After ending the call, Lin Mo sat silently on the sofa for a long time before finally letting out a deep breath, as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest.
With his early intervention, he was confident that the incident he saw in the simulator would never happen tomorrow — that the original chain of events would change under his influence.
Yet that thought did nothing to quell the anger burning in his heart. He had forced himself to suppress it during the call with Xu Wanxue, but now that the conversation was over, the fury had hardened into a killing intent. Lin Mo felt an overwhelming urge to find someone — anyone — and cut them down.
His sister was the closest person he had in this world — more important to him, in many ways, than his own life.
That was why he allowed himself to take on the dangerous, filthy life of an edgerunner instead of spending his days idly as a rich man with money to burn.
Up to now, he'd done everything to keep his identity hidden. Before every mission, he planned meticulously, accounting for every possible risk.
If he had ever been exposed, he could have simply come clean with Xu Wanxue, given her enough money to last several lifetimes, and told her to either retire on the Moon or move back to the mainland — anything, as long as she could live peacefully and safely.
After that, he could have assumed a new identity and kept living in Night City as someone else.
But the fact was — he had never exposed himself. Since becoming an edgerunner, he'd been extremely careful.
Even his lavish spending — that flashy "rich boy" image — was part of the disguise.
People assumed he was the spoiled son of some corporate executive, someone who threw money around just because he could. No one would ever suspect that he was the rebellious younger brother of Zetatech's vice president.
After all, no vice president's relative should have that much pocket money to waste — it just didn't add up.
Still… the simulator's data clearly showed that the "accident" was orchestrated by another company.
Which company could it be?
Lin Mo pondered again and again but found no answer. Eventually, he gave up, pushed himself off the sofa, and walked slowly toward the bar.
When he approached, the people drinking there immediately noticed him.
"Well, look who finally sobered up!" Rebecca teased with a playful grin. "How about another round with your big sis? Don't worry, I'll go easy on you this time — you won't pass out again."
"Not tonight. I have some business to discuss with Kitagawa Hao," Lin Mo replied coolly, his tone far less amiable than usual.
His mind was a storm of agitation — he had no patience left for small talk, much less drinking.
Besides, after what he'd seen in the simulator, he could already guess that if he drank again, tomorrow would begin with a hangover from hell.
"Tch. Lame," Rebecca muttered under her breath, clearly disappointed.
Still, she couldn't help sneaking glances at him, puzzled by the sudden coldness in his demeanor.
Had she done something to make him hate her?
No one would answer that question for her.
Kitagawa Hao, who had been mixing drinks behind the counter, noticed Lin Mo walking toward him. Seeing the boy's grim expression, he immediately set down his shaker.
"Lin-kun, did something happen?" he asked quietly.
"Get ready," Lin Mo said flatly. "In a bit, you're coming with me to the corporate plaza. We might have to stay there until tomorrow night."
Kitagawa's face tightened. From those few words alone, he could sense the urgency — a storm was coming.
"Understood. I'll prepare right away," he replied without hesitation. He didn't even ask for details.
Lin Mo nodded slightly, his tone softening a little. "Bring some food with you. On the way, we'll stop by your place — consider it a late-night meal for your sister."
"If the situation is really that serious, Lin-kun, we can skip my place. I'll call Jing and let her know I won't be back tonight. She can take care of herself," Kitagawa said earnestly.
"Heh. I already told you to pack some food for her earlier. I'm not going back on that now. Don't worry — I know what I'm doing. Just follow my instructions," Lin Mo replied with a strained smile, not wanting him to worry further.
Kitagawa nodded silently.
The two didn't linger. After a few quick words to the others, Lin Mo called Gloria up from downstairs, asking her to take charge of the party and host Maine's crew for the night.
Although everyone was curious about Lin Mo's sudden departure, no one pried.
After grabbing some gear and medical supplies from the third-floor storage room, Lin Mo and Kitagawa left the studio building in haste.
Those who remained upstairs continued their fun, the laughter and music never ceasing.
Well — not for everyone.
When Gloria came up to check the second floor, she found David still glued to the arcade cabinet. Like any mother would, she immediately scolded him for playing too much and ordered him to rest.
Grumbling, David shuffled off to the lounge, picked up a random book, and began flipping through it with a sigh.
The night breeze rolled in from the distant sea, flowing along the rhythm of the waves — gust after gust, in an endless cycle.
The river flowed freely into the ocean, and since there were no tall buildings nearby, the sea breeze could always reach this far. By the time it arrived, it had softened, carrying with it only a faint, refreshing coolness.
Lucy sat quietly on a bench by the riverside path, watching the dark water ripple beneath the fence. A cigarette burned between her fingers, smoke curling around her cold, distant eyes.
As Lin Mo and Kitagawa stepped out of the building, they happened to cross paths with her.
Lin Mo, however, was in no mood for conversation. He was about to head straight for the car when Lucy noticed them and spoke first:
"Hey, you two — where are you headed?"
Turning his head, Lin Mo saw her looking at them with curious eyes.
He cast her a cold glance — a sharp, dangerous glint in his gaze.
When someone's in a foul mood, even innocent questions can sound irritating.
"I've got urgent business to handle. Don't ask," he said flatly.
The curt reply caught Lucy completely off guard. She blinked, frowning as she watched the two of them hurry off toward the parking lot like agents on a secret mission.
But what truly unsettled her was his eyes — she had never seen such a fierce, menacing look from him before.
In all the time they'd known each other, Lin Mo had always struck her as a calm, generous boss with a good temper.
Yet now, for the first time, she saw another side of him entirely.
What on earth had happened?
A strange sense of unease stirred quietly in Lucy's heart.
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