"Ahhh! So good, so good, faster, faster, faster!" Li Pan shouted.
"Eeeek! No more! I'm at my limit! Any faster and I'll fly apart!" Serena cried.
K roared: "It's just a joyride! Why the hell are you two moaning like that!?"
Li Pan straddled Serena, with K hugging his waist from behind, blasting along Night City's highway, up onto the dam, circling the city at max speed until dawn. The wind nearly peeled their faces off.
Whether or not K enjoyed it, Li Pan and Serena certainly did.
"K, I'm telling you, you should take Serena out more often. Look how lonely she gets."
"Exactly!" Serena chirped.
"My bike is none of your business!" K snapped, twisting his waist.
"Take the next exit, follow the nav, to my rented warehouse. I've given you access. Park Serena there, deliver the goods."
"OK, leave it to me."
Business was business. After hard bargaining, Li Pan and K struck a deal: seven million total for the entire batch of blood.
Because the amount was huge, Li Pan's account couldn't handle sudden movement, and K needed time to gather funds. So they agreed: K would pay 200k upfront. After Li Pan delivered the fridge to the warehouse, another 500k. The remaining 90% would be paid over the year, in installments, to avoid triggering the Tax Bureau.
As a side demand, Li Pan got himself added to Serena's user permissions—at least one joyride per month.
He wasn't worried about K defaulting. She rode a limited-edition Kusanagi custom, and as a Grand Knight of the Nightstalkers her salary had to be over a million a month. Still, constant battles burned through cash, so cash flow was always tight.
Given how the Tax Bureau had screwed him once already, and considering this was seven million worth of blood belonging to an Elder, it couldn't go through Night Clan channels. Instead, they used Monster Corp's trade system to file a contract and dodge taxes. Li Pan covered the tax bill, while K compensated him with guns and ammo as barter. Conveniently, he could also offload the loot from Akiyama Dojo through the books—junk glassware "sold" out, then tossed in a landfill.
As for splitting the money: Li Pan kept half. Qi and Rama, though they'd only helped move the fridge, were now in the boat and would handle cleanup—so each got 10%. The last 30% went to Kotaro and Eighteen, split between them.
That meant Li Pan pocketed another 97,000, bringing his balance to 115,580.32. Once K raised funds and paid the next installment of 242,500, he'd be richer still.
Good times ahead!
Serena switched to auto-cruise, exiting the highway into an underground garage. This wasn't an apartment but a combined car-warehouse, clearly K's safehouse for storing weapons, gear, and vehicles.
After the wild dam ride, K's tight suit was soaked. She stripped down to a bikini, hosed herself off with the carwash, while Li Pan rolled up his sleeves, filled a bucket, and lovingly polished Serena, doing full maintenance with shining eyes.
"…If you like bikes this much," K muttered, "why not buy your own?"
"No way. After riding Serena, all others are garbage."
(Serena: "Hehe, kiss kiss!")
"My first vehicle should be a cargo truck anyway. By the way, which of your Elders is rich, but without strong backing?"
K glared. "Addicted to robbery now? I'll warn you. If the Julius family comes knocking, you'd better be ready to return goods and pay damages!"
"Relax. I'll handle that. Won't drag you in."
"Hmph!"
K dried her hair, then came back with a bag from her armory—tax compensation.
Li Pan peeked in. "What's this, silver bullets?"
Wrapped in oiled paper: eighty rounds of custom silver-tipped ammo, liquid metal swirling inside.
"Silver Nitrate Armor-Piercing Cartridges. Level Five. Specially designed to kill werewolves."
She pulled out a short rod, pressed the trigger—snikt—a silver spike.
"Silver Stake. Nanomaterial shaft, invisible to scans. Stab the heart—no werewolf revival."
Next, four disc-shaped shuriken, engraved with Cornelius' crest—a wolf head, ironically.
"Push the switch. Thrown, it detonates—blades linked by nano-filaments. Designed to slice and restrain fast-moving targets."
Then a small box with a syringe of green fluid.
"Anti-Lycan Serum. Inject within four hours of being bitten. Stops the transformation."
Li Pan stared. "Is Night City's werewolf problem that bad?"
K gave him a look. "Preparedness. And they're close kin. These work on vampire prosthetics too."
So the kit was really for vampire nobility.
But that silver stake looked familiar. Li Pan suddenly remembered, and sent K the photo of the corpse behind Warehouse 7.
"That's a werewolf corpse, right?"
K stiffened. "Where did you take this?"
Li Pan shared the sewer coordinates, explained the Whirlpool Gang and Akiyama's warehouse raid.
"Maybe this guy tried to steal my company's stuff, and your people took him out first."
K frowned, silent. "No… something's off. Remember when we met in the subway? I didn't even know they were werewolves at first. Took me a while to confirm.
I thought I was the first to notice. No evidence, so the Elders ignored me. But this photo shows—someone in the Night Clan knew before me, and covered it up.
The Whirlpool Gang… Akiyama… TheM Corp…"
She looked him dead in the eyes. "Thanks. This is important intel. If you find anything else, contact me."
"No problem. By the way, K, do you know about TheM Corporation? Past managers? Rivalries?"
K shook her head.
"No. Twenty years ago, when Red Tengu riots peaked, I was transferred here for security. Your company serves businesses, no ads, monopolistic, very low-profile. I've never heard of rivals.
If you want info, Night Clan PR is usually handled by Emilia. Or you could try Asaji Koga of Five-Car Academy. She used to be one of the Four Shadows of the Garden, head of corporate intelligence."
Asaji Koga—the statuesque academy headmistress. Emilia—the elegant, long-legged PR director. Li Pan's eyes gleamed. Opportunities for "deep academic exchange."
"Hey!" K narrowed her eyes. "What's that look? What are you imagining!?"
"Nothing, nothing! Uh… so where's your coffin?"
"Anywhere! And stop googling!"
Dawn neared. K kicked him out to sleep.
Li Pan took the subway back to work, thinking hard about buying a truck.
After all, this raid showed: everyone used digital accounts, e-payments, passwords. Robbery netted zero. For side jobs, hauling cargo was best.
Hovertrucks were most convenient but expensive—fuel, batteries, license, airspace clearance, restricted routes. Too much hassle. For personal monster hunting, a cheap secondhand truck would do. He could mod it himself.
He remembered a livestreamer who self-modded hovercars. Fat guy, engine major… Martin Meats, that was it. Could contact him for a design.
With dreams of a better future, Li Pan reached the station—and was blocked.
"Good morning, Manager Li."
Two men in suits, black and white, flashed IDs.
"Seventh Investigation Bureau. We have questions for you. Authorization signed by the Director. Recording online. Your legal department has been notified."
"Not a big deal. Just consultation. Care to join us for breakfast?"
Seeing the men circling the station, Li Pan thought of Uncle Chen, and nodded.
"What's for breakfast?"
The agents glanced at each other. "Chinese?"
Li Pan shook his head.
They tensed, until he added:
"These Chinese places are all run by Southeast Asians. Can't even make decent twice-cooked pork. Too sour, too sweet. If it's on your tab, let's do steak. The system shows a place nearby."
"…If you're willing to cooperate, good," the white agent said.
"Of course! If you're buying, we're brothers already! Oh, this place—steak and burgers!"
At the restaurant, Li Pan ordered twenty steaks and forty burger patties, while the agents just had coffee and began.
"Let's start. Manager Li, what's your conflict with the Yuchi Group?"
"Oh, he called me an idiot."
The black agent frowned. "No. No one called you that. We planted familiars on the subnet. We have full audio."
"Really? Then maybe I misheard. Sensitive nerves."
"Sensitive enough to kill forty-two people?" the black agent asked coldly. "Which hospital issued your psychiatric report?"
Li Pan shrugged. "Check the archives. It's there."
"Forging psychiatric records is a crime."
Li Pan spread his hands. "Then arrest me."
The white agent smiled. "We don't want to waste your time. But you understand—our operation was disrupted. We'd been watching Yuchi a long time. And suddenly, you cut in. So what was your beef with them?"
Li Pan grinned. "You had an operation? What, watching him launder, kidnap, murder? Tell me, did Yuchi Ryuji really flush that woman into the sewers? You just stood by?"
The black agent was silent.
The white one smiled on. "So you acted as vigilante? Do you know Kim Young-jun? Did you urge him to surrender? Do you know who he gave Ryuji's chip to?"
"Oh thanks, another plate." Li Pan shoveled down steak. "How would I know? You know I told him to surrender. Trace it yourself. What, you lost the chip? Kim still alive?"
The white agent paused, then: "Another question. What's your relationship with Catherine Cornelius of the Night Clan?"
Li Pan thought. "Riding buddies."
The black agent cut in. "Did she order you to wipe Yuchi, destroy evidence?"
"Destroy what evidence? Isn't Yuchi under East City Alliance? They connected to Night Clan?"
"They are," the white agent said smoothly.
"So Night Clan plans to move on East City Alliance? Who, Takasugi or Yagyu?" the black pressed.
Li Pan ignored him, polishing off the meat. "Another plate, thanks."
The white agent stood. "That's enough. Just consultation. If you recall anything, any names Kim mentioned, contact us. Much appreciated."
Li Pan sighed. "Come on, let's chat longer…"
But the agents left—convinced he knew nothing.
He licked the last meat juices clean and returned to the company.
The phone rang.
"Legal Department here."
Who else.
Li Pan explained his vigilante act. Legal said not to worry.
"Though gang cases usually fall to police, 0791's security is unique. Since Cerberus was formed, the Bureau has sweeping power. But their real enemies are Takamagahara remnants and the Night Clan rulers, not businesspeople like us."
Seizing the chance, Li Pan asked: "So that was Seventh Bureau? How's the Security Bureau organized?"
Legal promised to send him documents. "Seventh handles economic crimes—fraud, laundering, crypto—mostly with the Tax Bureau. Usually won't involve regional managers."
Made sense. TheM's branches only had HR, business, logistics, tech. Only the HQ at World-01 had Legal and Finance, supporting all subsidiaries. HQ was the steward, holding law and money.
Since this was internal, the legal guy was lenient. Normally, the Security Bureau encounter meant meetings, reports, etc. Since there was recording, a phone call sufficed. He sent Li Pan some study materials.
The Bureau's job: monitor local conglomerates. In 0791, with power shifts, gangs too big for police, the Bureau took over.
Li Pan skimmed Third Bureau: Security Division, handling VIP protection, facility defense, classified info.
Uncle Chen must be in that category.
The phone rang again.
"Finance Department."
A sweet, chirpy female voice.
Li Pan groaned. Finance was the worst—stingy, bureaucratic, red tape for every cent.
"You too? Legal already said it's fine."
"I'm not asking about Security," the sweet voice said. "I saw you filed a contract in the system. Seven million for a batch of handicrafts. Was that from the fifty-thousand sideline job?"
Alarm bells. "And what's it to you?"
"Everything. This contract shows a profit margin of 1,300%, far above the 100% cap. That triggers variance. The Tax Bureau will audit. Cancel it now."
"…One hundred percent? Isn't that too low?"
"Not at all. You filed it under the 3% minimal tax bracket. The 100% margin is already the ceiling. If they see higher, they'll demand back taxes. That will implicate the company. Cancel it."
"…Lady, if I cancel deals at your word, how can I do business?"
"You can file under 13% general goods. Margin ceiling 300%. Or luxury at 30%, no cap. Or open shell companies, rotate invoices. But you'll need licenses, warehouses, or you go to jail."
"Damn. So troublesome. Isn't the company platform supposed to handle this?"
"The system is yours, the warehouse is yours. You want us to teach you tax fraud too?"
"C'mon, cut me slack, beauty. I can't afford shell corps. Everyone's waiting to eat!"
"…Fine. Ten percent cut for me."
"What!?"
"DeepNet crypto's fine. Though rates are low. At least a million. Otherwise, find someone else."
"…Tch. Thanks, beauty. Done deal. Mwah!"
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⚠️ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD — I'm Not a Cyberpsycho ⚠️
The system says: Kill.Mercs obey. Corporates obey. Monsters obey.One man didn't.
🧠💀 "I'm not a cyberpsycho. I just think... differently."
💥 High-voltage cyberpunk. Urban warfare. AI paranoia.Read 30 chapters ahead, only on Patreon.
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