[Ivan Frex: Itâs all over, itâs all over, I trusted that cop, Anna Hamill!]
[Ivan Frex: She said as long as I explained the situation with the Geisha District market, she would guarantee my safety!]
[Ivan Frex: Fuck!]
[Martha Frex: Ivan... why!]
[Ivan Frex: I told them everything, and now the NCPD isnât protecting me anymore!]
[Ivan Frex: They said thereâs no budget, and she was sorry!]
[Ivan Frex: All because of the fucking NCPD, the Tiger Claw Gang is definitely going to kill me!]
[Martha Frex: Youâre such a naive idiot.]
[Martha Frex: Get to the docks in the Meiquan District]
[Ivan Frex: Are you going to help me?]
[Martha Frex: Stop wasting time, just go, dumbass!!!]
[Ivan Frex: Thank you, thank you!!!]
Ivan looked around nervously as he stashed a small box of Super Dream in the drop-off point, a storage device where traders agree on a password and delivery time for contactless delivery.
"Dammit... cops are morons... Iâm an even bigger moron."
After placing the goods, Ivan cursed under his breath.
[Ivan Frex: Martha, I left the last box of goods at the drop-off point, Iâll have Lenny transfer you the money.]
[Martha Frex: I told you to get moving! I donât want your stinking money!]
Ivan muttered, "You donât get it, in Night City, youâre nothing without money..."
After he finished speaking, he turned around. His face suddenly went pale, and cold sweat burst from his foreheadâ
He saw a Tiger Claw Gang member lying on the railing of the overpass, swinging a handgun around and smiling ominously at him.
His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed against the wallâ
He frantically looked for another escape route...
All he saw were Tiger Claw Gang members, some carrying samurai swords, others wielding handguns, and still others popping pills as they walked.
The street was bustling, the sun stung his face like needles, the air was stifling and hot, sweat slid down his cheeks, and Ivanâs mind went blank.
"Ivan."
By the time Ivan came to his senses, a Tiger Claw Gang member had grabbed him.
This Tiger Claw Gang member had long asymmetrical blue-purple hair and wore an Evil Ghost mask on his face.
"You messed up. You gotta face the consequences."
"Mr. Hiroto, I... I realize I made a mistake, I really do..."
"No, no, no." The one called Hiroto shook his head, "This is no longer about you. Get in the car."
"I... I really know I messed up, Mr. Hiroto... Ah!"
A scream echoed as Hirotoâs Mantis Blade suddenly shot out, severing the poor guyâs leg in an instant!
Blood sprayed several meters, causing bystanders to freeze in shock, and they quickly ran awayâ one could imagine this would be yet another talking point in Night Cityâs channels the next day.
"Give him something for the bleeding. The boss wants a big scene, so we gotta scoop up his family too."
A few of Hirotoâs underlings quickly gathered around, administering injections one after the other, and from the car, they pulled out some makeshift prosthetic to plug the cut before throwing him in the trunk.
It looked like this guy named Hiroto had already planned out how to give Ivan and his family a memorable send-off.
"Alright, drive. Heâs got a sister, works at the docks, I know that."
Bang.
The car jerked violently. Hirotoâs face hardened as he looked at the driver, "What the hell are you doing? Canât you even drive?"
The driver looked puzzled, pressing hard on the acceleratorâ
Boom!
The engine roared, the vehicle shook, but it just wouldnât move.
"What the hell..." Hiroto cursed, "Get out and checkâ fuck!"
Before he could finish, Hiroto suddenly felt the car sharply tilt and overturn!
The people in Geisha District witnessed the shocking scene, a burly man with legs planted firmly on the ground, exerting force, and flipping over the Tiger Claw Gangâs sports car!
Bang!
The car flipped over completely and crashed hard onto the ground!
Jack looked at his own hands: Type 2 Lizard Fury had operated for the first time, and he felt much better than last time!
Strength surged through every inch of his body, exquisitely minute biotic control components equally infused pharmaceuticals into each muscle, yet this transformation was blocked near the neck muscles, completely unaffected by the brain!
Jack yanked open the trunk of the Mizutani sports carâit was some kind of telescopic shell. Jack grabbed the trunk shell and wrenched it off with a violent force!
In his hands, the carâs shell was like clay, easily manipulated!
Ivan fell from the trunk, but Jack didnât focus on him first: he saw the driver barely pushing open the car door, trying to crawl outâ
So he squeezed the scrap metal in his hands, twisted it into a rod-like shape, and hurled it like a javelin!
Bang!
"Ahh!!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream sounded as the scrap metal penetrated the shoulder of a Tiger Claw Gang member, nailing him to the car body!
The passenger beside the driver broke into a cold sweat and immediately started up Si Anweisitan, fleeing like a shot!
Bang!
Jack ripped another piece from the car door and hurled it. It smashed into the ground, creating a large crater, causing the man to tremble in fear!
"Fuck, monster! Everyone come here! Fire this way!!!!!"
The terrain of the black market in the Geisha District was closer to a roundabout, and to block Ivan, the cars that followed the man filled the other entrances.
They had just been wondering why their boss wasnât leading the way, and this shout made them tremble, instantly overtaken by the sound of revving engines!
Pedestrians seeing the cars of the Tiger Claw Gang already kept their distance, and this noise outright scared them witless, plunging the entire market into chaos!
On the street, cars and motorcycles immediately surrounded Jack, with Tiger Claw Gang members raising their gunsâ
Jack took a deep breath and stood the car on its side!
Bang, bang, bangâ
Bullets striking the car made a crisp sound. Jack pulled out the Widow Maker. The car blocked one side, but there was another side!
"Weâve now poked the hornetâs nest of the Cat Claw Gangâ"
Bang!
Sometimes, a single bullet from a premium weapon could count for several magazines of a regular gun.
The bullet from the Widow Maker was accelerated and pierced straight through the body of a sports car, startling the passengers inside: what an exaggerated weapon!
But Jack couldnât believe it and cursed loudly, "Missed?!"
Just as Jack braced himself mentally to take a bullet, a figure suddenly burst forthâ
The explosive jumping power brought by enhanced tendons erupted, V swooped through the air like an eagle, his arms wielding Mantis Blades fiercely flared out and ferociously descended!
Bang!
Accompanying Vâs crash onto the car roof, two Tiger Claw Gang members who had just stepped out of the car were beheaded.
"Well done, V!"
But it was just a cool entrance; he still had to dodge bullets.
V flipped behind the car, lifted his head, and saw several hard-to-spot red figures rapidly approachingâ
Rumors said that Arasaka Company would provide the Tiger Claw Gang with advanced equipment, and clearly, these rumors were based on facts.
"...I really miss the days when we could use Si Anweisitan... Lille?"
Lille stepped out of the hacker shop, feeling the freshly installed Crow Microcontrol Model 3âthis device brought significant improvements.
Crow Microcontrol not only notably increased computing power, but its unique chip architecture also significantly reduced the computing power consumed when uploading Magic Dolls, enhancing its speed.
In that moment, Lille had already locked onto the Tiger Claw Gang ninjas hopping around on the street.
[Magic Doll Upload Complete: Impair Movement]
The previously fast-moving ninjas all staggered, and one, the fastest, fell right in front of Vâ
"About this Mantis Blade, you better not have been bluffingâ"
The Mantis Blade swung down viciously, the ninja on the ground raised a blade to defend...
Clangâ
The blade was flung away, embedding in a nearby car.
Vâs Mantis Blade not only severed the elite Tiger Claw Gang memberâs blade but also sliced through her subdermal armor like cutting through butter, dividing her into four pieces.
The smoothness of it made V somewhat doubt he was dreaming.
Lilleâs voice leisurely sounded, "I told you I wasnât bluffing."
Having said this, he turned back to the clerk in the hacking equipment store and said, "Help me adjust the camera, consider it a complimentary service."
The clerk, with bubble gum still stuck to his lips from a burst bubble, looked out at the scene outside.
"Alright... okay."