Chapter 45: Interception
“Vilet, you’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay...”
Tina injected the treatment needle and epinephrine into Vilet, then pressed her hand firmly over the wound, her face pale as she spoke.
Hearing Tina’s voice, Vilet managed a faint smile before slowly closing her eyes. Tina watched her chest still rising and falling, bit her lip, and stayed silent. The more critical the moment, the less she could afford to panic—otherwise she really would put Vilet in danger.
Besides, she knew Vilet wasn’t that fragile anymore. With her modifications, this was simply conserving what strength she had left.
Golor clenched his molars as guilt churned in his chest.
Just then, a buzzing sound filled the car, snapping everyone’s attention toward it and tightening their nerves.
“It’s the Counter-Terrorism Unit. Relax—they won’t bother with us.”
White lowered his voice, and he was right. CTU focused on cyberpsychos. They might deal with other trouble if they ran into it, but cyberpsychos were always their priority.
Good thing they escaped quickly. Otherwise, they would’ve crossed paths.
The CTU members soon jumped off their AV, narrowing their eyes at the mangled corpse on the ground.
“That cyberpsycho’s dead.”
“What a waste. I was hoping for a little fun...”
“Then let’s find a Scavengers’ den and clean it out. The boss won’t complain.”
“Good idea.”
They boarded the AV again, completely unfazed by the scene below. Meanwhile, the Trauma Team was already searching through the district and arrived at the site of the prior battle.
“We’ve found the client’s blood. Confirm they were attacked here. No trace of the client or life signs. Their signal is currently jammed. Requesting instructions.”
A Trauma Team security officer reported through his helmet comms.
“Search the surrounding area and determine the client’s approximate direction. Conduct patrol. If you can’t locate them within thirty minutes, return.”
“Roger.”
...
“Boss, the Trauma Team just arrived.”
White nodded. He wasn’t too worried. They were already deep in the city. Kuroda was unconscious, the signal was jammed—chances of being discovered were low.
They just needed to get Vilet to a hospital, then deliver Kuroda to the client. That would finish the job.
This mission had been dangerously close. Any more mistakes and they might not have made it out.
High above, Jhin stood atop a skyscraper. His helmet screen zoomed in slowly, bringing Kuroda’s unconscious face into view.
“This netrunner’s not bad... but he picked the wrong opponent...”
He stepped off the building.
White and his team had no idea danger was closing in as they headed toward a nearby hospital.
Suddenly, when they reached a sparsely populated street, the vehicle screeched to a halt, startling everyone inside.
“Rich! What the hell?!”
Golor stared at Rich, confused. Rich’s expression was grim, his lips trembling.
“It wasn’t me... A netrunner forced our car to stop...”
The mood inside the car darkened instantly. White stepped out immediately, scanning the surroundings.
“Come out! What kind of hero hides in the shadows?!”
Jhin chuckled softly and emerged from a nearby alley.
“Pleasure to meet you all.”
He bowed gracefully, his tone perfectly polite.
Rich’s pupils contracted. Fear washed over him.
“You... you’re Jhin?!”
The others tensed instantly, drawing their weapons. Vilet forced herself upright.
“Good. Since you recognize me, this becomes simple. Honestly, I don’t want to kill you unless necessary. Hand over the man behind you. It benefits both of us.”
Jhin nodded and extended his hand.
White fell silent. For the sake of his team’s lives, he should hand Kuroda over. But the reward...
And more than the reward—there was his reputation.
“No room for negotiation at all?”
“Not killing you immediately is my negotiation.”
Jhin rested one hand on his hip and opened the other in emphasis.
White’s expression tightened. As much as he hated it, the man wasn’t lying.
“Boss...”
Tina, Rich, and Golor all spoke at once—a warning. This wasn’t someone they could fight.
White let out a long breath and stepped aside, signaling Jhin to take the man.
Jhin smiled. But just as he was about to leave with Kuroda, a familiar voice rang in his mind, freezing him in place.
“Ding! Host, the girl beside you is a compatible host for PROJECT: Judgment.”
The moment Jhin stopped, everyone tensed. Weapons tightened in their hands, eyes locked onto him with razor-sharp vigilance.
Jhin turned his gaze toward Vilet and Tina.
“You two seem pretty close. So I’m inviting both of you to join us. Though, to be honest, I only came for this one.”
A message appeared in Tina’s inbox—a location and a contact.
The sudden change left everyone stunned. The atmosphere had been tense moments before, and now the man was trying to recruit them. It was a lot to take in.
Jhin tossed a vial to Tina.
“Inject her. It’ll help her recover faster.”
Then he walked away.
Left behind were Tina, looking conflicted, and White, his face dark. Someone had poached his people right in front of him—yet he couldn’t do anything about it...
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