Chapter 31: Preparing for Action

“All done?”
Kiwi asked as Roland walked toward her.

“Yeah, it’s taken care of. We can head out now. Oh, right—here’s your performance bonus for this mission.”

Roland nodded, slid back into the car, and glanced at Kiwi. A moment later, her account balance jumped as the transfer went through.

Kiwi’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden spike in her funds.
“What the—this much?!”

“This kind of payday doesn’t come around often. Guess you got lucky.”
Roland shrugged casually. Kiwi snickered at that, already mentally spending the money.

Hmm… maybe she could pool some extra eddies and upgrade her netrunning pod!
The thought made her grin unconsciously.

“What are you smiling about like that?” Roland asked, unable to hold back a chuckle as Kiwi looked like some shady old man with a secret stash.

Kiwi coughed twice, quickly straightening her face and pretending to be serious.
“Nothing. So, what now?”

“What else? Go home and rest.”

“Huh?”

Kiwi blinked in disbelief, almost thinking she’d misheard him. Wait—was this… the kind of treatment PROJECT Corporation gave its netrunners?
Was it really this good?!

Roland shot her a look, instantly reading her thoughts.
“Stop dreaming. Not everyone gets this kind of deal.”

“What?!”

That snapped Kiwi out of her daze. She shrank back, a complicated expression crossing her face, which made Roland’s expression darken slightly.

Damn it, in the original story you weren’t like this! Must be because you’re still in your twenties and not that jaded thirty-something version yet…

“Don’t overthink it. It’s not about you—it’s about me. My job is to clean up the company’s unstable elements. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t need to get involved. Of course, whenever I do, it usually means someone’s getting taken care of.”

“Oh… so as your partner, I don’t really have to do much, huh?”

“Exactly. Now stop filling your head with nonsense.”

Kiwi gave a sheepish smile but couldn’t help thinking—there weren’t that many netrunners at her level, though she wasn’t exactly rare either. She didn’t consider herself particularly talented or exceptional.
So… why her? Why was she chosen as this guy’s partner? He must be someone important…

Kiwi couldn’t figure it out, and since she couldn’t, she decided to leave it for now. Time would answer eventually.

Meanwhile, Roland, hands on the wheel, was lost in his own thoughts. The mention of netrunners made him recall someone—the man still lying in that freezer at the junkyard.

“Hmm… might be worth sending someone to check that out. Wonder if there’s a reward for finding him…”

He wasn’t sure. Bartmoss wasn’t exactly a major figure—at least, not judging by his limited screen time and plot relevance. The reward probably wouldn’t be much. Still, it was worth investigating.

His company couldn’t rely forever on the old PROJECT world’s resources…

Sure, those could sustain him for who knows how long, but he still needed to establish an R&D division—to research the core technologies from that world and combine them with the unique tech of the cyberpunk setting to innovate.

Bartmoss’s netrunning expertise could be crucial. There might be something absurdly powerful—something like a “digital spell”—hidden in there.

Suddenly, Roland’s hands froze mid-motion, his eyes narrowing.
Someone from Arasaka had just contacted Jhin’s body!

...

“Mr. Jhin, please.”

A bodyguard in a custom Arasaka suit opened the car door with utmost respect, gesturing for Roland to enter.

Jhin gave the man a brief look before stepping inside. Kuroda was already seated, and when he saw Jhin, he smiled warmly.

“Mr. Jhin, it’s been a while.”

“No one comes to me without a reason. But I’ve got to hand it to your intel network—you always manage to track me down.”

Jhin chuckled, watching Kuroda silently.

Kuroda’s expression barely shifted. He laughed lightly and replied, “That’s because you haven’t exactly gone out of your way to hide, Mr. Jhin. If you truly were that skilled, we wouldn’t still be guessing whose side you’re on.”

“Hmph… fine. Let’s hear it. You’ve finished gathering intel, haven’t you?”

“Indeed. The political figure from the New United States has already arrived in Night City. We’ve also gathered plenty of data on his movements—something you might find useful.”

As he spoke, Kuroda handed over a data chip.

Jhin accepted it and reviewed the contents, frowning slightly.
“These movement logs don’t seem to follow any clear pattern.”

“Correct. Given his position, he isn’t bound by strict schedules. Most of his activities are decided on the fly.”

“Then this information isn’t particularly useful.”

Jhin removed the chip and handed it back, shaking his head.

“You’re right about most of it,” Kuroda admitted, “but there’s one piece of intel that stands out. It’s your best opportunity to act.”

“...You mean when Fiers meets the Biotechnica representative?”

Jhin narrowed his eyes at Kuroda, who maintained his calm smile.

“Exactly. That meeting is confirmed, isn’t it?”

“It is—but the risk will skyrocket. I imagine there’ll be plenty of guards that day.”

“Of course. That’s why we’ve prepared the full security schematics for you. Wishing you success, Mr. Jhin.”

Kuroda didn’t deny it; he simply nodded and handed over another chip.

Jhin looked at it for a moment before speaking.
“I’ll take the job—but the pay’s going up.”

Seeing Jhin agree, Kuroda’s smile deepened. He didn’t object to the demand. Payment wasn’t an issue—as long as the mission was completed, he could even double it.

“No problem at all. Once you’re done, I’ll request additional funding from upstairs and double your reward.”

“Then I appreciate it. Leave the rest to me. I’ll be on my way.”

Jhin smiled faintly, and his form slowly faded as the car door opened on its own.

Watching him disappear, Kuroda’s cheerful expression hardened.
“Kentaro, did you catch how he left?”

“Reporting: most likely optical camouflage. But… his tech is top-tier. No traces detected.”

“Really… another surprise.”
Kuroda narrowed his eyes, the thought lingering in his mind.