21: Keep on going

V held the cargo box and walked two steps. Turning back, he saw Fang Yun still standing there, chin in hand, looking lost in thought.

He called out to Fang Yun with a hint of helplessness, signaling him to hurry up and follow.

"Alright, Fang Yun. What are you spacing out for again? What are you thinking about? We've got the goods back, it's time to go."

Then, he followed Toke out of the room where the goods were hidden.

Seeing this, Fang Yun gave up on his conspiracy theories and quickly walked a couple of steps to follow behind the two.

After leaving the room where the goods were hidden, Toke led V and Fang Yun through several winding alleys, then arrived at the main street of the small town.

"Without the threat of those Nightwalkers, let's take the main street. It's faster and easier."

"My old back has been protesting since just now. It doesn't want to bend over and walk with me anymore."

Toke walked in front, leading the way for the two behind him, while joking about himself in a humorous tone.

As he spoke, Toke also did a few stretches, trying to make his somewhat sore old back feel better.

Hearing Toke's joke, Fang Yun smiled slightly.

From his appearance, Fang Yun estimated Toke's age should be at least forty.

Because when he scanned with his optical implant earlier, he found no traces of facial modification on Toke's face, Fang Yun believed that judging Toke's age by his appearance shouldn't have too large a deviation.

According to the setting of Wanderers in the 2077 game, Fang Yun could infer that as a Wanderer, Toke almost certainly sat in a car seat every day. Over the years, back pain and soreness were probably already old problems.

"If you feel like your body is failing you, get some cyberware modifications and install some lumbar muscle bio-cyberware. Then, even when you're seventy or eighty, you'll still be full of vigor."

Fang Yun responded to Toke with a chuckle.

Toke heard Fang Yun's words, but shook his head, saying with a hint of melancholy:

"That's true in principle, but where do you get the money for implants? For poor people like me, the only option is to take good care of my original body."

"Actually, that's fine too. After all, the more implants you install, the greater the risk of developing cyberpsychosis, isn't it?"

Fang Yun also responded with a touch of melancholy:

"You're right, that's indeed the reality of the situation."

"Of course, if I were involved, it would be a different story."

...

After walking on the main street of the small town for a while, Toke suddenly turned a corner and entered a small alley connected to the main street.

"Haha, excellent. My thunder is still parked here, safe and sound."

Toke's slightly surprised voice came from the alley.

V and Fang Yun followed closely behind Toke into the alley.

As soon as they turned the corner, they saw Toke's face full of joy. With one hand holding the cargo box and the other propping open the lid of the large iron box, he was putting the cargo box back into the large iron box.

V held the cargo box, walked to the other side of the vehicle, and also put the cargo box inside.

Seeing this, Fang Yun walked over to the vehicles left by the Nightwalkers and said to Toke and V:

"Toke, V, come take a look at these vehicles the Nightwalkers left behind. Do you have a way to open them? Let's search these vehicles for anything valuable. It won't take long anyway."

Hearing Fang Yun's question, Toke first put away the goods, then relocked the large iron box, and then walked over to Fang Yun with V.

Walking around the Nightwalkers' vehicles, Toke carefully observed the locks and said with certainty:

"This locking method is very common. Although it has been personalized to some extent, it still falls within the scope of common locking methods."

"I happen to have lock-picking tools in my vehicle. Wait a moment, I'll go get them."

After confirming that the locks could be opened, Toke turned around, went back to his thunder, and took out a set of lock-picking tools from the console box in the front seat.

Returning to the Nightwalkers' vehicles, Toke squatted down and began fiddling with the locks using the lock-picking tools.

After a while, with a crisp "click," the car door opened.

Then, Toke, holding the lock-picking tools, ran over to the other two vehicles left by the Nightwalkers and began picking their locks.

Soon, the locks on all three of the Nightwalkers' vehicles were picked open by Toke.

Toke said with a smile, looking a bit proud:

"Done."

Toke tidied up the lock-picking tools and put them back in his vehicle.

Fang Yun had already started searching for valuable items as soon as the first vehicle was opened.

"12 First Order chips, 3 First Order daggers, 1 First Order steel rod, two boxes of bullets. Not bad."

"V, Toke, for the other two vehicles, and whatever is left in this one, check if there's anything valuable and take it all."

"I'll head out first, go outside the town, and wait for you in the vehicle."

"Just go out the way you came into the town, and you'll see my vehicle."

"When I went to help you earlier, I first came here from outside the town (because I tracked the signal stopping point of Toke's thunder), and then went to the firefight scene. So if you drive out of the town the same way, you'll see my vehicle."

V and Toke agreed, indicating they understood.

Fang Yun nodded and said:

"Alright then, I'll wait for you outside the town first."

With that said, Fang Yun activated "Void Walker," and with a "swoosh," he disappeared from the spot.

This time, Toke was closer and had his headlights on, so he saw clearly how fast Fang Yun left.

He immediately opened his mouth wide and couldn't speak for a long time.

Seeing this, V teased:

"I told you Fang Yun's Sandiwestan is even better than military grade. See? I was right."

Toke patted his face to clear his head a bit.

"You're right. ...Fang Yun is indeed very strong."

...

Driving furiously with "Void Walker" activated, in just the blink of an eye, Fang Yun ran out of the small town and arrived next to the thunder.

Deactivating "Void Walker," Fang Yun pulled open the car door and sat back in the driver's seat.

Then, Fang Yun sat in the thunder, starting to wait somewhat boredly for V and Toke to come out of the small town.

"1, 2, 3, ..."

Just as Fang Yun counted to 150 in his mind, two bright headlights suddenly shone out from the small town.

Immediately after, Toke's deep and loud voice came from behind the headlights:

"Hahaha, Fang Yun, sorry to keep you waiting! Let's go, follow behind my vehicle, we'll depart now."

Hearing this, Fang Yun immediately responded loudly:

"Okay! You lead the way!"

With that said, Fang Yun started the thunder, stepped on the accelerator, turned the steering wheel, and followed behind V and Toke.