Chapter 169

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"Damn..."

"It hurts, it hurts so much..."

V murmured in pain, eyes tightly shut.

She raised her left hand to touch her forehead, feeling an unusual cold and hard sensation. Alarmed by this, she forced her eyes open to find a mechanical prosthetic hand, glimmering with a silver metallic luster under the light. 

Attempting to clench her fist, she found the metallic hand immediately forming into a tight iron fist, exuding powerful force, as if it were a natural extension of her arm. Despite lacking the sensation of temperature, this prosthetic hand could execute her every thought and intention.

V opened the mechanical fingers again and followed the prosthetic hand with her eyes, down towards the forearm. 

Unbeknownst to her, her left forearm had been completely replaced by a mechanical prosthetic arm, seamlessly attached at the joints with meticulous stitching visible. 

Raising her right arm for comparison, she saw a stark contrast — one side mechanical, the other natural. The silver prosthetic arm was rigid and powerful, while her original arm was slender, fair, and marred with fading bruises. 

"What happened?"

Her head felt hazy. V could only recall being heavily injured and falling unconscious under rubble during a mission to steal NetWatch data at the Batty Hotel after an unknown object fell and caused an impact. She vaguely remembered some scenes — a black mechanical figure, called something "Hammer..." Adam Smasher! 

With this realization, anger surged through her but was quickly overwhelmed by excruciating pain as the anesthesia wore off. 

"Ugh..."

After a few moments, as her headache subsided, V looked around to find herself lying on an operating table in a dimly lit prosthetic clinic. The place was equipped with various medical devices. 

Not far away, at the counter, sat a middle-aged man in sunglasses, wearing light blue scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck, intently staring at a screen.

V deduced he must be the clinic's doctor. Another figure, a girl with silver hair standing near the door, caught her attention. The girl had deep neon eyes, stained fingers with dried blood, and stared outside with a distant look. 

V didn't recognize either of them and had no memory of them. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she propped herself up on the operating table, noticing her wounds were all bandaged and the prosthetic arm surgery was complete. 

Although she had been unconscious the whole time and had no idea what had transpired, everything indicated that she had been rescued and treated in this clinic. 

Immensely grateful and confused, V observed the doctor still engrossed in the screen, and Lucy silently standing there, seemingly uninterested in engaging with her. 

Still unsure of what to do, V hesitated until the doctor noticed she was awake and spoke without looking up.

"Now is not the time to act tough; you need more rest."

V forced a smile, despite the pain. "Thank you, I'm feeling much better now..."

"Good," the doctor replied curtly.

Wondering why the doctor hadn't mentioned the cost of treatment, V knew from experience that after successful treatment, one usually needed to pay up, especially in urgencies like hers where over-the-top charges were typical.

Surprised by the lack of such demands, V expressed her gratitude, "Thank you." Then tentatively asked, "How much does this cost?"

Not bothering to look up, the doctor answered, "Don't worry about the cost, it's already been covered by someone."

Someone had paid in advance? V found this highly unusual and tried to remember the events leading up to this moment. Recalling the kidnapping, the Voodoo Boys, the building collapse, and then a black Delamain cab...

Oh yes, she was lifted from the rubble by someone. She vaguely remembered resting against someone's chest, smearing blood on a black coat and white shirt.

Then she remembered: it must have been the person in the suit who hauled her out. And that silver-haired girl must have stopped her bleeding.

Realizing it must have been the suited man who covered her bills, V felt a wave of mixed emotions. Also remembering Adam Smasher, whose strength was unparalleled, taking down specialists like the Wild King and Voodoo Boys.

"I'm V. Grew up in Heywood. Just returned to Night City from Atlanta. Thanks a ton for today," she said sincerely to both the doctor and Lucy. 

V's genuine nature shone through — her philosophy was to treat people as well as they treated her. 

The doctor smiled appreciatively behind his sunglasses, "Don't worry about it."

Lucy nodded slightly and responded, "No problem."

Lucy decided it was time to leave, having guarded V for the whole night per Tang Yu's request. Just as she was about to head out, V asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Lucy turned back, "Ask your fixer, you'll get the answers."

With that, she stepped out of the clinic. 

Lucy didn't want to reveal too much as it involved Tang Yu's secret. V, noticing Lucy's departure, felt a bit regretful. The silver-haired girl knew many details, but her reluctance to speak was obvious.

V understood, deciding instead to consult her fixer Gloria, although dreading explaining the botched mission.

Thinking about Gloria, her generous and beautiful fiery-haired fixer, whose contracts were always lucrative, V steeled herself to face the consequences.

Making up her mind, V left the operating chair and approached the doctor to thank him again, noticing he was watching a boxing match. 

She commented excitedly, "Do you like boxing? I used to box a lot in Heywood, taking down street thugs left and right."

The doctor chuckled, "I can see that; you have a natural talent. There's a kid in Heywood who might just give you a run for your money."

"Really? Heywood folks are born fighters," V remarked, flexing her new tech-enhanced arm. 

The doctor reassured her, "Not a bad upgrade at all. If you ever need any enhancements, feel free to drop by."

V smiled, appreciating the encouragement, and thought about her next steps in Night City.

V expressed her thanks, clenched her iron fist, and quipped self-deprecatingly, "Maybe I could end up with the legendary title of 'Heartless Iron Hand.'"

"By the way, I don't know how to address you." V felt an innate sense of familiarity and warmth emanating from the man in front of her, who spoke in a calm tone and moved at an unhurried pace. He sat alone at the counter, reminiscing about past boxing matches.

"I'm friends with Tang Yu. They call me V," she introduced herself confidently. He enjoyed interacting with young people like Tang Yu, seeing glimpses of his past self in them.

"V? Cool name. Thanks, V." He remembered the name fondly.

V just gave a slight smile, nodding, and then said, "Go on, kid. When you get a chance, have Tang introduce you to that Haywood kid, Jackie. You three could get along well."

Getting along with someone from Haywood was easy, but getting along with someone in a suit? That was as implausible as tomatoes and apples having anything in common besides being red. One was a corporate elite, the other a street-level cyberpunk—two worlds that didn't align.

Other than debt relations, there seemed to be no other connection.

V shrugged helplessly and said, "Alright, V, I'll come find you later. I've got a job to finish."

He waved his hand, signaling her to go about her business. "Take care of your injuries. The work will never end; prioritize your health."

V acknowledged earnestly and then left the clinic, bidding her goodbye one last time before leaving. She headed towards Lizzie's Bar to brief Gloria on her mission. From there, Lizzie's wasn't too far—a short walk would do.

Wrapped in her coat to cover her bandages, V set off swiftly. As she walked away, a stranger appeared at the spot she had vacated, silently watching her with eerie blue eyes.

...

Lizzie's Bar, VIP section on the second floor, in an exclusive private room.

Tang Yu relaxed on a plush seat, a small round glass table before him holding an assortment of fine drinks and snacks. The room's temperature was just right, so he had taken off his jacket, hanging it neatly on a rack. He wore only a shirt and a tee underneath, the collar button open, in a relaxed posture. This was his first visit since Lizzie's had been revamped.

Previously, he had introduced Jackie to the braindance experience here, which is when they met Evelyn and Judy in the basement server room. The private room he now occupied had been specially prepared for him by Gloria.

The room wasn't spacious, seating just about four or five people, but in a place like Lizzie's, where every inch of space was precious, having a private room was no small feat. Furthermore, it featured signal jamming, encrypted transmissions, braindance experiences, and premium services—indicative of Gloria's meticulous effort.

Now, Gloria had firmly established herself as the boss of the bar, while The Mox had rebuilt themselves through struggle. Under her leadership, Lizzie's was booming. The Mox girls occupied the surrounding alleys, and numerous street workers gathered nearby, making a modest living but with significantly improved safety, gaining substantial popularity and support.

Tang Yu had initially supported Gloria with one million eurodollars to help her quickly integrate into The Mox, paving the way for an intelligence network. He was not there for leisure but to see Sasha and discuss serious matters with Gloria.

Having sipped tea, Tang Yu realized he had been alone for a quarter of an hour without seeing either Sasha or Gloria. They had been mysterious, not showing up after guiding him to the room, for reasons unknown. However, he wasn't in a rush and continued to sip his tea in wait.

Outside the room, Gloria and Sasha were quietly conversing.

"No, no, Mr. Tang would never agree to this..." 

"Mr. Tang doesn't approve of intimate mode, Sasha. You can't force this..."

"Mr. Tang will be unhappy..."

Sasha was tightly wrapped in her coat, resisting Gloria's attempts to uncover her, revealing a flush of white and red at her collarbone during the struggle. Gloria relented, seeing Sasha's determined resistance, and sighed.

"Sasha, this isn't going to work. If we wait for Mr. Tang to give every command, we'll never get anywhere..."

Sasha, wrapped up tightly, still had her graceful figure showing under the long coat. She appeared somewhat aggrieved, her cheeks flushed, lips bitten stubbornly, unable to take that crucial step forward. She wasn't upset with Gloria's insistence but rather with her lack of courage.

Although she had mentally prepared for a long time, when the moment came, she couldn't follow through. As Gloria mentioned, waiting for things to fall into place could mean an endless wait. The reasoning was sound, but she simply couldn't do it.

Gloria critically examined Sasha, attempting to pinpoint where the training failed. Despite her thorough in-bed instructions, Sasha faltered at the critical juncture. Without understanding the issue, Gloria couldn't force Sasha, as it might backfire.

"Alright then, if you're worried, just go in and act normal. Don't force yourself."

Sasha nodded, wiping away a tear, deeply exhaling before approaching the door for identity verification.

Soon, the door slid open, concealing her entry from outside view. Sasha stepped in and, upon seeing Tang Yu, felt a rush of warmth and nostalgia, almost bringing her to tears.

"Hello, Mr. Tang..."

Seeing Sasha at the door, her head lowered and seeming downcast, Tang Yu approached, patted her head tenderly, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Knowing Sasha wouldn't be mistreated under Gloria's care, he guessed it might be due to her long-term separation from him. After all, Sasha's first experience upon opening her eyes was with Tang Yu, a relationship both programmed and real.

Sasha shook her head, fighting back tears, and said, "I'm fine, really..."

Feeling the warmth of Tang Yu's touch, she didn't feel as upset anymore.

Recognizing Sasha's attire—an unnecessary long coat in the warm room—he kindly reminded her, "If you're hot, feel free to hang your coat there."

"Ah?!" Sasha reacted in surprise and quickly responded, "No, no, I'm not hot..."

Refusing to take it off, she tightened her belt, hiding the potentially embarrassing outfit underneath. Crucially, without intimate mode activated, she couldn't bear to strip, caught in a deep dilemma.

Tang Yu, noticing her odd behavior, didn't doubt Sasha but found her unusually nervous and sensitive today. With her initial cybernetic alterations neutralizing temperature extremes, the room's perfect climate raised his curiosity. He suspected Gloria had been instructing her extensively, likely leading her to this state.

Bringing her to Gloria had nearly led to her straying in just a few days. Today would be an apt time to correct this course.

Sasha looked up and obediently asked, "Mr. Tang, when can I return to the apartment?"

Tang Yu pondered for a moment before saying, "It'll be a while longer. Be patient..."

With Gloria recently taking over Lizzie's, Tang Yu needed someone trustworthy to prevent mishaps. Presently, Sasha was the only suitable choice, ensuring he stayed informed through her presence.

Sasha acknowledged with a determined nod, her eyes showing resolve. She would diligently fulfill his instructions. Finally, Tang Yu patted her head again and asked her to bring Gloria in.

Sasha compliantly stepped out, heaving a sigh of relief, her prior tension dissipating entirely.

"Indeed, this is Sasha..."

Gloria, donned in a red dress, waiting outside, noticed Sasha's swift exit, still clad in her long coat, implying her plan failed. Understanding that some things can't be rushed, she approached Sasha with concern.

"Feeling better?"

Sasha smiled, "Yes, seeing Mr. Tang made me feel much better."

"Good." Gloria, feeling a protective affection for the innocent girl, remarked inwardly on the rarity of such purity in Night City. Sasha then conveyed Tang Yu's instruction for Gloria to come in and discuss business matters.

Business? Gloria blushed and felt somewhat anxious as she approached the door, verified her identity, and sought entry.

Shortly after, the door slid open, and Gloria walked gracefully into the private room, the door closing behind her. Meanwhile, Sasha resumed her vigil outside, dedicated to ensuring their security, although her outfit hindered her movements. Tightening her belt to prevent accidents, she waited.

Time ticked by, boredom slowly creeping in, heightening her curiosity about the conversation inside. Her brief five-minute chat starkly contrasted Gloria's extended stay. Realizing her time with Tang Yu involved fewer serious matters, she reminisced about their shared apartment days filled with songs and stories.

Lost in memories, the waiting time stretched, the evening shadows growing longer.