Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 700, Section 114: Saving the President?

"No hostility? Ha, no hostility and yet they invaded Johnny's territory?!"

Oliver stared intently at Johnny, at the familiar projection, yet hearing the voice of a stranger.

If that bastard were standing in front of him right now, he swore he would pick up a stick and make this scoundrel who had taken over someone else's body suffer.

"In my memory, this probably doesn't count as a polite way of greeting."

Jack's jawline was taut and stiff, and the furrow between his brows was deep enough to trap a fly.

His gaze swept over every inch of Johnny's expression like a blade, and muscle memory made his hands subconsciously assume a power-gathering posture—if it weren't for the fact that this was ultimately his friend's body, he would have already rushed forward and pinned the other man to the ground.

“A classic showy intrusion.” T-BUG sneered, crossing his arms. “First, take control of the body, then play psychological intimidation. A tired old trick.”

She was all too familiar with this tactic—first, she would overpower her opponent with her superior technology, then engage in conversation from a position of superiority, like a cat toying with a mouse under its paws.

T-BUG has encountered this tactic of establishing a psychological advantage by demonstrating power far too many times, and almost every time it's the company's accomplices.

The opponent was undoubtedly a master, not only in terms of technical skill but also in psychological warfare.

Like deliberately giving away pieces in a game of chess, or displaying weapons before a gladiatorial combat, every move silently proclaims: Look, I can control your friends at any time, and you can only passively accept it. This practice of turning technological advantage into psychological suppression is more disgusting than simple system intrusion.

She moved her fingers subtly, her nerve endings feeling slightly warm.

This adversary, lurking in the shadows of data, had just tried to use Johnny's body as a stage to display his power, and they were all forced to become the audience of this performance.

The tingling sensation from the T-BUG's neural connections kept her on high alert.

The only thing that made her feel slightly at ease was that the other party obviously wanted something from them—otherwise they wouldn't have backed down so quickly and voluntarily released their complete control over Johnny's body.

But this unusual restraint is more unsettling than unbridled invasion.

She squinted, the light and shadow of data streams dancing on her retina.

This tactic of applying pressure first and then negotiating is exactly like what big companies do.

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the ICE hacking device at her waist, the cold touch of the metal reminding her of the harsh reality.

If negotiations break down, the other side will likely invade Johnny again—and this time, they probably won't be so 'polite'.

As a hacker, T-BUG had to admit that she was not as skilled as others and could not be of much help in this matter, but the most correct approach was now flashing through her mind.

What are some ways to prevent hacker intrusion?

Taking down the hacker himself is the easiest and simplest thing to do.

T-BUG has teammates around him; he can let his teammates do what he can't do himself.

Since I can't out-hacker my partner, all I need to do is keep my partner from being hacked.

If he fought desperately, he should be able to hold off this hacker for quite some time. If things went wrong, he would force a connection with Johnny, as long as he could find the hacker's true location.
T-BUG was confident that even Arasaka Tower couldn't stop V and his team. He had already begun investigating the hacker's true identity, yet T-BUG's expression remained calm and unwavering, as if he were observing the other party's compromise and preparing to hear what they had to say.

While Oliver and Jack were furious, and T-BUG was secretly plotting in his annoyance, V simply gripped his knife tightly, his expression unchanged. It was at this moment that the hacker who had been observing their behavior through Johnny spoke up:

“I am very sorry.” His voice was low, with a hint of tense restraint. “If the situation had not been so urgent that there was no other way, I would never have resorted to this tactic. I am willing to bear all the consequences, even if you kill me right after we meet, I will have no complaints. But at this moment, this matter is truly urgent, and I have no other choice.”

"No choice?"

Oliver's brow remained furrowed; he showed no sign of relaxing his grip on the hacker who appeared to be yielding. His words were cold and sharp: "I can see that you want us to have no other choice."

“I know this will make you feel hostile, so I am willing to show you my identity and reveal my current location.”

The hacker's next words after Oliver's caused the people present to raise their eyebrows slightly.

Are they willing to reveal their identity and location?

While this might not ease the pressure of investigating T-BUG much, it is certainly a mitigating measure given the extremely impolite nature of the initial conversation.

Although the others didn't say anything, their emotions did calm down somewhat.

Seeing that the hostility of those present had eased somewhat, the hacker looked around with Johnny's help.

"I don't see Mr. KK here. Is he on a mission? But I don't think I'd get an answer even if I asked you. Before we build more trust, let me introduce myself."

The hacker seemed somewhat concerned about KK's absence, but he hadn't originally planned to communicate with the entire KK team. Rather, the absence of KK, who had left a deep impression on him, actually made the hacker feel somewhat relieved.

He introduced himself.

“My name is Lark, and my current physical body is on Space-Time One. The President of the United States of America, Rosalind Myers, is sitting across from me.”

It was just a short sentence, but the information it conveyed made everyone present widen their eyes.

"president"

V muttered to himself, his expression shifting slightly: "A hacker by the president's side, huh, how interesting. The new US president's associates, who are meeting Arasaka tomorrow, shouldn't be busy protecting the president right now? How come they're in the mood to play a hacking game and chat with us?"

"That sounds like a joke."

Oliver sarcastically remarked, "I was Lincoln's bodyguard who deserted his post. Everyone calls themselves someone's confidant. How impressive."

“I’m not joking, Mr. Oliver.”

Sensing Oliver and his team's distrust, the hacker continued, "The reason I'm contacting you at this time is because what's coming up concerns the peace of both companies, and even the entire world. I need your help for the upcoming negotiations."

Before anyone else could say anything, the hacker continued:

"Come help me, save the president."

(End of this chapter)