"Judy, are you okay?"
Seeing Judy crying on the stairs, Peter walked to her side and gently placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Xiao Ai was sold by that scumbag to the people who film Hei Chaomeng!" Judy gritted her teeth, her fists clenched in anger.
"I'm going to kill him!"
Just as she said this, Brother Finger, engulfed in flames, stumbled out of the operating room, startling everyone nearby. In mere seconds, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Did you… do this?" Judy turned to Peter, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"It had nothing to do with me. He must have caught fire on his own," Peter replied, shaking his head. However, his calm expression suggested otherwise. "By the way, was the prosthetic body you gave me an A-grade product?"
Judy looked at him warily but decided to let it go for now. "But where do we even start looking for Evelyn? Night City is massive, and there are too many people involved in making Black Super Dreams..." She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
"I've already found out Evelyn's whereabouts. I'll go with you to rescue her," Peter stated firmly.
Judy's eyes widened. "Really?! That's great! Peter, on behalf of Evelyn, thank you!" Hope flickered in her gaze for the first time that night.
"Peter, I'll pay you for finding out where she is. Just please help me get Xiao Ai back."
Without hesitation, Judy transferred a sum of money to Peter. He wanted to refuse, but seeing the desperation in her eyes, he knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Judy had given him 20,000 yuan—money she had painstakingly earned from editing countless Super Dreams.
"Jack, David, I'll send your cut now."
Peter transferred 5,000 Euros each to Jack and David. While they had only played a supporting role in the mission, they had still eliminated numerous Tiger Claws gang members.
"David, Jack, you two can head back now. I'll take it from here and help Judy find Evelyn."
Although David and Jack didn't fully understand Peter's reasoning, they nodded and left without argument.
Peter then turned to Judy. "I asked for payment because I involved David and Jack. But rescuing Evelyn is different—I'll do it because you're my friend." His voice was steady and sincere. "You don't need to pay me for that. If anything, I might ask for your help one day. Friends don't need to keep tabs like that."
Judy was momentarily speechless. His words struck a chord in her heart. Friends don't need to keep tabs…
She wiped away her tears and gave a firm nod.
Night City—A Dangerous Hunt Begins
The city remained lively even at night. The streets were just as crowded as they were during the day, but now, gang members and mercenaries dominated the roads instead of ordinary citizens.
After leaving Brother Ren's clinic, Peter took Judy to the location where the Black Super Dreams were filmed.
Once inside the factory, Judy found a computer. "I'll hack into their system and check the surveillance footage."
"No need for that."
Peter effortlessly hacked into the system without even touching the computer. In seconds, the factory's security feeds were displayed on the screen.
Judy stared at him in shock. "You didn't even connect to the computer… How did you do that?!"
Peter waved off her amazement. "Just something I picked up from Lucy."
Though she had seen Peter hack into systems before, his ability to do so with mere thought was astonishing.
"You have way too many secrets…"
"I'll explain later. First, we need to get Evelyn."
Peter swiftly took down every scavenger in their path. These people were scum, and he had no mercy for them.
At last, they reached the lower level of the factory.
Evelyn lay on a stained mattress, motionless. Her body was covered in bruises and fresh scars. Her face was marred with injuries, evidence of the horrific abuse she had suffered.
"Xiao Ai!!"
Judy rushed to Evelyn's side, carefully lifting her into her arms.
Evelyn didn't react. If not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, she could have easily been mistaken for dead.
"Judy, take Evelyn back to your apartment first. This place isn't safe."
Judy quickly nodded in agreement. The factory was still scavenger territory, and they needed to leave—fast.
The drive back to Judy's apartment took less than thirty minutes.
Once inside, Peter gently placed Evelyn on Judy's bed.
As he closed the bedroom door, Judy turned to him, her face dark with fury.
"That bastard Wooden Man… I swear I'll kill him!"
"He's already dead. And trust me, he didn't go easily."
Peter sent Judy a picture of the Wooden Man's mangled corpse.
As she stared at the image, some of her anger melted away. "Good. He deserved worse."
The Morning After
Late that night, Peter stayed on Judy's couch.
At sunrise, a terrified scream pierced the apartment.
"AHHHH!!"
Peter bolted up and rushed into Judy's bedroom.
Evelyn sat curled up on the bed, her body trembling. Judy sat beside her, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her down.
"Xiao Ai, you're safe now… We saved you…" Judy murmured, her voice laced with sadness.
Peter observed silently.
Evelyn's behavioral chip was broken, but she was still conscious. She could recall everything that had been done to her, every word spoken, every act of cruelty inflicted upon her. The memories replayed in her mind like a never-ending nightmare.
She couldn't speak. She could barely move. Even basic self-care was beyond her abilities.
Peter now understood why, in the original timeline, Evelyn had eventually taken her own life. Someone as proud as her would never be able to live like this.
"Judy, she needs to see a prosthetic doctor," Peter finally said.
At the mention of a prosthetic doctor, Evelyn visibly flinched. She grabbed Judy's wrist tightly, shaking her head in silent protest.
"Peter, I don't think she can handle it right now. Let's give her a few days. When she's a bit better, I'll take her to see a doctor, okay?" Judy pleaded.
Peter hesitated. "If you leave her like this… she might…"
He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he drew a hand across his throat in a grim gesture.
Judy's expression darkened. "I know you're right, Peter. But look at her—she's terrified. We can't force her, not yet."
Peter sighed. "Fine. Just promise me you won't leave her alone. Stay with her, and don't go to Liz's for a few days. Call me if anything happens."
Judy nodded. "I will. Thank you, Peter."
Seeing that he couldn't change her mind, Peter finally left, hoping that Evelyn would find the strength to fight back before it was too late.
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