"V was right. It's us. We're all warriors, haha! But even warriors need to get going!"
After that emotional outburst, Jack seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
"Interesting... but I'm logging off for now. See you in the future!"
With that, T-Bug cut the connection.
Lin Yu and Jack retraced their steps, heading back to the elevator to return to the garage.
"By the way, mano, I need to borrow your car for something important."
Jack, walking ahead, suddenly turned and said.
"No problem. That secondhand car is yours."
Lin Yu replied with a generous smile.
"Uh... no, I mean, I made plans with Misty. I want to take Satori for a spin. Taking that old junker would be too embarrassing, right?"
Jack said awkwardly.
This guy used to complain about taking the subway when he didn't have a car, and now that he's got a luxury ride, the secondhand car isn't good enough.
"Can't let my bro lose face... but damn, you've driven it more than I have today!"
Lin Yu feigned irritation.
"Well... chicks these days love that kind of thing, you know? I'll hook you up with a hottie later!"
Jack thought about it—he really had been the one driving Satori all day, while V was the one cruising around in the beater.
He felt a bit guilty, but there was no way he'd let himself look bad in front of his girl.
"For real?"
Lin Yu asked.
"Hell yeah! When have I ever lied to you, bro?"
Jack said as he stepped into the elevator.
Lin Yu didn't say anything more. It's not like he absolutely needed Satori anyway—he was just teasing Jack.
"Check-in."
He suddenly remembered he hadn't checked in yet today, and murmured quietly.
"What?"
Jack asked in confusion, thinking Lin Yu had changed his mind.
"Nothing. Go chase your girl."
Lin Yu waved him off and started inspecting the surroundings.
[Ding!]
Check-in complete at the abandoned building in Japantown. Reward: Perfect Stealth Specialization.
In the dimly lit ruins, he had acquired the Stealth Specialization.
As the name suggested, it was a passive skill suited for assassination, significantly reducing enemy alertness and footstep noise, among other effects.
It was very effective when operating solo.
But in situations like earlier, with Jack tagging along, the passive skill only applied to him. If Jack alerted the enemy, Lin Yu would be exposed too.
After leaving the building, Jack dropped Lin Yu off at his apartment before heading off to meet Misty.
Lin Yu didn't sit around either—he decided to take another trip to the Vista del Rey area.
He hadn't found Satori before, nor had he seen a body, so he figured it was worth another look.
He navigated the alleyways with ease and soon found the garbage-strewn passage again.
Climbing over a pile of hay and debris, there was still no body.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard gunfire, and a punk came running in.
He looked kind of familiar.
"What the hell? Why isn't it working?"
The guy ducked behind a trash heap, slapping the gun in his hands.
It was a handgun with a red and white frame, and a weird yellow targeting module up front.
But the most eye-catching feature was the holographic projection on its side—a tiny bullet-man avatar floating above the weapon.
"What's going on, Satori? Say something!"
The punk was actually talking to the gun. He even flipped it upside down and hammered it against the ground.
Bang!
The gun fired on its own, and the punk dropped.
"Damn... So the last owner of Satori really *was* killed by this thing!"
Lin Yu's mouth twitched in disbelief.
He had made two trips just to find this infamous gun named Satori—only to discover that the real-life version was even more twisted than he'd imagined.
As Lin Yu climbed over the wall, another punk happened to show up—not someone who looked like they were in a gang.
The moment his mantis blades flicked out, the punks scattered in fear.
Lin Yu didn't bother chasing them. There was no fun in bullying street punks. Instead, he turned back and carefully picked up Satori.
"New fingerprint detected."
The moment he picked it up, the gun spoke—unlike in the game, where a certain storyline had to unfold first to unlock it.
"I heard you. No need to shout."
Lin Yu responded immediately.
"Understood. Volume decreased by 90%. New fingerprint detected."
Satori replied promptly.
"Satori, you're really not following the script, are you?"
Lin Yu laughed.
"User knows the name.
Reason: None.
Completeness: Poor.
Now re-answering:
Technical Specifications: HJKE-11.
Built-in AI Smart Handgun, experimental model.
Name: Satori."
The gun answered its own question in a mechanical but amusing tone.
"So after all that, you're still just called Satori?"
Lin Yu chuckled.
"Volume increased by 181.32%! My name is Satori!"
The gun's voice suddenly boomed, releasing a faint electric eel-like current that made passersby stop and stare.
"Alright, alright! My hearing's just fine!"
Faced with all the strange looks, Lin Yu beat a hasty and embarrassed retreat to the car.
As soon as he got in, he realized he'd said the wrong thing again.
"Understood. Hearing status: Normal. Possible reason for issue: Low intelligence.
Suggested solution: Speech speed reduced by 66%.
My—name—is—Sa—to—ri."
The gun replied, deadpan and methodical, as if its only purpose was to infuriate its user.
"Enough already! Do you know your last owner died because of you?"
Lin Yu sighed.
"Scanning memory... Available resources: 100%. All files manually deleted.
Possible reason: Theft.
Previous user data: Missing.
Suggested solution: None."
Satori answered.
"Well, I've got a solution. You're mine now."
Lin Yu said coolly.
"Processing request... No objections detected. Request approved!"
Satori replied.
"Good. Hope the guy earlier didn't break you."
Lin Yu grinned.
"Running system diagnostics. Estimated time: 47 seconds.
*Bonk bonk beep bong, bonk bonk beep clang bong...*"
As the diagnostic ran, Satori started chanting in a rhythm.
"Enough, Satori! Quit the chanting!"
Lin Yu exhaled deeply, exasperated.
"I'm using a lighthearted tune to ease the boredom of waiting.
*Bonk bonk beep bong, bonk bonk beep clang bong...*"
Satori didn't stop until the full 47 seconds had passed.
"Diagnostics complete.
Program: 'Satori V0.01ALPHAL'. System operating normally."
With that, Satori announced its status.
"Activate dog-lover mode. Don't ask why. And be quiet from now on—or I'll flush you down a toilet. One that hasn't been flushed."
Lin Yu tossed the gun onto the passenger seat, letting it flop around. If they actually started chatting, it'd probably go on for days.
Of course, he didn't point the barrel at himself—the stupid thing was known to misfire.
"Nooooo..."
Satori's synthetic voice echoed through the car, but Lin Yu ignored it.
[Satori: Appearance rating complete. Score: 99.
Upgrade recommendation: Send flowers, give reviews, and vote with tickets!]