Miss Cat

Maine was undoubtedly the core of the entire crew.

He was a veteran Edgerunner, and his strength was considered top-tier even among the Afterlife's regulars.

One only had to look at those two Gorilla Arms, which were thicker than Chen Nuo's thighs, to realize that.

Judging from appearances alone, it was hard to tell which model they were; his Cyberware Doctor had modified them significantly.

This was common among Edgerunners; after all, most cyberware they could get their hands on were obsolete models or civilian products that struggled to meet their combat needs.

However, private modifications and additions usually didn't end well, as they greatly increased the burden on the user.

It wasn't just his arms; Maine had cyberware in almost every visible part of his body.

Your average Edgerunner couldn't afford such a high ratio of implants, let alone have the resources; even if they did, their body and will wouldn't be able to support such a level of modification.

Yet, seeing Maine's relaxed expression, it was clear his modifications hadn't reached his limit yet.

As for the short-haired woman currently snuggling in Maine's arms and exchanging fluids with him, that was Maine's girlfriend, Dorio.

Physically, the two of them were indeed a good match.

The difference, however, was that Dorio preferred her original body; her powerful physique was built through her own training.

Well, likely with the help of plenty of chemical hormones.

This had somewhat affected Dorio's appearance, making her gender hard to distinguish at first glance.

Although she hadn't given herself combat implants, Dorio's strength was by no means weak, especially in close-quarters combat; she was one of the crew's main combatants.

Then there was the last one, the Techie, Pilar.

Right now, he was harassing the bar's dancers from a distance, exuding a sleazy vibe from head to toe; combined with his ill-fitting cyberware, he looked like a freak in the crowd.

"Enough already!"

Rebecca reached her limit, jumping up to deliver a heavy blow to her brother's head, which finally made him stop his antics as he slumped back into his seat, dazed.

He lifted his excessively long technical cyber-arm, pushed the sunglasses up his nose with his middle finger, and stared intently at Chen Nuo, a grin spreading across his face.

"Oho, Rebecca, you've finally grown up, huh? Learning how to pick up men. We definitely have to celebrate today."

As soon as he spoke, Rebecca smashed a bottle over Pilar's forehead, cursing at him.

"You bastard brother, what the hell are you saying? This is BT!"

Hearing the name BT, the "dead" Pilar suddenly sprang up and leaned in close to Chen Nuo, his eyes even more intense than when he was looking at the dancers; he gripped Chen Nuo's arms tightly and shouted in an exaggerated tone.

"You're BT! I've finally met you! I've admired you for a long time. Judging by the blueprints you gave me, I knew you were a very creative Techie. We absolutely have to have a good chat today."

Pilar's attitude was exceptionally enthusiastic, making it a bit hard for Chen Nuo to handle, though he didn't refuse; after all, he would need the man's help for plenty of work in the future.

"I've heard your name, BT. I didn't expect to meet you here. Sit down and have a few drinks with us."

Maine noticed Chen Nuo in the booth as well and, being a boisterous character, called him over directly.

This dark-skinned guy, who didn't look like a good person, was actually a pretty decent guy—a rare type in Night City who still had some humanity.

"I'm Maine, I've got a bit of a reputation around here. This is Dorio, my woman. I don't need to introduce the other three, right? It looks like you guys already know each other."

Maine introduced them; it was clear he was very friendly toward Chen Nuo, not just because of Rebecca and the others, but also out of recognition for Chen Nuo's strength.

Every Edgerunner who made a name for themselves would draw a lot of attention.

Maine had seen the video of Chen Nuo's fight and knew he had executed a cyberpsychosis victim in close quarters, so he naturally wouldn't underestimate him because of his harmless appearance.

"BT is my handle. You can just call me Nuo."

Chen Nuo took the drink Rebecca handed him and toasted everyone present.

His easygoing attitude didn't seem like that of a newly debuted Edgerunner at all.

"No problem, Nuo."

Maine found Chen Nuo more and more to his liking.

In Night City, especially in the Afterlife Bar, it wasn't easy to meet a normal person.

Although Dorio didn't say much, her first impression of Chen Nuo was also positive.

Just like that, Chen Nuo naturally integrated into Maine's crew and chatted freely with them.

"Edgerunners coming to the Afterlife for the first time usually get Rogue's attention. If you're willing, you can take a gig from her; if you do well, you might even be able to earn a living under her."

As someone who had been there, Maine shared his experience with Chen Nuo, then shook his head and continued.

"But I heard that old crone thinks quite highly of you. If you're just a solo, the gigs she provides are actually enough. We're different; we need to find a new Fixer."

A veteran crew like Maine's certainly wouldn't lack gigs, but whether they were worth doing was another matter.

Whether out of the mental need to make a name for himself or for the resources for cybernetic upgrades, Maine needed to go a step further and try to get in touch with corporate-related gigs.

This was why Maine had gradually given up on Wakako's gigs and come to the Afterlife to seek new partnerships.

Being able to bring the Rebecca siblings into his crew showed that Maine's relationship with Wakako was originally quite good; even Sasha was initially a Netrunner recommended by Wakako.

The main reason for their parting now was that Wakako's gigs could no longer satisfy Maine's current needs.

Initially, Maine wanted to join Rogue's ranks, but the Queen of the Afterlife didn't lack Edgerunners of Maine's caliber.

Fortunately, the Maine crew's past performance had attracted another Fixer with close ties to the corporations.

Today was the day they were prepared to meet here.

Maine revealed this to Chen Nuo partly to show off a bit, and partly to attract him to join.

For an Edgerunner at Maine's level, money was no longer their primary goal; if he weren't holding onto the idea of becoming the next legend, he wouldn't have left Wakako.

In Night City, everyone has their own mental illness.

Maine was no exception; his pursuit of power had long been evident in his cyberware.

Anyone who wasn't a bit crazy wouldn't modify themselves like this.

Just like the members of Maelstrom, Maine was also immersed in the power of cyber-ascension, unable to help himself.

"A new Fixer? Who?"

Chen Nuo already had a name in mind, but he had to play along.

"Faraday. He's also a Fixer who only recently came to the Afterlife. Although he doesn't have many achievements yet, the guy has some connections with Militech. I need him to help me get some good stuff."

Maine leaned in and spoke to Chen Nuo.

Edgerunners and Fixers in the Afterlife complement each other; besides the basic commission, the corporate channels and resources a Fixer possesses are also important factors that attract Edgerunners.

Maine was clearly betting on Faraday, but unfortunately, his judgment was truly subpar.

It was true that Faraday had connections, but the man lacked intelligence and a sense of the big picture; he was even more cold-blooded and selfish toward his partners.

Then again, weren't all Afterlife Fixers like that? Faraday at least had corporate connections, which was the key point that attracted Maine.

"Then I wish you get what you want."

Chen Nuo clinked glasses with Maine again.

That was all he could say; what else could he do? As an outsider, he couldn't stop Maine from cooperating with Faraday.

And besides, for a while afterward, the cooperation between Maine's crew and Faraday seemed to go quite well, with both sides getting what they wanted; otherwise, they wouldn't have maintained the partnership.

Don't underestimate Maine; he was a veteran who had been invited by Agent Reed of the NUSA Federal Intelligence Agency; his brain was much sharper than it looked.

Being able to stand out among a crowd of cyber-solos and build a complete crew showed his level of ability.

If his cyberware tolerance hadn't been a bit low and he hadn't succumbed to cyberpsychosis, his path to becoming a legend certainly wouldn't have ended so abruptly.

"I have to go now,"

Sasha spoke up suddenly, drawing everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?"

Rebecca asked in confusion.

"I took a gig earlier,"

Sasha explained.

Gigs that required the whole team to move out only happened a few times a month; at other times, the crew members would do some private work, which was quite normal.

Someone like Pilar had made plenty of money from Chen Nuo.

"Do you need me to go with you?"

Rebecca was a bit worried; that said, if it really came to a fight, Sasha was actually more capable than her.

Although Miss Kitty was a Netrunner, her frontal combat ability was not weak at all, ranking among the top in the team; plus, besides her hacking skills, she also knew some technical work.

"Don't worry, it's just a small job, I'll have it done quickly. You guys just wait for the Fixer."

Saying this, Sasha picked up her satchel and stood up to leave, but was called back by Chen Nuo.

"I'll go with you."

"Don't you plan to meet that Fixer?"

Sasha unconsciously tilted her head, looking exceptionally cute.

"Not much interest."

Chen Nuo spoke the truth; besides, he wasn't part of Maine's crew, so there was no need to get involved.

If Wakako found out, what if she misunderstood him?

Wait, that sounded a bit weird.

"Then I'll leave Sasha in your care,"

Maine said, giving Chen Nuo a heavy wink, as if he were very happy for the two of them to have some private contact.

If he could resolve a team member's personal life while also recruiting a powerful combatant for the crew, it would be perfect.

"Wait! I strongly object!!"

Pilar raised all four limbs and shouted with a determined attitude.

Sasha was the only pretty girl left in the team; how could they let an outsider have her? Even if it was Chen Nuo, it wouldn't do—he was still single himself.

"What does it have to do with you!"

Rebecca gave Pilar a hard kick from the sofa; she didn't realize that what Pilar was objecting to was actually a different matter from what she thought, her face showing an expression of 'I'm relieved to leave it to Chen Nuo.'

By this time, it was late, and the city's rain had stopped for a while.

Sasha and Chen Nuo walked together toward Corpo Plaza.

"So, what's your gig this time?"

Chen Nuo asked casually, just finding a topic to chat with her.

"Steal some data from Biotech Corporation."

"..."

Chen Nuo's footsteps suddenly stopped, and Sasha turned back to look at him, puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

"This counts as a small job?"

Chen Nuo's expression returned to normal as he walked to Sasha's side.

"It's just stealing some experimental data; isn't that what Netrunners always do?"

"Is stealing corporate data the same as stealing other data? You just told me directly; aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

Chen Nuo was somewhat helpless and somewhat admiring.

Who would dare touch a corporate job without some strength and courage? Seeing Sasha's calm appearance, it was clear this wasn't her first time doing so.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the base of the Biotech Corporation headquarters. It was late at night, but many rooms in the corporate building were still lit.

"Sending me this far is enough; I can walk the rest of the way myself,"

Sasha said, turning to Chen Nuo.

"I'll see this through to the end. Since I brought you here, of course, I have to see you leave."

Chen Nuo didn't agree and stayed where he was.

Sasha smiled unconsciously upon hearing this, took out some chewing gum from her pocket, and handed it over; Chen Nuo took it and chewed.

Hmm, orange flavor.

"Then I'll try not to make you wait too long."

With that, Sasha waved her hand and walked toward the base of the building with light steps, easily breaking through the security and successfully slipping inside.

The data she wanted to steal wasn't on the upper floors of the building, so the difficulty of the infiltration was naturally much lower.

Along the way, she skillfully disabled surveillance cameras and placed jamming devices; it was as simple as going home, and she even took the elevator directly to the destination floor.

The target office was right in front of her.

Its owner wasn't working overtime tonight.

Sasha took out her infiltration gear from her backpack and put it on; as data flashed before her eyes, she quickly cracked the computer password and hacked into the database.

However, just as the task was about to be completed, Sasha discovered a hidden secret deep within the data, revealing the truth about her mother's death.

It was a painkiller developed by Biotechnica, but it had severe side effects.

Sasha's mother had died from taking this drug.

Yet, this drug was still being sold on the market today.

"...I might have to break my promise."

Sasha glanced out the glass window, making a decision while suppressing the grief and anger in her heart.

She was going to make all of the Biotech Corporation's actions public.

But Sasha knew that the jamming devices she had placed certainly wouldn't last that long.

Sure enough, not long after Sasha began uploading the data, Biotech Corporation's security robots discovered her presence and gathered in front of the office.

Hearing the commotion outside, Sasha silently pulled a handgun from her backpack; she needed to buy more time.

Outside the building, the continuous rain began to fall again.

Chen Nuo looked up; the rain blurred the city's neon lights.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Violent explosions rang out.

Glass shattered, and a figure leaped out—it was Sasha.

Chen Nuo threw off his coat, revealing the Jetpack at his waist; he pressed the control button on his tactical glove, and two grappling hooks flew out, pinning themselves to the building's wall.

In mid-air, Sasha wore a satisfied smile she had never shown before.

She didn't regret her choice; on the contrary, she felt exceptionally happy.

Memories of her past life with her mother kept surfacing, as if she had returned to that warm embrace at this moment; crystal tears mixed with rain fell from the sky.

"Miss Kitty, do you really need to lose weight?"

A familiar voice pulled Sasha back to reality.

Sasha slowly opened her eyes and saw Chen Nuo's profile, only then realizing that the warmth wrapping around her wasn't a hallucination before death, but came from his embrace.

Chen Nuo caught Sasha in mid-air, using the Jetpack to buffer their descent, and landed steadily on the ground with her.

"Am I not dead?"

Sasha murmured, as if waking from a dream.

"You didn't want to make me wait, but there was no need to jump off a building."

Chen Nuo made a joke and injected a MaxDoc Mk.1 into Sasha's body; this girl had been hit by several bullets.

With the injection of the medicine, Sasha's condition clearly improved, and her consciousness became much clearer, allowing her to communicate normally with Chen Nuo.

"Thank you..."

"You're welcome. How are you feeling now?"

"A bit cold. Can you hold me a little tighter?"

Seeing Sasha's pale face, Chen Nuo knew she had lost too much blood; combined with the rain and the sudden drop in temperature, he didn't want her to get sick from hypothermia, so he quickly complied.

From a perspective Chen Nuo couldn't see, the corners of Sasha's mouth curled up, and she smiled like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat.