Chapter 175

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With the holographic host high-profilely announcing the final corporate donation, the charity segment of the gala came to an end.

V counted the numerous zeros following the charity donations and eagerly asked, "I see people here have more or less donated something. Why didn't you? Doesn't that mean you're just freeloading at the party?"

Tang Yu, looking quite composed, took a bite of fruit, sipped some warm tea to moisten his throat, and then spoke, "It depends on how you see it. Personally, I didn't come here sincerely."

V was already immune to Tang Yu's arrogance and asked cooperatively, "Then why put yourself through it? Night Corp wouldn't care if you didn't come."

Tang Yu replied leisurely, "I wanted to show you the world. Who knew you would be so unappreciative?"

V thought to herself in exasperation, 'Well, thank you so much.'

Tang Yu wasn't deceiving her. Besides investigating Night Corp and holding an extra card in his hand, he mainly wanted to let V experience the scene, compensating for the time he lost his chance to shine after being fired by Arasaka.

Suddenly, the guests began to pair up, holding hands and walking from their seats towards the dance floor. The elegantly dressed female companions entered the spacious dance floor at the invitation of their partners and began to dance gracefully to the melodious music.

Before long, all the guests stepped onto the dance floor, leaving only Tang Yu and V still seated in the buffet area, attracting quite a few curious glances. A sensible waiter walked up and reminded them that the dance segment had begun.

V was bewildered. Sitting comfortably, why the sudden dance segment?

Tang Yu stood up and extended his hand to V, gesturing for her to join him in the dance. V, feeling increasingly awkward, didn't know whether she should join him. She didn't know how to dance ballroom style and feared making a fool of herself. But sitting here was also not a solution; they were the only ones left at the table, making it quite conspicuous.

Tang Yu teased, "Miss V, can't you do me this favor? Do we always have to add money to get things done?"

V hurriedly stood up, trying to silence Tang Yu's nonsense with her hand. "Mind your manners a bit. If you keep this up, we won't be able to talk."

Tang Yu grabbed her delicate hand, feigning reluctant compromise. "Alright, alright, you say so. But sitting here is ruining my face. Once the first dance ends, there's free dance time. If you don't want to be disturbed, you might as well dance a few dances with me."

V scrutinized Tang Yu's expression, trying to discern if he was tricking her again. But soon she saw a few pairs exiting the dance floor after the first dance, and several single ladies began approaching, eyeing Tang Yu with smiles.

Without further ado, V stood up hurriedly, urging, "Okay, okay, let's blend into the crowd. It's better than sitting here conspicuously."

She felt that compared to the numerous noblemen present, Tang Yu was indeed the most pleasing one. Dancing with him wasn't too uncomfortable.

Tang Yu took V's hand, leading her into the dance floor, barely avoiding the incoming people. The women who'd been eyeing Tang Yu could only watch him and V walk onto the stage, their smiles turning awkward.

They had noticed V was an absolute novice at the gala, incapable of dancing and barely managing high heels. A catch like Tang Yu was a dream partner for countless women — young, high-ranking, wealthy, with a promising future career. If V performed excellently, they wouldn't consider this opportunity. However, seeing how weak Tang Yu's partner was, they sensed an opportunity.

As a result, many women, having separated from their original partners, sat in the guest area waiting for the perfect moment. Once Tang Yu finished his dance, they would seize the chance to invite him. Their confident smiles suggested they were eager to see how V would handle the situation.

But the expected embarrassing scene didn't happen. Tang Yu, leading V onto the dance floor, firmly held her hand with one hand and gently placed the other hand around her waist, lifting her slightly with a sudden push.

V gasped in surprise. "Huh?" Her high-heeled toes landed on Tang Yu's shoe tips as she leaned against his chest, feeling his warm breath.

The unexpected lift left the women outside the dance floor dumbfounded. It was evident that Tang Yu intended to teach V to dance, allowing her to step on his toes.

V's body tensed. Tang Yu's bold move, which made her already stepping onto the dance floor close to her bottom line, infuriated her. She looked at Tang Yu, who was explaining casually, "Don't overthink it. I'm teaching you to dance. This is normal."

V no longer believed Tang Yu's nonsense and looked up, barely managing a smile. "Should I also pay you tuition, then?"

Tang Yu generously replied, "No need, considering you might not even learn it well."

V: "..."

The two moved gracefully within the limited space, their dance steps matching the rhythm of the music. V couldn't comprehend the appeal of such a boring social dance. However, when she caught a glimpse of several couples in the dance floor engaging passionately, she realized they were acting shamelessly in such a high-end, dignified setting.

She had seen such scenarios before, but in this distinguished setting, it was slightly disgraceful.

She also noticed the greasy Jenkins, entering the dance floor with several different fiery ladies, collecting unknown cards. She had to remind Tang Yu to stay away from that man next time.

One song followed another, and V gradually relaxed, quickly adapting to the simple cross-steps. For her, it was nothing more than stepping back and forth in place, extremely easy. Yet, Tang Yu, who had been dancing with her for a while, showed no intention of letting her go.

Just as V was about to look up and reprimand him, she noticed Tang Yu staring intently to his right, looking somewhat grave. She turned her head to follow his gaze and saw a man in a high-end suit with slicked-back hair, holding a glass and watching them. What surprised her was the man's eyes, which glowed with an eerie blue light, giving off an inexplicable sense of dread.

As their eyes met, the blue-eyed man turned and left, disappearing from sight. V felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Suddenly, she noticed a waiter in formal attire slowly approaching from behind Tang Yu, holding a set of cutlery and seemingly whistling. The on-site music drowned out the sound, making it hard for her to hear clearly. Ignoring the dancing guests, the waiter stepped directly into the dance floor, weaving through pairs of dancers with a clear target—Tang Yu. What alerted V even more was that the waiter's eyes also glowed with that eerie blue light.

Simultaneously, two other waiters infiltrated the dance floor from different directions, forming a pincer movement around Tang Yu. Some guests expressed their displeasure at the waiters' odd behavior, yelling at them to leave, but the waiters paid no attention and continued marching towards Tang Yu.

V tightened her grip on Tang Yu's shoulder, putting her weight on him, and shouted, "There's trouble behind us!"

Just as the three waiters were about to attack, V lifted her leg and kicked towards the approaching waiter, hitting them squarely in the head. Tang Yu used the momentum to hold V's waist, allowing her to kick the other two waiters.

Bang! Bang! Bang! In quick succession, the three waiters were knocked to the ground, crashing into several guests. The commotion immediately drew the attention of on-site security, who rapidly restrained the three waiters and confiscated their cutlery.

V keenly noticed that the blue glow in the waiters' eyes instantly vanished. Looking up at Tang Yu with a serious and puzzled expression, Tang Yu signaled her to keep quiet and wait.

The small chaos was quickly brought under control. The fallen guests were guided away by other waiters, some cursing their misfortune. Many people hadn't even realized what had happened when a representative of Night Corporation appeared to explain the situation. They attributed it to the waiters not yet adapting to their new implants, causing involuntary actions. These waiters were specially trained and modified for the service industry, with no aggressive implants.

The guests accepted the explanation and didn't dwell on the matter. With such a strong security presence, there was no concern for their safety. Soon, the party resumed its lively atmosphere.

Just as V was pondering the connection between the blue-eyed man and the three waiters, a special secretary approached them, inviting them to the reception room on behalf of Miriam Knight.

Night Corporation's ruling figure? Tang Yu and V exchanged a glance and agreed to the invitation.

Upon reaching the reception room on the second floor, they walked into a world of shimmering lights. An elderly man, with meticulously arranged silver hair in a bun, sat with his back to them.

"Mr. Tang and Miss V, please have a seat," the elderly man said as he slowly turned around, his expression gentle. "Thank you for handling the situation earlier. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Miriam Knight."

V was seeing this legendary figure, the widow of Night City founder Richard Knight, for the first time. She inherited her late husband's legacy, using his reputation and assets to establish the Knight Foundation, which later grew into the Night Corporation, making significant contributions to Night City. Under her leadership, the company undertook numerous large-scale infrastructure projects, from real estate to transportation, utilities, and foundational network facilities.

There were many rumors about her, but seeing her in person seemed surreal. Tang Yu, unimpressed by the elderly lady, said bluntly, "Your company should not have made such a mistake at a party like this."

"This was due to our poor arrangements. We will compensate accordingly. But Mr. Tang, you are quite a remarkable person," Miriam Knight deftly changed the subject. Her raspy voice continued, "Among the Arasaka Tower elites or the Night City corporate elites, you are the only one who has kept their original body."

Tang Yu couldn't quite discern her intentions; mentioning his original body so openly was curious—was it a threat or mere curiosity? Given the company's methods, it was likely the former. He recalled their so-called charitable projects and wondered if the homeless man Prophet Gary's transformation was due to their modifications. Gary's erratic behavior and rambling were likely due to his brain implant picking up unknown signals, which Tang Yu's analysis suggested were communications between the higher-ups of Night Corporation, perhaps even involving rogue AI.

Tang Yu straightforwardly said, "It's nothing special. After all, no one is born with implants."

Miriam Knight smiled and moved on, then asked, "Miss V, would you be interested in working for Night Corporation?"

V had no interest in any company, let alone the enigmatic Night Corporation, nor the eerie old lady in front of her. Tang Yu answered for her, "We appreciate the offer, but she has better opportunities ahead."

Miriam Knight replied, "Oh? And where might that be?"

"MaxTac," Tang Yu answered confidently.

V: "???"