"Mr. Lin, I hope you understand—I'm a fixer. Every day, countless people want to talk business with me. So I also hope that whatever you're about to say won't waste my time."
Hearing Lin Mo try to hold her back, Regina showed her professionalism as a fixer. She didn't hang up right away, but waited calmly for his next words.
"This is about cyberpsychosis."
Lin Mo went straight to the point.
Regina's brow twitched slightly. After a few seconds of thought, she cut straight to the heart of it:
"You're really trying to ask me, indirectly, why a fixer like me would be looking into cyberpsychosis, right? And you want to know how to treat what everyone calls an incurable condition?"
Lin Mo froze for a second, his expression turning serious. He hadn't expected this Watson fixer—whom he hadn't even met face to face—to instantly nail down both of his intentions.
He had thought that, with his prior knowledge from the game's storylines and side jobs, he was at least somewhat prepared for Regina's personality and style, and that he wouldn't get cornered in negotiations. But it turned out she was exactly as sharp, decisive, and concise as in the game.
She'd worked in media. She was no pushover.
Her way of speaking was a stark contrast to Wakako's—Regina was direct and efficient; Wakako was more measured, soft-spoken.
When Lin Mo didn't answer right away, Regina chuckled lightly and pressed on:
"I can tell you, no problem. But what's in it for me?"
Of course. Not even the straightest fixer would hand over intel for free.
Lin Mo wasn't surprised. If anything, the fact that she was setting terms was exactly what he'd hoped for.
"I can promise to support your work on finding a cure for cyberpsychosis—financial support."
Regina's keen perception had forced him to change tactics in the negotiation.
But that was fine.
In the game, her storylines and reputation were overwhelmingly positive. Her integrity was solid.
Better to drop the pretenses and lay everything out clearly: interests, conditions, and terms.
With principled people, he'd rather respond with principles.
Honesty was the best weapon.
On the other end of the line, Regina paused for a few seconds. She seemed to weigh the credibility of the boy's promise. But then she reminded herself: if he could get the Mox to work for him, he clearly had resources. She'd never heard his name on the streets, but at his age he couldn't be that calculating. Rationally speaking, if he was willing to commit, it was fairly credible.
"Tempting. I won't deny it—I'm interested. I can share some of what I know, but in return, you'll be upfront about your goals. If our aims don't conflict, I'll consider you a partner."
"What other goal could there be in curing cyberpsychosis? It's about helping those poor souls, isn't it?" Lin Mo chuckled softly. "And as a fixer, with all the intel you gather, you must know where MaxTac members come from. The rumors… that many of them used to be cyberpsychos."
"There is such a rumor. And I can tell you—it's true. But we don't know how NCPD pulls it off. That's why I started looking into cyberpsychosis myself," Regina admitted. "But I suspect your goals don't end there."
Lin Mo smiled. He neither confirmed nor denied, only answered calmly:
"Courtesy for courtesy. Your turn."
In other words—it was time for her to reveal her purpose.
"Fine," Regina said breezily. "First, you should know: I used to work in media. I covered a lot of cyberpsycho cases. Sadly, as you said, they're pitiful people. I care about them for many reasons. Recently, someone told me that cyberpsychosis can be treated. Their plan hasn't been proven, but it's better than putting them down."
Lin Mo listened quietly, though his mind stirred with doubts.
The year was 2075—two years before the game's events kicked off in 2077. That Regina was already a fixer in Watson wasn't strange. By 2077 she was among the top fixers in the district; she wouldn't have gotten there overnight.
But the timing puzzled him. The side jobs about curing cyberpsychosis only started in 2077.
Why wait two years to launch the plan if she already had the idea?
Could his act of delivering that cyberpsycho to her have sped things up?
Fortunately, her next words cleared up his confusion.
"The cyberpsycho you sent me will be our very first test subject. But unfortunately, what we lack is funding. A lot of funding…"
She paused briefly, as if giving him time to think.
"Besides that, there are plenty of loose ends—like securing a lab, gathering cyberpsycho data… Honestly, we're only at the starting line."
That explained everything.
No wonder the project didn't kick off until 2077. Preparations like this would take years. By then, Regina had probably tied up all the loose ends, leaving only the lack of test subjects.
Which was why she later hired poor V to roam the city, knocking out cyberpsychos and hauling them in.
The more Lin Mo thought about it, the more sense it made.
"Talk about timing. Just when I needed it, someone hands me a pillow," he chuckled.
His offer of financial support had hit the mark.
"In a way, yes. Though I do wonder how you knew about all this. Still, if you can really help, I won't pry," Regina smiled faintly.
"To me, most of what you just mentioned boils down to one word: money." Lin Mo's lips curled. This was his specialty.
"With money, you can hire experts, rent a proper lab, buy the equipment…"
"Good summary. So what's your proposal?" she asked, with a hint of expectation.
"I'll provide the funding. But I need to hold the lead on progress, on access to the research, on continued financing."
His tone grew solemn as he laid down conditions.
"And when some cyberpsychos are successfully cured, I want the right to ask them about their future plans—and, if they're willing, to offer them work."
Regina froze. She immediately understood his real intention.
"That's your goal? Building your own MaxTac?"
"No. What I need is capable people. And like I said, it's their choice. Besides, I bet you've thought about this too," Lin Mo continued. "You're a fixer, not a saint. Once they're cured, what to do with them? I'd wager you've already thought about it. Am I right, Ms. Jones?"
"…Yes. I have my reasons," Regina admitted frankly.
"Good. You keep your secrets, I'll keep mine. We work together sincerely, and both win," Lin Mo said smoothly, like a devil whispering in someone's ear. "You spend contacts. I spend cold, hard cash. And in Night City, cash is as close to omnipotent as it gets."
Regina pondered for a moment, then exhaled slowly. Her tone turned serious.
"I'll have to take back my first impression. You're not nearly as simple as you look."
"People say that a lot," Lin Mo smiled.
"Your conditions aren't excessive. I'll agree. But then, Mr. Lin, when will you provide the first funds?"
"I'll send one of my people to deliver it in person. Just give me an address."
He'd thought it through. Big transfers weren't safe over the Net. In-person was better.
In the game, he'd wondered why sometimes rewards were wired, and sometimes V had to fetch them from a dead drop. Now he understood: picking up cash was safer and left no trail. And moving large sums online drew unwanted eyes.
Regina didn't hesitate and gave him an address.
"Got it. I'll have someone deliver it," Lin Mo nodded. Then he added, politely closing, "If that's all, let's leave it here. No more questions about me now, right, Ms. Jones?"
But to his surprise, Regina suddenly asked:
"Since you have people under you… do you know any edgerunners worth hiring?"
"…Huh? Why ask me that?" Lin Mo blinked.
Wait, aren't you the fixer here? Isn't finding mercs your job?
"Since you're in, there's something I need to tell you," Regina said gravely. "I've learned that Moore Technologies seems to have reached a deal with Arasaka. They're conducting secret research at Arasaka Waterfront. My intel says it's connected to cyberpsychos. They're apparently manufacturing them, for some kind of experiment."
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed. He recalled what he'd learned from that Moore Tech exec's house.
Their newest Berserk implant—it had been developed using cyberpsychos as test subjects.
But hadn't the product already been made? Why involve Arasaka?
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked.
"The intel is solid. With your funding, the only thing we lack is more cyberpsychos for trials. Right now I only have the one you sent me," Regina said.
Lin Mo raised a brow. He caught her meaning right away.
"You want to send people in to rescue the cyberpsychos they're using?"
"Yes. I know it's hard, and I don't have the right crew," she admitted. "But more than the subjects themselves, I want the data stored inside that facility. Those files could be the breakthrough our research needs."
That was beyond hard.
Arasaka—one of Night City's rulers. If they were involved, the job's difficulty was obvious.
And rescuing cyberpsychos? In the game, each one could stand in as a mini-boss. Even if the lab had sedated them, they were walking bombs.
Who could guarantee nothing would go wrong during extraction?
Still, Lin Mo couldn't help admiring her intel network. He'd had to break into people's homes to get this kind of information, but she already had dirt on Moore Tech and Arasaka collaborating in Arasaka Waterfront.
She might not yet be Watson's top fixer, but she wasn't far off.
"I won't push it. I know how dangerous it is. If you don't have the crew, we'll drop it," Regina sighed.
"No. I think we should try," Lin Mo said firmly.
He had the Simulator. He could foresee the next day's outcome. No matter the result, with endless retries, he wouldn't lose.
No matter how dangerous the job, with a proper plan, success was possible.
"You're confident?" Regina asked.
"Confident enough. But I'll need time to prepare and plan. You're a fixer—you're not going to send my people in blind to die, right?" Lin Mo chuckled, radiating confidence.
"Good. I'll pass you all the intel I have. You pick the team, handle the op. I'll cover cleanup and make sure you don't catch heat," Regina said, dividing tasks with zero hesitation.
"The more intel, the better. Otherwise we'll be flying blind once we're in," Lin Mo added.
"You don't need to say it—I'll arrange it. Here's to a good partnership, Mr. Lin," Regina replied, her tone more relaxed.
"Here's to it," Lin Mo answered with a smile.
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MY CYBERPUNK 2077 SIMULATOR
🧠💻 MY CYBERPUNK 2077 SIMULATOR 💻🧠
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📢 SYSTEM ONLINE! 📢
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator has 100+ chapters ahead available on Patreon! 💾🔥
Enter Night City with a simulator, a system, and the kind of advantage most mercs would kill for.
But this is still Night City.
And in a world ruled by corpos, bullets, chrome, gangs, and cyberpsychos, even a cheat-like power doesn't guarantee survival.
⚙️ Level up.🔫 Fight harder.🌃 Stay alive.💀 Or get swallowed by the city.
Read ahead now before the public readers catch up!
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🛑 ALSO AVAILABLE ON PATREON:
🌃 Cyberpunk: Dogtown Legend🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless👩👦 Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System🤖 My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?🛡️ Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past🏰 Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort⚡ The Rebirth of Harry Potter🌹 R18: Reincarnated in Her World
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