The night is deep.

The breeze gently brushes the seawall, blowing wave after wave of spray that laps against the shore and rolls up white foam.

Whoa... Whoa...

Lucy waited quietly with a cigarette in her mouth, leaning on the railing, staring at the night sea.

The rocket launch platform on the sea in the distance is still not moving.

The white cigarette rose into the air and was blown away by the cool breeze.

"Don't always smoke before your run, that's not good."

Hearing a familiar voice beside her, Lucy looked sideways and found that Tang Yu was already standing next to the railing, looking into the distance at the sea like her.

"It's 2076, and no one really believes that smoking hurts their lungs."

After speaking.

She snuffed out her cigarette, then put on her hood and ran along the seawall first.

Tang Yu followed from behind and ran with steps.

The two of them were one in front of the other, Lucy in front and Tang Yu in the back, running at a constant speed.

As Tang Yu gradually exerted his strength, he gradually caught up with her footsteps.

Tang Yu's running pace was no longer as heavy as it was at the beginning.

After these days of high-intensity exercise, the muscles in my legs are much tighter, and my lung capacity has also been greatly improved.

When he runs with his legs raised, he can see that the Achilles tendon of his hind leg has strong root muscle fibers.

To achieve such an obvious training effect, it is inseparable from the talent of 'tenacity and perseverance'.

But the marginal effect of muscle training is insurmountable, and after eating the muscle building bonus in the novice period, Tang Yu wants to rely on pure flesh to cross the limit of physical fitness, which is even more difficult.

Compared to Lucy's light steps, it was just flat.

She has implants and operating system assistance, and her physical strength and coordination are several notches higher than that of ordinary people.

Tang Yu ran as fast as he could, which could only be equivalent to Lucy's normal performance.

But now that he has mastered a new talent, 'Bullet Time', once turned on, he must be faster than Lucy.

It is possible to overtake her, but it is not necessary.

With that in mind.

Tang Yu quickened his pace again and initially entered the state of sprinting and running, trying to temper the muscles of his legs and strengthen his lung capacity.

"Whew! Call! Call! ”

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Tang Yu running, already able to keep up with her pace, and there was a tendency to gradually align, and a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

She found that although Tang Yu's breathing was heavy, it was very rhythmic, inhaling in three steps and exhaling in three steps with her steps.

Compared to when I first started exercising and running, the speed, rhythm, and strength are faster and stronger.

After observing for a period of time, Lucy almost had a full view of Tang Yu's performance.

Sometimes he sprints until his face is red and sweating profusely, but he still grits his teeth and persists, showing great patience and perseverance.

Sometimes after a sprint, even if you are tired and tired, you don't want to stop, you still have to keep up with yourself.

Let's be honest.

Lucy didn't pay attention to Tang Yu's running at first.

In her opinion, Tang Yu, who was born in a noble family, refused to do implant modification, he should be a person who cherishes his body very much, and he will not run out to toss himself for no reason.

Now that the cyber body has reached a rotten street, who needs to bother to exercise.

Want to run fast?

Bionic tendons, bionic joints are at your disposal, and you can even directly replace them with a pair of lynx claws, which can make you run faster and fiercer, so that you can do it quietly.

Not enough lung capacity?

Synthetic lungs are not much more expensive, in addition to enhancing lung capacity, they can also have their own purification effect and filter harmful dust such as soot.

Therefore, Tang Yu doesn't have to go far and go out to run at night to exercise.

As a senior executive of Arasaka Company, he has enough funds and authority to select genuine high-grade prostheses manufactured by major companies, which are not only beautiful but also very practical.

Therefore.

Lucy always thought that when he came out to run at night, he was just relaxing, and he couldn't run to the limit as if he was playing with his life, and temper his physical functions.

Tang Yu has a serious demeanor and steady steps when running, no matter how tired or slow, he is always trying to keep up with her pace.

It was a bit puzzling to Lucy.

Even stranger.

It didn't take long for Tang Yu to run side by side with her, and his strength seemed to be at ease.

Obviously, Tang Yu came out for a night run, and it was really not just to relax and relieve stress.

However, she didn't plan to delve into this issue, everyone has his boundaries, and it is not a good choice to ask a high-level executive of Arasaka Company.

Two figures ran side by side by the seawall, running past rows of street lamps and through layers of light curtains.

They wore hoods of sweatshirts, breathed in the heat, and kept moving forward against the sea breeze.

Sometimes, Lucy would speed up and pull away a distance, but she would soon be chased by Tang Yu behind her.

Then it pulled away again, and then caught up again.

After repeated pulling and chasing, the long seawall road was completed at the foot of the race.

After running the long seawall road and reaching the end of the pier, the two stopped and rested.

Tang Yu took off his guard hat back, adjusted his breathing slightly, and his complexion had recovered most of his complexion.

Lucy also took off her hat, stroked the silver hair of Hongze on the back of her neck, and looked at Tang Yu with one hand and smiled.

"It's a good time."

"It doesn't feel like it will take long."

"You're qualified."

Tang Yu didn't think it was strange how to hear this, the context didn't seem to match the identities of the two parties, and he laughed angrily.

"Do you think this is a PE exam..."

Lucy asked rhetorically.

"Isn't it?"

"At your current speed, you can't outrun me, let alone run into danger."

"But then again, you're pretty serious when you're running, and you can't tell if you really want to exercise."

Tang Yu walked to the edge of the dock and sat down straight, his legs dangling above the sea.

"Each other, each other."

"As a cyber hacker, don't you also come out for a run and exercise."

"But seriously, your hacking skills are pretty good."

"Reaching this level at a young age is already better than many people."

Qualified?

Lucy was laughed at by Tang Yu's evaluation.

She walked to the edge of the pier and sat down again, facing the sea, her right elbow resting lightly on her tucked right knee, her fingertips pinching a cigarette.

"Your tone sounds like you know what to do."

"What's so good about being a hacker, the cyber network is an invisible net, and it's hard to get out if you go in."

Tang Yu thought to himself.

Your three-legged cat hacking skills are really not enough compared to what I was back then.

How rampant Tang Yu was in the past, high-end ICE such as the trauma team and the violent terrorist mobile team were like the emperor's new clothes in his eyes, as if he was wearing them, but they didn't seem to be wearing them.

Whoever the virus wants to implant in their prosthesis, it will be implanted in whomever it wants, and it is smoother than applying lubricant.

This is also why Tang Yu can see at a glance that Lucy's hacking technology originated from Arasaka.

Because there are too many times to enter the body of the dog of the Arasaka company, it is as familiar as the old family, and the experience is extremely experienced.

As soon as Lucy stole the chip in the carriage, she could see her tricks and tricks.

It's just that Tang Yu didn't break her on the spot, and left a hole card.

Lucy is a girl who definitely has secrets, even if she keeps her mouth shut, Tang Yu can guess some.

A cyberpunk girl, derived from the hacking technology of the Arasaka Company, stealing Arasaka employee chips everywhere, and even approaching herself intentionally or unintentionally.

What is it for, what are you looking for, and what is it evading again?

Tang Yu knows that the purpose of the silver-haired girl may not be simple.

The reason why he pushed the boat down the river was due to several considerations.

The first is because Lucy has the option to turn on the Sims.

Even if it's gray now, there will definitely be opportunities in the future.

He has already gained two talents from David and Mann's Sims, both of which are very crucial.

Therefore, everyone who can turn on the life simulation option is very important to him.

The second is that the turning point in Lucy's fate has not yet arrived, and she must continue to wait, waiting for an opportunity to start a life simulation.

In Tang Yu's opinion, Lucy at this time was very much like a cautious bird, wanting to peck at the food in his hand, but also worried about being caught by the other hand.

You can only maintain a certain distance and a sense of boundaries, and gradually test your attitude.

And he can't be in a hurry, maybe the range of action is a little larger, and the other party will smear oil on the soles of his feet and hide far away.

If you lose control of the other party, the Sims' rewards will naturally be lost, and such an outcome will not be good for anyone.

Compared to Lucy's caution, Tang Yu was completely calm and not in a hurry.

He believed that as long as he delayed for a while, he would be able to guess her hole cards and play a king bomb that she couldn't refuse.

For now, it seems that the silver-haired girl next to her is wary of her, but she is not harmful.

As for the deeper purpose, Tang Yu can wait for her showdown.

The two were silent for a moment.

Lucy glanced at Tang Yu slightly, not knowing what he was thinking, always looking light.

I wanted to say something, but I gave up.

Just reach for the cigarette wallet and stop halfway there.

Tang Yu seemed to notice her small actions, his eyes were still looking at the sea in the distance, and he said softly.

"Smoke it, I don't mind."

"I used to have an old friend who also smoked."

"It's uncomfortable to smoke for a day, but he can't smoke it himself."

"There was a time when we lived very close, very close."

"He forced me to smoke at first, but I didn't give him face."

"Later, I became much more honest, crying and begging me to take two puffs every day."

"When I'm happy, I'll smoke one or two."

"I'm getting used to it, and I'll smoke two when I'm upset."

"It's just that a lot of things will change, things are people, and I won't smoke them."

When Lucy saw Tang Yu, she seemed to open the conversation box and talk about some things around her, which was the first time she understood.

"It sounds like you're on good terms with that friend, but I didn't expect to make friends in the Arasaka company."

She chose to put away the cigarette anyway.

Tang Yu denied her claim.

"He's not from Arasaka Company, on the contrary, he hates the company very much, and he can be said to be the company's number one enemy, and the two of us are quite compatible."

"Really?" Lucy asked meaningfully.

Tang Yu smiled helplessly.

"It's hard to believe, but it smells the same, and no one can say for sure, aren't you sitting and chatting with a high-ranking Arasaka right now."

"He also serves as a double minister, a genuine high-level Arasaka executive."

Lucy's eyes lowered, as if she sensed that Tang Yu had something to say.

"You're right."

"Some things are funny in themselves."

"Nothing is impossible in Night City."

"It's like I didn't think I'd be here, just running aimlessly."

Tang Yu asked casually.

"That's why you've been running and exercising?"

"After all, as a hacker, technology is more important than running fast."

Lucy's eyes darkened as she said in a deep voice.

"Living in Night City does require a bit of luck."

"Maybe I was lucky and ran a little faster, so I was able to come to this city."

This made Tang Yu quite agree.

"It's just that we've been running for so many days and running so fast, and we're still in trouble."

Lucy laughed approvingly.

"Huh? Didn't I recommend that you bring a bodyguard before. ”

"Have you figured out how to solve it?"

The red circle of Lucy's prosthetic eyes turned, and she began to remotely control the street surveillance camera, checking the situation behind her, and found that many people were quietly surrounding the dock.

It's clearly against them.

Tang Yu replied helplessly: "I'm not counting on you. ”

Lucy quipped, "Hope? I'm a cyberpunk, and there's never a reason to work for nothing. ”

Tang Yu didn't answer her words, but asked about the scene: "Is it a scavenger?" ”

He had noticed that there were scattered pedestrians following him on the road while he was running.

Lucy should have noticed it in advance, so she found out about the other party's attempt.

What Tang Yu needed to confirm was that these people who came forward to make trouble were not sent by the opponents of the Arasaka Company.

If so, Tang Yu feels that he has made a lot of money, as long as he can find evidence, he will be able to give a good face to the stinky watch next time.

If not, he is not interested, a group of scavengers, and he has not yet taken it into account.

Strictly speaking, the scavengers are not a gang, but more like a group of cockroaches hiding in the dark of the city, coming out from time to time to steal something fishy.

They love to hunt in Night City, especially pedestrians with noble prosthetics and careless gang minions.

To the scavengers, humans are just a bunch of organs that can be exchanged for money on the black market.

As long as there is a profiteering black industry chain, there will be all kinds of people who join the scavenger group and become the executioners of a certain link in the chain.

Scavengers do not have a fixed "business scope", trafficking, cutting, trafficking, black market, black clinics, human organs, etc., are inseparable from the figure of scavengers.

Organizations can be found throughout Night City, often gathering into small groups, and even many formal medical institutions are in collusion with them.

Back then, he and V Zi had a lot of dealings with scavengers.

V Zi was ignorant back then, and he watched other people's wild super dreams on the side of the road at will, and finally his waist was cut.

Tang Yu pulled her and made a big deal in the scavenger's territory, looking back and forth three times, roasting hundreds of brain flowers, and finally found the original kidney for V.

The scavenger kills and comes in batches, and the easiest commission to receive is to go to the scavenger's turf to fish for something.

More money to catch people, less money to get corpses.

After a preliminary investigation, Lucy replied: "It's the scavengers, I'm afraid they're here for revenge, there are already thirteen people, armed with heavy firepower weapons." ”

Suddenly.

The intrusion in front of her began to blur and jitters, and then the signal was blocked.

"Heh, these half-people actually know about blocking signals."

Tang Yulong's boxing glasses also showed that the surrounding signal was blocked and could not be paged.

"It seems that they came prepared, worried that we would shake people."

"What, are you going to run?"

The two glanced at each other, stood up directly, pulled out their legs in the direction they came, and ran away.

The girl's silver hair swayed in the wind, and in the dim light, it changed into ice blue and light pink streamers.