David's pupils suddenly shrank. Could this be the start of the Corpo route for V?
Anyone who has played Cyberpunk 2077 knows that the protagonist V has several origin choices, including the Corpo life path at Arasaka Corporation.
Now it made sense why a street kid like Jackie could get his hands on a high-end kinetic energy pistol like the Arasaka JKE-X2 Kenshin!
"David, you don't know this, but I've got a good friend who I'm really close with. She's a woman, but our bond is like that of brothers."
"I invited her for a drink last night, but that poor soul is stuck working overtime as a corpo dog at Arasaka. Such a buzzkill!"
Jackie's words from the bar the night before echoed in David's mind.
So, in this world, not only did V take the Corpo route, but she was also the female version!
"Hey, Jackie, your friend V—is she a girl?" David asked without hesitation.
"Oh, haha… Yeah, she's a girl, but you can think of her as one of the boys!" Jackie laughed heartily. "Back in the day, she always had my back. She's solid!"
Bingo!
The pieces fit perfectly.
David couldn't help but grow curious about the legendary V of this world.
"Alright, then. I'll wait for you to introduce us someday," David said with a smile, then turned toward Pyrrha. "So, my team's complete now, right?"
"You… you brat…"
Pyrrha's face twitched with frustration. She then turned to Lucy and warned, "Hey, Lucy, you seriously want to team up with this Dragon Boy? This is just a temporary crew!"
At her words, everyone in Maine's crew, along with David and Jackie, shifted their attention to Lucy.
It was time for her to decide.
Lucy glanced at Maine and the others before giving a faint smile. "Sorry, Maine, but I still want to give teaming up with David a shot."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The members of Maine's crew all reacted differently.
Maine simply frowned but didn't say much.
Kiwi, Dorio, and the others couldn't help but tease Maine, joking that he was losing his touch with the ladies.
Pyrrha, on the other hand, clutched her chest like she'd suffered a heartbreak.
As for the two younger girls, Rebecca and Sasha, they exchanged glances—who knew what was running through their heads?
"Lucy, are you sure about this?" Maine asked, still holding out hope.
Lucy met his gaze, her eyes resolute. "Yeah, I'm sure."
"…Alright. If that's what you've decided, I won't force you. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us."
Maine sighed and stood up, signaling the others. "Let's move out!"
Dorio, Pyrrha, and the rest rose from their seats one after another.
"Haha… Not bad, kid. You actually stole Maine's thunder," Dorio chuckled as she passed by David. "Now I'm curious—what's so special about you that all the girls are flocking to you?"
She eyed David up and down before striding toward the exit, her suit jacket swaying with her bold and confident steps.
"Giggle… I'm curious too," Kiwi added, her fingers brushing through her hair as she flashed a sly smile. "See you next time, kid."
After giving Lucy a pat on the shoulder, she disappeared through the door.
"Kid, I've got my eye on you," Pyrrha said, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at David. "You better behave!"
Finally, only Rebecca and Sasha remained.
"Thank you," Sasha said softly, her words sincere. "If you hadn't warned me earlier, something might've happened…"
"Hey, don't mention it," David replied with a smile. "Just stay safe from now on, alright?"
Something about David's warm gaze made Sasha's heart skip a beat. Her cheeks warmed up as she quickly nodded.
"Y-Yeah, I will…"
If the bar's lights hadn't been so dim, someone might've noticed the faint blush dusting her cheeks.
While David was chatting with Sasha, Rebecca darted up to Lucy and tugged at her arm.
"Huh? What's up, Rebecca?" Lucy asked, startled.
Rebecca frowned slightly and whispered, "Hey, Lucy… Are you and David, like… a thing?"
"Eh?!"
Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "No, no, it's not like that!"
"Really?" Rebecca eyed her suspiciously.
"Really!" Lucy insisted, shaking her head.
"Heh, good!" Rebecca grinned like a mischievous child. "Next time, I'm crashing your team hangout! Where's your base, by the way?"
"Uh… We haven't settled on one yet…"
Lucy glanced at David, silently asking him.
"Yeah, still figuring that out," David replied with a smile. "But once we've got a spot, you're welcome to drop by."
"You said it—no take-backs!" Rebecca's eyes sparkled with excitement as she reached into her pocket and stuck out her pinky finger. "Pinky swear!"
She stood in front of David, a head shorter than him, with her small hand raised expectantly. The gesture, combined with her youthful face, made her look especially adorable.
David chuckled and shook his head. For some reason, girls in this city seemed to love pinky swears.
"Alright, pinky swear."
Without hesitation, he hooked his finger with Rebecca's.
"Hehe! Deal!"
Rebecca beamed brightly, then grabbed Sasha's arm. "C'mon, Sasha! Boss Maine's waiting outside!"
"Ah—Rebecca, slow down!"
The two girls disappeared out the door of the Afterlife Bar.
"Haha… Those two are something else," David mused, shaking his head with a chuckle.
"Yo, David, I gotta say—you're pretty popular with the ladies, huh?" Jackie elbowed David playfully, a teasing grin on his face.
"Quit talking nonsense," David muttered, shooting a quick glance at Lucy.
Lucy seemed lost in thought, her gaze unfocused as if her mind were somewhere else.
"Hey, Lucy!"
David called out to her. "What did Rebecca say to you just now? You've been spacing out since then."
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing!"
Lucy quickly snapped out of her thoughts and waved it off.
"Hmm… What's going on between you two?" Jackie teased. "Well, since it's just us now, how about a toast to celebrate our new crew?"
"Good idea."
David grabbed the bottle, poured drinks for the three of them, and raised his glass. "To Team Qin!"
"Team Qin—cheers!"
Lucy and Jackie echoed the cheer, clinking glasses with David before downing their drinks, smiles lighting up their faces.
Meanwhile, several blocks away in Kabuki, red and blue police lights flashed through the dark streets.
NCPD officers had sealed off the Phoenix Club, their vehicles parked haphazardly around the scene.
Among the crowd stood Yoko Taro—the leader of the Tiger Claws—his sharp eyes scanning the bloodstained room where Yorinobu Arasaka's right-hand man, Jotaro Shobo, lay dead.
Yoko Taro grimaced, raising a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose as the stench of blood clung to the air.
"Who dares spill blood on Tiger Claw territory?!" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Find the bastard—fast!"
A nearby NCPD officer shifted nervously, wiping sweat from his brow. "M-Mr. Taro, we've already extracted DNA evidence from the victim's body… We should have a match soon!"
The evidence in question?
A trace of saliva—left behind when David had spat on Jotaro before leaving.
"Then get moving!" Yoko Taro barked, clapping the officer on the shoulder hard enough to make him flinch. "We're paying you good money. Don't make us lose patience…"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
As the officer rushed off to expedite the process, Yoko Taro's eyes narrowed into slits.
No one crosses the Tiger Claws and walks away unscathed.
The gears of revenge had begun to turn.
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