"Wait, I heard that Mr. Peter is a highly skilled mercenary in Night City, and he hasn't installed any cybernetic enhancements. I'm curious—where does your strength come from?"
Xu Xinyue got straight to the point.
"Xinyue! This is not part of our plan!"
Ling Xiaohan roared in Kang Tao's private communication channel.
Xu Xinyue's direct question completely disrupted their strategy for approaching Peter. The plan was to establish a smooth connection between Kang Tao and Peter. By suddenly confronting him about his abilities, she had made things difficult. Their approach should have been more tactful to gain Peter's favor.
Peter looked at Xu Xinyue with mild amusement. He pulled his hand back, and the next moment, a gust of wind swept past her. When she looked again, the blueprint of Yinglong was in his hands once more.
"I think Kang Tao isn't being very honest with me," Peter said. "So, I'm going to sell this to the highest bidder. That's it. Next time, send someone more polite to negotiate."
With that, Peter vanished before their eyes, taking the box containing Yinglong, an advanced smart rifle, with him.
Xu Xinyue, the granddaughter of Kang Tao's president, Xu Shiming, stood frozen in shock.
"Xu Xinyue! Report to headquarters immediately!"
Ling Xiaohan lost her composure. This was a critical moment that would determine Kang Tao's future. The original plan was to use Xu Xinyue to build a connection with Peter, setting up the stage for a long-term alliance.
Instead, she had gone straight for the most intrusive question—Where does your power come from?
This was Night City. Even if someone did have a secret, why would they reveal it so easily?
Debugging Yinglong
Meanwhile, Peter sat in his hideout, inspecting the Yinglong smart rifle. Although its built-in locking program was advanced, it was nowhere near the level of his own designs.
Most high-end smart rifles could quickly lock onto enemies with exposed limbs, but they would only target the visible parts. Peter's custom program, however, was different.
His system would allow Yinglong to wirelessly link to him, scan the battlefield, and determine the exact position of an enemy's head.
Simply put, with Peter's modifications, the gun would fire only headshots.
"Damn it, Peter," came a familiar voice in his head. "When you shut that corporate chick down just now, it was the most satisfying moment since I've been stuck in your brain."
Johnny Silverhand's digital consciousness had been living in Peter's head ever since their fateful encounter.
"Corporate suits are all the same," Johnny continued. "Kang Tao, Arasaka, Militech—doesn't matter. They always act like they own the world."
Peter smirked. "Johnny, are you interested in walking around on your own?"
Johnny was caught off guard. "Huh? Can you actually do that?"
"It's a small matter, but it'll take some work," Peter replied. "I need to build a containment unit for subconscious entities."
Johnny was silent for a moment, then laughed. "Man, if you can pull this off, I'll owe you one. But what's the catch?"
"First, I need a bigger place," Peter said. "A proper base of operations. Maybe a villa."
His current apartment was decent, but considering the people who would be staying with him in the future, it simply wasn't enough.
A Call from Kang Tao
Ding!
[Incoming Call: Ling Xiaohan]
Peter raised an eyebrow and answered the call.
"Ms. Ling Xiaohan, what can I do for you?" he asked, his tone deliberately cold.
"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Peter," Ling Xiaohan said smoothly. "The person we sent earlier was a new employee. Please don't take offense at her behavior."
Not far from Ling Xiaohan, Xu Xinyue was being thoroughly reprimanded by her grandfather, Xu Shiming.
Peter chuckled. "So, Kang Tao doesn't think I'm worth the time of a senior negotiator? You send a rookie to meet me, and now you want me to overlook it?"
Ling Xiaohan remained calm. "We take full responsibility. To make up for this oversight, your agreed compensation remains unchanged. The villa in North Oak is still yours. And we only ask that you hold onto Yinglong's blueprints for a little longer."
Peter leaned back, satisfied with the outcome. Kang Tao had clearly realized how valuable he was.
New biometric key detected.
A system notification popped up, confirming that Peter had just received access to the North Oak villa.
"One more thing," Peter added. "I heard your company has the best robotics technology in the world. I need a custom-built robot. No programming, no AI—just the shell. I'll take care of the rest. And I'll pay for it."
"Of course," Ling Xiaohan replied. "But let's not talk about money between friends. We'll send you the robot tomorrow. Just let us know the specifications."
"Good," Peter said, then ended the call.
Even the top executives at Kang Tao were paying close attention to him now. They must have realized that his body was different.
But it didn't matter.
Peter had awakened a biological self-defense mechanism—his body fluids and genetic sequences would automatically scramble if extracted, making it impossible for anyone to study or replicate his abilities.
Feeling pleased, he left his hideout and drove his modified Sword in the Stone back to his apartment in the Valley district.
A Quiet Moment with Lucy
As he stepped inside, he found Lucy lying on the couch, staring blankly at the TV.
"What are you up to, Lucy?" Peter asked, walking over.
"Nothing," she replied listlessly. "Just watching some shows."
She seemed distracted. Lately, Peter had been busy, and he hadn't spent much time with her. Meanwhile, V had been working on upgrading his old car, disappearing early in the morning and coming back late at night.
On the screen, a commercial played:
"For just 250,000 Eurodollars, you can take a trip to the moon! What are you waiting for? Experience space like never before!"
Peter smirked. "How about I take you to the moon myself?"
Lucy leaned into him, resting her head against his chest.
"I don't really want to go to the moon anymore," she murmured.
Peter looked down at her. "Oh? I thought that was your dream."
Lucy sighed. "I used to think so, too. But ever since I met you, I've been questioning it."
For so long, her goal had been to escape Night City, to find freedom on the moon. But now, things felt different.
After getting her cut from the Cyan Bi heist, she had enough money to buy a ticket to the moon—but not enough to settle there permanently. And something inside her had changed.
Peter wrapped his arms around her. "So, what do you really want?"
Lucy looked up at him, her violet eyes filled with emotion.
"A new life," she whispered. "With you."
Peter smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Then let's make it happen."
For the first time in a long while, Lucy felt at peace.
And for Peter, the future had never looked more promising.
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