Lin Mo didn't have to wait long. After he woke up, Maine and the others returned not long after, carrying bags of loot like they'd just been
Lin Mo didn't have to wait long. After he woke up, Maine and the others returned not long after, carrying bags of loot like they'd just been out shopping, their faces full of the frustration that screamed, "Why the hell am I doing this?"
"Hey, our little hero's awake. How're you feeling? Got enough rest?"
Seeing Lin Mo step out of the car, Maine's gloomy expression disappeared, replaced by his trademark hearty smile.
"Not bad. My head's not spinning as much. More importantly, did you guys find anything useful?" Lin Mo slapped his cheeks to wake up a little more.
"Useful? Hell no... Had me digging through junk, I'm dead tired."
Rebecca huffed and tossed a big sack onto the ground, collapsing onto it with a dramatic sigh.
"Not much good stuff, just a pile of scrap. We picked out the best of it. Maybe it'll fetch a few thousand eddies if we sell it all," Maine added, dropping his own bag next to hers before nodding at Sasha.
"But Sasha found something better. Tell him, Sasha."
Unlike the rest, who were loaded down with gear and looked wiped out, Sasha was unusually relaxed, carrying only a small shoulder bag. Since it wasn't zipped up, Lin Mo caught a glimpse of the precise hacking equipment inside.
Sasha didn't say much. She silently transferred the intel she'd gathered from the factory directly to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo's eyes flickered as he received the data and skimmed through the attachments.
Most of it was composed of chat logs between the Scavs and their clients, and a few journal entries documenting deals.
In short: not much useful intel. The most important takeaway was that this Scavenger crew had been collaborating with multiple corporations, doing dirty work in exchange for corporate "rations" that helped them grow.
Lin Mo noticed several familiar names. Most were small-time corps, but a few stood out:
Moor Technologies, Darla Engineering, Kang Tao, Arasaka, and even Militech had minor ties to them...
"Damn. These guys really don't discriminate. Like a universal plug—taking jobs from anyone. They know their place, just muscle for hire doing the dirty work," Lin Mo muttered.
"Just dogs scarfing up corpo scraps," Maine scoffed. "Toss 'em a bone and they lose all sense."
"Forget that for now. We also found some cash—maybe a thousand, two thousand tops. By street rules, it's ours. But if you want it, it's yours," Maine said, pulling out a wad of grimy bills. The cash was stained with blood and dirt, likely taken from the dead.
Not much, and split among the team, it wouldn't go far. Maine figured it was better used as a gesture toward Lin Mo.
Lin Mo just glanced at it and shook his head.
He did, however, collect the rest of the "loot" (read: junk) and handed it to Kitagawa Hao, asking him to sell it later through the black market.
Kitagawa Hao nodded without complaint, though Lin Mo thought it a waste of his talent. If David really joined up, he could handle this kind of grunt work and get used to the edge-runner life.
"Oh right, that woman you saved—Susan. She woke up while you were out and was taken away by that Japanese woman," Sasha added, suddenly remembering.
"Fujimura Kawa? She didn't leave yet?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
He thought Wakako's driver had already taken her away.
"She's the client's daughter. She refused to leave. The driver couldn't convince her. Said she wanted to thank you in person. But you passed out," Maine explained.
"They've probably gone now," Lin Mo said casually.
A chuckle came from nearby. Lin Mo turned and saw Falco leaning against the car window, his thick mustache twitching slightly as he spoke warmly:
"Letting a lady wait isn't very gentlemanly. Then again, a true gentleman always makes a lady wait... with style."
"They're still here. Waiting on the road nearby. Driver's probably fed up by now. Better get moving."
Lin Mo blinked, not expecting that.
He looked down at the blood and grime all over him and shook his head. "Nah. I'm filthy. No need to spoil their mood."
Kitagawa Hao chuckled, quickly taking off his clean jacket and draping it over Lin Mo's shoulders.
"Lin, go. This is your moment," he said with surprising sincerity.
Faced with Hao's solemn gaze, Lin Mo sighed and walked off in the direction Falco had pointed.
...
A silver-gray car sat parked on the roadside. One of the few functioning streetlamps shone a golden light over it, as if gilding it in gold leaf.
The road alternated between light and shadow, eerily quiet. This car, alone by the curb, was like a single brushstroke of color on a gray canvas.
Lin Mo approached and knocked lightly on the door. Moments later, the backseat door opened, revealing a tired yet beautiful face.
—Fujimura Kawa.
Beside her, the rescued woman had clearly passed out again, unaware of his presence.
"How's your friend? Stable?" Lin Mo asked, eyes focused on the unconscious woman.
"I… I think so. She woke up briefly, said a few things. I think she'll be okay," Fujimura Kawa replied softly.
"Good," Lin Mo nodded, feeling quietly satisfied with his own emergency treatment.
"If seeing me was all you wanted, now you've done it. Go home. Your friend might be stable, but she's not out of the woods yet. And you... you still need that kidney transplant," he added.
Fujimura Kawa lowered her head, her messy hair obscuring her eyes. Her lips moved, as if to say something, but no words came.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Lin Mo said, not waiting for her reply.
"Wait!" she suddenly blurted, raising her head, locking eyes with him.
"Mr. Mo Ying... why did you help me? And only for 1 euro?"
Lin Mo shrugged.
"Sometimes, there isn't a deep reason. I helped you because those Scavs pissed me off."
"Also, doesn't it sound completely insane? Taking down a whole Scav gang for 1 euro? That's the point. Once word gets out, everyone will know Mo Ying is a damn fool."
—A big fool.
Cheap. Effective. Dangerous. Willing to front costs and still finish the job. Whether the reputation was good or bad, it paved his way to the Afterlife.
Trading 1 euro for a full-scale Scav wipeout. Life had never looked cheaper. The sheer absurdity would make sure everyone remembered his name.
To Lin Mo, the Scavs weren't even worth that euro. If not for triggering a program bug, he would've done it for free.
No one wants to be the fool. But everyone loves the fool.
With his connections, even high-profile gigs wouldn't make him more than a quick stock flip. Let alone his other ways of raking in eddies.
He took jobs for three reasons: reputation, attribute points from the simulator, and to build his crew.
Money? Too easy.
"No," Fujimura Kawa shook her head quickly, blushing. "I just think Mo Ying is... very cool."
"You must be a great hero!" she added, voice sincere.
"Thanks. If you ever need me again, contact the old lady. We're familiar now—I'll give you a 20% discount. Anyway, that's enough for tonight."
He sped up his words, clearly uninterested in continuing.
Fujimura Kawa widened her eyes, but before she could speak, Lin Mo held up a hand.
"No more thanks. That's not why I helped."
"Now close the door. Let the driver take you home. Your parents must be worried. Go shower, sleep, and get that transplant. Tomorrow's a new day."
"I don't care what you've been through, and I don't want to hear it. The only thing that matters now..."
Hands in his pockets, he smirked slightly.
"...is that you can go home."
Fujimura Kawa stared at him. When he said "go home," a wave of unexplainable sadness surged through her, stinging her eyes and nose.
Tears fell.
Her soft sobs echoed under the moonless sky. The glittering tears scattered on the ground like stars, like broken light.
Deep in the Scavs' den, they'd lost much. But they had survived. That alone was everything.
"Next time, be more careful. If you screw up again, there might not be a next time."
Lin Mo left the words hanging in the air, whether they heard them or not.
Maybe they did. The moment he spoke, Fujimura Kawa stopped crying and looked up, eyes red and glistening.
But all she saw was his carefree smile.
Without hesitation, he closed the car door.
The car drove off. Wakako's driver had likely been waiting too long. Now that the job was done, he didn't waste a second.
The car disappeared into the Night City winds. All the gratitude, all the emotion—lost in the breeze.
Lin Mo watched the car vanish. He glanced down at his blood-soaked clothes and sighed softly.
He turned and walked back to rejoin Maine and the others.
...
At the lot, Kitagawa Hao had already driven over with the Stone Sword. The three cars sat together. The group was either sitting on the hoods or leaning against them, waiting patiently.
"Hey, our good boy's back!" Maine waved, grinning.
"So, any plans now?" Lin Mo asked.
Maine laughed. "Hell yeah! We finished a big gig. Gotta celebrate, even if we pull an all-nighter."
Lin Mo took the SID chip from Kitagawa Hao, embedded it into his thumb, linking it with the Seed chip. "Got any place in mind?"
"TURBO restaurant in Japantown. Lots of edge-runners hang there every night. You in?"
"Find me a place to shower first," Lin Mo said, pointing to his blood-soaked outfit.
"Don't worry, I know the area like the back of my hand. I'll get you a hotel with hot water," Maine promised.
"Then lead the way," Lin Mo replied with a grin, getting into his Stone Sword.
The others climbed into their cars.
"Finally heading back," Rebecca yawned, tossing her pistol into Falco's car before hopping in.
"See you there," Sasha said with a light wave, slipping into the passenger seat.
The Emperor 720, a Goulard sports car, and the Stone Sword—three vehicles roared to life and sped off together toward the same destination.
-
-
-
🧠 My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
📢 System Booting… Welcome, Chooms! 📢
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator is now live with 20+ chapters ahead on Patreon! 💻🔥Dive deeper into Night City, level up faster, and stay ahead of the game with exclusive early access! 🧠⚙️
🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus
👤 Patreon name: SrMagnus🐦 Follow on Twitter: https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ Remember, I'll always post more chapters of the novel that gets the most Power Stones!