"Oh? Rebecca—long time no see."
The moment Xiao saw the green-haired girl appear through Sasha's optics, a teasing smile spread across his face.
Rebecca's reaction was immediate.
"Don't call me that!" she snapped, practically exploding. " 'Chan' this, 'chan' that—what are you, trying to act cute? It's disgusting!"
Her holographic projection flickered angrily in front of Sasha's vision, arms crossed, eyes blazing.
If not for the random clutter in Xiao's background—an Adam Smasher mug and a small green coaster that looked suspiciously like her—she might've assumed he was mocking her outright.
Actually… that made it worse.
"Wait—why am I the coaster and that metal freak is the mug?" she barked. "You looking down on me?!"
Xiao just chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.
"Alright, enough," he said, raising a hand. "Sasha, I need you to track V immediately."
His tone shifted—casual, but precise.
"And contact Maine's crew. Have them locate and protect Jackie. He's already out searching for her."
A brief pause.
"I've sent everything to your email."
"Got it. Ten minutes."
Sasha didn't waste another word. She popped the lollipop from her mouth, hung up, and moved immediately.
Within moments, she had stripped down and stepped into the ice bath, cables linking into her spine as she dove deep into the Net.
Across the city, Maine was mid-fight.
Bare fists.
Sweat and blood.
Dorio barely had time to react before—
BAM!
Maine's punch landed clean, knocking him straight down.
"Seriously?" Dorio groaned, rubbing his face. "We just started."
Maine flexed his fingers, already distracted.
"Work came in. Urgent."
Sasha's voice echoed through the comms:
"100,000 euro. Check the file."
That was all it took.
Maine's expression sharpened instantly.
"…Alright. Gear up."
Dorio cursed under her breath but didn't argue. Both of them moved quickly, heading straight for the armory.
Inside the vehicle, Pilar was already digging through the mission file.
Then he froze.
"…No way."
"What?" Maine asked, adjusting his gloves.
Pilar slowly turned the screen toward him.
"Jackieie Welles."
A wanted notice filled the display—alongside a second face.
"Suspected involvement in Saburo Arasaka's assassination."
For a moment, even Maine went still.
"You're kidding…"
His glasses nearly slipped off.
Then, without hesitation, he pinged Sasha:
"No way this job stays at 100k. Tell Xiao—we need more."
A short pause.
Then Sasha replied, slightly awkward:
"…This isn't a fixer job. It's a direct commission."
That made things worse.
Direct corporate ties could get a crew blacklisted fast.
Maine clicked his tongue, thinking quickly.
"Contact Rogue," he said. "Let her mediate. And double the price."
Moments later, Sasha responded:
"He agreed."
Maine grinned.
"Then we move."
Falco didn't need to be told twice.
The engine roared.
The car shot forward.
Meanwhile—
Jackie was already deep in trouble.
His Arch motorcycle tore through the streets, engine screaming as he weaved between traffic.
But it didn't matter.
His face was everywhere.
Every screen.
Every bounty board.
And Night City didn't ignore that kind of payout.
The first wave came fast—small-time gangers looking to get lucky.
Jackie didn't slow down.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots from his pistol.
Two bodies dropped.
He kept moving.
But the deeper he went, the worse it got.
More people joined the hunt.
Better gear.
Faster vehicles.
Even full cyber-enhanced mercs.
Jackie's breathing grew heavier.
His body had changed—stronger, tougher—but he was still at the very beginning.
Barely even Qi Refining.
He couldn't keep this up forever.
Then—
BOOM!
A heavy truck burst out from a side street.
Too fast.
Too close.
Jackie barely had time to react before it slammed into him.
The motorcycle spun wildly, flipping through the air before crashing hard onto the asphalt.
Jackie hit the ground even harder.
Rolling.
Crashing.
Bones snapping.
Everything went black for a split second.
"…Damn it…"
He tried to move.
Couldn't.
Pain flooded his entire body.
Somewhere deep inside, a silver, mercury-like substance began to flow—slowly repairing the damage.
But it wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
He was still down.
Still exposed.
The truck door opened.
Heavy footsteps hit the ground.
A massive figure stepped out—his body almost entirely mechanical, chrome gleaming under the streetlights.
At least eighty percent modified.
The kind of man you didn't fight.
The kind that hunted people like Jackie for a living.
He looked down at him.
And smiled.
The hunt—
Was over.
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSim