2077: V really knows how awesome he is

“But Mann, we also need Sianwistan, even though we’ve already paid for it.”

"Then let's vote, Dorio, what do you say?"

The strong woman replied decisively, "Let's go, don't disturb the patient's rest."

"Looks like it's 2 to 1." Mann laughed heartily. "Twists and turns are the romance of mercenaries. Let's go, Rebecca, and bravely face our destiny!"

That's right, this family of three—a burly man, a strong woman, and a little girl—is none other than Mann's Squad.

Just as they were about to leave, Victor called out to Mann.

"Why did you choose S.A.S.A.?"

Mann replied, "To complete a task."

"Can't we give up?"

"Probably not, this is a debt we owe."

Blackmail, leverage, favors, or promises.

Mercenaries are like mud in the ground, but they will always keep their promises.

Call them noble or call them foolish, but this is their way of surviving.

Victor doesn't dislike people like that.

“In that case, I have a suggestion,” Old Wei said slowly. “Sianwistan isn’t something you can just buy with money, and I doubt you’ll find a new source anytime soon. While I don’t have Sianwistan here, I do have Krenzikov. It’s not as effective as the former, but it can still significantly improve reaction time. I can install it for you for free and provide after-sales service.”

“Sounds pretty good,” Mann smiled. “So, Doctor, what’s the price?”

“Your grudges with David are now settled.”

David stared wide-eyed at Victor in surprise.

From that moment on, he knew that there was one more person he would repay with his life.

Mann looked at Victor: "Doctor, why are you getting involved in this mess?"

"It's probably because I inexplicably have an extra 100,000 euros in my account."

It was a joke, but nobody laughed.

Because they knew that the doctor in front of them would have done the same thing even without the 100,000 euros; he was a good person from head to toe.

Mann took off his sunglasses: "Doctor, what's your name?"

"Victor."

“Mr. Victor, I accept your offer.”

The doctor in front of me was so noble, like a living saint, that he would never lie to me.

That's what Mann thought, but he regretted it ten minutes later.

“I will not install Krenzikov on you! Absolutely not!” Victor said firmly.

"Damn it, doctor, you jumped on me! That's not what you said just now!" Mann was completely numb.

"That was just now, and this is now!" Victor enlarged Mann's medical report and presented it to everyone: "You're sick, very sick! You've had too many prosthetics installed, each one a heavy burden, slowly wearing down your spirit! It's no exaggeration to say that you're walking on the edge of a cliff, one more step and you'll be smashed to pieces! Installing Krenzikov on you wasn't helping you, it was harming you!"

Victor reiterated, "I've said it before, my clinic is for saving lives, not for killing. As compensation, I will perform a prosthetic downgrade surgery on you free of charge."

"No, no! Don't touch my prosthetic body!" Mann began to struggle desperately.

“Do you want to become a cyber psychopath?!” Victor yelled.

The scene fell silent. Dorothy was startled and glanced at Mann, who turned his face away.

Although it didn't give a direct answer, it was the best answer.

“Mr. Victor, how much time does Mann have?” Dorio asked.

“It won’t be long,” Victor said firmly. “He must undergo the prosthetic downgrade surgery immediately.”

“Mann…” Dorothy looked at her boyfriend.

“Stop talking, Dorio, you know we can’t stop yet.” Mann laughed, then turned to Victor and said, “Thank you, Mr. Victor, you really care about me, I’m very grateful. But I still have work to do, I need the power. But I promise, once I finish this job, I will come back to you for the prosthetic downgrade surgery.”

Victor looked at Mann, and Mann looked at Victor.

The two men said nothing, yet it seemed as if they had said a lot.

“Remember your promise.” Victor untied the straps of the treatment bed.

Mann gave a thumbs up: "Mercenaries never break their word."

"What about Krenzikov?" Victor looked at Dorio and Rebecca: "Their existing prosthetics are not very compatible with Krenzikov, so they probably won't be able to fully utilize their abilities."

As Mann and his two companions were struggling with their decision, a voice rang out.

“I’ll do it,” David said, standing up.

"Since it started because of me, I can't stay out of it."

Lucy looked at David in surprise, and Mann also advised, "Are you sure, kid? You're heading to hell."

“It’s alright.” David tapped his chest with his thumb. “I’m already in hell.”

It's unclear when exactly, but the boy is starting to become a man.

Chapter 19 Dissolution

David's prosthetic implantation surgery went smoothly. Victor not only installed "Krenzikov" on him, but also gave him "Krenzikov Amplification" and "Krenzikov Protection" as a bonus.

These three prosthetic devices together are what people in the underworld call the "Krenzikov Trio".

Krenzikov: Installed in the nervous system, it can greatly increase the user's reaction ability for 3 seconds, with a cooldown time of 6 seconds.

Krenzikov Amplifier: Installed on the frontal cortex, it strengthens the Krenzikov, further enhancing the user's speed and reaction.

Krenzikov Protection: Installed on the skin system, it uses the large amount of bioelectricity generated when Krenzikov is activated to charge the subcutaneous armor, thereby activating the subcutaneous armor's overclocking mode when the Krenzikov effect ends, greatly increasing the user's defense for 3 seconds.

"It is said that when Sianweistan uses it, it is like stopping time. Krenzikov is not that strong; he can only slow down time, both for himself and his enemies. But its advantage is that it puts very little strain on the body and mind. Even young people who are still in school will not feel too much pressure if they use it continuously."

David was extremely grateful.

The prosthetic doctors he knew always recommended more expensive and advanced prosthetics to make more money, but only Victor would consider the needs of his clients and choose the most suitable prosthetics for them.

This was the first time he had ever seen someone like this in Night City.

David sometimes even feels grateful for the car accident, because it allowed him to meet Victor and rediscover kindness.

“Thank you, Mr. Victor. I will make up the money for the other two prosthetics as soon as possible,” David said sincerely.

“In that case, you must survive.” Victor waved his hand: “Go, kid, your mother is safe with me, and your teammates are waiting for you.”

David bowed and walked out of the prosthetic clinic.

Mann parked his car on the side of the road and, seeing David come out, beckoned him to get in.

Lucy was also in the car. The pretty girl wanted to leave, but Mann insisted on using her to control David.

"Love is the best inhibitor. With you here, David won't do anything thoughtless."

Lucy was furious: "I already said, I didn't..."

"She's not my girlfriend, let her go."

David opened the car door and got in: "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. This is what I owe you."

Lucy was a little surprised. David's gaze had been strange all along. A woman's intuition told her that he was interested in her. Why was he suddenly letting go now?

David's eyes were clear, and he smiled at Lucy, saying, "Let's go, Master. If I'm not dead, let's save up money together to buy a house."

Rebecca chewed her gum and complained, "The stench of being in love is worse than this car!"

David was actually protecting her. Lucy didn't know what to say. Reason told her she should leave, but emotion told her she would regret it if she left.

In that moment of hesitation, Mann had already handed a chip to David.

"You're a student at Arasaka Academy, right? I need you to go to the academy and find a way to plug this into the school's access point."

"What is this?" David asked curiously.

Lucy had already decided to leave, but at this moment she subconsciously replied, "The Magic Puppet Chip is used to crack large-scale ICE systems and steal data. It is highly automated, and the person who made it is a master."

"Hey, you're a hacker? Perfect, we're short-staffed. Alright, don't leave, come work with us, I guarantee you'll make a fortune!"

With a click, the car door locked.

Lucy wanted to slap herself. Why did she have to be so talkative?

"No! I'm just a thief, not a hacker! Let me down! Let me down!"

Lucy kept shouting, panicked but no longer hesitant.

Dorio, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, said to Rebecca, "Take a look, this is what tsundere is all about!"

Rebecca: "???"

Mann let out a hearty laugh: "Hahaha, you're still young, you'll understand later!"

David was originally a student at Arasaka Academy, so infiltrating the school would be no problem for him.

The only minor incident was when a rich young man deliberately caused trouble for David, leading a group of people to ambush him.

"What are you standing there for? Take him down!" Mann gave the order over the communicator.

David was somewhat surprised, because his mother, Gloria, had always told him to be tolerant.

David wasn't too surprised, because it was Mann who was speaking now.

He didn't hate his mother's love, but if he had a father, he might be like Mann.

David's heart pounded; the law-abiding student had begun his first act of defiance.

Krenzikov, start!

Time slowed down, not only for the rich young men, but also for David himself.

This is where Krenzikov falls short of Sianwistan; the latter is slow when you're slow, while the former is slow when you're slow.

But this wasn't entirely without merit; the increased reaction speed slowed down and lengthened time, giving David ample time to observe the enemy, devise strategies, evade attacks, and launch counterattacks.

The young master was equipped with advanced cybernetic implants, allowing him to throw five punches per second. However, after activating Krenchikov, David could clearly see these punches, slowly weaving through the gaps between them, and then delivering a slow, powerful punch at an incredible angle, sending the young master flying.

"Pfft!"

The young master lay on the ground, his face covered in blood. He covered his swollen cheek with his hand, his eyes filled with terror.

"No, don't come any closer! My dad, Tanaka, has licked the feet of Lord Saburo Arasaka. He can give you athlete's foot with just one word from him!"

The poor child has started talking nonsense.

David suddenly felt a little disheartened. The former playboy was an insurmountable mountain for him, but after abandoning everything, he also gained the power to overcome everything.

“Keep going, David.”

"clear."

David turned and walked away without glancing at the young master. He was no longer the same person he used to be; he had come to a new world and was enforcing new rules.

If I survive this, I'll become a mercenary, punish bad guys, help good guys, and earn money to support my family. That would be awesome.

David successfully inserted the puppet chip into the school's mainframe. A hacker named "Pink Cat" joined the communication. She used the Arasaka Academy's network to access the Arasaka Corporation's internal network, skillfully downloaded data, and obtained what she wanted.

Lucy watched the whole thing and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "So fast!"

"Want to learn? I'll teach you." The pink cat's voice belonged to a young girl, but for some reason, Lucy always felt there was a sadness in the other person's voice.

"The company plaza luxury apartments, that's the target."

"clear."

“Mann,” Pink Cat said hesitantly, “you don’t need to get involved.”

"Stop talking, Sasha, we owe her one."

"A bunch of idiots!"

Pink Cat has shut up.

David asked, "What exactly is your mission?"