Classes at Arasaka Academy remained as dull and tedious as ever. For subjects like History of the Arasaka Corporation or Corporate Etiquette
Classes at Arasaka Academy remained as dull and tedious as ever.
For subjects like History of the Arasaka Corporation or Corporate Etiquette, Lin Mo had zero interest. He couldn't even be bothered to pretend to pay attention.
To make matters worse, these courses subtly embedded corporate indoctrination, designed to shape students into loyal employees after graduation.
As an outsider, Xu Wanxue had once worried that Lin Mo, still young and mentally impressionable, might eventually become nothing more than a puppet of the Arasaka Corporation.
But Lin Mo had made it clear multiple times that he wouldn't fall for such petty mind tricks. And to maintain a good relationship with David, he had refused Xu Wanxue's occasional suggestions to transfer him out.
Others weren't so lucky.
Inside the braindance-enabled virtual classroom, Lin Mo sat with his chin in his hand, bored out of his mind as the AI instructor floated mid-air, droning on.
He turned to glance at David beside him.
While Lin Mo slacked off entirely, David—despite acting reluctant to attend school—took every class seriously and always scored near the top of the class.
David had once told him that if not for his mother Gloria's wishes, he'd never have enrolled at Arasaka Academy.
Still, after spending some time there, Lin Mo could tell—whether David admitted it or not—that he had been influenced by the curriculum.
If someone offered him a position at Arasaka, there was no doubt he'd accept in a heartbeat.
If things continued this way, David was bound to join Arasaka as another corpo dog. And if not Arasaka, at least a smaller company in its pocket.
Thinking this, Lin Mo let out a quiet sigh.
"Too bad the one thing Night City doesn't lack is accidents."
He genuinely admired Gloria's effort—sacrificing everything for her son's future.
But surviving in Night City was like steering a fragile skiff across a violent sea. A single wave could sink you.
Lin Mo wasn't in a position to judge.
As he let his thoughts wander, the AI teacher suddenly turned its attention toward him, its mechanical voice echoing across the virtual classroom:
"It's time for a fun quiz! Lin Mo, could you answer this question: What was the military rank of the great Saburo Arasaka when he served his homeland?"
With no choice, Lin Mo stood up. He glanced at David, who was subtly mouthing the answer.
Smiling slightly, he responded with confidence:
"Fighter pilot."
"Correct! You may sit down. Our great leader Saburo Arasaka once..."
Who the hell cares what that ancient relic used to be? Lin Mo muttered in his head, visibly annoyed.
If it were an engineering class, that would be one thing—his grades were actually decent, and he could solve most problems.
But due to his limited hands-on experience and lack of a mentor, his Technical Ability stat hadn't increased much.
And there was no easy fix. He had once tried tirelessly to train his Body stat through traditional workouts, only to find cyberware far more efficient.
Maybe if his sister helped him get a new high-end cyberarm, plus a black-market skill chip, he could temporarily boost his Technical Ability...
He already knew how to temporarily raise attributes using muscle stimulants or cognitive enhancers. But for Technical Ability, he hadn't tested any shortcuts yet.
With implants like the Sandevistan and Kerenzikov now in place, the fruits of his physical training were finally showing. It was time to focus on other stats.
Lost in thought, he made it through the rest of the day.
Evening.
If there was one upside to AI teachers, it was their punctuality. The preset lesson scripts never deviated from schedule, and all material was always covered on time.
When the AI teacher finished its farewell script, its hologram vanished. The students began trickling out of the classroom.
Lin Mo and David stepped out together—only to find an all-too-familiar annoyance blocking their way.
Zheng Nan, that shallow jerk with pale blue hair, once again stood at the door, arms crossed smugly. Behind him were his two nameless lackeys.
Zheng Nan, the spoiled son of an Arasaka middle manager, loved bullying David and flaunting his status.
Lin Mo didn't even spare them a glance. He walked forward without stopping.
With his Body stat, Zheng Nan and his goons couldn't block him if they tried. Lin Mo broke through their human wall effortlessly, like a tiger brushing aside kittens.
David followed silently, barely acknowledging them.
Shoved aside, Zheng Nan's face turned purple with rage as he shouted:
"Lin Mo, stop right there! You cheated off David during class today, didn't you?"
"And you, David! Helping someone cheat? You're a disgrace to the class!"
Seriously? This little punk still hasn't learned?
Lin Mo thought back to the last time he'd handed Zheng Nan a beatdown, using his superior Reflexes to mop the floor with him.
Since then, Zheng Nan had avoided Lin Mo like the plague, only daring to hassle David when Lin Mo wasn't around.
Now what? He thought he was hot stuff again?
Lin Mo stopped and turned around slowly—like a lion spotting prey.
With blood on his hands and a lingering edge to his aura, Lin Mo's stare was enough to make Zheng Nan tremble. He remembered what it was like to be dominated.
But this time, Zheng Nan clenched his teeth and spat:
"Don't think I'm afraid of you! Meet me at the usual place, Lin Mo. I won't let you off this time!"
For a moment, Lin Mo was genuinely surprised. This idiot had the balls to challenge him again?
He turned to David, patted his shoulder, and said:
"Wait here. Let's see what kind of tricks he thinks he's got this time."
As Lin Mo walked toward him, Zheng Nan's smug grin returned.
In a dark alley near Corpo Plaza.
Clapping his hands clean, Lin Mo dusted off invisible dirt and sighed. He called out to David, who was waiting near the alley entrance:
"Let's go, David."
Behind him, Zheng Nan, his once-pretty face now swollen like a pancake, sobbed quietly with a mouth full of gaps where teeth used to be.
His two useless lackeys trembled in the corner, terrified to make a sound, afraid Lin Mo might turn around and beat them too.
"You'd think this guy would learn," Lin Mo muttered as they walked. "Gets a cheap cyberarm and a combat chip and thinks he's tough... Only to get wrecked again."
David glanced at him and sighed.
"Isn't that because someone gave him lasting trauma? He probably saw a tiny chance and jumped on it, hoping to get payback."
"Exactly," Lin Mo replied with a smirk. "He's the classic throwaway villain whose only purpose is to get humiliated by the protagonist. And today was just another lesson."
David stayed silent.
-
-
-
🧠 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! 🧠⚙️
🛑 Plus, unlock exclusive novels available only on Patreon, including:
R18: Reincarnated in Her World
Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
Cyberpunk: The Relentless
My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
The Rebirth of Harry Potter
Dragon King of Ice and Fire
Star Wars: Relics of the Past
🔗 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!