"Long time no see, Jackie!"
Lin Yu said as he pulled Jackie into a big bear hug.
He had to admit, this guy was solid—an even bigger powerhouse than he looked in the game.
"You smell like blood?"
Jackie wrinkled his nose and said, frowning.
"It's nothing. Just took care of a few punks at the door. How about you, how've you been lately?"
As Lin Yu spoke, he glanced down at himself. Sure enough, there were still traces of blood.
It seemed the mantis blades had been too powerful, causing blood to splatter everywhere, some of it getting onto him.
"Same old, same old. Those Valentinos kids have been clashing hard with the Maelstrom lately, but as long as you stay breathing, there's always money to be made."
Jackie lounged back on the sofa, taking up the space meant for two people, speaking in an easygoing tone.
It looked like he was still working as a mercenary, taking on gigs.
And it seemed Lin Yu would soon be walking the same path.
"Enough about me—what about you? What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Jackie was clearly curious about what had happened earlier.
"Listen up: when the time comes, follow my lead!"
Lin Yu said seriously. What he was about to do wasn't part of the original game plot, and he had no idea how it would end.
"No problem!"
Jackie spread his hands with a relaxed smile.
Whether he truly didn't care or simply wasn't afraid of trouble was anyone's guess.
"I'm being serious here. Can you at least pretend to take it seriously?"
Lin Yu said helplessly. He knew this was just Jackie's nature, but he couldn't help wondering if this easygoing attitude would one day get him hurt.
Still, Lin Yu had already decided: no matter the cost, he would protect this brother.
"Relax, man. It's not like this is my first time. We've been through a lot together, haven't we?"
Jackie said as he took the chip from Lin Yu and slotted it into the port at the back of his neck.
The information on the chip streamed directly into his mind.
After a moment, Jackie fully grasped the situation.
"Holy shit, bro, what kind of job did you pick up this time? I'm telling you, the payout on this better be huge—and it better be in cash. No wire transfers!"
Jackie frowned deeply, his whole demeanor growing serious.
No matter what Lin Yu chose to do—good or bad—Jackie's first instinct was never to criticize, but to help him navigate the dangers ahead.
A warm feeling rose in Lin Yu's heart.
What was a brother?
This was it!
"Don't worry. I already negotiated a bigger payout."
Lin Yu nodded.
"A gig this big? You'll need a full crew: a top-tier techie—maybe even two with super-brains installed—a wheelman crazy enough to race through hell itself, and... you'll need a lone wolf."
Jackie rested one hand on his knee, laying it all out with a practiced air. Clearly, he'd done plenty of jobs like this before.
"Professional as always, Jackie!"
Even though Lin Yu wasn't planning to actually pull off the gig, he couldn't help but admire Jackie's thorough planning.
"But usually I stay away from gigs like this—and you should too. The risk is just too damn high. If we screw up, we could both end up buried in this city!"
Jackie tried once more to persuade Lin Yu when he saw that he still intended to wade into this mess.
"Relax, Jackie. Just stay sharp when the time comes."
Lin Yu understood perfectly well what Jackie was trying to say, but it was no longer necessary. Besides, he couldn't spell everything out too clearly, or it would seem like he had some kind of prophetic insight.
Jackie froze for a moment, a little surprised. He had prepared a whole speech, ready to talk Lin Yu out of it.
But now, it seemed pointless.
V still looked like V, but something about him felt different.
Just then, the bartender arrived, carrying two small drinks.
"Double tequila shots with pomegranate juice and lime. Down one of these and you'll forget everything!"
Jackie grinned at Lin Yu as he held up his glass, which looked comically small in his massive hand.
"To tomorrow—and to all the sexy little wildcats in the bar!"
Lin Yu raised his glass and drained it in one go. Despite how ominous the drink sounded, it actually tasted pretty good.
Jackie blinked again, then broke into a knowing smile and downed his drink as well.
"So... what's your plan for the future?"
Jackie had just begun to ask when two men in sharp suits approached—clearly corpo agents.
"Are you V?"
One of the agents asked straightaway.
"Hey! Who the hell are you looking for? You looking for trouble?"
Jackie immediately stood up and barked at them.
Lin Yu was no stranger to this scene and stayed perfectly calm. He discreetly kicked Jackie under the table.
Jackie, being his longtime partner, got the message instantly and backed off without another word.
"I don't know you."
Lin Yu said coolly.
"But we know you—and we know Jenkins gave you a task today. We need all the information about it."
The agent's voice remained cold and emotionless.
At the same time, Lin Yu felt a wave of dizziness sweep through his mind—clearly the agent's doing.
"Your access to the company's network is officially revoked. In two minutes, all company devices assigned to you will shut down. Then, hand over the chip Jenkins gave you, and your termination process will be complete."
As he spoke, the agent reached out his hand.
Lin Yu handed over the chip without resistance, curious to see what would happen if he complied.
"Good. Now come with us to complete the final procedures."
After confirming the chip, the agent still insisted on taking Lin Yu with them.
"Well, you brought this on yourselves."
Lin Yu sighed silently. He gave Jackie a glance to stop him from intervening, then followed the two agents toward the back door.