Chapter 366: Chapter 366
Chapter 366
2-in-1-Chapter
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The private room was quite spacious.
They pushed the glass table in the center to the side, creating enough open space for the two of them to move freely.
Judy and the others stood along the perimeter of the room, while Leo and Tom faced each other in the middle.
Only a step or two separated them.
"Come on."
Leo gestured at Tom.
"Alright, I’m coming. Be careful."
Tom switched his behavior chip into combat mode. A soft blue glow flickered in his eyes.
In the next moment, as if his body were being controlled, he assumed a textbook fighting stance—precise and balanced.
Two minutes later.
Leo stood calmly in place, not even slightly out of breath.
Tom, on the other hand, sat on the floor, completely dejected, looking like a rooster that had just lost a fight.
"How about it? Can you still stand?"
Leo extended a hand and pulled Tom up from the ground.
During those two short minutes, no matter how Tom attacked, Leo had countered every move with ease. It felt like he was toying with a child.
Only after exactly two minutes had passed did Leo strike back—just once—and sent Tom flying.
Originally, activating the modified behavior chip had given Tom a rush of strength, like something was surging through him. But this fight with Leo was like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, forcing him to recognize the true gap between himself and a professional.
"That’s it?"
Maiko Maeda wasn’t a combat expert. She couldn’t gauge the chip’s real value. All she saw was Tom being completely dominated, like an elementary schooler facing an adult.
With a doubtful look, she glanced at Judy.
"You sure this thing’s worth anything?"
But Judy didn’t notice Maiko’s expression. She stood there in a daze, staring at Leo.
She had never expected the modified chip to turn Tom into some kind of super-soldier. Still, she hadn’t thought he’d be unable to last even a single round against Leo.
"It’s not the chip’s fault. This version is already decent."
Being able to turn a civilian into a soldier in an instant—this level of performance was already impressive.
No, it wasn’t suited to take on elite spec-ops forces.
But for fighting militias in Bolivia, it would be more than enough.
Just then, a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time suddenly echoed in Leo’s mind.
You believe this modified behavior chip still has room for improvement.
Would you like to spend 1,000 Potential Points to unlock the Combat Assistant and Combat Enhancer modules?
Leo froze.
Then the corner of his mouth twitched.
It had been so long since the system last showed up, he’d started to wonder if the so-called creator of this world had just forgotten all about it.
Of course, Leo answered: Yes.
He didn’t even need to open the system panel. He already knew that spending a mere 1,000 Potential Points was nothing for him.
1,000 Potential Points consumed. Blueprints unlocked—Combat Assistant and Combat Enhancer.
Massive amounts of data and schematics flooded his mind like rivers rushing into the sea.
It lasted more than thirty seconds before finally stopping.
Leo spent another thirty seconds digesting and internalizing all the information.
Then he understood the difference between the two modules.
Both were cyberware—implants, in essence—that could instantly elevate someone into a battle-capable professional.
The Combat Assistant could push a user to the level of a special forces soldier.
The Combat Enhancer, however, could elevate someone to something closer to a superhuman—something like Captain America.
Of course, there was a price to pay.
Not in terms of lifespan, but in time limits. The combat mode could only be sustained for one hour.
In other words, mass-producing spec-ops or Captain America types with these modules wasn’t feasible.
At most, they could be used for key moments.
.........
.....
.
"Leo? Leo."
Judy’s voice brought him back.
"What were you just thinking about?"
Leo diverted the subject. "Nothing. Are you done discussing your plan?"
Maiko Maeda didn’t dwell on why Leo had zoned out earlier. She turned to Judy and said, "Alright, back to business. You’ve got three muscleheads and one techie. Then what?"
Judy didn’t hold anything back. She laid out her full plan.
"Neutralize Cloud’s guards and the Tyger Claws—disarm them, take them out, escort them off-site. Once that’s done, Cloud is ours."
"Give their higher-ups one final warning. Let them take the financial hit and stay out of Cloud permanently. They’ll no longer have a say in how it’s run."
Her plan was shockingly simple.
So much so that Leo could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Just this?
Even if they really succeeded and took over Cloud, the fact remained—it was located in Japantown, right in the heart of Tyger Claws territory.
Was Judy really not concerned that the Tyger Claws would come back with a vengeance?
Back when Lizzie’s became independent, it was because the bar was in Kabuki, in Watson District—an area not entirely under Tyger Claws control. The Maelstrom also had a presence there.
Trying to replicate what happened at Lizzie’s and expecting the Tyger Claws to back off quietly and never return—wasn’t that a bit too reliant on past patterns?
Still, Leo didn’t voice any objections at the time.
He knew that even if he did, Judy likely didn’t have a better solution in hand.
Fortunately, Judy had come to him before taking action.
And it just so happened that he had a more complete and reliable plan in mind.
Maiko Maeda, too, was clearly dissatisfied with Judy’s approach.
"I knew it. A half-baked, reckless plan—you really can’t see a step ahead."
"Getting rid of the guards at Cloud and chasing off the Tyger Claws won’t solve the root of the problem. They’ll just send more people. Your target should be Hiromi Sato."
Judy blinked—this was the first time she’d heard the name. "Hiromi Sato?"
"The real owner of Cloud. The top dog. He’s also one of the most trusted members of the Tyger Claws upper ranks. He rarely shows his face in public, but nothing happens under him without his knowledge."
"The Tyger Claws trust him. They respect his decisions. He’s part of the gang. You might be able to persuade him, though that’s unlikely. But if you can scare him, there’s a chance this might work."
What Maiko meant was that Judy’s plan lacked depth.
Chasing off low-level Tyger Claws thugs was meaningless.
They needed to start at the top—go after Cloud’s highest authority.
In other words, Maiko wanted to pull Hiromi Sato down with the rest of them.
Her plan sounded more viable than Judy’s.
At the very least, it accounted for the Tyger Claws as a faction.
If Hiromi Sato could be intimidated, then over time, they might gradually sideline him—reduce him to a figurehead with no real power.
Judy, after hearing Maiko’s plan, had to admit it was better than her own.
So she asked, "Where can we find Hiromi Sato?"
"His penthouse is right above Cloud. The luxury suite on the top floor. He almost never leaves that glass box of his. But I can figure out a way to get us in."
In this world, rich people—every last one of them—preferred to live up high.
Even the villas in North Oak were built higher than those in any other district.
Maybe it was the feeling of standing above the whole city that appealed to them.
Truth be told, Leo also liked the sensation of standing on a peak and overlooking all beneath him. So he couldn’t really judge them, plus the higher you were, the less you smelled the perpetual stench Night city had.
Judy thought for a moment, then said, "Alright. When the time comes, you’ll take us straight to Hiromi Sato."
Maiko waved a finger. "No. You’ll stick to your original plan. As long as Leo comes with me, that’s enough."
"Striking from both ends—that’s the key. The two of them will handle things at Cloud."
"Splitting into two teams—I like this plan," Judy agreed easily. She adjusted her strategy according to Maiko’s suggestion, and it was clear she realized that Maiko’s plan was more thorough and more complete.
"So what do you say? Leo? Tom? Roxanne? Are you in?"
At the last moment, Roxanne seemed hesitant.
"I... I still need to think about it. Killing people... I’ve never done anything like that before."
Unlike Roxanne, Tom actually looked excited. "I’m in. Both hands and both feet in."
Finally, Judy turned to Leo.
"Leo?"
He had come all this way—of course, he had no reason to refuse. "Yeah. I’m in."
"Thank you, Leo."
"Save the thanks for later," Maiko cut in, not wanting to waste a single minute now that the deal was sealed. "I’ll go set up the meeting with Hiromi Sato. Once I have something, I’ll let you know. Might take a few days."
"Have fun in the meantime. Jya-ne."
Seeing Maiko about to leave, Roxanne and Tom quickly followed.
"Maiko, wait! Can you walk us part of the way?"
The others all gradually took their leave.
In the end, only Leo and Judy remained in the private booth.
"Shit, I’m so scared, Leo."
Now that no one else was around, Judy finally let down her guard and showed her vulnerability.
After all, this was the first time she had ever planned an operation like this herself.
Now she understood just how tough Suzie Q’s role as leader of the Mox really was.
She had dragged so many people into this—if the plan failed, their deaths would be on her.
"We’ll pull it off."
Leo had never failed a job.
Even that big gig with Dexter DeShawn—Leo had managed to retrieve the Relic from Konpeki Plaza.