Maine underwent a full-body examination at Vik's ripperdoc clinic, and while he was there, Vik also upgraded his internal systems to improve compatibility between the different models of cyberware inside him.
On top of that, he installed all kinds of patches and cleaned out the chaotic cache data generated by the cyberware throughout Maine's body.
By the time it was over, Maine felt like even his vision had become clearer.
The examination was complete.
Maine pulled out the neural data line, rolled his thick neck, and let out a sigh.
"My head doesn't feel nearly as dizzy anymore."
In his low, raspy voice, Vik explained, "That's because your operating system has been running under heavy load for too long, which kept your brain in a constant overheated state. That's why you've been getting dizziness and nausea."
"Now that I've optimized your internal systems, remember to use ice packs tonight to cool things down. That should ease your nausea, dry mouth, and stomach issues quite a bit."
"Full system scan, malware cleanup. Your body's squeaky clean now."
Maine nodded seriously. He had not expected Vik's skill to be this exceptional. Without removing a single piece of cyberware, Vik had already relieved a lot of his symptoms.
He could endure chronic pain, but feeling healthy and light was obviously better, so he praised him sincerely.
"Doctor Viktor, I've been to a lot of clinics, but you're absolutely the best ripperdoc I've ever seen."
Then he turned to Kai and said, "Mr. Kai, thank you."
Viktor took two inhaler canisters out of a drawer and set them on the support arm beside the surgical chair.
"Take these with you. Use them twice a day from now on. The immunoblockers you've been using are too strong, so cut back on them."
Maine picked up the two inhaler canisters and asked, "What is this?"
Viktor explained, "A mild inhibitor made by Moore Tech. It strengthens neural conduction and suppresses implant side effects. It works similarly to immunoblockers, but it's much gentler, so it's better for long-term use."
Maine accepted the two canisters and said gratefully, "Thank you again, Doctor Viktor. I owe you and Mr. Kai one."
"But I still want to know. What were the compatibility test results?"
Viktor answered honestly, trying to persuade him otherwise.
"Your body is in very bad shape right now. If you install this military-grade Sandevistan on top of everything else, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it. Even if you do install it, you won't be able to use it many times in a single day. Otherwise, this thing will cook your brain."
But Maine shot back with a question instead.
"So that means I can still install it, right? Doctor Viktor, money for the surgery isn't a problem. My body can take it!"
Seeing how stubborn Maine was, Viktor could only respond with some helplessness, "You can install it, yes. But you need to prepare yourself mentally first."
Maine replied with absolute determination, "I understand. One week from now, right?"
Viktor nodded. "That's right. Once I finish processing this implant, we can perform the surgery."
The moment Maine heard Viktor agree to do the operation, the weight hanging over his heart finally lifted.
"Then thank you so much, Doctor Viktor. How much do I owe you?"
Vik stood up and returned to his workbench, continuing to work on the military-grade implant.
"Let's talk about that after the surgery succeeds. My advice is that you go back and think about it again."
Kai knew Vik would not say something like that for no reason, so he also said to Maine, "Maine, trust Vik. And I'll say it too, think it over one more time."
Maine was no longer as resistant to Kai as he had been before. Hearing his advice, he laughed openly and said, "Thanks, but I've already thought it through!"
Along the way, Maine had met Jack and Vik through Kai, and he had come to realize that Kai, despite being a high-ranking corpo, had friends like them.
Birds of a feather flock together.
That meant Kai might really not be the kind of overbearing schemer Maine had initially assumed, someone who relied on corporate power to act however he pleased.
But at the same time, the deadly trap Kai had laid and the ruthless methods he had used were still fresh in Maine's mind. He truly could not get a full read on him.
In the end, Maine could only come to one conclusion.
If he could not trust Kai enough to become friends, then at the very least, he should never become his enemy.
Vik quickly extracted the live-body performance data from the military-grade Sandevistan and stored it on a small chip, then handed it to Kai.
"It's all in there."
Kai took the chip. "Thanks, Vik. I won't keep bothering you. Another day, I'll treat you to a boxing match and a drink."
Vik waved him off. "All right, I heard you. I'll just wait for the good news."
After saying goodbye to Vik, the two of them left the ripperdoc clinic.
When they reached the roadside, Maine once again took the initiative to thank Kai. He did not like owing people favors.
"Mr. Kai, this time you helped my whole crew. I'll remember this debt."
Kai did not dwell on it. His cooperation with Maine had already been agreed upon beforehand. He was not the kind of person who went back on his word.
Maybe it was because of his background as a corpo. Even a small display of keeping his promises felt like an unexpected delight to other people.
Just like that old story about good people and bad people.
A good person who did good deeds every day could do one bad thing and get cursed by everyone around him, branded a hypocrite for life.
A bad person who did bad things every day could do one good deed and suddenly move everyone so much they would praise him for turning over a new leaf.
Kai turned his head and looked at the large man beside him, then said coolly, "No need to thank me. I only handled things according to the deal we made. Besides, you and I were both just getting what we needed."
Maine was slightly surprised by that answer, but he quickly understood what Kai meant.
"No matter what, you saved us. I don't like owing people. If you ever need it, I can agree to work with you one more time. No payment."
Kai looked toward the storefronts not far away, where flashy street dancers in revealing clothes were swaying and soliciting customers.
"Do you know why some people like doing business with street girls?"
Maine stayed silent, waiting for Kai to explain.
Kai spoke in a low voice.
"Because it's a one-time transaction. Nobody owes anybody anything. No moral burden, no emotional burden."
"I don't want to hear even the slightest whisper about what happened tonight getting out. Otherwise, next time, what waits for us probably won't be cooperation."
"Don't naively think Militech is just going to let this go either. Whoever can keep the line out longer... that only gets decided at the very end."
Kai patted Maine's heavy shoulder.
"Come to Vik's next week for the implant surgery. Don't be late."
After saying that, he turned and walked back toward the fortune-telling shop behind him.
Maine stood alone by the street for a moment, thinking it over. In the end, he accepted the warning, then headed off toward the other end of the road.
Kai returned to the fortune-telling shop and saw Jack reclining in a chair, being guided by Misty through a deep relaxation meditation.
With Jack and Misty enjoying their time alone together, Kai did not want to disturb them, so he turned around and quietly headed back toward the luxury apartment where he lived.
Even though it was already late and deep into the night, Kai still decided to head back early, then go for a run by the seawall to clear his head.
As for the luxurious private AV, it had already automatically flown back to Arthur's luxury residence in North Oak according to his instructions.
(End of Chapter)
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