Cyberpunk:Gained a body of steel

"David! You used Sian Weistein! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Gloria's voice trembled with concern. She valued David more than her own life, and the idea of him becoming involved in mercenary work made her panic. Earning 30,000 euros was one thing, but the risks were far greater.

"Ms. Gloria, please calm down and let me explain," Peter said, trying to ease her worries.

Gloria hesitated, then reluctantly stopped scolding David. Peter continued, "David's tolerance for prosthetics is much higher than most people's, especially considering he hasn't even had any training. The Araba Group seems to be developing a new armor, codenamed 'King Kong,' and they need someone with a high tolerance for prosthetic bodies to experiment on."

Gloria's expression shifted as she absorbed the information. Peter's words, though blunt, made her realize that if David returned to Arban Academy now, he would likely be arrested and used as a test subject for the new armor.

The development of new prosthetics required a large number of human experiments to stabilize the data. Gloria could now see that the academy's offer to let David return was far from a generous gesture—it was a trap.

The realization made her collapse onto the bed, drained of color. Peter wasn't someone who would deceive her, and his actions so far—saving lives in Night City, even advancing money for people—proved his integrity. She had no reason to doubt him.

"David's just a young kid. There's no reason for Peter to lie to me," she thought, feeling a wave of gratitude toward him.

"Ms. Gloria, I want to ask you a question," she said after a long pause, her voice quiet but full of hope.

Peter gave her a reassuring look. "Ask me anything. I'll do my best to answer."

"Can you do everything in your power to keep David safe?" Gloria's voice trembled slightly as she asked, her eyes filled with desperation. She didn't want David to become a mercenary, but with Arban Academy already targeting him, she knew he needed protection. If he didn't have a powerful ally, they would take him, and there would be no stopping them.

Peter nodded firmly. "Don't worry. As long as they're under my protection, I'll guarantee their safety."

Gloria felt a heavy weight lift off her shoulders. "Thank you, Peter. I can rest easy now."

She looked at David. "If you have things to do, go ahead. I need some time alone."

David hesitated but nodded. "Thanks, Mom." He could see how much she had been struggling, and now that Peter had given his assurance, he felt a little lighter.

---

Outside the Hospital

David stepped out of the hospital, looking like a wilted plant. His shoulders slumped, and his face wore a defeated expression.

"Brother Peter, I'm sorry for causing you trouble," he said, feeling guilty.

Peter patted David on the shoulder with a grin. "Stinky kid, what are you talking about? You're part of our team now."

David looked up, a small smile appearing on his face. "Yeah, thanks for everything, Brother Peter."

"Alright, let's move out. Our target today is the Whole Foods factory of the Maelstrom Gang."

"The Whole Foods factory? Didn't we go there last time?" Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. "Does this have something to do with Dexter's commission?"

Peter nodded. "Dexter said our mission requires a very important robot, and it's located at the Maelstrom."

Jack and the others didn't ask any more questions, trusting Peter's judgment. They were used to his mysterious ways.

---

Outside the Whole Foods Processing Plant

The factory was a high-security location, and Peter's team was about to face a much tougher challenge than before. The Maelstrom Gang had clearly learned from their previous encounter and had strengthened their defenses. The perimeter guards had doubled, and even the entrance to the basement was now fortified with heavy machine guns.

"The task is simple: take out the Maelstrom Gang inside the Whole Foods factory. Our first priority is to find Xiaopingtou," Peter said, his tone calm and confident.

He didn't waste time on unnecessary details. The plan was straightforward.

"Don't worry, Peter. I'm eager to test my new gorilla arm," Jack said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.

Peter nodded, though he couldn't help but smile at Jack's enthusiasm. After their previous attack, the Maelstrom Gang had clearly learned their lesson, reinforcing their defenses. But that wouldn't stop them.

"Lucy, you're in charge of hacking the traps and surveillance systems in the factory. V, Jack, and I will breach the front. David, I'm going to ask you to collect the weapons from the Maelstrom members we take down."

Peter's orders were clear. David wasn't thrilled with his assigned role, but he had no objections. His Sian Weistein wasn't enough to enhance his combat abilities, so it made sense for him to take a supporting role for now.

---

Inside the Maelstrom Gang's Territory

Peter wasted no time. He infiltrated the Maelstrom Gang's system, hacking into one of their lower-level members' networks. He planted a virus, and within seconds, chaos erupted.

"Ah! I'm on fire! What's happening?!"

"Help! I'm burning too!"

The gang members patrolling the outside suddenly found themselves engulfed in flames, their prosthetic bodies overheating and malfunctioning. Within moments, explosions rocked the area, sending several Maelstrom members to the ground.

In less than a minute, all the guards outside the factory were dead.

David stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. "Brother Peter, was that... was that Lucy?"

Peter shook his head. "No, Lucy was handling the traps and surveillance. I'm the one who burned them."

David couldn't process what had just happened. The idea of remotely hacking into people's prosthetics and setting them on fire was both horrifying and fascinating.

"Hey, David, now that you've joined us, you'll realize Peter knows a lot of things. What you've seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg," Jack laughed, clearly amused by David's stunned reaction.

Peter glanced at the scene, unfazed. "Let's keep moving. We still have a mission to complete."

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