That old fox—no matter if the dirt was already up to his neck—would never personally test an unrefined product. That suit-wearing bastard with glasses was still lying, even now. Typical Arasaka dog—always calculating, always scheming.
"Leo, leave him to me. Don't look at me like this, I've got a hundred ways to make him talk," Johnny Silverhand said as his mechanical eye spun ominously, casting out a dangerous red glow.
Lucy glanced at Leo, waiting for his signal. As long as he gave the nod, she'd dive into Hellman's neural link and dig up everything—even memories from when he wet the bed as a child. But Leo shook his head lightly, motioning for her to hold off.
As a high-level executive in Arasaka, Hellman's neural interface had almost certainly been enhanced with special protection. Trying to forcibly extract intel from his neural link could very well trigger built-in countermeasures that would fry his brain to protect company secrets. That was exactly why every Arasaka executive signed strict NDAs—one of many failsafes to prevent defectors from causing irreparable damage.
The intel was valuable, sure—but so was Hellman himself, especially as a technical asset. As long as there was another way, it was better to keep him alive and conscious.
Hellman, unaware of Leo's reasoning, panicked as he saw the silent exchange of glances between Leo and Lucy. "No, no—it's not like that! Please, don't misunderstand—I don't know!"
"You don't know, or you won't say?"
"I really don't know."
"Fine, then."
Hellman was stunned. He'd expected Leo to press him relentlessly. But that was it? He was going to let it go that easily? It was suspiciously... agreeable.
Clinging to a shred of hope, Hellman asked, "Then... can I go now?"
"You're overthinking it. Since you're unwilling to talk, don't worry—we'll find a way to make you. We're in no rush. We've got time."
Hellman's face turned ashen. "W-what are you going to do?"
Leo's figure vanished and reappeared behind him. With a flick of the wrist—snap!—a black, rectangular blocker was driven precisely into the neural socket at the back of Hellman's neck. His whole body went stiff like a board, then collapsed face-first into the sand with a dull thud.
"Take him to Rogue. I trust she has her own methods," Leo said.
Crispin stepped forward, slinging Hellman over his shoulder and tossing him into the Trauma Team hovercar. Emmerich's eyes flashed with a brief blue light. "This is your payment from Rogue."
Leo glanced at the sudden deposit on his account.
"Ten million? That much?"
Neither Emmerich nor Crispin had charged Leo for their services, and the Trauma Team hovercar wasn't billed either. Sure, this whole job was technically Rogue's mission, and they were sent to assist Leo—but ten million eddies? That was generous.
"She said there might be future work together."
"Of course. Let her know she's always welcome to reach out."
…...............
...
.
After returning to the spot where Panam had parked, Leo, Lucy, and V exited the hovercar and joined Panam. Once they were all out, the vehicle took off again, speeding back toward the city.
The group piled into Panam's vehicle and headed for the city. During the drive, Panam was noticeably more relaxed. Not only had Leo's crew helped her get her vehicle and goods back, she'd also received a sizable payout from Leo for the job—far more than she'd expected. The sum made her even more determined to stick with Leo moving forward.
Holding onto that thought, Panam started chatting with the group. Upon learning that she didn't have a place to stay in the city and usually just parked and slept in her vehicle, V immediately offered, "You can crash at my place if you want."
"Seriously?" Panam lit up with surprise.
She wasn't complaining, really—but sleeping in a car every night did build up a sort of restless frustration. Sometimes she just longed to fall asleep in a proper bed under a real roof again.
"Of course I'm serious. Why else would I offer?"
"How much for rent per month?"
Panam mentally calculated. Sure, she'd just made a nice chunk of change, but that didn't mean she could spend recklessly. There were plenty of expenses ahead—housing couldn't eat it all up.
"One thousand eurodollars?"
Panam nearly couldn't believe her ears. "That cheap?"
In the Northern Industrial District, even a shitty shared room at a rundown motel cost four thousand a month. And V didn't live in that kind of place. From their conversations, Panam already knew—V's home was in a high-rise apartment.
Over their private comms, shared only by Leo, Lucy, and V, came V's sly voice. "Don't you think now's the perfect time? She clearly needs someone's help. I'm helping you get her onboard. If we're lucky, we might even get her whole clan riding with us."
Leo sighed, half amused, half exasperated.
…...................
......
.
Late at night, in the weapons mod room at the apartment in the Glen, the lights were still on. Leo sat at the workbench, surrounded by gun parts and materials. He picked up each component one by one, assembling and calibrating them quickly and methodically into a series of smart firearms.
With his Weapon Maintenance Lv.9 skill and the fact he'd already built thousands of guns since coming to this world, he was no longer the amateur he once was.
Smart rifles stacked up to the side, and his pile of components steadily shrank. An hour passed like that. Eventually, Leo set down his tools and stretched with a deep yawn. Just as he pinched the bridge of his nose, about to call it a night, a soft voice spoke from beside him.
"Tired? Drink this warm milk and sleep early."
Lucy appeared with a steaming cup in hand and placed it in front of him.
Leo froze for a second. He was sure he'd dropped her off at her place earlier.
"How'd you get here?"
Lucy brushed her bangs behind her ear and smiled. "Just wanted to check on you."
She glanced at the table. "You done?"
Leo nodded, puzzled. "Do you need something?"
"Sit still."
Her soft, gentle voice came close to his ear, warm breath tickling his skin. Lucy's hands settled on his shoulders and began to massage.
"How's that? Feels good?"
Wherever she'd learned these massage skills, she was surprisingly good. After a few passes of her hands, Leo felt the tension in his shoulders melt away.
"Yeah. Feels great."
"Then close your eyes and relax."
"If it's ever too much, just tell me. You don't have to carry everything alone."
Leo almost moaned from how comfortable he felt under her touch. Without thinking, he replied, "Alright."
…......................
........
.
Later that night, out in the living room, Lucy was lying face down on the couch while Leo massaged her back.
"How is it? Feel good?"
"So good~"
Back in his last life, there had been a period when Leo was unemployed and couldn't find a job. He'd ended up working at a massage parlor for a while. Maybe he had a natural talent—he picked it up fast and got good at it quickly.
"It's late. Why not just stay here tonight?"
Still lying on the couch, Lucy lifted her head slightly. "Sleep here?"
"I'll take the couch. You can sleep upstairs in my bed," Leo replied, still massaging her back.
She tilted her head, thinking it over. "That works."
"Then up you go—my hands are getting sore." Leo gave her a playful pat on the butt. "Good night. Sleep well."
…
The next morning, Lucy opened her eyes to the sound of movement downstairs. She got up from bed and leaned against the railing on the second floor. Sure enough, Leo was already up, busy in the kitchen.
She didn't say a word—just watched him quietly from above.
But Leo, without even turning, called out, "You're up?"
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