Chapter 187

Future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict.

Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish! 

Early morning.

The disciplined V had just finished her morning run and returned home to freshen up. She threw her hoodie onto the couch, stripped off her sweat-soaked clothes, and tossed them into the laundry basket. Walking to the bathroom, she leaned against the wall to take off her pants, then tiptoed barefoot under the shower to take a cold shower.

As she closed her eyes, enjoying the refreshing sensation of the cold water, she suddenly received a call.

A suit-wearing caller?

She promptly hung up the phone, thinking, "Of all times to call, why now?"

Two seconds later, the phone rang again, accompanied by a message: "I've got a surprise for you. If you don't pick up, it's your loss."

V, feeling exasperated, reluctantly turned off the shower, rubbed her face dry, and answered the call.

"What is it?"

"Did you just hang up on me?" came the accusatory voice from the other end.

Annoyed, V explained, "I was in the bathroom, not exactly convenient, OK?"

"I know. You usually take a shower after your morning run around this time."

V: "..."

She retorted, "If you're that keen on monitoring my every move, afraid I'll skip out on my debt, why not just install a camera in my apartment?"

Tang Yu knew her daily routine mainly because of their previous cohabitation. The two used to exercise together and then individually freshen up, with V often giving Tang Yu a hard time afterward, lecturing him that going out on the streets required humility.

Tang Yu had a hard time adjusting after going from a corporate executive to a street dweller overnight. He used to taste the luxuries of life, and letting it go all of a sudden made him frustrated.

Tang Yu thought for a moment and replied, "That's not a bad idea."

For a moment, V didn't know how to respond. She could only blame herself for being unable to confront her creditor strongly. 

"It must be karma," V consoled herself.

Tang Yu told her to visit Viktor's cyberware clinic, promising a surprise and inviting her for a boxing match.

Surprise? Boxing?

V was suspicious but had no problem with boxing. Her fists were itching, and she was eager to blow off some steam. Since returning from the Aldecaldos, she hadn't visited Lucy.

Lucy implied that after the Night Corp incident, V's safety wasn't a concern anymore, giving her peace of mind, although V had never been too worried in the first place. She just didn't want to disappoint the silver-haired girl.

Choosing between the suit-wearing Tang Yu or the silver-haired Lucy was a no-brainer; she would definitely pick Lucy. But the surprise intrigued her, despite her doubts.

After agreeing with Tang Yu, V hurriedly dried herself off, got dressed, and set off for the cyberware clinic.

Soon enough, V arrived at the underground clinic and found Tang Yu and Viktor already seated inside, watching a boxing match on a screen.

Upon seeing her enter, Viktor smiled and reminded Tang Yu, "Our boxer has arrived."

V greeted Viktor first and then teased Tang Yu, "So, what's this surprise? It better not be a loan offer. Just a heads up, I'm not taking it, and I've got Viktor here as a witness, so don't try any funny business."

Tang Yu looked at Viktor thoughtfully and chuckled, "Viktor, let's make a bet. Do you think she'll ask me for a loan this time?"

Viktor stood up to intercede, "Alright, enough with the tricks. You should be discussing serious matters."

Then Viktor picked up a black box from the counter, walked to the surgery table, urging V, "Come over, kid. Tang has something special for you—a brand-new Sandevistan 'Raptor.' This thing is no joke."

Raptor Sandevistan?

V had never heard of this model on the market, assuming it to be a corporate inside job. She approached the surgery table, hesitating as Viktor flattened the chair.

Suspecting it was Tang Yu's doing, she uncertainly asked, "Viktor, is this new version reliable?"

Viktor opened the black box, retrieved the cryogenically stored chip and connecting components with forceps, and placed them on a sterilization tray. She smiled and explained:

"It's the latest Militech development. Performance-wise, it even surpasses the Market's Fury Mk V, but with much less strain on the body."

"I've checked it thoroughly. As long as you don't use it continuously, it shouldn't fry your brain. Don't worry."

After Viktor's explanation, V's anxiety lessened. She badly wanted the Sandevistan. She had already implanted the slot but was missing the right Sandevistan. Due to budget constraints, she couldn't afford substandard parts and was wary of unclear second-hand goods. Genuine high-end gear was too expensive.

Faced with such temptation, she couldn't help but murmur, "This must cost a fortune, right?"

She knew that Tang Yu wouldn't harm her; she was confident about that. After all, if something happened to her, who would repay the debt?

Viktor saw through their intentions and said frankly, "Install it first. We need capabilities to pay off the debt."

V found Viktor's words reasonable. Since a bit more bad debt didn't matter, she pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket and placed it on the nearby table.

"Thanks, Viktor. We'll talk about his debt later, but your surgery fee needs to be accounted for first."

Viktor smiled without saying anything. When V turned around and lay down on the surgery table, she activated the mechanical arm to start the implant surgery. Because there was an idle spinal slot at the back of her neck, the installation of the Sandevistan went smoothly. 

Once everything was done, Viktor reminded V to check the status to see if the Sandevistan functions were working correctly. V's cybernetic eyes rotated as she examined the state of her implants. Unknowingly, she had acquired quite a bit of high-end gear, significantly boosting her capabilities.

If she had this high-end gear two years ago in Atlanta, would she have worried about making a name for herself there?

After confirming everything was in order, V jumped off the surgery table and said to Tang Yu, who was engrossed in watching a boxing match, "Add this debt to my account. I will repay you."

Tang Yu remained silent, still immersed in the world of boxing.

V turned to the busy Viktor and asked, "Are we going to practice boxing? I can't wait to try out my new gear."

While removing the auxiliary exoskeleton surgical gloves, Viktor smiled and said, "Yes, we'll take you to a couple of boxing matches later, but we still need one more person. Once everyone's here, we'll set off."

V curiously asked, "Is it the big guy from Heywood you mentioned last time?"

Viktor responded, "Yes, his name is Jackie. Like you, he's a native Heywood kid. He and Tang have a life-and-death bond."

"Back when Tang was on a border mission, it was thanks to Jackie, who was also working as a mercenary there, that he narrowly escaped with his life."

V couldn't help but glance at Tang Yu, wondering what exactly Jackie, that Heywood boy, had done to form such a deep bond with Tang Yu.

While they were talking, a hearty laughter came from outside the door.

"Haha, Hellmano, long time no see! I've missed you. Finally remembered about the boxing match, huh? Today we're gonna have a good warm-up."

"Those Sixth Street punks have been acting up again recently. The Padre taught them a lesson, dropping one of them right on the street."

As he spoke, Jackie swung his thick fists and mimicked some boxing movements.

Tang Yu looked at Jackie and said with a calm smile, "Is that so? But today we've already got a boxer."

Following Tang Yu's gaze, Jackie looked towards the surgical area at V, stunned for a moment. Then he quietly asked, "Brother, are you sure this isn't your lady?"

Sensing that Jackie wasn't speaking kindly, V cut in with a sharp tone, "Heywood folks don't whisper."

"Hmm?" Jackie looked a bit surprised and asked, "You're from Heywood too?"

V proudly replied, "Absolutely. I fought my way through the streets."

Jackie was even more incredulous, "Chica, you must be joking. I don't remember seeing anyone like you at the Coyote Cojo."

V said straightforwardly, "Don't believe me? You can try my fists and find out if I'm the real Heywood deal."

Viktor stepped forward to mediate, introducing each of them to the other. Jackie then realized that she was V, the mercenary Tang Yu had mentioned.

Although V's appearance and physique didn't quite match the image of someone who could hold her own in Heywood, her flashy outfit did have some Heywood vibes.

After tidying up her things, V said, "Alright, Jackie, today's main event is V. Since everyone's here, let's get going."

Jackie excitedly rubbed his hands and asked, "Viktor, where's our first stop?"

Viktor then asked V, "Kid, are you confident?"

As an all-around fighter, she nodded, "Pretty confident."

V continued, "I know a guy named Buck. After he retired, he started bare-knuckle fighting under the overpass in Rancho Coronado. He's the king of that area."

Viktor, having fought at the Night City Demon's Boxing Club, was already a boxing expert and was well aware of the fighters in that field.

Hearing Viktor mention Buck, Tang Yu immediately thought of Rancho Coronado's underground boxing champ, who was nicknamed 'Sniper.'

Back in the day, Tang Yu would sometimes gamble on boxing for amusement and would ruthlessly beat Buck. However, no matter how badly Buck was beaten, he never gave back the money he had bet, often handing over a sniper rifle instead.

Since Tang Yu already had a 'Widow Maker' sniper in his arsenal, he didn't remember Buck's rifle well. But it would be fun to let V get a sniper rifle for a bit of practice.

Viktor continued, "But he's not known as a fair fighter. He lost a leg because of his behavior. If you're betting money, you'll need to bring real cash."

Tang Yu looked at V with interest and chimed in, "I remember you should still have more than ten grand in cash, right?"

V: "..."