"No. There are still many innocent gamblers inside the casino. We should try negotiating first. They are messing with the Afterlife. If their boss isn't completely crazy, he'll understand the seriousness of the situation."
"Besides, they're just a third-rate gang. They aren't worth us being so cautious."
Saying this, V gave Jackie a sly smile.
"Remember those two Autocannons we saw earlier? I've actually already bypassed the surveillance system and cracked those two things via the Sub-network."
"If anything goes wrong, I'll just activate the Autocannons and spray their place into a mess."
V pointed to her head, indicating that Jackie should relax.
She was completely confident in her decision to venture into the dragon's lair alone.
This confidence stemmed precisely from the Netwatch Net Access Port installed in her brain. Right now, she was invincible.
"Alright then, I'll cover you outside."
Seeing V's swaggering attitude after upgrading her gear, Jackie conceded that she was still the powerful one and resigned himself to playing the support role.
"Speaking of which, do you have any gear for me?"
Jackie had slipped out empty-handed, without his two "Golden Mean Girls," and he felt a bit uneasy, like something was missing.
"Yeah, it's all in the trunk. Check it out yourself."
"Está bien! (Got it!)"
Jackie stepped forward and opened V's trunk, but his eyes went wide the second it popped open.
"Holy cow, V, did you move an entire armory in here?"
Jackie stared incredulously at V's trunk, which was packed full of weapons: Cluster Detonators, Fragmentation Grenades, submachine guns, rifles—everything imaginable, including a high-power "ice storm" sniper rifle.
It was completely full, like a mobile armory.
Jackie looked at V in surprise, but V just shrugged nonchalantly.
"Berry doesn't like messing around with new toys, so they just accumulated over time."
Seeing V's subtle display of wealth/power, Jackie conceded, "Alright, you're still the powerful one."
Having an engineer girlfriend means never running out of guns, right?
It was a good thing NCPD officers didn't check cars. Otherwise, this load of gear would be enough to land her in jail for half a century. After all, with this much firepower, people would believe you were planning to bomb City Hall.
"Alright then, I'll take a big one."
Jackie, his eyes filled with envy, picked up the "ice storm" sniper rifle. This thing was less a sniper rifle and more a sniper cannon; one shot, even if it just grazed the target, could turn an enemy into a puddle of bloody mush. It was the perfect choice for snipers with poor aim.
After picking up a few more magazines and tucking them into his waistband, Jackie continued.
"I'll stay right here in this alley. The visibility is clear, and I can see inside the parking lot. I'll be here, ready to provide support. As soon as you set off the explosives, I'll charge in immediately."
"Fine, the plan is settled then. I'll go in and see if we can resolve this peacefully. If not, I'll make my move after I come out."
"OK!"
At the entrance of the "Royal Flush" casino, V, wearing a blue hoodie with the hood up and hands in her pockets, walked toward the casino door under the watchful eyes of the guards.
"Hey, new face, I don't know you."
Seeing V actually walk toward them, the two thugs tossed their lit cigarette butts and quickly stood up.
"What, you guys don't welcome new guests?"
V stood in front of the two thugs, hands still in her pockets, showing no fear.
"That's not it, but you need to know the rules first. You have to exchange money for chips or coins here. Different stakes play different levels of games. If you think the stakes are too low, talk to the service staff."
Finally, the thug looked V up and down before adding.
"But, I guess you won't need to. Go on in."
The two thugs moved aside, revealing the casino's main door behind them.
V's expression remained neutral as she pushed the door open and entered.
Behind the door, the casino's clamor immediately assaulted her senses. Everywhere there were enthusiastic shouts and crowds huddled around tables. Along the white walls were rows of slot machines, their screens flashing with colorful, incomprehensible icons, emitting beeping and buzzing electronic sounds.
However, this was the first floor, likely meant for ordinary players, because V had seen the magnificent, gilded decor of the second floor in the surveillance feed, along with the quietly playing, well-dressed people at small tables. That must be the VIP section.
"Hey, new guest, come here to exchange chips!"
A grinning waiter stood behind the bar, waving at V, who had just walked in.
"Hey, customer, come take a look! What do you want to play? Slots? Or maybe some Texas Hold'em? Or how about a classic, the Stimulating Big Wheel?"
As the waiter spoke, he gestured toward the tall stack of colorful plastic chips beside his hand.
"I'm not here to play."
V, under her hood, frowned. She didn't much care for the bizarre, frenzied atmosphere of the casino, so she stopped the waiter, ready to get straight to the point.
"I'm here to see your boss, Dum Dum."
"Uh..."
Hearing V's words, the waiter's smile froze instantly, but after he recovered, things didn't get much better; his face immediately fell.
"Hey, no matter where you heard that name, don't go looking for trouble, okay? Leave now. Dum Dum doesn't like people causing trouble here. He really doesn't like it."
The waiter's expression was ugly as he gestured for V to leave. At the same time, following his eye signal, two floor thugs approached from behind, exchanging glances, ready to throw this clueless person out.
"You heard him, get out right now!"
The thug reached out, ready to grab the woman's shoulder.
But V glanced at the two men behind her.
Her body suddenly moved.
Her body was as swift as a swimming fish. V dodged the thug's outstretched hand with a quick shift, then spun around and delivered a rapid punch. The fist, like a stabbing attack, stopped at the very last moment, hovering precariously in front of the thug's Composite Cyber-Eyes. The resulting wind from the punch even brushed his face.
V held her fist near his face, but didn't hit him.
By Night City rules, he had already lost.
The opponent, showing good martial ethics, froze, so V stopped her other fist, which had been ready to deliver a kidney shot.
"I'm from the Afterlife. I'm here to talk business with your boss, Dum Dum. You just need to tell him that some things can't be solved by dragging them out. He needs to give an explanation."
Taking this opportunity, V didn't hesitate to use the name of the Afterlife. After all, the Afterlife was the one negotiating the deal with these guys, so using the name now was perfectly appropriate.
"...There's someone here who says they're from the Afterlife."
Seeing the situation, the waiter didn't dare delay and immediately placed a call to his superiors in his mind.
"Okay, okay, yes, understood."
After the waiter finished speaking, he looked at V with a complicated expression.
"Our boss is ready to see you. He's on the third floor."
"Thank you."
V casually acknowledged him and, under the hateful glares of several arriving Motorcycle Gang members, strolled gracefully toward the elevator.
As for the gamblers, it must be said that the addiction to gambling was truly intense. Despite the commotion, they didn't even turn their heads, remaining immersed in the frantic dopamine rush brought by the betting.
These guys were completely hopeless, V thought, shaking her head at the sight.
After getting into the elevator, V simultaneously accessed the surveillance feed in her mind.
Hacking into the building's surveillance system was as easy as walking into her own home; she could pull up whatever footage she needed instantly. Next, she pulled up the screen of a luxurious office.
Inside, a muscular man in a white suit was sitting on a leather sofa behind a long desk, talking.
He was leaning back against the rest, a cigar dangling from his mouth, giving instructions to his subordinates.
"...Damn it, people from the Afterlife. Those bastards are truly relentless."
Dum Dum complained a few times, apparently troubled by the Afterlife situation.
Who wouldn't be?
The Afterlife was, after all, a major power in Watson, and it was the venue where various gangs negotiated jobs. Offending the Afterlife's business was why Dum Dum was so furious.
Those guys took their own status too seriously, thinking he would just fold if they called and threatened him. Now they sent some unknown person, clearly showing they didn't respect the Motorcycle Gang at all.
Dum Dum's eyes glowed fiercely through the swirling smoke.
Just then, the door opened.
Under the resentful gazes of the gang members, V walked in confidently, went straight to the chair opposite Dum Dum, and sat down, showing none of the tension expected when entering an enemy's lair.
"So, the Afterlife sent a character like you."
Seeing V's audacious manner, Dum Dum, seated behind the mahogany desk, let out a scornful laugh.
"Yeah, I came to see why you guys aren't packing up and leaving."
In response to the other party's rude words, V retorted sharply.
She took off her hood, shook out her blue hair, and leaned back in her chair, looking at the large white man behind the desk whose white suit was stretched tight.
In this modern society, Hackers truly thrived, and V had never felt so comfortable before.
The moment she entered the room, everything connected to the local network was indirectly under her control. In just a few seconds, the Magic Puppet virus software in her brain had been implanted into the air conditioner, computer, and television. All it took was one command.
Boom.
This room would instantly be blown to smithereens.
That was why she was so confident.
The opponent thought this was his territory. He was wrong. Now, V was in charge of this place.
"Hmph, as expected of someone from the Afterlife, your temper is just as foul."
Dum Dum didn't have much doubt about V's origin. After all, he had recently received unilateral warnings from the Afterlife.
It was normal for someone to show up now.
However, Dum Dum noticed something strange. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the Afterlife Mercenary in front of him, especially her blue hair, which was particularly noticeable.
Female, blue hair, Afterlife—Dum Dum felt like the description was familiar.
Suddenly, he remembered the news that had recently caused a city-wide sensation.
"You are... V, right?"
Dum Dum spoke the name aloud.
As the name left his mouth, his expression began to turn serious.
He hadn't expected this person to be the one sent.
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