Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 71 The Future of Mann's Squad (Second Update)

After being kicked out of the workshop by Chen Yu, Mann and the others temporarily settled in a relatively intact abandoned house on the edge of the ruined town.

This building used to be the storefront of a small repair shop. The thick concrete walls blocked most of the wind and sand, but the years have still left deep marks.

Large areas of plaster have peeled off, revealing dark red bricks underneath. Several windows have no glass and are only held together by thick waterproof cloth, which flaps and makes a thumping sound as the desert wind blows.

The roof appears to be slightly leaking, with faint water stains visible in the corners.

Rebecca had cleaned up the place briefly when she planned to stay and take care of Sasha; it was their only place to stay in this desolate place.

She used an old broom she found somewhere to roughly sweep the sand and debris that had accumulated for who knows how many years to the corner of the wall. The floor was not exactly clean, but at least there were no broken glass or sharp metal pieces that would hurt your feet.

The room was small, with only a few crooked and dilapidated tables and chairs salvaged from other ruins, and a few sleeping bags laid directly on the cold floor, which constituted all the furniture.

The air was still thick with the lingering smell of dust and the dryness of the desert, carrying a hint of rust. It was a world apart from their living quarters in Watson District, a warehouse filled with modified equipment and weapon cases.

The oppressive silence lasted for several minutes before being broken by Rebecca.

She slammed her fist into the metal box next to her, making a loud "bang" that drew everyone's attention.

“Damn it! Military technology! Biotechnology! They really think highly of us!” Rebecca’s voice was shrill with excitement, her green prosthetic eye gleaming in the dim light. “Sending airships, mechs, and those lunatics with S.A.S ...

Pila rubbed her chest, which had nearly stopped beating from fright during the fight, and chimed in, "Who says otherwise! We've only ever fought with a few company security guards or gang members before, we've never seen anything like this before! They're treating us like an army!"

Falco leaned against the wall, taking off his sunglasses and slowly wiping them. His tone was relatively calm, but there was an undisguised strange glint in his eyes: "The scale is indeed extraordinary. This doesn't seem like a simple retaliation; it's more like a meticulously planned capture operation. They want to capture us alive."

“Capture alive?” Mann frowned, his thick fingers tapping the table unconsciously. “Why? Just because we attacked the biotechnology convoy, or because of Sasha?”

Although the matter is significant, it shouldn't warrant two companies joining forces to create such a commotion, even going so far as to send in bio-modified soldiers..."

Dorothy crossed her arms and analyzed in a calm voice, "Their target is probably not us. Think back, although their initial firepower was fierce, they were indeed restrained, more like they wanted to force us to surrender."

They only went completely berserk after we used the electric rifle the boss gave us to destroy the hovercar.

This woke everyone up.

Rebecca immediately perked up, almost jumping for joy: "Yes! It's the boss! They're definitely after the boss! After those guys the boss gave us!"

She waved her arms, her face beaming with a mixture of fear and excitement. "Did you see that? My plasma pistol melted their armored vehicle with a single shot! And the electric rifle the boss gave me took down two hovercars in two shots!"

And Dorio, you can catch a mantis knife with your bare hands now! The company is definitely envious of these things!

The thought that they had managed to hold off the company's elite squad despite being at such a disadvantage, thanks to the weapons and enhancements provided by Chen Yu, and even managed to almost wipe out the enemy, gave rise to an absurd yet exhilarating sense of accomplishment.

Rebecca was the most blunt. With her hands on her hips and her face full of street-smart arrogance, she said, "Ha! Those corporate dogs have really messed up this time! They wanted to arrest us? And what happened?"
The hovercar crashed, the mech was destroyed, and their precious modified soldiers were captured by us! Now we're really famous!
From now on, everyone in Night City will know that our 'Fringe Walkers' dared to stand up to the company head-on and made them suffer a great loss!

Even the usually composed Mann couldn't help but let a slight smile curl at the corners of his mouth. In Night City, being able to stand up to the company and survive was itself a symbol of seniority and honor.

This undoubtedly proves the strength of their team, and that following Chen Yu's path, though dangerous, may lead to unprecedented heights.

Although Falco and Dorio didn't say anything, their eyes revealed a similar emotion—a kind of instinctive excitement hidden beneath caution, the kind of excitement that street mercenaries have for challenging authority and succeeding.

However, in this atmosphere of rising excitement, Qi Wei, sitting in the corner, seemed out of place.

She huddled in the shadows, her deep red coat collar turned up high, almost obscuring half her face.

She hugged her arms tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

The discussion, especially Rebecca's excited tone, sounded somewhat jarring to her.

Unlike Mann and the others, she hadn't been in contact with Chen Yu for a long time and had become accustomed to his extraordinary presence.

She was new to the team, and everything she experienced today was a huge shock to her.

First came the mission trap, then the army-level siege, followed by Chen Yu's terrifying methods, which were like a god descending to earth, instantly paralyzing an entire company's armed forces through the network.

The feeling of having her consciousness forcibly taken over and her body completely out of her control still sends chills down her spine when she recalls it now.

That can't be described by "technology" at all; it's more like... a crushing defeat at the level of rules.

She feared Chen Yu's power, and also the vortex she would be drawn into because of it.

Fighting against the company? It sounds exciting, but only by being there can you truly understand the suffocating sense of oppression that comes with such a behemoth.

She is a lone hacker who pursues freedom of technology and information, rather than becoming a pawn in this kind of conflict.

"...Becoming famous isn't necessarily a good thing." Qiwei's voice was soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, interrupting Rebecca's excitement. "It means we'll become the company's primary focus. From now on, it'll be incredibly difficult for us to move an inch in Night City."

Her words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the newly ignited flame of excitement. The atmosphere in the room became heavy again.

Mann took a deep breath, nodded, and the excitement on his face quickly faded as he regained his composure as a leader: "Qiwei is right. Excitement is one thing, but we must face the realities."

We've dealt a heavy blow to their military and biotechnology sectors this time; they will not let this go unpunished.

Falco continued, his tone heavy: "That's right. The official wanted posters and bounties will definitely be upgraded, and the covert manhunts will only intensify. As for the middlemen..."

People like Faraday who betray us for profit will not be the last. We cannot remain in Night City anytime soon.

(End of this chapter)