"Who are you?" Heather asked cautiously, trying to keep her voice calm. For the past eight months, she had been hiding in a "safe zone" after her mother, Rejina, disappeared. The information Rejina had left for her was supposed to be completely up-to-date, but there had to be some holes in it, right?
The person on the other end of the line wasn't as condescending as she expected. He wasn't orchestrating things from a high-and-mighty perch; in fact, he sounded sincere. "I'm Dexter DeShawn, a fixer in Night City. I've come with a sincere offer to work with Ms. Aso on a job related to the Relic."
Even Doggo seemed to panic at this. "How did all our secrets get exposed?" he whispered into her mind.
Heather kept her cool. "So, Mr. DeShawn, how do you want to work together? And how exactly did you get my information?"
DeShawn's voice was smooth. "Ms. Aso, you've been asking around about the Relic all over Night City. As a fixer, my job is to trade in information. Don't underestimate a fixer's professional ethics."
"Professional ethics, my ass," Doggo grumbled. "We looked for the most reliable, veteran fixers in Night City, and what happened? They still leaked our information, didn't they?"
"Let's not talk about this over the phone," Heather said, cutting him off. "Let's set up a meeting to discuss it."
"Alright, Ms. Aso, you name the time and place. I'll drive over."
At that exact moment, Jackie's call came in, but since the line was busy with DeShawn, it was put on hold.
Heather spoke in a more consultative tone. "Mr. DeShawn, I'll call you back and tell you the time and place, okay? I have something I need to deal with right now."
DeShawn was very polite. "Of course, Ms. Aso. I'll wait for your message."
The call ended, and Jackie's connection immediately came through. "Hey, Chica, I've run into some trouble and I need help right now. Come on! David, say hi to your sister."
David's voice cut in; he had been put on speaker. "Sister A! We meet again!"
Heather ignored David and went straight to the point with Jackie. "What happened?"
"We took on a mission, and then another team showed up, trying to snatch it! There are only two of us, so we're at a disadvantage. Hurry and come help us get even! I've already sent you the address, get over here quickly!"
"Got it. I'm on my way," Heather replied.
Doggo's voice chimed in. "Jackie and David's duo has been pretty popular these past six months, gaining more and more fame. What's the deal? Are they getting beat today?"
Heather floored the accelerator. "Why do I hear a hint of jealousy in your voice?" she replied mentally.
"No, no, I'm just curious who they're up against," Doggo insisted. "They've been invincible for six months and haven't asked you for help. What about V? Would they have called V?"
"Someone's probably drooling at the thought of V, huh? But someone doesn't have that function," Heather said to Doggo. "Jackie is a stubborn one. Calling me at the last minute definitely means he's hit a real wall."
Night City wasn't very big, and Heather arrived at the coordinates in a short while. When she got out of her car, she was stunned. Jackie and David were standing there completely unharmed, and no actual conflict had occurred. Heather let out a sigh of relief. The fixer, Faraday, was there, but that alone wasn't enough to shock her.
What stunned her was the group of people who were supposedly competing with Jackie for the job: a huge guy, a tall woman, a twintailed girl with disproportionately large hands, a sexy female Netrunner with blue-purple short hair, a bearded man, and a woman with an iron mask covering her face.
Doggo's voice filled her head with disbelief. "My goodness, are these the 'competitors' Jackie was talking about, who are trying to snatch their job?"
Heather took quick strides forward, her heart filled with surprise and amusement. A genuine smile broke across her face. "Hahaha, are you trying to kill me with laughter? You had me worried the whole way, only to find out it's all our own people!"
Maine and Jackie spoke in unison, both of them looking like they had swallowed a bug. "Our own people?"
Of course, Jackie, David, and Maine's crew didn't know each other. Maine had only ever dealt with Gloria and didn't know her son, David, though he might have met him once without remembering.
Heather naturally carried herself like a tomboy, rarely showing any girlish shyness. She clamped David's neck with great force, clenching her fist and repeatedly drilling his head, making his eyes water from the pain. "You little brat, David, why did you have to compete for business with my crew?"
Rebecca walked over, her hands clasped behind her head. "Tsk, so it's Little A's friend." Then she lowered her hands and leaned close to David's face, her tone teasing. "Up close, this kid actually looks pretty good."
Heather took Rebecca's cue and began introducing everyone. "Alright, guys, this kid here is David, a rising star who will definitely make a splash in Night City in the future." Then she casually thumbed at Jackie. "This is Jackie, also my good brother. We're all Cyberpunks."
She then introduced Maine, Dorio, Rebecca, Lucy, Falco, and Luna one by one. Finally, her expression changed, and she turned to Faraday, her tone sharp and accusatory. "Faraday, why are you such an inconsiderate fixer? Is this how you assign jobs?"
Faraday remained unfazed, looking indifferent. "This is a big job, and the reward is incredibly generous—beyond your wildest imagination. Maine's crew can't handle it alone, and you'll be participating too, won't you? You're also considered part of Maine's crew now, I know that."
Heather wondered if Maine and the others truly considered her part of the team. They hadn't even called her for this operation.
Faraday continued speaking. "We can't discuss this directly. Maine, Jackie, you two take turns reading the shards."
Maine and Jackie complied. After reading the data shards, both of them had excited expressions.
Faraday had calculated this well. To increase the success rate of the mission, the more participants, the better. Maine and Jackie, in his arrangement, were the third wave of people. The first and second waves were to be chosen from the Nomads in the Badlands. The plan was to ambush a fully armed Arasaka transport convoy and seize Arasaka's secret weapons for Militech.
Maine and Jackie understood this was a job where they could earn a lot of money and screw over Arasaka, which perfectly suited their tastes. Although there were nine people to read the shards, it only took a little time. Heather read last, and then she discussed it with Maine. "We definitely need more hands. I trust Jackie and David, so let's form a temporary team, okay?"
Maine was conflicted, pacing back and forth, his thoughts clearly written on his face.
Faraday lifted his chin and revealed a confident smile. "It's fine, Maine. I won't shortchange you on your reward, and I'll pay Jackie and David separately."
Maine's face lit up with joy. "Then there's no problem. Is it okay to leave them to you, Little A?"
Heather gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. Those two are very reliable."
Everyone was excited, except for Doggo, who seemed hesitant. "This is an arms race between Arasaka and Militech, right? Do we really need to get involved in an event of this magnitude? Maine's crew already has six people, and with you, Jackie, and David, that makes nine. And we're the third wave. How many people are in the first two waves combined?"
Heather replied mentally: "That's not like your style, Doggo. Aren't you the one who loves excitement the most?"
"This time it's not just ordinary Arasaka combatants," Doggo replied. "Didn't you read the information on the shard clearly? Armored convoy, heavily armored soldiers. Liking a fight and liking to seek death are not the same concept. The operation location is also the Badlands desert, which