Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Doesn’t Want to Become a Night City Legend

Chapter 23 The Gradually Changing Heart

"Cyberpunk" is a combination of two English words: Cyber ​​and punk.

"Cyber" stands for "cybernetics," referring to network technology. For example, the English word for "cyberspace" is "cyberspace." "Punk" was originally a genre of rock music, but later came to refer to rebellious, alternative youth who didn't fit in with mainstream society.

Cyberpunks are a group of lunatics who are rebellious against the world, or who are incompatible with the world. It can be used as a derogatory term or self-deprecating term.

——Lu Mingfei may not be able to solve quadratic equations, but he must know some basic common sense about the game. Even if this may be the bragging of some idiot group member, he will pretend that it is true!

And now.
"Huh? Me? Me being a cyberpunk?"

After receiving Qi Wei's invitation, Lu Mingfei was in a delicate mood. His expression was first self-doubt, then melancholy and retreat. Those who didn't know him would think that he was going to fight Sukuna.

Qi Wei waved her hand. "Why do you think we invited you to the celebration party? Come on, you're young and gullible. You have golden eyes but no prosthetics yet. You're just a sweet potato with easy control and investment potential. Forget us. If you go to the mercenary job market, no team will refuse you."

It really is.

Although Lu Mingfei doesn't realize it, he has already demonstrated the strength of a solid mid-level mercenary and is very explosive. Once he is equipped with prosthetics, his future is promising! He is far ahead of his peers!

Now that we have met by chance, he will naturally come to recruit me.

"Is this what Senior David meant?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"No, that idiot, his mind is basically only filled with himself - I mean, that idiot thinks he can handle everything by himself, haha, he's still very naive."

Qi Wei seemed to have some complaints about her eldest brother, which surprised Lu Mingfei.

Invincible indeed, he thought.

Driving a Sian Westin like that was like a ghost in time. From Lu Mingfei's perspective, he couldn't even imagine how anyone could defeat such a prosthesis.

Combined with his bossy demeanor, he might be the coolest man Lu Mingfei has ever seen in his life of more than ten years.

Qi Wei guessed what Lu Mingfei was thinking when she saw his expression and shook her head. "Haha~ Look at your longing expression. He's just Sian Westin. He's nothing compared to the real big shots in Night City."

"Really?" Lu Mingfei looked at Qi Wei beside him curiously.

There is indeed a sense of old age in her words. Perhaps she is much younger and more experienced than she looks.

"Don't try to pry into other people's pasts. Night City doesn't ask about the past. Don't trust anyone either. Everyone will betray you. The only person you can trust is yourself." Feeling her gaze, Qi Wei closed her eyes and drank. "I told Lucy this too. Now, maybe you should think about your answer."

Reply.

The answer to whether to join Cyberpunk.

Putting aside the question of whether it is David's team, the first question is whether Lu Mingfei needs to join cyberpunk.

(.)

In fact, cyberpunk itself is actually a literary medium, but in Night City, it generally refers to the group of mercenaries roaming the dark side of Night City.

People on the edge of the world.

Edgewalker.

Lu Mingfei's vision of his future has never had anything to do with cyberpunk.

Because he sees himself as a "poor kid caught in another world", he just wants to gain permanent peace in this city, a sense of security.

Mercenaries are the furthest away from safety no matter how you think about it.
(Sure enough, still rejected)

"really?"

pat.

Lu Mingfei felt someone leaning against him from behind. It was not Qi Wei who was waiting for an answer beside him, but Lu Mingze.

When the electronic ghost leaned on Lu Mingfei, he could actually feel the touch, and it was a very familiar touch, as if they had leaned on each other like this countless times.

"Brother, even if you intend to refuse here, what next?"

"Will you continue working as Victor's assistant? What about the Whirlpool Gang? What about the Scavengers? Do you want to bet that they will never dare to retaliate against you again?"

"One wrong step leads to another. In Night City, even throwing a bottle or can could get you in trouble. Even just walking down the street from my office building could get you killed simply because someone dislikes you."

Lu Mingze smiled and stretched. He bent his body to stretch his spine and made a purring sound like a cat.

"You don't have to answer me. I can probably guess what you're going to say—it's just as dangerous even if you become a mercenary, right?"

"Hahahahahaha, brother, how long are you going to keep lying to yourself?"

(What's the meaning?)

Qi Wei was right next to him, so Lu Mingfei had no way to talk to Lu Mingze and could only frown with an unpleasant look on his face.

Deceiving yourself?

When did you do that kind of thing?
"You clearly don't hate what mercenaries do. To put it bluntly—" Lu Mingze whispered softly into Lu Mingfei's ear, "Raise your hands, raise your guns, blow the heads off those lunatics, watch their brains splatter, watch their limbs go missing, and you don't reject that at all! You even crave it!"

"Brother, you are the biggest monster!"

Lu Mingze waved his arms with great satisfaction, his face flushed.

No, I didn't
"You must want to deny it, after all, you always can't see yourself clearly, but is it true? Brother, are you really sure what you are thinking?" Lu Mingze's excited voice cooled down again in one breath.

Lu Mingfei couldn't turn around to question Lu Mingze, nor could he see his expression, but the voice coming from behind was full of teasing.

"Have you really never thought about the consequences of killing the scavenger?"

"Did you really not anticipate that you would have enemies? That your brazen arrival in the Northern Industrial Zone might lead to someone targeting you—did you truly have no suspicion at all?"

"Or"

The devil laughed and hummed up and down in a pleasant way.

You did it on purpose

You just want to appear innocent and get caught up in danger. You don't want to admit that you need the blood of those gang lunatics to calm down, so you pretend to be innocent and deliberately step into the trap, then lure others to attack you.

[It's a shame, brother, that I didn't manage to use that combat stimulant in the end.] [You actually—]

[You really want to kill that Uzumaki gang that offended you with your own hands, right?]

(wrong.)
(I)

In Lu Mingfei's heart, his vague intuition was telling him the "answer".

He is saying.
【Lu Mingze is right.】

All my actions so far have been my subconscious mind leading me towards danger.

why?
Was it really like Lu Mingze said, that he was savoring the so-called danger? Was he craving blood and slaughter?
wrong.

The voice sounded again.

[This is not a lie, but he is "cheating" you. ]

During transactions, Lu Mingfei had been stopped by this voice countless times.

The voice, whose true identity is unknown but has been trying to stop Lu Mingfei, now gives Lu Mingfei advice again, and as always, it is contrary to the reality that Lu Mingze expects.

As if noticing the struggle in Lu Mingfei's eyes, Lu Mingze was silent for a while, then stood up, put his hands on Lu Mingfei's shoulders, and bent down slightly.

"So, brother, as your good brother, I will give you one last word."

Even if you become a mercenary, you can't decide your own death, but at least—

".Temporary worker."

"what?"

Of course she couldn't see Lu Mingze. In her opinion, it was Lu Mingfei who was silent while his eyes kept changing, and finally he denied something for no reason.

"Is being a temporary worker okay? I see some cyberpunks are like that. After all, I've only been working as an errand boy in Victor's store for a week. I'd feel bad if I quit like this."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head and said.

"I am very responsible."

Qi Wei scoffed, shaking her hand lazily. "Alright, alright, alright. Consider it like I've met Night City's conscience. Being a temporary worker isn't a problem, after all. Our team doesn't get together all the time. We usually live our own lives."

"That's good"

Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief. At least Old Wei wouldn't make things difficult for him.

Wait, no, he'll still preach. After all, it seems like he really doesn't want to get involved in these messes in Night City.

(How should I explain this to Old Wei later?)

During this week, Old Wei could be said to have been tutoring Lu Mingfei completely without leaving any place to learn about prosthetics, weapons, and even the gang forces in Night City. The novice guidance AI in the game was not as detailed as his, and he was like Lu Mingfei's biological mother.

Without Old Wei's "common sense" and his supplies, Lu Mingfei would have had almost no chance of surviving the Vortex Gang attack.

Lu Mingfei didn't even have time to pay back the money before he had to go against his wishes and plunge into the dark side of Night City to make money.

Why.
Mother, it is my child who is unfilial.

"Very good, that will make things go faster."

Regardless of Lu Mingfei's inner turmoil, Qi Wei patted Lu Mingfei on the back and said, "Then, go meet your future boss. Don't worry, that guy is as easy to talk to as you are—Rebecca!!"

Lu Mingfei staggered after being hit, but before he could complain, he supported the small figure that suddenly appeared beside him.

"Stand up! Stop being such a sissy!"

The little blue-haired girl supported Lu Mingfei, looked up and said loudly, "Rebecca! I forgot to introduce myself in the car just now. Please take care of me next time!"

Lu Mingfei also saw the appearance of this little loli clearly.

Unhealthy pale skin, a black bikini and a black jacket, long green hair with no signs of care at all. Although she has a petite figure, she wears chimpanzee gloves that are bigger than her head. She looks a bit like a crazy Hatsune Miku?

Oh, this is so disrespectful to Her Royal Highness.

Kneel down to the Knights!
"Pfft!"

As Lu Mingfei was thinking, he was hit hard by Rebecca next to him. Because of the height difference, the hit happened to hit his side abdomen.

"Are you thinking of something disrespectful? Tsk."

Rebecca kicked Lu Mingfei again in annoyance.

"I'll take you to meet David, but whether you can pass the interview depends on you."

"Uh, aren't there any cheat sheets?" Lu Mingfei groaned, holding his stomach. He never disliked cheating.

"Well, of course." Rebecca laughed. "Then - if I asked you [Why did you join Cyberpunk], what would you answer?"

how to answer?

Of course Lu Mingfei didn’t know.

But it just so happened that just now, he had a conversation with Lu Mingze.

He was going to repeat that answer.

"Because even though I'm a cyberpunk, I can't decide my own death, but—"

Lu Mingfei said calmly, "At least, I can choose who to kill."

“——.”

Rebecca suddenly stopped, looked at Lu Mingfei, paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter and slapped Lu Mingfei's butt with her hands. Because of her height, she could only slap his butt.

"correct answer!"

(End of this chapter)