"Damn, Lin Mo, you really went all out! Even the corpos don't throw feasts this fancy—tonight we're eating like kings!"
Jack's eyes went wide as he stared at the table full of dishes, swallowing hard.
He was dressed neatly in a sporty casual outfit, his broad frame stretching the fabric tight and outlining his muscles. In that getup, he looked less like a street thug and more like a personal trainer at a high-end gym.
Next to him, Kitagawa Hiro had gone for a more refined look—an elegant, freshly bought suit. The moment he'd heard about Lin Mo's invitation that morning, he hadn't wasted a second, heading straight to a boutique and treating it like a mission.
The two white-haired women had also dressed up in evening gowns (gifts from Lin Mo): Sasha in soft pink, Lucy in black and white, matching their usual styles.
They weren't the only ones shocked. Seeing the luxurious spread, all four—Jack, Hiro, Lucy, and Sasha—were visibly taken aback. The sheer extravagance of it went far beyond anything they'd expected.
"It's just food," Lin Mo said casually, smiling as he gestured to the seats. "Come on, everyone, sit down. Half the group's here already—just waiting on Maine and his crew."
"You invited them too?" Jack asked, surprised. He started toward the seat beside Lin Mo—but a blur of motion beat him to it.
Like a cat, Sasha slipped soundlessly into the seat next to Lin Mo and pointed playfully at the plate in front of him.
"Peanuts! You've even got peanuts!" she said with feigned surprise.
"Hm? You like them too?" Lin Mo asked, amused. He slid the plate toward her with polite ease. "Salt-boiled peanuts. Not my own cooking, but they're decent. Try some."
"Thanks," Sasha said sweetly, cracking the shells with delicate fingers. As she worked, she asked lightly, "You want some?"
Lin Mo chuckled. "No need. There's plenty more—help yourself to anything else you want."
Sasha nodded and quietly claimed her spot beside him.
Jack scratched his head, sighed, and sat down opposite Lin Mo. At least from there, he could still talk face-to-face.
Lucy and Hiro each found seats of their own, both choosing spots close to Lin Mo as well.
"So," Lin Mo said with a smile, turning to Jack. "Where were we?"
Jack, eyes still roaming over the table, answered automatically, "I was asking if you really invited Maine's crew too."
"Of course. With all this food, there's no way we can finish it ourselves. The more, the merrier," Lin Mo replied, resting his chin on his hand, looking completely relaxed.
Then he turned to Hiro with a curious glance. "Your sister didn't come?"
"I wanted to bring her," Hiro said formally, sitting upright with his hands on his knees, "but after thinking about it, I decided not to trouble you, Lin-kun. She's not suited for a party like this. I'll just pack something for her later."
"No need to wait," Lin Mo said with a grin, pointing to a small side table. "The food warmers are over there. Take what she likes now—no need for formalities here."
"Thank you, Lin-kun," Hiro said seriously. "Then I'll do that."
He stood up and headed to the table without hesitation. He wasn't the type to fuss over appearances—especially when it came to his sister. The only thing he'd worried about was whether Lin Mo would mind.
"Since Maine's crew isn't here yet," Lin Mo said, leaning back, "let's talk about the workshop. Even though our team has another name, the workshop front was what I used to bring all of you in—well, except for Hiro."
He crossed his arms, his expression sharpening slightly.
The change in tone was enough to make everyone pause what they were doing and turn their full attention to him.
"You've all been part of the team for a while now. You know what kind of work we actually do—and it's not garbage disposal. But I'm a man of my word. Here—"
He got up, walked over to a cabinet, and pulled out a small folder. "—these are your employee credentials. One for each of you."
He laid the ID cards out in front of them, one by one, like he was handing out red envelopes at Lunar New Year.
"These will let you come and go freely," he continued. "You can work out here, play, relax—whatever. You'll also get a monthly stipend, same as the regular staff."
When he reached Lucy, he gave her card a little extra ceremony, placing it in front of her with a smile.
"Congratulations, Miss Lucy. You're officially a member of the workshop. By the way, did you receive your newbie package?"
Lucy took the card between her fingers, studying it with a playful look. "Sure did. That Japanese guy delivered everything to my place. And as you requested, I swapped out my old net-access pod for a new one. How's that, boss? Satisfied?"
"Good," Lin Mo said, nodding. Then he looked around at the others and raised his voice slightly.
"I've got a personal matter to discuss with Lucy. You guys go ahead—no need to be so stiff."
The men didn't react much, but Sasha straightened in her chair like a startled cat, staring at Lin Mo before deciding to keep quiet.
"You, come with me," Lin Mo said to Lucy.
She blinked, then followed him.
They stopped on the stairway landing between the first and second floors. Lin Mo leaned against the railing, looking down toward the lobby below.
"After all this week," he said in a low tone, "you still haven't found the freezer I told you about?"
"No," Lucy sighed. "I really tried, but I couldn't find one that fits your description."
Since that night, Lucy had officially joined the team. It wouldn't do to keep sending her to rummage through scrapyards anymore—but Lin Mo, unwilling to give up just yet, had asked her to keep looking for another week. Whether she found it or not, he'd promised, she could stop after that.
Clearly, the plan had failed. The freezer containing the legendary netrunner's remains was still missing.
Thinking back on it, maybe the event from the game—the one where the protagonist stumbled upon it and triggered the side quest—had always been too much of a coincidence.
Lin Mo couldn't quite figure out what had gone wrong. Maybe it wasn't the right time yet. Maybe some trigger hadn't been met, and the freezer simply wouldn't appear in the open junkfields.
"All right," he said finally, with a sigh. "Don't waste any more time on it."
"Hey—they're here," Lucy said suddenly, glancing down toward the lobby.
Sure enough, Maine's team was just stepping inside, each of them looking around the hall with open curiosity.
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