Despite Dorio's words, everyone knew the truth.
The team's accomplishments, their reputation, and their strength—all of it was built by Mann over the years. It had been Mann who fought through countless battles and took the team to its current level. That's why Dorio wasn't certain if Mann would be willing to give up that legacy so easily.
"Peter, have you all handled the situation?" Sasha approached Peter and the others, her tone calm but alert.
"It's stable for now. There shouldn't be any trouble during the day," Peter replied confidently.
Dorio turned to Sasha, "What's the progress with Qiwei?"
Sasha nodded slightly. "The system's intrusion is slow, but steady. Still, we should be cautious—there are likely multiple defense mechanisms protecting her system."
Dorio let out a small sigh of relief. Just earlier, Mann nearly ran headfirst into Qiwei's trap. If not for Pila stepping in at the last second to hold Mann back, it could've been a disaster.
Peter raised a brow at the conversation. "Is this the butterfly effect playing out already?"
He looked at the group and asked, "Any of you encounter a cyberpsycho recently?"
Rebecca immediately perked up at the question. "Peter, how'd you know? A cyberpsycho was literally taking a leak on a shipping container and nearly blew Freak's head off!"
With a scowl, she gave Pila a hard kick.
"And you! That freak didn't look normal at all, and yet you still walked right up to him! If Sasha hadn't hacked his prosthetic in time, you'd be a corpse by now."
"Hey, how was I supposed to know the guy was a cyberpsycho?" Pila said, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "Thankfully, Sasha reacted fast—or Mann might've punched his head off again. Probably boxed up somewhere by now."
Sasha shrugged at the praise. "Don't thank me. It wasn't just quick thinking—it was the system Peter installed. It can assess whether someone's movements are hostile or not. It detected the threat before I even realized what was happening."
Everyone was stunned.
"What kind of crazy system is that?" Dorio asked, genuinely shocked. "You mean it can analyze enemy actions in real-time?"
It was getting harder for the group to remain surprised. Peter seemed capable of pulling all sorts of incredible tech out of nowhere. First, he developed a chip that could suppress nerve erosion caused by prosthetics, and now this—a predictive combat analysis system?
These were every mercenary's dream enhancements.
"It's not just me," Sasha added casually. "V, Lucy, Jack, and David all have these systems—Peter made sure of it."
The room fell completely silent.
Earlier, they were already somewhat numb to Peter's genius, but this revelation tipped them over the edge. This wasn't a one-time miracle—this was standard equipment in Peter's team. No wonder his crew completed every mission flawlessly. It wasn't just skill—it was high-tech perfection.
No wonder Mann was already considering joining Peter.
Slap.
Just then, Mann stepped out of the room, his face calm and determined.
"Peter," he said, "I've decided to join your team. As for Dorio and the others, it's up to them to decide for themselves."
Pila grinned and smacked Mann on the shoulder. "Come on, you think we'll let you enjoy all those perks alone? We're in too."
Dorio nodded. "He's right. Don't try to hog the benefits."
Mann blinked. "Benefits? What benefits are you even talking about?"
He had intended to give his teammates the freedom to choose—but it seemed they were all more than willing to follow him into Peter's squad.
Dorio filled him in on their earlier conversation, explaining Peter's innovations and the real reasons behind their decision.
As Mann listened, he couldn't help but chuckle. The pressure in his chest finally lifted.
"Don't worry," Peter said, placing a reassuring hand on Mann's shoulder. "I don't care how you handle your own missions—as long as you contribute a share to the team and coordinate when needed."
"If you want to do joint missions with Jack and the others, I'm fine with that too."
Peter wasn't interested in micromanaging the team—unless it was a major task involving V or Mann, like wiping out a gang. As far as he was concerned, anything under 200,000 euros wasn't worth his attention.
And honestly, he wasn't hurting for money anymore.
"Boss! I've got the data!"
Falco burst out of the room, holding up a chip like it was a trophy.
"What about Qiwei?" Mann asked. "Is she okay?"
"I'm fine," Qiwei replied as she stepped out in her own clothes. "I'll leave now—call me when the reward's ready."
"No problem. I'll let you know."
With the data chip secured, Mann immediately contacted Faraday.
As the call connected, Faraday's voice came through, irritated. "You got the data? You made way too much noise. I told you to keep it quiet!"
Apparently, Araban was already aware of the kidnapping. Their intelligence division was combing the city looking for clues.
"What do we do with the guy we caught?" Tanaka asked, glancing at the man tied to the chair and beaten within an inch of his life.
"I don't care," Faraday replied bluntly. "I only want the data. I didn't ask you to catch anyone. Handle it yourselves."
Then he sent an address. "Deliver the chip there. My people will pick it up. You'll get your reward afterward."
The line cut.
"Son of a b****," Xia En cursed. "He told us to grab the guy and now acts like he had nothing to do with it?"
Dorio frowned. "What do you mean, Mann? Faraday's saying this wasn't his call?"
Mann sighed. "Exactly. He's blaming us for the mess. Says Araban's security is searching the whole city now and left the prisoner for us to deal with."
"Want my advice?" Pila said, cocking his gun. "Just shoot him. Doesn't look like a good guy anyway."
Mann turned to Peter. "What do you think we should do?"
Peter shrugged. "Simple. Kill him, strap a small explosive on the body, and blow it after we're gone."
It was clean, simple, and effective.
Mann agreed. They rigged a timed explosive to the prisoner's body and left the hotel.
Ten minutes later, a muffled boom shook the room they'd vacated.
"Heading to deliver the data now?" Peter asked.
"Yeah. Faraday's people will be waiting."
"Alright. I'll drop Sasha off at home. Call me if anything goes wrong."
Peter turned back to the rest of the group watching from several hundred meters away.
The small explosion had clearly eased their nerves.
"No problem," Mann said. "Rebecca, Pila—you two can head back. Just drop Dorio and me off."
"Got it. Be careful out there."
With that, Rebecca and Pila took their leave.
Mann climbed into the driver's seat, the chip securely in his hand, and began the drive to the delivery location.
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