freelance work

Falco was an average-looking man with long, slightly middle-parted brown hair and a neatly trimmed mustache with slightly upturned ends. He habitually wore a multi-toned brown vest with suspenders over a white high-neck long-sleeve shirt, giving him a bit of the air of a British gentleman.

The place where he arranged to meet Chen Nuo was also an English-style afternoon tea shop.

Scones paired with black tea allowed one to experience a rare moment of comfort in the restless Night City.

This meeting was an interview, for both parties involved.

Lucy sat beside Chen Nuo, gently stirring her tea. She added some milk and sugar to her cup to make it more to her liking.

It was raining outside the glass wall.

Night City's weather was like this, filled with continuous rainy days.

According to the weather forecast, today's rain was more acidic. If you had to go out, remember to wear protective gear—unless you wanted your skin to ulcerate, your eyes to go blind, and your respiratory tract to be damaged.

If this was the situation near the city center, one could only imagine the pollution in other areas.

To be able to drink a mouthful of unpolluted pure water was considered a luxury in Night City.

“What do you think, Mr. Falco?”

The terms Chen Nuo offered were already quite good. In addition to a fixed monthly salary of five thousand, he would also receive a corresponding commission for any field missions.

“I don't think I have any reason to refuse,”

Falco sighed. Not only did Maine personally vouch for Chen Nuo, but the name of BT had also become quite famous. Combined with the generous salary, working for him was as good as working for anyone else.

His only previous concern might have been that Chen Nuo was too young.

However, after meeting today and truly feeling the composure beneath Chen Nuo's youthful appearance, that concern vanished.

“Then I look forward to your guidance from now on.”

Chen Nuo extended his hand to Falco. The other man did not hesitate, shaking it firmly as he spoke.

“Should I start calling you boss?”

“Just call me Nuo. My friends all call me that.”

“As you wish, Nuo.”

“Then we can start working right now.”

Chen Nuo said as he tossed the car keys to Falco.

After the three of them finished their afternoon tea, they went to the underground parking lot. When he saw the Chevillon Emperor 620 Ragnar that had been modified by Chen Nuo and Pilar, Falco knew his choice was absolutely correct.

“How is the car? Is there anything else that needs improvement?”

Chen Nuo asked with a smile, looking at Falco, who was suppressing his excitement.

“Some details still need fine-tuning and polishing. Just leave it to me.”

Falco caressed the bulletproof steel plating on the car's body with a touch gentler than that for a lover.

“Alright, I'll leave it to you then.”

Chen Nuo and Lucy sat in the back row and sent the destination coordinates to Falco.

Falco started the vehicle and drove out of the basement, bathing it in the city's acid rain.

In such dangerous weather, vehicles and pedestrians on the streets became much scarcer, making Night City feel unusually empty.

It couldn't be helped; even with protective equipment, one couldn't completely resist the damage caused by acid rain.

Unless you implanted a set of cybernetic respiratory systems and replaced your skin while you were at it, then you could stroll through the acid rain at will and enjoy the romance unique to Night City.

Chen Nuo's car naturally took Night City's weather into account. It had an internal self-circulating air system and an anti-corrosion coating on the surface, so there was no need to worry about the acid rain outside.

Falco's driving skills were indeed quite excellent.

He drove not only fast but also very steadily, with almost no shaking felt inside the car. Moreover, he was so familiar with the roads of Night City that he could practically drive with his eyes closed.

“By the way, how many people are in our squad? It couldn't be just the three of us, right?”

Falco asked curiously while keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

“Not at all, there's one more, but I'll have to introduce you next time. This time, we're doing a private job.”

Chen Nuo replied while holding Lucy.

Hearing it was a private job, Falco didn't ask further. His professional ethics were an important factor in Chen Nuo choosing him; unless the employer brought it up themselves, Falco would never pry.

The vehicle drove into Japantown and stopped at the back door of a casino under Tyger Claws jurisdiction.

Seeing a strange vehicle, two members of the Tyger Claws immediately surrounded it, pounding on the window and cursing.

“Are you blind? Is this a place to park?”

As the window slowly rolled down, a dark gun barrel poked out.

Before the Tyger Claws member could react, a bullet flipped open his skull.

The faint gunshot of the kenshin was drowned out by the pitter-patter of the acid rain, unnoticed by anyone. The other Tyger Claws member followed in his companion's footsteps as Lucy rolled down her window.

“It splashed on my face,”

Lucy complained with a pout. Her nimble fingers danced across her terminal. With the computational power boost from the car's small server, she took over the casino's network in just a few seconds.

“Let me see.”

Chen Nuo reached out to pinch Lucy's exquisite chin, carefully examining her flawless, beautiful face, but found no dirt on it.

Lucy took the opportunity to lean in for a kiss, her eyes sly and triumphant.

“Don't mess around, we're working.”

Chen Nuo gently bit Lucy's lip.

This cyber-vixen was getting more and more clingy. Could she have noticed that he had been discussing the 'art of photography' with Sasha lately, or was it just a woman's intuition?

Regardless, she wanted to monopolize Chen Nuo's time and energy whenever she had the chance, though she lacked the stamina to keep up.

“The target has been found, right in Box 1 of the casino. I've hijacked all the surveillance equipment; I can give you at least three minutes.”

Lucy said as she sent the route information to Chen Nuo.

“That's enough time.”

Chen Nuo pushed open the door, opened his umbrella, opened the back door of the casino, and stepped into the foul atmosphere within.

He had indeed found the right person in Rita. In less than a day, she had completed Chen Nuo's commission and found those Tyger Claws members.

Chen Nuo picked up an electronic mask from a table and put it on, disguising himself as one of the gamblers. No one noticed his intrusion.

The Tyger Claws operated many similar underground casinos.

Unlike other legally operating entertainment venues, these underground casinos were small in scale, and the environment left much to be desired. As soon as Chen Nuo stepped inside, his sense of smell took a heavy hit.

His current sense of smell far exceeded that of ordinary people and was even more sensitive than typical cyberware.

Unfortunately, this sensory function could not be turned off voluntarily like an implant; he could only endure it silently with his strong willpower.

In the corners of the casino hall, Tyger Claws members were maintaining order. They were responsible for dealing with those who had lost everything and were seeing red, usually knocking them out and throwing them straight out of the casino.

But if someone had borrowed from the casino's loan sharks, they would be sent directly to the operating room to see what organs they had that could settle the debt.

Rest assured, the Tyger Claws wouldn't do a losing business; they would have definitely performed a value assessment on your body before lending the money.

As for the boxes upstairs, they were specifically for entertaining those with some capital. The environment there was much better than the hall, and there were even Sex Dolls available for service.

The Tyger Claws members who were originally stationed at the stairs were gone; Lucy had hacked into their comm channel and lured them away.

Chen Nuo arrived at Box 1 as if walking through an empty place. At the same moment he pushed open the door, Lucy cut the power, and darkness instantly swallowed the entire box.

“What's going on!”

“A power outage?”

“Quiet, don't move!”

“...”

The fluorescent tattoos on the Tyger Claws members became exceptionally striking at this moment. Even without activating his Cybernetic Eye' night vision, Chen Nuo could easily find his targets.

After a few muffled gunshots, the box fell into a deathly silence.

Chen Nuo walked downstairs and out the door with a calm expression, returning to the car. He felt no joy of revenge; after all, these Tyger Claws members were just tools for the job, and he was merely collecting some interest for his deceased father.

A few minutes later, by the time the Tyger Claws members here noticed anything, Falco had already driven the car to another location.

Chen Nuo didn't like owing anyone anything, so he decided to handle Rita's matter as well on this trip.

However, the problem was that this guy was currently patrolling a block with several people. It wasn't quite convenient to act directly in broad daylight; there were too many eyes around, and there was a risk of exposure.

Regardless, his current primary commissions mostly came from Wakako, so he had to consider her feelings to some extent.

After all, Wakako's nine sons were currently high-ranking members of the Tyger Claws, and Chen Nuo didn't really want to listen to an old woman's nagging.

Although Wakako ostensibly upheld the principle of neutrality and did not interfere in conflicts between gangs and Edgerunners, she couldn't possibly be indifferent to her sons' safety.

The reason Wakako still held her position as a Fixer, acting as a bridge between corporations and Edgerunners, was precisely to prevent her sons from becoming targets of commissions.

“Let's find a place to park first,”

Chen Nuo said to Falco, who parked the car in an open parking lot.

By this time, the rain had not weakened but had become even more intense.

With Chen Nuo's current physique, he didn't need to worry about physical damage from the acid rain, but Lucy and Falco couldn't handle it. Chen Nuo had them stay in the car while he got out alone, holding an umbrella.

The target was at the other end of this street.

This guy had implanted quite a few combat cyberware and felt no discomfort even though his entire body was exposed to the acid rain. He held a katana in his hand.

Chen Nuo scanned him with his Cybernetic Eye and was somewhat surprised.

It was an Arasaka Corporation nanowire thermal katana, capable of releasing terrifyingly high temperatures in a short time, with strong lethality in close combat.

It was much more expensive than ordinary titanium alloy blades with nano-coatings and was not something a common gang member could possess.

However, using it was also quite troublesome and far less simple or effective than firearms. Without a certain level of skill, it would be easy to cut oneself.

Only Arasaka Corporation was somewhat keen on developing such melee weapons.

The primary audience was Tyger Claws members, which stemmed from cultural influences.

Chen Nuo was quite interested in such high-tech blades. He had previously asked V to help him get one, but his wish hadn't been fulfilled yet. He didn't expect to run into one here.

According to the intelligence provided by Rita, this guy was supposedly the illegitimate son of some Arasaka executive named Shiro Yamaguchi. He was highly regarded by the Tyger Claws, unlike the low-level thugs Chen Nuo had killed earlier.

One could tell just by looking at the uniform Arasaka cyberware on him.

It was no wonder Rita needed Chen Nuo's help. If the Moxes were to attempt a direct assassination, who knew how many lives they would have to throw away for a chance at success.

Chen Nuo arrived ahead of time on the target's inevitable path.

This was a narrow alley, barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. The ground was littered with scattered needles and trash. The alley was about ten meters long and connected to another street.

The high walls on both sides blocked most of the view, and the surveillance equipment here had long since been damaged.

Normally, if it wasn't raining, quite a few Sex Dolls and dealers of various illegal goods would be standing here.

“Hey! Are you blind? Get out of the way!”

The subordinate behind Shiro Yamaguchi shouted angrily when he saw someone blocking the path ahead.

However, Chen Nuo's action of advancing instead of retreating made them immediately realize something was wrong. This person was clearly coming for them. They hurriedly drew their blades, but the cramped space severely restricted their movements.

At that moment, Chen Nuo suddenly accelerated and pulled out his kenshin pistol.

“Damn it!”

Shiro Yamaguchi faced the gun barrel and, feeling the shroud of death, instinctively activated his Sandevistan.

The world instantly slowed down in his eyes.

Unfortunately, the sense of security and confidence brought by the implant vanished in the next second as his subordinate's head exploded behind him.

The enhancement from the Sandevistan allowed Shiro Yamaguchi to capture every frame of the bullet piercing the head with even greater clarity.

The instantaneous arrival of death caught him completely off guard.

What followed was extreme rage!

The Reinforced Tendons in Shiro Yamaguchi's legs, combined with the Sandevistan, allowed him to burst with teleportation-like speed in the eyes of an ordinary person. The distance of less than ten meters could be crossed in a single breath.

The unsheathed nanowire thermal katana hissed as it scorched the acid rain into steam.

However, with Shiro Yamaguchi's strength, he would likely struggle against even a Militech security member, so how could he threaten Chen Nuo? His Sandevistan wasn't even military grade.

When their eyes met, Shiro Yamaguchi's heart tightened. A sharp pain suddenly shot through his wrist, and before he could react, the katana had already slipped from his hand and was caught by Chen Nuo.

Immediately after, his airborne body fell to the ground as if drained of all strength, followed by two distinct sounds.

Shiro Yamaguchi's head rolled to Chen Nuo's feet, staring blankly at the sky.

“Your blade is quite nice. Thanks,”

Chen Nuo said to Shiro Yamaguchi while toying with the nanowire thermal katana in his hand. Unfortunately, the man could no longer hear his praise.

The acid rain would erase all traces here. Chen Nuo only needed to ensure that no information was stored in their neural links, and the best way to do that was, of course, physical destruction.

A moment later, Chen Nuo left the alley holding his umbrella and sent a photo of the decapitation to Rita.

Rita immediately replied with a beautiful photo of a kiss.