After giving it some thought, Peter decided to spend a little time perfecting the game he had in his hands. He planned to use it as a bargaining chip to either invest in the game company or, if possible, buy the company outright.
After all, the money Peter had at his disposal, combined with the remuneration in V's hands, was more than enough to acquire small companies. V would definitely back him up wholeheartedly. But before taking that step, Peter knew he needed to build up his reputation as much as possible. Only by accumulating enough funds could he confidently pursue the acquisition of that company.
"Ugh, I still need more money," Peter muttered to himself.
---
Valley Area Apartments - Inside Peter's House
"Peter, you're back? Where did you go with Jack this time?"
As soon as Peter entered, V leaned over and immediately sniffed him. There was no scent of anything other than a faint trace of alcohol.
"What are you thinking, V? I just went out for a drink with Jack. Next time, I can take you and Lucy along as well," Peter explained, a little helpless. He'd noticed some women showing interest in him while he was at the bar with Jack, but he hadn't acted on it. The women had clear signs of body modifications, and Peter wasn't particularly drawn to them.
He preferred the two women at home, who hadn't undergone as many modifications. Maybe it was because Lucy had only recently come to Night City and hadn't had the time to undergo the obvious spine prosthetic installations like some of the others. However, now that Lucy knew Victor, a renowned prosthetic doctor, she would likely opt for more discreet prosthetics in the future.
"And what about you? What did the two beautiful ladies go shopping for today?" Peter asked as he looked at V.
V promptly placed two large bags of clothes in front of Peter, and to his surprise, V began pulling out a pile of laundry.
"This... this isn't all for me to wear, right?" Peter asked, his mouth twitching slightly.
V pulled out an assortment of clothes, some in solid colors, others with mixed patterns, and even some with very exaggerated designs. Peter wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan.
"You're not going to refuse the outfit I picked out with Lucy, are you?" V said with a grin.
Peter shot a surprised look at Lucy, who immediately blushed and turned away.
"Don't misunderstand," Lucy said, her voice flustered. "I just wanted to thank you. There's no other meaning behind it."
Peter raised an eyebrow but said nothing more as V turned him into an unwilling model.
"Well, this one isn't bad. It suits you quite well," V commented after a half hour of dressing Peter up in various clothes.
"Alright, alright," Peter said, feeling more than a little embarrassed, though the clothes did fit him well. "I'll wear whatever makes you both happy."
After a few more outfit changes and a lot of laughter, Lucy couldn't help but join in, making Peter model different clothes. Despite the embarrassment, Peter felt a sense of warmth and closeness. The two women were clearly enjoying themselves, and he was happy to see them in such a good mood.
"Okay, I think this one is the best," V said, smiling brightly. "Peter, you can wear this one when you go out next time."
Peter chuckled. "Alright, I'll listen to you both."
"Enough about the clothes," Peter added with a grin. "I've already ordered some food online, so when it gets here, I'll cook something delicious for you both."
Peter felt genuinely happy. He could already sense that the bond between Lucy, V, and himself was growing stronger, and it filled him with contentment.
---
Meanwhile, at Kangtao Headquarters in Huaguo
Xu Shiming looked at the dossier in his hand, his face serious. It contained video footage secretly sent back from their undercover NCPD agents, and the content was nothing short of alarming.
"This is the dossier you found at the NCPD headquarters?" Xu Shiming asked, his voice calm but his eyes sharp.
"Yes," replied Ling Xiaohan, the head of Kangtao's operations in the Americas. "I've already organized and sent over the data analysis and video recordings for your review."
Xu Shiming nodded, his brow furrowing as he scanned the documents. Several high-ranking individuals from Kangtao's global offices were gathered for this critical meeting. They all had one thing in common: they were concerned about Peter.
"I've gone over the analysis," Lu Ning, the head of Kangtao in Europe, said with skepticism. "But this claim about someone being able to double the speed of our company's new five-stage Sienwistan overspeed device—it's absurd. It can't be true."
"I agree," added the head of Kangtao's operations in Australia. "Maybe it's the Araba Group or Military Technology that's hiding some sort of superior speed device, but the idea that someone could surpass our latest technology just doesn't make sense."
The room fell into silence as the heads of the various regions exchanged looks of disbelief. Kangtao had only been established slightly over 20 years ago, while companies like Military Technology and Araba had a far longer history. With the full backing of the government, Kangtao had made significant strides in the tech industry and had gained an equal standing with the military tech giants.
"If Military Technology or Araba had developed something more powerful than our fifth-tier Sienwistan device, there'd be a war by now," the Australian head continued. "And we'd have already known about it. Our spies in those companies are quite embedded, many of them holding mid-level or higher positions."
"And even if Kangtao infiltrated some low-level employees or became spies through our special networks, they'd be of no consequence. We should have nothing to fear from them," Xu Shiming added confidently.
Another voice interrupted the murmurs. "I say we send someone to find this person who's supposedly outrunning our latest devices."
The room fell into an uproar. The idea of someone outrunning their technology was a blow to Kangtao's pride, and many were eager to capture this individual and figure out who they were.
"Who are we supposed to send? Who can catch someone who can outrun our top devices?" another voice piped up.
Xu Shiming remained silent for a moment, his expression darkening. The data analysis and video footage sent back by Ling Xiaohan were indeed shocking. The idea that someone could surpass the technology Kangtao had worked so hard to perfect seemed impossible.
---
In that moment, the once-organized meeting descended into chaos. It was almost like a vegetable market—everyone shouting over each other, trying to make their point heard.
It wasn't hard to understand why the meeting had become so disorderly. The data Ling Xiaohan sent back was utterly outlandish. No one could believe what they were reading.
---
The Kangtao executives were left in a state of confusion, struggling to comprehend how someone like Peter could possibly outpace their advanced technology. What was even more concerning was that the possibility of him being the one responsible could lead to major complications for the company.
Despite their disbelief, one thing was certain: whoever Peter was, he was a force to be reckoned with.
---
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