Chapter 31: Tech and Tactics: The Price of Survival

A/N: I really appreciate the stones guys. keep them coming. Another thing I would really like to see is more is reviews. I will reward your efforts generously. Surprise weekend extra chapters incoming...as little token of appreciation.

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As the cry for help rang out, Lin Mo knew there was no way to stop it in time. Both he and Hiroshi reacted instinctively, moving with a speed honed by countless battles.

Hiroshi pulled his pistol with the fluid precision of a seasoned solo, eyes sharp like a hawk locking onto its prey. His movements were seamless, no hesitation, every action deliberate. But Lin Mo was even faster.

Before Hiroshi could finish drawing his gun, Lin Mo's katana was already unsheathed. The blue-green glow of the blade's runes danced in the moonlight, shimmering like water, its lethal edge aimed squarely at the approaching gang members.

They had made a fatal mistake. Thinking numbers alone gave them the upper hand, they confidently raised their guns, prepared to end this quick. But they underestimated Lin Mo.

The guns barked, bullets ripping through the air toward him, but Lin Mo moved faster than their aim. He sidestepped the shots with inhuman speed, closing the distance in an instant.

With a single upward slash, his blade cut through the night, slicing cleanly through the arms of the three gang members. Blood sprayed, painting the alley in red. Before they could even scream, Hiroshi's pistol thundered three times. The gang members hit the ground, lifeless.

"Nice swordplay," Hiroshi remarked, yanking a bullet out of his own chest with a grunt, as if it was nothing more than an inconvenience.

"You're not so bad yourself," Lin Mo replied, flicking the blood from his blade. "But now's not the time for compliments."

Across the parking lot, the rest of the gang had heard their fallen comrades' cries. The leader, recognizing that something was off, signaled his men to shift their attention toward Lin Mo and Hiroshi. It was clear they were changing tactics.

"You know this gang?" Lin Mo asked, sheathing his katana and pulling out his A-22 Bovine.

"Just another bunch of nobodies," Hiroshi spat. "In Night City, they're a dime a dozen. Get in the wrong fight, and they're wiped out before anyone remembers their name."

Lin Mo sighed, relaxing slightly. If they were just another no-name gang, they wouldn't be too difficult to handle. But then Hiroshi's face darkened.

"Shit. They're calling in backup."

Hiroshi's enhanced hearing had picked up the gang leader whispering into a comm. Things were about to get a lot more complicated.

Without a word, Lin Mo crouched beside the fallen bodies and began rifling through their pockets, collecting anything of value before the real trouble showed up. He stood up, ready to make a run for it.

"Lin, we need to get out of here. Now." Hiroshi's voice was sharp as he scanned the area. The gang was regrouping, and they were running out of time.

Lin Mo didn't need to be told twice. The sounds of engines revving echoed through the streets—more gang members were coming, and fast.

"Which way?" Lin Mo asked.

Hiroshi tilted his head, listening intently. "Left... no, wait. They're cutting us off from all sides."

His face turned grim. The gang was converging on their position, moving like a pack of wolves closing in on wounded prey. There was nowhere to run.

"Well, this is just great," Lin Mo muttered. The situation was rapidly going from bad to worse, just like his simulation had hinted at earlier. He couldn't help but sigh at the accuracy of it all.

Despite the rising tension, Lin Mo's expression remained calm. His optics flickered with a faint orange glow as he silently transmitted a signal through his commlink. Help was on the way, but how long it would take was another question.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, was scanning for any possible escape route. The open street offered nothing, so he motioned for Lin Mo to follow him into a nearby alley. There, he quickly started stacking debris and trash to create makeshift cover, using his cyberarm to shift heavy dumpsters into position.

Lin Mo joined him, crouching behind the barricade. "By the way, check this out," he said casually, pulling a sleek sniper rifle from the spoils of the fallen gang members.

Hiroshi's eyes widened in shock. "A Nekomata? How the hell did they get their hands on a tech sniper like that?"

The Nekomata was a precision tech rifle developed by Tsunami Defense Systems, capable of firing armor-piercing rounds via electromagnetic acceleration. This wasn't the kind of gear you'd see in the hands of a small-time gang.

"Yeah, something's off about this lot," Lin Mo said, carefully examining the weapon. "This isn't just some street crew. They've gotta be working for someone bigger."

Hiroshi nodded. "No way a crew like this has the connections to get a Nekomata. Someone's bankrolling them."

Lin Mo stashed the rifle. No way he was leaving something this valuable behind.

As they braced for the inevitable, the roar of engines filled the air. Multiple Villefort Cortes vehicles screeched to a halt at both ends of the alley, trapping them in. The gang had them boxed in, and from the looks of it, they weren't planning to let them go without a fight.

"Well, looks like we're the main attraction now," Lin Mo said, flashing a grin as he ducked behind cover.

"If I were them, I'd want to take us alive too," Hiroshi muttered, reloading his M2038 Tactician shotgun. His cyberarm flexed as he prepared for the onslaught.

The gang members began to spill out of the vehicles, guns raised, their faces lit by the harsh glare of the headlights.

"Guess we'll have to make them regret that decision," Lin Mo said, checking his weapon one last time. He wasn't worried. After all, help was already on the way.

The hunt was on.