The night wind carried the briny tang of the sea. From the waterfront came thunderous explosions, shaking even the high-rise where the crew stood.
Maine and the others still hadn't recovered from their shock. All eyes were fixed on the boy leaning casually against the rooftop wall.
From Lizzie's Bar, they had rushed straight here—to the outer perimeter of Arasaka Waterfront, just short of the main gate.
At first, Maine thought Lin Mo only wanted them to scout the defenses before the job.
But Lin Mo's answer was simple: "To watch a good show."
And now, the show was in full swing. Yet Maine couldn't feel excitement—only unease.
Lin Mo had predicted this chaos as if he'd read it off a script. Powers like that weren't just uncanny—they were terrifying.
Maine had even wondered, for a moment, if the raiders were Lin Mo's hired cannon fodder.
But no—the logic didn't add up. If those muscle-heads were his people, why risk infiltration at all? Why not smash and grab outright?
And Lin Mo's calm expression… no, he clearly hadn't orchestrated them.
"Holy shit, this is wild! Lil' Lin Mo, did you set those guys up? All those trucks, all those big-ass guns and launchers? Damn, I wanna dive in too!"
Rebecca leaned over the wall, eyes glittering with manic glee, legs kicking restlessly as if she might vault right over.
"Don't be reckless. They're not mine. I just got some inside chatter—knew they'd hit Arasaka Waterfront tonight." Lin Mo cut in quickly.
"Tch, what a letdown…" Rebecca pouted, sulky.
Maine sighed. Guess I don't need to wonder how this kid knew. Doesn't matter. The fact he folded this chaos into the plan shows how careful he is.
"Lin Mo, we stick to the plan, yeah?" Jackie asked.
Lin Mo nodded and turned to the crew.
Maine, Dorio, Rebecca, Pilar, David, Jackie, Lucy—all present.
Falco and Kitagawa Hiro were parked nearby, guarding the wheels.
Sasha and Kiwi had already headed to Regina's safehouse, the team's remote netrunner support.
"From here, it's on you. Lucy and I infiltrate. Once we've got the package, we'll exit through the gate. If Arasaka sends pursuit, you hold them off. That's the support team's job.
Keep the comms clear. Report only if reinforcements show up. Questions?"
"No problem!" the group barked back.
"Good."
Lin Mo hefted a heavy satchel—then casually tossed it to Lucy.
Her eyes widened as the weight pulled her forward, nearly toppling her. She caught herself just in time, scowling.
"What the hell's in here? You expect me to haul all of this?"
"Mm. There's a saying where I'm from: 'Train soldiers for a thousand days, use them for one.' You've done plenty of grunt work during your probation. Time to show some results."
Lin Mo didn't even look back, strapping a slim utility pack to his waist.
Lucy's lips twitched. So all that time in the junkyard hauling scrap… this is the payoff, huh?
Still doesn't make it right to make a lady carry the heavy load!
Jackie, noticing her glare, slid up beside her, grinning. He dropped his voice:
"Don't sweat it, hermana. Kid fights on speed—carrying that would slow him down. You take the hit now, but once you're inside, he won't pile on. Trust me, I know his style."
Lucy shot Jackie a cold glance, then looked back at Lin Mo. Seeing the boy still focused on prep, she sighed and slung the satchel over her shoulder.
With gear checked, Lin Mo cleared his throat and gave the order:
"Move out."
Night.
At a corner of the Arasaka Waterfront wall.
The facility sat in Watson's northwest edge, near the lifeless industrial zone. If every district of Night City had a "prosperity rating," this stretch would rank rock-bottom.
Only Arasaka's presence kept the waterfront from total decay. Without the corp muscling in, Watson's smaller corps wouldn't have been crushed, and this place wouldn't be such a ghost town.
The streets were empty. Sparse streetlights glowed over cracked asphalt.
From the shadow of an alley, a boy and a girl emerged. Checking the coast, they moved to the wall.
This was Lin Mo's chosen infiltration point—tested countless times in simulation.
No electrified fencing. Beyond it, just rows of shipping containers, lightly patrolled at best. The only real defense: motion sensors built into the wall.
Nothing a netrunner couldn't ghost.
Of course, if the snipers were still alive, climbing here would've been suicide. But now, with them wiped out, the path was wide open.
Lin Mo crouched by a protruding sensor and glanced back.
Lucy stepped forward. Data flared across her eyes. After half a minute, the green light flicked red.
That's… kinda slow. Lin Mo frowned. A bad feeling crept in.
"Mind if I ask… what model's your neural port?"
"Arasaka Type-1. Why?" she asked innocently.
Lin Mo's mouth twisted.
"Because honestly, I could scavenge scrap out of a junkyard and still upgrade you."
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