Kai's cooperation with Maine's crew had entered its final phase.
According to their original agreement, all that remained now was for Maine to install this military-grade Sandevistan.
Kai saw that everyone had suffered injuries to varying degrees, so there was clearly no way they could continue discussing the implant tonight. He opened the AV door and said,
"Let's leave it here for today. We can talk about the installation later."
Maine looked a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Mr. Kai, sorry. That case with the military-grade Sandevistan inside got stolen by those Maelstrom bastards in the middle of the chaos."
"I figured that if we didn't bring the real thing, the Arasaka tactical team probably wouldn't take the bait. Then the whole setup would've been for nothing..."
Kai already knew the bait had to be real.
Arasaka's tactical teams had surveillance methods to inspect the trade item.
So the moment Dum Dum opened the case and verified that the merchandise was legit, the Arasaka tactical team immediately stormed in and caught Maelstrom off guard.
Kiwi was frowning too, clearly unhappy with how the operation had turned out. Not only had they nearly gotten wiped out, they had also failed to keep the goods.
Rebecca couldn't hold back her anger and burst out, "Those Maelstrom psycho freaks! I'm gonna kill every one of them and take it back!"
Dorio, who was the most seriously injured, was the one who tried to calm everyone down instead.
"It's fine. Let it stay with Maelstrom for now. We'll take it back when we get the chance."
Pilar chimed in with a grin, "Exactly. I haven't had enough fun with them yet."
Kai watched them all go back and forth so enthusiastically that he couldn't even find a place to speak, which only showed how tight Maine's crew really was.
At least under Maine's leadership, they were.
"The case is with me."
The familiar voice made everyone turn at once.
Out of the dark, a pale figure with an icy blue-white silhouette stepped forward slowly, the missing case in her hand.
"Lucy?"
Maine looked genuinely surprised.
He had told Lucy earlier to head to the western side of the factory and intercept Dum Dum if he tried to run. He had not placed much hope in it actually succeeding.
But now that the case had appeared in her hands, it meant the interception had worked.
Everyone's brows relaxed.
At least this near-death operation had not been a total waste.
Rebecca looked at Lucy in surprise, then grinned smugly.
"Not bad!"
Maine also managed a difficult smile of victory.
"Nicely done!"
Then all of them raised their thumbs toward Lucy at the same time.
Lucy, however, remained as expressionless as ever. She stepped forward a few paces and tossed the case toward Maine.
It traced an arc through the air and landed solidly in Maine's grasp.
After checking the shell briefly, he keyed in the unlock code.
The military-grade Sandevistan was indeed still safely inside.
Before Maine could celebrate for long, Lucy said flatly, "I didn't get the case. Mr. Kai took it from Maelstrom."
"The guy who stole it is already dead. I just brought it over."
When Lucy had caught the case Jack threw to her earlier, the only person she saw lying there with his head blown apart was Royce. She had not seen Dum Dum being let go, so she assumed Royce had been the one who stole it.
After saying that, Lucy walked over to the wall and leaned against it, lighting a cigarette as if none of this had anything to do with her and as if she wanted no further involvement with Arasaka's business.
Hearing the truth, everyone wore stunned expressions.
Rebecca's exaggerated grin twisted instantly. She stared at Kai in disbelief.
"It was you? What the hell?!"
Maine was even more surprised. He had never expected Kai to be the one who ended up with the case.
That meant Kai had anticipated this possibility from the very beginning.
Meticulous, as always.
In Maine's mind, Kai's evaluation rose yet another level, from ordinary fighter with a high corporate position to ordinary fighter, keeps his word, sharp-minded, high-ranking corporate man.
Two extra labels added.
After all, Kai was still just an unmodified regular human, so his personal combat power really was nothing special compared to the rest of them.
Kiwi's eyes also flashed with surprise when she learned the truth.
This was only the second time she had seen Kai, but he had already left an exceptionally deep impression on her.
The first time had been at Gloria's apartment, where Kai had carried himself like a high and mighty corporate executive, almost like the son of some financial dynasty.
The second time was now.
Whether it was the crazed Maelstrom gangers, Arasaka, or Militech, they had all seemed to end up in the palm of his hand, as if he were the one manipulating the whole game from behind the curtain.
Even Maine's crew had been just another set of pieces on his board, with life and death decided by a single thought from him.
Fortunately for them, they had not been chosen as expendable pieces in his game.
Otherwise, they would all be dead tonight.
Kiwi had never underestimated Kai just because he was unaugmented.
If anything, when they had been surrounded by Militech earlier, the first person she thought to call for help had been Kai, not Faraday, Militech's fixer.
In her eyes, even a powerful fixer like Faraday was still just one of Militech's dogs. He had no standing to talk to someone at Meredith's level.
Kai, on the other hand, was different.
His position, his leverage, and the corporation he represented were all enough to wrestle with Meredith on equal footing.
And the facts had proven her judgment right.
The only thing she had not expected was the time and the manner of Kai's arrival.
Maine did not know whether he should even keep the implant anymore. If Kai had not shown up, there was no way it would still be in his hands.
"Mr. Kai, I'll transfer you another thirty thousand eddies. No, fifty thousand!"
Maine honestly could not think of any better way to repay him. Money was the only thing he had that he could still offer.
Kai did not accept.
Instead, he turned and headed for the AV.
"Come with me first. You can't install that implant yet. There's still a tail that needs cutting off."
Maine looked at Kai, then lowered his eyes to the implant inside the case. After a few seconds of hesitation, he turned to the others.
"I'm going with Mr. Kai."
"Dorio, go get treated first. Have the damaged parts reinforced while you're at it."
Dorio nodded.
"I'll get Falco. He can drive me there."
Then Maine looked at Kiwi, whose injuries were lighter, transferred ten thousand eddies to her, and thanked her.
"Kiwi, same for you. Take this and go get your wounds checked. I'll make up the rest of your pay later."
Kiwi accepted the transfer without ceremony, but her calm gaze followed Kai as he got into the AV.
"Got it. I'll take Dorio to a ripper. You be careful."
Maine then turned to Pilar, about to say something, but Pilar beat him to it with a cheerful grin.
"Maine, forget the pay. Just give me that gold hand cyberarm later and we're good. I only blew up one arm, that's all."
Maine grinned.
Without another word, he transferred ten thousand eddies to Pilar too.
This entire operation had come out of Maine's own pocket, and it hurt like hell, but he had never once shorted his crew on pay.
Later, he still planned to squeeze another payout out of Faraday.
After all, Militech had almost gotten them killed.
(End of Chapter)
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