71: Chapter 70: Seeing the contact information, V almost dragged me to the ends of the earth?

Inside the apartment, the warm air from their playful antics had not yet fully dissipated.

V was hanging onto Lin Yi like a koala, her face still flushed with a lingering redness, wearing a mischievous grin from a successful prank, preparing to launch the next "offensive."

Just then, the personal mobile terminal in Lin Yi's pocket, which he had personally modified and encrypted, vibrated at an inopportune moment, and the screen lit up.

V's gaze subconsciously swept across the screen—just that unintentional glance caused her movements to freeze instantly, and the smile on her face solidified as if flash-frozen.

Those eyes, which had just been brimming with laughter and desire, suddenly constricted, replaced by an unbelievable horror, and she unconsciously let go of Lin Yi.

The sender's note was a name she had only occasionally seen while working at Arasaka Counterintelligence, a name that still thundered in her ears today, representing the pinnacle of power and endless trouble in Night City—Yorinobu Arasaka.

"Ara... Arasaka?! Yorinobu?!" V's voice rose sharply, carrying a hint of a shrill crack.

As if scalded, she instantly sprang away from Lin Yi, landing on the floor, her footsteps even stumbling a little.

The previous languor and allure were swept away, replaced by a tension as if facing a formidable enemy.

"They... they found us?! Are we exposed?! Is it because of the Relic? Or the business in Pacifica?"

She spoke extremely fast, her voice filled with obvious panic, her eyes scanning everywhere, as if Arasaka agents would break through the door in the next second.

"No! We have to leave immediately! I know a place, a guy I used to know in Atlanta owes me his life, at his place..."

As she spoke, she even actually started trying to pull up her contact list through her communicator, her fingers trembling slightly from nervousness, looking like she was about to drag Lin Yi on the run immediately.

Watching V in this flustered state, as if the sky were falling, so unlike the top-tier mercenary who usually dared to storm Konpeki Plaza single-handedly and faced the Voodoo Boys' guns without changing her expression, Lin Yi felt both amused and a complex surge of warmth.

Her reaction was so intense, which just went to show how much she cared about his safety.

"Lily, Lily!" Lin Yi stepped forward, reached out, and firmly gripped V's shoulders, forcing her to stop her pointless flustering, his deep gaze looking straight into her panicked eyes. "Look at me, calm down. Listen to me."

His voice was not loud, but it carried a strange, reassuring power, like a basin of warm water, slowly dousing the sudden flame of panic in V's heart.

V's rapid breathing calmed down a little, but her eyes remained full of vigilance and confusion, staring intently at Lin Yi, waiting for his explanation.

"We aren't exposed, at least not the kind of exposure you think." Lin Yi slowed his speaking pace and explained clearly, "I don't think I had the chance to tell you yet, when we were heading to Europe for our vacation, I received an encrypted email on the plane, remember?"

V paused, trying hard to recall, then nodded.

At the time, she was too focused on the scenery outside the window and didn't pay much attention.

"That email was sent by Yorinobu." Lin Yi revealed the answer. "It wasn't some warrant, but a... cooperation invitation."

"Cooperation?!" V's voice rose again, filled with absurdity. "Yorinobu Arasaka, that crown prince of the corporate empire, inviting us... to cooperate?! Lin Yi, are you sure you haven't been scammed?! Or maybe he didn't take his meds?!"

"I also thought it was a scam at first." Lin Yi smiled, released her shoulders, and instead took her still slightly cold hand, leading her to sit by the sofa.

"But the encrypted communication protocols that followed couldn't be faked. He knew about the Pacifica incident, knew it was us who 'cleaned up' the Voodoo Boys and took the Relic. But his attitude toward this wasn't to pursue it, but rather... appreciation."

He tried his best to recount the core meaning of Yorinobu's letter in a way V could understand: "The conditions he proposed do sound like a fantasy. Independent operational rights, highly autonomous decision-making power, resource sharing... He claims this isn't employment, but a cooperative relationship based on common goals."

Listening to this string of terms that, in her understanding, were completely contrary to the word "corporate," the expression on V's face gradually shifted from shock to extreme confusion and bewilderment.

She digested it for a good while before murmuring in a tone as if her worldview had been reshaped: "No accountability... seeking cooperation... highly autonomous..."

She repeated these keywords, then suddenly looked up at Lin Yi, her face filled with incomprehension. "What?! Then... then what was all that time I spent struggling in Arasaka Counterintelligence, watching people's expressions every day, following those bullshit rules... what did that even count for?!"

Seeing her looking as if she'd suffered a huge loss, both aggrieved and confused, Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh. He reached out to ruffle her hair and responded with a tone mixed with teasing and doting affection: "Emm, count for?!"

He deliberately drew out his tone, his eyes filled with amusement. "It counts as you being impressive! After all, not everyone can escape from that place in one piece and accumulate valuable work experience."

"Screw you!" V was amused by his words, unable to laugh or cry, and gave him a punch, but her tense body visibly relaxed.

After Lin Yi's explanation and banter, the initial panic finally gradually subsided.

With reason returning, V also realized that if Arasaka really wanted to harm them, there would be no need for Yorinobu to personally send such an indirect invitation. Wouldn't it be more direct to just send Adam Smasher or a team of elite agents?!

Matters having reached this point, panicking wouldn't solve anything.

She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, temporarily pushing down those chaotic thoughts and terrible memories about Arasaka.

Her gaze refocused on Lin Yi's face, and seeing that steady, confident look in his eyes as always, V's heart completely settled down.

Since he had made the judgment and chosen to make contact, she would unconditionally trust him.

And right now, there was another more important, more pressing matter that needed to be resolved.

A smile, carrying a hint of wildness and allure, reappeared on V's face, and the ambiguous atmosphere that had been interrupted by panic seemed to quietly flow back.

She leaned forward, getting close to Lin Yi again, her fingers mischievously drawing circles on his chest, her eyes alluring.

"Alright, let's put the corporate crown prince thing aside for now..." Her voice returned to its previous languid and husky tone, carrying a clear hint. "The serious business is done, so... shouldn't the 'entertainment activity' that was interrupted just now continue?!"

Lin Yi watched her switch states with such ease and couldn't help but chuckle.

This was V; her emotions came and went quickly, always living in the moment, daring to face any challenge, whether it was a hail of bullets or... the tenderness before her.

He didn't answer, but responded directly with action—reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her back into his embrace, sealing all her unfinished words with a deep kiss.

Outside the window, the neon lights of Night City continued to flicker, hiding countless crises and secrets.

But at this moment, in this small apartment, there was only the sound of their intertwined breathing and heartbeats, and the precursor to the storm from the corporate heights, temporarily cast to the back of their minds.