After some careful picking, Jackie selected two pistols. He just loved using handguns, and Lin Yu let him be.
They were two JKE-X2 Kenshins—not top-tier weapons, but the best they could afford right now.
Lin Yu chose an assault rifle: the M251S Ajax.
It wasn't anything special either, but since it was meant to be a backup weapon, it would do for now.
However, this reminded Lin Yu of something: he wondered if those places where you could find free weapons were still viable.
For example, the Liberty pistol next to the corpse by the garbage heap.
In reality, weapons wouldn't just sit around waiting for you. Anyone who found good gear would definitely snatch it up.
After this job, he would have to hunt down those weapon stashes—especially the ones hidden and stationary.
Even if he didn't need them, he couldn't just let others pick them up.
At the very least, they would look good sitting in his stash.
"V, should we head straight there?"
Jackie suddenly asked after a moment of thought.
He wasn't one to shy away from a fight, but picking a fight with the Maelstrom gang always made him feel uneasy.
Maelstrom wasn't the strongest gang in Night City, but they were definitely among the nastiest.
Rampant abuse of low-grade cyberware had driven many of them into cyberpsychosis.
As a result, their personalities had become twisted—cruel and unpredictable.
Calling them lunatics wasn't even an insult; it was the plain truth.
"Jackie, let's go. Hesitation leads to defeat!"
Lin Yu said, sounding almost philosophical.
Jackie didn't fully understand but nodded anyway.
He noticed V had changed a lot since leaving the Corpo life. Then again, coming out of a place like that without going insane was already a miracle.
They lightened the mood with casual conversation as they drove onward.
According to the data from Victor's chip, the Maelstrom had hijacked the goods at the entrance and transported them to a warehouse at a robotics factory in the North Industrial District.
Victor had used various connections to reach out to the Maelstrom and offered to buy the goods back.
But Victor wasn't naive. While negotiating, he had already arranged for a fixer to find someone to do the dirty work if needed.
Lin Yu was fully aware that dealing with Maelstrom meant no guarantees—they could easily take the money and still refuse to hand over the goods.
Which was why he was bringing only bullets and his Mantis Blades.
★★★
Meanwhile, Jackie and Lin Yu were on their way.
Victor sat on a bench, watching a boxing match on screen, but found it dull and uninteresting.
He couldn't suppress the excitement and curiosity bubbling inside him.
How could someone have cyberware installed without surgery?
He couldn't figure it out—but he was desperate to know.
When it came to technology, Victor was always meticulous and serious.
Suddenly, he stood up, opened up his database, and started pulling old research documents.
"Fourth-Generation Cyberware: Latest Research Report," "The History of Cyberware Transplantation Surgery," "Future Prospects in Cyberware Technology"...
Chip after chip filled with professional information was read, but none mentioned external cyberware attachment—let alone any actual cases.
Victor thought for a moment, then decided to make a call.
On the other end was an elderly man—frail, looking every bit the cyberdoc he was.
"Tony, it's Victor. I ran into something strange today..."
Victor hesitated briefly. V hadn't said it was a secret, so he went ahead and recounted the incident.
The old man on the other end was clearly stunned. He didn't respond for a long time, though his breathing grew heavier.
"Maybe it's some company's latest research? But I haven't received any updates about it yet."
"If you're close with that person, maybe you can find your answer through him."
The old doctor finished speaking slowly, then hung up.
Victor still didn't have an answer.
"Looks like I'll have to wait until V gets back and have a proper talk. He seems like a reasonable guy."
Victor poured himself a drink, took a sip, and mused silently.
He understood very well—this could be a revolutionary technology!
Cyberware was commonplace in Night City, but there were still many who hated the idea of bolting metal onto their bodies.
But if it could be attached externally, everything would change!
Everyone could have cyberware—and cyberware would be a mere tool, not something that turned people into its slaves!
This was exactly what Victor had been searching for all along!
Victor was both excited and increasingly curious about V.
While he was lost in thought, another call came through.
The caller was a huge Black man with dreadlocks, wearing dark sunglasses, and a beard so thick it covered his entire neck.
It was Dexter DeShawn—the fixer.
Fixers held a special role in Night City. They took jobs from clients, then found mercenaries to complete them, acting as the platform and earning the margin in between.
Mercenaries came in two kinds: those who raised their own crews, and those who hired freelancers like Jackie from the streets.
It looked like an easy business, but it wasn't.
You needed a solid reputation and credibility to attract clients.
You had to follow rules and maintain trust to keep your customers.
And you needed to have power—if someone dared to mess with you, you had to be able to settle it decisively.
Without a doubt, Dexter DeShawn met all those criteria, which made him a highly successful fixer.
"So, Victor, my offer is already pretty generous."
Dexter said that casually. He wanted the deal, but he would never beg for it.