55: Chapter 54 Sharpening the Knife

After completing the Militech contract, the trio drove away smoothly.

The gold "mizutani shion" coupe executed a smooth drift, precisely sliding into the only remaining parking spot on Bradley Street. The tires gave a slight squeal against the pavement, prompting a few thugs with cheap optics on the sidewalk to whistle.

"Holy shit, man, did you see that?"

Jackie's booming voice nearly drowned out the low-fi electronic music flowing from the car stereo. His massive frame squeezed into the backseat, gesturing excitedly as if he were still in the midst of that brief, intense conflict.

"Once I popped the Sandevistan, swish, swish, swish! The world just fucking slowed down! Then, pair that with these new Gorilla Arms—bam! One punch! That guy's titanium jawbone was like it was made of plastic, and it blew the brains out of the bastard behind him too!" He swung his thick arm, etched with silver cyberware patterns, his joints emitting a dull hydraulic hiss. "Of course, finishing it off with my 'Gold-Plated Bitch' felt the best! One shot each, clean and simple!"

In the driver's seat, Lin Yi shook his head with a smile and killed the engine.

V, in the passenger seat, lazily yawned, the corners of her eyes still damp from waking up. "Got it, got it, Jackie. You've said that three times on the way here. I know you're tough enough to take on MAX-TAC solo now."

"Hey, chica, this is a man's romance!" Jackie protested, but immediately grinned, his large hand patting his flank. The gesture carried a sense of relief—a hard-won second chance that only he could truly understand. "Besides, after lying down for so long, it's great to finally be able to move again. I was about to go crazy."

At these words, the car went silent for half a second.

That time at Konpeki Plaza.

The shrapnel from the exploding AV cabin door.

When Jackie was carried into Viktor's clinic, the entire operating table was covered in blood.

His liver had been more than half destroyed by an irregular piece of metal shrapnel. It took Viktor six hours to save his life, and then he spent over a week guarding that falling-apart dialysis machine, waiting for the custom artificial organ to arrive.

During that time, Jackie could only lie in the apartment or at Misty's shop. At first, even laughing out loud made his wounds ache.

Lin Yi glanced at Jackie in the backseat through the rearview mirror. He didn't say anything, just started the engine.

V turned her head to look out the window, something flickering in her golden eyes, and then said, "It's all in the past. As long as the three of us are alive and well, that's all that matters."

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Lin Yi pushed open the car door, walked around to the passenger side, and bowed playfully while feigning the demeanor of a gentleman. "We have reached our destination: Viktor's clinic. Please gather your luggage and watch your step."

V rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't stop the corner of her mouth from curling up as she hopped out of the car.

Jackie also chuckled as he climbed out. With practiced coordination, he walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and pulled out two cryogenic storage cases stamped with the Militech logo. Inside were the final pieces of the puzzle for their cyberware upgrades—the very purpose of their trip.

Lin Yi locked the car and hurried to catch up with V, who was already walking toward Esoterica. He wrapped his arm naturally around her shoulder, pulling her gently to his side.

He lowered his head, leaning toward her ear. His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, his voice filled with mischievous amusement. "My beautiful lady, you dropped something."

V tilted her head in confusion, only to see Lin Yi holding a small, square, unopened package between his fingers, waving it in front of her eyes.

The distinct packaging and lettering were glaringly obvious under the never-extinguishing neon lights of Night City.

A flush of red instantly bloomed on V's cheeks. Shame and anger flared as she snatched the item and shoved it into her jacket pocket, simultaneously kicking at Lin Yi's backside. "Screw you, Lin Yi! Wait until I'm done with these busy days, I'll show you!" Her tone was fierce, but the light flickering in her eyes clearly held a mix of excitement and eagerness.

Jackie, walking a bit ahead, heard the commotion and turned back, just in time to see Lin Yi stumble from the kick.

He grinned wide, showing his signature bright smile, shook his head, and muttered in a voice only he could hear, "My Misty is still the best… so gentle, so thoughtful…"

The three of them walked through Esoterica, which was permeated with the scent of incense and mysticism, and familiar with the path, pushed open the nondescript gate in the back, entering Viktor's cyberware clinic.

The scent of disinfectant, motor oil, and a faint, lingering trace of blood mixed together to create the clinic's unique, comforting atmosphere.

Viktor was standing at the diagnostic table with Misty, discussing something while looking at a holographic neural link diagram.

Hearing the door open, he looked up. A gentle smile appeared on his weathered face as he set down his tools.

"Yo, look who it is? Our few 'busy bodies.' How do you find the time to come and chat with old Viktor today?" He teased, his gaze sweeping over the cases Jackie was carrying.

Before Lin Yi could speak, V stepped in first, attempting to change the subject. "Viktor, we brought you business!"

Unfortunately, Lin Yi had no intention of letting her get away with it.

He sighed, using an exaggerated, sorrowful tone. "Sigh, don't start, Viktor. Yesterday at my place for dinner, I don't know who it was—with you two—nearly drank me out of house and home. A bottle of limited edition Rabbit Tequila, a bottle of Champagne Tower Heaven… After getting high on booze, that night V, she—mmph!"

His words came to an abrupt halt.

Because V had pounced on him like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, one hand clamped tightly over his mouth, while the other pinched the soft flesh at his waist threateningly.

Her face was red enough to drip blood, and her eyes were filled with a murderous intent that screamed, "If you dare say another word, I'll take you down with me."

She couldn't even imagine what she had done after getting drunk that night for Lin Yi to bring it up now. It was so embarrassing that her toes were practically curling into the concrete floor, ready to dig out a new Arasaka Tower.

"Alright, alright, look at you two lovebirds and your bickering," Viktor couldn't help but laugh, stepping in to smooth things over. "I was just joking. Look at all these bags and cases, what good stuff did you get your hands on this time? Surely you didn't come to bring me holiday gifts?"

Lin Yi finally managed to break free from V's "choke-hold-and-mouth-cover combo." Gasping for air, he pointed to the cases. "With her interrupting, I almost forgot the main point. Viktor, do me a favor. There are a few 'little toys' here that I need you to install."

Viktor curiously opened one of the cases. A cold, white mist poured out, revealing the spinal cyberware lying quietly inside.

"Apogee?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with surprise. He opened the other case, which contained three sets of thin, cicada-wing-like mesh devices with a metallic sheen.

"…Militech's Optical Camouflage? And three sets? Did you rob a Militech warehouse, or did you take on some world-shattering job? If I keep installing this kind of stuff for you, I think you guys will be more badass than the elite ninjas inside Arasaka Tower."

"Legitimate trade, don't worry, Viktor." Lin Yi smiled without offering much explanation. "The Apogee is for V; she needs extreme speed. The Optical Camouflage is one set for each of us—it can save our lives during critical moments. How long do you think it will take to get it all done?"

Viktor rubbed his chin, carefully examining the cyberware interfaces and compatibility parameters. He mused, "It's getting late today. At most, I can install the Apogee and Optical Camouflage for V. This stuff is tricky; it needs deep protocol integration with her synthetic skin subsystem, otherwise, the effectiveness will be greatly reduced. Yours and Jackie's will have to wait until tomorrow."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Jackie, his tone softening. "Jackie, especially you. Your artificial organ was replaced not long ago. Although the rejection reaction has stabilized, your body is still in the adaptation period. Don't rush today; tomorrow, I'll perform a thorough compatibility test on you before we proceed."

"Got it, got it, Viktor." Jackie waved his hand with a smile, but there was no impatience in it—only gratitude toward the old doctor.

If it hadn't been for Viktor's six-hour surgery and the meticulous care that followed, he would probably be lying in an urn by now.

Viktor said no more and signaled for V to lie down on the familiar operating chair.

Precision mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, beginning a comprehensive body parameter scan on V. Dim blue light traced the contours of her body.

Viktor personally took out the Sandevistan "Apogee" cyberware, connected it to the debugging terminal, and began the initial neural interface and parameter calibration.

"Relax, V. It might feel a bit dizzy, like riding a roller coaster." Viktor's voice was steady and reassuring.

V nodded and closed her eyes.

As Viktor pressed the confirm key, a powerful stream of data surged through her nervous system, and countless streams of light seemed to streak past the edges of her vision.

Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly relaxed under the effects of the anesthetic and neuro-regulators, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

For the next two-plus hours, the only sounds in the clinic were the low hum of instruments and the occasional commands Viktor issued while operating.

Lin Yi and Jackie sat on the old sofa nearby, quietly watching Viktor work, occasionally whispering a few words to each other or pointing at the holographic recording of a boxing match on the player.

When V opened her eyes again, it felt as though she had slept a long, heavy sleep.

She blinked, adjusting to the dim light of the clinic, and instinctively moved her fingers—the trajectory her fingertips traced seemed half a knuckle faster than she expected.

"How do you feel?" Lin Yi's voice sounded by her ear. He and Viktor had stopped their discussion and gathered around the operating chair.

"A bit…" V tried clenching her fist, then releasing it, repeating the motion several times. Her expression shifted from confusion to a kind of restrained excitement. "It's too fast. Before I even think about moving, my body has already finished the motion."

"Normal phenomenon." Viktor explained while checking the various physiological readings. "The 'Apogee' has significantly accelerated your neural reflexes and metabolic rate. Your original muscle memory needs to adapt to recalibrate. The Optical Camouflage protocol has also been synced with your subcutaneous armor; just don't scare anyone when you activate it. Theoretically, as long as you don't actively walk into a muzzle, conventional detection methods will find it hard to spot you."

He skillfully disconnected the cables and patted the armrest of the operating chair. "Get up and move around. If you don't feel anything unusual, you can leave. Tomorrow at the same time, you two come over." He pointed to Lin Yi and Jackie.

V carefully sat up and took a few steps with Lin Yi's support.

At first, her steps were a bit stiff, like getting used to a new pair of shoes, but she soon smoothed out.

She stood still and turned to look at Lin Yi. Her golden eyes brightened—a silent boast.

Lin Yi understood and curled the corner of his mouth slightly.

When they left the clinic, the night was already deep.

The neon sign of Esoterica blurred into a hazy halo in the mist.

The next day, the process went just as smoothly.

All of Jackie's compatibility tests were green-lit; the level of integration between the artificial organ and the surrounding tissue even made Viktor nod in approval.

Subsequently, he and Lin Yi lay on the operating chair one after another.

The installation of the Optical Camouflage went even smoother than yesterday—Viktor: [Nothing special, just practice makes perfect].

After everything was done, Viktor checked all the interfaces one last time.

On the holographic screen, three green status bars were neatly aligned.

"Alright, boys." He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Now that you three are walking out, if you want to, every camera in Night City is fucking blind." His gaze finally landed on Jackie, his tone adding a layer of caution. "Jackie, your body has just recovered. Don't rely on the Optical Camouflage to rush into a hail of bullets. That thing can hide your signal, but it can't hide your blood."

"Don't worry, Viktor." Jackie patted his chest and grinned. "My hide is precious now, I wouldn't do anything reckless."

Lin Yi stood up, walked out of the clinic, and arrived at the rooftop of Misty's shop.

The afternoon sun spilled over the crowded, dilapidated streetscape of Watson. Looking into the distance, the silhouette of Pacifica seemed to twist slightly in the heat waves.

He felt the almost imperceptible, powerful grid of potential beneath his skin. He looked back at V, who was bickering with Jackie, and a faint, cold light flashed in his eyes.

Pacifica. Voodoo Boys.

He weighed these two names repeatedly in his mind.

A little more preparation, and it'll be time to set off.