Liana Forrest sobbed uncontrollably, her cries filled with raw emotion.
Even V, standing beside her, felt a pang of sympathy.
She had seen plenty of people break down before—mercenaries, fixers, corporate suits—but there was something different about this.
Liana wasn't just crying over fear or frustration.
She was mourning—mourning her lost trust, her shattered reality, and most importantly…
The possibility that she might never eat Alex's cooking again.
Over the communication, Lisa Han's voice was soft but urgent.
"Silly girl, how could the company make such a reckless decision?"
"We're still investigating this, but you have to trust me, Liana. You also have to trust your Uncle Xu."
"I... I do believe you, Mom, but..." Liana sniffled.
Her voice trembled as another painful realization hit her.
"But what if that big scumbag doesn't believe it?"
"What if he thinks we betrayed him?"
"I... I'll never get to eat his cooking again... wuuu—!"
A familiar voice suddenly spoke up.
"I believe you."
Liana froze.
Her tear-filled eyes widened in shock.
A short distance away, Alex Lin stood, his expression softer than before.
After rushing back at high speed, he had finally arrived.
With Shockwave's help, he had also joined the encrypted call between Liana and Lisa Han.
Lisa's expression shifted instantly.
She had personally set up Kang Tao's secret communication channels—they weren't the highest level of encryption, but they were still extremely secure.
Yet, Alex had hacked in effortlessly.
"This man... is terrifying."
Meanwhile, Alex awkwardly glanced at Liana.
She was staring at him, stunned, eyes still brimming with tears.
He scratched his head and muttered, "Ahem... about earlier. I overreacted. Sorry."
Liana blinked.
Then—
"Waaaaaaahhh!"
She burst into louder sobs than before.
Alex froze, his brain short-circuiting.
"What the hell!? I just apologized! Why is she crying more!?"
He could kill a man in a thousand ways.
But comforting a crying girl?
Yeah, that was outside his skill set.
Even in his previous life, he had never dealt with this kind of situation.
His experience with women?
Let's just say it was mostly transactional—and emotionally detached.
Seeing that nothing he said would stop the crying, Alex gave up.
With a sigh, he turned back to Lisa Han.
"Let's talk business, Ms. Han."
Lisa Han's expression hardened.
"So he's dropping the conversation about my daughter just like that?"
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Alex's next words made her eyes narrow in alarm.
"I know who's behind this attack."
Lisa's gaze sharpened.
"He figured it out already?"
Her instincts as a corporate executive kicked in.
She chose her words carefully—
"And who do you suspect, Mr. Lin?"
Alex smirked.
"Cansas Stevenson."
Lisa's eyes flickered with recognition.
Then, she frowned.
"It makes sense... the only person with enough authority to mobilize that many troops in Night City is Stevenson, the former director of Kang Tao Americas."
"But I still need to verify this personally."
Alex shrugged.
"Do whatever you want. That's Kang Tao's internal problem."
His tone grew colder.
"But as the victim, I expect compensation."
"After all, it was your people who came after me."
Lisa Han nodded immediately.
"Of course. The company will provide a formal apology and reparations."
"On top of that, I'll personally compensate you as well—for saving my daughter."
Alex studied her for a moment, then gave a satisfied nod.
"At least she's handling this properly."
"One more thing," Alex added.
"Stevenson is planning to betray Kang Tao and defect to Militech."
Lisa's breath caught.
Her eyes widened in genuine shock.
"Are you certain!?"
Alex chuckled.
"I got it straight from his men."
Lisa's expression turned dark.
She had suspected Stevenson of questionable loyalty before.
But this—this was treason.
Alex continued, "If I were you, I'd quietly investigate his assets before he makes his move."
"If you don't act fast, you'll lose more than just money."
Lisa nodded grimly.
"Understood. If your information is accurate, Mr. Lin, you've done us another great favor."
Alex smirked.
"Then maybe next time, Kang Tao won't send someone to spy on me."
Lisa winced slightly at his bluntness.
Then, she sighed and smiled.
"Mr. Lin, I think you already understand why we had to send Liana."
"Your existence is... unprecedented. Any corporation would do whatever it takes to understand someone like you."
"But for a friend, we showed restraint. We sent Liana—someone with no combat ability, no power, and who's also my daughter."
"That alone should prove that we trust you."
Alex narrowed his eyes.
Her words were calculated.
But they weren't wrong.
Lisa smiled warmly.
"If you really want, I can pull Liana out immediately."
"Waaaaahhh!"
Liana bawled louder at her mother's words.
Alex's eyes lit up.
"A way out!? Yes, please!"
But just as he was about to agree—
"Ding! Super Selection System Activated!"
Option 1: Keep Liana. Reward: [Random Finishing Move – Ten Thousand Tentacles] (1 Use).
Option 2: Send Liana away. Reward: 10,000 Eurodollars.
Option 3: Send Liana away after mocking her. Reward: 1 Euro.
"…WHAT!?"
Alex stared at the ridiculous choices.
"A single euro? Seriously!?"
"What kind of troll reward is this!?"
After a long pause—
He sighed.
"Ahem... actually, Liana can stay."
"Ding! Quest Complete—[Wang's True Fragrance Theorem]
Reward: [Ten Thousand Tentacles] (1 Use)
V raised an eyebrow.
Liana sniffled.
Lisa smirked knowingly.
Alex gritted his teeth.
"I hate this stupid system."
End of Chapter 103.
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