"Hey… hey! Snap out of it!"
A slender, strong hand with well-defined knuckles waved in front of Leo's face, its motion stirring the air and casting flickering shadows. The movement brought Leo out of his thoughts.
He squinted slightly and nearly sighed. "V… can't you see I'm thinking?"
V pulled her hand back. "I can see that. You've been zoning out for minutes. Now spill it—what did that bodyguard and his boss say to get you so spaced out?"
"…Fine, but let's find a restaurant first. I'll talk while we eat."
Leo mentally asked Purewhite to locate a good spot for lunch as they walked.
Ten or so minutes later, the group arrived at an upscale Korean BBQ restaurant.
This place marketed itself on high-end ingredients—hydroponic meat…
[No crickets, no worms! Every bite you take here is real, bloody meat! We guarantee all our products are supplied by Whole Food Corp—never cheap black market goods. Eat with peace of mind!]
The signboard and menu plastered with reassuring slogans actually made Leo feel slightly better.
His local companions had no objections at all—in fact, their eyes practically sparkled with anticipation.
Soon, the grill and charcoal were brought to the table, followed by trays of meat and mushrooms.
A light coating of plant oil, a quick sizzle on the hot plate—the meat began to hiss, releasing rich, savory aromas that instantly conquered everyone's senses.
In that moment, nothing mattered more than food.
Even in Night City, the rule "food is heaven" still held true.
The meal was satisfying for all.
Leo was surprised to discover that everyone actually knew how to use chopsticks, though not with great finesse.
Jack, ever helpful, explained: "What do you expect? This city's practically run by Arasaka—that's Japan. They brought all kinds of Eastern culture with them: rice, chopsticks, you name it."
"But there's one thing they never managed to bring over…" V chimed in, "sake. People here drink beer, tequila, wine—even vodka—but almost no one drinks sake. Most bars don't even carry it."
Sasha quietly listened while munching away. Despite her petite frame, her appetite was impressive—and her ability to chug soft drinks was off the charts. Before long, empty cans had piled up in front of her.
Dessert was synthetic ice cream with artificial cream. Surprisingly, it still tasted like the real thing.
Once Leo had scanned the booth and confirmed it was well soundproofed, he lowered his voice and shared the real reason he'd been so lost in thought earlier.
"A Kangtao agent warned me—someone at Arasaka Academy is watching me. He also asked why I came to Night City now, of all times. Feels like something big might be brewing."
Among those present, only V had accompanied him to Arasaka Academy. She frowned. "But we didn't do anything suspicious while enrolling. Why are we being watched?"
Leo thought for a moment and tapped his own face. "Maybe it's because I'm Chinese? They might suspect I'm a spy…"
"Who openly applies to school if they're a spy? I doubt that's the reason."
"Then what is it?"
"Could be because of the arms race between your country and the Soviets."
"…Huh?"
Both Leo and V were stunned, turning to look at Sasha.
Who would've thought their newest member would be the one to drop such critical intel?
Sasha spooned a hefty scoop of ice cream into her mouth, clearly pleased. "It's not exactly a secret. Just check the forums—you'll see. Those two nations are both trying to strike deals with Arasaka, to buy an advanced military technology."
Leo's mind clicked into place. He remembered a quest from the game: "Fixers, Mercs, Soldiers, Spies." That mission involved covert competition between two major world powers.
Now that he thought about it, this made total sense.
Nation-state level maneuvering often spans years behind the scenes—it wouldn't be surprising if something like that were going on right now.
"I think I get what's going on. But… let's stay out of it for now. With our current strength, getting involved is suicide."
He cast a subtle glance toward V as he said this.
Her sharp intuition kicked in, and her dessert suddenly didn't taste as sweet. "What's with that look—again!? You keep acting like I'm gonna do something stupid, and I haven't even done anything yet!"
What could Leo say? In the game, that version of V really was reckless.
Most mercs would turn tail at the first sign of a mission this dangerous, but not V—no, she charged in for barely a handful of eddies…
Well, to be fair, that V was player-controlled, so maybe it wasn't entirely her fault.
"Relax, I'm just worried you'll act on impulse."
Leo brushed it off with a vague reply and shifted the topic.
Still… he was now a fixer.
And with both countries fighting over the same tech, maybe he could pull some strings. If he played his cards right, maybe he could snatch a piece of that pie…
Some high-tech weapon that two global powers were desperate for… it had to be something big.
After a long meal, the group finally left the restaurant, full and satisfied.
At a crosswalk, everyone turned toward Leo, waiting for his next command.
He gave it some thought—nothing pressing remained for the day. It'd be best to let everyone get on with their personal tasks.
"That's it for today. The team's just been formed—we're still adjusting. Go do your own thing and get ready for the upcoming missions once I'm back."
Sasha nodded. "I'll head home and think about how to infiltrate Biotech to retrieve the data."
"Is your place secure?"
"No worries. I've covertly taken control of the local electronics. I keep a low profile, so I'll be fine for now."
"That's our hacker—always thorough."
Leo nodded, approving her solo departure.
After she left, Jack scratched his head and looked at the others. "Well, if we're done… I think I'll head back to Afterlife for a bit."
Leo rolled his eyes. "Sure. The booth's still good for today. Go enjoy playing 'big shot.'"
"What? Come on, don't underestimate me."
Jack waved his hand, feigning indignation.
"Sitting alone in a private room? What's the point of that? I spotted a few Valentinos at the bar earlier. I may be out of the gang now, but I've still bled for them. I can probably trade that for a few favors."
"If I ever need backup, it's better to call them than strangers."
"My bad. I'll leave that to you. Just don't drink too much."
"I'll try…"
Jack waved goodbye and sauntered off.
"That just leaves us," V remarked, looking curious.
"Let's head home. More training. Tonight, I've got some research to do—gotta make sure I bring back some 'valuable souvenirs' from my trip."
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