Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 968, page 179: River's wariness of KK

River Ward, NCPD detective.

As a police officer who yearns for justice due to his childhood experiences, River Ward joined the NCPD at a young age, hoping to uphold justice within the organization.

But the NCPD had never given him any of these things before.

River Ward thought he could do a lot, but in reality, he was just seen as a troublesome troublemaker and was repeatedly suspended and criticized. Apart from maintaining some small acts of justice on the streets, he could do nothing.

Everything only began to change with the arrival of KK.

KK's arrival freed the NCPD from numerous constraints, bringing back the long-lost concept of 'axiomy' to the job.

He ensured that every police officer walking the streets no longer had to worry about dying in a dark alley for refusing bribes and threats from corporations and gangs.
It also truly enriched the wallets of ordinary NCPD officers who previously had to rely on various side jobs to barely make ends meet, allowing them to focus their energy on maintaining order without any worries.

To be fair, no matter which NCPD officer you ask, they would all be grateful to KK. In fact, the more senior the NCPD officer is, the more they understand the darkness and the past. It is precisely because of this mentality that almost every NCPD officer will instinctively protect KK.

It's like protecting one's own future and life.

River Ward, as one of them, naturally enjoys the changes brought about by KK.

His state-of-the-art bulletproof vest, cybernetic prosthetics, and firearms are proof of this. However, in his heart, River did not harbor the same near-worshiping feelings towards KK as his colleagues, let alone 'respect' for him.

This doesn't mean he's not grateful to KK; quite the opposite, River Ward is genuinely grateful to KK for reshaping the NCPD and changing the city, allowing his sister's family, who live in the suburbs, to have a better life.
River knew that, in the eyes of others, his thoughts were probably both heartless and ungrateful. To use the various proverbs popular in the NCPD because of KK, he was simply a 'bitter wolf who eats from the bowl and then curses the cook.'

But he couldn't deceive himself—the almost blind worship and excessive respect for KK within the NCPD was hardly a good thing.

Yes, without KK and the others, the NCPD would never have changed like this. Without KK, he probably wouldn't even be able to find a piece of clothing in his dreams. But right now, the environment inside the NCPD is really too strange.

KK was doing a good deed, but as a police officer, especially a detective who was frequently involved in various cases, River Ward couldn't help but wonder what would happen if KK did something bad one day.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say that River Ward's ability to maintain a certain level of clear-headed skepticism under such circumstances demonstrates his competence as a detective.

He thought a lot. Given the current atmosphere within the NCPD, even if KK did something bad, could you expect them not to cover for KK? Could you imagine them not helping KK?
To put it absurdly, isn't the NCPD now essentially KK's personal team in some ways? Is it really okay to continue like this?

The thought lingered in River Ward's mind. He imagined the possibility again and again, but each time he sank deeper into helplessness—he didn't know what he could do.

KK brought new life to the NCPD and the entire city; everything was getting better, yet he alone was contemplating the worst possible future. Could this just be his own paranoia? Even if not, what could he possibly prevent? What could he possibly guard against?
Within the entire NCPD, how many people could he find who shared the same doubts? Even if he did try to guard against the potential danger posed by KK, how far could he go? Or, deep down, was he truly 'willing' to guard against KK?
If KK really crosses that line, at that moment, wouldn't he himself reach out?
Doesn't it subconsciously tell you: KK has done so much, I absolutely cannot lose him, I must help him this time?
River Ward didn't know.

He was unsure what he would do.

He didn't know whether to forgive KK for all the things he had done for the city, or to rebel against KK back then.

Since none of this has happened, and it's all just his wishful thinking, he and KK aren't very familiar with each other. Even if he wanted to help or be wary, where could he possibly start?

River Ward had that in mind until KK came to him today.

The assassination of Night City's former deputy mayor, Wilton Holt, was a major event. River Ward was actually grateful for Chief Johnson's trust in him at such a time, having been urgently appointed as the head of the special investigation team. However, he never expected that KK would also be drawn into the matter. "Mr. KK."

"Mr. Carl."

Hearing the delighted greetings from his fellow investigators, River Ward watched the man walk in with a smile, his mind churning with a thousand thoughts. In the end, he simply took a deep breath and stepped forward to greet him.

He stretched out his hand.

"Welcome, KK."

KK's current job title is indeed 'Special Advisor to the NCPD', and his arrival is procedurally sound. As one of the people in charge of the Wilton-Hoult assassination case, River felt obligated to welcome him on behalf of everyone present.

Just call me Karl.

Carl reached out and shook his hand firmly. His words, coupled with a smile devoid of any gloom and a perfectly balanced pressure from his palm, left River Ward momentarily dazed.

This man seemed to possess a natural radiance of sunshine. Even though River Ward tried to approach him with dark thoughts and remain wary, his genuine smile and attitude caused the wariness he had built up to melt away involuntarily and silently under the true sunlight, like frost forming in the shadows.

'I need to stay vigilant.'

River Ward silently warned himself.

He needs to see the real KK; he needs to understand KK.

Thinking this way, as he let go, an idea uncontrollably popped into his mind.

'But this matter needs to be handled properly. Since Carl is here, we absolutely cannot let him down.'

Although River Ward noticed and dismissed the idea the next moment, the thought of handling this matter properly still lingered in his mind.

Because this was his responsibility, there was no conflict whatsoever.

He'll do his job properly, but only for the case, not for Carl.

Throughout River Ward's entire thought process, he remained remarkably calm, and Carl was completely unaware of the turbulent emotions raging within the man before him.

Carl just felt
This detective has a pretty strong grip.

The sophisticated sensory system on his wrist allowed Karl to feel the various reactions of his hand as if it were his own arm, so he could clearly perceive the force of that grip.

Then his thought was...
That hand must be holding the gun very steadily.

(End of this chapter)