Kapitel 99: Chapter 98
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Santo Domingo, Heywood.
On the overpass, a black Delamain car used overwhelming firepower to forcefully interrupt the intense crossfire, charging straight to the edge of the broken bridge and screeching to a halt.
After enduring a hail of bullets, the Delamain's exterior was pockmarked and paint chipped, turned into a honeycomb sieve, revealing the electroplated armor beneath.
The Delamain, renowned for its safety, still maintained its bulletproof state.
Parked amidst the wreckage, it immediately drew the attention of Maine and the others.
They were fiercely battling the Animals' brutes, weapons and ammo nearly depleted. Continuing to fight would force them to engage in close quarters combat.
But this was not a good choice. The Animals emphasized using technology to assist physical training. Each member was incredibly strong. Boxing was also their forte.
Moreover, the Animals seemed better prepared, with bundles of bullets in the trunk. Their firepower never ceased from start to finish.
Maine had already been hit by several stray bullets. Fortunately, his subdermal armor blocked the fatal damage.
He knew if the Delamain could take away the target, Militech, the Animals would not continue to pursue them.
Because the mission of the Animals and 6th Street was not to eliminate Maine's team, but to arrest or kill Militech.
The Delamain's rear was still under heavy fire, the body shaking nonstop.
Suddenly, the electronic screen on the Delamain's left lit up. Gloria shouted to Maine.
"Maine, hold on a bit longer. Leave the rest to us!"
Maine hurriedly replied, "Militech is with Kiwi. Find a chance to get him in the car."
Just as he finished speaking, Tang Yu ordered the Delamain to open the right side doors. He saw Kiwi and Lucy restraining Militech.
"Put Militech in the passenger seat. I'll take him out."
Tang Yu?
Lucy looked up and realized it was him. Her expression blanked for a moment but she quickly reacted, preparing to work with Kiwi to shove Militech into the passenger seat.
But the Animals' powerful gunfire nearly covered the car's surroundings. Stray bullets flew everywhere, not giving Kiwi and the others any opportunity. The slightest extra movement could result in being shot.
Several bullets struck the open right door of the Delamain, leaving dents and sparks.
The Delamain solemnly reminded, "Please board immediately and close the door. Detecting damage to the vehicle's defense system."
Seeing this, Dorio gritted her teeth. She directly picked up a rusty metal advertisement board beside her and rushed out, shielding Kiwi and the others.
"Hurry! Get Militech in the car!"
Bullets pattered against the billboard, quickly riddling it with holes.
Maine was furious. He picked up his arm cannon again, aiming the last mini-missile at the Animals and firing, creating a brief gap in their gunfire.
Seizing the chance, Kiwi grabbed Militech and stuffed him into the Delamain's passenger seat, fastening the seatbelt.
In his unconscious state, Militech still tightly clutched that old-fashioned kinetic sniper rifle - his last means of making a living.
Lucy's optics flashed red as she seriously reminded Tang Yu, "Militech's ICE has been temporarily dismantled, his cybernetic neural network hacked and blocked. If control isn't maintained, he may wake up. Be careful..."
Seeing her still hacking and controlling Militech, Tang Yu made way and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the car.
Before Lucy could react, she was already dragged into the Delamain's backseat.
Three people were crammed in the rear while Militech was slumped in the passenger seat.
Gloria beside them intentionally shifted over to make more room.
Tang Yu urged, "Lucy, keep him under control. Don't let him wake up and go berserk."
Lucy nodded solemnly, continuing to hack and control Militech's neural cybernetics.
"Del, close the door."
The Delamain automatically locked the doors, truthfully stating, "Weapon inventory has been depleted. Unable to handle attackers for you."
Tang Yu's gaze fell on Militech in the passenger seat, that old sniper rifle clutched to his chest.
"Del, move out."
"Your wish is my command."
Del immediately accelerated in reverse, tires spinning rapidly in place, kicking up white smoke as it began driving back the way it came.
The Animals' gunfire was relentless, nearly shredding the Delamain's rear.
The Delamain reversed all the way out from the broken bridge, heading down the road it arrived on.
Seeing their target Militech being snatched away, the Animals decisively gave up attacking Maine and the others, roaring:
"Damn it, brothers, after them! We can't let him take the guy!"
"Fuck! What a piece of shit taxi. Blast it to hell!"
"This is fucking unbelievable. Chase them! Get in the car and chase!"
"They killed so many of our brothers. Can't let that fucker get away!"
The Animals immediately piled into their SUVs, abandoning the remaining wrecked vehicles and dozen or so charred corpses, speeding off in hot pursuit of the Delamain.
6th Street's men had been scattered. Seeing the Delamain that attacked them reversing, trying to escape right under their noses--
"Can't let Militech be taken. If we can't catch him alive, kill them all."
"Quick! Release the drones. We must take out that Delamain!"
6th Street quickly ran to the rear and opened their trunks, lifting out case after case of black packages, exteriors printed with "MILITECH".
Following that, six military-grade smart drones took off like hummingbirds, locking onto the black Delamain and immediately joining the Animals' SUVs in pursuit.
Seeing 6th Street still up to no good, Jackie rallied the Valentinos to attack them once more.
6th Street had been heavily damaged by the Delamain's firepower and could no longer contend with the Valentinos, completely forced on the defensive.
Maine and the others took cover in their positions. After sending off Militech, they finally got a moment's peace after enduring the overwhelming gunfire.
The entire broken bridge instantly fell silent, leaving only bullet casings and debris, along with raging fires everywhere.
Several large shipping containers were riddled with bullet holes, the temporary fortifications utterly destroyed.
Maine suddenly collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in pain.
Dorio's heart clenched. Not knowing if it was his old neural injury acting up or if he'd been badly shot, she immediately tossed aside the billboard, ran over and knelt beside Maine, gently asking, "Maine, are you hurt?"
Seeing Dorio's worried look, her usual tough-girl persona replaced by rare tenderness and concern, Maine suddenly grinned ear to ear, hoarsely saying:
"Heh, so you do have a soft side."
Realizing Maine had tricked her, Dorio's fist, the size of a sandbag, smashed into his face.
Bam!
Blood instantly gushed out.
Maine looked a bit dumbfounded, his expression somewhat aggrieved.
Seeing Maine's silly look, Dorio snorted in exasperation. Tasting his hot nosebleed, she bit down on his mouth.
Completely ignoring the others' stares, they enjoyed love's sweetness amidst the flames and ruins.
Rebecca flipped up from behind a stone pedestal, vigorously dusting off her clothes, face covered in grime.
Seeing Maine and Dorio going at it again, her tone was slightly dissatisfied as she said sourly, "Don't you need to go home?"
But then she sighed in resignation, like a little adult, and muttered, "So mean... We were just fighting side-by-side."
Falco walked over. Seeing everyone was okay, he consoled, "That was really close. Good thing it's over. Everyone's safe."
He glanced at the brown pickup truck, now a charred black husk, and joked, "Looks like we'll have to walk back today."
But Rebecca pointed to the far end of the bridge and said irritably, "Beardo, it's not over. We still haven't gotten payback on the Animals! Didn't you see them going after that corpo?"
Falco smiled awkwardly, not arguing with Rebecca. He silently turned to check on the pickup, seeing if it could still be salvaged.
She clearly remembered the person in the Delamain was from that corporation.
Tang Yu.
"That guy, he's seriously dangerous."
Rebecca felt this mission definitely had something to do with Tang Yu. Every job involving him ended in intense shootouts, extremely risky.
Last time at the abandoned Watson Ironworks, they were besieged by Maelstrom and Militech, nearly meeting their end.
This time at the Santo Domingo bridge, they traded gunfire with the Animals, narrowly escaping disaster. Both times they almost lost their lives.
"Haven't emptied my mag so satisfyingly in a long time..."
Rebecca loved these thrilling missions. Stealing cars every time would be so boring.
Kiwi stood beside Rebecca, also gazing towards where the Delamain drove off. Her expression was unreadable under the pink facemask as she said:
"He'll be fine. This is Night City. Arasaka's strength is not something the Animals can match."
Rebecca's temper hadn't cooled. She retorted, "Don't interrupt me! Old lady, talk less. Of course I know the corpo will be fine. His shooting skills are..."
She recalled that day at the Wilson shooting range, when Tang Yu's marksmanship was nearly on par with hers. Taking care of the Animals gang should be a piece of cake for him.
So Rebecca was never worried about Tang Yu's safety from start to finish. She just found it thrilling and fun.
After finishing their make-out session, Maine stood up and regrouped everyone.
Rebecca, Kiwi, and Dorio all gathered around.
Maine confirmed everyone was unharmed, then looked over at Falco's car with some regret and laughed heartily, "Falco, I'll compensate you for the car!"
Falco didn't mind. Having worked with Maine for many years, they had built a solid foundation of trust. They believed in each other's character. As long as Maine promised, he would never short-change anyone.
Kiwi was more concerned about the job situation, "Militech was taken away, so our mission should be considered complete."
Maine nodded, "It should be considered done. Gloria's payment has already come through. She only required us to keep the person safe and didn't specify any follow-up."
Kiwi probed further, "The job was from the company, right? This whole thing is probably another power play between two mega-corporations."
Maine smiled helplessly, "You guys don't know yet, but I received a call from Faraday before I came. So Kiwi, you're right. Both companies are vying for Militech."
Dorio sighed with relief, "It's a good thing he's been handed over to Mr. Tang."
Rebecca interjected, "Have you forgotten that Lucy is still in the Delamain car?"
Maine said solemnly, "Of course not. I've already sent a message to Gloria. Mr. Tang won't give her a hard time. I'll contact him later to confirm her safety."
Seeing how weakened the team was, and with no weapons or ammunition to resupply, Dorio reminded them, "Let's go. We should leave this place soon."
Everyone agreed and supported each other as they walked out of the wreckage, leaving behind a sea of thick smoke and raging flames.
At this moment...
A chase was still unfolding on the overpass, with the Delamain taxi driving in reverse at a frantic pace.
Inside the Delamain...
Old Del solemnly warned again, "The rear armor system is severely damaged. Safety index is below 20%. If needed, Delamain can call the Arasaka Special Task Force hotline for you."
Tang Yu knew the rear of Old Del had been shot through and couldn't take any more bullets. He could only use the front to withstand the firepower.
The Animals gang was still in hot pursuit, bullets continuously peppering the car's hood and front windshield.
The bulletproof glass was completely spiderwebbed, making it nearly impossible to see outside. The electronic display system was heavily damaged.
Lucy still had a firm grip on Militech, unable to be distracted by other matters. But she also agreed that Old Del's suggestion was reasonable, so she asked:
"Delamain, how much longer can you hold on?"
Delamain replied, "Safety index is down to 15%. The vehicle's engine is damaged, weapon systems are impaired, and armor is critically compromised. Delamain estimates it can provide you with two more minutes of protection."
Lucy frowned, her gut telling her there might not be enough time. For the Arasaka Special Task Force to arrive here from Arasaka Tower would take at least three minutes or so.
"Danger alert! Detecting drone attacks from above."
Hearing that Delamain seemed to be at its limit, Gloria was extremely anxious but didn't know what to do.
She could only silently pray in her heart that they could quickly get rid of the Animals' pursuit. The current scene was all too similar to the car crash back then.
Except the car she was driving at that time was a Galena G240 compact hatchback.
Compared to the Delamain they were riding in now, it was worlds apart. Facing a barrage of machine gun fire, a twenty-year-old family car would explode and disintegrate within seconds.
Gloria was surprised to find Tang Yu inspecting that old sniper rifle, checking if the ammunition and gun condition were usable.
Was he going to duel the Animals gang?
Gloria felt this move was really too dangerous, but seeing Tang Yu's calm demeanor, she didn't feel right stopping him.
Tang Yu quickly finished inspecting the gun. Although it was an old model from over a decade ago, the quality of this military-grade vintage sniper rifle was robust and completely serviceable. It was quite suitable for his naked eye aiming style.
Tang Yu directly ordered, "Old Del, open the sunroof. Leave the rest to me."
Delamain: "Everything will be done as you instruct."
The sunroof automatically opened. Tang Yu sat in the car seat, raised the sniper rifle, and aimed directly at the first drone overhead, muttering:
"Cover your ears."
With that, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The tremendous gunshot exploded inside the car, making Gloria's heart skip a beat. Even though she covered her ears, it still couldn't completely muffle the soul-stirring sound.
Lucy had no time to worry about the situation outside, she could only endure the urgency and wait for the result.
Delamain mechanically stated, "Your marksmanship is very accurate. Delamain will try to stabilize the car to facilitate your aiming and shooting."
"No need. Full speed reverse!"
Old Del burned the last of its fuel and began reversing at full throttle. Although it pulled away some distance, it was still tightly pursued by the Animals gang. But the bullets hitting the front of the car were noticeably fewer.
After eliminating the drone directly overhead, Tang Yu stood up, raised the sniper rifle, and emerged from the sunroof.
He directly aimed with his naked eye at the five most threatening drones in the sky.
Tang Yu rapidly calculated in his mind. The magazine of this old sniper rifle only had a ten-round capacity.
Militech had used one shot without timely reloading, plus the one Tang Yu just fired. There were only eight rounds left.
There were five drones remaining overhead and four vehicles still in pursuit from the Animals gang. This meant he couldn't miss a single shot.
Tang Yu decisively activated 'Bullet Time'. In an instant, the world seemed to slow down. His blood surged throughout his body as he swiftly adjusted his aim at the nearest drone and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
In the state of 'Bullet Time', Tang Yu's neural response reached its peak. His judgment of position, distance, vehicle speed, bullet velocity, and more was at an extremely high level. While moving at high speed, he landed a direct hit with one shot.
Bang!
The militarized armed drone instantly exploded into a fireball and fell onto the bridge.
Seizing the opportunity, Tang Yu activated 'Bullet Time' again, shooting down the remaining four drones in rapid succession.
In mere seconds, the aerial threat was completely eliminated.
Delamain voiced again, "Detecting that the airborne threat has been cleared."
The pursuing Animals gang vehicles noticed Tang Yu on the car roof with his precise shooting, directly taking out the drone swarm. They immediately aimed their guns at Tang Yu's position and unleashed a frenzied barrage.
Delamain's front end was already riddled with holes, billowing thick white smoke. The synthetic alcohol fuel fully combusted in the intensely red engine cylinder.
Tang Yu quickly withdrew his gun back into the car, dodging the first wave of enemy fire.
Delamain warned again, "The front propulsion system is severely damaged. Vehicle speed can no longer be maintained."
Tang Yu was running out of time. He could only gamble one more time.
"Old Del, turn off the front windshield armor system."
Delamain advised, "Doing so will put you and your friends in danger."
Tang Yu judged that to prevent his sniping, most of the Animals' firepower was still concentrated on the car roof.
By disabling the already battered front windshield armor now, he was confident he could hit the drivers of the enemy vehicles first.
"Old Del, do as I say!"
"You two be careful."
Seeing Tang Yu's intention to disable the armor system, the two beside him had solemn expressions, but both chose to trust his decision.
The situation was critical, allowing no room for further hesitation.
Delamain immediately disabled the armor system. The front windshield dropped away, completely exposing the car's interior and exterior. They could see inside each other's vehicles.
Tang Yu activated 'Bullet Time' again, seizing the moment the front windshield fell away. He quickly assessed and predicted the shooting order of the four enemy SUVs.
The original five side-by-side SUVs had gradually lost formation in their pursuit.
They became three abreast, with two in front and back.
Tang Yu decisively seized the opportunity and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four bullets flew directly at the heads of the enemy convoy's drivers, almost one after another, leaving the barrel and hurtling towards their designated targets.
At such close range, coupled with the high-speed movement, the powerful large-caliber sniper rounds easily penetrated the bulletproof glass and blasted the drivers' brains.
In an instant, the four vehicles lost control and collided violently, overturning by the roadside and exploding.
The collision also flipped over the last SUV in the rear.
In just a few seconds, a horrific car crash left all the pursuing Animals gang members dead, their vehicles destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Delamain carrying Tang Yu and the others also gradually lost engine power and came to a stop in the middle of the road, seemingly about to fall apart.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein