31-35

Chapter 31: Afterlife Bar 

“My name’s Devil, this is V, and that’s Jack Wells.” 

Riku stepped forward to answer. Putting everything else aside, his sheer size and intimidating look carried some serious weight. 

“Oh? What, are those names supposed to mean something?” 

The burly guard at Afterlife didn’t even flinch, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Never heard of these small-fry nobodies—why were they acting like big shots? 

“They will soon enough. We’re here to talk business. Big business.” 

Jack Wells spoke up, fully aware that Afterlife had strict rules. No introduction, no entry. 

“We’re here to see Sasha, a netrunner.” 

Riku chimed in, though he sounded a bit nervous, unsure if dropping Sasha’s name would actually work. 

If it didn’t, they’d be stuck outside Afterlife’s door, which would be more than a little embarrassing. 

“Oh? Sasha, yeah, I know her. Mann’s crew.” 

The guard nodded, but he didn’t open the door just yet. His cybernetic eye glowed red, like he was making a call. 

“Hold on, let me check.” 

The guard gave a quick explanation. Once he confirmed these three weren’t just random street punks, his attitude softened noticeably. 

“Mann.” 

Riku caught the name. It sounded familiar, tugging at a memory. 

“Sorry, could you step aside?” 

Before Riku could piece it together, a crisp female voice called out from behind them. 

The trio moved out of the way, and a girl passed through. She gave them a quick nod of thanks. 

She had short, ear-length black hair and wore a pink cropped jacket over a black techwear outfit. Her movements were sleek, almost catlike. 

“…” 

Riku’s jaw dropped slightly. It finally clicked who Sasha was! 

A character from a standalone MV in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the former netrunner for Mann’s crew. 

This was set before Lucy joined Mann’s team—Sasha’s exit was the reason Kiwi recommended Lucy to fill the spot. 

“Hey~ Emmerich.” 

Sasha greeted the guard casually. Mann’s crew was a regular at Afterlife, picking up jobs and hanging out, so she was on friendly terms with him. 

“Sasha, perfect timing. These three say they’re here for you.” 

The guard’s eye stopped glowing, and he jerked his chin toward Riku and the others. 

“Oh?” 

Sasha looked surprised and turned to face them. She hadn’t expected the coincidence. 

“Hi, Sasha-san. I’m Devil.” 

Riku gave her a friendly greeting, shooting her a quick message to confirm his identity. 

“…” 

When she saw the message from this “Devil” guy saying, “Yo, Cat-Head Lady,” Sasha instantly knew who she was dealing with. 

“Come with me.” 

Rolling her eyes slightly, Sasha motioned for the trio to follow. The guard, Emmerich, swung open the door to Afterlife. 

The three followed Sasha into Afterlife, the beating heart of Night City’s underground. 

Riku was no stranger to the place. He’d been here countless times in the game and knew it like the back of his hand. 

Seeing the real Afterlife now, it wasn’t much different from the game. The layout was pretty much the same. 

Jack Wells and V, on the other hand, were clearly awestruck. It was their first time here, but with Sasha leading the way, they were doing their best to play it cool. 

“This is it, this is the place…” 

Riku could hear Jack Wells muttering under his breath as they walked. 

“Over here, take a seat.” 

Cat-Head Lady led them to a booth and slid in, gesturing for the trio to join her. 

Riku plopped down across from Sasha. The U-shaped booth had plenty of room, so no one was cramped. 

Jack Wells and V sat down too, ready to get down to business. They dropped the wide-eyed newbie act. 

If they pulled this job off, they’d have no trouble getting back into Afterlife in the future, right? 

“Let’s do intros. I’m Sasha, the netrunner for this gig.” 

Despite her cute, almost kawaii appearance, Sasha was all business—sharp and experienced. 

“Great to meet you, Sasha. I’m Jack Wells. This is V, and that’s Devil—you two already met.” 

Jack was full of energy, taking the lead. He wasn’t about to bring up swapping out netrunners anymore. Sasha looked like the real deal. 

“Devil, huh? Suits you.” 

Sasha glanced at Riku and muttered under her breath. His intense vibe and striking appearance were hard to miss. 

“Let’s talk about the job. You’re the netrunner—how do we back you up?” 

Riku steered the conversation, his expression turning serious. 

He’d been racking his brain, trying to recall the details of that standalone MV. If he remembered right, Cat-Head Lady… died during a mission targeting Biotechnica. 

This job was no joke—high risk, high reward. Riku wasn’t thinking about bailing, though. Instead, he was wondering how to save this girl. 

In terms of netrunning skills, Sasha was top-tier. She’d infiltrated Biotechnica solo, after all. Their crew desperately needed a netrunner like her. 

But even if he saved her life, there was no guarantee she’d jump ship to join them. 

Then again, if Sasha survived, Mann’s crew wouldn’t need a new netrunner. Which meant Lucy… 

Lucy, the “Net-Diving Idol,” was another powerhouse netrunner who could fill their crew’s gap. 

“Here’s the plan—hey, you listening?” 

Sasha started to explain, then noticed Devil zoning out. 

“Of course, go on.” 

Riku gave an awkward smile and focused up, earning another eye-roll from Sasha. She was starting to wonder if these guys were legit. 

“Biotechnica’s workday runs about 17 hours, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. That means our window’s at night.” 

Sasha clearly had done her homework. She was running point on this job, and Riku’s crew was there to support her, making sure she could get in, get the goods, and get out. 

“Corpo dogs have it rough.” 

V tossed in a quip. A 17-hour grind left no room for a life outside work. 

“Biotechnica gives six paid days off a year—most generous you’ll find.” 

As for statutory holidays? Yeah, right. Those didn’t exist. Even Sundays were often workdays. 

“Long hours, sure, but the work’s not that hard. Plus, they’re raking in a couple thousand eddies more a month than your average choom.” 

Jack Wells wasn’t a fan of corpos. Sure, he had another friend named V who was a corpo, but he was always trying to get them to ditch that life. 

Chapter 32: This Money Feels Like It Fell From the Sky 

“No matter what, seven hours of downtime is more than enough for us to grab the goods,” Sasha said, unfazed by how grueling the job might be for the corporate dogs. She pressed on with her plan, cool as a character straight out of Ghost in the Shell. 

“I’ve got the internal map of the biotech company’s building, and I’ve confirmed the exact location of the target data. I’m sending it to you guys now.” 

Sasha, the cat-headed lady, was all business. Her eyes shifted color as she transmitted the data to Riku and the others. Her water-blue irises framed pink pupils, which turned green when she was running network calculations—a real cyberpunk vibe, like something out of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. 

“The whole thing’ll be quick. Two minutes to get in through the ground floor, two minutes to reach the target room, about five minutes to transfer the files—though it’ll probably be faster—and two minutes to get out. We’ll wrap this up in ten minutes, tops.” 

As she sent the data, Sasha explained the plan with confidence. To her, this was just another gig—snagging some data, no big deal. 

Riku, V, and Jack Wells stared at the map she sent, complete with the optimal action route, escape path, and estimated times. They exchanged glances, clearly impressed. 

“This is pro-level stuff! Totally legit!” Jack Wells fumbled for words, his limited vocabulary landing on “pro” and “legit” as he gave a big thumbs-up. 

“What do you need us to do?” V asked, scratching her nose. The street-smart gal, usually so confident, looked a bit sheepish. Taking 100,000 eddies for this felt almost too easy, like she was cheating the system. 

“One of you guards the entrance, one secures the escape route, and one comes with me. Sound good?” Riku chimed in, practically forcing the three of them into Sasha’s plan, like squeezing extra characters into a Neon Genesis Evangelion episode. 

“No problem,” Sasha nodded briskly. She could’ve handled this solo, no sweat, but since the client wanted a team, she wasn’t about to argue. 

“When do we move?” Jack Wells asked, glancing at the time. It was just past 4 a.m. If they could wrap this up in ten minutes, they’d have plenty of time. 

“Tomorrow. I’m heading back to catch some sleep,” Sasha said with a wave, yawning mid-sentence. 

“Works for me. I’ve got some stuff to handle anyway,” Riku agreed quickly. The real reason? By tomorrow morning, his time-travel ability would be off cooldown. He knew this job was destined to go sideways—something always did in Cyberpunk stories. Sasha’s plan might’ve looked flawless, but Riku had a gut feeling it’d end in trouble. After all, in the original timeline, Sasha didn’t make it out alive. 

Riku wasn’t just thinking about saving his own skin. If things went south, his time-travel trick would let him stay behind and cover for the others, ensuring V, Jack, and Sasha got out safely. 

“See you tomorrow, then,” Sasha said with a grin, waving as she left. 

“Tomorrow,” Riku echoed, waving back alongside V and Jack. 

After Sasha left, the booth fell quiet. 

“This money… it feels like we’re picking it up off the street,” V said, rubbing her red hair with a mix of awe and disbelief. She’d never had a gig this easy. Usually, for a few thousand eddies, she’d be dodging bullets from scavs or rival gangers, no plan beyond “load up and shoot.” 

“That girl’s young, but she’s the real deal,” Jack Wells added, equally impressed. This was his first big job, and it felt like stepping into a Cowboy Bebop heist. 

“Don’t get too excited, guys,” Riku cut in, dousing their enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water. “Sasha’s plan looks perfect, but you really think a biotech corp’s HQ is some kind of stroll-through park like in Kimi no Na Wa?” 

“You’re right,” Jack said, his tone sobering. “A corp’s doghouse ain’t no park. Plans are great, but execution’s what counts.” 

They were infiltrating a megacorp’s office, after all. Who knew what kind of Akira-level chaos could go down? 

“I don’t know why, but I’m torn. Part of me’s worried we won’t be useful, and part of me’s scared we’ll actually need to be,” V said with a wry smile. Teaming up brought that weird mix of feelings—hoping the job went smoothly but knowing the eddies would still hit their accounts either way. 

The two of them sat there, marveling at the gig, too caught up to even enjoy the Afterlife bar they’d always dreamed of visiting. 

“Alright, chooms, time to bounce,” Riku said, checking the time. Dawn was creeping up, and he wasn’t keen on sticking around. “Get some rest today. We can’t be dozing off on the job tonight.” 

To Riku, the Afterlife felt like someone else’s turf. He’d rather be at the Coyote Cojo, where Mrs. Wells ran things. In Heywood, everyone respected her, making it a safer bet. 

“No rush, right? Let’s soak in the Afterlife vibe a bit longer,” Jack protested, and V nodded. They’d just scored a big payday—why not enjoy the legendary bar’s atmosphere? 

“Look over there! That’s Rogue, the Afterlife’s boss, Night City’s baddest fixer!” Jack whispered excitedly, pointing stealthily like a fan spotting Spike Spiegel in the flesh. 

Riku and V followed his gaze. Sure enough, there was a silver-haired woman in a yellow jacket—Rogue, Johnny Silverhand’s old flame, the queen of Night City’s fixers, and a cyberpunk legend. She looked like she was in her forties, not the seventy-something she actually was. Talk about aging like a fine Nausicaä wine. 

“Jack, V, we gotta go. It’s almost dawn, and I’ve got a… genetic mod issue. Sunlight’s bad news for me—think Tokyo Ghoul-level pain,” Riku said, gritting his teeth. If he was going to team up with V and Jack long-term, he couldn’t hide his “sunlight problem” forever. Better to toss out an excuse now. 

Jack and V froze, clearly thrown off by Riku’s bombshell. 

Chapter 33: Surviving Night City Ain’t Easy 

“This…” 

V’s mouth fell open, stunned, unsure of what to say. 

“Choom, your Devil level’s not high enough, huh? Scared of a little light?” 

Jack Wells snapped out of his surprise and cracked a joke, quick to recover. 

“No helping it, I’m grinding to level up as fast as I can.” 

Riku threw up his hands like a little bear, playing along with Jack’s jab. He was telling the truth, though. 

“Let’s get moving then. We’ll drop you off first, Riku. Where you staying?” 

V stood up, abandoning the idea of hanging out longer at Afterlife. There’d be plenty of chances later. 

“Uh…” 

Riku hesitated, embarrassed. He didn’t have a place. He’d been crashing at the Coyote Cojo bar. 

“Oh, right! You just got to Night City, haven’t found a spot yet, have you?” 

Before Riku could respond, V smacked her forehead, remembering. Riku had mentioned he was new in town. 

“Yeah, I spent yesterday at Coyote Cojo. Was planning to look for a place.” 

Riku owned up to his current status as a Night City drifter. But with some eddies in his pocket now, finding a spot shouldn’t be too hard. 

“Come with me, then. Let’s be neighbors. There’s some vacant apartments where I’m at.” 

V didn’t hesitate, inviting him right away. A few units had just opened up near her place. 

As for how they opened up? Well, tenants died. That was just business as usual in Night City. V had seen her neighbors cycle through plenty of times. 

“That’s awesome!” 

Riku’s eyes lit up. Living next to V sounded perfect—someone to have his back. Plus, he knew her area almost as well as she did. 

V lived in Watson’s Little China, in the H10 megabuilding. 

Watson was one of Night City’s most chaotic districts, but the rent was relatively cheap. 

“Basic package is 1,000 eddies. Gets you the bare minimum furniture—like, a bed. And that’s it. Just the bed.” 

As the trio left Afterlife, V broke down the costs of renting while they walked. 

On this topic, V was the expert. Jack Wells didn’t live in an apartment like hers; his place was a converted garage. 

Compared to V, who was flat-out broke half the time, Jack had it better. His mom, Mama Welles, ran a bar, so he lived a bit more comfortably. 

They hopped into V’s secondhand Galena and headed for the H10 megabuilding. 

Afterlife was also in Little China, not far from V’s place. It was a quick drive. 

“Look, don’t think 1,000 eddies gets you settled. Not unless you plan to sit in the dark, skip the news, and never use electricity or water.” 

V kept talking as they drove, clearly pissed about the whole deal. She ticked off expenses on her fingers, her mouth running nonstop. 

“Power outlets, TV, radio, fridge, washing machine, private phone, net access—all rentals. Costs 20 to 50 eddies a month each. Usage fees are extra. And get this—even the damn door lock costs 100 to rent!” 

V’s face was pure disbelief as she went on. 

“Can you believe it? If you don’t pay for the lock, they leave your door wide open! But if you do rent it, you gotta keep paying, or they lock you out!” 

As a cyberpunk hustler who often scraped by meal to meal, V had been through it all. She’d missed rent payments before and knew these struggles firsthand. 

“Oh, and food? 100 eddies a week. The taste and portions? Let’s just say it won’t kill you, but it won’t fill you up either. Want something decent? Add another 50. Or you can pay 20 per meal, but only a gonk would do that.” 

V crunched the numbers as she spoke. For her current place, including utilities, you’d need at least 2,500 eddies a month to live somewhat normally. 

Most people in Night City made 2,000 to 3,000 a month. Some couldn’t even afford a place, which explained the city’s homeless problem. 

Of course, that was for apartments. If you were really broke but didn’t want to sleep on the streets, there were sleep pods. Those were cheaper—around 1,000 a month, or 30 a night. 

“Sleep pods? Might as well be homeless. A bunch of people crammed in one room, coffin beds lined up like a damn morgue, just waiting to get cremated!” 

V scoffed at the idea. She’d tried a sleep pod before and swore it wasn’t fit for humans. The beds were literally designed like coffins. 

“Of course, there’s even cheaper spots. NID—Northside Industrial District. Rent’s like 300 to 500 eddies a month. Just don’t mind risking your life.” 

The NID, part of Watson, was Night City’s northernmost edge. In a district already rated “extremely dangerous” by NCPD, NID’s security was next-level bad. 

Maelstrom’s cyberpsychos ran the show there, alongside scavs, smugglers, and wanted criminals, all holed up in rusty containers and abandoned factories. 

“Living in Night City’s no joke…” 

Riku sighed. “No joke” didn’t even cover it—this place ate people alive! 

“Everywhere’s the same, choom.” 

Jack Wells shook his head. To him, Night City at least had opportunities. Why else would so many people flock here? 

The trio kept chatting and soon arrived at their destination: the H10 megabuilding. 

The entrance was heavily guarded, with auto-turrets set up. Were they there to scare off outsiders or deadbeat tenants? Hard to say. 

“You’re paying for those too.” 

V caught Riku staring at the turrets and smirked. Nothing in this city was free. 

“Come to my place first. You can check out the layout. Most units are the same. If you like it, you can sign a lease right away.” 

V led them to the elevator. Her floor wasn’t too low, but it wasn’t exactly high-end either. 

After getting off the elevator, they turned a corner, climbed a flight of stairs, and reached V’s apartment. 

V opened the door and invited Riku and Jack inside. 

“Take a look around.” 

As she spoke, V grabbed two cans of NiCola from the fridge, tossing one to Riku and one to Jack before grabbing a third for herself. 

“Honestly, this place isn’t that small.” 

Riku shared his thoughts, and he meant it. 

The apartment was boxy but functional. Living room, bathroom, storage, closet—all there. Plus a decent-sized window with a view of the city. Small, but it had everything you needed. 

The bedroom? Just a bed built into the wall, blending right into the living space. 

Honestly, this place was way better than the apartment Riku had rented before he got isekai’d. Of course, that was ignoring the insane rental costs. 

Chapter 34: Shame You’re Not a Guy 

“This’ll do,” Riku decided after checking out V’s small apartment. Sure, there were fancier places out there, but his current savings wouldn’t cover them. V’s place was solid—everything he needed, though it was noticeably lacking in girly stuff. Instead, it was packed with gym equipment. No surprise there; this was the pad of a woman with an eight-pack, straight out of a Berserk-style training montage. 

Once inside, V peeled off her blood-stained, tattered jacket, revealing a tight tank top that showed off her fair skin and killer figure. Small as she was, she was stacked—like a compact, badass Attack on Titan scout. 

“Alright, let’s go sign the contract,” V said, grabbing a fresh jacket and leading Riku and Jack Wells back downstairs. 

In the cyberpunk world of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, clothes were practically disposable for edgerunners like them. One job, and your outfit was trashed. Riku was the one who really needed a change, covered in blood as he was, but V’s closet definitely didn’t have anything in his size. 

The trio left V’s room and hopped into the elevator. The H10 megabuilding was massive, more than just apartments—it had gyms, shops, everything. The rental office was right by the entrance, impossible to miss. 

The contract was a breeze to sign. As a tenant in Night City, you had one right: pay up. Sign and fork over the cash, or get lost. Riku handed over 2,500 eddies, opting for all the basic appliances and services. He kept the meal plan too, just to keep up appearances—worst case, he’d pass the food to V for an extra meal. With 100,000 eddies about to hit his account, a little extra spending didn’t faze him. He already had plans for that cash, even if it wasn’t in his hands yet. 

Keys in hand, Riku saw his new place was on the same floor as V’s, just a couple of rooms down. 

“Alright, I’m heading out. See you chooms tonight,” Jack Wells said, ready to prep for the big job. 

“Take my car. Pick us up tonight,” V tossed him her keys without hesitation. No way Jack would steal her beat-up, 3,000-eddy Galena when they had a 100,000-eddy job on the line. Plus, with Padre’s connection tying them, she wasn’t worried. 

“Thanks, chica,” Jack said, catching the keys with a grin and heading off. 

Riku and V said their goodbyes and went to their respective rooms. After a long night, Riku didn’t need sleep, but V needed to recharge her batteries. 

Honestly, Riku’s worry about being stuck during the day wasn’t a huge deal. Edgerunners like them worked mostly at night—daytime ops were a hassle. As the old saying goes, “A dark, windy night is perfect for a job,” like something straight out of Hunter x Hunter. 

Back in his room, Riku stripped off his blood-soaked clothes and hopped in the shower. The grime was getting to him. Clean but with nothing to wear, he wrapped a towel around himself and sprawled on the bed, nibbling on his fingers as mealtime approached. 

After a bit of lounging in the empty room, Riku got restless. Like a true JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure training arc, he started working out—push-ups, squats, the works. If “grind king” was a title, Riku would be the emperor. 

Knock knock knock. 

He hadn’t been at it long when someone rapped on his door. 

“Who’s there?” Riku called, opening the cheap 100-eddy lock. 

“Uh…” V stood at the door, blinking at Riku in nothing but a oversized bath towel. 

“V? Sorry, just got out of the shower. What’s up?” Riku adjusted the towel, making sure no shonen-style wardrobe malfunctions were about to happen. 

“Knew you’d be out of clothes. Got you something,” V said with a sly grin, handing him a set of streetwear she’d just bought. 

“Thanks, V! You’re a lifesaver. How much do I owe you?” Riku took the clothes, genuinely touched. He’d been about to ask her for help, and she’d already handled it. 

“Nah, it’s just some cheap street stall stuff. Consider it a gift,” V said, waving off payment. She didn’t step inside, just turned and headed back to her place. 

“…” 

Riku closed the door, a bit quiet. V’s thoughtfulness hit him hard. She must’ve realized his “sunlight issue” meant he couldn’t go shopping himself, so she’d gone out of her way to grab him something. 

Now, Riku wasn’t some lovesick shoujo protagonist, reading too much into it. V getting him clothes didn’t mean she was crushing on him—it just meant she was solid, a real choom. In Night City, where trust was rarer than a perfect Gundam model kit, V and Jack Wells were as close to “good people” as it got. 

Trying on the loud, street-style outfit, Riku found it fit better than Jack’s hand-me-downs. “V’s got an eye for this,” he chuckled. “Too bad you’re not a dude, or I’d be swearing brotherhood with you like in One Piece.” 

With that, he dove back into his workout. Women? Pfft, they’d only slow down his push-up game. 

He kept at it until evening, only stopping when Jack Wells pinged him. Stepping out, he saw V leaving her room, slipping on a jacket and transforming back into the fierce street kid, ready for action. 

“Hey, V,” Riku greeted. 

“Let’s go make some big eddies,” V said with a grin, her eyes burning with ambition. She was never one to sit still, like a Naruto character chasing the next mission. 

“After this job, we’re only taking big gigs,” Riku added, following her. Why did it feel like he was jinxing it? 

“Maybe,” V laughed. “But if we’re short on cash, we’ll still take whatever comes. Every eddy counts.” 

They bantered as they headed downstairs, their vibe noticeably tighter than before, like comrades in a Fullmetal Alchemist squad. 

“Whoa, look at the power couple!” Jack Wells called from the driver’s seat of V’s secondhand Galena, window down, one hand on the wheel, the other holding a cigarette. 

Chapter 35: Infiltrating the Biotechnica Building 

“Less talk, more driving.” 

V hopped into the car, rolling her eyes at Jack Wells, not bothering to entertain him. 

Riku’s lips twitched. Ever seen a bishounen with a charm stat of 5? Yeah, that’s him. He was confident V saw him as a reliable choom, not some romantic interest. His current charm points backed that up. 

From V’s perspective, he was probably just a muscle-bound tank—decent with fists, not so much with guns. 

A solid teammate, sure, but anything more than that? Way too early to call. 

“Let’s roll! Time to score big!” 

Jack Wells let out a hearty laugh, firing up the secondhand Galena. The Indian engine wasn’t doing them any favors, rattling the whole way. 

They drove across the bridge, cruising slowly from Watson to the City Center. 

Biotechnica’s building sat in Corpo Plaza, the heart of the glitzy City Center, surrounded by towers from megacorps like Arasaka and Militech. 

At Corpo Plaza, they parked on the outer ring’s roadside, linking up with “Cat-Head Lady” Sasha, who was already waiting. 

Outside vehicles couldn’t get close to the corpo towers. Drones patrolled constantly, and if your scan didn’t check out, you’d be flagged as suspicious and dealt with—fast. 

“No hiccups. Plan’s on track.” 

Sasha was in her usual getup, pink jacket pristine, a small bag slung over her shoulder. Clearly, she wasn’t sweating washing machine fees. 

“Got it.” 

Riku nodded. The three of them were just bodyguards—follow Sasha’s lead, and they’d be golden. 

Night City at night, even in the early hours, wasn’t exactly quiet. Cars still zipped by, but Corpo Plaza was nearly deserted. 

Corpo dogs didn’t linger after work. Spending three-quarters of their day here? They’d rather bolt the second their shift ended. 

The NCPD and corpo security patrolling the plaza looked half-asleep, just going through the motions until their shift swapped. 

“Follow me.” 

Sasha didn’t waste words. She led the trio, weaving through the plaza, dodging the guards’ sightlines. 

Soon, they reached a side door of the Biotechnica building. 

This Cat-Head Lady was bold as hell—she planned to waltz right in. 

“I’m jacked into Biotechnica’s network.” 

At the door, Sasha’s pink pupils flickered green, her brain clearly in overdrive. Who knew what kind of neural interface or cortex implant she was running? 

Click. 

The side door popped open in under two seconds. 

The nearby security cameras? Already hacked by Sasha. The patrol drones’ routes? All calculated. 

It looked effortless—walk up, open the door, stroll in. 

But if anyone else tried this, they’d be drone food, riddled with holes in seconds. 

“Leave one person here. The rest, stick with me!” 

Sasha darted inside, the building’s corridors dimly lit, only the red glow of cameras breaking the dark. 

“Jack, hold the door. If things go south, bail immediately.” 

Riku glanced at Jack Wells. The guy wasn’t built for heavy hits, so the easiest escape route went to him. 

The odds of running into trouble here were low. If they got spotted upstairs, every mech guard in the building would swarm up, not down. 

This side door was a low-priority entry. Even if backup arrived, they’d hit the main entrance first. It was safer than heading deeper in. 

“Leave it to me.” 

Jack posted up by the door, gun in hand, flashing Riku an “OK” sign. This time, Riku caught it. 

Riku and V tailed Sasha, moving through the corridors. The thrill was real—sneaking through Biotechnica’s headquarters was no joke. 

They moved like they owned the place, as if they were just strolling through a park. 

And honestly, “no one around” wasn’t an exaggeration. Biotechnica’s building had zero human guards at this hour. 

Instead, drones and mech guards patrolled tirelessly, never sleeping, always watching. 

“Damn…” 

Sasha stopped dead at a corridor intersection, muttering under her breath. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Riku asked immediately. He knew things couldn’t go this smoothly. Trouble was bound to hit. 

“Tell Jack to move. Hide in the first-floor corridor corner. A mech guard’s heading to the side door.” 

Sasha’s pupils stayed green, her control over the cameras absolute. She’d spotted the issue downstairs. 

“…” 

Riku froze. So, their extra crew was causing problems already? 

If Jack wasn’t there, this wouldn’t have happened. 

“Copy.” 

Jack didn’t complain. He followed orders, moving to dodge the mech guard. 

Aside from that hiccup, the rest of the trip was smooth. They moved cautiously, avoiding every drone and mech guard. 

Soon, they reached the target office’s floor. V stayed back to guard the stairwell. 

“This is it.” 

Sasha eyed the office door, pulling a data cable from her gear and plugging it into a nearby port. 

Click. 

The door unlocked instantly. Their target data was right there, everything going according to plan. 

“I’ll keep watch outside.” 

Riku volunteered. He’d just be dead weight inside, so better to guard the door for any surprises. 

Sasha nodded, wasting no time. She darted to the computer, pulling a reader from her bag and jacking in. 

Riku counted the seconds outside. Sasha had said they needed to wrap this in ten minutes for a reason. 

Sure, she’d hacked the surveillance system, but holding it too long risked a glitch. One dropped frame, and Biotechnica’s network defenses would pounce. No room for wishful thinking. 

“Three minutes.” 

Riku glanced back, then noticed Sasha’s expression shift—something was off. 

“What’s the problem?” 

A bad feeling crept up. He knew it—the accident that got Sasha killed in the MV was coming. 

“Devil, I’ve got the data. You three get out now. I’ve got… something else to handle.” 

Sasha’s cat-like face was blank as she yanked the reader free, stuffed it in her bag, and tossed it to Riku. 

(Chapter End)