A Six-Hour Meal
By the time the vegetables were finally delivered and prepared, six hours had passed.
Alex let out a deep sigh, rubbing his sore shoulders.
"Finally... it's done."
A simple dish, yet the process of making it was nothing short of torture.
Dinner was supposed to be at 6 PM, but now it was already past 9 PM.
This was exactly why he had been so reluctant to make it.
Not only was it wasteful, but preparing the "boiling water" alone took over four hours—and that was just the first step!
Still…
When he finally lifted the lid, a rich, intoxicating aroma filled the room.
Even Alex had to admit—the result was worth it.
"Dinner's ready!"
Alex called out, placing the dishes on the table.
Almost immediately, Liana appeared out of nowhere, her previous pouting and anger completely erased.
Her big, tear-streaked eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement as she saw the food.
"It smells amazing!"
She grabbed V's arm and practically dragged her downstairs.
Her grudge from earlier? Completely forgotten.
She glanced at Alex with a smug little look, as if saying:
"You finally made it? That's more like it!"
Alex rolled his eyes.
"You still remember you're hungry?" he scoffed.
"This whole thing took forever because of you."
Liana ignored him, already digging in.
V, however, looked at the dish curiously.
"Lin, this just looks like regular cabbage in soup… why did it take so long?"
To be fair, at first glance, boiled cabbage didn't look like much.
Just some cabbage leaves floating in a clear broth.
But the aroma?
That was something else entirely.
It was so rich, it didn't smell like a vegetarian dish at all.
Alex sighed.
"It looks simple, but the magic is in the 'boiling water'."
Liana quickly nodded in agreement, eager to explain.
"Sister V, do you know what went into making this broth?
"We had to use pork knuckles, black-footed chicken, and duck—all cooked for over four hours!
Then, we had to add duck breast, tenderloin, and chicken breast, straining out every impurity.
Only after all that do we finally get this crystal-clear 'boiling water'!"
V raised her eyebrows.
"Damn… no wonder Lin didn't want to make it."
Now that she understood the effort involved, she felt a little guilty for doubting the dish earlier.
Liana, meanwhile, was already stuffing her face, humming happily.
Alex smirked.
"Satisfied now?"
Liana nodded rapidly, her mouth full.
"Mmhmm! This is amazing!"
Reality Check
Dinner, which had taken six hours to prepare, was gone in minutes.
The three of them collapsed onto the couch, stomachs full.
Liana sighed happily.
"Life is beautiful~"
V, however, shook her head.
She got up and walked over to the window, looking down at Night City.
Her tone was serious.
"Maybe for us… but do you know what life is like for the people down there?"
Liana tilted her head, listening.
"Most people in Night City live in tiny, filthy apartments—or worse, on the streets."
"They survive on nothing but nutrient bars and recycled wastewater."
"The only ones who live even slightly better are either criminals or corporate sellouts."
She let out a bitter chuckle, watching the neon lights flicker in the distance.
"Night City looks beautiful from here, but inside, it's completely rotten."
Liana bit her lip, suddenly looking uncertain.
She had heard stories before… but this was the first time she truly understood how bad things were.
She wanted to say something… but no words came out.
Alex walked over, standing beside V.
His voice was calm but firm.
"It'll get better, V."
"Even if the city's roots are rotten, we can still fix it."
V glanced at him, surprised by his determination.
Even she had never considered that possibility.
But Alex… he said it like a promise.
Meanwhile… Across the World
At the Kang Tao Headquarters in Washington, D.C., a private emergency meeting was underway.
Sitting at the head of the table was Director Simon Xu.
On the screen, multiple holographic projections flickered—including Lisa, Liana's mother.
Her face was cold, her tone even colder.
"We've confirmed it—Alex was telling the truth. Candace Stevenson has betrayed us."
Simon nodded.
"I already suspected as much. We've begun seizing his assets in secret."
But then, Simon's expression turned serious.
He pressed a button, and a video began to play.
"Now, let me show you something even more shocking."
It was the aerial footage from the floating vehicle—the one that had tracked Alex.
The moment the video started, everyone fell silent.
They watched in horrified disbelief as Alex:
Blocked bullets with his bare skin
Jumped dozens of meters without prosthetic enhancements
Broke the sound barrier—WITH HIS BODY
Glided through the air like a fing falcon*
One of the executives rubbed his temples.
"This… this isn't human."
Another executive muttered in disbelief.
"We dodged a bullet not making an enemy out of him…"
Simon took a deep breath.
Then, he looked at Lisa.
"Lisa… we need that genetic information. Immediately."
Lisa grimaced.
She knew exactly what that meant.
"Sir… you want me to tell my daughter… to get THAT?"
Silence.
Even suggesting it felt disgusting.
Simon hesitated… but then shook his head.
"I won't force her."
"But we must find another way."
Lisa let out a sigh of relief.
She had already decided—
She would NEVER ask Liana to do something like that.
Even if it meant failing the mission.
Free trail is available 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Advance chapter in PATREON
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