Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 805, Section 15: The Blue Eyes Return

The news that the NCPD had taken over the Terrorist Response Team was not kept secret from well-informed people for long. In fact, when the bodies of those cyberpsychotics were carried out one by one from the Municipal Criminal Justice Complex, the whole thing could no longer be kept secret from those in the know.

With the ownership of the Terrorist Mobile Unit, arguably the most powerful official force in Night City, settled, the names of the three individuals have frequently appeared on the agendas of various companies.

The first is Director Johnson, who not only controls the two core forces of the NCPD, the Special Operations Unit and the Terrorist Mobile Unit, but also has jurisdiction over the entire NCPD.

The second is Andy, the special operations team leader, who is now the de facto manager of the Terrorist Mobile Unit.

The third one is a name that everyone already knows – KK.

Every company's data terminal contains KK's complete file—from his unverifiable origins to the timestamp of his first appearance in Night City; from his bloody trail that led to his rise to notoriety to the order numbers he now uses.

Of course, this also includes his relationship with NCPD Director Johnson, which could not be officially recorded.

Most senior executives knew the two were 'friends,' but the word had always been ambiguous in Night City. When Johnson's promotion history was projected onto the board's holographic screen, no one could say for sure which steps were paved by KK.

No one can say for sure how much effort KK put into Johnson's promotion, given his outstanding resume. All they know is that whenever an "obstacle" appeared in Johnson's path, that position would always become available.

The former director was like this, and so was the previous director.

Not to mention the Badlands vagrants who suddenly "cooperated" with the NCPD, or the Sixth Street gang in Santo Domingo who took the initiative to help with transportation routes—these movements didn't even require the company's intelligence network to track them.

As rumors surrounding KK and NCPD began to materialize, their relationship eventually solidified into an unspoken consensus within the company:
KK owns the NCPD.

A mercenary with NCPD might sound like a ridiculous fantasy, but if that mercenary is KK, no one can say it's unbelievable.

After all, that's KK.

Everyone knew that if he showed even the slightest interest, even global defense giants like Arasaka and Military Technology would readily extend offers to him, inviting him to take on key positions. This was even more true for other companies in North America besides these two behemoths.
Regarding the ambiguous relationship between KK and NCPD, all the major companies have tacitly chosen to observe rather than intervene.

It's not that they don't want to control the NCPD, nor that they don't want KK to be loyal—it's just that whenever a company tries to make an offer, other competitors immediately unite to put pressure on them.

With the two giants still vying for power in Night City, this 'Corporate City' maintains a delicate balance. Companies can openly and covertly compete in the City Council, and the NCPD can be tolerated to remain outside its control, as long as it does not completely side with either side.

Unless a super-corporation emerges that can crush all its competitors, Night City will forever remain true to its nature:
A city defined by corporate power struggles, a 'city of companies' without a true owner.

For now, the NCPD is still nominally under the jurisdiction of the city council and must obey the city council, and that is enough.

But everyone knows that when KK truly reveals his ambition, the union of the NCPD and KK will ultimately become a variable in this game of power.

"Tsk, why do I suddenly feel a chill?" Just as the top executives of various companies were discussing NCPD matters and tacitly mentioning that name, the person being implied suddenly shivered.

Karl stopped, the hem of his clothes fluttering slightly in the night breeze. He looked around, the neon lights casting shifting shadows on his pupils.

“I always feel like someone is talking about me behind my back.”

It felt strange, but Carl quickly put that feeling out of his mind.

He has a keen sense of things, but there are countless people in this city who talk about him, so how could he possibly be able to identify them one by one?

Let's continue using the information prepared by the client.

Carl walked slowly into a dimly lit alley, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily. His gaze finally settled on a seemingly ordinary recess in the wall. He carefully observed the area, making sure there was no one around and no surveillance equipment, before reaching out and gently pressing his hand on the recess.

With a slight exertion of his fingertips, the indentation slowly sank inward as he pushed.

However, just as he pressed down to the bottom, a barely perceptible "click" came from inside the wall. Immediately afterward, Karl noticed a sudden change in the sensation under his fingertip—a thin crack had quietly appeared in the originally smooth indentation, revealing a hidden groove.

Karl, who was prepared, did not hesitate. He quickly took out his phone with his other hand, deftly flipped out the data cable with one hand, inserted one end into the phone's interface, and extended the other end forward while keeping it pressed down. He precisely aligned the metal head of the data cable with the groove, and with a gentle push, the interface was inserted perfectly.

In an instant, a faint mechanical sound came from inside the groove, data began to be transmitted, and a faint blue light seeped out from the interface gap, casting a cold, eerie light trace in the dim alley.

As the phone screen lit up with a "data access" notification, Carl's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, but his eyes still vigilantly scanned the alley entrance.

Upon returning to the underground intelligence market, his old clients, like sharks smelling blood, eagerly sought him out amidst the lingering tension in Night City.

They hoped KK could take advantage of the chaos to complete those shady deals, but among the many commissions, one was particularly special.

The mysterious client, whose real name Karl still doesn't know, and even suspects that the person is not human, the only thing that leaves a special impression is those distinctive blue eyes.

"Mr. Blue Eyes"—that's what Carl called him.

He suddenly approached Carl today. This elusive client always appeared and disappeared without a trace, and each appearance meant an unusual mission. This time was no exception. He hoped that Carl could do something for him, something that was far removed from the usual work of a mercenary.

This is a somewhat strange matter concerning personnel transfer investigations; it's not an assassination or sabotage, just an investigation.

Mr. Blue Eyes asked Carl to help investigate the recent personnel movements of the biotechnology company in the Badlands and Dogtown areas: which departments' agents were frequently active, what equipment they were carrying, and which abandoned facilities they were entering and exiting. He needed to know the biotechnology company's activity patterns there.

(End of this chapter)