119 Chapter 118

Future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict.

Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish! 

Before dawn, as the sky was beginning to lighten, Gloria, after a long and tiring day and night of work with Tang Yu, finally returned to her apartment in the H4 skyscraper in Santo Domingo. Without even changing her clothes, she pushed open the bedroom door and flopped onto the soft cotton quilt.

"Phew..."

She exhaled deeply, feeling her entire body relax.

Not long before, Panam had driven them back to the city in her Thor truck, and then Tang Yu had summoned his company car to take her home before leaving again with Sasha.

The commission in the Badlands had drained all her energy. It wasn't just the mental strain but also the exhaustion from traveling and the complexity of handling various matters. From the time she accepted the commission to the moment she returned, she hadn't rested at all.

She was extremely tired and wanted to sleep, feeling a throbbing pain in her head. But as soon as she closed her eyes, all the scenes from the day played out in her mind: the desolate Badlands, the temperamental but honorable Panam, the delicate yet powerful combatant Sasha, and of course, 'Boss' Mr. Tang with his unparalleled sniper skills.

Her mind was a mess, trying to sort through far too much.

Now, Gloria fully saw Tang Yu as her boss. She couldn't think of a more suitable way to describe their relationship. The position she was in today was all thanks to Tang Yu's nurturing.

In fact, she had once wondered why she was worth such 'dedicated' attention from Tang Yu. Not understanding, she didn't bother to dwell on it, although sometimes she couldn't help it.

For example, in the car earlier, Mr. Tang had introduced Sasha as his company assistant.

Is that what a company assistant is like? Why did he send her home first and not his company assistant? Despite never having been to the company or worked as an assistant, Gloria felt something was off.

What's more, Sasha's relationship with the Maine team seemed somewhat strange. While at the tribe, she had sharply observed that everyone from Maine to Dorio to Rebecca seemed focused on Sasha.

Especially Maine, who was oddly silent and distracted once the commission was completed. It was as if he wanted to ask questions but hesitated because of some reason, leading Maine to be preoccupied even while discussing the commission with the tribal elders.

That's why Gloria surmised that the Maine team definitely knew Sasha, but due to Mr. Tang's presence or Sasha's personal reasons, they chose not to break the ice.

She also noticed that Sasha had stayed by Tang Yu's side throughout, seemingly unconcerned about Maine and the others, not at all like old friends reuniting.

The reasons were worth pondering.

Gloria's intuition told her that beneath Sasha's cute appearance, there were secrets hidden. It seemed more apt to describe Sasha as a little fan rather than Tang Yu's company assistant.

Though tired, Gloria's mind was active as if her thoughts floated away from her resting body.

"I guess that's the benefit of being young..."

Obviously, Sasha, resembling a naive girl, wouldn't find it odd to keep praising Tang Yu, and her behavior matched that of a young girl – yet her combat abilities were terrifyingly strong, and her looks were top-notch.

Anybody would be fascinated by such a perfect assistant.

"What am I thinking about? That's Mr. Tang's assistant... not a secretary."

Feeling that she was overthinking, Gloria knew she didn't need to worry about Tang Yu's matters.

What she should be considering was the commission. The leader of the Raffen Shiv tribe wanted to carry out another task: the assassination of Joanne Koch from Biotechnica.

Mr. Tang had given her full authority over this commission, so she couldn't rely on him for hints as before.

She knew that if Tang Yu decided to proceed, he would ensure support.

Truth be told, she detested Joanne Koch, and killing her would be considered ridding Night City of a menace.

Joanne Koch, as a high-ranking figure in Biotechnica, had initiated and planned the antibiotic trial program, sacrificing thousands of lives on Raffen Shiv in exchange for what she called experimental sample data.

Gloria understood that dirty executives like those of Biotechnica were plentiful, and even if she could rid Night City of all its villains, it wouldn't change anything.

Therefore, the decision to assassinate Joanne Koch was not personal. It was more about a commission that needed a calm analysis of the inherent risks.

But currently, she had too little information about Joanne Koch's daily routines, social circles, or the most critical aspect, her armed security forces.

Assassinating a corporate executive was something Gloria had never dared to dream of before.

Now she wondered if such dirty deeds were necessary for David to reach the top of Arasaka Tower.

Would she still remember that David was the same person she knew before?

Gloria couldn't accept such an outcome.

If David, with his hands stained in blood, stood before her one day, telling her with a smile, "Mom, I've finally made it to the top of the Arasaka Tower," she might truly break down.

Her thoughts were becoming increasingly unbearable: "Is there really no other way?"

Suddenly, Gloria felt something hard against her back. She remembered the gun Tang Yu had given her in the tribe and pulled it out from behind her.

The handgun she had used to interrogate Biotechnica employees, the Kensei, had been returned to Tang Yu.

Holding the Shigure in her hands, she noticed the finish was somewhat worn.

"New fingerprints detected."

A holographic image of bullets projected from the side of the gun. Having seen Tang Yu operate it before, she understood it was the AI system of the Shigure.

Speaking to a gun for the first time, she tentatively asked, "Are you Shigure?"

"User query confirmed, technical specifications HJKE-11, intelligent handgun with built-in AI, experimental model named Shigure."

"Uh… How do I use you?"

"Self-check in progress... Estimated time for the check is 47 seconds."

The familiar tune caught Gloria's ear, and she realized this gun had a certain charm, finding it quite interesting.

"Self-check complete, all functions are operating normally, program name: Shigure."

"Main function: auto-targeting."

"Please choose one of the two modes of operation:"

"The first mode is for dog lovers and pacifists, which will auto-target an enemy's lower limbs."

"The second mode is cold-blooded, auto-targeting an enemy's head..."

After much consideration, Gloria chose the lower-limb auto-targeting mode. Direct headshots were still a little hard for her to accept.

As she was fiddling with the Shigure in the room, she suddenly heard knocking at her bedroom door.

"Mom, are you guys back?"

Gloria hastily hid the gun under the quilt and, dragging her weary body, went to open the door.

"David, good morning..."

Her smile was somewhat forced.

David looked at her doubtfully, noting that her clothes were still work attire, unclear about when she came home last night and what she had been doing. Ever since Gloria stopped working at the public medical center, her comings and goings had become unpredictable.

Feeling a little guilty under her son's gaze, Gloria quickly changed the subject: "David, are you off to work at the company?"

David nodded, without drawing any conclusion, and went off to get ready, casually mentioning, "Mom, our department just got a new deputy director. Mr. Tang hasn't been to work for several days."

He thought of Mr. Tang as a lifesaver and assumed Gloria would be interested in Tang Yu's activities. This wasn't considered confidential information, so there was no harm in sharing it with her.

Gloria was visibly taken aback.

A new deputy director?

She had spent the whole day with Tang Yu, and he hadn't mentioned it. It seemed a competitor had emerged in the company.

Additionally, his absence from work for several days was puzzling.

Even though Gloria told herself not to pry, she was still tempted to learn more and asked, feigning indifference.

"Do you know why Mr. Tang doesn't go to work?" 

As David put on his suit jacket, he explained helplessly, "From what I've heard from my colleagues, Mr. Tang doesn't want to clash with the new Deputy Director. Everyone feels sorry for Mr. Tang; after all the hard work he did, he still ends up being marginalized."

Gloria fell suddenly silent, realizing that Tang Yu also faced issues at the company, yet he always appeared so carefree and comfortable.

They chatted about the company for a while.

Seeing the right opportunity, Gloria asked indirectly, "Do all the deputy directors have personal assistants or secretaries?"

David assumed she was simply unfamiliar with company policies and explained, "Directors usually have assistants and secretaries depending on the situation. Some senior executives go without, like Mr. Tang—I've never seen him with an assistant or a secretary."

After finishing.

David got ready, opened the door, and said goodbye to Gloria, "Mom, I'm off to work."

Gloria: "Uh..."

Noticing her distracted state, David found it odd, unsure of what she was thinking. He shrugged helplessly and left for work.

Now alone in the vast living room, Gloria thought: No assistant?

What's going on with Sasha?

Not coming to work for many days?

Gloria felt there was more to the story than met the eye, growing increasingly curious about Sasha's true identity.

"Why would he have an assistant with him if he's not working?"

"Right, why didn't I think of that..."

"Could it be a case of nepotism?"

Gloria slowly walked toward the bedroom, muttering various speculations.

"Ah! So frustrating, I can't sleep..."

She flopped back down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow.

After a while.

Gloria lifted her head from the pillow, took a couple of deep breaths, her face flushed.

Just when she had finally calmed down and was feeling sleepy, a message popped up.

Tang Yu?

She sat up in shock and quickly read the message.

Intelligence on Joanne Koch?

[Name: Joanne Koch]

[Qualifications: PhD]

[Company: Biotechnologies]

[Position: Director of Technology and Development]

[Residence: Biotechnologies Hotel on Republican G Road]

[Security: Kang Tao]

...

After receiving the intelligence, Gloria understood it instantly.

This was the information Tang Yu had provided using his Arasaka intelligence clearance, prepared for her as reference material for her assignment.

She had no idea who Joanne Koch really was, but with this information, she felt more confident.

Looking at the message, Gloria couldn't help but smile, feeling understood.

She realized she had to take on the commission from the Red Quartz Tribe.

It wasn't just about the bounty; everyone involved in this matter had come to understand Joanne Koch's sinister deeds through Night City's network.

Overlooking it as if nothing had happened would subtly alter everyone's mindset.

In other words.

Assassinating Joanne Koch was a necessary action to unite everyone.

Gloria was certain it wasn't just her wanting to take Joanne out of frustration; Panam, Maine, Rebecca, and perhaps even Sasha felt the same.

Everyone around Tang Yu wanted Joanne Koch dead, so there could only be one outcome for her.

Death.

Only her death would bring everyone together, united.

Gloria realized something profound about why Tang Yu had chosen her to be the intermediary and navigate the different forces.

This was Tang Yu's art of manipulation, not only making everyone work for him but also willingly so.

And she herself was the thread in Tang Yu's hands, responsible for pulling at everyone's 'hearts.'

Understanding this depth, Gloria was incredibly moved, suspecting that Mr. Tang's game was just beginning.

She paused for a moment, then realized she hadn't responded to Tang Yu.

She quickly opened the communication interface, her cybernetic eye rotating as she started to reply, "Mr. Tang, message received. I'll report back as soon as there's any progress."

Tang Yu: "Smile (emoji)."

Seeing the small smile emoji, Gloria couldn't help but return the smile.

"At last, I can keep up with Mr. Tang's pace a little. If it were the past, I'd probably be clueless again..."

Gloria was convinced her thoughts were correct, that Tang Yu had deep meanings for lifting her into this intermediary role.

His senior position in the company certainly brought power and background, but his actions would still be constrained.

The most obvious was the lack of trust from others.

Even she had once worried about being used or coerced, afraid that Tang Yu might hurt David.

Accepting Tang Yu's invitation as an intermediary had been partially out of fear of his status.

But after so much had happened, Gloria's view of Tang Yu had quietly changed.

Gratitude for saving her life, for his support, for giving her a new start.

She really could not repay him, the only thing she could do was to trust him wholeheartedly, even if it meant sacrificing herself without a trace of regret.

Gloria began to understand her role, discovering the irreplaceable nature of her uniqueness.

Being Tang Yu's intermediary, she lacked the combat prowess of Sasha or the family background of Panam; she was just ordinary.

But her advantage lay in this very ordinariness, able to carry out Tang Yu's intentions well.

Like the matter of assassinating Joanne Koch: if Tang Yu got involved, once intelligence fell into the wrong hands, the situation could escalate to a corporate level, causing him much trouble.

If she was in charge, even if the matter was exposed, as long as she kept silent, it would never lead back to Tang Yu.

However, assassinating a corporate executive meant being ready for the consequences, potentially being targeted for a hit.

Gloria no longer cared about these things; at this point, life and death were in the hands of fate, and if she could take a bullet for Tang Yu, she wouldn't hesitate for a second.

She promptly brought up Maine's contact information and dialed his number, certain Maine hadn't rested yet.

Sure enough, the call connected.

Maine's voice was heavy and hoarse: "Are you taking the Red Quartz Tribe assassination commission?"

Gloria: "Seems like you're prepared too."

Maine: "Yes, I'll take on the commission, but I have a request, hoping you could convey it to Mr. Tang."

Maine, now very sure that Gloria was working for Tang Yu, hurried to add, fearing rejection.

"I can forgo the bounty for this commission, but this request, please pass it on."

Gloria's expression became serious, wondering what request Maine had that was so important.

"I can convey it, but I can't guarantee that Mr. Tang will agree."

Maine: "I understand, really, I just want to meet him one on one, there are things I need to clarify in person."

Gloria guessed it was about Sasha and asked, "Is it about Sasha?"

After a moment of silence, Maine replied in a grave tone: "Yes, it's important. You can tell Mr. Tang that Sasha has worked with us before."

Sasha a former member of Maine's team?

Gloria's eyes widened in surprise, never expecting this relationship. She had to convey this information to Tang Yu no matter what.

"Maine, rest assured, I'll convey your request."

"Also regarding the intelligence on Joanne Koch, I'll send it to you later. Keep it confidential and try to get the details before acting."

"The bounty split will still follow the usual rules, cooperation comes before personal favors. Whether Mr. Tang agrees to your request is another matter."

Maine thanked her after hearing this, venturing another question: "Gloria, can you tell me what's the relationship between Sasha and Mr. Tang?"

Gloria: "Company assistant."

After hanging up, Maine pondered over the phrase 'company assistant.'

He had noticed Sasha's behavior during his time with the tribe; she seemed to have changed completely.

Not only did she not remember anyone, but she was also clinging to Tang Yu, totally different from before.

He really wanted to confront the issue but refrained because of others present, as discussing Sasha could cause Tang Yu's displeasure.

So Maine bided his time, waiting for a chance to speak with Tang Yu alone.

He believed Tang Yu did not understand Sasha's past and would grant his request for a meeting to clear the air.