"Why are you stopping the car?"
V looked at Jax pushing open the car door, her face a picture of exasperation.
Curled up in a ball under the seat, her body incredibly flexible, she stared wide-eyed at Jax, her sweat-dampened dark hair clinging to her cheeks.
"Relax," Jax told V, then got straight out of the car.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Seeing Jax actually get out, V nearly froze. She quickly scrambled up, pushing aside the car mat, and climbed into the driver's seat.
Key in, turn the key...
"Damn it, where's my car key?"
V's old car was cheap, the kind that might not even sell for 50 euros at a junkyard.
Besides its ability to drive, this car was, to put it plainly, just a big tin can on four wheels.
Therefore, V's car didn't have fingerprint unlocking or brain-computer binding. Besides, V didn't even have a brain-computer interface!
Sticking her head out the window, gritting her teeth, V, who had planned to ditch Jax and sneak away, let out a sarcastic laugh. She opened her mouth and cursed at Jax's retreating back: "Alright, you're good, you're really fucking good!"
"We're on the same side, V." Jax, with his back to V, raised his right hand and wiggled his right index finger.
On Jax's right index finger, a keyring spun with his movements.
The keyring also held a cute little black dog, which looked like a bulldog.
"Who the hell is on the same side as you? We just happened to be on a mission together! That makes us a team?
How are you even more shameless than a Nomad? I'm warning you, Jax, give me back my key!"
Hearing V's shouts from behind him, Jax shook his head, amused.
When he got out of the car, Jax had already guessed that given his and V's fleeting acquaintance, V wouldn't risk her neck for him.
While in the car, it was fine; V would help, thinking they were both fleeing for their lives, being hunted, like comrades in misfortune.
But if Jax went against V, stopping the car and getting out, then V definitely wouldn't stay behind.
V, who had come all the way from such a distant place to Night City alone, was naturally no naive pushover. Calling her ruthless wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.
And because of this, Jax was now impressed by his own cleverness.
Seeing that the car wouldn't start and that they were in the Badlands of Night City, V took a deep breath, kicked open the driver's side door, and got out of the car.
Holding her pistol, she crouched and used the car as cover, vigilantly looking at the corporate car that had driven up and stopped.
Jax stood still, watching two corporate cars screech to a halt in front of him.
With a heavy thud, the car doors were pushed open. Several men in black suits got out first, followed by security personnel in bulletproof vests, armed with rifles.
"Run, run, run, why aren't you running anymore?"
The leading corporate lackey swaggered over, reaching out to push Jax in the chest.
Seeing this, Jax reached out, instantly grabbed the outstretched hand, and twisted it downwards.
"Ah!" Instantly, the man was restrained by Jax in front of him.
"Damn it, you dare to resist!" Seeing their companion trapped, the other two corporate agents immediately rushed forward, raising their guns and pointing them at Jax.
Jax narrowed his eyes and looked back at V, who was still crouching.
V, by the car, saw Jax looking at her, and her mouth twitched fiercely. Her head, which had instinctively ducked down, poked out again. Then, V sighed and walked out, holding her gun.
She quickly dashed to Jax's side, bending down to look at Jax's pocket; her car key was in there.
Damn it!
Without a car, she couldn't possibly escape the corporate agents' pursuit. Therefore, V was helpless now.
I'm helpless!
V looked at Jax and muttered softly, "How many can you take down?"
Jax glanced at V, said nothing, and continued to look at the approaching corporate lackeys.
Jax looked at them calmly and said, "If I were you, I'd conduct a thorough scan first, instead of relying on your corporate agent status to act recklessly. Life isn't meant to be used like that."
These corporate lackeys in front of him had no enmity with Jax.
Moreover, Rogue had emphasized to Jax that for the time being, even with Michiko vouching for Jax, neither the Arasaka branch in Night City nor Militech would bother him.
However, this didn't mean Jax could act as he pleased in Night City. Outside Night City, Militech had countless camps and bases. Provoking Militech while still fledgling?
To be honest... this was far more troublesome than Arasaka.
After all, Arasaka was a powerful dragon, but Militech was a local snake... What about Night Corp?
Night Corp was a local snake of no consequence. The mayor had become a corporate puppet, though he might babble about some 'Mr. Blue Eyes.' But Jax was not stupid, he didn't care about such things.
For him, the most troublesome enemies weren't some Mr. Blue Eyes, but these big corporations.
Hearing Jax say this, the corporate employees were startled. Then, the next moment, they performed an optical implant scan on Jax.
V, standing by, was a bit confused.
What's going on? Are they... not fighting anymore?
Looking at Jax, V's eyes flickered. She really couldn't understand how this native, seemingly refined, guy, who looked like someone who would only resort to schemes, was so formidable.
McCoy was terrified after investigating him, telling her bluntly to behave herself. The Night City border police recognized him and were also subservient.
But... corporate people wouldn't be like this, would they?
That's a corporation!
V was a Nomad, true, but that didn't mean Nomads were low-intelligence barbarians, alright?
Nomads were just a group of people who didn't want to associate with city dwellers, gathering together to make a living.
In Nomad camps, there were all sorts of facilities, even schools, to pass on knowledge to the next generation. Therefore, V was not illiterate!
She knew very well what a corporation represented, especially... the four words Militech.
But the next moment, something that shocked V happened.
The lights in the eyes of those corporate lackeys faded, and then, they looked at the man in front of them with horrified expressions.
"You... how are you here?" The corporate employee looked at Jax, stammering.
"You recognized me?"
"..." The corporate employee closed his mouth, fear flashing in his eyes.
Yes, most people in this world feared corporations.
But... these people definitely didn't include cyberpsychos or top-tier mercenaries.
The former would even harm themselves, and the latter?
Top-tier mercenaries, they were the ones who took on corporations!
"You're not going to kill us?" another corporate employee spoke up.
He was quite bold, calmly looking at Jax, and continued, "With your strength, killing us would only take an instant."
"Why would I kill you?" Jax looked at them and continued, "I have no grievances with you. Your encountering me was just an accident."
This was indeed an accident. Normally, Jackie would have taken this mission... no, that's not right.
In the game's plot, Jackie didn't have a Sandevistan. After he and V repelled the drones, they entered Night City, shook off the corporate cars, and then everything was fine.
But the current Jackie had a Sandevistan installed. If they really ran into Jackie, these ordinary corporate employees... ha, they would be truly unlucky.
Jax suddenly found it a bit amusing as he thought about it.
"Go back. Don't treat your lives as worthless." Jax let go, ignoring the suspicious look from V beside him. He looked at the corporate employees and continued:
"You can write the report however you want, but you should also know that the few of you can't stop me."
Jax continued, "If you want to pursue me again, then call in some high-level agents. That might actually give me some trouble."
With that, Jax turned and walked towards the car.
As he passed V, she quickly followed, looking at Jax and whispering, "Are you really a big shot?"
"I told you, I'm not a big shot."
"Bullshit! You scared away corporate people with just a few words, and you're not a big shot?"
"Tell me, why did you take a job like this? What exactly is that thing I'm transporting? How about we just keep it? That Fixer is screwing me over again. This job only pays a few thousand. Are you kidding me?
If he dares to screw me over, we can screw him over too. What do you think of my suggestion? If it makes corporate people chase after it like this, the stuff inside must be worth a fortune."
V chattered on, following behind Jax.
"Why do you say'screwing you over again'?" Jax, however, caught the key point.
"..." V immediately fell silent.
Being screwed over... that kind of thing is really embarrassing!
At the same time, watching V and Jax walk away, the Militech team leader sighed and said, "Let's go, time to head back."
"Just like that? The group leader said we absolutely had to get this thing." Another corporate employee said.
The team leader looked at him and said softly, "Then you go chase them?"
"Alright, let's go back. As for the report... we'll just say customs didn't stop them, and by the time we arrived, the vehicle had disappeared."
"If we do that, we'll lose a month's salary. Why don't we say Jax took this mission?"
"Have some dignity. He could have killed all of us and walked away. Look at our pathetic cyberware; we don't even have decent high-level combat implants. Would it have taken him much effort to kill us?"
The team leader said somewhat angrily, "He let us off the hook. Although I don't know what he was thinking, but..."
I don't want to get into trouble over this."
"Alright, let's go back."
With that, the team leader led the way into the corporate car.
On the Santo Domingo highway, under the night sky, the old car rattled along. V sat in the passenger seat, vigilantly looking out the window.
She had emerged from the shock of Night City's splendor, and now, V was worried that Jax would take advantage of her.
How beautiful was she, damn it?
And the main point was, her face wasn't fake; she wasn't some artificial beauty sculpted into existence. Because of this, V knew how valuable her flesh and blood were.
Isn't this world all about scarcity?
Beautiful women, in this era, there were just too many of them, damn it. Any style you wanted could be created—face sculpting, chip implants. Not just appearance, but even inner personality and memories could be manufactured. In such an era, for the powerful, naturally born beauties had become rare commodities.
And because of this, V was naturally cautious.
"Where exactly are you taking me?" After another ten minutes or so, V couldn't hold back any longer and asked Jax.
"To complete the mission," Jax replied.
"I can find the place myself!" V immediately said.
Jax noticed V's wariness and said, "Don't guard against me like I'm a thief. Let me put it this way, V, I actually have a good impression of you. You've just arrived in Night City, and you don't know anyone. At this hour, do you expect the Fixer to pay you the moment the mission is completed?"
V fell silent.
After a mission handover, it required time for review. Good Fixers would pay within twelve or twenty-four hours.
Slower ones would pay within 72 hours.
Therefore, Jax's words hit V's sore spot.
It was too late now, and she was out of money. Her last bit of money had gone to the auto repair shop in the Badlands.
And so... if the Fixer couldn't pay immediately, she wouldn't just have a place to stay, but she wouldn't even solve her hunger problem.
The thought of finally making it to Night City, only to have to huddle in her broken-down car, hungry and cold overnight, sent a shiver down V's spine.
"Are you... interested in me?" V took a deep breath, looking at Jax very seriously.
"..." Jax turned his head, instinctively wanting to say, 'You're really overthinking things, aren't you?'
My own backyard is on fire, and I can't even deal with that. How would I have time to add another one?
Sasha and Lucy were fighting tooth and nail behind the scenes. Jax wasn't blind; how could he not know?
But when he looked at V, Night City's night was bright, neon signs casting a faint yellow glow through the clouds, along with the streetlights on both sides, illuminating V's face.
She was facing Jax, her pretty face smudged with some dust, her hair disheveled. Although it was a bit greasy and matted, because it was short, V ran her hand through it, and it could be described as fresh.
Coupled with her face, an incredibly handsome and beautiful face full of spirit, her emerald eyes were seriously looking at Jax.
Her red lips were slightly pursed, a tiny bit of white showing through—those were V's canines.
For a moment, the words he wanted to use to sarcastically tell V she was overthinking things couldn't be spoken.
Jax quietly looked at V, and in his mind appeared: This chick... she's really damn hot.
What kind of absolutely stunning beauty is this?