Chapter 152

Future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict.

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

When Gloria saw Sasha wearing a cat mask step out of the limousine, she quickly got up to greet her. They exchanged a friendly hello. After living together for some time, they had gained a good understanding of each other.

Gloria asked softly, "Has Mr. Tang arrived?"

Sasha nodded and led her to the car, where she opened the door and invited her to get in. Gloria, carrying a red dress, bowed slightly and sat in the car, the door closing behind her, with Sasha waiting outside.

The car had a single row of seats, and Tang Yu sat on the inside. Gloria carefully covered the exposed snow-white skin of her neckline with her right hand and bowed down to sit next to Tang Yu.

Despite becoming the owner of the Lizzy's Bar and interacting with people with ease, Gloria still felt a bit restrained in Tang Yu's presence. She straightened her hair next to her ear, straightened up, sat with her legs tightly together, knees turned to the left, hands stacked on her thighs, exuding elegance and a hint of shyness.

"Mr. Tang," Gloria greeted him softly.

Tang Yu grunted a response, observing the bustling scene outside through the bulletproof electronic windows, and asked, "Is the opening going smoothly?"

Lowering her gaze, Gloria nodded, "Yes, everything is going well, and today many people sent their congratulations."

Tang Yu's gaze was unwavering as he replied indifferently, "Let's hear it."

Gloria organized her thoughts and said, "Claire, the bartender at Afterlife, on behalf of the bar, sent a basket of flowers and a card."

"Claire conveyed the message from the Afterlife's owner, wishing us prosperity and also inquired when Mr. Tang would have time to visit."

Tang Yu nodded. He knew about his last conversation with Gloria at the Afterlife regarding a task from Rogue, so she was likely aware of his connection with Gloria.

"And what else?" he inquired.

Gloria continued, "Besides Afterlife, several gangs sent their congratulations too. The Maelstrom gang brought a box of records stating they were from the band Tinnitus. Tinnitus, the band from Death's Dance Club, fiddles with heavy metal music which not everyone appreciates."

"The Tyger Claws also sent a basket of flowers with a message from Hiromi Hino implying 'Good relations mean good business.'"

"Moreover, several companies sent their representatives to express their congratulations, hoping to discuss potential business advertising partnerships with Lizzy's."

Tang Yu spoke in a deep voice, "From the current perspective, Lizzy's reopening has already gained basic recognition."

Gloria agreed and, as if remembering something, quickly added, "Officials from the city government and the NCPD also visited. They congratulated us on the reopening and also made some explicit requirements..."

Tang Yu probably guessed that Mox's sudden growth had certainly caused dissatisfaction among many. Lucius Rhyne himself wasn't a saint, known for his predilection for the drug Black Lace; with Saburo Arasaka gone, his pleasures had diminished, naturally causing his displeasure.

Moreover, it wasn't just the Tyger Claws who had their eyes on the Mox girls; to some, these vulnerable girls were prime ingredients for producing Black Lace.

"The city requires that the number of official Mox members must not exceed two thousand, or else the NCPD will classify the Mox as an organization under intense surveillance," Gloria explained. "Right now, the official Mox membership has already reached over a thousand."

She knew that this was the result of some high-level maneuvering in Night City; the Mox could exist but not grow too large. Gloria hadn't told Little Rita Wheeler yet to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Let's maintain this scale for now. With too many members, Lizzy's can't support everyone. Learn to communicate the financial situation of the bar to them, and don't take all the responsibility on yourself," Tang Yu advised with a serious tone.

Gloria felt a bit surprised that Tang Yu had already noticed the predicament of the Mox. Unlike larger gangs such as the Tyger Claws, who had many upscale clubs and extensive business dealings, the Mox barely managed to make ends meet with just Lizzy's, a relatively 'clean' source of income in Night City.

Maintaining a thousand members was already difficult, and expanding to two thousand all at once was out of the question unless the Mox could open two more clubs on par with Lizzy's, which was unlikely.

"I understand, Mr. Tang," Gloria said earnestly. "Although having more Mox members may strain our finances, it also means more opportunities to gather information. The girls, encountering people and situations on the streets, can often have unexpected benefits."

Intelligence gathering by nature is like casting a wide net; to obtain firsthand information on the streets requires enough people everywhere. They could not only collect but also disseminate information.

Tang Yu was preoccupied with seeing Michiko Arasaka and wondered how the meeting would go without his usual support network.

"Mr. Tang?" Gloria ventured, sensing something unusual about him today. She wore an expression of concern; Tang Yu's abnormal behavior suggested a particularly thorny issue.

Gloria stared at Tang Yu, who was looking out the window and seemed deeply concerned. He, meanwhile, admired Gloria, noticing her exquisite mature beauty, akin to a blossoming red rose.

Tang Yu tapped his finger on the armrest next to him, bringing up a chip card. He handed the card to Gloria, "This is a car authorization chip. Scan it, and you are all set."

"This car is prepared for you. It has an armored body, weapons, and an intelligent system. Now that you're in charge of Lizzy's, you should have a decent car. If you're not confident in driving, let Sasha do it."

Gloria was stunned, not expecting the car to be specially prepared for her by Tang Yu. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, feeling a warm surge in her heart that brought tears to her eyes.

Tang Yu declined the offer to visit Lizzy's, "Not this time. I'll visit when I get back." Gloria wondered why, as Tang Yu seemed to be planning a trip.

Tang Yu didn't feel up to going upstairs; he was anxious about meeting Saburo Arasaka with Michiko. He had never left Night City in his two lifetimes, where he was familiar with everyone and everything. He didn't feel pressured by Saburo Arasaka's presence, having confronted him before.

Visiting Kyoto would be different, in unfamiliar territory among the Arasaka family—a risky move for someone so defiant as himself. Plus, Saburo Arasaka was cunning, and Tang Yu was wary of him sensing anything unusual.

Gloria, after reporting, looked up at Tang Yu, who returned his gaze. Her blushing cheeks might have been caused by the high temperature in the car, or from the new leather smell from the car's fresh interior, likely from Tang Yu's new car. 

Gloria was somewhat surprised when Tang Yu flatly refused to come to Lizzy's. He wanted to go back to Beijing until he returned. Gloria then found it strange, as Tang Yu seemed to be getting ready for a long distance trip. But without elaboration from Tang Yu, she held back further questions. 

After a moment, he focused on Gloria beside him, noting how she bloomed like a mature rose. Touching on the armrest, a chip card appeared, which he handed to her. It was a vehicle authorization chip for her use, intended for her role at Lizzy's. Gloria, touched by the gesture, struggled to express her gratitude, her emotions evident.

She stared at the man in front of her, her gaze unwavering.

Living in Night City, she had faced countless hardships, always relying on herself.

She and her son, David, have depended on each other for many years, struggling day after day.

Her only hope in life was that David would graduate from Arasaka Academy and join Arasaka Corporation, reaching the top of the Arasaka tower.

For this hope, she had exhausted all her strength.

She lived every day for this hope and for David, never considering herself.

Now, her career met with considerable success, changing her living and financial situation completely.

It all started with that car accident.

The old car couldn't withstand the machine gun fire and malfunctioned, and now Tang Yu had prepared a new bulletproof vehicle for her.

This had made her reflect on many things.

A moment later, Gloria seemed to realize something, quickly wiping away her tears with a hoarse voice saying, "Thank you, Mr. Tang..."

Seeing Gloria getting emotional over such an extravagant gift, Tang Yu consoled her.

"It's just a high-end bulletproof car; don't worry too much about it."

No sooner had he finished speaking, Tang Yu transferred an account to Gloria, then added, "Use this money as you see fit, especially since you need to establish an information network, and the earnings from the Lizzy's Bar won't be enough for that."

Gloria was stunned and quickly counted the numbers in her electronic account.

"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand... a million euros!"

Overcome with shock, she covered her mouth with both hands, looking incredulously at Tang Yu, her heart seeming to confirm something. 

Is Mr. Tang making preparations for something more serious? 

The thought made her mood worse.

The excitement of becoming the new boss of the bar vanished instantly.

Receiving the new car's certification chip and a million euros from Tang Yu overwhelmed her.

She had a strong premonition that Tang Yu must be facing some problem to be giving away such valuable gifts in a rush.

Her heart squeezed tight, hands clenching the chip, she couldn't suppress her urge to ask, "Mr. Tang, are you hiding something from me?"

Tang Yu found Gloria's behavior strange. Normally, she wouldn't ask such questions in this way.

"What are you referring to?" he felt the Arasaka Family's matters might not be suitable to disclose to Gloria.

Gloria bit her lip stubbornly, looked up, and pressed further, "Are you planning to leave Night City? Perhaps, never to return?"

Her intuition was alarmingly accurate.

Indeed, Tang Yu was leaving Night City to attend to some matters at Arasaka's Kyoto headquarters, with a real possibility of not returning.

Feeling a strange pressure from Gloria's intense gaze, he sincerely explained, "Yes, I have to leave Night City on a business trip for a while."

Her expression dimmed, Gloria asked in a low voice, "Is it an assignment from the company?"

She knew that as a senior executive, Tang Yu couldn't defy company orders.

Reluctantly admitting to herself, she hoped that if it came to it, Mr. Tang would resign...

Tang Yu nodded slightly and seeing Gloria more worried than himself, continued to explain.

"The head of Arasaka will be celebrating his birthday at the start of next year; he is over 150 years old and takes it very seriously."

"I have to go there to wish him a long life."

Gloria found it strange that such birthday celebrations were usually within the family.

Could Tang Yu be related to the Arasaka Family?

Apologizing for her presumption, she said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Tang, I didn't know about your matters with the Arasaka Family."

Realizing Gloria's misunderstanding, Tang Yu, after knowing her for so long, decided it was essential to share some deeper matters to strengthen their connection.

"I have no ties to the Arasaka family."

"The invitation to the birthday celebration comes from Michiko Arasaka."

"Due to the Tiger Claws problem, she wishes to return home to clarify some things."

"The Tiger Claws headquarters is in Kyoto, and the incident in Night City will reach them soon."

Gloria now realized the high-level connections, but why was Michiko Arasaka involving him, especially relating to the Tiger Claws?

She speculated rapidly.

To alleviate her worries, Tang Yu continued.

"The reason I involved you in the Moxes and Tiger Claws dispute wasn't just for you to take over Lizzy's Bar."

"Michiko Arasaka wanted to control the Tiger Claws, and I facilitated it, letting her gain leverage over Sato to control the gang."

Understanding dawned upon Gloria.

With the Tiger Claws weakened and Sato still in power, it was Michiko Arasaka's arrangement.

Tang Yu nodded, and Gloria realized the critical point quickly.

"The Tiger Claws will be quiet for some time, focus on managing Lizzy's Bar, and don't worry about the information network; it's still in its initial stages."

Gloria nodded, knowing that new joiners to the Moxes, like the girls, need time to become scouts, needing to become social butterflies like Evelyn Parker.

Feeling calmer, she regretted her earlier behavior.

Tang Yu's patience both embarrassed and touched Gloria.

But new questions arose, such as if she would be going to Kyoto with Michiko Arasaka alone.

However, she dared not ask.

Lost in thought, Gloria clutched the car chip.

After a silent minute in the car, Tang Yu brought the conversation to a close.

"Try the car and see how it is."

Gloria snapped to attention, inserted the car certification chip into her bio-neural socket, and the vehicle was authenticated.

She resisted the urge to thank Tang Yu, knowing her gratitude was too much for just words; actions would be better proof.

Seeing the successful certification, Tang Yu mentioned, "Sasha will be staying with you for a while."

"Now that you're the boss of Lizzy's Bar, always prioritize your safety."

Gloria nodded, somewhat disheartened.

Seeing her furrowed brow, Tang Yu said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll visit Lizzy's Bar when I return."

With that, he reached for the door, but Gloria leapt forward, gripping the handle and locking it.

Pressed against him, her voice trembled yet resolute.

"Mr. Tang, may I take you there, please..."