"Besides, I can’t find any reason to contact you, after all, aren’t we just employer and mercenary?"
You made me itch last time you fished me, it bothered me for days.
I hope you don’t mind a small revenge, right?
Hearing this, Lucy was a bit upset, almost wanting to hit the brakes and kick this guy off her car.
Yet, when she turned to curse, she noticed the other party had already offered her a chocolate with the foil peeled back, earnestly thanking her,
"But still, thank you, Lucy. If it weren’t for you, I might have left Night City empty-handed."
Feeling trapped in humor and anger, Lucy simply bit off a piece of the offered chocolate, crunching it as if to chew someone alive.
"Since you are the employer, and I dealt with the trouble left by the military tech, how much do you plan to pay this time? I don’t charge much, seventy or eighty thousand would do."
Seventy or eighty thousand?
I have two hundred million, would you like that?
Of course, that can’t be said out loud. Even though Lin Miao thought she might agree, wouldn’t that make him a gigolo?
That would be too much loss.
Lucy, seeing Lin Miao’s wry smile in response to her unreasonable demand,
"For your help, just say the word, I’d pay seventy or eighty thousand, or even seven hundred thousand, but as for now... sigh..."
His sigh caught Lucy’s attention, as he said with a bitter face,
"I just invested in a project, threw all my savings in, these two machines are my last capital, there’s no way to pay you before breaking even."
I really do have a cow.
Lucy felt a bit awkward too. She was only joking out of spite, but it suddenly became serious.
Feeling pitiful, it left her without words.
"You weirdo... I was just joking, no need to take it seriously."
This guy is quite strange, claiming he has no money, yet always carrying expensive chocolate that he never eats himself... seemingly all for her.
While thinking this, Lucy felt slightly embarrassed and changed the topic, taking out a box of chips and handing it to Lin Miao.
"The combat super-dream you wanted is done, the dream headband is in that box in front of you, you can watch it now if you want."
After the last Night Wanderer raid, Lin Miao had Natural Curl extract data chips from players’ heads, handed them to Lucy, hoping she would compile them into a super-dream.
Due to large workload, it was finished yesterday.
Lin Miao opened it and looked.
All others were original, only his was swapped with a replica.
Lucy never asked why Lin Miao always recorded these into super-dreams, maybe for memory, like a wedding anniversary video.
After all, once it’s on, you can only experience the recorders’ senses, nothing else.
Only environment-simulating super dreams have limited freedom but are costly; Lucy couldn’t make that.
But with the system, it’s different.
Lin Miao said with emotion,
"I don’t know how to thank you, Lucy..."
"No need for thanks, consider it a return for saving me last time, as you have no money now, do you?"
"How could that do..." Lin Miao firmly said, "Even if I don’t have money, I can’t let my friends suffer."
"Here’s the deal, Lucy, since the company was just starting before, I never invited you, it’s shabby. Now you’re here, let me invite you to our office, as a return, how about that?"
Don’t leave once you’re here.
Lin Miao was determined to win her over this time—becoming his employee!
She could be a mentor for hacker players and an editor for super dreams, besides being a good strength addition to relieve his stress.
He gains an assistant, players gain a mentor, Lucy gains a job.
"Huh! Invitation? Office?"
Lucy felt a bit down, she disliked the cold, profit-focused corporate atmosphere. She hoped he’d invite her for something more personal.
Even just for a run or a park walk...
Then she saw Lin Miao offering the chocolate again, this time she took a small bite, letting it slowly melt in her mouth.
Feeling the rich and slightly sweet flavor, Lucy sighed internally,
"Sigh... since you’re saying so..."
The office’s outer defense wall had been completely restored after several days of repairs, and the destroyed cars were dismantled into parts stored in the warehouse.
They were full of bullet holes, the glass shattered, no good for driving; better to dismantle for rebuilding.
Even the Night Wanderers’ blood on the ground was washed and covered by players with water and ash.
At least you couldn’t tell seventy to eighty people had a brawl here a few days back.
As the convoy drove into the office, players swarmed around.