Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 101 Sparganum (A long chapter of 1 words is coming~)

Lizhi Bar.

Jack Wells picked up the tequila in the small glass in front of him, which still had a few drops of lime juice in it—his favorite drink when he was feeling down.

"finally come!"

Jack stood up and opened his arms to welcome him, while V, dressed in an elegant suit, looked completely out of place in the pink-themed disco with its chaotic music.

"Jack, how have you been lately?" A rare smile appeared on V's face. "You called me in such a hurry to come over, is there any progress on that matter?"

Jack sat on the sofa in the private room and pushed a chip onto the pure black glass tabletop.

Without a second thought, V picked it up and inserted it behind her neck, nodding silently as she looked at it.

"Hmm... Is one of our people in that car? Have we found the person recording the video yet?"

Jack shrugged. "The ones who recorded the videos are long gone. The biggest problem now is that military technology has gotten involved. These were taken from soldiers by some body-raiding thugs—supposedly, those guys got riddled with bullets by a military drone because they went to rummage through the bodies! Hermana… did you know about this?"

V nodded. "I know... I guess you don't watch the news much. This guy exposed a certain military technology project, so it's normal for him to get involved in military technology-related issues—"

Jack's expression was somewhat serious, an expression he only showed when he'd taken on a big job. "A huge problem... You know, doing this right under the company's nose is a death sentence—this guy has vanished from Watson District like he's hiding something..."

V added helplessly, "Optical camouflage... But Jack, thank you so much, at least you let me know our people are still alive."

Jack wasn't happy with what he heard. "Plenty of money, and you even thanked me—I have to say, you guys in this company really know how to win people over. Fine, I'm not the kind of person who acts like a hypocrite. Do you want to keep listening?"

V held the chip between his fingers and waved it around. "Of course, we have to rely on your unorthodox methods. We've been searching for a long time but haven't found any trace of this guy. He's still out of contact. His subnet signal has vanished into thin air, like... it's been blocked by something."

The burly man with the bun frowned and leaned forward amidst the loud music. "Uh... what?"

Explaining hacking to a lone wolf is obviously a bit complicated. "You can think of it as the cables we laid on him being covered up by someone, probably a military-grade hacker."

V, who frequently clashes with Night City's rival companies, roughly knows the methods of the hackers in the Military Science Building, but this hacker is very strange. His technical methods... even V can't guess which path he's taking.

As for whether Rin herself blocked the signal for protective purposes?
She would never believe that Rin was a complete novice who knew nothing about hacking.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess. It’s one thing for those idiots at the company to make you sell your soul—but now it’s a matter of life and death.” Jack took a sip of his drink. “Even if the military science department were to get rid of you like a dish, your boss wouldn’t shed a tear. Why are you risking your life like this? You know that if there’s a fight in the company, it’s you lowly soldiers who will be the ones who die.”

V listened silently as Jack finished speaking. He had always thought the company was bad and was always eager to instill in each conversation his theory that there was a much wider world outside the company.

She rubbed her temples helplessly. "Jack, how can I avoid this kind of deal? This guy probably still has some information on him—he's a powder keg. Jenkins needs this guy, and Arasaka and his office workers are waiting to praise him. I can just deal with whatever the boss can see."

Jack was amused. "So that's why you're not afraid of trouble. You have someone backing you up—a commendation? Are you sure it's not 'solving the problem'?"

V shook his head. "It seems you thought I was going to ask you to deal with this guy for the company... but not this time. There's no benefit in dealing with him. He's bold and daring. Arasaka loves people who have a grudge against the military. Everyone's counting on him for promotion and wealth... Besides, this is my fault. I misjudged and gave him the task—so, I need your help, Jack."

Jack couldn't resist V's insistence: "Fine, fine, you're eager to boost the boss's sales, aren't you? You need to look closely at the video; he wasn't in the driver's seat. Someone else was driving."

"I bet that's not Delaman."

V: "I knew you were hiding something from me."

Jack spilled the beans, "It was some information I bought from a middleman. There was a woman who used to run a clinic in the north of Watson District—we can't find out anything about her background, but do you know which other companies are following them around?"

"It's a Netherworld Hound."

V's expression slowly darkened.

Jack tapped his finger on the table, making a dull thud. "That dogtown tyrant! What's the difference between his soldiers and the military? Armed to the teeth, they're a bunch of heinous criminals."

"Hmm, there are military personnel all over the outside, so it's indeed possible that he's hiding back in Dogtown."

After saying this, V sat quietly in thought. The Lizhi Bar was bustling with activity, but this small private room was very quiet.

She suddenly stood up—

"I have to go, I need to take care of this."

V stood up as they were talking, and Jack immediately felt it was a pity and pleaded, "At least have a drink?! Damn..."

V reached for the glass and downed it in one gulp, his eyes even brighter than when he arrived.

"Thanks, Amigo (bro)!"

After saying that, he disappeared into Lizhi's dance floor.

Jack spread his hands, looking completely bewildered, and let out an incredulous laugh. "Fine, fine! I'll fucking drink it myself."

As V stepped out of the bar, he exhaled a heavy breath of alcohol; the bio-control system had largely eliminated the dizziness caused by the alcohol.

[Calling: Jenkins]

Jenkins: "V?"

V replied in a deep voice, "Rin may have fled back to Dogtown. Military technology and even the Ghost Hounds are attacking him. We need to hurry."

Jenkins' expression changed. "The Ghost Hound? That's fucking amazing—"

Jenkins is a man of his word. At least for now, Rin is very valuable. Once he falls into the hands of the military science department, everyone in Night City who works in the business world will know that working for Arasaka is a dead end, and even their own people who leak information will not be able to protect themselves.

“It seems this capable person has offended many companies… that damn military science, that dog town has large business dealings with them… Don’t rush, I’ll ask the higher-ups and try to get the highest level of security department access.”

V added, "We need to hurry, boss."

Jenkins nodded. “I know the value of time better than you do. We’re waiting for clearance. Knowing that the Hounds are involved isn’t a bad thing, but it will require us to use our business connections… The colonel in Dogtown only cares about money. The board needs to figure something out… You go back to the company and tell those hackers who have joined the network—find a way to get closer to Dogtown, understand?”

V hung up the phone and stood quietly at the entrance of the Liz Bar, deep in thought.

The winter rain at the end of 2075 came without warning.

V didn't care that her suit was covered in raindrops; Dogtown wasn't a place the security forces could just walk into, and now they had to wait for the higher-ups to intervene. Thinking of this, the gloom of the failed mission assessment made her even more worried about Rin's safety.

The hovercar emerged from the rain curtain above. V entered the hovercar and listened to the AI ​​voice broadcasting the news from Night City:
"The large-scale demonstration at the company plaza has been properly resolved, and the company representative is still declining to comment on the case of military technology espionage."

"Arasaka strongly condemns the malicious competition in military technology and demands that the company cease its pursuit of those investigating related business information. At present, Arasaka still does not rule out the possibility of using force to intervene in the case of military technology espionage."

Just after I finished reading this news, an urgent news item popped up.

V's lips curled up.

Because she knew that those above had taken action.

"We have an urgent news briefing. The Night City Arasaka Company claims that there are suspected armed military activities in Dog Town, Taipingzhou. The evidence has been handed over to the city hall and a joint venture of multiple companies. Mr. Chiba, the spokesperson for the Arasaka Night City branch, has accepted a related telephone interview."

The WNS host's voice was still familiar: "Mr. Chiba, is there any evidence that Dogtown has entered Night City for military activities?"

The Arasaka Corporation representative at the small window adjusted his glasses. "We are certain... that Dogtown militants were involved in the manhunt of our Business Information Department personnel in Night City. Such rude and barbaric behavior is a provocation against the dignity of Arasaka Corporation, and we must be responsible for the safety of Arasaka employees!"

……

V's hovercar slowly entered the hangar, and as it landed, two Arasaka agents were already waiting beside each hovercar.

“Ms. V, an emergency board meeting has been convened. Mr. Jenkins has informed you of the meeting – he will be attending via telephone. Please come with us.”

V tugged at his suit jacket, took a deep breath, and his expression hardened. Like a warrior donning armor, he strode forward in his high heels...
-
This was the first time Lin Yuelai had felt the chill of the world; winter rain had arrived.

Despite the high degree of cybernetic enhancement, the human body can still feel the cold.

He closed the car door, and Sasha called.

"Lin Yue, there seems to be a problem with your communication code, but I... can't solve it." Sasha smiled apologetically.

Lin Yue nodded. "So you mean I'm not only trapped in Dogtown, but also cut off from the outside world? Is it really a subnet bug? Something feels off—"

Sasha grunted and pondered for a moment. "It's like this, Lin Yue. Because I wasn't here with you, I couldn't check your program—but if some of your communications are built on a subnet, then it makes sense. You know, you're a... kite? Ever heard of that?"

Hearing this word, Lin Yue felt a warm sense of familiarity, like coming home. "Of course, there are things like this in my hometown."

Sasha continued, "The subnet is like a string, and you are the kite. The person holding the string... might lose you. If it's a military hacker, then everything makes sense. When you entered the military facility's subnet, you should have left some data information, so it's not impossible for you to be traced back."

"But please don't worry, this is all he can do for now, because he wants you to be completely isolated..."

Lin Yue's tone was also somewhat heavy, "I understand."

Dogtown has its own squads and intelligence network, thwarting the military's plans.

He gave Arasaka such a big gift, and Arasaka is probably searching for him all over the world. The military's progress outside will definitely be hindered by Arasaka, and Dogtown... he has to hold on and buy some time for the company.

Lin Yue even considered having Sasha contact V, but then he thought it was extremely dangerous. Aside from the possibility that V, with his wariness, might detain Sasha as a military spy, in this sensitive period, if even one more person knew about him, Arasaka would definitely eliminate them as quickly as possible.

"What's wrong?" Sasha asked, looking at Lin Yue with a questioning gaze.

Lin Yue: "I'm waiting for a map. Now that I've got this face, I'll let Hanz learn a lesson... But by the way, can I contact Mann and the others?"

Sasha shook her head. "Any identity that uses a subnet is not allowed."

After thinking about it carefully, Lin Yue realized that it was indeed the case. Both Lin Yue and Rin had identities on Arasaka's website, so it seemed that the only option was to drive back to find the team.

Just then, Sasha's expression changed. "An unknown number is calling that dead bodyguard. I hijacked the signal and transferred it to you. Quickly change the number—quick!"

Lin Yue immediately thought of Hanz.

"Get in."

A halo of light flashed across Lin Yue's face as he transformed into the form of Fentara and answered the phone.

Hanz clenched his fists and rested his elbows on the table, as was his usual style.

"Fentara, what are you doing—you haven't answered the phone for ten hours, I almost sent someone to look for you."

Lin Yue turned his head hastily, "I'm with Anqi... Boss, someone has taken care of our people."

Hanz paused for a moment, then said, "That woman called me, saying that a mercenary named Lin Yue stole our property, but that's not important. He's just a bunch of mercenaries. I'm preoccupied with something. I need to talk to you."

After saying that, the phone call ended.

Lin Yue's eyes darted back and forth; he needed to figure out what to do next.

According to the previous plan, now that this person has been dealt with, we should take a long-term view and discuss with Mann and the others how to deal with Hanz.

But now that Hanz has called, Lin Yue doesn't intend to let go of this opportunity to get close to Hanz. After all, he just got Angie's map, and even if he understands the terrain structure, there are still some details he needs to investigate.

This time he has to make use of all the resources. If he kills Hanz and fights his way out, that's basically impossible. Not to mention that Gemstone Blue is only a ten-minute drive away from where he is preoccupied, and that place is guarded by Ghost Hounds.

To avoid giving himself away, Lin Yue parked his car in a dark alley not far from where he was deep in thought. He made sure that the jacket he was wearing was exactly the same as the one worn by Fentara, with all the details being perfect, before taking out Fentara's flask and taking a sip of wine.

With a heavy heart, several luxury cars were parked in front of the house. This place was one of the only two safe places in Dogtown—only for the rich.

As soon as Lin Yue reached the door, the several Netherhound heavy artillerymen stared intently at him. "Dude, your boss is waiting for you."

At this point, the behavioral characteristics forced Lin Yue to respond, "Damn, running around in the middle of the night, really fucking..."

The Ghost Dog chuckled, clutching his gun. "Your boss's office isn't soundproof. Don't let him hear you."

Lin Yue chuckled and strode confidently through the heavy doorway, his mind heavy with worries.

Along the way, he subtly observed the security and sentry deployment, his heart growing heavier with each step. Not only was the lobby guarded by an entire squad of Ghost Hounds (10-20 people), but there were even Ghost Hounds snipers above the dance floor—

On the dance floor, lecherous men and women, drunk and disorderly, were dancing wildly. Inside the private rooms, even more indescribable things were happening, but this was the unsavory side of Dogtown, where the law allowed nothing to stop it. The private rooms in the elevator corridor leading to Hans's studio were in a better state, filled with well-dressed people, presumably Hans's clients or…some business people.

In fact, Lin Yue had always had a question: was the dignified Mr. Hanz really Hansen's dog?

As the player carefully recalls the conversation, a few words suddenly come to mind: "Ah, V, my favorite mercenary... The things you did for me completely changed the situation between Hansen and me..." (Details of the dialogue the player hears upon first meeting Mr. Hansen)
[If all my men were as capable as you, not only Dogtown... Taipingzhou, but anywhere else would be a piece of cake.] (Ibid.)

……

Those things?
Lin Yue recalled details he had previously overlooked during game missions, bit by bit.

V's abilities as a mercenary are beyond question. He is a top-notch legend who doesn't care about the background situation, acts prudently, and strictly follows the requirements. Any middleman would love him.

Perhaps due to the increase in intelligence points, Lin Yue was able to unravel those deep-seated memories from the past. Hanz had even said, "[Dogtown is a grand scheme, Hansen is ambitious and insatiable... but he's extending his reach to the outer regions, which makes my business difficult...]" (Ibid.)

Business is business.

If that process is followed, Hanz is like the mastermind behind it all, pushing V into the Gemstone Blue and creating a big drama that affects Hansen.

No middleman would be so "kind" as to mark the mercenary's weak points in the sapphire blue defense; he needs to win, because if he wins, he'll get more—

"This old dog's base isn't just the Animal Gang? Could it be that he has some connection to New America?"

Lin Yue pondered carefully. When he first entered this position, he couldn't have thought of so much... But once he was caught in a life-or-death struggle and took the middleman's position, those "meet the challenge" solutions were no longer enough—he needed a broader perspective and to plan ahead in order to go further.

Why didn't Hansen retaliate against Hanz? Was it necessary to keep a company dog ​​who wasn't one of their own sitting under the colonel's nose begging for work? ...In addition, in his memory, when he threatened Mr. Hanz before, Hanz seemed to not care about his background at Pedro Petrochemical, only the matter of manipulating votes touched a nerve with him—in other words, Hanz didn't want Hansen to know about his ambition.

Hmm, that makes sense.

While I was thinking, Hanz unlocked the elevator using his access privileges.

Lin Yue knew the password, but he didn't dare to use it.

Lin Yue walked to the door, and the automatic door opened with a click, bringing back that familiar sandalwood scent.

Having made up his mind, Lin Yue abandoned his previous way of thinking. He wanted to understand Hanz thoroughly, to grasp all of his bases from the inside out, and to make him commit an unforgivable mistake by the forces behind him.

Killing Hanz would throw Dogtown into chaos, but whether he could sit still with his mind preoccupied was uncertain. If Hanz had other interests at his disposal, then he would be the one to suffer if he stabbed this corporate dog now. After all, the Military Science Academy was also looking for him—taking another risky step could only be described as irrational.

"Ah, Fentara—it's finally here."

The familiar and hateful voice rang out, and Lin Yue's hands clenched involuntarily. He really wanted to shoot that bastard!
"Boss, Angie disobeyed orders, and our men... were all killed by her boss."

Mr. Hanz poured himself a cup of tea in a large Egyptian-style teapot. He didn't invite Fentara to sit down, seemingly treating the bodyguard like a dog.

Hans smiled slightly, “I expected that Rin’s people would get restless, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. But the business in Cuba is still going on as usual. Those friends only want to make money and don’t care who controls the situation… They are very confident and always feel that they can use those top assassins to control the puppets they support.”

Sure enough, this dog is from Cuba!

Lin Yue roughly understood why Hanz dared to so brazenly harass him; Cuba must have indeed provided him with decisive evidence.

Hanz probably knows that he was being chased all over the city by the military.

To avoid revealing information, Lin Yue placed his hands in front of his abdomen and listened quietly.

“Fentara, you’re unusually quiet. I remember you used to berate this lady from the Animal Gang for being ungrateful.”

Lin Yue's gaze remained unwavering. "Boss, actually, I really wanted to say that..."

Mr. Hanz tapped Fentara with his silver prosthetic hand. "Don't take my words seriously, alright... stop cursing."

“Cuba has been giving me a lot of intelligence lately. At this stage of the boxing match, we need to keep targeting their weaknesses until they knock us out. As for you… you need to get your informants moving and provide me with information so that we can get rid of Lin Yue, the mercenary in Mr. Lin's hands, as soon as possible. As for other mercenaries, I welcome them to join us.”

A strange feeling rose in Lin Yue's heart. What was this? Poaching people right in front of him was bad enough, but now they were trying to sabotage him?

"Find out Lin Yue's location first, and we'll have someone help you with that. Before that, go to the spa and meet my friends from the Voodoo Gang. Their business... black company personnel are extorting money again. This kind of business has great potential. Help him solve this little problem, and I'll give you this money as a thank you."

"Take this chip and hand it over to them intact."

Hans was very dissatisfied with this mediocre subordinate, who could only give him this kind of work. Sometimes he wished he had enough excellent mercenaries to make a name for himself and advance further in Taiping Continent. He didn't want to be just a front man; he wanted to be the mastermind behind all the business in the entire region, until Hansen dared not turn against him.

Hmm... Voodoo Gang.

Lin Yue took the chip and thought to himself.

The seemingly respectable Mr. Hanz is actually connected to the Voodoo Gang, and even claims it's business—but I wonder how much money the Voodoo Gang extorted from the company, and how much of it they're willing to share with Hanz?
Just as Lin Yue was about to turn around and leave to investigate the Voodoo Gang and have Mann's team sabotage them, Mr. Hanz called him back.

Lin Yue's heart immediately jumped into his throat.

Mr. Hans stared at him, and Lin Yue felt sweat starting to bead on his forehead.

Is something wrong?
Hanz strolled over slowly, and Lin Yue swallowed hard.

Depend on.

This old dog sees things too clearly. He remembers the first time Lin Yue only paused slightly when looking at Sasha's information sheet in front of the Chinese characters, and this guy seized on that momentary change in expression and kept asking questions...

Hanz remained silent, watching Lin Yue as he pondered.

Just as Lin Yue felt he was about to break down, the guy finally spoke: "Right now, a lot of people have their own things to do... I don't need any bodyguards watching over me every day. How about this... after you go to the Voodoo Gang, you can help me see off the guests from Cuba."

who? !

Lin Yue was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and a name surfaced in his mind—

Is Aguilar real or an imposter?
Lin Yue nodded mechanically, "Yes, boss."

“Angie did a great job. At least it proves that you’re keeping an eye on things for me. I’m sorry that your good brother died at the hands of that mercenary… but I promise you, if you do these things for me, I will avenge you.”

Hanz clearly took Lin Yue's silence today as a sign of dissatisfaction.

The fake mercenary breathed a sigh of relief, and just as he turned around, the automatic door opened.

Upon seeing who it was, Lin Yue froze on the spot—

Holy crap? Aguilar?
Looking out the door, a woman in a striped suit with dark brown skin stared at Lin Yue with eyes like a viper. Lin Yue instinctively put his hand on the gun behind his back.

Hans held Lin Yue's hand, "Don't be nervous, it's just Fentara, a friend from Cuba... You'll have to be this distinguished guest's driver this afternoon."

Lin Yue looked back at Hanz in disbelief, silently asking himself, "Is this the real Aguilar?"

Hanz laughed, "Aguilar, you've frightened my men."

Damn... judging by this, it looks like it's really true!

Lin Yue tried to hide his emotions, but Aguilar was anything but polite.

The woman snorted, her hoarse voice saying, "That's all your men are capable of."

till the end.

Lin Yue couldn't even remember how he got out... His steps were light and unsteady. He never expected Cuba to send this guy—if the real deal showed up, it would be really no fun. Lin Yue didn't know about the other mercenaries, but this guy had killed dozens of companies and political figures. Getting involved with this kind of assassin was a terrible mistake.

Furthermore, the limited knowledge available in the game is clearly insufficient to determine whether Agilar is genuine or not.

Fortunately, he had to see this distinguished guest off in the afternoon, and Lin Yue secretly resolved to find out what this guy was really up to.

This is important. If Aguilar is fake, then it's a golden opportunity for Lin Yue. If he is real, we need to find a way to make Arasaka hinder the group's progress.

quicken your pace—

Lin Yue needs to hurry up and meet up with Mann and the others.
-
Squad base.

Rebecca sat on the steps of the training field, swinging her legs and glancing at the distant entrance every now and then.

Mann and the others were unwilling to tell him what had happened. All he knew was that although the boss was still sending money, their team hadn't done any commissions in a long time.

Lin Yue was a source of great concern for Rebecca. Dozens of messages and phone calls she sent went unanswered... she didn't even receive a reply to let her know she was safe.

Rebecca sighed, resting her hand on her cheek, looking both bored and worried.

Sasha is really something. Rebecca would usually chat with her when she was feeling down, but lately Sasha said she'd taken on a big job and hadn't been replying to messages much... Sigh!

So frustrating!
Lin Yue usually loses contact when handling matters for his boss, but this time it's been far too long—

hum!
Suddenly, the training ground gate, which had not been opened for a long time, opened with a sound.

Rebecca subconsciously turned around, saw that it was Lin Yue, and then turned her head back to continue staring blankly out of boredom. Suddenly, she seemed to wake up from a dream.

That figure carrying the big gun, isn't that Lin Yue?!
She quickly jumped down from the fence of the training field and hurriedly approached Lin Yue, circling around him like a welcoming kitten.

She kept yelling, her voice full of resentment, "Lin Yue, where have you been these past few days?!"

Lin Yue lowered the large gun on his back, revealing a slightly apologetic smile. "Where are Mann and the others?"

Rebecca started to protest, "Yes, yes, yes, it's Mann as soon as we get back! Mann!—"

"What have you been doing? I sent you so many messages, and you haven't replied to a single one?"

Lin Yue looked somewhat innocent. "Everything's been chaotic lately, and my communications have been down. Plus, I've got a lot of trouble with my boss... Anyway, I'm back now. I apologize."

Unforgivable.

Rebecca didn't accept this insincere nonsense at all. Just then, Mann and the others came down the stairs. When they saw Lin Yue appear, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, I even bet Mann which corner of Night City you died in!" Pila said, hands in her pockets, her tone displeased.

Mann then looked Lin Yue up and down, "What's going on lately? Did you know that Mr. Rin has lost contact with you?"

Lin Yue explained, "There's been a problem, with the company... I'll keep it short. Military technology has gotten involved, searching the entire Night City. Hans is already itching to take over the Animal Gang's business. I just ran into his people there—"

As he spoke, he threw his heavy backpack on the ground.

"So I killed them."

Mann ripped open his backpack and found it full of euros bundled into sticks. "Military Science? So...we're going to have to leave?"

Clearly, everyone felt it was time to split up the family property.

Lin Yue shook his head, gesturing for everyone to come closer.

Dorothy frowned, glanced at the silent Mann, and then at Lin Yue, whose face was full of solemnity. "What exactly is the situation with the military science department?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment, "It's hard to say the specifics, but Dogtown is still safe for now. It's just that Night City Military Science has been keeping a close eye on us... and the boss too. I'm going to take my share of this money, upgrade myself, and buy some gear."

"That woman from the Animal Gang is on our side now, and I can't get in touch with the boss (Arasaka) for the time being... so I'm planning something big."

These mercenaries, used to being wild, showed great interest when they heard they were going to do something big.

As he spoke, Lin Yue pushed out a chip. "This is the map of my worries, given to me by that woman from the Animal Gang."

Everyone looked at each other.

Rebecca's face immediately fell. "You're not thinking of going to that 'pyramid' to kill Hanz, are you? Is that even okay? Are you even thinking straight? That place is full of hounds right now. You brat, you just finished risking your life and you're already planning to risk it again, huh?!"

After speaking, Rebecca the gorilla launched a flurry of punches, which Lin Yue dodged by slightly tilting his head.

Mann stretched out his large hand, "You misunderstood Lin Yue's meaning. Judging from his appearance, he's probably planning to use underhanded tactics. We can't contact Mr. Lin... Where will the intelligence come from? Harassing the preoccupied security guards... How is that any different from running away in the next life to punch [Rogge] a few times and then running away?"

Mann clearly couldn't figure out how Lin Yue could obtain intelligence; in his eyes, not having Rin was practically futile.

Now that things had come to this, Lin Yue turned his scrutinizing gaze to everyone. "The communication issue was due to a system problem, which must have been caused by a malfunction while I was working for the company... As for intelligence gathering, I do have methods, and they are even very accurate."

Mann narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Hey, hey, hey... Anyone can talk big. Are you a tapeworm in Hans's stomach? Can you hear their secrets?"

But Lin Yue's calm and confident demeanor didn't seem fake.

After a long pause, Dorio caught the key point, "...You wouldn't have managed to infiltrate the Heartbroken Ones, would you? Or even... get close to Hanz?"

Rebecca immediately jumped into a ditch, "If that's the case, then we can really kill Hanz! Lin Yue can go in and give this guy who's been shooing us away from taking jobs a good thrashing, and he'll be done for—damn! Then we'll be the number one mercenary team in Dogtown."

To be honest, Lin Yue was wondering just how many points this girl had in terms of intelligence...

Who would benefit from killing Hanz? Arasaka needs to provide himself with resources to keep the colonel in check.

Only when business is going well will Hansen reluctantly agree.

Pilat enjoyed provoking Rebecca. "Are you an idiot? How are we supposed to escape after killing him? It's less than a ten-minute drive to the lair of the Sapphire Netherhounds... If you want your little darling to die, then let him kill Hanz quickly. Then none of us will be able to run. We can dig a hole in Dogtown and wait to die while being drained!"

Rebecca's forehead veins throbbed. "You bastard, are you looking for death?!"

Lin Yue said helplessly, "Alright! Listen to me!"

If Rin's phone wasn't unusable, would we have gone to all this trouble? We could just contact them by phone, and the team could just point and shoot, saving time and effort.

Lin Yue reached out to stop the chaos in the squad. "Shoot him dead. There's no point in us sitting here with our minds full of worries. The colonel likes to do business. You have to have something as profitable as Hans for Hansen to let you sit there."

Mann said in a deep voice, "You mean..."

Lin Yue nodded, "Let him make a fatal mistake and be finished!"

At this point, everyone became interested, and Dorio and Pila both had knowing expressions on their faces.

Only Rebecca looked around, utterly bewildered… Everyone else seemed to understand, so why didn't I?! Take me with you!
Lin Yue looked at Rebecca, whose head was blank because she didn't understand the convoluted explanation, and tried to explain the situation in more detail. "Hans is firmly in the middleman's seat. The Animal Gang and the Cuban drug business are obviously part of it, but we can never figure him out. But today, I not only went in and saw the security setup, but I also heard some shady stuff about the Voodoo Gang!"

Rebecca immediately realized, "Holy crap! It's that guy who stormed in last time..."

Realizing she had let something slip, she immediately covered her mouth.

Lin Yue frowned. "You were following me?"

Mann and the others: "You've been hiding this from us?"

Rebecca retorted, "I was just worried about Lin Yue, wasn't I? After the fight broke out, I saw things were getting out of hand and ran away as fast as I could... afraid of ruining things at the company. I couldn't tell you guys... Wait a minute, why are you blaming me?!"

Lin Yue shook his head, "Forget it, it's all in the past. Now everyone works for the company, so it's hard to say whether it's clean or not... The intelligence is that the Voodoo Gang is doing business extorting and murdering company employees."

“This business is already quite large. Hans gave me this, and I got it.”

Lin Yue had already looked through the chip; it contained implant information for various company employees, including addresses, family members, and so on…

Some things are better left unthought, but the more you think about them, the more terrifying they become. In the game, Hanz played the middleman who advocated for justice for the company employees, hiring mercenaries to kill a hacker named Mirko Alexis in a blackmail and murder network…

But the internet police got involved, and the detectives said that Mirko was just a nobody. As for what happened behind the scenes... based on today's information, the cause of everything is really hard to say.

Is this what it means to treat the symptoms but not the root cause?

No wonder Hanz can wield such power and solve problems for the company so easily... Lin Yue really needs to seriously consider how to spell the words "company dog".

Everyone took the chip Lin Yue handed over and was shocked after reading the information.

Dorothy: "So...are we going to ruin the business?"

Lin Yue nodded, "We'll split into two groups. I'll go deliver the intelligence first, and you guys go cause trouble for the Voodoo Gang... But one thing needs to be clear: do any of you have your own ICE?"

Mann gave him a look that said, "You've been around for a while, you don't even know this?" "Yeah, our team had a hacker who reminded us to install it—"

As he spoke, his sunglasses slipped down a little. "You don't actually have any, do you?"

Lin Yue chuckled, "I have one too, sorry to disappoint you, you idiot."

After exchanging barbs, Lin Yue's expression turned serious:

"I need to warn everyone about the dangers of this job beforehand. If we are doing business with Hanz as mercenaries, it will definitely lead to retaliation. We need to get rid of our tails cleanly—don't get entangled in battle. We should try to disrupt any business we can, and harassment is also acceptable."

"And the biggest power behind Hanz sent an assassin, Aguilar..."

Mann, a former New American soldier, muttered a curse under his breath, "Damn! Cubans?"

Dorio and the others cast questioning glances at them.

To Lin Yue's surprise, Mann actually knew.

Mann said in a deep voice, "The unification war had many Cuban influences. The combat stimulants these guys created... could turn a person into a complete beast! Aguilar's soldiers have mentioned this name. They specialize in killing those idiotic politicians and corporate executives, and they've never failed."

The atmosphere became heavy at this point in the conversation.

Lin Yue shrugged. "Here's some bad news. This afternoon I have to take this important guest to meet someone... It's a mixed bag, but at least it'll ensure that when you raid the Voodoo Gang's hideout, Agilar won't get involved... Let's all be more professional and not too sloppy."

"For example, we need to change the habit of calling out the opponent's name during battle. If the Voodoo Gang has a recording device, it will be troublesome if the other side hears it... Because of the disconnection, we need to set up security words, and I will record the information transferred by the separation chip. We can't fight side by side, so we must be extra careful—"

"Tell me your code name."

Mann nodded. "I'll use the name of my squad from when I was in the army, 'Wild Badger.'"

Dorio held out her hand. "Boxer."

Pila thought for a moment, "Uh... this is as troublesome as choosing a screen name, I can't choose one—"

Mann, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, said, "How about we call him L-pipe?"

Pila gave a big middle finger. "Fuck you... My name is, uh, Super Cool?! Damn, that sounds good."

Rebecca flashed a peace sign, "Big Gun!"

Lin Yue, the last one, placed his hands on the table and said, "I'll call myself... Martial Attendant!"

Dorothy was speechless. "I thought it was stupid enough that Mann liked that burnt rock star-style steak, but now he has a die-hard fan too."

Lin Yue laughed. That bastard who's still lying in relic probably never expected someone to make a name for him.

"Where's the hacker?" Mann glanced at Lin Yue. "Is it still that same cat?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment. Sasha seemed to have asked him to keep it a secret. "Hmm. The safe house is in the residential area next to the parking lot in the unknown territory. The location is inside this chip. Destroy it after you've viewed it—"

Mann tapped the table. "Safe word."

Lin Yue thought back to this period of time. He had to deliver intelligence, and they were like parasites in Dogtown, slowly corroding Hanz, causing him to make mistakes that could destroy him...

He slowly uttered the term:

"【Spirometra】!"

……

　【Rog】: Queen of the Afterlife, legendary middleman of Night City.

　　[A Superficial Solution]: In Shadows of the Past 2077, players need to play as V and complete several commissions given by Mr. Henz to obtain the Sapphire Crystal ticket. These commissions include: [The Saints of Dogtown], [Out of Sight, Out of Mind], [Waiting for Dodge], and [A Superficial Solution]. From the player's perspective, this is a middleman assigning jobs to mercenaries, which actually increases the middleman's reputation and expands their base. Taking [The Saints of Dogtown] as an example, a doctor with questionable methods who practices medicine for free is held hostage by the Cleaners. Henz sends V to rescue him, which is itself a strategic move to establish V's reputation among the people. [Out of sight, out of mind] The key information is that Zeta Technology's CEO contacted Mr. Hanz, which shows the extent and depth of Hanz's influence... [In the context of "treating the symptoms but not the root cause," this is a commissioned operation between the company and the Voodoo Gang to kidnap and murder people online. The reason it's a symptom-based solution is that killing the Voodoo Gang's small-time hackers is completely useless, because business continues, and company personnel will always be kidnapped, extorted, and then killed—who is the mastermind behind this? Why is the internet surveillance department investigating? These are all details worth exploring in depth.

　　[Mirko Alexis]: A hacker from the Voodoo Gang who only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause.

　　[Spirometra]: A type of parasite that can easily cause brain lesions. It's also a side quest in the main game Cyberpunk 2077; in this chapter, your dialogue choices with Johnny Silverhand affect your affinity with him.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)