Chapter 193 Blonde Handsome Guy

Chen Nuo sat in the office, reviewing the latest logs and reports of the Aldecaldo Oasis.

Before long, he saw a familiar name on the public security management log.

"Panam Palmer?"

What did this big girl do now?

Chen Nuo clicked to view the details and was suddenly a bit speechless.

This tiger of a woman got drunk in the middle of the night and went drag racing outside the Oasis with Scorpion and the others, only to accidentally lose control and drive into a cornfield.

The losses weren't much, but the influence was bad.

According to the Oasis's rules and regulations, this was punishable by flogging.

Managing these former tribe Nomads was no easy task; sometimes, a whip was indeed more effective than words.

This was a conclusion Dove had drawn from historical records.

"little fu, change Panam Palmer's executioner to me."

The corners of Chen Nuo's mouth curled up slightly, carrying a hint of anticipation.

Usually, the executioners for flogging were machine intelligences to ensure fairness and justice.

But who told him to stand above the laws of the Oasis.

"Alright."

As Dove spoke, the relevant information on the public security management log changed.

"What are you laughing at? Something wicked."

Sasha's voice came from behind, and the little cat-like girl slid into Chen Nuo's arms, curling up her body.

"If you say it's wicked, then I must be doing something bad."

Chen Nuo said as he pinched Sasha's delicate nose, not giving her a chance to ask further before shifting the topic.

"When does your sister plan to move out of Dogtown?"

"Are you going to pick her up with me?"

Sasha's eyes lit up, her long eyelashes fluttering.

She had always wanted to introduce Nuo to her sister but could never find the right opportunity.

Before, it was the busiest time for the construction of the Oasis.

They not only had to deal with harassment from the external Biotech Corporation but also resolve conflicts caused by the internal population surge; it had only recently stabilized.

"It's a small matter, she's your sister after all."

Chen Nuo's doting tone made Sasha extremely happy. Just as the atmosphere was heating up, Rebecca's boisterous voice came, interrupting them.

"Nuo!"

Rebecca, like a child who hadn't grown up, hung onto Chen Nuo's neck, swinging her youthful, slender body and pouting her plump little mouth as if she had been wronged.

Sasha and Rebecca were best friends, and they had played the sandwich game with Chen Nuo many times, so she didn't mind the sudden intrusion; on the contrary, she even made some space.

"What's wrong?"

Chen Nuo asked, reaching out to support Rebecca's full buttocks.

After leaving Maine's crew, Rebecca and Sasha weren't idle, just clinging to Chen Nuo all day; they were also deeply involved in the construction of the Water Plant and the Oasis.

As a master of time management, one needs to manage not just their own time, but others' time as well.

This is the highest level of time management.

If he didn't find things for Rebecca and the others to do, how could Chen Nuo find the time to support the latest star at Clouds?

Sasha was mainly responsible for the network defense construction and logistical support of the Water Plant and the Oasis.

Of course, the primary person in charge was Dove; she only did some secondary work.

As for Rebecca, she was in charge of internal security, while Jackie and Valerie handled the external side.

"Maine took a big fall."

Rebecca murmured softly.

"Hmm? What happened?"

Chen Nuo asked in confusion.

Although Maine's crew weren't his subordinates, as a friend, he had Delamain and V help look after them; at least in Night City, there shouldn't be any life-threatening danger.

One must know that with Chen Nuo's help, Maine's crew had truly connected with Arasaka Corporation, even receiving an extra off-payroll salary from the Counter-Intelligence Department; they were now equipped with high-end corporate cyberware.

Unless they ran into those cyberpsychos from MAX-TAC, ordinary corporate forces were no match for them.

If something still happened, it must be really bad luck.

Rebecca began to explain with animated gestures, but she only had a partial understanding; she had accidentally learned from Pilar that Maine was seriously injured and was currently being treated at Viktor's.

Hearing this, Sasha's expression also became tense.

She was also good friends with Maine; in a way, he played the role of a patriarch in the crew, just like her elder.

Chen Nuo didn't call Maine and the others directly to ask about the situation.

It concerned a mission contract, and doing so might violate professional etiquette, so he called V instead.

After all, V acted as the middleman for Maine's crew.

A top-tier cyberpunk crew is a very useful piece of toilet paper for any megacorp department to wipe their asses with.

Though the description wasn't polite, it was very apt.

The call connected.

"Nuo."

Seeing Chen Nuo, V's originally tense expression relaxed, revealing a light smile.

"What happened?"

"...I'm sorry about Maine's situation, there was a loophole in our intelligence work..."

"Alright, why are you reporting work to me? Just get to the point."

Chen Nuo interrupted.

"You should know Goro Takemura."

"Of course, Arasaka Saburo's personal bodyguard. Why haven't you killed him yet?"

Chen Nuo roughly guessed what had happened.

Sure enough, V followed up by saying:

"Yeah, quite a few people don't want him dead. Originally, this guy couldn't stir up any trouble since his cyberware were restricted and disabled, leaving him with little combat power..."

"But someone helped him lift the restrictions on his cyberware? Or just got him a whole new set?"

"Yeah."

What else could be said? Maine and the others were just unlucky.

One must know that as Arasaka Saburo's personal bodyguard, Goro Takemura's strength was on par with Adam Smasher.

In a head-on collision, Adam Smasher might suppress Goro Takemura in terms of modification levels, but if the battlefield were completely open, the one standing at the end would likely be the latter.

After all, one came from the Arasaka family's ninja background, and the other was a mercenary; the two were not the same type of contestants.

Facing a Goro Takemura with his restrictions lifted, the fact that Maine was only seriously injured was already a job well done.

With this track record, he could at least land a high-level security executive position in any other megacorp.

However, this also proved from the side that Arasaka.'s recent days likely hadn't been very easy.

If it weren't for a severe lack of manpower, such a task of eliminating dissidents and silencing witnesses for the company's top brass wouldn't have been handed to Maine.

"By the way, I haven't congratulated you on becoming a department head. Your office is twice as big; shouldn't we go to Clouds and spend big together?"

Chen Nuo shifted the topic and said with a smile.

"I'm paying?"

V couldn't help but laugh.

He was currently the youngest department head in Arasaka Corporation's history.

As for his former superior, Jenkins, he had been transferred by Arasaka. to the Special Operations Department to serve as the latest director.

The last time he saw him, that look in his eyes... he really wished he could skin V alive.

Just thinking about it made V's originally depressed mood improve a bit.

Sure enough, the quality of life is determined by comparison.

Although the Goro Takemura matter was giving him a massive headache, Jenkins' days in the Counter-Intelligence Department were even harder.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was walking on thin ice.

After all, the former director Susan was dead, but the people under her hadn't been fully purged yet.

More importantly, Jenkins moved over, but the original intelligence network and resources were all taken by V, leaving him with nothing.

Arasaka. was roasting Jenkins over a fire.

"Who else?"

Chen Nuo retorted, as if he had ever paid before.

V rolled his eyes at the words.

According to Chen Nuo's previous logic, as long as he didn't pay, it didn't count as solicitation.

Heh, what a high moral standard.

Is my money not money?

"Tell Yorinobu that I'll go over to have tea with him tomorrow."

Hearing this, V secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Night City's famous BT was coming out of retirement.

The expenses at Clouds would just be considered Chen Nuo's appearance fee; he could go back and expense it to Arasaka. later.

V was also a corporate veteran now, naturally knowing how to use the company's money to handle his own affairs.

...

...

Chen Nuo didn't go to see Maine; that old guy had a strong sense of self-esteem and was probably in an emo state, so having Dorio comfort him was enough.

After his injuries healed, he'd find a chance to have a good laugh at him.

Every day he got drunk and blustered at the Afterlife about BT being the boss and himself being second, but when he actually met a Legend level opponent, he got taken out instantly; he probably won't be able to brag like that anymore.

"Did the Biotech Corporation building get rebuilt so quickly?"

Rebecca stood on her tiptoes to look, muttering indignantly.

This Biotech Corporation building on Corpo Plaza had just finished construction; as for the original one, it had been leveled by Chen Nuo not long ago.

The reason was simple enough.

On the Badlands front, Biotech Corporation couldn't beat Chen Nuo, so they resorted to dirty tricks and started an assassination plot.

So Chen Nuo returned the favor slightly.

He used an Intercontinental Gravity Missile to directly level the Biotechnica building.

But don't worry, before acting, Chen Nuo had issued a warning, giving Biotechnica a chance to prepare, and didn't harm any innocent beasts of burden.

But this was the symbolic face of Biotech Corporation in Night City.

By doing this, Chen Nuo completely trampled the dignity of Biotech Corporation, and its market value was instantly cut in half.

However, there was no need to worry about the company president's heart or blood pressure, because that old guy's mind had already been opened up beforehand.

If other megacorps hadn't stepped in to mediate at the end, the Biotech Corporation logo probably wouldn't be seen in Night City anymore.

It was also through this battle that the Water Plant demonstrated its ultra-long-range strike capabilities and intelligence infiltration and collection abilities, leading other megacorps to truly view it as an equal.

After all, if even Biotech Corporation couldn't intercept the gravity missile, other megacorps didn't have much confidence that they could.

If even the Biotech Corporation president couldn't be protected from assassination, other megacorp presidents had even less confidence in their defenses.

In fact, to become a global megacorp, Biotechnica naturally had its trump cards, but before they could be used, the president was tragically decapitated.

Afterwards, they were too busy with internal power struggles to unify their strength against the Water Plant, and in the end, they could only swallow their pride and make peace with Chen Nuo, which led to the current situation in Night City.

"Isn't this David Martinez? Wearing this uniform makes you look like quite the professional."

As Chen Nuo walked into the Arasaka Corporation lobby, he saw a familiar figure and raised a hand to greet him.

"Mr. Nuo."

David Martinez, dressed in a suit and tie, greeted him respectfully; it seemed that the life of an Arasaka corporate drone had indeed worn down some of the youth's sharp edges.

Although he worked under V and didn't have to deal with various hidden rules, it didn't mean his days were easy.

After all, he came here to be a beast of burden, not to enjoy himself.

"Turn around and let me see."

Chen Nuo let out a whistle.

David Martinez's expression stiffened slightly; pretending he didn't hear, he said to himself:

"Is Mr. Nuo here to see the department head? I'll arrange a meeting for you right away..."

"Do I need you to arrange for me to see someone? Scram, scram, scram, go do your work."

Chen Nuo said as he gave David Martinez a kick, leaving a clear footprint on his buttocks.

"Then I'll take my leave."

David Martinez quickly walked away.

Although the age difference between the two wasn't large, the speed of Chen Nuo's social class leap was too fast; he was now at a height David Martinez couldn't even see, which inevitably made their interaction a bit formal.

Plus, Gloria would often talk about Chen Nuo in private, and the admiration in her eyes made David Martinez's hair stand on end, fearing that one day he might have to call Chen Nuo Dad.

So David Martinez actually didn't like being around Chen Nuo much.

Chen Nuo took Rebecca and the others in a private elevator to the top floor of the tower.

There were specialized reception personnel there.

From the moment Chen Nuo stepped into Arasaka Tower, his identity information had been identified and reported to Arasaka.; with his approval, everything was naturally smooth sailing.

"Only you are allowed in."

Adam Smasher reached out to block the doorway.

"No, wait, man, why did you change into this outfit today? I didn't even recognize you at first glance."

Chen Nuo couldn't help but laugh looking at the blonde handsome guy in front of him, reaching out to pat Adam Smasher's very realistic pectoral muscle.

"Oh ho, it's a 100% simulation; don't tell me you've got the equipment installed down there today too? Are you preparing to see a lover?"

"No way? This is Adam Smasher?!"

Rebecca was also a bold one, leaning in and following Chen Nuo's lead to touch, even planning to take a photo.

People often saw the Dai-Oni Adam Smasher in his full mechanical power armor form, but this was the first time seeing the blonde handsome guy Adam Smasher in a synthetic cyberware body.

This really fascinated Rebecca.

At least it was enough for her to brag at the Afterlife bar for three days.

Although Lucy and Sasha were equally surprised, they didn't go as far as to touch him.

"..."

Adam Smasher's face was expressionless, with only his sharply contracting pupils vaguely expressing the churning of his inner emotions.