Chapter 297 - 276: Flying Motorcycle

Night City, Military Technology Building.

The company was running smoothly, but to achieve complete monopoly, they had to figure out how to defeat the company across the street—Arasaka Company.

It was time for change.

Mercedes washed her face in front of the mirror while several warnings popped up in the HUD of her prosthetic eye:

[Heart rate monitoring warning: Current heart rate continuously above normal level]

[Sleep quality analysis: Recent sleep duration significantly less than necessary]

[Adrenaline levels too high: continuously exceeding the standard, current value 166pg/ml]

[Insufficient melatonin secretion, cortisol level alerts, thyroid hormone imbalance...]

She was in a daze, but that didn’t matter. With another dose of military-grade stimulant, a welfare benefit for employees of Military Technology, she felt invigorated again.

After wiping her face, she stepped out of the restroom and happened to meet the agent recently sent from headquarters: Anthony Gilchrist.

In terms of position, Anthony was just a team captain in the operations department, but in terms of security level, he was among those at the highest in the Night City branch of Military Technology—

A level that should have been Mercedes’, had she not made a major mistake.

In such a company, security level was everything. Positions were external; only internal loyalty could raise one’s security level, and a high security level was necessary for higher positions.

Without a security level, one could do nothing.

In other words, Mercedes was bound to be replaced, and it was very likely by this Anthony.

So she had to strike first.

Mercedes’s face was stern as she watched Anthony approaching.

Anthony, with his short black hair, was dressed in the standard black suit and white shirt typical of Male Military Technology employees.

Perhaps because of his recent transfer to Night City, and his rise in security level and position, a faint smile of confidence and pride played at the corners of his mouth.

If street kids saw him, they would definitely describe him as a typical corporate dog.

He smiled, "Director Stott, how’s your recent talk with Mayor Ryan going? Can we secure the homeless clearance project?"

"You don’t have to worry about that. It’s proceeding as planned. Ensuring backup is your job."

"I hear it’s not quite like that. I must remind you that the company’s affairs take priority. This mayoral election is a great opportunity. If it’s messed up..."

Mercedes glared at him maliciously.

Anthony spread his hands, "But such things indeed won’t happen, and soon we’ll have more leverage."

About the company fleet..."

"Don’t worry about that," Anthony said with an easy smile, "I’ve already arranged it. By my calculations, it should be passing through soon."

With that, Anthony left.

Mercedes frowned deeply: clearly, the opponent didn’t trust her; he had his own plans for the vehicles’ entry!

High security level really did make one impressive, allowing some operations to be concealed from her.

But watching Anthony’s retreating figure, she felt some doubts:

He was openly telling her that the fleet had crossed the border.

Their rivalry was almost set in stone—did this guy really feel so secure?

Was he that confident nothing would go wrong?

Mercedes returned to her office and immediately sent a message to someone from Vortex Gang.

[Recipient: Patricia]

[Mercedes: Work hard; the company will compensate you well.]

[Mercedes: Vehicle has crossed the border early, it’s all on you now.]

Almost at the same time, Anthony also returned to his office and sent a message to his recruit...

Or rather said, a "brother unit" expert who came to Night City with him.

[Recipient: FIA Agent #0079]

[Anthony: The fleet is about to cross the border.]

[FIA Agent #0079: I stress again: I can only ensure the Mecha on board are operational. Our side’s issues are far more critical.]

[Anthony: That’s enough. As long as the goods come in, I can take my time finding the mole.]

[Anthony: Thanks.]

.....

In the northern industrial zone of Watson, Brick, the top boss of Vortex Gang, was carrying an exaggeratedly large Sadar Technology Shotgun and striding towards the convoy—

His eye sockets completely replaced by an orange-red compound vision system, his eye sensors emitting an orange-red glow, wearing no clothes, the gaps between his skin panels distinctly visible, with what seemed to be some type of energy component implanted in his abdomen, emitting a red light.

His arms were covered with some kind of external wiring tubes, extending from his neck, secured along surface routing devices on the surface of his skin, extending down to his fingers.

Bang!

His muscular arms fiercely grabbed the exterior hold points of the van, even leaving handprints!

Clearly, this boss was incredibly strong, and often led deals himself!

He looked at another figure, even more robust than himself. Both faces were equipped with the same type of facial panel, but compared to Brick, this behemoth seemed much more reserved, wearing a black leather jacket that covered the traces of modifications beneath.

He seemed look like a simple and honest strong man of few words.

This was Royce, the second in command.

Ten modified Columbus Freight vehicles, their exteriors welded with various metal plates forming armor that even glowed with the light of a Vortex Gang’s skull-symbol—

Boom!

As Brick raised the shotgun, the engines roared to life!

"Boys, prepare to move out!"

"Wuhu!"

The convoy sped away, with Royce’s vehicle being the last to leave. He looked at the guy staying behind in the warehouse, his red eye sensors flashing—

The other guy’s facial sensors also flashed, watching Royce leave before turning and walking deeper into the garage.

Just now, Royce had sent him a signal!

Being adept at reading signals, the underling possessed an unimaginably advanced optical detection system.

It was absolutely impossible to misread any spectral change on the boss’s face, and the message conveyed by the spectral change on Royce’s face was...

Today, the troops were mobilized!

Now, one had no choice but to find refuge like a wise bird choosing the best tree.

...

Mackinaw stopped in Saint Domingo to rest and recuperate.

This time, considering Mercedes, the insider in Military Technology, Mackinaw couldn’t directly confront Military Technology.

Her connection with the three men from Lille was well-known, and getting caught would be troublesome.

The car’s shell was repainted, and the armor was significantly reduced, and the rear trunk...

The rear trunk had now been modified to accommodate a motorcycle, specifically designed for Jack’s own model, the Nazare "Motorcyclist."

The motorcycle was modified by Lille himself, adding two legitimate ethanol storage tanks and corresponding mini-turbo propulsion and vortex jets beneath the car, and incorporating the shock absorbers used by Mackinaw into the motorcycle.

All these technologies came from the latest achievements of Adrian at Marvel—

[Mechanical Structure Experimental Lab Results: Mini Vehicle Turbine (Prototype), Jet Propulsion Device]

[Principal Researcher: Adrian Tums]

[Description: A high-energy fuel-based turbine device, modified from Vulture Wings.]

[Developer’s Appendix: Lille, your request is quite strange, but I like it, a flying car.]

[The engine you provided is interesting, but no commercially available fuel has the energy density to give such a small device enough lift, and your engine isn’t up to the task either.]

[The Vulture Wings used a mysterious fuel provided by Osborne, which is more extreme than rocket fuel unless you can get a similarly crazy fuel.]

[However, I managed to make the device for you anyway, but regretfully we lack experimental data to optimize further.]

[Turbine Motorcycle Mark I assembly complete, Technology Points +200]

[Current Technology Points: 7500]

Lille patted the motorcycle and said to Jack, "Remember the motorcycle rocket?"

Jack, excitedly, "Bro, this..."

"This is the upgraded version. Didn’t you last time ask for an upgrade for your motorcycle? Try this version first."

V was equally excited as she touched the motorcycle, last time they had used the motorcycle for a terror attack in the city center, she was still driving the un-upgraded Mackinaw youth version!

"So this is a replica of the motorcycle rocket?"

"An upgraded version." Lille pulled out three pistols; one was V’s Final Night, and the other two were Jack’s golden fierce ladies, but they looked a little different on closer inspection.

Lille first pushed out Final Night and one of the golden fierce ladies, "The pistols can now fire dragon’s breath rounds, which use magnesium pellets as bullets.

Upon firing, they cause a deflagration, but their power is moderate."

Lille handed the Final Night to V, signaling her to mount the motorcycle.

V didn’t hesitate and immediately started the bike.

"The bullets aren’t meant for shooting people. There’s a button on the motorcycle called ’Jump Mode’; press it."

V activated the Jump Mode, and the two mini turbines beneath the motorcycle suddenly spun wildly, even blowing up a lot of dust; bystanders could feel the wind!

The engineers responsible for providing the modifications and the whole process of modifying the Mackinaw, who were watching, were stunned at the scene, as was Sherman who furrowed his brows throughout.

This airflow, it didn’t seem like it could be produced by turbines the size of three heads...

It wasn’t just spinning viciously; as the airflow moved, they could smell a familiar scent:

The scent was that of the highest-grade fuel they used for the Mackinaw engines—

And also the fuel used for the Floating Car.

Lille pointed under the bike, then stepped back a few steps, "Shoot downward!"

V, puzzled, nonetheless aimed the gun downward.

Just as she was about to shoot, watching her careless expression, Lille hurriedly added, "Hold onto the handlebar tight!"

V pulled the trigger, and suddenly, flames burst out from under the motorcycle like dragon breath!

The hot airflow rose, transforming into force through the turbine apparatus, propelling the motorcycle into the air—

Boom!

The motorcycle shot up like a rocket, and V was nearly overwhelmed by the force!

Krensky activated at that instant, and she quickly grasped the handlebar!

Thump.

The motorcycle jumped about half as high as a person, clearly hanging in the air longer than normal free fall.

The bike landed and wobbled a bit, the soil and unburnt magnesium pellets on the ground continued to burn.

V and Jack exclaimed loudly, "What the fuck!"

Sherman and his engineers exclaimed softly, "What the fuck..."

Old Captain silently cursed internally, "What the fuck..."

Lille patted Jack’s bewildered face, handing him the remaining pistol with a long adapter sleeve fitted over it.

"Here’s your other sidearm. Use it a couple of times while I observe—special bullets, remember?"

Jack turned his head slowly, indeed recalling that when he first picked up the golden fierce lady, Lille had indeed mentioned designing some special bullets for him.

[Cross-dimensional Material Transmission: Death Warrior Special Armor-piercing Bullet x3]

[Technology Points -500]

[Current Technology Points: 7000]

[Description: Special armor-piercing bullets worn by the Death Warrior, overall length 176mm, bullet made of special tungsten steel.]

[Developer Michael’s Appendix: Boss, this isn’t my technology, the primer inside is very special, but we don’t have a firearms expert here, I can only make simple adaptations, you’ll have to tinker with the rest yourself.]

Lille took out three bullets from his pocket and handed them to Jack.

"These things are fierce. Use it like a sniper rifle, remember to control the recoil."

Jack nodded, but his mind was still on the flying motorcycle.

As for Lille’s warning...

Just pistol bullets, how fierce can they be?