2077: V really knows how awesome he is

“Don’t worry, that person isn’t a bad guy,” young David suddenly said.

"How did you know... Oh right, you just said you've seen him before."

"Yes, I've met him. He's the one who saved my mother from the cleaners."

Everyone suddenly understood, and Mann nodded as well: "Someone who can rescue people from the Cleaners can't be a bad guy. I'll go ask around in the underworld and see if anyone has any news about him. Pila is my man, and I have to be responsible for him to the end..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Mann suddenly stopped.

His eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if the machine had crashed.

"Mann?"

"Boss?"

The team members were puzzled, but Dorio acted decisively, punching Mann hard to wake him up.

"Haha, I didn't sleep well last night." Mann chuckled dryly, offering a mere explanation, then continued, "Anyway, leave Pira's matter to me. Everyone, go back and get some rest. Dorio, let's go."

The large couple walked away together, all lovey-dovey.

"They have such a good relationship," young David said with a hint of envy.

"You'll get tired of seeing them after a while, all they do is flaunt their love," Lucy said irritably, then asked, "We're going in the same direction, right? I'm going to take the number four subway, want to come along?"

"Together! Together!" Young David immediately followed.

But where none of them could see, Mann was covered in sweat and trembling, needing Dorio's help to stand.

"You're nearing your limit, Mann. Go get your prosthetic body downgraded!" Dorio said with heartache.

“No, Dorio, we’ve only just gotten on the right track. Everyone is relying on me. I can’t stop.”

Meanwhile, David carried Pila back to Old Vie's clinic.

Vera, who was following behind, said with a hint of helplessness, "I thought he was going to save me this time, but it turns out he wasn't."

V said with a smile, "Saving his brothers first, then himself, that's David's way."

Vera laughed too: "That's loyal!"

David looked at Victor: "Doctor, please."

Old Wei said helplessly, "This is not a hospital."

V transferred another 100,000 euros.

Old Wei immediately put on his surgical instruments: "Quickly, put him on the hospital bed."

Chapter 169 Interlude

Pira suffered from a severe concussion and intracranial hemorrhage. Compared to these two problems, losing half of her face was a trivial loss. However, Old Vieira was always reliable, and after a thirteen-hour surgery, Pira was out of danger.

“That 100,000 euros was really hard to earn.” Old Wei was almost exhausted. He said while removing the surgical instruments, “I cleared the blood clot in his brain and replaced it with a brand new neural access slot and operating system. He won’t die, but he’ll probably drool for about a year after he wakes up. You should be prepared.”

"Drooling is better than being dead," David nodded. "When will he wake up?"

"Probably two to three weeks, since his concussion was quite severe and sleep is the best way to recover."

"Then I'll have to trouble you during this time, doctor."

Old Wei was taken aback: "You're planning to leave him with me? I told you, I didn't..."

Before he could finish speaking, V wanted to send more money, which startled Old V, who quickly waved his hand and said, "Okay, okay, just leave it here, but please don't send any more money."

Old V does like money; nobody in Night City dislikes money. But he's really afraid of V throwing money around like this, feeling like he'll be silenced after everything is over.

V certainly wouldn't kill Old V; the reason she was so generous was mainly because it wasn't her money.

"Not your money?" Vera was taken aback. "Oh right, our operating system is completely incompatible with current digital currency programs. So where did this money come from? Did you crack the European Bank's payment system?"

“Cracking the European bank’s payment system is not difficult for me, but that would just cause trouble for Lao Wei,” V said. “So I only hacked someone’s bank account and got his payment password. Every penny I gave Lao Wei was aboveboard and legal. Of course, I have hidden the recipient to ensure that the owner cannot find Lao Wei.”

Vera was both amused and exasperated: "What owner? You should call him an unlucky guy. Who's so unlucky that you've set your sights on him?"

V turned the laptop screen around: "See for yourself."

Vera leaned closer to take a look and exclaimed in surprise, "Adam Hammer?!"

"Yes."

"Do you have such a deep grudge against him that you would do something like this to him?"

“No, not really.” V shrugged. “I chose him firstly because he’s rich, and secondly because his personal cybersecurity level is the lowest among the wealthy. I could hack into someone like Saburo Arasaka’s account, but these company presidents have enormous power. If they discover that funds have evaporated, they will definitely launch an investigation. It would be too much of a commotion and not worth the risk.”

Vera looked bewildered: "So Adam Hammer won't investigate if he discovers the funds have disappeared?"

"Of course he'll investigate, but how can a lowly wage earner like him investigate? Go to the bank to get his transaction records and question whether the bank's payment system is faulty or has loopholes? See if the bank will even listen to him."

Vera suddenly realized and exclaimed, "It has to be 2076! This flavor is pure!"

Meanwhile, everything went exactly as V had predicted. Adam Hammer discovered the missing funds in his account and went to the bank to inquire. When the towering figure appeared in the bank lobby, he certainly shocked everyone, but even with a 96% degree of cybernetic enhancement, the rules still had to be followed.

Adam Hammer, sporting a state-of-the-art military-grade cybernetic suit, dutifully took a number and waited in line. He huddled in a small cubicle, filling out forms and undergoing facial recognition, nodding and blinking for ages before finally passing the review and... switching from AI service to human service.

"Hello, this is financial advisor number 7437. How can I help you?" the teller asked with a bright smile.

“The money in my account has suddenly disappeared,” Adam Hammer said in a muffled voice.

"Okay, please fill out the form first, and then do facial recognition."

Adam Hammer was taken aback: "Didn't we just do that?"

"That was the review process for transferring to human assistance. Now it's my turn to review your request." The teller was still all smiles.

Adam Hammer's lips twitched slightly as he patiently filled out the form again.

"Great, the review has been approved. You just said that the money in your account is less, right?"

“Yes!” Adam Hammer answered forcefully.

"I see. Then I recommend that you purchase our bank's 50-year ultra-long-term bonds. If you buy them now, they will start generating returns in 50 years, which can significantly reduce the loss of your money due to inflation. Even if you suddenly need the money urgently, you can withdraw it at any time. Our bank only charges a 30% handling fee, which is less than half of the principal."

It's less than half of my principal, damn it! This is Night City, and I might die at the hands of some nobody next year. Only a fool would buy a 50-year bond.

Adam Hammer frowned and said, "I don't need to buy any bonds. My funds haven't shrunk because of inflation; they've actually decreased because someone else took them. Do you understand?"

The teller smiled and said, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. Are you sure you haven't told anyone else your payment password? For example, your parents or friends?"

"No! My parents have been dead for almost a hundred years, and I have no friends! I suspect your bank's payment system has been hacked!"

"I see." The clerk nodded. "Please fill out a form first, and then do facial recognition."

Adam Hammer was completely stunned: "Again?!"

"This is a serious liability complaint, and your identity must be re-verified."

Fine, for money, Adam Hammer had to bow down. He filled out the form and did facial recognition again, thinking he could pass immediately, but he got stuck.

"What's going on?" Adam Hammer frowned.

The teller replied, "Please enter your fingerprint."

Adam Hammer didn't move.

The teller said again, "Please enter your fingerprint."

Adam Hammer raised his hands, which had been replaced with mechanical arms, and there wasn't even a trace of bionic skin on them, let alone fingerprints.

The teller suddenly realized what she meant, nodded, and said, "Please enter your fingerprint."

"……Hold!"

Adam Hammer immediately revealed the small grenade launcher on his arm.

As the alarms blared, the bank went into lockdown. The NCPD and the Terrorist Response Team arrived, faster than the hundreds of civilians who had died. They were stunned when they saw Adam Hammer sitting in a small cubicle.

We only make a few hundred yuan a month, why risk our lives? Let whoever wants to hit Adam Hammer do it, I'm not going to.

Seeing that the situation was "getting out of hand," the bank finally... sent a lobby manager to deal with the matter... and resolve the issue.

After listening to Adam Hammer's question, the lobby manager insisted that the bank's payment system had the highest level of network security and was absolutely incapable of making a mistake. Even if a mistake did occur, it would be a human error. He believed that someone within the bank had secretly misappropriated money from Adam Hammer's account and promised to launch an immediate investigation and provide Mr. Hammer with a response within 300 business days.

300 working days? A year later?

As I said before, a year from now I, Adam Hammer, might die at the hands of some nobody, so what's the point of your "response" then!

Adam Hammer left dejectedly. Otherwise, although his cybernetic modification level was as high as 96%, the Bright Grenade Launcher was already at its limit, and he would never dare to actually bomb the bank.

A working person will always be a working person, even if that working person is a living legend. As long as they follow the rules of capital, they will always be slaves to capital.

Adam Hammer initially thought the so-called reply was just an excuse from the bank, but three days later the bank actually gave a reply.

It turned out that a bank employee had embezzled Adam Hammer's money. And not only his, but also funds from many other accounts, totaling more than 2.67 billion. The bank has now reported the matter to the police.

Adam Hammer's first reaction was—how much? 26 billion? Did this bank employee put the bank's vault in his pocket and take it with him?

Adam Hammer's second reaction was—the bank called the police? You're playing the victim for no reason, I'm the victim here!

So Adam Hammer filed a lawsuit against the bank.

The Night City Court quickly convened a hearing. The bank argued that the incident was the personal act of an employee and had nothing to do with the bank. The court accepted this argument and ruled that the bank was not liable for compensation.

Adam Hammer and his fellow victims were hurling insults, while bank and court officials were indulging in lavish parties in a luxurious private room at the Glamour Tower.

Adam Hammer's money was taken by V, so of course the bank employee had nothing to do with it. However, the bank took the opportunity to embezzle funds from the accounts of a large number of high-quality depositors and also used it to cover up some bad debts, totaling more than 2.67 billion, all of which was attributed to that bank employee.

This bank employee was indeed dishonest, often using her position to trick depositors into buying wealth management products and collecting commissions. When she was arrested, she thought that was the only charge, and she would only serve a few years at most. But when she heard the amount of 26 billion in court, she was terrified—"I embezzled 26 billion? How come I didn't know!"

Of course, a lowly employee like her couldn't have embezzled 26 billion. In reality, all 26 billion was divided up among the bank's senior management. Oh, and some went to the courts; otherwise, why would the courts speak for the banks? Do they really think the courts of Night City are upholding justice?

In short, the matter passed by in a muddled way, with bank financiers and court officials making a fortune, while only ordinary workers like Adam Hammer suffered.

Seeing his account balance shrink dramatically, Adam Hammer decided to save himself.

Simply put, he decided to find some side jobs.

Although the position of security supervisor in Arasaka offers good benefits, it's a fixed salary. As the saying goes, "a horse won't get fat without night grass," so if you want to make money, you have to take some shortcuts.

Then he remembered an email he had received a few days earlier. Two senior employees of the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department wanted him to provide military support for the data collection work of the Cybertronian. He originally looked down on these two scoundrels, but the Counterintelligence Department was a direct department of Abernathy, a big shot in the Arasaka Yoruichi branch, and was particularly rich. In order to fill the recent funding gap, Adam Hammer finally accepted the job.

He replied in the email: "Time? Place? And, I need cash."

Time flies. The embezzlement case that caused such a stir was forgotten in less than a month. Night City is still Night City. The big shots enjoy their wealth and luxury, while the people at the bottom struggle to survive.

The saying "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie" perfectly describes this situation.

Mann's team continues to work diligently. Recently, they were hired by an intermediary named Faraday to steal research data from Arasaka's codenamed "Cyborg Kong".

In order to complete the mission, Mann chose Tanaka, the head of the Prosthetics Project, as his target. Coincidentally, Tanaka was the father of Shengnan, who had a previous feud with young David.

Given this connection, Tanaka noticed young David early on. Seeing that he could use the military-grade S.A.S ...

What should have been a simple kidnapping mission turned into a chaotic mess by Mann's team, though they eventually managed to capture Tanaka. To obtain the data from the target's brain, Qiwei initiated a deep dive. At this crucial moment, Mann's cyberpsychosis flared up again, knocking Qiwei unconscious with a single punch. Rebecca took Qiwei to receive treatment, while Tanaka began talking to young David. Lucy, meanwhile, was forced into the role of Qiwei's data-gathering agent, appearing to be on the verge of a PTSD attack.

She discovered in the other party's database that Arasaka had chosen young David as a test subject for the prosthetic body. In order to protect young David, Lucy irresponsibly terminated the ongoing mission and went to burn Tanaka's brain. However, at the same time as the brain was burned, the signal jammer was also burned. Tanaka, who was a platinum member of the trauma group, immediately became a beacon in the darkness, completely exposing the location of Mann's team.

Due to this series of unforeseen circumstances, the task, which should have gone smoothly, once again turned into chaos.

"Retreat immediately!" Mann shouted. "David, take Lucy and get the car ready!"

"But……"

"Cheer up, David! A mercenary's mission is to complete the task at all costs!"

Young David gritted his teeth and lifted Lucy out of the icy water: "I'll start the car and wait for you, you must get out!"

"Don't worry." Mann gave a thumbs up: "I'll be going down with Dorio and Tanaka soon."

Young David felt a little relieved and instantly activated Sianweistan, disappearing from his spot.

Mann's expression turned serious. He looked out the window, where the Atlas armored airships of the Trauma Team had already appeared among the gaps between the many high-rise buildings.

"Damn, that was fast. Platinum membership is amazing." Mann muttered, strapping Tanaka to his body: "Dorio!"

His strong girlfriend threw a military-grade crusher at him: "Come on, Mann, I'll protect you."

"Ha, you're always so reliable!"

Mann blasted open the locked security passage with a single shot.

Aerial Trauma Team: "Gunfire confirmed in the target area, potential armed resistance possible. Requesting NCPD support!"

During the Fourth Corporate War, the Trauma Team's unique position was exploited by both sides, causing significant losses and bringing it to the brink of bankruptcy. After regaining its footing, the Trauma Team learned its lesson, and its CEO began bribing local police extensively, successfully establishing a cooperative relationship between the Trauma Team and the government's violent institutions.

Now, if the trauma team encounters armed resistance during a mission, they will immediately call the police, and the NCPD will rush in to rescue the members under cover.