About half an hour later, Falco slammed the brakes on his modified, heavily armored off-road vehicle, stopping abruptly next to Rebecca's car.
Maine, Dorio, and Pilar quickly got out of the car.
"Status?" Maine asked succinctly, checking the smart pistol in his hand.
"David has been inside for over forty minutes. Communications are cut, and his signal is gone," Rebecca said quickly. "There are guards at the clinic entrance who don't look like ordinary medical staff. We didn't dare to force our way in, fearing we'd alert them and put David in more danger."
"Good job." Maine nodded. "Kiwi, Sasha, any discoveries?"
Kiwi's voice came through the comms: "A black unmarked van left the clinic's back door fifteen minutes ago. Its route deliberately avoided cameras on main roads.
I'm trying to track its possible direction... it will take time."
Sasha added: "The foundation's financial flows are very complex, changing hands multiple times, but they ultimately point to several shell companies linked to Arasaka. Arasaka is highly suspected in this kidnapping."
"Arasaka..." Maine's brows furrowed into a knot.
It was them again. Although the last conflict seemed to have ended inconclusively, the corporation's shadow always loomed over them.
Just then, Lucy suddenly spoke, her voice sharp with a hint of discovery: "I've captured a fragment of an encrypted communication, originating from the area near the departing van.
The content is heavily scrambled, but I've parsed out a keyword... 'Technical Department.'"
Technical Department! Arasaka Technical Department!
All the clues instantly connected.
A kidnapping operation targeting David, orchestrated by the Arasaka Technical Department.
What was the motive? What about David was worth such a major undertaking by the Arasaka Technical Department?
Did his recent studies with "the boss" attract attention?
Whatever the reason, they had to find David as soon as possible! Technical Department labs were easy to get into, but hard to get out of!
"Falco!" Maine immediately ordered. "Based on the possible route Kiwi provided, we pursue! Rebecca, Lucy, get in the car!"
Everyone quickly boarded the off-road vehicle.
Falco stomped on the accelerator, the engine roared, and the vehicle shot forward like an arrow from a bow, speeding through the streets of Night City based on Kiwi's constantly updated tracking information.
Rebecca and Lucy followed in their previous car.
The atmosphere inside the car was tense.
Maine maintained contact with Kiwi and Sasha at the base via comms, sharing intelligence.
Dorio checked everyone's weapon status.
Pilar flexed his mechanical fingers, ready to jump into battle at any moment.
Rebecca gripped her shotgun, her face showing undisguised killing intent.
Lucy, meanwhile, drove while continuously monitoring the network, searching for any overlooked clues.
They drove through the neon-lit city center and into the relatively dim industrial district.
Kiwi's tracking showed that the van ultimately disappeared into a large logistics and storage area near Arasaka Tower.
This area was entirely controlled by Arasaka and heavily guarded.
"They must have taken David into Arasaka Tower!" Rebecca said anxiously.
"Not necessarily," Maine said, relatively calmly. "Some of the Technical Department's secret labs aren't located inside the main tower; it's too conspicuous. That logistics area likely contains their hidden facilities."
The vehicles stopped a few blocks away from the logistics area. They couldn't get any closer, or they would trigger Arasaka's security system.
"What do we do now?" Pilar asked. "Force our way in? That's Arasaka's territory."
Maine pondered for a moment, then asked Lucy and Kiwi via the comms channel: "Can you find a way to get internal surveillance or access records for that area? We need to confirm David's exact location."
Lucy and Kiwi immediately tried, but quickly reported bad news: the network defense level for that area was extremely high, almost on par with the Arasaka main tower, making it difficult to breach in a short time.
For a moment, the operation was at a standstill.
They knew David was likely inside, but they couldn't determine his exact location or force their way in.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Dorio, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: "Perhaps... we don't need to find him ourselves."
Everyone looked at her.
Dorio explained: "Since the other party is the Technical Department, and their goal is to kidnap David for some kind of 'test' or 'experiment,' then they must have relevant project plans and scheduling information internally.
We might be able to start elsewhere, find information about the project leader, and then... 'question' him."
"Tanaka is a supervisor in the Technical Department," Lucy suddenly interjected. She had seen his name in previous investigations. "He's in charge of several cutting-edge cyberware projects and has very high clearance. If this kidnapping was led by the Technical Department, he likely knows about it, or is even the mastermind."
"Tanaka..." Maine repeated the name, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Can you find his whereabouts?"
"I'll try." Lucy closed her eyes again, connecting to the network.
This time, her target was the schedules and internal communication records of Arasaka's mid-to-high-level managers.
This was slightly easier than breaching the logistics area's defenses, but still extremely risky.
Time passed minute by minute. Every second meant David could be facing unknown dangers, and an anxious atmosphere permeated the car.
Suddenly, Lucy's body jolted. She abruptly opened her eyes, her voice urgent: "Found him! Tanaka has a private engagement tonight at the 'Kyushu' Japanese restaurant in Heywood District. He's expected to leave in two hours."
Target locked!
Maine immediately made a decision: "Falco, to Heywood District! We'll wait for him near 'Kyushu.' Dorio, Pilar, prepare to 'invite' Mr. Tanaka for a chat. Rebecca, you're on lookout and support."
"Finally something to do!" Rebecca licked her lips excitedly, gripping her shotgun.
The off-road vehicle started again, turned around, and headed towards Heywood District.
An interception operation targeting an Arasaka executive was about to unfold in the Night City night. They had to pry David's whereabouts from Tanaka's mouth.
---
The "Kyushu" Japanese restaurant was located on a relatively quiet street in Heywood District, exuding an elegance that felt out of place with its surroundings.
Maine's crew parked their car in a dark blind spot at the street corner, waiting patiently.
Two hours later, just as the intelligence Lucy had acquired indicated, Tanaka, the Technical Department supervisor, emerged from the Japanese restaurant, slightly tipsy, accompanied by a bodyguard.
He was about to walk towards the bulletproof corporate luxury sedan parked by the roadside.
Just then, Maine and Dorio appeared from the shadows like phantoms.
Dorio moved swiftly, delivering a precise hand chop to the bodyguard's neck. The man collapsed silently to the ground.
Maine, using his modified, powerful arm, clamped his arm around Tanaka's neck and quickly dragged him towards the off-road vehicle at the street corner.
Tanaka struggled in terror, but against Maine's absolute strength, his resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree.
He was roughly shoved into the back seat of the off-road vehicle. Pilar and Rebecca immediately flanked him, one on each side, cold gun barrels pressed against his waist.
Falco quickly drove away from the scene. The entire process was clean and efficient, causing no disturbance.
The vehicle drove into a deserted industrial warehouse district and stopped inside an empty warehouse.
Tanaka was dragged from the car and thrown onto the cold concrete floor.
He looked in horror at Maine's crew members surrounding him, especially Maine's imposing figure and Rebecca's undisguised murderous gaze.
"Who… who are you? What do you want? I am the Head of the Arasaka Technical Department! Do you know the consequences of harming me?" Tanaka tried to intimidate them with the company's name, but his trembling voice betrayed his inner fear.
Maine squatted down, his massive shadow enveloping Tanaka, and the muzzle of his smart pistol lightly tapped Tanaka's forehead: "Head Tanaka, we don't have much time, and we'll only ask once. David Martinez, where have you got him locked up?"
Tanaka's heart sank; it was indeed for that kid! He forced himself to remain calm: "I… I don't know what you're talking about! What David Martinez?"
"Bang!" A muffled gunshot echoed, accompanied by Tanaka's scream.
Maine unhesitatingly shot him in the thigh; though not a fatal spot, the excruciating pain instantly turned Tanaka's face pale.
"My patience is limited," Maine's voice was icy. "Next time, it'll be your kneecap."
"In… in Warehouse B7 of the Seventh Logistics District… underground…" Tanaka was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, no longer able to hide anything. "There's a secret laboratory of the Technical Department there… the project… is the 'cyber-titan (heavy solo cyberware project)'…"
"cyber-titan (heavy solo cyberware project)?" Maine frowned; he had never heard of this project.
"It's… it's a heavy solo cyberware project… requiring extremely high neural adaptability… David's data… he's very suitable…" Tanaka confessed intermittently, trying to exchange information for a chance to live.
Having obtained the exact location, Maine stood up and gave Dorio a look.
Dorio understood, stepped forward, and began a more detailed interrogation of Tanaka, including the internal structure of the laboratory, its security forces, and the specific details and risks of the "cyber-titan (heavy solo cyberware project)" project.
Meanwhile, at The Dump HQ, Kiwi and Sasha began to fully penetrate the network defenses of Warehouse B7 in the Seventh Logistics District, based on the information provided by Tanaka.
With a clear target, the intrusion efficiency greatly improved.
They quickly obtained the warehouse's floor plan, ventilation duct layout, and the security personnel's patrol routes and shift times.
The information was shared with Maine's crew in real-time.
"The laboratory is on the second basement level, with the entrance disguised as a regular freight elevator, requiring a specific access card and iris verification," Kiwi's voice came through the comms. "There are about twelve security personnel, patrolling in three shifts, equipped with standard company-issue weapons.
The internal situation of the laboratory is unknown, but according to Tanaka's description, there should be researchers and more security inside."
"Access card and iris…" Maine looked at Tanaka, who was lying on the ground like a dead dog.
Dorio had already retrieved the access card from Tanaka and had violently "ensured" that he would "cooperate" with the iris verification—Maine's gun never left his head.
A plan was quickly formulated: use Tanaka as a "key" to infiltrate the B7 warehouse's underground laboratory, quickly locate and rescue David, and then swiftly withdraw.
They aimed to avoid engagement with security forces as much as possible; once Arasaka Tower's main security was alerted, it would be difficult for them to escape.
Everyone got back into the car, stuffing the ashen-faced Tanaka inside, and sped towards the Seventh Logistics District.
This time, they had a clear objective and a preliminary plan.
But everyone knew that breaking into Arasaka Technical Department's secret laboratory was like pulling teeth from a tiger.
The operation to rescue David had just entered its most dangerous phase.
Night City's neon lights flashed past their car windows, reflecting grave and determined faces.
—
Inside the abandoned warehouse, Tanaka was roughly dragged by Dorio, the gunshot wound in his thigh making him groan in pain.
Maine's crew had just extracted crucial information from him and was preparing to use him as a "key" to enter the laboratory.
However, just as Falco started the car engine, preparing to drive towards the Seventh Logistics District, Kiwi's urgent voice came through the team communication channel, with a clear alarm: "Maine! We have a situation! Multiple high-speed moving signals are converging on your location! Identifying signals… it's Arasaka Internal Security Response Units!"
Almost simultaneously, the characteristic roar of heavy AV engines grew louder in the distance, and dazzling searchlight beams cut through the night sky like swords, beginning to sweep across the abandoned industrial area.
"Damn it!" Maine's face changed, instantly understanding what was happening. "This bastard has a tracker on him!"
Though Tanaka was grimacing in pain, a glimmer of hope and malice flashed in his eyes when he heard the engine sounds.
The company hadn't abandoned him! Help was on the way!
Rebecca reacted extremely quickly, slamming the barrel of her shotgun hard against Tanaka's temple, and shouted fiercely out the car window: "Tell them to back off! Or I'll blow his head off immediately!"
But Arasaka's Internal Security Response Units were not street thugs; they were well-trained and had clear objectives.
Two armored AVs quickly took advantageous positions above the warehouse, their hatches opening as security personnel in black heavy combat suits and full-face helmets rappelled down, their movements swift and professional.
More ground armored vehicles sealed off all exits of the warehouse district, and red laser sights began to dance on Maine's crew's off-road vehicle.
"Attention, occupants! Immediately release Head Tanaka! Drop your weapons and surrender! This is your final warning!" A cold, rigid announcement came through the loudspeaker.
"Surrender? Bullshit!" Rebecca gritted her teeth, her finger on the trigger, almost pressing it down.
The situation instantly took a turn for the worse.
They had a hostage, but the other side had absolute firepower and numerical superiority, and clearly didn't care about Tanaka's life—or believed they wouldn't actually kill an Arasaka executive.
Maine's crew was trapped in the warehouse, caught in an impossible predicament.
"Falco! Find cover!" Maine roared, simultaneously yanking Tanaka out of the car, using his massive body as a temporary shield, and dragging him quickly behind the stacked abandoned cargo containers inside the warehouse.
Dorio, Pilar, and Rebecca also immediately sought firing positions using the vehicle and other debris.
"Bang bang bang!" Intense gunfire erupted instantly.
Arasaka security personnel, relying on their superior equipment and suppressive fire, unleashed a rain of bullets that struck the off-road vehicle's armor and cargo containers, sending up a flurry of sparks and debris.
Maine's crew stubbornly returned fire, using their experience and the terrain, their bullets whistling towards the enemy, temporarily stemming their charge. But everyone knew this was only temporary; they were completely surrounded and at an absolute disadvantage.
At the same time, in Arasaka Tower, Counter-Intelligence Department office.
Director Jenkins, head of the department, was rubbing his throbbing temples, looking at the highest priority alert that had just popped up on his screen—Technical Department Director Tanaka had been kidnapped, and his signal appeared in an abandoned industrial area on the outskirts of Night City. Arasaka's internal security response team had already engaged in a firefight.
"This idiot!" Director Jenkins couldn't help but curse under his breath.
He had long warned Arasaka's internal executives, who focused on technology and lacked street experience, to pay attention to their personal safety, especially when engaging in private activities.
Tanaka, however, for the sake of some "private space," didn't even bring bodyguards, and as a result, he was kidnapped by an unknown group of armed individuals.
What bothered him most was that Valerie, his most capable subordinate, was currently in eddiepe handling a critical matter concerning Arasaka's eddiepean network security and couldn't be spared.
The personnel the Counter-Intelligence Department could mobilize now were sufficient for routine monitoring and intelligence analysis, but to deal with this kind of sudden, high-intensity armed conflict and crisis negotiation, they were stretched thin.
Although the Technical Department and the Counter-Intelligence Department both belonged to Arasaka, there was internal competition and friction.
Director Jenkins had heard about the cyber-titan (heavy solo cyberware project) that Tanaka was in charge of and knew it was a hot potato with huge investment but little progress.
Now, the project leader was kidnapped, and it involved armed conflict. If not handled properly, not only would the Technical Department lose face, but the entire Arasaka Night City branch's security capabilities would be questioned by Arasaka headquarters.
He couldn't ignore it, but he couldn't easily intervene either.
Directly send Counter-Intelligence Department personnel to take over the scene? That would offend the internal security department, and his people might not handle it better than professional combat personnel.
Director Jenkins quickly weighed the pros and cons.
He first had to report to higher-ups, explain the situation, and absolve the Counter-Intelligence Department of responsibility.
After all, this was an accident caused by the Technical Department Director's own negligence, and the security forces had already intervened.
But at the same time, he also had to find a way to control the situation, prevent the conflict from escalating, and certainly not let Tanaka die or let Arasaka's important project information leak.
He immediately connected to the internal security department head's communication, his tone serious: "I understand the situation on site. It is imperative to ensure Director Tanaka's personal safety is the top priority! Subdue the perpetrators while ensuring his safety. I need real-time battlefield footage and intelligence sharing."
After ending the communication, he quickly drafted an emergency report to Arasaka headquarters and the Night City branch's top management, objectively stating the incident's progression and current status, emphasizing that the Counter-Intelligence Department was "closely monitoring and coordinating the handling."
After completing these procedural tasks, he leaned back in his chair, his brows tightly furrowed.
Just relying on the muscle-headed internal security who only knew how to launch frontal assaults probably wouldn't solve the problem. What if the kidnappers were pushed too far and Tanaka was killed, or... a more terrifying thought flashed through his mind, what if this group of kidnappers was the same as the last group...
He pulled up surveillance footage and communication interception records from around the industrial area, hoping to find some clues.
Soon, technical analysts reported that preliminary tracing of the kidnappers' vehicles and communication patterns strongly suggested a connection to Maine's crew, which had been making waves recently.
"Maine's crew..." Director Jenkins' heart sank.
It's them again! He immediately recalled the disastrous consequences of Abernathy's unauthorized actions earlier, and the fragile ceasefire Valerie had finally achieved by trading Abernathy's future and corporate compensation.
If it was them again this time, and Tanaka was kidnapped because his foolish cyber-titan (heavy solo cyberware project) project had targeted their people... then the trouble was immense!
He couldn't directly send Counter-Intelligence Department personnel to take over the scene; that would completely escalate the conflict and could backfire.
He needed a more... indirect approach.
He thought of the channel Valerie had previously established, to contact Maine's crew through the intermediary, Father.
Although Valerie wasn't present, this line might still be usable.
—
Inside the abandoned warehouse, bullets flew, and metal shards splattered.
Arasaka security forces had fierce firepower, but Maine's crew, using cover, returned fire accurately and efficiently, temporarily holding off the assault.
"Maine! This is endless!" Dorio reloaded a new magazine, her tone impatient, "Do you want to show them some real stuff?"
She was referring to the heavy weapons they had obtained from Osiris, which far exceeded the conventional firepower of this era.
Maine's eyes were cold. He glanced at Tanaka, who was pressed behind cover by him, his face pale from stray bullets and explosions.
How could he not want to solve the problem in a more direct way? But... "No," he said in a deep voice, "We can't make a big fuss; it would make rescuing David difficult."
Forcing a breakthrough might be possible, but it would certainly alert the enemy and increase the difficulty and risk of rescuing David.
Just then, Sasha, who was in charge of communication monitoring, suddenly spoke in the team channel, her voice carrying a hint of surprise: "Maine! Father's call! It's Director Jenkins from Arasaka Counter-Intelligence Department, he wants to speak directly with you."
"Jenkins?" Maine raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding the other party's intention.
This old fox must have received news of Tanaka's attack and, upon discovering it was them who made the move, couldn't sit still for fear of another backlash.
"Patch him through." He ordered, and then, speaking into the comms, his voice hardened by battle: "Director Jenkins, you've picked a terrible time to call."
From the other end of the communication, Director Jenkins' voice came through, trying to maintain composure but unable to hide his tension: "Mr. Maine, I believe there has been a serious misunderstanding between us. Cease fire, and we can avoid unnecessary casualties."
"Misunderstanding?" Maine sneered, suppressing a firepower point that tried to pop up with a burst of bullets, "Your Technical Department Director set a trap to kidnap our person, and now your security forces have us surrounded here. Director Jenkins, is this Arasaka's 'cooperation' sincerity?"
"Tanaka's actions were a severe overreach! The Counter-Intelligence Department neither authorized nor condones such behavior!" Director Jenkins immediately drew a clear line, his tone carrying the official cadence of a corporate executive, "But at present, violence won't solve the problem. I understand that your target is that young man named David Martinez?"
"That's right." Maine didn't evade, "Where is he?"
"He is currently in a... protected location." Director Jenkins chose his words carefully, "I can arrange for his release. But the precondition is that Director Tanaka must return to Arasaka safely and unharmed."
Maine heard the implied exchange in Director Jenkins' words, and he was happy with it.
"Agreed." He replied straightforwardly, "Have your people retreat immediately and clear a path. We will release people simultaneously—you send David to the designated location, and I will return Tanaka to you."
Director Jenkins was silent for a few seconds on the other end, evidently quickly assessing the situation.
Trading an insignificant, potentially troublesome street kid for a corporate executive and the potential hope of a project, while avoiding further conflict with this difficult team and the forces behind them, was a worthwhile deal.
"Deal." Director Jenkins finally said, his tone regaining more control, "But I need to ensure Director Tanaka's safety before the exchange. At the same time, the release location must be mutually agreed upon to ensure the process... is controllable."
"Agreed." Maine consented, "For the specific details, have your people coordinate with Sasha. Remember, Jenkins, if David loses even a single hair, this deal is off. And then, it won't be us coming for you. I think you understand, David is the boss' apprentice."
He deliberately mentioned "the person behind the scenes," an unspoken threat.
Director Jenkins evidently understood the implication, his tone becoming more solemn: "I understand. Arasaka will honor the agreement. Now, please allow me to order the troops to retreat, to create a... negotiation space for both of us."
The communication was temporarily interrupted.
Soon, the gunfire outside the warehouse noticeably thinned, and Arasaka security forces began to retreat in an orderly fashion, disengaging from direct contact but still maintaining a remote blockade.
"They've retreated." Dorio confirmed, letting out a small sigh of relief.
Rebecca pouted, putting away her weapon: "Tsk, boring. I thought I could try out the new 'big toys'."
"Rescuing David is the priority." Maine said in a deep voice, his gaze still warily scanning outside the window, "Sasha, finalize the exchange details with them. Dorio, keep an eye on our 'guest'. Everyone else, stay alert, prevent them from playing tricks."
A temporary, fragile calm settled inside and outside the warehouse.
The familiar scent of dust and engine oil at The Dump HQ now carried an unspeakable bitterness in David Martinez's nostrils.
The jolting of the Arasaka armored vehicle seemed to linger in his bones, but even heavier was the immense weight on his heart.
He had returned safely, snatched back from the cold laboratory trap of the Arasaka Technical Department by Maine's crew. Physically, apart from a slight weakness from the sedatives, he was unharmed.
However, his confidence was shattered, like a glass thrown under the scorching sun of the Badlands, broken into a thousand shards.
He walked with his head down, following the tall figures of Maine and Dorio towards the silent workshop.
Every step felt exceptionally difficult.
Rebecca and Pilar whispered something behind them, their gazes occasionally sweeping over David, carrying an emotion he couldn't quite decipher—perhaps pity, or perhaps the helplessness of "I told you so."
Lucy walked quietly at the very end, her silence like a thin veil separating her from the surrounding noise.
The workshop's heavy metal door slid open, releasing its unique scent, a mixture of ozone, coolant, and metal polish.
Osiris' massive torso, covered in dark red dragon-scale power armor, stood with his back to them, at the main control console. Several nimble mechanical tentacles rapidly operated on the complex interface light screens, emitting an extremely faint hum.
The air was filled with a nearly solidified concentration.
Maine stopped, his rough voice exceptionally clear in the spacious workshop: "boss, we're back. We brought David back too."
Osiris' operations didn't pause; even his crimson optical lenses didn't turn towards them. Only a steady synthesized voice echoed through the space: "I have received the process brief. Redundant details do not need to be repeated."
David felt his throat tighten.
He stepped forward, trying to keep his voice from trembling too much: "boss... I'm sorry, I... I was too foolish, I almost..."
He wanted to say "I almost didn't make it back" and also express his guilt for causing such immense trouble for the team, but the words were stuck in his throat, fragmented and incomplete.
At this moment, Osiris slowly turned around.
The shadow cast by his imposing body almost completely enveloped David.
The crimson optical lenses scanned David from top to bottom, without concern, without anger, without even a ripple of emotion, as if scanning a part that had just been submitted for inspection but was found to have a design flaw.
"Foolish?" Osiris' synthesized voice remained steady, but each syllable was like a cold metal block hitting the ground: "No, your intelligence has been tested and is not low. Although it has not met my requirements, it cannot be called foolish.
Your mistake was not in underestimating the malice of corporations; that is the norm in Night City. Your mistake was in your mode of thinking, which still remains at the level of a beggar."
David was stunned. He had expected to be reprimanded for being reckless and inexperienced, but he hadn't anticipated such a beginning.
Maine and the others also showed a hint of surprise.
"We are followers of the omnissiah, seekers of the original power and the glory of the Machine God," Osiris' voice carried the solemnity of reciting scripture. "To seek truth and knowledge, to analyze the operating laws of all things, and thereby to shape reality and resolve dilemmas—this is our sole mission."
His mechanical finger pointed silently at David, its sharp tip seeming to pierce the air: "Your mother, Gloria Martinez, her body is damaged, and her nervous system is failing, requiring specific chemical substances for maintenance and repair.
This is, in essence, a problem of maintaining and repairing a biomechanical system."
"The knowledge system I allowed you to study includes basic biology, neddieanatomy, and principles of chemical synthesis. These are the tools, the keys to the door of solutions," Osiris' tone suddenly rose slightly, with an undeniable interrogative quality, "Tell me, when you learned that the drug called 'Synaptic Regenerator-Type IV' was difficult to obtain, what was your first reaction?
Was it to immediately open the data package I gave you to study its molecular formula? To analyze its synthesis pathway? To consider whether you could use raw materials and equipment possibly found within the hideout to attempt reverse engineering or find alternative solutions?"
David opened his mouth, unable to utter a single word.
At that time, his mind was entirely focused on how to quickly obtain the finished drug to alleviate his mother's pain, and he had never thought... that he could "manufacture" it himself.
"You didn't," Osiris spoke the answer for him, the disappointment in his tone like cold molten steel, slowly pouring out, "Your thinking directly skipped the core steps of 'seeking knowledge' and 'creation,' and slid directly to the least efficient, most passive 'begging'—hoping for alms from an unknown 'charity organization.'
You placed your hope for solving the problem on the goodwill of others, or rather, on a trap disguised as goodwill.
This is not only ill-conceived but also a blasphemy against knowledge itself, a betrayal of your potential identity."
Osiris' massive body leaned slightly forward, his pair of crimson lenses fixed on David's eyes, which were filled with panic and self-reproach: "An apprentice of the omnissiah, when encountering the unknown, when encountering difficulties, should first activate his logical core, his thirst for knowledge!
It is to explore the principles behind phenomena, to master the knowledge of creating solutions!
And not to be like a beggar reaching out in the mud, hoping for the pity of passersby!
My disappointment in you lies precisely here—you do not yet possess the most basic thinking of a seeker of the Way: ultimately, all problems are problems of knowledge.
Only by mastering knowledge can you control everything, including your mother's destiny."
This accusation was like a heavy hammer, striking David's heart fiercely.
Unlike any criticism he had anticipated, this wasn't blaming him for causing trouble, but fundamentally negating his way of dealing with difficulties.
A deeper sense of confusion and shame, stemming from a cognitive level, surged up, making him almost unable to stand.
After finishing his evaluation of David, Osiris no longer paid him any mind, turning back to his own research.
Seeing this, Maine stepped forward and clapped David heavily on the shoulder, trying to break the suffocating atmosphere: "Kid, don't be like this. Night City is like this; traps are everywhere. Once you step in one, just remember it. Next time, be more careful and prepare a few more escape routes."
His encouragement was street-style, rough but practical, emphasizing experience and vigilance.
Dorio also spoke, her voice steady: "It's good that you came back alive. Going through this will make you grow faster." Her words carried the magnanimity of someone who had been through it, but they couldn't reach the root of David's inner turmoil at that moment.
Pilar rubbed his mechanical fingers and interjected: "Exactly. Next time someone uses bait like this, just tell me, and I'll find out what color their underwear is!" He tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but it had little effect.
Rebecca folded her arms and snorted: "If you ask me, we didn't hit them hard enough. Next time any corporate dog dares to show its claws, just blow up his car!" Her support was full of violent aesthetics, simple and direct, but it also couldn't answer David's confusion about "seeking knowledge" versus "begging."