Cyberpunk Patriarch

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Arthur focused on his work while Jack, under the influence of anesthesia, slept soundly on the operating table.

Some time passed, and Arthur was still putting the finishing touches on his project, while Jack, now recovered from his procedure, stood behind Arthur, watching with great interest.

"Brother, what new thing are you working on?" Jack asked, his curiosity piqued.

Victor, who had just finished washing his hands, glanced over and asked, "Is that a virus chip?"

In Night City, making a virus chip was a straightforward task. First, you find a hacker. Then, you head out to buy a chip. With some smooth talking, you could easily end up on the streets, ready to steal with it.

Arthur rubbed his eyes under the dim light of the room, connected the chip to his computer, and slowly imported the final data. He patiently waited for the progress bar to fill.

"Although it's poetic to hide glory behind darkness, Lao, I've got to say, it's a miracle your eyes aren't blind after working in such conditions," Arthur remarked, glancing at the setup around him.

"I've got some new gadgets. I'm planning to open a factory in Taipingzhou. This one's a prototype, meant for a friend of mine," Arthur continued, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

He paused for a moment, then added, "That idiot puts everything on himself—he's just a walking garbage dump now. His hands shake, he's constantly in a daze, and the inhibitor's effectiveness is wearing off. He can't even function properly. But he's familiar with the area, so I'll help you pull him out."

Arthur was in a win-win situation. He needed a test subject for his new prototype. Without a test subject, how could he prove the efficacy of the suppressor?

Mann was a well-known figure in the cyberpunk world, having done work for many companies. Arthur was confident he could get a good subject, someone whose experience and reputation would give the prototype some real credibility.

Victor was unfazed by Arthur's casual remarks about Mann. He was more interested in the chip Arthur was holding.

"If I remember correctly, you haven't even graduated from elementary school, right?" Victor asked, his face incredulous. "You're telling me you developed that? Are you serious?"

Arthur, unphased by the comment, shrugged. "Look at what you're saying. I can be self-taught. I'm a master mechanic now. Forget about this little gadget—if you want, I can show you how to build a nuclear bomb. How about that? Would you like to see the Red Era again?"

Victor immediately waved his hand, his expression turning into one of concern. "No, no. I don't want to see the Red Era again. Night City's doing fine as it is now."

The Red Era referred to the time when Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rockstar-turned-mercenary, had planted a nuclear bomb atop the Arasaka building. The blast sent a radioactive mushroom cloud into the sky, signaling the destruction of one of the most powerful corporations in the world. The event was so dramatic that it became a defining moment in Night City's history. Even though it had happened decades ago, the remnants of that era still haunted the city.

Arthur slowly removed the chip from the computer, looked it over, and then tossed it to Jack, who was now standing next to him.

"Try it," Arthur said casually.

Jack scratched the back of his head and glanced over at Lao. Seeing no objections from Lao, he connected the chip to his brain-computer interface.

The moment the chip activated, Jack's interface lit up with a light blue prompt and several paragraphs of instructions. After clicking to confirm, Jack felt a jolt of energy pass through the chip, sending a shockwave straight to his brain. For a moment, he felt as though something had struck his pituitary gland.

Then, a strange calmness washed over him. He felt weightless, like he had just floated out of his body. It was as if he had touched something electric, something that made his entire body feel light, as though he were floating in space.

Although Jack didn't have many prosthetic body parts, even the small amount he had exerted a toll on his body. Prosthetics always caused some burden. No matter how advanced the prosthetic, it would never perfectly integrate with the human body. Only gods could create flawless beings—humans were merely elegant monkeys in comparison. To think otherwise was arrogance.

"Ah~ I feel like I just crawled out of my mother's belly! Everything feels so new!" Jack exclaimed, awestruck by the sensation.

Arthur smirked slightly, but Jack, after feeling the sensation for a few more moments, pressed a button in his brain-computer interface and disconnected the chip. He handed it back to Arthur.

As much as Jack wanted the chip for himself, he knew Arthur had said it was meant for a friend. And Jack, being the kind of person he was, wasn't about to take something that didn't belong to him.

After all, living in Night City meant you had to have your own code of ethics. Without it, what separated you from the corporate dogs who exploited people for profit? Jack knew that sometimes, you had to give up something in order to keep your soul intact.

Arthur took the chip back, somewhat surprised by Jack's self-restraint. Despite Jack's tough exterior, he seemed to have principles, which was a rarity in a place like Night City.

"If you like it, I'll give you one when my factory starts running. After all, I'm considered your elder. You'll have to call me Uncle Arthur," Arthur teased with a grin.

Victor couldn't help but laugh at Arthur's suggestion. "Don't go around taking advantage of people, Arthur. If Mrs. Wells knew you were alive, she'd probably drown you in a manure pit instead of letting her son call you 'uncle.'"

Arthur chuckled but quickly grew more serious. "I'll be careful with this. I plan to focus on the lower-end market first. I'll make as much money as possible before anyone catches on. Then, I'll sell the patent to a company. What do you think of Kangtao?" Arthur asked, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Victor frowned. "Are you sure about taking this out? The moment the corporations catch wind of it, they'll be all over it like dogs on a scent."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "That's exactly why I'm going to take it slow. I've got my plans in place. We'll see how it goes."

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