It was nearly noon when the three of them returned home.
Naturally, the task of cooking fell on Alex Carter's shoulders.
Busy in the kitchen, an hour passed quickly, and right on time, Goro Takemura arrived, as punctual as ever.
Brought inside by Alex, Goro's eyes landed on the dining table, where a spread of dishes had already been prepared.
"Oh... Are you having lunch? My apologies, I'll come back later."
Out of courtesy, Goro turned to leave.
But before he could take a step, Alex grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Don't be so formal. I made enough for you too. Not sure if you're a fan of Chinese food, though."
Goro's face broke into a rare smile.
"Thank you so much. Honestly, I haven't eaten yet, and the food in Night City... well, let's just say it's hard to stomach sometimes."
For someone like Goro, the concept of being a "fan" of Chinese food didn't really exist.
But after enduring the horrors of Night City's cuisine, any decent home-cooked meal was a blessing.
"You two! Get down here — dinner's ready!"
"Dinner! Dinner! DINNER!"
At the sound of Alex's call, the first one to rush downstairs — as always — was Liana Forrest, the ultimate foodie.
For Liana, Alex's cooking was legendary — one of the few things she never found fault with.
And for Alex, Liana's enthusiasm was oddly satisfying.
After all, what cook doesn't love seeing someone enjoy their food?
Seeing Liana appear in her usual bear pajamas, Goro shot Alex a suspicious look.
Wait... is this his girlfriend?
Something about her seemed familiar...
Then it hit him.
"Wait... you're... Liana Forrest, daughter of Lisa Han from Kang Tao's American branch?"
Goro's expression was filled with surprise.
As a former bodyguard to Saburo Arasaka, he had studied profiles of influential figures in the corporate world — and Lisa Han was no exception.
Liana looked at Goro curiously.
"Yeah... and you actually know me?"
Goro straightened up slightly, instinctively dipping his head in respect.
"Yes, Miss Forrest. I'm Goro Takemura — a pleasure to meet you."
"No need for formalities," Liana said nonchalantly. "You're not with Arasaka anymore. Just treat this place like home."
Alex's eye twitched.
Who's hosting this lunch, me or her?
Was this girl really making herself that comfortable?
"Lin, is Goro here?" V's voice rang out as she came downstairs.
"Yeah, he's here," Alex confirmed.
After a quick round of greetings, Alex continued the introductions.
"This is my girlfriend, V."
"And Liana... well, don't mind her. She'll head upstairs once she's done eating. Let's focus on us."
After Lunch...
Sitting back on the sofa with a content smile, Goro sighed.
"Alex... this is the best meal I've had in ages. Even back when I served Lord Saburo, I never had Chinese food this good."
"Told you — I've got ancestral skills," Alex chuckled.
When it came to cooking, Alex knew his talents were unmatched.
Once Liana had excused herself upstairs, the three finally shifted to business.
"Alex... tell me the truth. That incident with Hanako Arasaka... was that your doing?"
Takemura didn't need to say much — his meaning was clear.
He believed Alex had played a role in Hanako's death.
In fact, the moment Goro first heard the news, he had suspected Alex.
After all, when they left the building that day, Alex had doubled back for something — and Goro had never found out why.
Alex didn't bother denying it.
"Yeah... that was me. As for the method, let's just call it classified."
"But why?!" Goro demanded. "Miss Hanako didn't help us, but—"
"But she ordered someone to have us killed," Alex interrupted.
"Right after we left, she sent one of her men — Xiao Lin — to track us down."
"If Xiao Lin had been with her that day, I wouldn't have succeeded so easily."
Goro's face darkened, his expression a mix of disbelief and pain.
"I told you before — that woman only seemed kind on the surface. Deep down, she was as cold as ice," Alex said firmly.
"If you don't believe me, ask Oda — assuming he's still conscious."
Goro's expression tightened.
"I'm afraid that's difficult... Oda is still in a coma."
"What happened?" Alex asked, surprised.
"After Miss Hanako's death, Oda felt he had failed in his duty. That night... he attempted seppuku. Fortunately, Arasaka managed to save him in time."
Goro shook his head in frustration.
Oda had been his most promising student — seeing him end up like this was painful.
"You Arasaka types... both ridiculous and respectable," Alex muttered.
Back to Business...
Goro sat up straight.
"I'm sure you've seen the news. In one week, Michiko Arasaka will be attending the Coaster Festival in place of Miss Hanako."
"If we want to expose Yorinobu's crimes... she's our only hope now."
"So... you're planning to meet Michiko Arasaka again?" Alex rubbed his temples.
Damn... I really called it.
Goro nodded.
"Yes, but Alex... please, don't harm her this time."
"Without her influence, Yorinobu's plans could go unchecked."
[Ding! Super Selection System Activated]
Option 1: Help Goro Takemura meet Michiko Arasaka at the Coaster Festival.
Reward: [Blacklight Virus Targeted Mutation] x1
Option 2: Refuse to help Goro Takemura.
Reward: Legendary Grenade Blueprint — [Ozobu's Nose Design]
Option 3: Inform Yorinobu Arasaka about the plan.
Reward: [Blacklight Virus Random Mutation] x1
"Heh... here we go again," Alex muttered, licking his lips.
All the rewards were tempting — two mutation opportunities and a powerful grenade blueprint.
But the right choice was obvious.
"No problem," Alex said, smiling at Goro. "I'm in."
[Ding! Task Accepted — [Tiger's Mouth Extraction]: Help Goro Takemura meet Michiko Arasaka at the Coaster Festival.]
With that, Goro stood and thanked him.
"I'll refine my plan and contact you soon. Also... thanks for the meal."
Once Goro had left, Alex dialed a familiar number.
"Alex Carter? What's this about?"
Yorinobu Arasaka's face appeared on the screen, scowling.
Grinning, Alex leaned back in his chair.
"Yorinobu, I just thought I'd let you know... next week, Goro Takemura and I are coming to cause some trouble."
[Ding! Mission Completed — [Rattle the Grass to Scare the Snake]: Reward — [Blacklight Virus Random Mutation] x1.]
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