Faced with Lucy's cold attitude, Lin Mo didn't seem surprised at all. A faint smile still lingered at the corner of his lips.
However, it was precisely that smile that made Lucy feel uncomfortable. From his appearance, he looked like a high school kid at most, someone who would timidly call her "sister," yet he carried himself like he had her completely figured out.
With that same light smile, the boy continued, "If you want to talk business, then at the very least, you've got to let me know what the business actually is, right? That way, I can give you a proper answer."
"When I gave you my card, you said you'd think about it. And now you've invited me here. Shouldn't I be the one asking how your consideration went?"
Indeed, today's meeting hadn't been initiated by Lin Mo — it was the woman before him who had asked him to come, seemingly ready to respond to the job offer he had extended earlier.
To be honest, Lin Mo was surprised. He hadn't expected that the card he had handed over so casually would actually be taken seriously by her.
Now things had gotten interesting, because he couldn't quite read what she was thinking. Unless she spoke up first, he had no intention of revealing the true purpose behind setting up the studio.
Lucy furrowed her brows slightly, thinking Lin Mo was playing dumb on purpose.
She didn't hesitate for long. With a swift motion, she placed the business card on the table and asked coldly:
"I want a clear answer. What kind of shady work is your studio really covering up? If you can't explain that, I can't give you a straight answer either."
Lin Mo looked at the card, responding calmly and unhurriedly:
"If you won't give me a straight answer, and we haven't signed any contracts, then I can't give you the truth either."
He still wore that polite smile on his face, completely unconcerned that Lucy might get up and leave.
Unlike the gold-foil "Legendary" card he gave David, the one he handed Lucy had no hidden features — it was just an ordinary business card.
So no matter what her motive was for inviting him here today, Lin Mo had the upper hand in this conversation.
Sure, the woman was attractive, but in the end, she was still just a netrunner. There weren't many well-known netrunners in the game, but there were certainly more than a few.
And after the events of the previous night, Lin Mo had already secured Sasha — the sly, cat-like hacker — which filled the team's most urgent gap in cyber support.
One more netrunner wouldn't hurt, but one less wouldn't ruin things either. Lin Mo felt there was no need to rush.
Seeing Lucy's expression still gloomy and silent, Lin Mo sighed. He didn't want the conversation to get too icy, so he tried to ease the tension:
"Instead of asking me to lay everything out, why don't you go first and tell me what you're thinking? After all, you invited me here — and in situations like this, the first to lose composure is usually the weaker party."
"So, go ahead. Tell me what you're thinking. That way, we can actually move this forward," he said, feigning the maturity of someone well beyond his years.
Lucy lowered her head slightly. Her snow-white bangs cascaded over her eyes, partly concealing her expression. Sunlight from the window reflected off her flawless hair, casting a soft glow. Through the strands, Lin Mo caught a glimpse of her eyes narrowing — guarded and wary.
Her face, as cold as frost and as smooth as porcelain, was completely devoid of emotion, like a noble visitor from some icy moon palace.
With a beauty like that, she was one of a kind in Night City. No wonder she dreamed of going to the moon. With her aesthetic, maybe she really did belong there... Lin Mo mused internally.
He himself didn't exactly feel like a perfect fit for Night City either.
After a long silence, the woman finally stated her intent, plainly and clearly:
"I need money."
Lin Mo kept smiling, though now with a touch of confidence and certainty.
"Straight to the point. I like that. But people are complex — I doubt money is the only reason you're looking for work with me."
"But you only need one reason, don't you?" Lucy replied with a cold sneer, seeing right through him.
"True. Heroes don't care where someone's from. Reasons don't mean much to us edgerunners anyway," Lin Mo nodded in agreement.
"You're just a rich kid. Is it really appropriate to be using 'us' like you're one of us? You can't empathize with what we go through," Lucy said, still cold.
Lin Mo shrugged, replying nonchalantly:
"Think whatever you want. But let's get back on track — your biggest concern right now is probably that the benefits listed on the business card are some kind of scam, right?"
Lucy kept her eyes locked on Lin Mo and slowly nodded.
His smile deepened.
There was no way the simulator had handed out a lunar travel voucher as a meaningless reward.
The woman in front of him clearly had a dream of going to the moon. To make that dream come true, she needed money.
Why that was her dream — he'd considered a few possibilities.
Was she trying to escape someone hunting her? Trying to flee Night City? Or was it just a childhood fantasy?
Whatever the reason, that dream was her weak point. She had rejected his offer before, which only proved how seriously she took it.
Because it mattered so much to her, she refused to let others treat it lightly.
Which meant Lin Mo had found his angle. Compared to stealing chips or doing small-time gigs, what he offered came with much better pay — and the benefits on the card were more than enough to tempt someone.
And his small, unofficial operation couldn't even be called a company. Even if she didn't like corporations, she probably didn't see him — some "naive rich kid" — as much of a threat.
For all he knew, she still looked down on him deep inside, thinking he was just another "too-rich-too-dumb" little heir.
There was no way Lucy wouldn't be tempted.
"So I won't waste any more time. I'll just say it outright — if you're willing to join the studio and help out, I can pay you 25,000 a month, and I guarantee that all the benefits listed on the card are real. If you don't believe me, we can draw up a contract."
"Oh, and just to be clear — I mean eurodollars. Not Zimbabwean cash."
Lin Mo stated his offer plainly.
"At that rate, just one year with us and you'll have what you need to make your dream come true. Why not go for it?"
Upon hearing this, Lucy's brows furrowed even deeper.
Saying she wasn't tempted would be a lie. In this city of excess and indulgence, only the ultra-rich were truly immune to the lure of money.
But she still had doubts. 25,000 eurodollars a month — that was what a mid-tier manager at a major corp might earn. Even among edgerunners, only top-tier operators made that much.
Not to mention all the additional benefits listed on the card.
After thinking it over for a while, Lucy finally shook her head. Her gaze wasn't as icy as when they first met, but it was still distant as she said:
"Sorry, but the conditions you're offering are too good. I find it hard to believe."
Outside of Night City, she had traveled through many places. A hard life had taught her one thing — there's no such thing as a free lunch.
If this kid was willing to offer such generous terms, it only meant he had grand ambitions. Even though she didn't fully approve of his methods, she knew better than to underestimate someone who looked young and harmless on the surface.
This negotiation only confirmed her suspicions...
"That's a perfectly reasonable response. But there's a way to fix that. I'll give you your first month's pay up front. You can spend a month at the studio — call it a trial period. After that, you can decide whether to stay. You're free to leave anytime."
Lin Mo didn't find her response surprising. He simply raised the stakes.
Sure enough, upon hearing his offer, Lucy's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She stared at Lin Mo in disbelief before asking:
"You're not afraid I'll just take the money and run?"
"Heh, one hot meal doesn't mean every meal will be hot. I'm sure you understand that, Miss," Lin Mo chuckled, full of confidence.
Lucy narrowed her eyes, a hint of danger flickering in her gaze:
"Oh? Are you treating me like some kind of pet?"
"If that's how you want to see it, then there's not much I can do," Lin Mo said with a carefree smile, looking completely innocent.
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