162: Table of shift breaks and missed shifts (updated in real time) (202504——???)
The purpose of this chapter is primarily to record the data on daily updates, breaks (not slacking off, trust me (serious face.jpg)), and owed updates, updated in real-time, from 20250414 to ???.
20250414: 0, 1, 3.
20250418: 0, 0, 4.
20250425: 0, 0, 5. (Why does the future feel increasingly bleak? / Hmph hmph hmph, ahhh—)
20250501: 0, 0, 5.5.
Currently Public Information:
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Side Story: Alice and Jocho's Meeting, Acquaintance, and Love
1. Meeting in Crisis
It was a rainy night, and the neon lights of Santo Domingo twisted into blurry halos on the wet streets.
Alice had recently dropped out of medical school, and her former enemies still hadn't let her go, sending a team of mercenaries to hunt her down.
She hid in a dark alley, but the sound of her pursuers' footsteps grew closer.
Just as she was on the verge of despair, several precise gunshots cut through the night sky, and the pursuers fell one after another.
Alice looked up and saw a man standing at the alley entrance, faint smoke still rising from the smart pistol in his hand.
The man wore tactical goggles, his figure was tall and straight, and rain slid down his cybernetic arm.
"Can you still walk?"
His voice was low and calm.
Alice froze for a moment, then nodded.
The man didn't say much, just stated briefly, "Follow me."
His name was Jocho, an assault specialist in the Buckle Family's spec-ops team. That day, he happened to be on a reconnaissance mission and stumbled upon this pursuit.
2. Brief Shelter
Jocho didn't take Alice back to the Buckle Family's base, but temporarily housed her in a temporary safe house.
Alice was very wary, and Jocho didn't ask much about her past, merely ensuring she had food, water, and medical supplies available.
"Don't you want to ask who I am? Why am I being hunted?"
Alice couldn't help but ask.
Jocho was adjusting his rifle, and upon hearing her, looked up at her:
"You'll tell me when you want to. For now, you just need to know that it's safe here."
His attitude made Alice relax slightly.
As a cyberware doctor, she noticed that Jocho's cyberware was well-maintained, but still showed subtle wear and tear.
Professional habit made her unable to resist speaking:
"Your Sandiwestan connection is a bit laggy; prolonged use will lead to neural fatigue."
Jocho raised an eyebrow:
"You know about this?"
"Graduated from medical school, specializing in cybernetic medicine."
Alice replied lightly.
He nodded thoughtfully and said no more.
3. A Shared Mission
One day, the Buckle Family received a commission: to protect a key figure from assassination by hostile forces.
Jocho was assigned as one of the guards.
Jocho and Alice, who had already established initial trust, teamed up to undertake the commission together.
Jocho asked her to assist him in monitoring the target's physiological status.
During the mission, Alice's professional competence frequently made Jocho look sideways at her.
Although he was mentally prepared, he was still impressed by Alice's exquisite skills.
During an intense firefight, Jocho's Krennikov cyberware temporarily malfunctioned due to overload.
The enemy took the opportunity to close in, and at the critical moment, Alice remotely forced a restart of Jocho's cyberware, allowing him to counterattack instantly and resolve the crisis.
After the battle, Jocho found her, displaying a rare hint of a smile:
"Thanks, Doc."
Alice shrugged, a smile on her face:
"Occupational hazard, can't stand seeing equipment malfunction."
4. Budding Affection
After the mission, the Buckle Family officially extended an olive branch to Alice.
After careful consideration, she decided to join.
Not only because the family could provide her shelter, but also because here, Alice found a long-lost sense of belonging.
As the family's cyberware doctor, Alice often needed to debug and upgrade Jocho's cyberware.
The opportunities for the two to be alone together increased, and their chats expanded from technical details to their respective pasts.
Late one night, Alice was working overtime in the clinic when Jocho pushed the door open, holding two cans of beer.
"Still working this late?"
He asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Got a new idea, want to see if I can optimize your Sandiwestan's cooldown time."
Alice replied without looking up.
Jocho walked over to her side, setting down the beer:
"Take a break, Allie. You've been working for twelve hours straight."
Only then did Alice stop working and rub her sore neck. Jocho handed her a beer, and the two sat side-by-side on the clinic roof, watching the neon skyline of Night City.
"Why did you choose to become a cyberware doctor?"
Jocho suddenly asked.
Alice was silent for a moment, then said softly:
"Because I want to make people stronger... not like my father, who died on the operating table because of cyberware failure."
Jocho didn't comfort her, just gently clinked his beer can against hers:
"To those who didn't make it to today."
Alice turned her head to look at him and found his gaze exceptionally gentle.
In that moment, she realized that this taciturn man had long since walked into her heart.
5. Confession and Companionship
At a family celebration banquet, after three rounds of drinks, Jocho was unusually a bit drunk.
As Alice helped him back to his room, he suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Alice."
His voice was a little hoarse:
"If I die on the battlefield one day, will you be sad?"
Alice frowned:
"Don't say such foolish things."
Jocho, however, smiled slightly:
"I just want to tell you... I don't want to have any regrets."
After speaking, he lowered his head and kissed Alice.
Alice didn't shy away but responded passionately.
Later, they got married.
The wedding was simple, attended only by members of the family.
Alice wore a white dress, and Jocho, rarely, put on formal wear, although it made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
Amidst the blessings of everyone, they exchanged their eternal vows.
From then on, Alice's clinic had one more regular visitor who arrived on time, and Jocho's mission suit pocket had one more photo of her.
(End)