Chapter 150

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Arasaka Tower.

Thirty-third floor, Counter-Intelligence Department.

David Martinez was packing up his workspace, ready to leave for home.

He had received a message from Gloria saying that his distant cousin had left, and he could move back in with her.

David had mostly stayed in the company recently to save money, refraining from going to hotels.

But lately, he didn't have much work on his hands, so he helped other colleagues with some less important urgent matters.

Many colleagues noticed David, the intern, working so hard and recognized his character.

A handsome young man who didn't talk much and simply focused on his work was a treasure for these company old timers.

Everyone felt comfortable with David helping out in the Counter-Intelligence Department.

After all, not involving each other's core businesses, they could let David take care of some minor tasks.

David's mysterious background also intrigued them, as it was rare to see someone who could connect with Boss Tang and still be so diligent.

His colleagues in the Counter-Intelligence Department were well aware and basically assumed there was a good chance that David would join Arasaka's Counter-Intelligence Department after his internship ended.

Just as David finished packing, ready to leave, the charming lady stopped him.

The lady spun her office chair around, caught David's arm with a meaningful smile, and said, "David, hang out with us after work. The Lizzy Bar has been renovated and is reopening today."

After she spoke, several colleagues nearby waved at him, both men and women smiling widely, indicating a large gathering tonight.

David was confused, his eyes bloodshot from overnight overworking; even the prospects at Lizzy Bar could not tempt him now.

He really wanted to sleep but didn't have the heart to refuse the invitation, so he forced a weak smile.

"Um... sure, let's go together."

Soon after.

Arasaka's Counter-Intelligence colleagues set off, staggering their departure times to avoid notice, and agreed to meet in Lizzy Bar's plaza.

David went with the charming lady, sitting in the passenger seat of her luxury sports car, feeling out of his element.

He realized today the extent of the lady's family wealth as she was able to drive such an expensive car to work.

She drove casually with one hand on the wheel, smoothly moving with the traffic flow.

Seeing David's gloomy look, she teased, "Act like a man, you can't say no on your first visit to Lizzy."

David's face flushed at the thought of secretly watching naughty Braindances at home, saying awkwardly, "Uh... got it..."

The lady laughed and explained, "Lizzy Bar's reopening is said to feature high-quality new BDs. Men are queueing up for it."

Curious, David asked, "Is Lizzy Bar's renovation related to the conflict with the Tiger Claws?"

She nodded and explained, "Yeah... Moxes fought that battle with Tiger Claws, and they seem to have reached some agreement."

"After the fight, there's been a big change in personnel in both gangs, with the Moxes boss and Lizzy Bar's owner both replaced."

"The new owner of Lizzy is said to be a gorgeous redhead."

Redhead?

David felt something odd but soon closed his mouth without further thought.

Today was a bustling day; after a new round of renovations, Lizzy Bar was preparing to reopen.

Gloria, dressed in a dark red evening gown, skilfully accommodated her curves, welcoming the Mox girls, bustling around in the bar.

Seeing the preparations going smoothly, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and headed down to the server room.

When she was out of sight, Gloria let out a breath she had been holding, showing a slightly bulging belly, lamenting the cold weather that made it easy to "gain weight."

In the basement server room, Judy and a punk girl were in a conversation.

Judy greeted Gloria with a smile, "You're here, just in time. I have an idea to discuss."

The three of them talked in the server room.

After the rainy night battle with the Tiger Claws, Tang Yu on behalf of Arasaka Corporation mediated, and both parties reached an agreement.

First, the gangs would cease escalating conflict, no longer attacking each other.

Second, the territories for each gang were clearly demarcated; the streets around Lizzy Bar were Moxes turf, and Tiger Claws members were not allowed to enter or interfere with the street girls' business.

Third, Kabuki's Phoenix Club and the street shops previously owned by Tiger Claws could reopen, without Moxes interference.

Fourth, Tiger Claws permanently recognized Lizzy Bar as Moxes territory.

Fifth, Moxes permanently recognized Clouds as Tiger Claws territory; additionally, Dolls unwilling to stay at Clouds could leave independently, without Tiger Claws interference.

These terms rapidly secured an unprecedented position and safety for Moxes.

Many girls at Lizzy were smiling, happy to have a safe place to conduct business, something they had longed for.

Lizzy Bar was reborn, and the Moxes regenerated from a bloodbath.

The punk girl proudly said, "We upgraded Lizzy's security, installed several machine gun turrets, let's see who dares cause trouble now."

Judy also seemed to shake off her glumness, smiling, "Lizzy isn't that dangerous, you know."

She looked at Gloria and asked softly, "Any news from Tiger Claws, is everything settled with them?"

Gloria clarified, "Yes, negotiations are over. The Tiger Claws boss, Sato, agreed to the outcome, and both gangs are now even. Fortunately, Moxes gained more space to live."

Judy's eyes overflowed with gratitude, whispering, "Lucky for us you're here, or we wouldn't know what to do."

The punk girl nodded, laughing, "Exactly, without Gloria, there'd be no Moxes or Lizzy Bar today."

"Taking advantage of the Lizzie's Bar preparing for the opening today, it's also a good time to introduce our new owner of Lizzie's Bar, Judy. What do you think?" Judy lit up at the suggestion and immediately praised, "Not bad, our new Madame Lizzie will definitely be a sight for everyone to behold."

Gloria laughed a bit helplessly, "Stop teasing me. My head is spinning, and one brain isn't enough to keep up with everything." After the stormy night battle, the Moxes gained the upper hand against the Tyger Claws, and there were huge personnel changes within both gangs.

On the Tyger Claws side, with Arasaka's support, Hidemi Sato became the de facto first in line as the main person in charge within the gang. Other high-ranking members of the Tyger Claws were either dead or not powerful enough to contend with Hidemi.

Despite Maiko's rebellion, Hidemi continued to run the Clouds without facing severe punishment. Likewise, the Moxes had undergone significant changes. Firstly, the owner of Lizzie's Bar, Susie Q, died in a car accident, leaving the position vacant. Secondly, the Moxes' official membership grew to over a thousand after the stormy night battle, with many girls applying to join. The Moxes, as stated in the notice, accepted everyone who came their way.

Many girls chose not to join the Moxes but to support and get back at the Tyger Claws. Without Susie Q's restraint, the Moxes rapidly expanded in number. Moreover, the Moxes introduced the unanimously recognized big sister, little Mox girl, Rita Wheeler. Little Rita's performance within the Moxes, along with her courage in protecting the girls from the Tyger Claws, earned unanimous approval from all members. Rita Wheeler took on the role of the Moxes' big sister, garnering everyone's respect.

Following Judy and Rita's strong recommendation, Gloria becoming the new owner of Lizzie's Bar was a foregone conclusion. When Gloria took over Lizzie's Bar, she realized everything indeed almost went as Mr. Tang had predicted. Or rather, everything from the start unfolded according to Tang Yu's envisioned direction.

That day in front of the hot food shop, Tang Yu had asked her if she wanted to open a leisure establishment. At the time Gloria was baffled, not realizing that the famed Lizzie's Bar would be the place she'd manage.

Investigating the kidnapping, Tyger Claws denouncing the Moxes, the Mox girls rising in rebellion, until the Arasaka corporation's higher-ups stepped in to settle the situation—all of this was moving towards facilitating Gloria's position as the owner of Lizzie's Bar.

But Gloria understood that being the owner of Lizzie's Bar wouldn't be easy. She had already conducted research into Lizzie's Bar, thoroughly reviewing its profit model. She discovered the rationale behind Susie Q's unfeeling decisions, as she harshly refused Judy's request to not take in more street girls into Lizzie's. It wasn't just to prevent Judy from outshining others; more importantly, it was due to financial considerations—Lizzie's really couldn't afford to support that many 'extras.'

Lizzie's Bar's primary business involves providing Braindance and accompanying special services, with all the editing of the Braindances falling upon Judy. It's no exaggeration to say that Judy's exquisite Braindance skills supported half of Lizzie's. As for the accompanying special services, these required high-quality girls, demanding not only realistic touch-response enhancements but also good looks.

Some street girls simply didn't measure up, and customers wouldn't even give them a second glance. Lizzie's Bar doesn't lack waitresses to serve drinks; what it requires are girls with genuine service capabilities.

Now with the Moxes expanded to over a thousand members, their strength had grown, but it was more of a facade than reality. The vast majority of the girls had little combat ability or profit-earning capability, let alone the ability to provide financial support to the gang.

The prospect of running Lizzie's Bar with such a large group was indeed a daunting task. However, Gloria had bigger plans in mind. She intended to transform Lizzie's Bar into an exclusive intelligence network center for Tang Yu, and it was imperative to have sufficient staff. These ordinary street girls wouldn't attract much attention, which made them perfect for discreetly gathering important information.

Together with the proceeds snatched up during the stormy night battle, there was enough money for the girls to survive for some time. After the renovations, Lizzie's Bar now had more functional areas, including the main hall and private rooms, with the addition of a high-end VIP section offering more expensive, quality services. Moreover, the size of Lizzie's Bar had also expanded significantly, increasing the number of staff and, consequently, their service capability.

At present, the situation looked quite favorable. With the persuasive efforts of little Rita and Judy, Gloria didn't decline their invitation and agreed to preside over the opening as the new Madame Lizzie.

Seeing Gloria's acceptance, the trio rejoiced. They discussed some additional matters in the basement server room. With her head spinning from all the information, Judy could only laugh helplessly.

"Alright, alright, I really don't handle these things well," she said. "Now that Lizzie's Bar has a new owner and the Moxes have a new big sister, each should take care of their own affairs, right?" Judy continued, "I'm just a pure tech, responsible for editing Braindances. For everything else, you decide."

Judy circled the Braindance ring around her neck and, suddenly excited, suggested, "I think we could make a Braindance of the stormy night battle. I bet such a rare and intense cold-weapon fight would make for a very cool experience!" Gloria thought it was a good idea: "Yes, and it's also meaningful, as it's a Braindance belonging to the Moxes." Judy smiled happily, then slid to the electronic screen.

"Alright, I'm going to start working now," she announced. "Nobody disturb me, because I'm going to deeply immerse myself in creating this!" Judy expressed her renewed inspiration, "It's been a while since I've had such a leisurely time—feels like all the bothersome stuff has vanished, and creativity has returned to my head."

The three laughed, said farewell to Judy, and Gloria and little Rita left the server room, ready to head back to the bar to preside over the opening.