2077: V really knows how awesome he is

Vincent and Jack made contact, and together they headed to the Night City border checkpoint with the smuggled goods. There, they bribed the border police and appeared to be allowed to pass smoothly, but in reality, the moment they left, the border police sold them out to the company.

On the highway outside Night City, Arasaka's security team blocked the road, and the two fled into a nearby solar power plant in a panic.

Because this was Kangtao's property, Arasaka's security team couldn't just force their way in, so they deployed three armed drones in pursuit. These three drones were pure military equipment, and they were driving Vincent and Jack crazy, looking like they were about to be blown up at any moment.

Vera exclaimed in surprise, "Three military drones to deal with an old car that's been used for who knows how many times? Aren't you trying to break its bones?"

V was also a bit confused: "That's not right, the script doesn't mention military drones at all, and there's only one of them."

Vera pondered, "Could it be that Michiko is settling a personal score?"

V thought it was very likely and quickly said, "Let me make a call and ask. Hello, Michiko, why did you send three military drones? That's too dangerous."

"Danger? That's the future Demon King! Surely he can handle something this simple? No way!"

V: "..."

Vera: "..."

It's confirmed: Michiko in this world is using her position to settle personal scores!

"I was careless." V hung up the phone, sweating profusely. "I didn't expect Michiko in this world to be so cunning."

Vera rolled her eyes. What do you mean Michiko in this world is a bit cunning? Michiko in our world is no pushover either, look how she fooled you.

"Let's talk about Michiko later." Vera pointed to Vincent, who was being cornered below, "If you don't save the day, the future Demon King will be finished today."

In the end, V stepped in and cracked the military drone's deliberate evasion, which allowed Vincent and Jack to escape.

Although this first play was fraught with mishaps, the experience of escaping death greatly deepened the bond between Jack and Vincent.

Upon hearing that Vincent had nowhere to stay, Jack immediately took him back to his home. So when Vincent woke up the next day, he heard that classic line.

Good morning, Night City! It's your good buddy Stan~~~

Chapter 199 Vincent's Training Plan (Part Two)

Vincent and Jack became partners. They completed several jobs together, saved up some money, and Vincent bought a new car and rented an apartment in the super skyscraper H10.

One morning, Jack arrived at Vincent's apartment: "Get up, I have a big job."

Vincent rubbed his face: "Wait a minute, I'm going to take a shower to clear my head."

Jack waved his hand and sat down in front of the computer. After searching for a while, he complained, "Vincent, where did you hide the porn? I can't find it!"

"I don't have any porn on my computer!" Vincent said irritably. "I never watch that kind of unhealthy stuff!"

"Unhealthy?" Jack was taken aback. "Men who don't watch porn are unhealthy, okay? So how are you going to release your excess energy?"

“Programming, design, and manufacturing,” Vincent said with an air of righteous indignation. “I’m using a healthy lifestyle to combat bad habits, is there a problem with that?”

"Is this still not a problem, brother? Are you completely out of your mind?!" Jack said with a sorrowful expression. "Looks like I'll have to save up some money to take you to Genting Highlands. Only when we get there will you understand what the meaning of life is."

"Sorry, I have no interest in sex without feelings."

"The best sex is sex without feelings, you know!" Jack was stunned: "You're not still a virgin, are you?"

Vincent refused to answer the question: "What do you want from me?"

Upon hearing this, Jack also became serious: "I've got a big job."

Tell me about it.

Have you ever heard of "Gemini in the next life"?

“I’ve heard a little about them.” Vincent frowned slightly. “I heard they’re twins, from out of town like me, but they quickly established themselves in Night City. Even the middleman queen, Roger, treats them with great respect. Although even a powerful dragon can’t suppress a local snake, they’re clearly the type who don’t cross the river unless they’re formidable. You got the job from them? Let me guess, they’re probably planning to take down the company, so they need two familiar faces in Night City to act as intermediaries, right?”

Jack was astonished: "Holy crap, bro, how did you guess that? You were totally right!"

“It’s not a guess, it’s an analysis.” Vincent hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Jack, we can’t take this job.”

"Why? Because the commission is a lot of money."

“You need to be alive to spend money.” Vincent said seriously, “Only the company can challenge the company, and these twins are definitely from the company. Although this commission was issued to the mercenary circle, it is actually a game between big shots. I don’t know what the inside story is, but I know that these inside stories definitely cannot be made public.”

Jack's expression also turned serious, and he asked earnestly, "What do you mean?"

“…” Vincent choked for a moment, then said directly, “We’re just cannon fodder, Jack. Even if we successfully complete the mission, there’s a high chance we’ll be silenced!”

Jack was taken aback: "So we can't accept this request?"

"Yes, we can't accept it."

"Fine, if you say you won't answer, then you won't. You're smart, I'll listen to you." Jack wasn't someone who was easily persuaded, but he was never stubborn when it came to his brother.

Vincent nodded with satisfaction, but also with a hint of apology: "Sorry, Jack, I gave you false hope. But don't worry, we can become famous just as easily by doing other missions."

“Of course, bro.” Jack nodded with a smile. “I’ve already messaged Gemini to decline the commission. Now’s the perfect time, let’s go to Tom’s Restaurant for breakfast.”

Having just refused his brother once, Vincent couldn't refuse a second time, so he immediately picked up the key chip from the table: "Come on, I'll drive."

The two went downstairs together, got into the car, and drove towards Tom's Restaurant on the next street.

Vincent stopped at an intersection.

Jack asked curiously, "Why did it stop?"

Vincent, holding the steering wheel and raising his chin, said, "Waiting at a red light."

Jack was speechless for a moment. He looked at the empty intersection and complained, "What mercenary would obey traffic rules when driving? There are no cars around, so let's just run the road."

“No way.” Vincent was very principled: “Reckless driving leads to tears. Obeying traffic rules is an ironclad rule etched into the bones of us homeless people. Besides, this is my brand new car. If I run a red light and it gets scratched, I’ll be heartbroken.”

Jack looked pained: "Even the NCPD chief, with your high moral standards, would stand up and give you his position! Besides, in Night City, you follow the traffic rules, but others don't. What if someone hits you and causes a minor collision?"

Vincent said confidently, "No way, I drive properly, I don't cross the lines or run red lights, I absolutely won't..."

Before they could finish speaking, a speeding Snail P126 crashed into their car from the side with a loud thud, and Vincent and Jack were knocked unconscious by the violent impact.

In the moments before losing consciousness, Vincent's only thought was: "My brand new car that I just bought!"

Just before regaining consciousness, Vincent overheard a conversation:

"You wouldn't be using this to settle personal scores, would you?"

"If I were settling a personal score, I wouldn't be driving a Rolls-Royce Snail; I'd be driving a Mech MT28 Coach."

Vincent recalled information about the two car models.

The Rolling Snail P126 is an ideal choice for budget-conscious individuals, with all design decisions revolving around one philosophy—cost reduction. Size: It can only fit one person plus a shopping bag. Engine: Stolen from a lawnmower. Body: Plastic, the same material as disposable chopsticks. All of this combined boils down to four words: affordable.

As for the other car...

Vincent couldn't recall the exact specifications of the Mech MT28 Coach, but he clearly remembered that it was a large long-distance bus with 55 seats, equipped not only with a toilet but also with built-in steel plates to defend against small-caliber howitzer attacks. The empty vehicle's net weight was 32.4 tons.

Instead of being hit by a 32-ton Mech MT28 Coach, Vincent chose the petite and exquisite Clamshell P126. He almost believed it was just an ordinary traffic accident.

"Are you awake?" a voice asked. "If you are awake, let's talk."

Vincent closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious, hoping to buy time to think of a solution. But the next second, a heavy fist slammed into his stomach. Luckily, he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, or he would have vomited all over the place.

"Don't hit me, don't hit me, I'm awake."

Vincent immediately begged for mercy.

"That's right, if you cooperate, you won't suffer."

Vincent opened his eyes and saw two identical beautiful women.

Although they look exactly alike, the two have completely different temperaments.

One had a smiling face, exuding the cunning of a company operative; the other had a frosty expression, like a street urchin who had roamed the underworld.

"Twins in the next life?" Vincent asked tentatively.

"It seems you've heard of us."

"Your names have become very well-known in the underworld recently."

Vincent had barely finished speaking when he was punched in the stomach by a street urchin.

"You've heard of our reputation and still dare to refuse our commission? You think you're so great!"

Vincent, sweating profusely from the pain, said painfully, "Gentlemen, we are not capable enough and were afraid of ruining your plans, which is why we refused the commission. Do you think we wouldn't make money?"

"Still trying to argue!" The street urchin threw another punch.

"I'm sorry, is it alright if I apologize to you?"

"You know you were wrong? Then this is your punishment!" Another punch.

Vincent's face turned pale with pain, and he quickly changed his tune: "No, no, no, I did nothing wrong. You shouldn't force me to do things against my will."

"Fine, since you show no remorse, then I can't hold back any longer." Another punch.

Vincent was terrified of being beaten. He realized that the other party was deliberately picking a fight, so he simply kept quiet to avoid saying anything more and making a mistake that the other party could exploit.

Sure enough, if he didn't say anything, the street urchin really had no excuse to beat him up. Even the office worker looked at the street urchin, wondering what she should do.

After a few seconds of silence, the street kid suddenly shouted, "Well, you dare yell at me!" He then punched Vincent in the stomach again.

Office worker: "..."

Vincent: "...If you want to beat me up, just do it. You really don't need to make excuses."

"Alright, alright, enough joking around," the company employee stepped in to smooth things over.

Vincent exclaimed angrily, "This is no joke, she really hit me!"

"It's just to liven things up and make a lasting impression." The office worker made no attempt to hide his bias, glossing over the whole thing with a single sentence, and introduced himself: "I'm V, and she's Vera. Mr. Vincent, it's a pleasure to meet you."

“I have absolutely no desire to know you,” Vincent said irritably. “If you still insist on discussing the commission, then forget it. We will not agree to it.”

"why?"

"We will absolutely not get involved in company matters!"

V was somewhat surprised by Vincent's answer. She hadn't expected him to be so clear-headed and not blinded by greed. After all, Vera had foolishly jumped at the chance to make a fortune without considering anything else. It seemed that even though Vincent had lost all his memories, he still retained the high intelligence of the Great Demon King and wasn't so easily fooled.

After thinking for a moment, V uttered that classic line:

"Would you rather be an unknown person, living a quiet life, dying in bed with a catheter in your bladder, or go down in history even if you don't live to thirty?"

Vincent shuddered, slowly raised his head, looked carefully into V's eyes, and answered, word by word, "Of course... a nobody!"

V: "...Vera."

"receive."

Vera punched Vincent in the stomach again, causing the future Demon King to hunch back in his chair in pain.

"Gentlemen," Vincent said with difficulty, "accepting your commission means death, and being beaten to death here also means death. Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die now."

Vera was also a bit annoyed when she saw that Vincent wouldn't budge. She asked V, "What do we do now? This kid's pretty stubborn."

“Simple.” V said bluntly: “Just threaten Jack with him. If he doesn’t go, we’ll kill Jack.”

Vera was greatly shocked and exclaimed repeatedly, "Brilliant! No wonder people say your company's dogs are the worst!"

V felt that he would be driven crazy by Vera sooner or later.

Vera looked at Vincent, but before she could speak, Vincent nodded first: "I'll go."

The street urchin flew into a rage and punched Vincent in the stomach: "How dare you swear at me like that!"

Vincent was on the verge of a breakdown: "I meant, I'll handle your requests, not insults!"

"Oh, is that so? Hahaha, I misunderstood." Vera laughed awkwardly, then became wary and said, "Wait, why did you suddenly agree? You're not lying to us, are you?"

Vincent was furious: "You were plotting right in front of me to use Jack to threaten me, so of course I had no choice but to agree!"

"Oh, I see. No, they dared to eavesdrop on our conversation, oh dear!"

Vera punched the Great Demon King in the stomach again.

Vincent laughed, because people really do laugh when they're extremely speechless!

V felt sorry for the Demon King, so he untied Vincent.

Vincent looked utterly dejected and, too lazy to run anymore, simply asked, "So, what's the request?"

V said, "Assassinate Saburo Arasaka."

With a crash, Vincent tumbled backward off his chair. He quickly scrambled to his feet, shouting indignantly, "This is outrageous! Assassinating Saburo Arasaka? Why don't you let me assassinate the new President of the United States instead!"

"You can assassinate Miles if you want, but the commission is only 5000 yuan."