After passing through Misty's spirit shop and walking down a narrow alley, they arrived at Viktor's ripperdoc clinic.
The layout of the path was almost identical to the one in the game, and Lin Yu felt instantly familiar with it.
He knew Jack wanted to introduce him to Viktor.
After pushing through a steel pillar door, they entered the clinic.
The basement clinic was incredibly simple—almost to the point of having no decor at all.
Compared to other ripperdoc clinics that looked like meditation rooms aboard a spaceship, Viktor's place was bare and unpretentious. Even a street kid would feel at ease walking in here.
Lin Yu liked it.
It was just like in his previous life: while convenience stores or supermarkets might have luxurious interiors, he still preferred the messy little corner shops.
As they entered, they saw a middle-aged man sitting on a bench with his arms crossed, staring motionlessly at a screen on the cabinet.
He wore a work shirt with short sleeves, revealing a fully tattooed arm. One of his hands was fitted with a mechanical glove.
"Hey, old Vik, let me introduce you to a friend."
Jack strode forward enthusiastically, reaching out his hand.
But Viktor didn't move. He seemed preoccupied, and even though he wore sunglasses, the anger in his eyes was obvious.
"I don't have time today to deal with some street rat you dragged in!"
Viktor suddenly snapped.
He seemed to be in a foul mood today, and his mouth was equally sharp.
"Old Vik, what the hell's wrong with you today? My buddy here isn't just anybody!"
Jack's face darkened immediately. No matter who it was, Viktor included, he wouldn't let anyone insult Lin Yu.
Lin Yu, however, wasn't offended.
He understood what kind of person Viktor was. Clearly, something was bothering him today.
As for what exactly, Lin Yu didn't know. After all, in the game, six months had passed in a flash, and by then he and Viktor were already close.
Something must have happened during that time!
"What's different about him?"
Viktor gave Lin Yu a cold glance.
"I've got my own problems right now. No time for bullshit. I'm not doing any work today—come back another time."
He spoke bluntly.
It wasn't entirely his fault either—Lin Yu looked like he didn't have any cyberware installed, and Viktor's trained eyes wouldn't miss that.
In this world, cyberware made a huge difference in combat. To Viktor, Lin Yu just seemed like another nobody.
"Problems? You?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Well, lucky for you, we're the ones who solve problems."
He pointed to Lin Yu, meaning the two of them, of course.
"Tell us what it is—we'll take care of it. You pay us, and there's no middleman to cut the profit. Am I a genius or what?"
Seeing Viktor unmoved, Jack kept pressing.
With a deal like this, he'd naturally take it, not to mention helping a friend.
"This isn't something you can fix."
Viktor finally stood up, kicking over the bench in frustration.
He clapped Jack's broad shoulder and said with genuine concern, "You're no saint, kid, but I don't want to see you walk into a deathtrap."
The atmosphere grew a little tense.
Lin Yu had been listening for a while but still couldn't figure out exactly what the problem was.
"Why don't you tell us about your trouble first? If we can handle it, we'll take it; if not, you can still find someone else. Jack's known for keeping his mouth shut—you know that. As long as I don't say anything, no one will know, and you won't lose anything."
"If we succeed, I'll even give you a discount as a first meeting gift. After all, we'll probably be working together often in the future."
Lin Yu suddenly spoke up.
Viktor paused, looking at Lin Yu.
His gaze was steady, and he didn't seem like someone who blabbed. Viktor hesitated.
"Yeah, we mercenaries aren't stupid. If it's something we can't handle, we won't take it," Jack added, backing Lin Yu's pitch.
Of course, knowing Jack's nature, even if it was something he couldn't handle, he'd still charge in for a friend's sake.
"A shipment of mine was hijacked. It contained the latest batch of cyberware!" Viktor said through gritted teeth.
"What? Who the hell dared hijack your shipment? And isn't cyberware delivered directly by the companies? Why didn't they step in?" Jack blurted out in shock.
While not impossible, cases like this were incredibly rare.
First, few people dared to mess with corporate property. Second, if a shipment didn't make it, the corporations usually got involved.
"Who else but the Maelstrom psychos? It's complicated—too much to explain now. So, can you take the job or not?" Viktor's face darkened.
He clearly didn't want to go into all the messy details.
"As for those corporate bastards, I suspect Maelstrom bought them off," Viktor added grimly.
Lin Yu was a little surprised too. He hadn't expected to run into something this serious right off the bat.
If a whole shipment got taken, it meant the enemy firepower wasn't small.
But that wasn't a problem. Lin Yu had already made up his mind.
Jack glanced at him and immediately understood.
"No problem. We'll handle it. As for payment, we'll leave that to you. I know you won't shortchange a friend," Jack said firmly.
"Having guts is good—but don't rush in so hard you get yourself killed. In this world, the last one standing is the real winner," Viktor said, raising an eyebrow in a final warning.
Jack opened his mouth to say more, but Lin Yu had already pulled him back.
With a flick of both hands, the Mantis Blades sprang out!
Their gleaming edges radiated sharpness.
"Now, does this give you a little more confidence?"