"The annoying guy has finally left."
Watching as Faraday led his two attendants out of the booth and toward the bar's exit, Maine couldn't help but laugh, and the atmosphere in the small booth immediately lightened.
"There's still some time before the evening. Lin Mo, if you don't have anything else, why don't you stay here and drink with us?" Maine looked back at the young man sitting between them, grinning.
The young man sat in the middle, flanked by a hacker lady with an elegant and slender figure and a massive, muscular man, looking like a naïve child being teased by the bar's veterans despite his ghostly mask.
"Sure." Lin Mo replied slowly, glancing at Maine, and added, "But you'll have to buy me a drink."
"You always want the smallest advantage," Maine muttered under his breath, pulling out his sunglasses from his pocket. After putting them on, he got up to go to the bar to buy the drink Lin Mo asked for.
As Maine walked away, Lin Mo smiled and teased, "The annoying guy has finally left."
His tone was exactly the same as Maine's when he was complaining about Faraday earlier.
Sasha laughed softly, her eyes turning into crescent moons, and her hair, hanging by her cheek, trembled slightly. Her smile made her seem like a nimble cat in the night.
"If Maine hears you say that, he'll probably be unhappy and retort," Sasha teased.
Lin Mo shook his head slightly, confidently stating, "I'm just saying what's on my mind. Honestly, I prefer chatting with calm people. It's less about talking, and more about sitting in peace, enjoying the silence. You don't need many words to connect, just the quiet understanding."
Sasha narrowed her eyes, staring at the young man as if she felt he was alluding to something deeper.
However, Lin Mo didn't seem to notice her gaze and continued speaking, "I also like the atmosphere of this bar. There are a lot of people, and it's lively, but I don't like to participate in that. I prefer to sit quietly on the side and watch. It's like sitting inside during the rainy season, watching the storm pour down, while outside might be noisy, but inside, everything stays calm."
The bar's rock music played loudly, but Sasha still clearly heard his words, understanding what he meant. In some ways, she realized, she and Lin Mo were alike.
"Yeah, Maine's the kind of person who's good at talking. It's a quality you need as a team leader. Don't let his rough exterior fool you, he's actually quite warm-hearted. Back when we worked together, he was always decisive and fair with everything," Sasha said as she picked up her drink, her gaze focused on the liquid, and the glass swirled with her movement.
"While he's not here, do you mind telling me some of his past secrets?" Lin Mo asked with a mischievous smile.
"Past secrets? You should ask Dorio. Maybe she'll tell you about how Maine snores when he sleeps or something harmless like that. Back when we were a team, Maine never dropped the ball. He's fair with the money and always takes the dangerous jobs like covering our backs or charging ahead," Sasha said, her fingers gently resting on her chin, her lips slightly parting, her eyes distant as if recalling old memories.
Lin Mo, listening to her, felt like he was learning more about Maine, the large man. He then turned his attention toward the bar, realizing that Maine seemed to be delayed by something or perhaps was waiting in line to buy drinks. He couldn't see his figure in the hallway.
"By the way, when you work, is it mostly with Maine?" Lin Mo asked.
Sasha took a sip from her drink, her tone soft as she replied, "Most of the time, yes. Not many hackers are good at direct combat. We mostly rely on the team for backup."
"Then, if—just if—someone else invited you to team up for another job, would you agree?" Lin Mo's eyes shifted slightly.
"That depends on whether the person is reliable and familiar. Many street-level edge runners are only motivated by money, but the smarter ones will assess whether the job is feasible and if the team members are dependable," Sasha thought for a moment and then added, her gaze shifting back to Lin Mo, her tone gentle yet sincere: "Even though I don't know your reasons for being an edge runner, don't be like those reckless idiots who take jobs without considering their abilities. One wrong move and it could cost you your life. Finding good teammates is crucial."
Lin Mo nodded with a relaxed smile. "Do I seem like that kind of person?"
"No," Sasha said, looking directly into Lin Mo's eyes.
I thought I left you with a murderous image that night... Lin Mo thought inwardly but still smiled at her.
"Now that we've talked about Maine and me, it's your turn, Sasha. Can you tell me what made you choose to become an edge runner?"
Sasha sighed, helplessly saying, "Sometimes I think you'd make a great journalist, Lin Mo. You ask so many questions."
Though she said that, before Lin Mo could apologize, the hacker lady patiently continued:
"What's there to say... I was just trying to make a living. When I was young, my father was already gone. My mother was my only support. She used to be a soldier, but after getting injured, she was hospitalized and eventually died from an unknown illness. Back then, I didn't understand it. She had a minor injury that shouldn't have been fatal, and her recovery seemed fine. But for some reason, she developed a neurodegenerative disease and died."
"Doesn't it sound ridiculous? She only got injured, and yet she died because of a brain issue."
Sasha's lips still wore that faint smile, but this time, Lin Mo noticed a coldness in her expression.
They didn't meet often, but Sasha had always given him the impression of being gentle and composed, never revealing her frustration even if she was angry inside.
On the other hand, no matter how excited or happy she was, she never let it show too much.
That kind of calm demeanor suited being a hacker—someone who couldn't let their emotions interfere with their work.
But this time, Lin Mo saw a hint of resentment and bitterness in Sasha's eyes, as if the death of her mother had left an unresolved knot in her heart.
"So after that... you chose to become a hacker?" Lin Mo guessed.
"Yeah, the first thing I did after becoming a hacker was to hack into the hospital's archives to investigate my mother's cause of death. But I found no clues at all, and the doctors there had no idea either," Sasha said, her voice low.
Lin Mo fell silent for a while, unsure of what to say to comfort her. Perhaps he shouldn't have brought up this topic.
Just as he was about to choose his words carefully, trying to comfort her without causing conflict, a voice from beside him interrupted his thoughts.
"Yo, you're here too, Little Lin Mo."
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