Thick, snow-white hair spilled loosely over her head, not yet long enough to reach her shoulders. Deep within her sky-blue eyes glimmered pupils tinged with orange-red. Her lips were a soft peach color, and the contours of her cyberware framed both cheeks. On either side of her nose sat three small exhaust vents, almost like a cat's whiskers.
Every feature belonged unmistakably to Sasha—the face just as delicate and charming as ever, unaltered save for a touch of light makeup.
The only change was her short, silvery-white hair.
Pure, like snow falling in the coldest winter, flawless as if "perfection" itself had been given form. That simple white hue caught the ambient light of the bar and shimmered as though gilded with gold leaf, exuding a metallic sheen.
She wore a short white dress, the hem brushing her knees, the pale fabric perfectly complementing her silver hair. Her fine collarbones peeked out, half hidden beneath a light pink shawl draped casually across her shoulders.
Tonight, she looked nothing like the cool, calculating netrunner she usually was, but rather like the gentle girl next door on her way to a spring outing.
Pure and beautiful.
Lin Mo found himself staring blankly, caught off guard, his face flickering between confusion and astonishment while his thoughts tumbled chaotically.
Why had she suddenly dyed her hair?
Was that the reason she'd taken so long to arrive—because she'd been dressing up?
For a simple gathering, was such formality really necessary?
Sasha's entrance stunned almost everyone present. Wherever she walked, heads turned, jaws slackened. A few bolder edgerunners whistled, others shouted out in appreciation.
She did not belong in such a crude place. She should have been standing under an open blue sky, amidst green fields and blooming flowers, surrounded by refined gentlemen and elegant ladies.
Like a scene from a spring dream.
And as with every beautiful flower, admirers inevitably gathered close. One man couldn't restrain himself—he rose, intending to introduce himself. But before he could take a step, a Japanese man appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
Expression cold, the man had no intention of letting him pass.
The edgerunner bristled at first, but then his companion yanked him back, shooting him a warning look. With a sigh, he dropped back into his chair.
The moment of astonishment passed quickly.
After a few more stolen glances, the patrons returned to their drinks, their food, and their loud conversations. Sasha's beauty no longer drew their attention.
In an age of endless customization, taste was diverse. These rough men sought uniqueness and edge; a soft, pure aesthetic wasn't their style. Unless it was some truly transcendent beauty—an inhuman level of allure—any face, no matter how stunning, could be bought and designed. Even voices and personalities could be tailored.
Sasha's arrival was like a stone cast into stagnant water—ripples flared briefly, then faded into stillness.
Which, to Lin Mo's relief, spared him the trouble of being the center of attention himself.
As Sasha approached and lifted her dress slightly to take the last empty seat at their wooden table, Lin Mo gave her a crooked look.
"Why the sudden change in hair color?"
With a playful smile, Sasha leaned close, whispering into his ear:
"The Trauma Team membership you gifted me includes cosmetic refinement, nano-surgery, and plastic procedures. Free services shouldn't go to waste… so I changed my hair color."
Lin Mo blinked, realization dawning.
Nearby, Rebecca, nursing a bottle of beer, scowled and muttered under her breath:
"Does it have to be so secretive? What's there you can't just say out loud?"
Hearing her complaint, Sasha turned, smiling apologetically.
"Just a personal matter, nothing serious. If you'd like to know, Rebecca, I can tell you."
Rebecca waved her off. "Forget it."
Lin Mo rubbed at his ear, uncomfortable with the soft tickle of her breath when she whispered.
He quickly shifted the subject. "You're late."
"Yeah, why'd you only just show up, Sasha?" Rebecca pouted, resting her chin in her hand.
"Got held up shopping for clothes," Sasha said warmly, her gaze fixed on Lin Mo with a smile that made his skin prickle.
Being stared at like that by a beautiful girl should have been pleasant, but for some reason, Lin Mo felt uneasy, a faint chill in his chest.
"Wait… how did you even know she'd be here tonight?"
Lin Mo suddenly turned to Rebecca.
He knew from last night's simulation that everyone important would gather here tonight. Sasha being late hadn't surprised him.
But the specifics—those he couldn't have known.
Rebecca twirled the bottle absently, her tone glum.
"Because Sasha invited us, that's why."
Ah.
So that was the reason Maine's crew had shown up tonight.
Sasha noticed the exchange, her eyes flickering slightly though her smile never faltered. Slowly, she drew a shard-chip from her pocket and set it on the table.
"This is last night's operation report. Have a look."
Lin Mo picked it up, turning it over thoughtfully.
"That woman's testimony—did you include it?"
The blonde who'd been rescued last night—Goodwin's secretary and companion—would surely know sensitive details. Her intel would be more valuable than whatever they'd scavenged from Goodwin's place.
"Yes. Livia's statements are all on there too. You'll see," Sasha replied serenely, her hands folded on her knees, posture almost girlish, her catlike features softened into an air of gentle grace.
Lin Mo slotted the shard into his neural port, muttering casually:
"Didn't do it myself because I had things to handle."
He wasn't about to admit those "things" meant going to class.
Though both Sasha and Kitagawa Hiro knew their boss carried a public identity as an Arasaka Academy student, neither of them believed it was anything but a front. To them, it was a disguise to mislead others, not a genuine life.
They couldn't imagine that he really was a "good student," sneaking out only on leave.
While Lin Mo's eyes glazed over, pupils glowing faintly as he scrolled through the chip's contents, Sasha sighed softly and turned to the others at the table—Jack and Rebecca, one current teammate, one former.
Their earlier conversation had excluded them, and Jack now scratched his head awkwardly while Rebecca glared petulantly.
Jack broke the silence with a grin, extending his hand.
"Heh, so you're Sasha, the hacker, right? Name's Jack. First time meeting, yeah? Future's long, I'm sure we'll be working together plenty. Looking forward to it."
"Hello, Jack."
Sasha nodded, offering a soft smile but little else.
Sensing another lull, Jack cheerfully tried again.
"Since this kid's busy reading, why don't we talk? Like how you all first met him. I'll start—our first meeting was at a fortune-telling shop in Little China…"
Rebecca still looked sour, but Sasha listened with patience. And when Jack's stories touched on Lin Mo's early days, Rebecca's ears perked up too.
"…So don't let his big-shot aura fool you. At the start, he was just a punk trailing behind me. Two years later, look at him now. Born for this life. If I'd known sooner, I'd have grabbed his coattails early."
Jack's humor had them both smiling.
"Didn't think little Lin Mo had such an adorable side," Rebecca laughed. "Hiding behind you on Valentino turf, sneaking around…"
Lin Mo, absorbed in the chip, gave no reaction.
Jack leaned back with a sigh. "That's my piece. Not much time together, but plenty of stories."
"Very exciting!" they both chimed.
Rebecca eagerly raised her hand. "Then let me—"
But Jack stood, looking apologetic. David was waving him over from across the lot, Hiro sitting beside him with a drink.
"Sorry, ladies, duty calls. We'll trade stories next time."
Rebecca slumped, watching him leave. With Sasha beside her, she no longer felt like talking either.
After a moment, she nudged Sasha and whispered:
"Maine wants a word with you."
Sasha nodded, rising.
As they stepped aside, Sasha spoke softly:
"Is it about me leaving the crew?"
Rebecca sighed. "Yeah. Your announcement shocked us all. But don't worry, Maine already found a new netrunner—see her? The one in the red coat, with the face-mask."
Sasha followed her gaze. A tall blonde with shoulder-length hair sat at a food stall, a lazy air about her, half her face covered by a crimson filter mask.
Rebecca muttered, "Name's Faraday. Or Four-Eyes, if you ask me. She's pretty capable, though."
Sasha exhaled quietly. "Good."
Rebecca turned, studying her. "So… you're planning to stick with Lin Mo now?"
"You noticed too, huh?" Sasha smiled.
"I'm not blind. Even Maine must've noticed. You only quit after that night…" Rebecca murmured, head lowered.
"And you even dyed your hair white."
"New team, new look," Sasha said softly.
Rebecca stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets, voice tinged with both bitterness and respect.
"Then why not swap in red cyber-eyes too?"
Sasha's smile froze. The warmth in her face faltered, turning brittle.
"I… just wanted a change, that's all," she said weakly.
Rebecca chuckled, looking up at the dark sky. "Congrats, Sasha. With Lin Mo, you'll be fine. He's rich enough—maybe one day he'll whisk you out of this rotten city altogether."
Sasha shook her head, eyes shadowed with meaning.
"I have a feeling… someday, we'll all be teammates again."
Her gaze sharpened. "And tell me—do you really think he became an edgerunner just for fun?"
Rebecca smiled wryly. "No. But he is fun. Around me, he puts up with all my crap without a word—nothing like some spoiled corpo brat. But when it comes to enemies, he doesn't hesitate."
She sighed. "He's a good kid."
"And what about you, Rebecca? If he invited you to join his crew, would you accept?"
Rebecca blinked, caught off guard. After a pause, she laughed lightly.
"I wouldn't refuse."
"But you might not say yes either, would you?" Sasha pressed gently.
"…Yeah."
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MY CYBERPUNK 2077 SIMULATOR
🧠💻 MY CYBERPUNK 2077 SIMULATOR 💻🧠
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