Jack

Chen Nuo arrived at Misty's shop. Instead of Misty sitting in her usual spot, there was a burly man with short hair.

Based on the exposed gang tattoos on his body and his religious-themed earrings, he was a member of the Valentinos—or at least he used to be.

Chen Nuo recognized him at a glance; wasn't this our good brother Jackie?

"Welcome. Are you looking for Misty? She's busy right now, you'll have to wait a bit."

Jackie looked up at the newcomer, trying to make his gruff voice sound as gentle as possible so as not to scare away Misty's customer like he just had.

"You're Jackie, right?"

Chen Nuo said as he sat down in front of Jackie.

"You know me?"

"I've heard Old Man Vik mention you. He said your fists have a lot of power, that you're a good man, and that you're Misty's boyfriend."

Jackie was quite happy when he heard the first half and instinctively straightened his back to prove Viktor's words were true. However, the second half made him immediately shrink his neck and say hurriedly,

"Actually, Misty and I aren't in that kind of relationship yet."

"Not yet? That's great."

"Huh?!"

"Since Misty is still single, I'm going to start pursuing her."

Chen Nuo rubbed his chin, raising an eyebrow.

"No way!"

Jackie's reaction was a bit intense; he jumped up from his seat as if his tail had been stepped on.

Just then, Misty's voice rang out from the side.

"Nuo, stop teasing Jackie."

"Teasing him? I'm serious. If I have a chance with a good girl like Misty, how could I miss out? Right, Jackie?"

Chen Nuo nudged Jackie with his elbow, but he soon lost his smile as Misty replied calmly.

"Sure. I'll send what you just said to Lucy first. If she agrees, I might consider accepting your pursuit."

"I was wrong."

Chen Nuo lowered his head and pressed his hands together, backing down instantly.

"Viktor's surgery is almost finished. You can go down and find him in a bit."

Misty said, clearly knowing why Chen Nuo was here.

"No problem."

Chen Nuo swayed in the swivel chair, in no hurry to leave. His eyes darted between Jackie and Misty, making them both a bit nervous before he finally stood up and left one last remark.

"But seriously, Jackie, you've kept Misty waiting for too long."

"Nuo!"

Misty's eyes widened. Scared, Chen Nuo immediately raised his hands and left. Once only the two of them remained in the shop, she returned to her usual gentle self and said to Jackie,

"Don't mind Nuo. He can be unreliable sometimes, but he's usually very dependable. He has a good relationship with Viktor; you should get to know him."

"I'm not angry. I think he's right."

Jackie said as he gently took Misty's hand. He had long recognized the feelings between them but hadn't mustered the courage to take the next step. Chen Nuo had given them a good opportunity.

"Jackie..."

Misty's gaze toward Jackie was incredibly tender.

Chen Nuo didn't know what happened next. He eavesdropped for a moment, and after confirming they were making progress, he went to find Viktor.

Inside the clinic, Viktor was cleaning surgical instruments. He was very happy to see Chen Nuo.

"You haven't come to box with me for a few days."

"I've been busy with quite a few jobs lately, as you know."

"The stuff is here. I don't need to teach you how to use it, do I?"

Viktor said as he took out a box containing several potent sedatives, usually used for surgical anesthesia.

"Of course. I've studied some medical knowledge; I'm more than qualified to be your assistant."

"Don't. I can't afford to hire you."

Viktor said with a smile, asking after putting away the instruments one by one.

"Do you have time right now?"

"What, hands itching for a fight?"

Viktor didn't speak; he just tossed the boxing gloves to Chen Nuo.

A minute later, Viktor was punched against the railing by Chen Nuo. Even with full protective gear, the pain made him grimace.

"You brat, how did your strength increase again?"

"It's normal. I'm still growing."

Chen Nuo explained with a smile. The main reason was that he had updated his Three Nuo Power again last night.

Compared to the other two Chen Nuos, he was improving the slowest. Titan Chen Nuo, naturally, didn't need to be mentioned; his strength was constantly tempered through blood and fire.

As for Ghoul Chen Nuo, the CCG Academy actually had a specialized training method that could greatly tap into physical potential.

After all, in a world where Ghouls existed, the CCG's level in Biotechnica was not weak.

In terms of physical enhancement speed alone, Ghoul Chen Nuo was the fastest. Mainly because he had plenty of free time; at the academy, besides flirting with his twin classmates, he just exercised.

The improvements brought by the Three Nuo Power were all-encompassing, including physical potential and learning efficiency.

Thanks to the efforts of his other two selves, Cyber Chen Nuo's strength had been steadily increasing.

Viktor really wanted to retort, "What part of that is normal?"

But he thought better of it. Saying that felt a bit like cursing. He gestured with his fists for Chen Nuo to come again.

Before long, Jackie also arrived at the clinic. He watched in disbelief as Viktor was suppressed and unable to fend off Chen Nuo. He rubbed his eyes hard; was this still the boxing champion he knew?

"I can't go on. Let Jackie go a few rounds with you."

Viktor panted, swaying as he stepped down and handed the gloves to Jackie.

"Me?"

Jackie looked at Chen Nuo, who seemed to have only just finished warming up and hadn't even broken a sweat. He swallowed hard but still put on the gloves; he was a combative guy himself.

"So, Jackie, did you and Misty make it official?"

Chen Nuo stepped forward and bumped fists with Jackie, asking with a smile as he took a stance.

"Yeah. I have to thank you for that."

Jackie looked rough and careless, but he was actually very observant.

As they spoke, Chen Nuo threw a punch. Jackie raised his arms to block, but the piercing force of the punch shattered his defense. If he hadn't retreated and dodged in time, the punch would have landed right on his nose.

"Your fists are seriously terrifying."

Jackie felt a lingering fear, finally experiencing what Viktor felt facing Chen Nuo in the ring. At the same time, his fighting spirit surged, and he countered.

"I heard you left the gang? Looking for work now?"

Chen Nuo tilted his head and easily dodged Jackie's attack.

His light, rhythmic footwork kept shifting, strictly controlling the distance between them.

This made Jackie incredibly uncomfortable. He hadn't expected Chen Nuo to not only possess amazing strength but also terrifyingly strong technique and reflexes. He was like a Max version of Viktor.

"Yeah, a man's gotta eat, right?"

Speaking of this, Jackie felt a bit depressed. He had left the gang, but shaking off the shackles of that identity wasn't easy. With his tattoos and style, a normal job was definitely out of the question.

Even wanting to be an Edgerunner would be affected.

The Valentinos were no small gang. They were comparable in size to the Tyger Claws, maybe even with a few hundred more members, making them one of the largest criminal organizations in Night City.

Any fixer looking to hire Jackie couldn't help but have reservations about his former status.

Rather than worrying about potential trouble, it was easier to just not deal with him from the start.

So even though Jackie clearly had impressive skills, leaving the gang hadn't made his life better; instead, it was getting worse.

"Coincidentally, I have a job. You want it?"

Chen Nuo threw a low straight punch as he spoke. Jackie couldn't block or dodge in time and took a heavy hit to the abdomen. After staggering back several steps, he fell. He waited a while before standing back up and saying to Chen Nuo:

"I'll take it. My pockets are cleaner than my face right now."

Jackie agreed readily, even though they had just met.

"Your face isn't clean either."

Chen Nuo teased after taking a close look at Jackie's face.

"It's a metaphor, choom."

Jackie launched a fierce assault on Chen Nuo, trying to use his double-sized frame to pressure him. However, the result was being forced back even faster, constantly enduring the baptism of Chen Nuo's fists.

Even though his mouth remained stubborn, his body began to make sounds of being unable to take any more.

Viktor watched from below with relief; finally, he wasn't the only one getting beaten up... Time soon turned to evening.

Outside Jig-Jig Street.

Jackie stood beside Chen Nuo with a face full of bruises. His expression was cold and fierce, and his solemn look made him appear very professional.

In reality, it was because any slight expression caused his face to ache.

Chen Nuo had advised Jackie to wear protective gear, but he wouldn't listen, saying if Chen Nuo didn't wear it, he wouldn't either. The result was this, which led to Misty staring at Chen Nuo with resentment for a long time.

Thanks to Jackie's fierce appearance, the street workers of Jig-Jig Street didn't dare harass Chen Nuo, giving him some peace.

"Choom, who exactly are we waiting for here?"

Jackie finally couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't you say before you were only concerned with doing the work?"

Chen Nuo checked the time as he spoke, then replied,

"Don't worry, they should be here soon."

Sure enough, before long, the target Chen Nuo was looking for tonight appeared in his field of vision. It was a well-dressed man in his thirties, looking clean and fair.

"This is the guy?"

Jackie noticed the change in Chen Nuo's gaze and asked in a low voice.

"That's right. Takahashi Hayami, a team leader in Arasaka Corporation's HR Department."

"A corpo rat! Looks like a big job."

Jackie wasn't afraid upon hearing this; in fact, he was a bit excited. He was tired of small delivery jobs, especially now that he had a girlfriend. He was desperate for a big score to fatten his wallet. He rubbed his hands together and asked,

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go over there and use your pectorals to get his attention."

"What?"

Jackie was a bit confused by Chen Nuo's words.

"This guy's tastes are... different. You know, staying in a place like Arasaka for too long, if your body doesn't break, your mind will."

Chen Nuo explained with a shrug.

"Then why don't you go attract his attention!"

If it were anything else, Jackie would have jumped in without a second thought. But honey-trapping a man was truly challenging his physiological limits.

"I'm a pure, 24-karat man!"

"He just happens to like your type."

Chen Nuo said as he pushed Jackie out.

No matter how reluctant he was, Jackie could only bite the bullet and go.

At the same time, Lucy rode her motorcycle to Chen Nuo's side. She had been tracking and monitoring Takahashi Hayami until he arrived here.

This guy came here every month to "vent his emotions." Chen Nuo had been watching him for a while and finally found an opportunity.

"So this is Jackie? He seems like a good match for Misty."

After Chen Nuo became well-acquainted with Viktor, Lucy and Misty also became friends. She had heard Jackie's name from Misty quite often.

"Are they as good a match as we are?"

"They're still quite a bit off."

Lucy hooked Chen Nuo's chin with her index finger, speaking in a teasing tone.

By this time, Jackie had reached a spot not far from Takahashi Hayami.

"Time to work."

Chen Nuo walked forward, coming up behind Takahashi Hayami. Lucy's expression turned serious as her Cybernetic Eye locked onto the target.

Just as Jackie bumped into Takahashi Hayami, Lucy did what she did best, ejecting a chip from the interface. Chen Nuo passed behind him silently, caught the chip, and tossed it back to Lucy.

Takahashi Hayami, who was currently lost in Jackie's broad chest muscles, didn't notice anything. He was busy winking at Jackie, his fingers sliding flirtatiously across Jackie's chest.

From the veins bulging on Jackie's neck, it was clear he was reaching his limit of endurance.

If Chen Nuo hadn't given the OK gesture in time to let Jackie escape, Jackie might not have been able to stop himself from punching the guy's head off.

"I can't. I feel like I can't even face Misty anymore. My body is tainted."

Jackie said, looking somewhat soul-crushed.

"Look on the bright side, Jackie. Have faith in Misty's love for you."

Chen Nuo patted Jackie's shoulder to comfort him.

"You're not the one who was taken advantage of!"

Jackie said with a resentful look. It was then he noticed Lucy standing beside Chen Nuo and quickly regained his tough-guy demeanor.

"This is Lucy, my girlfriend. And this is Jackie."

After Chen Nuo's brief introduction, they continued with the next part of the plan.

Before long, Takahashi Hayami discovered his chip had been stolen. No longer in the mood for fun, he rushed to the parking lot to check if his car was still there.

A personal info chip wasn't worth much, but it was usually linked to vehicle or residential access permissions.

If his newly bought luxury car were stolen, he would really have nowhere to turn.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn't happen. Takahashi Hayami entered his password to open the car door, planning to head home early. However, just as he sat in the driver's seat, he felt a brief sting in his neck.

Before he could react, a cold sensation spread from his neck throughout his entire body.

The next second, Takahashi Hayami lost consciousness.

"Whoa, this car looks high-end. Is the interior all genuine leather?"

Jackie opened the door from the outside and sat in the passenger seat.

"You get in the driver's seat and drive. I've already sent you the destination."

Chen Nuo instructed from the back seat.