"That was done by a hacker with homemade malware."
V shook his head.
"It sounds like it." Finger Brother agreed.
"Where is she then? No more nonsense."
Jack interrupted his diversion.
He raised his left hand, examining his lethal, red-painted "noble hand," admiring the paint-stained, branch-like appearance.
"Ah~ right, okay... I really have no idea where she is."
"Stop bullshitting! What did you do to her?! You sick pervert!"
Judy's voice, distorted with anger, came through as she gritted her teeth and glared at him.
Finger Brother didn't back down, glancing at Judy's back.
"You either muzzle this... wildcat... or put her down. With her around, there's no way to..."
"Bang!!!"
A sudden gunshot, grazing Finger Brother's scalp, left a bloody mark on his sparse hair.
Moer raised her pistol, its barrel still emitting a wisp of white smoke.
"Slap..."
She kicked Finger Brother, knocking him and his chair to the ground.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Two consecutive gunshots left two shattered black holes on the ground beside Finger Brother's head.
"Spill it!"
Moer towered over him, her eyes devoid of any emotion other than cold, steely determination.
This pathetic scum, if he were to be called bad, wasn't thoroughly evil, his deceit and filth wrapped in kindness. But he was far from a good person, and at the very least, he deserved a one-way ticket to hell.
"She was taken away by two big guys from a Braindance studio! I don't know who they are!"
Seeing his life in danger, Finger Brother's voice cracked, and he quickly spilled everything he knew.
"Details!"
Moer fired another shot, just a centimeter below his crotch.
"They mentioned a Braindance with some sort of Skull Moth! They said she's perfect for the moth!"
That was all he knew, nothing more.
"I need to go out, get some air."
Judy's voice trembled, her facial control slipping as she turned and walked away.
Finger Brother on the ground looked like a wretched goblin, his sunken eyes filled with humble fear.
But the dark muzzle of the gun never left his head.
Moer looked to Roche.
The fate of this wretched scum was in Roche's hands.
"I'd better not have to come back here again." Roche stared at him with a look reserved for the dead.
Then, under Finger Brother's terrified gaze, Moer put the safety on the gun and left, followed by Roche.
"Tsk, spit! Asqueroso! (Disgusting!)"
Jack felt genuine hatred for this trash, who was only a step away from pure evil and no better than the kidney thieves.
He spat and strode out the door, his broad back and bear-like frame leaving the nauseating place behind, with only Finger Brother left, sitting on the ground, gasping pitifully.
Outside the door, Judy leaned alone against the rusty railing, full of regret.
"It was me who let her go back to Clouds. If I'd known this would happen, I should have stopped her."
"Don't worry, we'll find her. I have a feeling."
V walked up beside her and leaned against the railing as well.
"What will we find? Her body after being violated?"
Judy lifted her weary and haggard eyes, filled with regret.
She buried her head deeply between her arms, staring at the ground, feeling somewhat dazed.
"Hey! Can you pull yourself together? Are you going to give up?"
V raised his voice.
The tall and burly Jack stood at the door behind them, shrugging his shoulders at Rogue.
"No." Her mind was still clear, "The black Braindance is the only clue, but what use is it?"
"We also know that what we're looking for is related to the Skull Moth, which is at least another clue."
"I'm not as optimistic as you are. This thing is hardly a clue."
Judy turned around, crossed her arms, and frowned, her breath unsteady.
Her mind was in turmoil, as if countless buzzing insects were disturbing her.
"Have you ever heard of this Skull Moth before? Any trace of it will do, no matter how big or small."
The top priority was to follow the clues.
They had finally found this place, and no matter how slim the hope, they had to give it a try.
"In this line of work... in this market, there can be all sorts of strange things and strange fetishes, like an unfathomable abyss, but the packaging of black Braindances always keeps changing - this way, they won't be easily targeted and caught."
As a top Braindance editor, Judy was very experienced in the market.
Braindance, also known as "Braindance" or "Neurodance," was the most popular form of entertainment in this era.
In the second half of the 21st century, television and video games could digitize a person's physical and mental experiences and transmit the data directly into the observer's nervous system through special enhancements.
Its popularity lied not in the video or audio components but in its ability to allow observers to experience another person's emotions, sensations, thoughts, memories, muscle tension, and any other senses.
During this time, you were completely someone else.
For many people in Night City, extreme poverty and homelessness were urgent and inescapable issues.
Despite this, most people still yearned for and indulged in the glamorous entertainment industry and the luxurious lifestyles of the privileged elite.
Braindance made these things, which were out of reach for ordinary people, accessible.
Some Braindances allowed actors to perform in pre-set scenarios, creating false and "designed" memories for the audience, as if living in a screen.
Some Braindance experiences were simply recordings of a day in the life of the most famous and dazzling stars or various low-level interests, and even...
Perverse interests like black Braindances - continued to ferment in the shady parts of Night City's black market.
Being able to "become" a celebrity and experience a luxurious life was the only way for many people to escape their miserable reality.
So, Braindance addiction became a growing problem among the impoverished population of the city.
In short, Braindance was an ultra-realistic version of VR technology.
Any issues and social phenomena encountered by modern media were present in the realm of Braindance, if not more.
Evelyn was taken by unidentified individuals to participate in the filming of a black Braindance.
Imagine participating in "illegal, immoral" events with nearly 100% realism without getting any criminal records or facing many restrictions, except not being able to do whatever you want - this was essentially "arranged indulgence."
It's not hard to understand why black Braindances were so popular.
"But we have to find out where that damn moth was recorded. It's the most likely thing to reveal clues in the short term." Rogue leaned against the doorframe, counting on her fingers. "Maybe it's a dark basement, an abandoned factory, or a half-finished building? Time waits for no one, anyway."
"Yeah, it should be a very quiet, remote place." Judy sighed, glanced at Rogue, then looked back at the crawling insects on the floor tiles. "But I don't have much hope; only an idiot would leave such a clue."
"Traces must exist, unless it never happened."
Maelstrom, who appeared as silently as a ghost, spoke without emotion.
When it comes to finding people, Maelstrom, who is good at hunting targets, is not just for show.
"Today we're lucky; we have the best Braindance expert in the city with us, an extra pair of expert eyes."
V smiled, patted Judy's back, and casually treated it as boosting her spirits.
But surprisingly, she really bought it, and her tone relaxed a bit.
"Alright... your Braindance expert does have better methods." She took a few steps and looked at the filthy, smeared hallway. "Night City of Love - a domain available on both the clearnet and the darknet."
She gestured for everyone to follow, talking as she walked.
"It's a complete mishmash on that site; maybe we can find some useful clues."
"Mm... I seem to have an idea."
Rogue spoke, drawing everyone's attention.
"I just saw a guy selling black Braindances under the bridge outside, or rather, underground - black sunglasses, black coat, looking like an underground contact."
He laughed, crossed his arms, and stroked his chin.
"Maybe he has what we're looking for, or... we can pry something out of his mouth."
"Alright, Jack and I will search online." V nodded.
"I'll also see if I can find anything on the NCP domain." Judy didn't plan on being idle either. "Let's meet in my car outside Twisty Street."
Rogue and Maelstrom exchanged glances and split up with V and Jack.
Back on the bustling Twisty Street, Rogue couldn't help but worry.