Back when Lin Mo had tricked David into joining him to "see the world," he'd managed to snag David's mother Gloria's phone number with a lit
Back when Lin Mo had tricked David into joining him to "see the world," he'd managed to snag David's mother Gloria's phone number with a little sleight of hand.
The moment he got it, Lin Mo shamelessly dialed her up to tattle, claiming David wasn't socializing and kept turning down his invites to hang out.
Then, under David's soul-crushed gaze, he slowly ended the call and dragged him out after class to the Lizzie's Bar for a night out.
And sure enough, the moment David stepped into that place, his gloom vanished. Like someone hitting respawn, he was up and energized, diving headfirst into a night of braindance-fueled fun.
Even though Lin Mo had only met the red-haired woman once and shared barely a single exchange, he still had a clear impression of her—nice figure, decent face, and hard to forget.
Now, Mann had just handed him her phone number, and Lin Mo couldn't help but think:
Damn, this world's way too small.
He stayed silent for a moment before looking up at Mann. "So, how exactly is she supposed to help me get decent cyberware?"
"No idea," Mann replied casually. "I've worked with her plenty of times, but we don't really know each other. That's the best way for both sides. Her name's Gloria. She gets her hands on some solid stuff from time to time—always secondhand, though. Not sure if you're the type to go for that."
Then, noticing Lin Mo still staring at him, Mann raised a brow and asked, "What? You got a problem with secondhand chrome?"
"No, I'm just curious—how do you two know each other?" Lin Mo replied, expression now a bit serious.
"Old story. No need to dig it up. Just tell her what you're looking for. She'll try to get it, but it might take some time," Mann said, stifling a yawn.
He stood, bag in hand, turned toward Lin Mo, and added, "It's a rare night. Gotta celebrate. We'll talk more another time. I'm sure we'll work together again soon."
And with that, Mann turned and strolled over to the blonde woman—Dorio.
Lin Mo couldn't help but chuckle. No hesitation at all. Guy just dipped.
Still smiling, he slipped into thought again.
David's mom… a cyberware supplier? That was both unexpected and totally logical.
If he remembered right, Gloria worked as a tech at the Night City Medical Center. Probably made just a bit above the average wage—nowhere near enough to cover tuition at Arasaka Academy.
So yeah, made sense. She must've had a side hustle keeping the lights on at home.
Thinking about it now made Lin Mo a little conflicted.
Secondhand cyberware? No way. He had eddies to burn—there was no reason to settle for hand-me-downs.
But… if we're talking rare, hard-to-find combat-grade cyberware? And if he didn't have the right connections? Then sure, maybe Gloria could help. Buy a few pieces for Kitagawa, see if he'd go for it.
Meanwhile, over in the restaurant, Kitagawa was eating while watching the TV in the center of the dining area when his nose twitched.
He sneezed hard.
"Huh… weird. Am I getting sick?" he muttered, frowning.
He pulled his jacket tighter and called toward the counter, "Hey boss! Gimme your best bottle of booze, and bring me something spicy!"
After a long time mulling it over, Lin Mo still didn't call Gloria.
Ugh… how the hell am I supposed to talk to my classmate's mom like this?
Just picturing them recognizing each other mid-call made him cringe inside.
Still, he'd finally pieced together David's trajectory.
Sure, the simulation logs had been vague, but the core beats were clear enough:
Gloria dies in a car accident. David drops out. After some twists and turns, he becomes a legend.
He didn't know the full details, but it was obvious Gloria must've left David something—something that gave him a shot.
Because come on, a seventeen-year-old with no backing or support? Becoming a Night City legend in just a year?
No way that just happens.
He even cracked a joke in his head: What, his mom being alive was holding him back from becoming great?
Suddenly, Lin Mo glanced over at Mann again.
The guy was built like a damn bear. Now he had his arm around Dorio, chatting, their faces close.
One thing was clear: no one rises alone.
David... could it be that in the future he somehow gets involved with these guys?
Lin Mo narrowed his eyes in thought. The more he considered it, the more it made sense.
"Whatever. Thinking too hard about it won't change anything."
He shook his head and cleared the thoughts away.
Speculation was just that—speculation.
And in a place like Night City, where chaos reigned, anything was possible.
Hell, for all I know, David picked up some random chip on the street, plugged it into his socket, and found out it came with a built-in Grandpa-mode guardian angel.
He laughed quietly to himself.
Done with Mann for the night and now alone, Lin Mo stood up, tossed the empty plastic container into a trash bin, and headed for the stalls.
There was still something he wanted to talk about—with Sasha.
Sasha sat alone, cradling a drink. She looked completely detached from the noise around her, like she'd slipped into her own little world. But she spotted Lin Mo the moment he approached.
"What's up? Need something, Lin Mo?" she asked with a playful smile.
Sasha had always had this mischievous energy about her—charming and sly. Even when her lips weren't curled into a grin, they naturally formed a soft "W" shape.
When she got serious or annoyed, they curved into a tight upside-down "U."
She was catlike in every sense: affectionate with allies, cold as ice with enemies. Delicate, sharp, unpredictable.
As Lin Mo walked over, he glanced around—every plastic chair at the stall was taken.
Even Sasha only had a single chair for herself as she quietly sipped her drink.
Seeing that, Lin Mo approached a nearby edge-runner who looked decent enough and casually threw an arm around the guy's shoulder. He whispered something quietly into the man's ear.
Sasha saw the edge-runner shake his head.
Then Lin Mo's eyes flashed faint blue.
The guy's expression changed instantly. He smiled like a saint, jumped to his feet, patted off the chair, bowed like he was greeting his mother, and offered Lin Mo the seat.
That shift in attitude… might as well have been meeting God himself.
Lin Mo dragged the chair over and sat across from Sasha.
"What else would I want? Didn't you say you'd teach me about hacking when you had time? No better time than now, right?" he said.
Sasha blinked, momentarily surprised, but recovered quickly. Her lips curled into a soft smirk as she took a sip of her drink and gave him a sidelong glance.
"I'd be happy to teach you," she said. "But someone left me all alone in a basement tonight, so I'm kinda not in the best mood right now… Lin Mo."
"That wasn't on purpose," Lin Mo countered. "I was trying to help Mann and the others. I even told you to stay put. You're the one who decided to haul people out of there—that's on you."
He had no intention of letting her pin that mess on him.
Sasha stared at him.
Then she sighed, as if not wanting to argue anymore. "Fine. What do you want to know?"
"If possible, everything. Everything about hacking."
Lin Mo crossed his arms, elbows resting on his knees, eyes intense and focused.
Sasha studied him for a while. Then she stopped smiling—and simply nodded.
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