"She's not dead, just unconscious."
V stepped forward and looked at Mo'er's rising and falling chest, letting out a small sigh of relief. However, when she looked back at Arno, her anxiety returned.
It seemed their missions had clashed.
On one side was the middleman's commission, and on the other was a comrade she had shared life-and-death experiences with. V was momentarily caught in a dilemma.
Should she just hand the target over to him?
Looking at Arno, who was wearing sunglasses, V couldn't read any expression on his face. She also didn't know why Arno was here —was he, like her, trying to capture Mo'er alive, or was he here to eliminate her?
"Ding-a-ling~"
V's communicator rang.
"V, how are things being handled? Corporate personnel are about to intervene," came Regina's voice from the screen.
"Uh... the target is alive, but..." V glanced at the silent Arno, unsure how to explain the situation to Regina.
Regina Jones.
A middleman of Chinese descent, operating in Watson.
She used to be an independent journalist working for FTF Radio, but after the station was acquired by the media giant 54 News, Regina decided to find a better medium to spread her information.
Jones mobilized all her contacts to gather intelligence for her, from the highest levels of corporations to the lowest strata of society: merchants, gang members, Mercenaries, Homeless men, and addicts.
To them, Regina hadn't changed at all; she was still the fighter, still the girl from the streets. The only difference was that before she bought gossip and sold news, and now she sold both.
In Night City, Regina Jones was one of the few good people. What was particularly noteworthy was her concern for those poor souls suffering from Cyberpsychosis. She was looking for a way to cure these individuals whose minds and bodies had been brutally tormented.
This was what V knew.
The reason V was here was precisely because she had accepted a commission from Regina Jones to subdue Lieutenant Moer, who had suffered a psychotic break, so that she could receive treatment at Jones's facility.
But now, it seemed someone had gotten to her first.
"Is that Regina Jones?" Arno unbuckled the belt from Mo'er's waist and tightly bound her hands. Seeing this, V breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Arno did not intend to kill the target, meaning there was still a chance.
"Transfer her call to me." Arno stood up, proactively breaking the silence.
"Uh, the situation is complicated. 'terminator' Arno handled the target before I did. Maybe you want to talk to him." V shrugged, relaying the exact words to Regina Jones on the other end of the line.
"Is that you?" The call connected, and Regina, wearing an eye patch and looking very capable, appeared on Arno's video screen.
"It's me." Arno nodded.
The two knew each other, and even had a bit of history.
Since Arno operated in Watson, he naturally dealt with Regina often, solving many commissions for her. Over time, they became familiar.
"'terminator,' are you working for Militech?" Even though they were acquaintances, Regina did not drop her guard. Mercenaries were guys who only cared about money and were loyal only to their current employer.
She hadn't hired Arno to be here, so it was highly likely that Arno was sent by Militech to handle Lieutenant Moer, as this was considered an embarrassing scandal for Militech that needed to be kept secret.
Lieutenant Moer was an Agent for Militech. Like typical Cyberpsychosis patients, her nerves were tormented by too much cyberware. Finally, on this day, she felt she couldn't hold on any longer and called the corporation for help.
After estimating the cost, the corporation likely found that killing her was far more cost-effective than treating her, so they sent a small squad of armed Agents instead of doctors.
And that led to the current awkward situation.
"Do you know about the 'Hive' organization?" Arno was clearly not being polite, answering one question with another question.
"'Hive'?" Regina frowned. She didn't know why Arno was asking this, but as a well-connected middleman, she did know a little about this small gang recently established in Watson.
"'Hive,' a small gang led by the Cyberware Doctor Viktor in Chinatown, which manufactures and sells knockoff cyberware," Regina recited some irrelevant intelligence. "What's wrong? Does this have anything to do with our conversation?"
These cyberware dealers had little interaction with her. If it weren't for the relatively famous name of their Cyberware Doctor, Viktor, she might not even know such a gang existed.
"Then I am bringing the greetings of the 'Hive' now," Arno said flatly.
"So, you are a member of the 'Hive.'" Regina frowned even deeper. She hadn't expected Arno, the person she was currently dealing with, to actually be a member of the Hive.
This was a mistake. Middlemen were known for their intelligence, yet she hadn't figured out Arno's background. Furthermore, she hadn't even gone looking for trouble with the Hive yet, and they had come knocking first.
"So, what is your objective?" Regina got straight to the point. Since she didn't know his background, it was better to speak frankly.
"Objective? No, what I want is cooperation —mutual benefit," Arno said softly.
Berry naturally understood Regina. Corresponding to her kindness in treating Cyberpsychosis patients was her stingy style.
The one or two thousand payment for each mission in the Cyberpsychosis series was like giving change to a beggar; only naive fools like V would take on such thankless tasks.
However, Berry knew that cooperation with Regina was possible.
In fact, even without this chance encounter, she would have sought out Regina because the latter wanted to treat Cyberpsychosis patients, and Berry could provide the method.
That is, her cheap and durable "Hive" brand cyberware.
The cheap cyberware Berry produced was small and portable. You could unpack a set, install it, and it worked well. No matter how you pulled it, it wouldn't break. It was great for work, robbery, or being a cat burglar. Look, once opened, it's the size of a round cake. Put it in water; it's waterproof and doesn't leak electricity —very strong waterproofing.
Once opened, it's an enlarged and thickened piece of cyberware. Look, no matter how hard he struggles, it won't break. The wires won't detach, the casing won't peel off, and it can be used seven or eight hundred times without issue. It's very convenient to take on business trips or vacations. Use it to wipe your feet, then wipe your mouth, then wipe your face —clean and hygienic.
What? Where to buy it? Check the small yellow shopping cart below. Buy five packs, get five packs free, and shipping is included.
Okay, I got sidetracked.
"You can check into the miraculous effects of 'Hive' cyberware. It is very effective for treating these poor people driven mad by cyberware. You can ask around on the street. I believe we will achieve excellent cooperation."
"As for Lieutenant Moer, consider her a welcome gift for V."
Uh... Regina on the other end of the line was speechless for a moment. She had just run through every possible scenario —perhaps the "Hive" was coming to declare war or demand a share of her business —but she never expected them to be here to advertise.
"Fine, I'll look into it. Thanks." The last word sounded somewhat grudging.
"V, this guy is all yours." Arno lifted his chin, gesturing toward V.
"Uh... thanks, choom." V didn't know what deal those two had made, but V found it incredible that her own commission had been completed without firing a single shot.
"Don't thank me too early. Split the reward with me, half and half." To maintain the persona, Berry didn't just give the job to V for free. After all, in Night City, even blood brothers settle accounts clearly; there's no such thing as giving away money for nothing, and she didn't want V to become suspicious.
"Sure, no problem." V seemed quite carefree.
After all, she essentially got a free commission. It was money falling from the sky, and splitting half still meant a profit. Overall, it was a win.
"Right, how much are you getting paid for this gig?" Berry suddenly became curious.
Regina is so stingy in the game, surely that's not the case in the real world.
"Two thousand." V tilted her chin up and cleanly held up two fingers, seeming to think nothing of it.
Ugh... Behind the scenes, Berry's head was filled with black lines, utterly speechless.
V, you really aren't picky. You'll take any job.
It's the same job—risking death to arrest a Cyberpsycho. I get an easy ten thousand, but V only gets two thousand. Damn, even outsourcing isn't this black-hearted.
Berry recalled a certain meme image.
"Only an idiot would take this job." Then, upon seeing V: "Ah, you must be the famous V."
Indeed, V's character is just like that Toilet General from the old fridge in Fallout 4—she'll do any job, short of going door-to-door to babysit and do housework.
After settling the matter, the two parted ways, and Arno received a call from Stott.
"Is the matter resolved?" The Mature Domina Stott was still chewing on a cigarette. After her promotion, her condescending aura was even more pronounced. Paired with her blonde hair, she looked like a proud lioness.
"Resolved. Chopped into pieces and flushed down the drain."
But Berry wasn't buying into that act. She was playing both sides and wanted money from both.
"Alright, come to the Keep It Quiet Motel. I'll give you the payment in person." Stott exhaled a smoke ring, making her expression hard to discern.
But upon hearing the name Keep It Quiet, Berry froze.
Damn, it can't be what she thinks, right?
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!