Cyberpunk 2074: Shadows of the Past

"Why did you show up at my house?" Sophia grabbed the palm-sized robot and tapped its cold body back and forth with the tips of her nails.

"Bag..." The robot's limbs were clenched tightly by the white hand, unable to move. It could only slowly turn its round head, and the blue light in its eyes pointed at a shoulder bag that was thrown casually on the ground.

"You mean... I brought you back? Why don't I remember?" Sophia frowned, trying to recall what happened two days ago.

Human memory is a very strange thing. Some things have clearly passed by for a long time, but they are still vivid in our minds; some things have happened only a short time ago, but the details are already blurred.

For Sofia, too much happened on January 18th.

She could only recall the roaring explosion, two unsolicited phone calls to her uncle, and the last three words she could not say - "I love you."

The flashing memories in her mind were like rotating lights, tightly wrapping her in the center, dazzling with dazzling light but unable to see the details.

"I...can't remember..." She covered her head, sat down on the bed, and curled up into a ball.

The robot was thrown on the bedside table, face down, and came into close contact with the wooden tabletop.

◎

"Ding!"

The sound of glasses clinking against each other is so clear.

It's like the spring sun shines on a frozen lake for a long time for the first time, so the thin ice on the surface slowly melts, making a sweet cracking sound, full of life and vitality.

"I wish V all the best in his career!" Jack stood up straight, holding a wine glass in his hand and shouting with a red face.

"Thanks, Jack." V smiled and clinked glasses with Jack, who was a little drunk.

"Bless you, V." Misty whispered to V while supporting Jack who was staggering a little.

"You too, Misty." V ​​responded with a smile and drank the remaining liquor in the glass generously.

"Bleeding Jane. It can relieve hangover." Jill smiled and watched the heated exchange of glasses between them, and silently prepared a hangover drink for V.

"That's so sweet...Jill." V gave the cold-faced and warm-hearted bartender a warm hug across the bar.

"Tsk! Let me go... I smell like alcohol." Jill struggled gently in her arms, pretending to be disgusted.

Since breaking up with her girlfriend in college, she has rarely had physical intimacy with others. (Note ①)

"You have to pay for this drink!" Jill wrinkled her nose and said in a pretentious manner.

"Okay, okay." V ​​made an "OK" gesture, which made Jill so angry that her teeth started to itch.

In fact, she just found an excuse to pay for the drink.

Through the previous brief exchange, V has realized that Jill's financial situation is not easy.

In order to take good care of the bartender's face without leaving any trace, it really took her a lot of thought.

"V, thank you..." After breaking free from the brief anger, Jill also understood V's kindness.

"It's okay...it's not easy for everyone in Night City."

V winked at her playfully.

When a mature woman does this kind of action, she is completely different from a little girl. She has a charming charm.

It was as if there were a pair of invisible hands, lightly bypassing the heavy defenses of the heart, and scratching the most sensitive point of the fragile heart.

"V, did anyone tell you not to wink at people?"

"No? What's wrong?"

V was picking up the glass of Bleeding Jane on the bar, raised his head slightly, and dripped the spicy wine into his belly bit by bit, savoring the psychedelic aroma that coexisted with heat and coolness.

"It's so charming..." Jill thought for a while and then said her heart frankly.

"Ha..." Misty had just settled down the drunk Jack, and happened to hear the bartender's frank words, and couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Our V is indeed charming..." Misty hugged V's arm and teased softly as she looked at the slight blush on her face.

"Misty! Even you..." V was a little unable to withstand the attack of the two, and quickly broke away from Misty's mischievous embrace, planning to escape towards the bar toilet.

There was a huge roar, and the whole building trembled as if frightened.

V and Misty glanced at each other quickly, then turned and jumped into the bar, pushing down the still confused Jill and protecting them.

Misty also quickly dragged Jack, who was still a little dazed, to a safe place.

A second explosion followed, and the violent shock wave caused the small bar to let out an overwhelmed wail of pain.

◎

"It feels like Boros is in a bad state..." The woman with short red hair leaned on the trembling metal guardrail with her hands and whispered softly to her companions behind her.

"He..." Melissa frowned, looking at the generous back that was drifting away and disappearing into the night, she hesitated to speak.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Bit didn't seem to take it to heart at all. He shook his head and bounced on the spot a few times before continuing, "Men... there are always days like this."

"Do you still have time to make wisecracks now?" Melissa suddenly spoke up, roaring at that frivolous face.

"Huh?!" Bit was startled by Melissa's sudden outburst. His modified legs subconsciously exerted force and flew far away in an instant.

"Calm down...Melissa!" Rowena was also a little surprised and quickly stopped Melissa who was obviously in a bad state.

"Sorry...I...suddenly..."

All the energy in the body seemed to have been suddenly taken away, spreading from the depths of the bone marrow to the muscles, and there was no strength in the whole body.

Melissa spoke intermittently, suddenly staggered and was about to collapse to the ground.

"Melissa?" Rowena quickly supported Melissa and held her tightly in his arms.

"What's wrong with her?" Bit quickly returned from a distance, looking down at the newcomer who was about to faint, and asked with concern, no longer caring about being angry.

"Boros...Melissa...I don't know." Rowena pulled Melissa to sit on the ground, frowning, feeling confused and without any clue.

"Ever since I killed that cyber maniac yesterday...everything seems to be going wrong." Bit took out the "Yinglong" smart submachine gun pinned on his back and looked around vigilantly to protect them.

"What's up with her?"

Boros appeared behind him at some point, lowering his voice and asking softly.

"I*! Boss! You scared me!" Bit was covered in cold sweat. He quickly turned around and looked at the captain who seemed to be as calm as ever.

"Ha." Boros patted his tense shoulders lightly and walked towards Rowena who was taking care of Melissa.

Two deafening explosions followed his flying cloak, lighting up the dark sky twice in a row.

"Boss?" Bit hesitated and called out to this elusive man, "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Bit." Boros did not look back, but paused for a moment before continuing to move forward.

Note ①: In the original setting of Operation Bartender, Jill had a girlfriend in college. (Not boyfriend, that’s the typo.)