With her exclamation, Kiwi and Pilar also showed rather peculiar expressions.
Only Rebecca finally couldn’t hold back anymore, bursting into loud laughter: "Of course it’s him! Who else could it be?"
V stared at rcer for a mont, then suddenly reached out, placing her fingers on his face and giving a hard pinch.
"Ow! Damn it! What the hell are you doing?!" rcer quickly backed away, covering his face and glaring at her with a pained grimace.
"Holy shit! You’re for real? You actually look like this?"
V was stunned.
rcer chuckled lightly, looking at V who was staring at him dumbfounded: "I know I’m handso, choom, but no need for such an extre reaction."
"A, you’re still a kid?!" V nearly jumped up, her face full of disbelief: "Are you fucking kidding ?"
"Use the program I sent you and scan with your cybereye. I’m a legitimate eighteen-year-old citizen of Night City," rcer said.
"Bullshit! If you’re eighteen, I’ll eat this damn table!" V angrily slapped Rebecca’s thigh beside her.
Rebecca nearly jumped from the sudden slap: "Shit! What was that for? That hurt!"
"Did you know all along? Were you both ssing with ? And I’m supposed to call him ’Boss A’?" V glared at the two of them, both embarrassed and furious. Only now did she finally understand why Rebecca had occasionally been sneaking amused glances at her.
No wonder she found it funny! V had actually been taking orders from this kid all along?!
Wouldn’t people laugh themselves to death if this got out?
V rembered the aningful look Jackie had given her when she said she wanted to roll with A at El Coyote Cojo.
"So, I was the only one who didn’t know what you looked like?" V seed genuinely angry now.
"Pilar and Kiwi haven’t seen either," rcer said casually.
"Fine! You bastard, had fun tricking , didn’t you?" She glared at rcer furiously.
rcer just shrugged: "What did I trick you about?"
"You said you were around my age!" V actually sounded sowhat wronged: "So how old are you really? Fifteen?"
"Eighteen," rcer said firmly. "Turning nineteen after my birthday this year."
"Screw you! If you’re eighteen, then Rebecca must be thirty!" V glared at him angrily.
Rebecca just grinned and said: "Isn’t this great though~ Hey, V, don’t we look really well-matched together?"
"Absolutely," V said with a bitter laugh, her tone sarcastic: "Kids should definitely stick with other kids."
"Mhmm! Old auntie~ Don’t go calling him a creep who likes little girls anymore, okay~" Rebecca shot back with a smug smile.
V glared at her, gritting her teeth, while Rebecca happily munched on chicken wings with both hands, completely unfazed by her intimidating stare.
Finally, the youngest of them all, Kyoko, said cheerfully: "Actually, the age gap really isn’t that big."
Even by actual age standards, rcer and V were only three or four years apart, hardly a significant difference.
V glanced at Kyoko, then just picked up a burrito with fierce determination: "Fine! Just great!"
She ate while trying hard not to look at rcer, but how could she possibly resist? The result was that after a few bites, she couldn’t help but glance at him, then angrily took a few more aggressive bites before looking again. This scene even made Lucy cover her mouth and chuckle softly.
Pilar laughed heartily and stepped forward at that mont, speaking boldly, "I don’t think it’s a big deal. In the netrunner world, the more talented you are, the earlier you debut. Isn’t that a good thing?"
"If he’s this impressive now, imagine how much better he’ll be in a few years? Hey, if you ask , following a leader ans betting on soone with a promising future." Pilar flattered rcer while he spoke, winking and making exaggerated expressions that were downright hilarious.
He rubbed his hands together, grinning excitedly at rcer. "A, looking young is nothing for a guy. How about this, next ti, we hit up Lizzie’s together. You treat to a good ti, and I’ll show you how to beco a real..."
"Drop dead!" Rebecca snarled, hurling a chicken leg bone straight at him.
The airborne bone struck Pilar, making him jolt backward. Once he recovered, he patted his head nervously, half-worried the bone had fused with his skull. "Shit, am I still alive?"
"Mhm." Kiwi nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips as she sipped her beef stew broth.
"If you dare corrupt rcer, I’ll kill you, you bastard brother!" Rebecca grumbled, clearly annoyed.
rcer said with complete seriousness, "I just don’t get it. What’s so interesting about going to Lizzie’s to watch BDs?"
"A prefers to watch them quietly in his own room."
Lucy, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. Her words left V and the others stunned for a mont before they all burst into laughter simultaneously.
rcer shot Lucy an exasperated look, but she only responded with a mischievous grin.
The atmosphere at the dinner grew increasingly lively. Even rcer ended up having a couple of beers with everyone in the cheerful mood. After the al, those who hadn’t helped with cooking voluntarily cleaned up the kitchen.
Once everyone had gathered on the living room couch, so sitting, so lying down, rcer cleared his throat and said, "Haven’t forgotten I promised you all a surprise, right?"
"Spit it out, spit it out! I’ve been waiting forever!" Rebecca lazily leaned back on the couch, rubbing her full, round belly with a satisfied expression.
"Alright, follow ."
rcer checked the ti and led everyone back upstairs via the elevator, stopping right outside their building’s entrance.
They stood with him, looking left and right, but aside from a few idle vagrants loitering in the distance, there was nothing to see.
"What are we waiting for?" Rebecca asked impatiently, curiosity getting the better of her.
rcer simply smiled and gazed into the distance until a small bright spot appeared in the far sky, moving steadily closer.
V’s cybereye had even higher zoom capabilities than rcer’s. She squinted at the distant object and after a few seconds exclaid in surprise, "Trauma Team?!"
"Yep, that’s my gift for everyone," rcer announced with a laugh, revealing the surprise.
In the distant sky, a Trauma Team aerodyne vehicle was heading straight for their location with clear purpose. Judging by the speed, that aerodyne vehicle was practically flooring it, clocking in at over 200 kiloters per hour, which is remarkably fast for a heavy-duty model like that.
From the mont the Trauma Team aerodyne ca into view, it took just over a minute for it to race into close proximity. The vehicle gradually decelerated, descended, and first projected a red holographic fra onto the ground as a parking guideline.
After landing precisely within the projected markers, the aerodyne then projected a red square near the door, indicating the disembarkation zone for the crew. Only then did the door slide open.
A man in a tailored suit stepped out with a beaming smile, accompanied by four Trauma Team employees who looked fully geared up, donning heavy ballistic armor and helts, and ard with Kang Tao smart weapons.
"Pleasure to et you, Mr. rcer. I’m a senior account manager with Trauma Team. You can call Taylor."
Taylor was the epito of a middle-aged corpo elite: suit, slicked-back hair, chiseled features, with a cybereye emitting a faint green glow.
"I’ve already made an online reservation. As per the booking details, I’d like to sign up for Platinum mberships for myself and my friends."
rcer hadn’t bothered wearing a mask when he stepped out. Taylor scanned his face with his cybereye, confird the online reservation in a matter of seconds, and imdiately flashed a bright smile.
"Your preliminary eligibility screening has been approved. Congratulations, you et all the requirents for our Platinum tier.
But if I’m not mistaken, you and your crew are professional Edgerunners, correct?"
Taylor glanced over the attire and style of rcer’s companions, making the assessnt almost effortlessly.
rcer nodded. "More or less."
"Understood. In that case, I must inform you upfront that individuals in high-risk professions like yours will incur higher enrollnt fees compared to the general public."
Taylor spoke apologetically but made sure to clarify: "I recomnd reviewing our ’Additional Charges List’ beforehand to avoid any unnecessary billing disputes during service.
For professions like yours, while the initial enrollnt fee is based on our standard ’High-Risk Occupation’ clause, your monthly premium may be subject to increases depending on the frequency and specifics of any claims made."
"Got it. As long as you can get to us within three minutes in the city when shit hits the fan and save a life, that’s what matters," rcer replied.
V, standing nearby, was genuinely curious. Having grown up on the streets, she had little idea what this Platinum mbership was all about. Who in her world would even consider buying insurance, let alone so high-end dical coverage?
So she cut straight to the point: "What does this Platinum mbership actually do? And how much does it cost per month?"
Taylor smiled warmly at her. "Generally speaking, we offer three tiers of mbership: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
The Platinum mbership you’re considering is the highest tier available to the public.
Though it cos at a premium price, it includes 24/7 monitoring of the subscriber’s physical condition, ergency patient transport, surgical and nanosurgical procedures, trauma rehabilitation, plastic surgery, complintary cyberware inspections, and up to a 90% discount on prescription dications.
When dical assistance is triggered, ammunition and fuel costs are fully waived.
Most importantly, we guarantee arrival within three minutes in urban areas and within five minutes in suburban outskirts. Full compensation is provided for any breach of contract.
For rcs, where ti is life, this is absolutely a key point you cannot overlook.
We will also transport you directly to a Trauma Team advanced hospital or any clinic of your choice, automatically arranging a free expedited VIP surgical channel to ensure you have no worries about related matters.
However, please note one crucial point: if both parties in a conflict possess Platinum mbership, Trauma Team will not engage their own colleagues and will only provide services to the client in need of rescue."
After finishing, Taylor confidently pointed to the aerodyne vehicle behind him and said, "As you can see, every one of our ergency rescue aerodyne vehicles is equipped with two mounted machine-guns controllable by the pilot.
In addition to the driver, our crew includes two heavy gunners, one professional ergency dic, and one elite assault specialist.
Every crew mber is equipped with Kang Tao’s latest smart submachine guns. No matter where you are, we will do everything in our power to extract you from danger."
This series of services left everyone except rcer utterly stunned.
"So you’re saying, if one of us gets shot and needs a doctor, you’ll show up in this thing within three minutes and take us to the hospital?"
Pilar moved closer to the aerodyne vehicle, looking left and right. The Trauma Team employees stood motionless until he peered inside, at which point they gently stopped him, though their attitude remained quite polite.
"Yes, our dical staff will also perform ergency treatnt en route, even performing critical surgery if necessary, until you are delivered to the hospital and handed over to doctors. We will ensure escort all the way until you enter the ergency room."
Taylor paused briefly, then continued with a smile, "As for the price... given the professions of you gentlen and lady, we must charge according to high-risk occupation standards. The specific fee is €10,000 per month."
"€10,000 a month!?" V exclaid in shock. "Damn, most people only make a few thousand a year!"
Considering that a dockworker in Night City earns around €900 per month, their monthly premium was nearly equivalent to an ordinary worker’s annual inco!
Taylor simply smiled without further explanation, instead emphasizing again, "For high-risk occupations like yours, each claim will result in an adjusted increase in the following month’s premium based on the circumstances of the claim.
Moreover, your insurance contract does not include full waiver of routine personnel and equipnt damage costs, but rather a 70% reduction.
This ans that if vehicles or personnel are damaged while providing you assistance, we will charge the remaining 30% for losses incurred.
If you are unable to pay this fee, it will trigger the breach of contract clause. I recomnd carefully reviewing the terms when signing."
After hearing this, rcer nodded and said straightforwardly, "Let’s sign the contract. Paper or electronic?"
"Of course it’s electronic. You simply need to provide your biotric data and digital signature on the electronic contract, then download our life-detection program to your neural link to begin enjoying our mbership services.
However, the built-in monitoring functions of neural links don’t provide comprehensive health surveillance.
Therefore, I’d strongly recomnd installing a professional biomonitor. We can provide compatible detection software for specific cyberware models, respond to your needs promptly, and have dical professionals monitoring your health 24/7 with dedicated support."
rcer nodded, though still curious: "How much higher are the premiums for Edgerunners compared to regular people?"
"Three tis," Taylor continued with a smile. "Please understand, ordinary citizens might require service once every three to five years, and even then, they’re unlikely to encounter combat situations.
But Edgerunners... forgive my bluntness, when we prepare to serve you, it ans we’re already equipped to provide combat support.
And when you require our services, we’ll ensure you receive assistance that truly gives you your money’s worth."
rcer said no more. He picked up the offered tablet, reviewed the details carefully, then stated plainly: "I’ll sign up for Platinum mbership for myself and all my friends. Deduct all fees together from the designated account."
"Understood, one mont please." Taylor operated the device briefly before handing the tablet back to rcer.
After another quick review, rcer neatly signed his na and registered his biotrics through the network connection.
"Co sign your nas and register your biotric information," rcer instructed.
V was the first to step forward, sowhat awkwardly writing her full na on the tablet before logging her details.
The others followed suit, completing their registrations one by one.
Under Taylor’s attentive gaze, rcer processed the premium paynt.
Once the eurodollars transfer was confird, Taylor smiled warmly and gave a respectful nod: "Honored Platinum mber, welco to Trauma Team. From this day forward, Trauma Team is dedicated to serving you.
Relevant biotric monitoring software will be sent to you via email. If you intend to purchase and install enhanced biomonitors, I highly recomnd using the biological monitoring components developed by Trauma Team.
This allows us to serve you better, providing real-ti dical assistance."
rcer simply nodded: "Noted. You may go now."
"Of course, it’s been a pleasure serving you." Taylor gave a slight bow before he and the Trauma Team personnel returned to their aerodyne vehicle.
Watching the Trauma Team aircraft lift off and depart, the group exchanged glances: "That’s it?"
"I’ll examine their biotric monitoring software later and modify it for us, at least block the user data collection parts.
Once you install the program into your neural links and the Platinum mbership verification clears, the service will be active."
rcer briefly explained the service activation process.
Rebecca suddenly spoke up with noticeable concern: "Hey, rcer, is this really necessary? Getting Platinum for everyone... even just our group costs seventy thousand eurodollars a month!"
Kyoko also spoke with so hesitation, "rcer, I think I..."
"Enough. I’d prefer if this money was just thrown away for nothing, but if risks really do erge, trust , this will make you feel it was worth every penny."
rcer, however, remained firm and showed no intention of changing his mind.
With a Trauma Team Platinum mbership, his team mbers would be virtually immune to dying from injuries outdoors, unless they suffered instantly fatal attacks.
Given the level of cyberware technology in the Net, even if soone were cut in half at the waist, there was a very high chance of survival as long as help arrived before brain death set in.
In fact, with today’s scientific advancents, it was even possible to revive soone, provided brain death hadn’t occurred too long ago.
As for the cost...
rcer could still accept it, tens of thousands of eurodollars per month. For ordinary people, that was a fortune, but for a team like theirs, which had already surpassed a simple "Edgerunner" squad, it fell within acceptable limits.
For rcer, the bigger issue now wasn’t the monthly expenses but how to generate more inco.
If money wasn’t enough, it simply ant they weren’t earning enough.
"Alright, the surprise is over. Everyone can head back and rest now. Given the commotion we’ve caused, I suspect Mr. Hands will soon have work for us.
We’ve received help from him. He provided us with lodging and various conveniences. So we owe it to him to do our jobs well. These next few days, everyone should readjust and get back into form. What lies ahead for us will be no less demanding than before."
As rcer walked with the group back into the warehouse, he laid out the tasks ahead: "First, Pilar, Lucy, Kiwi, and Kyoko.
Pilar, your job is to provide with a suitable catalog of weapons and equipnt. We need to quickly produce a batch of appropriate equipnt and weapons to sell in the shop.
There’s only one requirent for these products: sturdy and reliable.
We need to create items that fit the aesthetic tastes of street thugs, affordable, easy to produce, but solid in quality. We’re aiming to capture the mid-to-low-end weapons market in Dogtown.
The black market’s goods are inconsistent in quality. If we can provide stable, high-quality, low-cost weapons and equipnt in Dogtown, I believe we’ll quickly build a reputation for the shop."
rcer paused briefly before continuing, "Don’t worry about the other factions in Dogtown. At least in terms of arms and equipnt, whether it’s gang mbers, ordinary citizens, or even Barghest, everyone is in need of stable, reliable, and affordable firepower.
Dogtown prohibits large-scale weapon imports from outside, but there’s no issue with us selling weapons locally or even exporting them from Dogtown."
Pilar nodded, sounding excited, "No problem, man. I know exactly how to whip up those cheap pieces."
"Whatever equipnt you need, the cost, including raw materials, just file a report to . We’ll use team funds for it. Profits from sales will be shared with the manufacturers and developers."
After saying this, rcer paused again and turned to look at the netrunners beside him.
"Next up are things like weapon mods and program chips. I’ve already purchased a batch of related equipnt for you to test out. If there’s demand, we can always buy more.
Our goal is singular: create sothing better than what the Voodoo Boys in Dogtown have, and then seize their market share."
As rcer finished speaking, Kiwi voiced her concern: "What if the Voodoo Boys co after us?"
"They should be worried about causing them trouble. Don’t worry. If they have any objections, I’ll make them drop those objections. Harmony brings wealth, but before that, we need to ensure our products are competitive."
rcer wasn’t particularly concerned about this. If not for wanting to give them a chance to hone their skills and earn so money to support themselves, he could have single-handedly dominated the program chip market with his technical superiority.
rcer didn’t believe anyone in today’s Night City could surpass him in this kind of technology. Things like quickhacks, he could write over a dozen in an hour. The real hassle was actually writing the programs into the chips and assembling the chips themselves.
"If our business takes off, I plan to hand over a large part of the assembly work to the Aldecaldos."
rcer continued, "Hobrew chip work, with today’s tech level, is more about manual labor than anything else. We’ll use these tasks to gain experience and build up our technical know-how."
"After that, we’ll focus our core products on higher-end goods."
rcer briefly explained, "Besides that, we’ll also take on so program upgrades, custom weapon and equipnt orders, software customization, and similar jobs. In short, everyone should be prepared to stay busy."
Things had to be taken step by step. First, make sure everyone had work and could earn money. Adjustnts could be made later based on how things developed.
In the cyberpunk world, there weren’t many money-making opportunities left for the common people. rcer felt that if they really wanted to make big money, it would have to co from him. At best, the others could contribute labor, not solve the real problems.
The group entered the elevator, and V nudged rcer with her elbow. "What about ? What’s my role in all this?"
"Keep taking on gigs. These business ventures will take ti to turn a profit. Developing equipnt and researching tech will require significant upfront investnt. That money will have to co from us working as rcs, bit by bit."
"Running a business or doing research is all about making it so we don’t have to risk our lives for soone else’s money down the line."
"But for now, let’s focus on how to beco true legend-tier rcs in this city."
Only after rcer finished speaking did V break into a smile. "No problem. I’ve already booked an appointnt with Vik. I’m getting the Mantis Blades installed in the next few days."
"Sounds good. But for now, feel like making so quick cash?"
rcer flashed a mysterious smile. Seeing him make that expression with his youthful, unmasked face, V felt inexplicably uneasy for so reason.
"What’s the plan?" Pilar, however, was quite interested.
"Give all your savings. Tomorrow night, we’re going to make a killing shorting Biotechnica stock."
rcer chuckled lightly and raised his phone. "Leveraged shorting. This ti, I’m definitely going to skin them alive through Biotechnica’s stock price."
—--
January 17, 2072, 7:30 PM.
After the classic N54 News intro animation, a well-dressed, serious-looking blonde anchor appeared on the television screen.
"Hello everyone, I’m N54 News anchor Gillean Jordan. Welco to N54 News, today’s headlines."
The female anchor spoke solemnly into the cara: "At 7:20 tonight, we received heartbreaking news.
The Night City Biosecurity Managent Committee has officially disclosed a shocking poisoning case on their official website.
Dr. Joanne Koch, then Regional Deputy Director of Technology and Developnt at Biotechnica, actually released biotoxins into the water sources of Yucca Town and the Red Ocher family in the Badlands for drug testing and research purposes.
This act severely violates Night City’s corporate laws and has caused extrely severe consequences."
In the underground base of "Kindling House", everyone sat on the sofa, intently watching the news.
Even Pilar, who was usually the most unserious, now wore a grave expression.
On the television screen, the anchor briefly summarized the atrocities committed by Biotechnica in Yucca Town and the Red Ocher family with concise and direct language.
Then, she began rcilessly criticizing them, presenting evidence including land and water quality inspection reports, and even footage of victim interviews.
Citizens of Yucca Town held up signs reading "Give Us Justice" and "Biotechnica Poisoned Us", gathering in front of the caras, tearfully accusing Biotechnica of their cris.
They also showed footage from the Red Ocher family: a middle-aged woman lying critically ill in a tent, severely poisoned by the contaminated water source.
Finally, the screen returned to the studio, where the female anchor feigned sorrow for a few monts before directly pointing the finger at Biotechnica and demanding answers.
"Until now, Director Joanne of Biotechnica has yet to respond directly, but we believe that this ti, they absolutely will not be able to cover up the truth!
Next, let us connect with an expert from the Biosecurity Managent Committee to explain the severe impact of Biotechnica’s poisoning incident."
Just as the anchor began calling for the expert, Pilar, who had been very serious until then, suddenly widened his eyes slightly and let out an excited burst of laughter.
"It’s finally dropping! We’re going to be rich!"
Pilar cheered, watching Biotechnica’s stock curve plumt sharply, his eyes nearly turning into dollar signs.
V also excitedly picked up her phone, shouting, "How much do we make per percentage point drop? rcer, quick, tell how much I’ve earned!"
But rcer just rested his chin on his hand, slightly narrowing his eyes.
After a mont of thought, he decisively sent a ssage to Diana.
[?: Are you sure you can land safely after news like this breaks?]
[Diana: I can’t go into details, but don’t worry. Joanne is finished this ti. But I should also remind you, if you’re planning to make a profit from the stock market, don’t expect this drop to last long.]
[?: I’m shorting.]
[Diana: Then I recomnd you switch to the opposite position before the exchange closes tomorrow night.]
rcer fell into thought, but V, seeing his silence, couldn’t help shaking him. "Co on, tell already!"
"Five-to-one leverage. That ans if the stock drops 20%, your principal doubles. Do the math yourself."
rcer glanced at her with an amused grin. "What? Not feeling awkward staring at anymore?"
"Heh." V kept her eyes fixed on his youthful face for a mont before awkwardly turning away. "Guess I’ll manage. Already stuck with you, so what else can I do?"
"Cut the crap. You’re just scared of that boorang, aren’t you? Fine, I’ll forgive the bullshit you said earlier." rcer rolled his eyes and gave her a light elbow nudge.
V had been acting pretty difficult lately, mainly because she’d always followed rcer’s lead without question, but now she felt like she should be the one looking out for him.
Rubbing her side, V muttered, "What am I scared of? I didn’t say anything."
"Aww~ people should flirt with others around their own age~" Rebecca suddenly chid in with a sarcastic tone. "Stop making eyes at kids all the ti."
"Damn it! I’m not flirting with anyone!" V glared, speaking righteously. "I’ll let a lot slide, but not that comnt. I’m not taking that back."
Even Kiwi laughed at that.
Because anyone with eyes could see it. Even if V never admitted it, she practically hung on rcer’s every word. That uniquely obedient vibe she had around him, so different from how she interacted with others, definitely wasn’t just so simple superior-subordinate dynamic.
And V seed to have genuinely convinced herself. In her words, it was all about loyalty and street brotherhood.
Well, in that regard, Kiwi could relate a little, too.
Aside from rcer, the rest of the group kept joking around, excitedly chatting as they watched the stock line plumt.
When the news segnt ended, rcer checked the stock market. Biotechnica’s shares had dropped by about 6%, a significant fall for a corporation of its size.
It wasn’t just because of the scandal; more importantly, it was because the outlet breaking the story was N54 News.
People at the bottom might not grasp the implications, but investnt firms and professionals knew all too well that N54’s backer had always been Militech.
Those who closely followed the markets were well aware that since the Unification War began, Biotechnica had been getting cozy with Militech. Compared to their previous stance of strict neutrality, Biotechnica had recently shown clear signs of leaning toward Militech.
Yet, just as the two corporations seed to be growing closer, a scandal involving Biotechnica was suddenly exposed on a dia platform controlled by Militech?
And it was a scandal happening right near Night City?
That raised so interesting questions.
The news was so impactful that even Arasaka’s stock saw a slight, inexplicable bump, highlighting the ripple effect of the exposure.
But what rcer was really pondering were the deeper, behind-the-scenes implications of the whole situation.
With his insider knowledge, rcer sensed sothing dangerous brewing around Diana.
She seed to have grown unusually close to Militech lately, far closer than he had anticipated.
This made rcer realize he needed to start planning ahead. He didn’t believe having a few pieces of blackmail material would be enough to keep Diana in line.
After a brief mont of contemplation, rcer made a decision.
He needed to prepare a backup plan.
So, who should he turn to for that?
Multiple plans flashed through rcer’s mind, but ultimately, the figure of a woman surfaced in his thoughts.
She was an ambitious woman.
Senior agent redith Stout, Deputy Director of Operations at Militech’s Night City branch.
--------
5000words.
Bonus Chapter @1200power stones
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