accomplices

The next morning!

Lucy woke up in her bed. She had already tended to the wound on her abdomen last night; it didn't interfere with her daily activities. As for the scarring, there was no need to worry—any small clinic could restore her skin to its original state.

Medical aesthetics technology in Night City was just that advanced.

However, Lucy looked a bit out of sorts, clearly suffering from a lack of sleep.

The moment she closed her eyes, Chen Nuo's silhouette would haunt her.

An indescribable emotion kept Lucy tossing and turning all night, even sparking a thought she had never had before.

Maybe she should form a permanent team with Chen Nuo.

Once this thought took root, she couldn't shake it from her mind.

Lying in bed, Lucy gently stroked the pistol she had returned last night, as if she could still feel Chen Nuo's residual warmth on it. The sensation made her body flush with heat.

Even with a Netrunner's heat dissipation capabilities, she couldn't lower this rising temperature from deep within her heart.

Lucy's hacking skills were actually quite good.

While not top-tier, she was definitely above average. Most importantly, she was still young and had the potential to keep improving.

Because of this, many Edgerunner groups had extended invitations to Lucy, but she had rejected them all. Her past experiences made it difficult for her to integrate into this city, let alone trust others.

But for a Netrunner, not having a fixed team for coordination and protection was a fatal weakness.

This meant many high-yield commissions were out of Lucy's reach. She could only scour the dark web for scraps that other Netrunners looked down upon, even stooping to stealing chips on the metro.

What self-respecting Netrunner would do something so demeaning?

A whole day of stealing chips only earned enough for two bottles of immunosuppressants.

Low returns were one thing, but the risks were also high.

If she missed this chance with Chen Nuo, Lucy didn't know when she would ever find someone else she could trust with her back again.

Just consider it a way to save up enough money for the moon sooner.

With that thought, Lucy finally convinced herself. She found Chen Nuo's name in her contacts and dialed the number.

Clutching her blanket and pressing her legs together, Lucy felt inexplicably nervous. To be honest, this was the first time she had called a member of the opposite sex; her previous calls were mostly to her mentor.

After a long wait, the call finally connected.

Lucy controlled her emotions, trying her best to make her voice sound casual and natural.

“What are you doing? Just woke up?”

“What else? Working.”

“What kind of work?”

Lucy recalled Chen Nuo's nonchalant expression as he fired his gun last night, and she unconsciously tightened her long, pale thighs.

“Making pancakes, what else would I be doing?”

Hearing this, the image in Lucy's mind shattered into pieces.

“If there's something, hurry up. Business is busy here.”

“...Never mind.”

Lucy hesitated for a moment but still couldn't speak up. She hung up the phone in a bit of a huff, not knowing if she was angry at herself or at Chen Nuo... At the pancake stall on the street, Rebecca leaned on the counter, propping up her short frame. She stared at Chen Nuo with her glowing red cybernetic eyes and said irritably,

“Hey, I'm starving. Can you move any faster?”

“Almost ready.”

Chen Nuo quickly sped up his pancake-making, then turned to ask the other girl beside Rebecca,

“Miss Kitty, would you like one too?”

“Of course.”

Sasha said while chewing gum. Her naturally upturned lips gave a friendly impression, but the multiple modification marks on her body gave off a wild sense of danger.

Her fluffy short hair covered her ears, creating a cat-like face shape. Combined with the two upward cyber-markings on both sides of her cheeks, the first impression she gave was that of a dangerous yet charming black cat.

However, the vast majority of people living in Night City had never seen an animal other than a human in their entire lives, let alone a cat.

In the eyes of most people, Sasha's style couldn't be associated with a cat at all.

So when Chen Nuo called her Miss Kitty, a flash of unexpected surprise appeared in Sasha's eyes.

It was like meeting someone with the same niche interest on the street.

“Do you want Spicy Cheetos added?”

Chen Nuo looked at Rebecca and asked.

“Put lots! I love spicy food.”

Rebecca indeed had a heavy palate; she even tried to snatch the sauce bottle from Chen Nuo's hand to do it herself. But the difference in their reaction speeds was too great. Rebecca failed to snatch it and instead got a tap on the back of her hand.

At this stall, only one person could control the Spicy Cheetos!

“Whoa, I didn't see that coming, kid. You're pretty fast.”

Rebecca didn't get angry. She leaned in close to Chen Nuo and poked his abdomen with her elbow.

“It's alright.”

Chen Nuo handed over the rolled-up pancake.

Once she had food, Rebecca finally quieted down.

She squatted carelessly on the nearby steps, revealing her two fleshy short legs. She took a bite and started huffing from the spice, but didn't forget to give Chen Nuo a thumbs up.

“Tastes really good, kid.”

Chen Nuo didn't say anything and tossed an iced carbonated drink over. Rebecca's eyes lit up instantly; she loved this stuff.

“I won't have the Spicy Cheetos.”

Sasha's voice also sounded very cat-like—soft, as if gently scratching your ears—as she paid for Rebecca.

“No problem, it'll be ready soon.”

Chen Nuo quickly finished Sasha's pancake and handed it over.

Miss Kitty ate quite elegantly, especially in contrast to Rebecca beside her.

After the two finished eating, they left Chen Nuo's field of vision. Meeting these two wasn't particularly surprising; after all, Rebecca and her brother also lived in Japantown.

And judging by Sasha's appearance, she probably lived nearby too.

Their personalities were clearly opposites, but their bond was very good—you could feel it just by watching their retreating backs.

Business in the morning was decent, with over a hundred Eurodollars coming in. Don't think that's little; you should know that in this city, a luxury sedan in the eyes of the public can be bought for only 5,000.

Even if it's just second-hand.

As Chen Nuo counted his earnings and calculated his costs, the smile on his face slowly vanished.

Damn it, I worked all morning, and the money I earned is just enough to pay the protection fee?!

Damn, how is a decent person supposed to live in Night City?

Clearly, one nuclear bomb wasn't enough.

“You're actually running a stall here.”

Lucy found him and said with some disbelief. It was hard to connect the current Chen Nuo with the one from last night.

“What else? This is my main job, okay?”

Chen Nuo rolled his eyes. He took this pancake-making job very seriously; after all, it was the first job that could support him after he officially entered Night City.

Lucy showed an 'as I thought' expression. She knew the pancake stall was just Chen Nuo's outward disguise.

Just based on how effortlessly this guy dealt with that gang of Scavengers last night, she knew Chen Nuo must have other unknown identities and secrets. She leaned her head in and asked,

“Then what's your side job?”

“Does maintaining and servicing your pistol count? After all, that was my biggest single income.”

Chen Nuo thought for a bit and said uncertainly.

“Are you serious? Don't try to lie to me! Your performance last night was nothing like a pancake vendor!”

Lucy was a bit angry, though she didn't realize why. Maybe it was because of Chen Nuo's lack of trust in her?

But in Night City, trust was garbage that should be thrown in the trash. No decent Cyber-person had such a thing.

“That was me acting, okay?”

“Acting?”

“You have no idea how hard I was holding it in. Seeing those heads explode, I almost vomited on the spot. Especially that perverted naked guy—brain matter got on my hand, making me wash my hands all night after I got back.”

Chen Nuo spoke bluntly. Thinking about it now still felt a bit repulsive.

Lucy looked into Chen Nuo's eyes and inexplicably believed him. Her mood also brightened. She inadvertently closed the distance between her and Chen Nuo and asked curiously,

“Since it was so uncomfortable, why did you endure it? Were you afraid I'd laugh at you?”

“Huh? With that pitiful look you had last night, I'd be afraid of you laughing? It's already good enough that I didn't mock you. I just didn't want to waste such a cool entrance, okay?”

Chen Nuo believed in finishing what he started. Since he had already set the bar for his entrance so high, he had to keep up the act until the end, even if it meant forcing himself.

“...”

Lucy irritably punched Chen Nuo's arm. It was true that last night was her most pathetic moment in front of him, but then she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“You're crazy. You still haven't said why you came looking for me.”

Chen Nuo couldn't understand Lucy's shifting moods and asked about the main business.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lucy reached out and hooked her arm around Chen Nuo's neck, pulling their faces close until they were only a palm's width apart. Their warm breaths hit each other's faces.

“Boss! Give me a...”

Lucy pulled out her pistol and aimed it at the tactless customer. The person immediately shut their mouth and fled as if for their life.

“Become my accomplice, Chen Nuo.”

Lucy wasn't affected by the small interlude and issued a sincere invitation.

“Accomplice? That doesn't sound like a good word.”

“I was never a good person to begin with.”

“Let me think about it.”

Chen Nuo was somewhat surprised by Lucy's invitation. Looking at her eyes, as brilliant as a rainbow, he was indeed a bit tempted.

He admitted he was shallow and a bit attracted to Lucy's body.

But since it concerned his future direction, Chen Nuo still hesitated. After all, he really hadn't decided what he wanted to do.

Become a Cyberpunk, an Edgerunner as people call them?

That didn't seem like a good choice. He had never heard of a Cyberpunk who had a good end. Even the famous V couldn't escape the destiny of this profession.

As the saying goes, there are no living legends in Night City.

But in Night City, most people don't even have the chance to choose.

“Then don't make me wait too long.”

Lucy felt a bit disappointed deep down, but she didn't show it on her face. While letting go of Chen Nuo, she gently scratched his cheek with her fingertip, like an ambiguous threat.

It was as if she were saying, you'd better give me the answer I want.

Lucy was still Lucy. Before opening her heart, she was used to using a strong front to cover the fragility and insecurity buried deep inside.

“I'll try.”

At this moment, Chen Nuo didn't quite dare to look Lucy in the eye. This cyber-vixen was just too good at this, making his blood surge downward. He had to distract himself to avoid losing his composure.

However, Lucy's insight was quite keen. She noticed Chen Nuo's embarrassment, gently twitched her eyebrow, and her lips curled into a sly, charming arc.

“What are you trying to do?”

Chen Nuo was about to step back, but Lucy stepped forward and grabbed his wrist.

“Come on, follow me to a place.”

“Where to? I still have business to do.”

“What business? I've booked you for the next half-day.”

Chen Nuo looked at the notification on his cyber-eye showing 1,000 Eurodollars received. He instantly threw his pancake stall to the back of his mind and went with Lucy to her home.

The layout and furnishings of Lucy's apartment room weren't much different from Chen Nuo's.

However, as a Netrunner, no hacking chair could be found in Lucy's room. Instead, one could see the bathtub in the bathroom filled with ice water that hadn't completely melted.

Chen Nuo knew this was Lucy's way of cooling down for deep diving; many struggling Netrunners did this.

But Lucy's refusal to use a hacking chair wasn't because of that, but rather from an internal resistance.

“What are you looking for?”

Lucy interrupted Chen Nuo's looking around and handed a heavy package into his hand.

“Are these those guys' cyberware?”

Chen Nuo smelled the bloody scent coming from the package. Looking at the length and shape, he remembered Lucy cutting off and taking away the apron-wearing naked man's cybernetic arm last night.

Hand cybernetics didn't require as strict and precise removal and preservation as the nervous system or internal circulation system implants; they could even be plug-and-play. So, a bit of rough handling was fine.

“Those Scavengers only had these few valuable things on them. Come with me to sell them.”

“These should be my spoils of war, right?”

Chen Nuo only then remembered he had forgotten to loot the bodies last night. This was a serious technical error.

“Fifty-fifty split.”

“That's more like it.”

Chen Nuo smiled happily.

Lucy was actually also going to sell cyberware for the first time. Although she had found several buying points on the dark web in advance, everyone knew the atmosphere of Night City.

Without someone by her side, she really didn't have much of a sense of security... “This is the buyer you found? Aren't these a bunch of Scavengers?” Chen Nuo looked at the group of guys in front of him who were grinning maliciously, and said crossly to Lucy beside him.

Chen Nuo looked at the group of guys in front of him who were grinning maliciously, and said crossly to Lucy beside him.

“Fine, why don't you find one then?”

Lucy was also a bit annoyed, but most of this emotion was directed at the Scavengers in front of her.

Instead of properly picking up bodies on the road, these Scavengers had learned to set bait and fish online. The key was that the one caught was her, which was quite a slap in the face for her as a Netrunner.

Actually, the buyer Lucy found wasn't the problem; it was just that these people occasionally moonlighted as Scavengers.

It was also to blame that Chen Nuo and Lucy looked too appetizing, making them unable to resist starting their night shift early.

After a burst of gunfire, Chen Nuo walked out carrying a pile of blood-stained cyberware, muttering under his breath.

“We agreed to sell goods, how did it become getting more stock?”

“These Scavengers are really pathetic.”

Lucy counted the money chips; they didn't even add up to three thousand Eurodollars.

This was normal; they were all people who lived day-to-day and indulged in immediate pleasure. Saving money would just be leaving it for someone else.

“Now you decide how to handle these cyberware.”

Lucy crossed her arms, adopting a spectator's stance. she wanted to see what kind of reliable buyer Chen Nuo could find.

“Heh, of course we're going to see Old Man Vik.”

“Who?”