their arms, which were exactly the same as the tattoos of the small gang on the field.It looked like they were reinforcements, perhaps?Kitagawa Hiroshi saw the three men, and the three men also saw Kitagawa Hiroshi.Both sides stared wide-eyed at each other, and for a moment, the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.One of the subordinates immediately reacted and shouted loudly:"There are their reinforcements here! Everyone grab your weapons and deal with them first!"
Chapter 31 The Fisherman Called for HelpAfter a shout rang out, both Kitagawa Hiroshi and Leon reacted with the fastest possible speed.Kitagawa Hiroshi pulled out a pistol from his chest, his eyes sharp like an eagle soaring in the sky, locking onto its prey.He flipped his wrist, gripping the pistol firmly, and pointed it directly at the panicking gang members.This series of movements was fluid and unhesitating, showing that Kitagawa Hiroshi's Reflexes was far beyond that of an ordinary person.But the young man beside him was even faster; as soon as he drew his pistol, the young man had already unsheathed his Katana.The bluish-green runic glow appeared mesmerizing and dazzling under the moonlight, dancing in the air like ripples of light appearing in the dark night, carrying a deadly sharpness as it slashed directly at those few gang members.Luck often kills people, and so does carelessness.Originally thinking they had the advantage in numbers and had drawn their firearms first, the three gang members didn't even think of creating distance.Instead, they raised their guns, intending to teach the two foolish individuals a lesson leading to death.The muzzles fired, bullets streaking through the air.Two of them aimed at Leon, who was close at hand, and one shot at Kitagawa Hiroshi, who had already raised his gun.In the face of the cold killing intent condensed at the muzzles, Leon's Reflexes speed increased to its limit.The moment the two guns aimed at him, he actually shifted his body in advance, dodging those two bullets!He dodged, moved diagonally, arrived in front of the three, and swung his Katana upwards, cutting out an arc of light!The Katana slashed diagonally, its tip pointing towards the Night City sky.Leon crouched low, his gaze cold, and behind him, the gun-wielding arms of the three men were severed simultaneously, the splattering blood terrifying and chilling.Before the pain from their arms could reach their brains, and before their screams could even be uttered, Kitagawa Hiroshi, who had already aimed his pistol not far away, pulled the trigger three times.Bang, bang, bang.The three men fell to the ground in response, blood gushing from the gashes in their arms, forming a pool on the ground.Their dying words were that shout to their companions."Good swordsmanship," Kitagawa Hiroshi praised, casually pulling out the bullet embedded in his chest."You're not bad either, but now is not the time for mutual flattery."Leon flicked the blood off his Katana and turned to look towards the parking lot.Without exception, the shouts of the thugs had reached the parking lot.Seeing that they couldn't take down the two opponents for so long, the leader of this small gang seemed to have decided to change tactics, shifting their target and beginning to advance towards Leonand North River."Do you recognize this small gang?"Leon sheathed his Katana and took out his [Super-Style] pistol."A nameless small gang like this is just a small ripple in the vast ocean of Night City.Maybe one day they'll offend someone they shouldn't and get wiped out, who would remember them?" Kitagawa Hiroshi spat dismissively.Leon breathed a sigh of relief.Judging by Kitagawa Hiroshi's tone, this gang didn't seem to be a difficult opponent.But the next second, Kitagawa Hiroshi's words made his expression change."Damn it, they seem to be calling for reinforcements!"Kitagawa Hiroshi's face was ashen, and he listened carefully with his head down, seemingly gathering some information from his enhanced hearing device.He turned and used the cover of the bushes to peer towards the parking lot, seeing a gang leader whispering something.Upon hearing this, Leon silently walked to the bodies of the three thugs, thoroughly looting anything of value, then straightened up, ready to make a run for it."Leon-kun, let's go quickly, those people seem to have set their sights on us." Kitagawa Hiroshi was still observing the situation in the parking lot.It seemed that due to the intervention of Leon and North River, to avoid being caught in an unfavorable pincer movement, the gang members temporarily stopped their barrage of gunfire, and both sides entered a brief lull.It was precisely because of this that the two trapped men finally had a chance to get into the SUV.They didn't waste this rare opportunity; the engine roared to life, and the sturdy vehicle forcefully crashed through various obstacles, like a giant beast breaking free from its restraints and rushing towards the vast distance.Now, only Leon and Kitagawa Hiroshi remained in the situation, and they dared not stay there any longer, only able to flee in one direction.Leon ran, looking left and right.The two of them were currently on a green belt of a road.They had originally used the vegetation for cover to peek at the parking lot, but now that they were exposed, there was no place to hide."Which way to escape?" Leon asked in a low voice.He didn't have a hearing implant, and with the opponents surrounding them from all directions, asking Kitagawa Hiroshi was undoubtedly the best choice."Left... No! They seem to be calling for people to surround this area, we have no way out!"Kitagawa Hiroshi's face grew increasingly grim, and a frantic roaring sound came from his ear-enhancing device.It was the roar of multiple car engines, rushing from all directions of the street, like jackals besieging their prey, fierce and agile, knowing that the prey couldn't escape, so they patiently formed a circle of encirclement.Soon they would arrive on this road, forming an inescapable net, and the two of them would be like sparrows waiting to be slaughtered.Tsk tsk, as the simulator said, I've run into a bit of trouble after all... Leon thought to himself.Now, he had finally figured out the vague plot of the simulated events.Silently, an orange glow flashed in his eyes, and a message was quietly transmitted from his communicator to a distant location.Even though the situation had reached an unexpected emergency, there was not a trace of panic on his face.Kitagawa Hiroshi looked around, trying to find cover or obstacles they could hold out behind, but obviously, there were no such things on the main road.Finally, he gritted his teeth and could only turn and run towards a small alley.However, Kitagawa Hiroshi knew in his heart that going down this road was merely a delaying tactic born of desperation; after all, how could flesh-and-blood legs outrun cars?Those people only needed to block both ends with cars; unless the two of them grew wings, they wouldn't be able to escape at all.Upon entering the alley, Kitagawa Hiroshi moved some miscellaneous items, quickly building a makeshift cover.Then he moved two large iron, grayish-green trash cans.With the help of his metal prosthetic arm and his own strength, he actually managed to move these two large trash cans around the cover.Leon also followed and hid inside."Oh, right, I just found this thing on those guys."Even in danger, Leon remained as calm as ever, silently taking out a long firearm he had just looted from his bag.The long barrel, coupled with an electromagnetic acceleration device, resembled a rectangular prism with the distinct beauty of sharp angles.The magazine was small, with limited capacity, and a scope was fixed on top of the gun body, giving it a strong futuristic, sci-fi feel.— The "Cat-Yet," a technical firearm, an electromagnetic sniper rifle developed and produced by [Tsunami Defense Systems] company.The firearm performed excellently; the electromagnetically accelerated tungsten nail rounds were sufficient to penetrate any armor and walls, and even a titanium alloy skeleton was like a fragile wooden stick in the face of this gun's power.Similarly, this weapon was also very difficult to handle; besides requiring regular meticulous maintenance, it also demanded time to understand various parameters and the user manual, making it extremely difficult to master."Cat-Yet? Where did these guys get this weapon?" Kitagawa Hiroshi was greatly astonished.Leon understood why he was so surprised, because a powerful technical sniper rifle like this was almost impossible to fall into the hands of members of such a small gang.Although when playing cyberpunk 2077, he often saw some gang members using this gun, and players would occasionally find this weapon when looting spoils.If he hadn't come to the world of cyberpunk 2077, he would have really thought this was a common firearm.But in fact, unless employed by the government or mainstream super-corporations, it was almost impossible for mercenaries to get their hands on this gun... almost impossible.Leon put the gun back into his personal storage bag.This was a rare trophy, an extremely rare weapon even on the black market."I think these people shouldn't just be ordinary small gangs; they're more like thugs hired by certain corporations, people who do dirty work for companies," Leon said.Kitagawa Hiroshi's face darkened as he pondered for a while, finally having to admit that this time he had tried to outsmart them but ended up shooting himself in the foot, hitting a wall."You're right, Leon-kun, an ordinary gang couldn't have called so many people to surround us.They should be hired by some company, acting as the dirty hands doing their bidding."He sighed heavily, leaning silently against the wall, his expression at this moment no different from a Samurai generously going to his death.The sound of engines was close at hand, and several ordinary-looking [Thunder-Colby CX410 Lone Peak] vehicles surrounded the two of them.This car, produced by Thunder Company, was very popular among street punks and gang members.Not only because it was sturdy, durable, and cheap, but also because the trunk of the vehicle had been replaced with a pickup-style bed, which was favored by many.Because after laying a tarp in the bed, it was very convenient for transporting bodies.The headlights of the cars shone into the alley, and they were like two fugitives sharing a common plight, now surrounded by police in this narrow alley.Several gang members got out of the vehicles, all carrying various firearms, and more people got out of the vehicles behind them."It seems they want to capture us alive," Leonquickly glanced, then hid back behind the cover."If it were me, I'd do the same," Kitagawa Hiroshisaid with a cold expression, pulling the bolt of his Copperhead to chamber a round, checking his ammunition.He extended his metal prosthetic arm out from the cover, using the reflection of the light to observe the movements on both sides of the alley.As expected, both directions were blocked by the gang members' vehicles.Kitagawa Hiroshi's heart sank to rock bottom.
Chapter 32 I want all those people dead!It was seven o'clock at night.As a subsidiary of Kang Tao Group, Qian Ti Corporation's Night City Branch building was also located in Corpo Plaza, next to the Kang Taobuilding, though it was slightly shorter than the branch buildings of other massive corporations.Inside a private office on the top floor of the Qian Ti Corporation building.Yenefer sat at her desk, having just reviewed the Cyberware information data on the screen, and then sent the document to her subordinates, instructing them to continue working overtime through the night.Rubbing her eyes, Yenefer got up from her office chair and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in her office, looking down at the myriad lights of Corpo Plaza.A series of lights illuminated the city, like a lit fuse connecting countless lamps, or like golden quicksand stretching into infinity, as the entire city awakened at this moment.Every night at this time, the city would light up punctually like this, and only the corporate executives standing high in their buildings could appreciate the beauty of the city as its lights first came on.Feeling her fatigue seemingly dissipate, Yeneferwalked to a table, pulled out a drawer, and picked up an inhaler, about to take a puff.But just as she brought the inhaler to her nose, she suddenly remembered Leon's warning.With a helpless smile, Yenefer put the inhaler back, turned to the coffee machine, and poured a cup of hot coffee onto the table."Looks like I'll be going home late again tonight. I wonder what that kid is doing now?"Yenefer sat in her office chair, moving it to the floor-to-ceiling window to enjoy the rare beautiful view, looking towards North Oak District.Even if today was a holiday, that kid should be home by now.Just as Yenefer was imagining what someone was doing with a heart full of longing, a call suddenly came in.Yenefer's eyes glowed orange-yellow, and a caller ID appeared in her vision, displaying the English letters [SSI].Her brows furrowed as she answered the call."Greetings, esteemed Ms. Yenefer. According to the 'Family Safety Guarantee Agreement' we signed, we hereby notify you, as per the agreement's terms, that your younger brother, Leon, has activated our company's on-demand VIP security service. We have now dispatched sufficient security personnel to the designated location. Please rest assured."On the other end of the line, a customer service representative with a gentle and delicate voice patiently explained the situation to Yenefer.However, upon hearing this announcement, Yeneferfelt as if the sky was about to collapse. She abruptly stood up, and the freshly poured coffee cup fell to the floor, spilling everywhere.She quickly took a few deep breaths to calm herself and continued to ask, "Are you sure this information is accurate?""We regret to inform you that this service was personally commissioned by Mr. Leon, and based on voiceprint system matching, this information is absolutely accurate."Yenefer paced back and forth uneasily, an inexplicable fire burning within her, making her incredibly anxious. She arranged coldly:"You must rescue him, no matter the cost. I can pay any amount. Also, find out who dared to bully him.""I want all of them dead!" Her voice was as cold as a winter in February."Please rest assured, Ms. Yenefer, this is our company's obligation. Furthermore, the cost for this service has already been paid in full by Mr. Leon, so you don't need to worry about the expenses."Hearing this, Yenefer was momentarily stunned.That kid, where did he get so much money?That's not right. Although the pocket money I give him daily is quite generous, enough to rival a corporate manager's monthly salary, he shouldn't have saved so much money.Thinking of Leon's various abnormal behaviors over the years, Yenefer suddenly realized that she seemed to have never truly understood her younger brother."Thank you all," she replied somewhat distractedly."This is our duty. If you have any further questions, please call our service hotline. We won't disturb you any further," the customer service representative replied gently, then hung up the phone.Yenefer stood in silence for a moment, then walked to her desk, tidied up her belongings, picked up her personal items, and walked out.She had to leave work early today...."Boss, how should we deal with these two guys?"By the road outside the alley, a man looked with suppressed anger towards the alley, where two people were surrounded by them."Damn it, I really didn't expect those two scoundrels to be so troublesome, holding up more than a dozen of us for so long. We finally managed to ambush them, but at the crucial moment, these two guys came to mess things up!" A subordinate beside him said angrily."Boss, let's just kill those two guys! Don't overthink it," another subordinate suggested.The leading man was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked his subordinate next to him:"Have you found out the background of these two guys?""Not yet, but they shouldn't be our target. Moore Technology told us to catch that rookie mercenary squad, and these two aren't part of it."A subordinate pulled out a digital screen, seemingly searching for specific information."Don't worry about it so much, Boss. Just let me lead the brothers in for a charge. I don't believe these two guys can fight as well as the previous two!" The agitated subordinate next to him continued to persuade.The leading man was not affected by his subordinate's agitated emotions. He remained calm and cautious, looking at the alley shrouded in moonlight.It was dark, cold, and emitted a strange foul odor.If it weren't for the light from the vehicle's searchlight, he would never enter such a pitch-black alley.Recalling tonight's operation, he felt a bit embarrassed. So many people trying to capture just two individuals, and they were still held up for so much time by the other party.The most infuriating part was these two disruptors, who, at the most critical moment, distracted them, causing the other two to seize the opportunity and escape."The task assigned by the company wasn't completed; they won't let us off the hook, Boss. Don't worry about it so much, just capture these two and bring them back. Maybe they're part of the same group," the subordinate continued to persuade."The ones hiding inside are an underage child and an adult male, correct?" the man continued to ask."According to eyewitness accounts, that is correct," the subordinate replied.The man lowered his head, silent, then snatched the display screen from his subordinate's hand and asked, "Did Moore Technology say anything?"The subordinate's voice was low, seemingly not wanting to anger the man, as he whispered:"The liaison said… that the mess we made, we have to clean up ourselves. He only cares about the result, not the process.""Such typical arrogance of a company dog," the man snorted.He carefully scrolled through the display screen, where specially encrypted messages appeared only as strings of numbers and symbols.The man pulled out a decryption chip and inserted it. The numerical symbols instantly transformed into clear, visible text.The screen was filled with encrypted files, all sent by [Moore Technology].[Remember, the people in this squad, I don't care what methods you use, you must bring them back alive. For every one of your people who dies, the final reward will be reduced by twenty percent.][The detailed data intelligence has already been given to you. Don't ask so many questions. As always, do what I say.]...[You motherf*cking bunch of useless trash, so many of you went to surround six people, not only did you fail to cause them any harm, but your own side also lost more than a dozen men. Even the security robots at my home would do better than you.][They are all Edgerunners qualified to enter Afterlife Bar. I left some good stuff for you at the handover point. Remember, seize the opportunity.]...[Hmm? You successfully surrounded two people from their squad? Well done. Awaiting your good news.][A bunch of garbage, I gave you so much funding and equipment, and so many of you can't even take down two people. I don't care what kind of mess you make, clean it up yourselves. I only want results!][Remember my words, it is your lifelong honor that I, of all people, chose you trash and processed you into superior products. But I can also choose other, better candidates, not just you!][Give a message to Eric for me: if those two are also in the Edgerunner business, bring them to me. I will give you appropriate compensation at my discretion.]After quickly reading through these message logs, the man's face remained largely expressionless, but he squeezed the display screen slightly, crushing it.Although he didn't know why this task client from [Moore Technology] wanted to capture the Edgerunners in the city, as a thug who did the company's dirty work, he didn't need to consider so much.These two guys who ruined his plans tonight, it would be best if they were Edgerunners. If they weren't, they had to be Edgerunners!"Have all the remaining men rush in and capture those two guys!"
Chapter 33 Lin Jun, are you Doraemon?As the man gave the order, the gang members surrounding the two exits of the alley began their assault.Their enemies were only one adult male and one underage boy, yet their entire gang had arrived, numbering over forty people, a dozen vehicles, and dozens of guns...With such a huge disparity in combat power, let alone an adult and a boy.Even if their opponents were the most elite Edgerunner squad from Afterlife Bar, they would still have a fighting chance.This was like a dragon riding on their face; how could they possibly lose?The only regrettable point was that the alley's path was narrow and cramped, only wide enough for two people to enter side by side; any more people would have to enter one by one.This also gave Leon and Kitagawa Hiroshi an opportunity to act.Kitagawa Hiroshi's face was ashen, his auditory enhancer collecting sound waves from nearby, allowing him to hear footsteps coming from the alley entrance.The dense footsteps were like hunters pursuing their prey, their eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty desire.Facing prey that had reached a dead end, they raised their hunting rifles; even the mightiest lion in the wilderness could only die on the spot when faced with an unsolvable hunting rifle."Leon-kun, lend me that sniper rifle, quickly!"Kitagawa Hiroshi suddenly seemed to think of something and yelled to Leon in a low voice.Leon was startled; he was already rummaging through his personal satchel for something, and hearing Kitagawa Hiroshi's shout, he thought for a moment, took out the technical sniper rifle, and handed it to him.Kitagawa Hiroshi grimaced as he took the Cat-Eared Gun, his hands constantly moving over the gun body, adjusting the weapon's parameters and functions."No... there's no time," he said in annoyance.Now trapped under cover, gang members were slowly approaching from both entrances of the alley.Kitagawa Hiroshi could guess, without even peeking out, that those approaching gang members must have raised their weapons, just waiting for them to show their heads before opening fire.In this situation, he had no way to resist.If he extended the Copperhead Rifle to shoot, even if he could kill a few minions, the remaining people would surely open fire mercilessly, turning his arm into a sieve!The only option now was this Cat-Eared Gun, an electromagnetic-powered sniper rifle, whose super kinetic energy could penetrate all objects currently in its path!Hiding behind cover, the enemy would be unable to hit him.Similarly, unless he reached out, he also couldn't shoot the enemy.But the Cat-Eared Gun was an exception; this electromagnetic-powered sniper rifle allowed him to "shoot through walls" at enemies while hiding behind cover!But the most infuriating thing was that, as a delicate technical weapon, the [Cat-Eared Gun] required the sniper to spend one or two minutes adjusting its performance before use.Otherwise, a casually fired bullet might be less powerful than throwing a stone, and there was also a risk of over-powering causing the barrel to explode.Despite the above flaws, the [Cat-Eared Gun] was still worth it.Because it was simply powerful, incredibly so; a performance-tuned Cat-Eared Gun would penetrate anything on the battlefield!However, the most despairing part was that there was simply no time for him to adjust this weapon now.Just as Kitagawa Hiroshi felt despair, a sudden pulling sound rang out beside him.He abruptly looked up and saw Leon calmly pull out white-painted grenades one by one from his satchel, and in Kitagawa Hiroshi's astonished gaze, he threw them forcefully to both sides of the alley."Damn it! It's a flashbang, retreat quickly!"Bang! Bang!Explosions like firecrackers came from both sides of the alley, and the cramped alley instantly became as bright as day, with shrill screams emanating from the throats of the gang members.This unexpected flashbang attack disrupted the gang members' formation, and they fell into disarray for a moment.Leon clapped his hands, brushing off non-existent dust, and looked at Kitagawa Hiroshi curiously.More precisely, he was looking at the sniper rifle in his hand."You can use this technical sniper rifle too?""A little... I know a little," Kitagawa Hiroshi said, still recovering and somewhat stammering.Leon nodded approvingly and casually said, "Then it's yours from now on. Use it well."His tone was as relaxed as if he were giving away a discarded item, with no hint of pain on his face.After speaking, Leon continued to take out two crimson-colored grenades from his satchel.The dazzling crimson was incredibly eerie, as if warning the user of the danger of such tactical equipment."Laser Cutting Fragmentation Grenade!" Kitagawa Hiroshi cried out in alarm; he recognized this type of grenade.This type of military-grade controlled fragmentation grenade, once thrown, would spray out its internal fuel, causing the grenade to float in mid-air.Then, 21 tiny holes on the grenade's surface would emit destructive cutting lasers, like a floating hedgehog ball, with a destructive range of three to four meters around it.This would be an unapproachable forbidden zone; unless you were confident that your muscles were comparable to concrete and your bones as hard as titanium alloy, otherwise, entering would mean certain death."This stuff isn't cheap," Leon lamented."So I hope it can do its job and take out a few more people."He didn't hesitate, throwing out this toy worth several months of average salary.Kitagawa Hiroshi watched all this with wide eyes, so shocked that he even forgot he still needed to adjust the sniper rifle's technical parameters.He was like a country bumpkin, watching Leongradually pull out violent and expensive tactical equipment from his satchel, and a ridiculous thought inexplicably arose in his mind:Leon-kun, are you a Doraemon from the 22nd century?When he first saw Leon carrying this satchel, he thought it only contained a few pieces of equipment.But now?Medicine, tactical grenades, firearms, ammunition...Goodness, everything was complete.And... today seemed to be Leon-kun's first time completing a commission, right?In other words, Leon-kun had prepared so many good things in advance for today's commission!...Leon's sudden move caught all the gang members off guard; they had not expected that the people trapped in the alley would hide so many different types of grenades.The entrances and exits on both sides of the alley also began to become pitted and uneven due to the effects of various grenade explosions.Laser cutting marks, craters from grenade explosions, magnesium powder residue after flashbang explosions...The narrow alley entrance had now become an impassable chasm."Where's our sniper? Quickly use that technical sniper rifle to show these two guys what's what, damn it!" the gang's second-in-command shouted loudly, searching for the sniper's figure in the crowd."Don't bother looking, Arteya should have been taken out by those two. I originally wanted him to snipe the two targets to incapacitate them, but then we ran into these two bastards," the leader said with a gloomy face.He stared intently into the alley, his fists clenched, and a murderous intent began to brew in his heart as he looked at his dead and wounded subordinates."Listen to my command, everyone fire in batches, kill without mercy! If they throw any more grenades, let them taste the consequences!"At these words, all the gang members were unleashed; they began to madly unleash a hail of bullets into the alley.Facing such firepower, Leon dared not take out any more grenades.He could hear bullets hitting the cover like rain, the dense hail of bullets obstructing any attempts to resist.Even if he threw a grenade, it would likely be shot down in mid-air.Leon took out the Katana and placed it on his lap.He sat still, like an old monk meditating under a tree, hearing not the chaotic gunfire, but the echo of a clear spring.The violent gunfire lasted for over a minute before subsiding; the ground was covered with spent casings, and the gunpowder smoke lingered."Listen up, you in there! If you dare to make any more small moves, we will show no mercy!" The thug's voice came from outside the alley.This was a warning.If Leon dared to throw those grenades again, then this group of gang members would once again use force to kill them on the spot."Even now, they still want to capture us alive."Leon sighed lightly, unable to help but admire the persistence of these people."They must have received orders that they'll only get paid if they capture us alive."Kitagawa Hiroshi also guessed their purpose.He took out the Cat-Eared Gun again.Since Leon-kun couldn't continue, he would teach these people a lesson."Are you still planning to fight back?" Leon asked Kitagawa Hiroshi calmly."Better than waiting to die!" Kitagawa Hiroshireplied unwillingly.Leon smiled faintly:"Don't worry, we won't die. The Cat-Eared Gun only has 4 rounds, and we didn't find any extra magazines, so let's save some bullets."Kitagawa Hiroshi wanted to argue further, but the words caught in his throat just as he was about to speak.He stared into Leon's eyes, slightly stunned.Those eyes were pure, yet upon closer inspection, they held an extreme, indifferent calmness:"Listen to me, we won't die."
Chapter 34 I wiped the knife, not to commit suicide...The muzzles of more than a dozen guns were pointed in the direction of the young man and the Japanese man.With the slightest movement, the muzzles of these cheap firearms would mercilessly spew fire, riddling the two of them with bullets.Everything seemed to be settled; there was no escape for them.The limit of human Reflexes speed is 0.1 seconds, but for the muzzle velocity of a bullet, a mere second is enough for a bullet to fly hundreds of meters. The outcome of life and death is already determined the moment the bullet leaves the chamber.No matter how fast a person moves or reacts, they ultimately cannot escape an attack that breaks the sound barrier.Like an inevitable fate, the arrival of death is always so unexpected.Perhaps only those who have implanted a Sandevistan Cyberware can race against bullets in the cracks of time.Otherwise, all efforts are in vain.Even Kitagawa Hiroshi's expression became somewhat uneasy, and he secretly made a decision in his heart.If the other side really opened fire, the only thing he could do was probably rush out alone, desperately creating an opportunity for Leon to escape.Even if he took a few bullets for him, it would be considered repaying Leon's kindness!Compared to Kitagawa Hiroshi, who was already prepared to die, Leon was much calmer.It was as if the more than a dozen guns pointed at him were not guns but ceremonial cannons, and the other side was merely an honor guard welcoming him out. The firing of the guns was the salute, and these people were destined to be clowns for entertainment."Leon-kun, I'm very sorry, I'm the one who got you into this."Kitagawa Hiroshi's face was filled with the resolve to die, his eyes as firm as iron, without a trace of reluctance for life:"I'll create an opportunity for you to escape in a moment. Just run, don't look back. This is my atonement, and your kindness to me can probably only be repaid in the next life. Although it's shameless to say this, my sister… I hope you can help take care of her. This is my last wish."Leon was playing with the Katana in his hand, taking out a piece of hemostatic bandage from his bag and using it to wipe away non-existent stains on the blade, seemingly not at all worried about his own safety.Seeing this, Kitagawa Hiroshi's face flashed with a hint of worry:"Leon-kun, are you trying to commit suicide?""No, I'm saving it to behead someone later," Leonreplied indifferently.Then, before Kitagawa Hiroshi could understand the meaning of his words, he seemed to remember something and smiled again, saying:"Don't say such disheartening things. The next life is too long; I can't wait. What you owe me now, even if you sell yourself, you might not be able to pay it all back. Let me be frank here, you're a good person. I've always had an idea to form an Edgerunner team, and I'm currently short on manpower. Are you interested?"Kitagawa Hiroshi was stunned by the words. He really hadn't expected Leon to be thinking about such a thing at such a critical moment.But observing Leon's expression, he found that the other party was not lying.After only a second of thought, Kitagawa Hiroshisuddenly laughed sincerely. A feeling of 'a scholar dies for his confidant' suddenly rose in his heart.Throughout the day, he had messed up almost everything, incurring so much kindness, yet this young man still chose to believe in him."For Leon-kun to invite me is the fortune of my life. If I can still see the sun tomorrow, I will never fail Leon-kun's expectations."He replied sincerely."That's good," Leon smiled as if his trick had succeeded.The sound of footsteps grew closer. The gang members with firearms slowly approached, constantly wary that the two people hiding behind cover might suddenly throw a grenade.Kitagawa Hiroshi took a few deep breaths, preparing to act according to his plan, but unexpectedly, Leon held him back."Don't worry, they're already here." Turning his head in confusion, Kitagawa Hiroshi saw the young man say this.Just as Kitagawa Hiroshi was utterly puzzled by this, a sound like ten thousand horses galloping suddenly came from his ears.It was the roar of heavy armored vehicles, their high-horsepower engines roaring like angry dragons. With the enhancement of his auditory amplifier, Kitagawa Hiroshi felt as if an army was rushing towards them.The sound of tires spinning, guns being cocked, heavy weapons being adjusted, the dull roar of steel behemoths bouncing on the road due to high speed… all of this proclaimed the arrival of absolute violence!Not only Kitagawa Hiroshi heard it, but even the gang members heard it. Everyone stood still, looking bewildered, but no longer dared to move casually.Like the descent of a tyrant's army in historical myths, they came with neat steps, their voices shaking heaven and earth.The gang leader standing outside the alley suddenly turned his head and saw bright lights rapidly approaching from the other end of the road.These were vehicles speeding to their limit, rushing in this direction. Behind those dazzling lights, a terrifying armed force seemed to be hidden."It can't be coming for us, can it…"The gang leader thought nervously, but then found the idea incredibly ridiculous.How could a big shot who could command such force be surrounded by their small gang?It must be a hallucination, it must be a hallucination. They must just be passing by!However, when these vehicles drove near him, the subsequent drift parking completely shattered his illusion.As they approached, the vehicles slowed down, then began to turn and drift as if they had practiced countless times. Tires squealed loudly, and a burnt smell filled the air.After drifting, these vehicles formed a semi-circle, surrounding the already terrified gang members.A loud horn blared from a vehicle:"This is SSI, Night City Security Services Corporation. You have threatened our clients with force. We now order you to put down your weapons immediately, surrender, and release our clients. We do not permit our clients to suffer even the slightest harm!"Please remember, you only have one minute. If our clients suffer even the slightest harm, according to Night City laws and regulations, we will have the right to use force against you. Our MK31 heavy machine guns and M20 guided launchers will unleash their firepower on you without mercy!""We warn you, put down your weapons!"The searchlights on the roofs of the three leading chevrolet emperor 720s lit up, instantly illuminating the entire street as bright as day. The heavy machine guns mounted on the vehicles were already aimed at the trembling gang members. Several security personnel carrying rocket launchers squatted beside the vehicles, their dark muzzles like abysses, offering only the shadow of death to those who looked into them.Several gunshots rang out, as if in a show of force. The tires of the gang members' vehicles, which had been clustered at the alley entrance, were shot out, and their headlights shattered.Thus, the only light in the entire area came from the vehicles of these heaven-sent soldiers.And from the vehicles behind, many fully armed security personnel disembarked. They held assault rifles, aiming at the gang members who, illuminated by the white light, were like lambs to the slaughter.Not only that, several infrared laser beams shone directly onto the scene, constantly moving across the bodies of the gang members, like the gaze of death. The snipers hidden in the darkness showed no intention of concealing themselves, unreservedly showering these people with violence.With the slightest abnormal movement, this firepower would be mercilessly poured onto these gang members.The company's way of doing things has always been so swift and decisive. Towards these lower-class people, they only understand two behaviors.Either "Yes," or "No."All the gang members trembled before this violence. Having cooperated with the company, they naturally understood its terrifying nature.No matter what company it was, any small company would have its private security team, and among them, companies that could undertake security services were absolutely the most capable of all companies!They not only provided security services for individuals but also for other small companies that lacked sufficient resources or scale. Their combat power definitely far exceeded any small gang.A gang member trembling threw down his firearm, and then, like dominoes being pushed over, others successively threw down their weapons.The situation was settled!...Not far from the encirclement, a purple [Gudela 66 Type 640 TS] was parked on the side of the road, next to the [chevrolet emperor 720 modified version] that had originally been trapped in the parking lot.Six people stood silently, gazing at the scene, all dumbfounded.
An Edgerunner squad quietly stood not far from the road, observing this grand spectacle.The burly man leading them was the first to snap back to reality, slapping the thin-faced man with the peculiar bionic arm next to him on the head."Pilar, were you the one who told us to rush over and save people?" Maine, the squad leader, widened his eyes, pointing in the direction of the alley, and shouted loudly.He even suspected that the team's tech expert—Pilar—was hallucinating.Save who, exactly?Save those trembling gang members who were surrounded?A petite girl with twin ponytails on the side was chuckling to herself, and finally couldn't hold back, bursting into laughter and pointing at the man named Pilar, mocking him:"Serves you right for messing around at Lizzies Barevery day! Now you know what it's like to stir up trouble, you jerk!"A middle-aged man with a mustache, looking somewhat like a Western cowboy, sighed and defended his teammate: "Maine, you can't blame him, even I didn't expect it to escalate to this point."Maine looked at the most reliable driver in the team and asked in confusion:"Falco, when you first called, didn't you say you were surrounded by these gang members? What's going on with them now? Did they provoke someone they shouldn't have, or commit a crime?"He clearly remembered the call from not long ago, where this guy said he was surrounded by a small gang and asked them to come save him.But when they were halfway there, Falco called again to say that he and the other person had been rescued by two outsiders.Maine usually didn't bother with strangers, but since these two outsiders had saved his people, and these gang members dared to provoke him, there was no reason to let them off!So after meeting up somewhere, both parties rushed back aggressively, intending to teach this small gang a lesson, and as for the two outsiders, they would save them if they could.However, they witnessed an unexpected scene.Maine had to admit that sometimes, things always developed in unforeseen directions."That little boy... I think I know him."Sasha, the Netrunner who had been silent, suddenly spoke, her bionic eye magnifying the viewing distance, allowing her to see the situation in the alley more clearly."Hmm? You know him?" Maine looked at Sasha in confusion.Sasha nodded slightly and slowly recounted her transaction with Leon at noon, also mentioning that he should know Wakako."Looks like a wealthy little patron…" Maine muttered thoughtfully....The dark alley was once again bathed in light.Leon calmly walked out of the alley, even having the leisure to pat the dust off his body as he walked.Behind him followed Kitagawa Hiroshi, whose expression was one of utter shock.Just from Kitagawa Hiroshi's expression, it was enough to tell the surging horror in his heart at this moment.No one would have expected the originally set situation to be reversed in just a few seconds.Walking in the alley, the previously lawless gang members were now humbly squatting on the ground, guns on the ground, hands clasped over their heads, fearing that the young man would simply raise his hand if displeased, and then at the moment his hand came down, a butcher's knife would strike their heads.And the strong searchlights mounted on the car roofs outside the alley, the drivers inside saw Leonwalk out, and quickly shifted the focus of the searchlights, keeping the boundary between light and darkness constantly at Leon's feet, as if afraid that the dazzling incandescent light would blind him.The young man thus walked out of the shadows, and the light moved with his steps.The security teammates waiting outside saw Leonwalk out, their bionic eyes scanned him for a moment, discovered he was indeed the client they needed to protect, and quickly went to meet him.He came before Leon, saluted, and respectfully said with a serious expression:"Honored Mr. Leon, you weren't harmed inside, were you?"Leon shook his head regretfully, patted the dust off his body, and checked himself again, finding no wounds, not even a bruise.He had to admit, his wolf school bulletproof jacketwas truly durable and reliable!"It's fine, they didn't have time to cause me any physical harm," Leon said calmly."That's good," the security captain breathed a sigh of relief.According to the security agreement signed by both parties, the best situation was for the insured to not suffer even a tiny bit of harm, so that they would not be punished by their superiors.Although these security personnel seemed fierce and intimidating outside, capable of striking fear into countless small gangs.In reality, despite their swagger outside, they would still be reprimanded by their superiors within the company; once a client was dissatisfied, they would also suffer.Now seeing that Leon didn't make things difficult for him, the security captain became even more amiable and respectfully said: "Then, Mr. Leon, how should these people be handled?"Besides providing armed security services, security companies could also, in a sense, act as mercenaries, and in certain aspects, clients would have their own autonomy.Leon turned his head and looked at the trembling gang members. The leader at the front forced a Pleaseing smile, but the hatred in his eyes could not be hidden no matter what."Wait for me here for a moment," Leon instructed."Yes, sir," the security captain did not refuse; the client was God.Leon walked up to the man and asked calmly:"Tell me, why were you pursuing those two people earlier, and who do you work for, who provides you with equipment support?"The leading man remained silent for a long time, seemingly pondering whether or not to reveal this information honestly. Finally, he carefully asked:"If I tell you, will you let us go?""To be honest, you don't have a choice. Even if you don't tell me, I can find the communication information from the data chip in your head. And those two who escaped from your hands, they might also understand your objective."The man was silent for a long time, finally letting out a deep sigh, his tone somewhat desolate, as if he realized his life was short but was powerless to do anything about it.As hunters, they had surrounded lions, and were about to strike brutally to capture them alive, but they never expected this lion to transform into a black-and-white giant panda, a true national treasure!Then, the rapidly arriving troops detained the hunters, because bullying a national treasure was a grave sin.He was also desperate about this, and replied with a hint of pleading in his tone:"It's Moore Technology.""Could you please elaborate on the whole story?" Leon asked faintly."Moore Technology provided funds and equipment, hiring us to kidnap members of a small squad. According to the intelligence, that squad is a rookie team from Afterlife Bar, with some strength, but not too strong. The company told us to try to capture them alive.""Did they say why they wanted to capture those people?""No, with the temper of those large companies, we are not qualified to know the dark secrets behind it. They tell us to capture people, and we can only go capture them. We don't even know who the handover person is; we usually only communicate through encrypted channels."The man spoke freely.Leon nodded, finally understanding the general situation.But, what was to come, always would."Thank you for your honest answer. Our conversation was pleasant. If it weren't for this misunderstanding, perhaps we could have gotten to know each other?"Sighing, Leon did not continue speaking. He knew that those on the verge of death would not listen to others' words, because fear would occupy their hearts, and they would not think about anything beyond death.The blade cut a bright, crescent-like arc, and gushing blood fell like fine rain, staining the blue light.While hiding in the alley, he had already prepared for this moment, meticulously wiping the blade to make it sharp, ready to cut something.
Seeing their boss getting slaughtered, the remaining gang members glared, their eyes filled with hatred towards Leon.Having spent years on the streets, they understood that this violent young man would never let them go!Their willingness to drop their weapons and surrender was nothing more than a desperate hope for a way out.Now that their escape route was cut off, the remaining gang members disregarded the fact that they were being aimed at by countless guns; they picked up their weapons from the ground, attempting to resist."Kill them all!" Leon said nonchalantly.As these light but blood-soaked words fell, the machine guns on the roofs of the three chevrolet emperor 720s began to rotate, like angry dragons raising their heads, spewing hot flames from their muzzles.Many gang members' eyes were wide with rage, yet they were powerless; large-caliber bullets flew, tearing apart their bodies, and under such powerful attacks, human bodies were incredibly fragile, with flesh and severed limbs scattered everywhere.Even for the few quick-moving gang members, as they raised their guns to shoot, snipers hidden somewhere opened fire, precisely hitting these people in the head, killing them instantly.What a scene of bloody carnage, with blood and severed limbs as brushes, outlining a scene that would only appear in hell; blood drenched the entire alley entrance, staining it into a doorway to a dark hell.The gunshots quickly subsided, and there was no longer any standing gang member in front of them.The security team behind them also began to step forward in unison, each person gripping a rifle, executing standard tactical movements as they walked into the alley, and upon seeing bodies on the ground that were still intact, they would walk up, aim for the head, and deliver a final shot.Leon took a deep breath; the air was full of a Fishy smell of blood, and the scene before his eyes was nothing but a bloody red; anyone with a weak stomach would surely vomit at this sight.If only it would rain now, that would be even better.But then again, the rain that falls upon Night City is mostly acid rain anyway.Seeing such a bloody scene, the security captain not only felt no discomfort but instead walked up to Leon with a fawning expression, praising him:"Mr. Leon, you have made a significant contribution to the stability of Night City tonight. Such dangerous terrorists should be eliminated early. If NCPD knew about this, they would certainly present you with an award.""No, I'd prefer if you kept this operation confidential," Leon glanced at him indifferently."Don't worry, according to the contract agreement, unless you personally agree, you will never see your image in any news, broadcasts, or other media channels. Even news reports will at most describe it as a bloody gang shootout.""Additionally, we have already notified NCPD; they will not dispatch officers here for now. They will only come to clear the scene after Mr. Leon has safely returned."The security captain nodded repeatedly."Very good," Leon said with satisfaction, then changed the subject, adding, "Also, if there's nothing else, you can leave first."The security captain frowned, saying with some difficulty, "But according to the contract agreement, we must escort you to a safe place before we can return to the company.""That's not necessary. It's good to go home early and spend time with your family. I'll explain it to the company."Leon looked at the security captain, or rather, at the pendant he wore around his neck, which contained a small photo with several figures.For such small ornaments, the photo placed inside is most likely a family portrait.The security captain fell silent; this was the first time he had encountered such a client in his career."Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Leon. I hope you won't encounter such trouble again from now on," he extended his hand to shake Leon's, then bid farewell.The security personnel surrounding the area, who had been monitoring the vicinity, received the order and quickly got into their respective vehicles, acting decisively, just as they had arrived without any delay.Before leaving, the security captain leaned in again and whispered to Leon:"Oh, Mr. Leon, at the other end of this road, there's a six-person Edgerunner crew observing from there. Do you want them all driven away, or do you know them?"For Edgerunners, who operate in this line of work, what they seek is nothing more than money and other benefits. Unless under special circumstances, very few people would indiscriminately kill innocents outside of their mission targets, and using force to kill innocent bystanders is a major taboo in the industry.After all, everyone is in this line of work; if you ruin your reputation, no one will spare you.So the security captain did not consider them a threat, merely giving Leon a heads-up."You all go back first, I know them." Leon had already noticed the two cars parked at the other end of the road.The familiar chevrolet emperor 720 Modified and the tightly dressed and refined Netrunner; he couldn't see their faces clearly on the holocall back then, but he recognized their attire.If there were no surprises, this should be Maine's crew, the rookie team from Afterlife Bar that Wakako had mentioned."Alright, goodbye, Mr. Leon." The security captain nodded slightly and quickly stepped into a chevrolet emperor.At this point, all security forces had returned, and those unsavory gang members couldn't even manage to inflict any casualties on them.Leon looked back at the alley, observing the extremely cruel scene, and silently sighed.He should have known to let the security personnel help scavenge the remaining items from the scene.Noticing Leon's gaze, Kitagawa Hiroshi, who had finally recovered from the shocking events of the night, quietly walked up to Leon and asked,"Leon-kun, do you want to scavenge these people's equipment?"Leon waved his hand and sighed, "On second thought, forget it. There's a bit too much stuff. Aren't you short on money? If you want to sell it, you can scavenge whatever you like."Kitagawa Hiroshi said gratefully, "Thank you for your kindness, Leon-kun.""Is there anything else you want to ask? Those six people will be coming over soon."Leon asked casually, his gaze directed towards the other end of the road, seeing that things here seemed to be resolved, and the Edgerunner crew was slowly approaching.He knew that Kitagawa Hiroshi must have many questions in his heart, such as what his identity truly was and why he could command a security force.And with such a distinguished identity, why would he still be involved in a profession like Edgerunner.Of course, for these kinds of questions, Leon had already prepared to brush them off casually.Now was not the time to be frank.However, to his surprise, Kitagawa Hiroshi merely smiled and asked in return,"Leon-kun, do you think I would inquire about your identity?""That's the most reasonable guess," Leon said.Kitagawa Hiroshi shook his head, his face calm: "No, the moment I decided to follow your path, Leon-kun, these questions ceased to matter. If Leon-kunwishes to speak, then speak; if not, it's fine."He looked up, gazing at Leon with a serious expression, and after a long silence, he finally spoke:"Tonight, the only question I wish to ask is, Leon-kun, what is your view on the killing of this group of gang members?"Kitagawa Hiroshi's gaze was firm and heavy, his expression as cold and hard as a rock, quietly awaiting Leon's reply, as if listening to the last words of a beloved one.Leon was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Kitagawa Hiroshi to ask such a question.After a moment of thought, he sighed and replied:"I won't make excuses for my indiscriminate killing. What's done is done, and there's nothing more to say. If there truly must be a reason, it can only be that I currently lack the strength and confidence to forgive others.""Even if I hadn't given this order, someone else would have. But this matter began with me, so it naturally ends with me, and this bloody sin should rightly be borne by me. But if you ask me if I feel guilt, I can only regretfully tell you, no.""One thing at a time. If you commit a sin, don't repent; repentance is useless. If you truly regret it, then do practical things to make amends. And if you do good deeds, don't imagine you can accumulate merit. I cherish the preciousness of life, but only to a certain extent.""What, do you strongly disapprove of my methods?"He looked at Kitagawa Hiroshi with a smile.Kitagawa Hiroshi silently shook his head, and a generous smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if he had received the most satisfying answer."No, I am merely asking about the path you follow, Leon-kun. From now on, as your companion, I will also walk your path, whether it leads to hell or the abyss."He did not say whether this path led to heaven, because he knew deep down.There is no heaven in this world that would take in these blood-soaked thugs.
They're here," Leon whispered, his gaze fixed on the six people approaching.Kitagawa Hiroshi also stood solemnly a step behind Leon, trying to minimize his presence, but ready to step forward and shield Leon when needed.As the group drew closer, Leon felt an increasingly intense sense of danger.This intuition, born after reaching 10 Reflexesattribute, was more like an instinct within him being awakened, warning him that the six individuals before him were extremely dangerous.First, Leon immediately recognized the Netrunner he had spoken with previously—Sasha Yakovleva.Her true appearance was difficult to discern over the holographic call, but seeing her today certainly did not disappoint Leon's expectations.Thick, short black hair, not yet reaching her shoulders, was scattered over her head; her eyes, a bright sky blue, were dotted with orange-red pupils; her lips were peach-pink; there were Cyberwareoutlines on both sides of her cheeks; and three small heat vents on either side of her nose, resembling a cat's whiskers.This was an elegant and dangerous woman, like a wildcat; her black form-fitting attire highlighted her alluring curves, and a pink-and-white checkered shawl covered her fair collarbone.The six walked slowly over, and the burly man leading them offered what he thought was a brilliant smile, signaling that they harbored no ill will.Leon also took a few steps forward, smiling in greeting."I remember saying this morning that we would eventually meet, but I didn't expect it to be tonight."Leon hung his Katana at his waist, took out a bandage to wipe his hands, and extended his hand elegantly:"It's a pleasure to meet you, beautiful lady, and all you Edgerunners.""Tonight would be a beautiful night, but it's a pity we shouldn't meet in a place like this." Leon seemed somewhat regretful, silently glancing at the alley, which resembled a scene from hell, littered with corpses.Standing aside, observing Leon, Maine couldn't help but feel puzzled by these words, leaning his head close to the Gold-haired woman of similar burly stature beside him and whispering:"Dorio, what does he mean by 'Edgerunners'?""It seems to be an ancient Chinese term, probably similar to Cyberpunk or Edgerunner," Dorio said uncertainly, resting her chin on her hand.Sasha chuckled, covering her mouth, and extended her hand to shake Leon's:"I also didn't expect to meet you tonight, Mr. Little Mercenary.""Ahem, my name is Leon," Leon reminded her with an awkward expression.To be honest, although his appearance was relatively young, his true psychological age was definitely older than everyone present.Being constantly treated like a child, Leonoccasionally considered plastic surgery, finding a reliable ripperdoc or a professional doctor to perform cosmetic surgery to make his appearance seem older.But then he reconsidered; his current appearance was an excellent disguise. Being underestimated as a child was better than being wary of by enemies, so he dismissed the idea of plastic surgery.Besides, if his sister knew he wanted plastic surgery, she would definitely not let him off the hook."Lin Mo? Nice, a very pleasant name. I'm Sasha. We should have already been introduced at noon. It seems I shouldn't have blurred my face during that call; I didn't expect to meet tonight."Sasha said with a smiling, narrowed gaze.At this moment, a twin-tailed girl nearby also walked over, smiling as she looked up at Leon, one hand on the back of her head, the other extended:"My name is Rebecca, nice to meet you. I wonder if my brother caused you any trouble? If so, you can tell me, and I'll go kick him twice."Leon's gaze dropped, looking at the girl who was considerably shorter than him.Light green hair, constrained by a headband, formed two twin tails falling to her shoulders; her skin was excessively fair; there were several thin Cyberwarelines around her eyes; her face shape was soft and full, cute and delicate.A vibrant light-red abstract symbol tattoo was visible on her neck, and the tattoo on her right thigh looked more like a leg band, but upon closer inspection, Leon found it was a string of English—"PK DICK."At this moment, her red and yellow eyes stared at Leon, a somewhat arrogant smile on her lips.The night wind was quite cool, yet she still wore only an oversized black jacket, covering her delicate body and pelvis. What surprised Leon most was that she only wore a regular two-piece set underneath her jacket.Leon smiled, also extending his hand to shake hers: "Hello, little sister."Upon hearing this, Rebecca's face instantly turned cold, her red and yellow Cyberware eyes looking at Leon with ill intent.Seeing her immediate change in expression and the way she looked at him, Leon thought to himself that something was amiss; he didn't even need to think to know he must have said something wrong.However, Rebecca only stared at him for a while, eventually relaxing her expression, sighing softly, and saying in a low, helpless voice:"Forget it, seeing that you saved that scoundrel brother, I won't bother you too much."After speaking, she turned and looked at Leon from the side, teasingly remarking: "Besides, I'm already an adult, little brother."Leon was speechless…Thankfully, cyberpunk 2077 had become a reality; otherwise, Leon really wouldn't have imagined that a loli-sized girl would appear in an Edgerunnerteam.But it was good. If they could meet often, it would be quite a sight.Maine laughed heartily, walking over with a friendly expression and a hearty pat on Leon's shoulder."Mr. Leon, right! Well, first of all, we're very grateful for your help in allowing Pilar and Falco to escape smoothly. We originally intended to come and help you, but it seems we won't be needed now."His hands were unusually large; his Cyberware-modified hands could almost easily grasp Leon's entire head.This was an extremely terrifying man. Leon looked at the other party's height of over two meters, his firm and rugged face, wearing a pair of sunglasses. The man's head, against the backdrop of his gorilla-like body, had the comical appearance of "Little Head Daddy."He wore only a jacket, revealing his broad chest. Although covered by shallow brown prosthetic skin, there were visible Cyberware marks on his body.This level of Cybernetic Implantization could no longer be considered a Cyberware implant; it was entirely Cyberware modification, treating his body as machinery.Before Leon could reply, Falco, standing nearby, nodded elegantly, like a middle-aged gentleman, thanking Leon:"Thank you, kid. Next time, if we have a chance, we can go for a drink together."Pilar also chuckled vulgarly, his punk-styled black hair on his head swaying in the evening wind like a broom, and his elongated metal Cyberware hands twisted flexibly, like nimble little snakes:"That's right, kid, if you get a chance, let's go to Lizzie's Bar together. With a face like yours, you'll definitely be popular with many women."Before he could finish speaking, Rebecca, standing nearby, kicked him, interrupting Pilar's words and making him yelp.What a… truly joyful team, Leon thought.
Chapter 38 Returning HomePilar shrieked and darted around, dodging Rebecca's kicks, yelling curses.However, the seemingly cute girl cursed more fiercely than him, even pulling out a pink and green pistol and aiming it at her older brother.Yes, she actually fired, the bullet hitting Pilar's metal cybernetic arm, sparking brightly and causing Pilar's face to change dramatically, making him run even faster.Leon secretly observed their actions, a sense of alarm rising in his heart.To rapidly draw a gun while being chased and accurately hit the opponent's metal cybernetic arm...This girl's marksmanship is definitely not as harmless as she appears.Ignoring the antics of those two clowns, Mainecontinued to grin and suggested to Leon:"How about we exchange contact information now? If you ever have any trouble in the future, you can come to us, or find Wakako. She can act as an intermediary, which would be reassuring for both of us."Leon did not refuse and readily agreed.They exchanged contact information, each adding the other to their contact list.In this meeting, both parties had their own plans.Leon wanted to use Maine's connections to quickly accumulate experience and gain access to Afterlife Bar as soon as possible.Maine, on the other hand, valued Leon's personal influence. Being able to privately deploy security forces for support... this kid's background is definitely not simple.For someone with so much money to burn, if people in the underworld get involved with them, there are only two possibilities.Either they kidnap him and extort money, or they befriend him to see if they can get commissions and earn rewards from him.Moreover, this kid knows Wakako, and for a generous patron like him, there might be opportunities for future collaboration.This was their first meeting; they hadn't yet reached the point of sharing their hearts."Oh, right, I almost forgot to introduce our crew members. I'm Maine, this is Dorio, that one being chased is Pilar, and this is Falco." Maine spread his thick arm, introducing the Maine's crew members to Leon."Well, Wakako has already told me about you all, but it's still a pleasure to meet everyone. Please guide me in the future." Leon extended his hand again, shaking hands with the rest of Maine's crewmembers.As it was their first meeting, it was natural to leave a good impression.The other crew members were not reserved; they all showed hearty smiles without hesitation and shook his hand."By the way, may I ask why these gang members suddenly came looking for trouble with you?" Leononly then remembered the main point.Maine raised an eyebrow, his expression becoming a bit serious. After thinking for a moment, he silently shook his head:"I'm not sure. It's inevitable for people in our line of work to have conflicts with others, but no matter who comes looking for trouble, just eliminate them all!"He grinned at the end of his sentence, giving a thumbs up."We owe a lot to Mr. Leon today. If we had to deal with these small fries ourselves, it would have been quite a hassle."Leon nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't expected that even Maine and his crew didn't know why they were targeted."I've obtained some information from those people just now and have compiled it into text and sent it to your channel. You all need to be careful from now on."Leon's eyes lit up slightly as he sent some information to Maine's message channel via his contact list.Maine frowned, looking at the message Leon sent, his expression serious:"Thank you, Mr. Leon."Leon hummed in response, looked up at the sky, and felt that the conversation for the night was almost over, so he said his goodbyes:"It's getting late. How about we end our talk here for tonight? We can call each other if there's any news in the future. We're heading back now.""OK!"Maine took off his sunglasses, a roguish smile on his face, and saluted with his hand by his ear, then waved it to the side, bidding Leon farewell.The remaining crew members also bid Leon a friendly farewell one by one."See you again." Leon nodded slightly.They turned and walked to the other end of the road, leaving only six silhouettes for Leon.During this time, the twin-tailed girl turned around and waved goodbye to Leon with a lively demeanor, and Sasha, seeing this, also turned and waved.The group swiftly got into their cars, started the engines, and the sports car and SUV drove side by side, speeding down the road without any hesitation, gradually driving away into the distance.Only when the two cars disappeared from his sight did Leon retract his gaze and look at Kitagawa Hiroshi, asking with a smile: "How about it? Are you planning to go home tonight, or go to Viktor's to look after your sister?""I'll go back to my sister. If she wakes up and finds herself in an unfamiliar environment and I'm not by her side, I'm afraid she'll be scared," Kitagawa Hiroshi said without hesitation.After speaking, he seemed to think of something and continued to say to Leon:"By the way, Leon-kun, we are officially a team now, but if there are no commissions, can I take on some simple private jobs to earn some money?"A penny can trouble a hero. Kitagawa Hiroshi, who is now penniless, feels a headache just thinking about the debts he owes.Moreover, his sister will definitely need some time to recover after waking up.He himself wouldn't mind, just eating some packaged synthetic food, but his sister couldn't. If she didn't get enough nutrition, her body would recover slowly."Why not? This isn't a black workshop, and I won't restrict your personal freedom. Besides, our next collaboration will probably take quite a while." Leonsaid with a smile.In Night City, Edgerunner teams with complete personnel configurations like Maine's crew are rare; more often, teams consisting of two or three people are more common."Is that so? Is Leon-kun usually very busy?" Kitagawa Hiroshi pondered.It makes sense. Such a young hero must surely undergo arduous training, enduring cold in winter and heat in summer."Yes, I need to attend classes on weekdays." Leonhad no intention of hiding it and spoke openly.Kitagawa Hiroshi nodded in sincere admiration, but then suddenly froze the next second, realizing what Leon had said, almost thinking he had misheard.But judging by the expression on Leon's face, he didn't seem to be lying.As expected of Leon-kun!"Leon-kun, you are even stronger than I imagined. I thought that such a swift and thunderous sword technique would surely require endless hard training, but you usually still go to school... This kind of time management, balancing both ends, is truly genius."Kitagawa Hiroshi exclaimed.Leon shrugged, not feeling proud about it, and looked into the distance, seeing a black and gold Delamain Taxi slowly approaching."The car's here. Do you want to come along?" Leonasked."No need, I'll just walk back alone. I also need to clean up the scene here. Once I sell all those scraps, I'll transfer the money to you." Kitagawa Hiroshiglanced at the messy scene in the alley."Forget the money, I'm not short on it for now. So, let's end our talk here tonight. I'm going back first."Leon waved goodbye somewhat tiredly, and when the Delamain Taxi arrived, he got in."See you again, Leon-kun." Kitagawa Hiroshi bowed in farewell.Leon lay back in the seat, his eyes slightly narrowed, planning to take a nap.What happened today was colorful enough to make him as tired as a dog. Leon could even guess that after he got home, took a shower, and lay on his bed, he would fall asleep instantly.However, a message came, interrupting Leon's rest. He slightly opened his eyes and saw a communication contact request notification.Sender: Rebecca.Recipient: Leon.Leon smiled, and without much thought, accepted the request.Besides that, there were a few more contact requests, from the nomad driver Falco and the tech expert Pilar.And the woman as strong as a bear, Dorio, seemed to have a close relationship with Maine. Since Maineadded him as a friend, she probably didn't need to.Leon had a premonition that he would definitely have many more encounters with this crew in the future.