Chapter 24: Who Said We Need to Optimize?

"Alright then, how much can you offer?"

When Lucy heard this, her hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly. To be honest, it was the first time she'd heard of someone asking a hacker to handle programming work.

Shouldn't this type of job go to an experienced programmer—a wizened old man with over 100 years of coding experience?

But, hey, money doesn't knock on her door every day. Besides, even though she's a hacker, she is still a programmer. She can handle simple things like this.

"Actually, I don't know the exact price. How about this: after I drop my kid off at school, you can take a look at it. Whatever you charge is fine. If it's not enough, I'll just borrow some from the kind neighbors over on Sixth Street."

Lucy: "…"

David: "…"

Lucy and David exchanged glances. They could only pity the folks of the Sixth Street Gang. What kind of grudge was Arthur holding against them? How many times had he bled those poor gang members dry?

If he kept this up, they'd soon be penniless—or worse.

Not long after, Lucy followed Arthur to Arasaka Academy, where David trailed behind with his hands tucked behind his head, glancing at the two figures ahead with mixed emotions.

Should he let his mom know about all this?

Maybe it was time for some petty revenge—take a photo of his dad acting shady and send it straight to her. After all, his dad had tricked him countless times. Surely it was only fair for him to turn the tables, just this once?

As David considered this, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a flash—literal, blinding light.

Before he could process what was happening, Arthur's Mantis Blades shot out, the cold steel stopping just short of David's neck.

"Whoa, sorry about that, David," Arthur said, retracting the deadly weapon. "I'm really sorry. You know, cyberpsychosis. It's been acting up lately, and I've been on edge. Thought someone was trying to ambush me, and… well, instincts kicked in."

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Good thing it was you, huh? Because my son wouldn't dare pull any tricks on his dear old dad, right?"

The cold sweat running down David's back said otherwise. His shirt clung to his damp skin as he forced a nervous smile.

"Of course, Dad. I'd never try anything like that! Anyway, I'm gonna be late for school. See ya!"

Without another word, David bolted towards the academy.

Arthur, still unbothered, snagged the cigarette from Lucy's hand, taking a puff.

"Strawberry flavor? Not bad," he remarked with a smirk.

"You're insufferable," Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. "Now that we're done here, let's get out of here. I hate this place."

Arthur shrugged casually as Lucy tugged at his arm, urging him to leave. He didn't see why she was so worked up. Sure, Lucy was an escaped soldier from Arasaka, and sure, she might be on a few wanted lists, but it wasn't like Arasaka would waste resources hunting her down. Right?

Still, Lucy knew better.

"Stop dawdling! Arasaka doesn't forget," she snapped, scanning the crowd nervously.

Arthur sighed, reluctantly following her.

"Alright, alright. But while we're here, I wanted to talk to the principal about setting up a dormitory for the kids. Night City's getting more dangerous, and I'd feel better knowing David's sleeping somewhere safe."

"Just shut up and move!" Lucy hissed, dragging him by the arm.

Moments later, Lucy spotted a car parked along the street. Without hesitation, she hacked into its system, overriding the security and unlocking the doors.

Arthur, watching her work, smirked.

"You sure you're not the one who needs a psych eval? This is a Sword in the Stone—way too flashy for a quick getaway."

"Quit whining and get in," Lucy retorted, climbing into the passenger seat. "Rich people have insurance. If they lose the car, they'll just file a claim. No harm done."

Arthur snorted, sliding into the driver's seat. "You're unbelievable. You stole this car, plain and simple."

With that, he slammed on the accelerator, merging into the chaotic Night City traffic.

As they drove, Arthur sent Lucy a file via neural link.

"This is the new chip I've been working on," he explained. "It's designed to replace inhibitors for cyberpsychosis. I had someone else work on the program, but honestly, it feels kinda off. I need you to tweak it for me."

Curious, Lucy accessed the file and began scanning through the program.

"You, a cyberpunk, developed something this sophisticated?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Where'd you even get data on inhibitors?"

Arthur puffed out his chest proudly. "From me, of course. I'm my own guinea pig! Since I have cyberpsychosis, it's only natural I'd test it on myself. Works like a charm."

Lucy stared at him, incredulous. "You tested this on yourself?"

Arthur nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Effective, isn't it?"

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose.

After a moment, she sighed. "Look, this program is already solid. There's no need for any major changes. If you want optimization, I'd recommend hiring someone else. I'm not touching this."

Arthur shook his head, a grin spreading across his face.

"Who said anything about optimization? I need you to add a few backdoors. Oh, and make sure to limit the suppressor's effectiveness."

Lucy blinked, caught off guard.

"Wait, what? Why would you want to limit its effectiveness? Are you trying to…"

Arthur simply chuckled, leaning back in his seat as the car sped toward their destination.

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