"David, I want you to think carefully before saying something like that."
Peter refrained from revealing that Gloria's clothes contained a first-order Sian Weistein. He didn't want David or V to suspect his intentions.
Peter's words left David, whose eyes had been full of hope, lost in thought. Why, indeed, was he able to work with Peter—a mercenary and super dream star now famous across Night City?
Peter handed over a card with his contact information. "This is my number. Call me if you need anything. Of course, it's better if you've got the money ready."
After saying that, Peter signaled to V that it was time to leave. David stood frozen in place, his mind racing with questions.
Inside the car, V glanced at Peter, a trace of doubt in her voice. "Peter, your actions today were strange. What's so special about that kid?"
V knew Peter better than most. While Peter was generous with his team and never made money the main focus, he was also a pragmatist. If there wasn't something in it for him, he wouldn't go out of his way to help.
Even earlier, when Peter had met with Philip about the studio, he squeezed every possible benefit out of the deal while ensuring Philip stayed motivated to work for him.
But this time, Peter had gone out of his way to rescue a student named David Martinez, paid for his hospital bills, and even handled the surgery costs. None of it seemed to benefit Peter, and V couldn't understand why.
"V, I have a hunch," Peter finally said. "That kid, David, might turn out to be a great addition to our team—a solid fighter. That's my reason."
The explanation was weak, even to Peter himself. But he couldn't exactly tell V that he knew David's potential from a story he'd watched in a previous life. If he did, V would probably turn the car around and drag him to a hospital for a mental health check.
V stared at him, unimpressed. "Hmph. Fine, don't tell me if you don't want to. But you've been spending a lot of time with Lucy lately. What's going on there?"
Her words hit Peter like a thunderbolt. He tensed up, his mind racing. He knew better than to let this line of questioning go unchecked.
"No, no. Lucy and I are just running together at night. That's all." Peter's voice was calm, his face neutral.
Years of practice in managing his emotions and adjusting his micro-expressions paid off. Even as V scanned his face with her prosthetic eye, Peter remained composed.
Of course, his composure wasn't entirely natural. He had recently written a program to counteract scanning attempts, but the barrage of warning messages from his system still made him uneasy.
V finally leaned back, unconvinced but unwilling to press further. "Yeah, I figured. Someone like Lucy wouldn't be interested in a guy younger than her."
Peter exhaled quietly in relief. The last thing he wanted was for V to suspect anything. Based on what he knew about her, if she even thought there was something between him and Lucy, she wouldn't hesitate to throw both of them out of the apartment.
Meanwhile, Mann was having a rough day. He impatiently tapped the screen of his communicator, trying for the sixth time to get Gloria to answer her phone.
"Damn it," Mann muttered, his frustration growing.
Dorio, sitting nearby, noticed his irritation. She understood why Mann was so on edge. Gloria had called them the day before, claiming she had a military-grade Sian Weistein prosthetic in her possession. Excited, Mann had wired her 20,000 euros on the spot, seeing it as an opportunity to enhance his own prosthetics.
"Are you going to deal with those guys or not?" a voice growled through Mann's communicator.
It was Toby Jaes, someone Mann didn't even want to talk to right now.
"Shut up, Toby! Don't you know how dangerous those guys are?" Mann snapped, his patience gone.
Toby's anger flared. "I paid you! If you're not going to handle it, give me my money back! I'll find someone else!"
Mann sneered. "Take your money and shove it. Five thousand euros for this kind of job? Forget it, loser."
With that, Mann transferred the money back to Toby and hung up.
Dorio raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"
"That idiot Toby wanted us to take out Peter and his team. For five thousand euros! Does he think we're desperate?"
Dorio shook her head. It was common knowledge that mercenaries occasionally fought among themselves, but targeting someone like Peter required a much higher fee—at least 40,000 euros. Anything less wasn't worth the risk.
Meanwhile, Toby Jaes was fuming. He couldn't accept Peter's growing reputation. In his mind, Peter's success was undeserved, built on money from selling stolen goods. Toby wanted to believe that Peter's rise was temporary, that he would fail sooner or later.
But the reality was clear: Peter's team was one of the most capable in Night City, and Toby's petty schemes weren't going to change that.
As Mann and Dorio wrapped up their conversation, Peter was finally able to relax. V seemed to have dropped her line of questioning, and for now, he was safe.
But deep down, Peter knew that the challenges ahead would only grow. Whether it was building trust with David, keeping his secrets from V, or dealing with rivals like Toby, the path forward was anything but smooth.
Yet, Peter smiled to himself. He had been given a second chance at life, and he was determined to make the most of it—even if it meant navigating Night City's dangerous streets one step at a time.
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