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When Lin Mo returned to the restaurant, he noticed the server who had been standing behind the counter earlier was now unconscious, slumped over the bar like a baby in deep sleep.
The back door had been violently torn apart, riddled with bullet holes. Deep dents marred the heavy iron door, the result of desperate punches and kicks. It was clear how frantic and brutal the intruder had been in trying to break through.
Lin Mo paused, taking in the scene. He let out a soft sigh after comparing his own height to the small hole that had been punched through the bottom of the door—just half a meter tall.
Shaking his head, he quietly rummaged through the pockets of the unconscious server and found the access card. A quick swipe on the control panel opened the door with ease.
Of course, he didn't forget to grab some petty cash from the register, slipping it into the server's pocket.
Following the trail upstairs, Lin Mo eventually found Kitagawa Hiro, his face set in cold determination. Hiro was bent over, carrying his unconscious sister on his back.
The girl was covered by Hiro's jacket, her face buried into his back, her long black hair messy and partially torn out in patches. She lay motionless, her frame fragile and bruised.
"Need a hand?" Lin Mo asked quietly, respecting the weight of the emotions Hiro must have been feeling.
Hiro glanced at Lin Mo, his voice low and rough, like a wounded animal. "No, but thanks, Lin."
With swift yet careful steps, Hiro carried his sister down the stairs. The urgency in his pace made it clear that if not for the care he had to take with his sister, he would have been sprinting.
Lin Mo followed silently.
By the time they reached Hiro's battered old car, Hiro gently laid his unconscious sister in the back seat. He quickly jumped into the driver's seat, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped the steering wheel.
Lin Mo slid into the passenger seat just before Hiro slammed on the gas pedal. The car's ancient engine roared to life with an unexpected surge of energy, sending the vehicle screeching out of the lot and onto the road.
For a moment, Lin Mo was caught off guard by the sudden speed, his head thudding back against the seat's headrest. He couldn't help but smirk to himself, briefly imagining the car as an old warrior summoned back from retirement, suddenly full of vigor for one last mission.
Hiro's old Archer Hella EC-D groaned as it raced down the street, struggling to maintain the pace of a much younger vehicle.
Lin Mo couldn't help but think of the Tyger Claw gangers. In their gang, anyone with real ambition drove a Quadra Turbo-R 740. They would paint it in the garish red and green of the Claws, marking the vehicle as their pride and joy, much like the one that the arrogant ganger had been driving earlier. They'd even rename the cars "Raijin," to represent their lightning-fast speed on the streets.
Hiro had likely lived that life once, racing down highways with the wind in his hair, guns blazing as he hunted down rivals for the Claws. Back then, he would have had a sleek, flashy car and all the arrogance that came with it. But after he quit the gang to protect his sister, those days of speed and fury were left behind, replaced by the steady routine of taking her to and from school in this old, beat-up vehicle.
Even now, though, that instinct was still there—the ability to push the limits when it mattered most.
The car rocketed forward... until it didn't.
A loud bang from under the hood, followed by thick black smoke, brought the rush to a screeching halt. The once energetic car groaned to a slow crawl, barely managing to stay alive.
Both men stared at the smoke pouring from the engine, their expressions blank.
"..."
"..."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Hiro finally growled, slamming his fist onto the steering wheel. His frustration was palpable.
Lin Mo sighed, shaking his head. His earlier concerns about this ancient car had proven all too true. "I called it..." he muttered, mostly to himself.
"Dammit! Why now of all times?!" Hiro cursed, pounding the wheel again, his expression growing darker by the second. It was easy to imagine the exasperation painted across his face—things had gone from bad to worse.
"Don't worry," Lin Mo reassured him, already pulling out his phone. "I've got a car on the way. Just sit tight."
Hiro leaned back in his seat, dejected. He turned to look at his sister, lying in the back seat, her delicate frame still and silent. His expression softened, a mixture of guilt and sorrow in his eyes.
"Lin… I'm useless," Hiro muttered, his voice hoarse. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to save her. And now I'm stuck again, asking for more help…"
Lin Mo glanced over, then sighed softly. "You're wrong. You risked everything to save her. That makes you stronger than most people in this city. Most wouldn't even try."
Hiro fumbled in his jacket for a cigarette but found none. Frustrated, he slammed his fist on the steering wheel again.
"I found her like this… unconscious. There were others in the room, too. Other women. I freed them, but none of them knew what had happened to my sister. I need to get her to a ripperdoc, someone who can help."
"Do you have someone in mind?" Lin Mo asked, rummaging through his pockets. He pulled out a lollipop and handed it to Hiro. "Here, take this. It'll help you relax."
Hiro blinked in surprise, but took the lollipop and unwrapped it, putting it in his mouth. "No… I have some old contacts, but they're not reliable. And I'm short on eddies."
"I've got a suggestion," Lin Mo said, leaning back casually.
Hiro perked up. "If you've got someone, I'm all ears."
Lin Mo nodded. "His name's Viktor Vektor. He's a ripperdoc over in Little China. His clinic is tucked behind a fortune-teller's shop in the basement. Don't let the location fool you—he's one of the best in the city. Hands down."
Hiro's eyes widened in surprise. He had already come to trust Lin Mo, but this was high praise. "If you say he's that good, I trust you."
Just then, the low hum of a vehicle engine approaching drew their attention. Lin Mo turned to see a sleek, black-and-gold Delamain taxi pull up beside them, its horn sounding softly to announce its arrival.
"Oh, our ride's here," Lin Mo said, standing up and motioning for Hiro to follow.
Hiro gently lifted his sister from the back seat of his broken-down car and carried her toward the Delamain. As they neared the sleek vehicle, Hiro's eyes widened in surprise at the luxurious design.
After settling his sister in the back seat, Hiro climbed into the front passenger seat while Lin Mo settled in the back.
"Take us to Little China. The fortune teller's shop I frequent," Lin Mo told the car's AI. "We need to get there fast. The girl in the back needs urgent attention."
"Understood. Please fasten your seat belts. For the safety of the young lady in the back, I'll choose the optimal route with the necessary speed," the AI replied in its smooth, professional tone.
As the taxi began its automatic journey, Lin Mo reclined in his seat, enjoying the ease of not having to drive. The AI would handle everything from here, guiding them through the twisting streets of Night City with precision.
Hiro, however, couldn't help but marvel at the vehicle. "I never thought I'd be riding in a Delamain," he admitted, glancing at the sophisticated interior.
"You know this service?" Lin Mo asked, curious.
"Yeah, back when I was still with the Tyger Claws. We tried to take out some corpo running from us, but he escaped in a Delamain. We even hit it with a guided missile, but all we did was scratch the paint."
"Thank you for acknowledging the excellence of Delamain services," the AI chimed in politely.
Lin Mo chuckled, but didn't add anything more. He already knew the reputation of Delamain well enough from his time playing the game—these taxis were practically invincible, with armor strong enough to shrug off heavy firepower. Even Arasaka's elite squads would struggle to stop one if it was fully upgraded.
As the Delamain sped through the city, Hiro glanced over at Lin Mo. "Thanks again… for everything. I owe you big time."
"You don't owe me anything," Lin Mo replied casually. "Just get your sister the help she needs. That's what matters right now."
The Delamain smoothly navigated through Night City, its engine a low purr as it sped toward Little China. Hiro sat quietly, the weight of the day's events finally sinking in.
And all the while, Lin Mo kept his eyes on the neon-lit streets outside, his mind already racing toward the next steps in this ever-complicated city.