Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 871. Karl's Squad Assembles
"Honestly, the roads around this outpost are really difficult to navigate. It's a bunch of ruins. No wonder the delivery trucks were stopped halfway and retrieved by Hansen's men. Since there's no manpower for transportation here, we can only rely on air vehicles."

Even after the goods were delivered, V still lamented the terrible road conditions.

"The hovercar roared to life, and half of Dogtown knew something was wrong here. This didn't seem like Hansen's usual vigilant nature."

Carl smiled, but then looked at the things V had brought over, belonging to the Dogtown Cleaners, and clicked his tongue in amazement: "Looking closely, there are quite a few good items. Even the Nekomata has one."

"I've heard that the scavengers in Dogtown often target Hansen's things. Considering that Dogtown's specialty is weapons, it's quite strange that this is happening."

Oliver said, but instead took the Nekomamushi and started adjusting it: "Perfect timing, our weapons haven't arrived yet, I'll use this Nekomamushi for now."

"It'll be quick, I estimate it'll be over in a little while."

As Karl spoke, he used the hidden external cameras of the base to see what was happening outside.

In order to disguise themselves as members of the Ghost Hounds, Karl and his team naturally did not carry the powerful weapons that were associated with their fame. They had been using the Ghost Hounds' standard equipment. However, once things stabilized, they naturally needed to have their usual equipment with them. So Karl asked someone who was free to go home and bring the equipment over.

A moment later, a dog appeared in sight carrying a large bundle on its back.

"I'm exhausted from running this. Why didn't you ask V to bring all this along the way? It's a whole bag full, and most of it is your weapon attachments. Karl, are you trying to kill me with exhaustion?"

Johnny walked into the core control room while complaining, shook himself, and put the heavy bag on the ground. Almost at the same time, the notification sound of T-BUG coming online came through their communication channel—the team members were all together at that moment.

Initially, only Carl, Oliver, and Jack were available to take on the job, as three people were more than enough. However, now that Mr. Blue Eyes' investigation mission was over, it was their own business to take over, so naturally, they needed to gather more people.

"I've heard about it."

T-BUG said in the channel: "Karl, are you planning to take over Dogtown after you and Hansen have fought each other and both are weakened?"

"To be precise, after Hansen's death, I don't think Hansen could survive against a president who is determined to kill him. Although Hansen may still have some hope, I feel that the best outcome for him is to break the news that Rosalind Miles will step down. But before that person steps down, he will definitely take Hansen away."

"There are probably quite a few people who can see this, and Hansen himself probably knows it too, but 'even the smartest person has things he doesn't know at his smartest,' Hansen may have underestimated Rosalind Miles's determination, thinking that the president, who is described as having an iron fist and behavior that is almost like FXS, would not do such a thing."

"Is that what Aristotle said?"

Listening to T-BUG's words, which carried a scholarly air, Oliver immediately guessed that T-BUG was probably quoting her favorite philosopher, Aristotle, again, though he now understood a little bit about him.

“I know that saying too, ‘Some people are ‘dead’ before they die, because they stop thinking.’ I think Hansen is pretty much like that now.”

"That probably means we need to think more, so our minds don't go blank."

V interjected, "I think it's not that Hansen doesn't think, but rather that he thinks too much, which has led to the current situation."

"You can't think too much, but you can't think of nothing at all either. It's quite difficult to find the right balance."

Jack scratched his head. "Luckily, I have a brilliant mind. And a heart of gold."

Carl chuckled and added, "It seems like everyone in our team has become more bookish than before, and everyone can spout a few words now. But thinking about it, it's true that no one in our team ever doesn't read a book. T-BUG and Jack are obvious examples, V used to read a lot when he was a wanderer, and he still has that good habit now. Oliver has also picked it up, so his cultural level is off the charts."

As he spoke, Carl looked at Johnny, but didn't say anything.

After all, Johnny's level of education speaks for itself.

Although he smokes, drinks, chases women, and is a bastard, to say that Johnny is uncultured is to seriously underestimate him.

Johnny, who lied about his age to join the army when he was young and didn't even finish school, sounds like a reckless illiterate. But he is also a renowned rock legend. Without sufficient knowledge, he probably wouldn't even be able to read sheet music, let alone write those melodies and lyrics that are etched into the times. If we only talk about musical culture, no one in the band can compare to him.

Johnny saw the meaning in Carl's eyes, and his projection instantly turned his nose in the air: "You guys really need to learn a lot in this regard. After all, these days, all the young people know how to shoot guns and fire pipes. They can't even understand a little bit of culture. If it weren't for the fact that you at least understand some of my music, I would have said that rock and roll is dead."

"I went to school."

Carl wasn't referring to before coming to Night City, but rather after.

He at least attended Arasaka Academy, while Gaius, whose name was registered, certainly surpasses Johnny, who joined the army as a minor, in terms of high school education.

"I know that he ran away after only a few days of school."

Johnny didn't hold back in exposing Carl's past. After getting to know him better, although Carl still had his scoundrel side, he mostly turned it into teasing. It's unclear whether he was influenced by Carl and his friends.

"That's still better than someone like you who didn't even finish high school."

Just as Carl was about to retort, a red signal suddenly flashed in the corner of the main control panel. The group exchanged glances and, without hesitation, Carl recognized it as a one-way communication request and immediately answered it to see where the message was coming from.

"The research program is temporarily suspended. The body modification project using biotechnology experimental subjects is to be stopped immediately. The ninja team is to be dispatched to X point by noon tomorrow to be on standby and to receive Colonel Hansen and important personnel. The president is likely to launch an attack soon."

Only this instruction was transmitted from the other end of the communication channel, and then it abruptly stopped. Obviously, in order to ensure the maximum confidentiality of the message, this channel was only used for a very short time and was immediately cut off after one-way transmission.

However, the information contained therein was sufficient.

"It seems Hansen wasn't entirely unprepared."

Carl said.

Tomorrow, we may witness firsthand how the Ghost Hound and the forces under the new US president decide the fate of the King of Dogtown and the new US president.

(End of this chapter)