Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 109 [The Empress] (Part 1)

The workload in Arasaka was greater than expected.

New things are always coming one after another.

Lin Yue was somewhat exhausted. The hormone levels in his [Enlightenment Quantification] system had become disordered due to the high-intensity work, and three notifications were popping up now.

He rubbed his temples and said to Suzuki behind him, "Go ahead, it's time to go home."

In Arasaka, subordinates are almost 100% obedient to their superiors. Suzuki did not refuse at all, bowed deeply, and left the office.

[Caller: Life Mentor]

The psychologist on the other end of the phone looked concerned. "Rin, you've been out of contact for a long time—I guess it's work-related. But Kaiwu Quantitative has reminded us many times that your cortisol and other levels are problematic. Could you please come see me when you have some free time?"

Lin Yue shrugged. "I'll try my best."

"Then... good luck at work, and take good care of yourself." The life coach smiled warmly. "Don't be like V, always standing me up—see you later?"

"See you."

The cigarette butt at the corner of Lin Yue's mouth glowed intermittently as he thought about Emma's phone call.

This newly appointed company alpha saw everything very clearly:
How to clean up this mess while ensuring Dogtown has enough connections to find out where Hokuto is? The answer is to make Arasaka an important business unit in Dogtown and support new people sitting with heavy hearts.

But people are independent individuals, not appendages—how can they be controlled?
Therefore, Lin Yue did not finalize the plan that first came to mind.

But then again, no matter what, let's go see Emma first—

As for Angie...

We definitely have to fish it out.

Lin Yue didn't answer her call. The grievances he had suffered for more than a month must have made the "nobody" Ms. An Qi utter a lot of profanities—Lin Yue had no masochistic tendencies, so he answered to listen to the gang leader give him a "visual feast."

He crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray, put on the suit hanging on the back of the chair, and knew he still needed to leave work and go to the agreed meeting place.

After all, the events of that night were still vivid in his mind, and Lin Yue couldn't forget them all.

Just as he was tidying up the documents—

There was a knock on the office door.

V stood outside with her arms crossed. Lin Yue glanced at the time; it was already 11 p.m.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yue asked, puzzled. Did the counterintelligence department have some new activities?
As for V's arrival, he wasn't surprised at all.

got used to.

V shook his head, walked up to Lin Yue, and leaned on the table, seemingly questioning him: "Did you answer those mercenaries' calls?"

Lin Yue stopped tidying up the documents.

His eyes narrowed, but he replied calmly, "V...you've crossed the line."

But V did not back down because of Lin Yue's displeased expression.

V continued, "Didn't you understand that I told you to forget about Dogtown?"

V in Arasaka Tower is strong and calm because she has repeatedly told Lin Yue to forget everything from the past.

In V's view, Lin Yue could only regard the killings and dark data of that night as a highly realistic Mewtwo—but Lin Yue knew that his body and condition were not what they expected. Because of Little Beidou in Dogtown, V would probably never know why Lin Yue still wanted to interfere in Dogtown.

The reason he helped Anqi was that he needed manpower for his work. Having connections would allow him to search for the location of the facilities, which was the only option.

Of course, there were some things Lin Yue couldn't say, as it was too difficult to explain his reincarnation memories:

He couldn't say that he knew about a small Beidou facility beneath Dogtown, where a neural matrix could save his life.

But even putting all that aside, the feeling that he might be being monitored made Lin Yue very uncomfortable.
Therefore, Lin Yue's tone was very impolite. He tidied up the documents on the table and looked up at V.

"You shouldn't be able to hack my system, right? Who told you I answered their calls?"

V held a chip in his hand. "The counterintelligence department has the authority to monitor Arasaka's employees and his informants. Of course, I can't know what you were talking about... but I can know who called you. That's not difficult."

Okay, Lin Yue didn't press further, but instead tried to walk past V and leave.

But clearly, V was unwilling to let him go so easily.

"What do you mean?"

Lin Yue walked around the side of the desk, his tone somewhat helpless, while V remained blocking his way.

The atmosphere instantly cooled down.

V's gaze was also unfriendly—it was hard to believe that the guys who were joking with each other face to face this morning were now showing signs of a fight.

"you sure?"

V's expression was extremely cold.

Having similar personalities can lead to friction.

Lin Yue took another step forward, and the two were almost touching.

"I am very sure."

V's persistence is clearly no match for Lin Yue, who has been eroded by the Black Wall and is losing his personality.

"You've changed so much, Rin... Don't you sometimes feel like a stranger to yourself?"

"If you're not interested in anything, why do you insist on contacting these mercenaries who are connected to that incident? What is it about Dogtown that attracts you?"

Lin Yue shook his head. "I know very well and I am certain of who I am. This matter is very important to me. Please don't use counterintelligence to pressure me... I really don't like that."

Hmm, clearly expressing dislike, clearly refusing, having his own secrets... that's normal. Since returning from Japan, V has been observing Lin Yue's condition, but the unfamiliar aura emanating from him from time to time still makes this counterintelligence agent feel a little uneasy.

She could only soften her tone.

V: "You feel that Arasaka is unsafe and want to find a way out for yourself, right?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment, and it seemed that the reason was barely acceptable. "Pretty much, so this is very important. Besides, I'm the one who had the Animal Gang stay in Dogtown, and I won't watch the informants who made money for me be devoured by Hanz."

V: "Then let me make this clear to you, you can't wander around Night City looking like you anymore. You can give up on that idea—you have to be responsible for your own safety. Do you know how much Arasaka paid to cover up your situation?"

"However, I won't blame you for answering that girl's call today—"

"But I want you to know what the consequences will be."

After hearing V's explanation, Lin Yue finally understood what she meant.

Arasaka demanded that he be a corpse in the outside world, and that Lin Yue no longer existed... In this world, there is only Rin.

Everything from the past, everything before, is burned to ashes.

If it weren't for the fact that their own programs couldn't be rewritten, their own communication programs at the Honshu Research Institute might have been deleted and reinstalled into the brain-computer interface.

This is cruel. For Lin Yue, Arasaka has completely and firmly attached him to the big net, and everything is based on the company's interests.

Lin Yue was pondering how to bypass V.

“I know how it feels to die in other people’s eyes, but… you have to be responsible for the boss behind you, understand?” V coaxed patiently, she was sweating bullets because she didn’t have enough confidence to stop this guy who had a beast imprisoned inside him.

Unfortunately, Lin Yue doesn't seem to be giving up.

He knew how to meet.

Oh no! V thought to himself.

She noticed that Lin Yue's eyes were fixed on her, and that this counterintelligence agent was even ready to take action.

The incident of Lin Yue's personality disorder in Benzhou is still fresh in my mind. Those scientists repeatedly assured me that Lin Yue could function normally, but now, after only one day back, problems have arisen.
Just as V was thinking about these things: the next second—

An unimaginable change unfolded before this woman.

She witnessed the entire process of how a familiar person transformed into a completely different person right in front of her!
I go……

V took a step back, her eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of fear.

Because she saw Lin Yue's face change in an instant; his figure and appearance became a completely new and unfamiliar image.

All of this, of course, is due to the changes in Lin Yue's behavioral characteristics.

During his work today, Lin Yue received many reports from the agents about the cleanup of people. He randomly selected a few of the unfortunate people's characteristics and combined them together to create a face that was completely out of his age.

"What if this happens?"

Lin Yue's voice was low and deep.

V found the voice very familiar, because it was the AI ​​voice of "Lin," the fake identity he created for Lin Yue—a magnetic, mature male voice.

"If I act as an intermediary, will it interfere with Arasaka's interests?"

"This is Rin's face."

Rin quietly looked at V. "I guess someone gave you orders to keep an eye on me and pay attention to my condition—was it Lai Xuan or the Honshu Research Center?"

Lin Yue continued somewhat helplessly, "Even if I give in today, you will continue to follow me and find me meeting with these cyberpunks in the streets and alleys of Night City, trying to stop or eliminate them."

"Instead of this, I'd rather you know that I can keep Lin Yue from wandering around Night City. Are you satisfied now?"

V knew that this was the prosthetic body capable of face swapping, which had been used in a previous conflict involving military technology facilities.

After hesitating for a moment, V sighed. She still didn't understand Rin's intentions. "Alright, but how are you going to continue your business in Dogtown? I'm curious."

Lin Yue leaned against the edge of the table. "Isn't Arasaka dreaming of expanding his business in Dogtown? Go contact Lai Xuan and tell him that I will be able to crush the Military Science in Dogtown in the future—I believe he will give me resources for the sales department. Ask him if you don't believe me."

V's eyes lit up after he had organized all the words.

The silent call lasted a full ten minutes, with Lin Yue patiently waiting throughout, finally ending with a V-sign of defeat.

Even so, Lin Yue didn't rush to ask, but waited for V to tell him about Lai Xuan's arrangements.

“You guessed right… Lai Xuan appreciates your initiative. He’ll push the sales department people to you. The goods are shipped from Japan by cargo ship, and you’ll be in charge of dumping them in Dogtown at the lowest prices. As long as the Military Science Department suffers a loss, he’ll be happy to do anything.”

"Also, if I'm not traveling for work, I can accommodate you to a limited extent."

Lin Yue nodded, then there was no problem.

He said softly, "Thank you."

V obediently stepped aside, but seemed to want to ask something. She was very curious about how the military science team could change a person's physical form and appearance—for example, how to transform a handsome Asian man into a wealthy, mature European or American man. According to the results of the prosthetic eye scan, this face-changing "magic" even changed his digital identity.

V: "How can you tell if this altered prosthetic body is really you?"

Lin Yue raised his wrist. "The human-computer interaction insertion interface will expose your identity as long as it is read, but the subnet information will not change. Or you can try scanning and decoding the identity data packets. If your firewall is not strong, a hacker with similar skills can be easily identified if they scan carefully."

V tried it and then felt relieved.

After all, if Lin Yue were to use this thing to sneak out of the Aragaka Tower one day, it would be a real problem.

V looked at the unfamiliar Lin Yue curiously, "The declassified agent list says that this technology has been discontinued. What's the reason?"

Lin Yue replied, "The reason this technology was discontinued is quite simple: it adjusts your body's physiological hormone levels and changes your personality, appearance, and way of thinking. When this technology was produced, it caused many people to suffer from cyberpsychosis and lose their sense of self."

"Short-term use every day is fine, but if it's left on standby for a long time, it will cause big problems."

V is completely convinced of Rin's character.

After touching the Black Wall, I feel that Rin's reactions and intelligence are getting higher and higher. She even thinks for a moment before speaking.

V: "So you don't want to meet these old friends in your true self? What will you say if they ask?"

Lin Yue simply raised a finger and gently placed it on his lips, making a shushing gesture, his smile peaceful.

"Just like you said, let Lin Yue disappear from Night City."

Lin Yue has already accepted the rules of this world, and he doesn't complain.
-
Next Life Bar.

Outside the bar, groups of mercenaries were chatting and joking, creating a smoky and chaotic atmosphere.

As Night City's recognized "holy land" for mercenaries, it's home to many who have made a name for themselves, sporting fashionable cybernetic bodies and using their money to buy luxury cars or spend wonderful nights with handsome men and beautiful women...

There aren't many beat-up cars at the entrance to the afterlife; most of them are sports cars that mercenaries who risk their lives to earn money and then spend it all.

Or perhaps it's a vehicle belonging to a gang, with members conducting transactions in small groups.

As dusk falls, girls from Twisty Street also come here to look for targets.

Almost every car parked here faces the same problem: will it be stolen by rogue tech experts? But the guys who hang around here don't have this worry.

Like animals, this place has markings and territorial symbols. As you can see, those streamlined, internal combustion engine beasts are covered in colorful graffiti, the art style of which perfectly matches the bustling urban landscape of Watson District. This represents certain factions and the identity of lone wolves.

It was the lively time of the early morning.

A nice blue car slowly drove from the street under the overpass into the gate of the afterlife.

The mercenaries gathered at the entrance stopped talking and stared intently at the precious vehicle.

"Which guy has gotten fat again?"

"Who the hell knows..."

The venue, called "Afterlife," managed by Night City's top middleman, Roger, was converted from a morgue, and the bar's entrance is underground.

Generally speaking, there are no security personnel outside the steps leading down, and everyone is responsible for the safekeeping of their own vehicles.

This leads to many people without connections here being afraid to park their slightly upscale cars here, and even luxury cars will install alarms or hire someone to watch over them.

Cars with original factory paint and no gang graffiti or markings are the easiest targets for predators, let alone those without any gang graffiti or markings.

In this area where people from all walks of life mingle, driving such a luxury car is no different from shouting through a megaphone that you're a fat sheep.

The burly mercenaries who were chatting with their partners or companions subtly glanced behind them.

As everyone stared at him:

The car slowly came to a stop, and a leg clad in dress pants stretched out from the passenger seat.

The tall man, dressed in an expensive suit, looked around, while an extremely beautiful woman stepped out of the driver's seat. She was also dressed in a simple, well-fitting women's suit with a neo-militaristic flair, and both of them wore pins bearing the Arasaka logo on their chests.

It was Lin Yue and V.

Everyone was staring intently at the two guys. If the company dared to openly cause trouble here, they wouldn't mind teaching these idiots a lesson.

"What the hell...it's a company dog!"

Gang members and mercenaries were puffing smoke and cursing.

Just as the car was parked, an SUV with the Arasaka logo roared into the courtyard.

Everyone's eyes turned hostile, and you could even hear the sound of guns being cocked.

After several Arasaka agents stood in a defensive posture next to the car, they made no further moves.

Lin Yue and V got out of the car and headed towards the main entrance of the Lower Level of the Laisheng Bar.

As they passed the mercenaries, they seemed oblivious to the provocative glances, walking down the steps through the smoke of cigarettes and medicine.

The lively courtyard suddenly fell silent, with only the dull drumbeats from the bar and the faint sound of advertisements in the distance.

The bodyguards in the afterlife are very "polite." Whether you're a familiar face, a corporate employee, or a mercenary, as long as you're qualified to enter, they won't make things difficult for you.

……

At this moment, inside a private room at the bar.

Emma sat on the sofa to the side, while the rest of Mann's team remained silent.

This situation had been going on for over ten hours, with everyone waiting for Lin Yue to arrive at the appointment.

Patience seems to be running out.

Rebecca, in particular, kept glancing out of the private room with her arms crossed.

Mann had burned countless cigarettes. "Stop looking at Rebecca, what's coming will come sooner or later—but at least it's worth noting that the kid's alright, and apparently he's still working in Arasaka. What a bastard..."

Rebecca sat back down on the sofa, feeling extremely agitated.

Arakasa...

Upon hearing this word, Emma nervously rubbed her fingers, wondering if Lin Yue would agree to her request today. After all, she had paid a heavy price to escape from the Westbrook Trauma Team building.

So much time has passed; I imagine Hanz is searching for her all over the city.

The frenetic rock music in the bar couldn't drown out the crisp, clattering sound of high heels clicking on the glass floor.

Hearing the noise, everyone looked outside.

At that moment, a woman from the company walked in from the bar outside, accompanied by an unfamiliar man.

“Uh…is that the guy who pays us on behalf of the boss? His name is V, right?” Dorio glanced at him and quickly said to Mann.

Pi stretched his neck, "Damn! It really is that hot company girl! Where's that guy?!"

Hearing the chatter of the crowd, Rebecca hurriedly jumped off the sofa and looked outside, hoping to spot Lin Yue near the two men.

What Pila said seems to be true. Didn't Lin Yue come?
Just as Rebecca was in a daze, a woman with a delicate fragrance stood in front of her. "Excuse me, could you move aside?"

Rebecca also knew V. After Lin Yue's accident, she received treatment in Arasaka, during which time this woman visited her and later helped them get out of Arasaka, giving their team a reward of over two million euros.

Who is that stranger...?
Rebecca pursed her lips and stepped aside. Her intuition told her that this unfamiliar company guy was dangerous, just like V, the woman.

"…Who are you?"

Rebecca, with her hand on the pistol at her waist, stood next to Mann, constantly scrutinizing Lin Yue's new appearance.

“Rebecca, blocking the doorway is not a good way to treat guests.”

The tall, middle-aged man next to V walked in and said something with a smile.

That voice sounds so familiar!

The team members looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even the squad leader, Mann, was stunned when he heard the voice of the newcomer.

Rebecca immediately remembered the voice, because the team had heard this guy's instructions quite often when accepting missions—so, this seemingly gentle uncle... is Boss Rin?

At this moment, Emma, ​​sensing the awkward atmosphere, quickly stood up.

Everyone watched silently as the two men, whose style seemed completely out of place, stood out from the crowd.

Although the Arasaka Company sometimes appears at Night City Bar, there are very few unfamiliar faces like this in the afterlife. Even the mercenaries sitting in the open private rooms around them are paying attention to this side.

Lin Yue slowly sat down on the sofa, with V sitting about a hand's width away from him.

"You are... Boss Lin?"

Mann, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a slight frown, slowly sat down.

Lin Yue nodded, his smile gentle. "Yes, please have a seat."

Then he turned to Emma and said, “Ms. Emma, ​​please make yourself at home.”

At this moment, a strange phenomenon occurred in the private room.

Mann's group sat on one side of the long, narrow coffee table—opposite Lin Yue and V, with Rebecca standing beside the sofa, her eyes fixed on the two company guys; Emma sat in the middle, her face seemingly even paler.

Lin Yue looked around at everyone.

"Everyone, have you received the money?"

Mann nodded. At this point, the big man still respected the middleman—because he knew that the man had served in the new United States and seemed to have considerable influence.

"Thanks to Boss Lin, the compensation was in full and very generous. I also want to thank the lady next to you; she's the one who got us medical treatment... We cooperated with everything, and we didn't say anything we shouldn't have. As for calling Lin Yue... that was Rebecca's impulsive decision."

Lin Yue said it was okay.

"Let's get down to business, everyone."

Just as Lin Yue was about to start talking to Emma about the situation in Dogtown, Rebecca spoke up: "Where's Lin Yue?"

Uh… Pila wanted to cover her sister’s mouth.

However, the team members were all worried that Lin Yue was really alive, because no matter how they looked at it, the kid didn't seem like he could survive that night.

The conversation, which was just about to get to the point, vanished instantly.

Mann and the others remained silent, seemingly acknowledging that Rebecca's problem was their problem as well.

These guys who had gone through thick and thin with Lin Yue were very concerned about their teammate's situation. Although they had spoken to each other, mercenaries were like that; they just felt that Lin Yue, with his cyberpunk vibe, shouldn't be working for a company—even though they were mentally prepared, they hadn't properly said goodbye to Lin Yue yet.

Emma glanced left and right, feeling an awkward sense of unease, as if she were meeting these people for the first time.

This emotionally intelligent woman naturally wouldn't interrupt if it wasn't her topic, but what worried her was: could this... possibly go on?
Just as Lin Yue was pondering how to say it—

V stared coldly at the girl. "Forget about him, okay?"

Lin Yue shook his head inwardly. Whether it was Rebecca, Mann, or the silent Sasha and Pila... it seemed that they all cared about Lin Yue.

Perhaps cyberpunk communities rarely have such a high level of mutual trust.

It matches my memory very well.

Upon hearing V's impolite words, Rebecca immediately gritted her teeth, and the veins on her forehead throbbed.

Sasha subtly squeezed Rebecca's hand and shook her head slightly, signaling her to stop.

Okay, is that all there is to it?

Lin Yue smiled slightly, "I heard you guys have been doing quite well with your jobs lately... How are your prosthetic bodies doing?"

Mann nodded, taking a drag of his cigarette. "You know we're not exactly idle people. It's all thanks to you and Miss V—Dr. Victor's cooking is excellent, thank you!"

Lin Yue felt relieved, and his eyes lit up immediately. 200,000 euros were immediately transferred into Mann's account.

"What are you..."

When Lin Yue spoke as a middle-aged man, he always gave Mann and the others the feeling of a smiling tiger.

"I'm sorry I've been tied up with some things. This is some compensation for the medical assistance I promised you. It's a personal gift, so please don't be shy."

Rebecca wanted to leave now, and maybe send Lin Yue a message or something. She didn't like the middleman sitting there and that cold-faced, beautiful woman.

The people in the company always gave her a sense of danger.

In fact, after Rin actually showed up, everyone could feel his gloomy aura. After all, cyberpunks are still very afraid of offline intermediaries. If it weren't for that guy, Lin Yue might not have suffered that disaster, nor would he be wearing a suit with a tired face.

What they didn't know was that Lin Yue, after undergoing personality stripping and face replacement, was no longer the witty and humorous person he used to be.

So everyone got the answer they wanted: Lin Yue was alright, it seemed they were just no longer traveling together.

Then it's time to leave.

Mann placed his hand on the table, preparing to get up. "Boss Lin, you should talk to this lady. If you need anything..."

Lin Yue turned his gaze to Emma and lit a cigarette.

"No, please wait patiently, I have something to discuss with you."

Sasha stared at the familiar cigarette in Rin's hand, her eyes lowered.

Emma noticed Rin staring at her and forced a smile. After what happened last time, she was terrified of these guys from the company, as if she would be devoured alive at any moment.

"Hello, Mr. Rin. I'm contacting you to ask... are you still planning to take over the Dogtown Animal Gang's business? Angie is having a very tough time right now, and I... have some requests. Lin Yue heard these over the phone, so he should have relayed them to you, right?"

Lin Yue nodded, "Tell me more details."

Emma exhaled, feeling that the air conditioning in the Rebirth Bar was too hot. She tugged at the neckline of her dress. "Hans' business is really bad right now. Besides the Cubans supporting him... there are also problems with the Ghost Hounds."

Lin Yue: "Hmm, who did it?"

Emma shook her head. "Angie said it was one of the hackers in the team you hired."

Lin Yue looked at Sasha.

Sasha nodded and added, "Mr. Rin, it was I who sent the video of Ms. Emma impersonating Aguilar to Angie."

As a boss, such a proactive mercenary hacker would naturally be praised.

"very nice."

Sasha nodded slightly and did not continue the conversation.

Emma continued, "The Winter Moon Company representatives and the Voodoo Gang were dealt with by your mercenaries—along with a mysterious Ghost Hound squad. Zeta Technology has now begun to withdraw, and Hanz's business now consists only of contraband and commissions."

Lin Yue laughed and said, "Is Mr. Hanz going to be eliminated?"

It seems that the business in the winter of 2075 is very important to Hans.

Emma nodded. "I guessed it would be soon, so you can now make full use of your resources and connections..."

Lin Yue stubbed out his cigarette. "I understand what you mean. You want me to completely cut off your husband's last hope, right?"

long silence.

Emma nodded slowly, her eyes filled with resentment. Combined with her beautiful but haggard face, she possessed a deadly allure reminiscent of a femme fatale.

Lin Yue smiled slightly, "Woman, what are you trying to do to betray your husband?"

"Or do you want to replace him?"

The entire team stared intently at the woman, even V looked up at Emma. This sounded incredibly exciting—a grand drama of love and betrayal.

However, Emma wisely gave in, her expression somewhat crazed.

Emma: "No, I can even give up everything and just seek destruction—if you can trust me... I'm willing to do whatever you want with Hanz, you can take everything he has."

V was stunned.

What does that mean?

She glanced at Lin Yue, who was expressionless. This woman practically had the word "seduction" written all over her face. She couldn't possibly agree so easily, could she?
It seems Emma still lacks confidence.

Lin Yue, of course, wouldn't fall for that. "You're just showing weakness. Of course you wouldn't give up everything you have now."

"If you're talking about Angie recruiting you, I think your value is very low, because apart from saving your life, I have to collect all the information. This deal doesn't seem to offer any benefits."

The meaning is quite clear: it doesn't matter whether you're there or not.

Emma pursed her lips, not daring to speak.

This seemingly gentle man exerted an invisible pressure on everyone present.

Lin Yue continued, "You seem to be very ambitious. Hansen is the de facto ruler of Dogtown, and you want to be the scheming empress—but Hanz is wary of you right now."

"You have to offer something of equal value in exchange, such as some very detailed information. If you can provide that, I might consider it."

"Given Hanz's personality, he's definitely looking for a new employer. Kangtao? Biotechnology? Or Peizhuo Petrochemical?"

"Besides, you would even betray your own husband, let alone me?"

Emma froze, swallowing hard.

She'd seen plenty of corporate hustlers, but this guy in front of her only cared about business.

As the wife of a former company employee, she's very good at discerning the hierarchy of company staff; at least, someone who can see things so accurately... can't just be a secret agent.

On the other hand, it can only be said that this woman's trick of using someone else to do her dirty work was really not clever.

Lin Yue: "I'll take care of Anqi. I only trust my people... If you can get Anqi to protect you, then go ahead."

“I have my own way of squeezing Hanz out of my business. Although killing him would be troublesome and it might take time to slowly get into Dogtown, I can afford to wait.”

Seeing that Lin Yue was about to end the conversation, Emma quickly seized the opportunity, "You mean I'm not good enough to be used? Haven't you thought about replacing his business?"

The Cuban way? These guys are elusive and Lin Yue doesn't like them.

Lin Yue continued, "I've thought about it, but I prefer to set up my own business. How the stadium's weapons are sold, what channels the company's products use, and how they're transported from Dogtown—these things require money and time to lay the groundwork, so for now, I only need to protect Bao Qi."

Emma's face showed despair: "You know, I'm the closest person to Hans. I have ways to get close to him, but... I can't record the whole information, I can only get bits and pieces—but Hans won't tell me those details now. You..."

V subtly stepped in front of Lin Yue and sat up straight.

At that moment, Sasha, who was sitting on the sofa hugging her knees, seemed to see the helplessness in the woman's eyes.
In Watson District, only sex dolls who couldn't get their money would beg so humbly from customers. Having come from Ritz Bar, she had seen many such scenes, and she couldn't bear to watch anymore.

“I know what to do. I have a prosthetic channel for recording Mewtwo. You can wear it on your person, Madam, to reduce Hanz’s vigilance as much as possible. Then send Mewtwo to me, and I’ll analyze it—”

Mann said in a deep voice, "Sasha."

Lin Yue tapped his finger on the table, deep in thought.

He was too busy to be in two places at this stage, so he only planned to rescue Angie. Emma was not on his list of considerations. But when it came to Mewtwo, if he cooperated with the Mewtwo expert at Liz Bar, they could gather more information.

But would this woman, who was sold by her husband, still be willing to get close to Hanz?

Lin Yue chuckled. "Someone's helping you, Emma."

Rebecca curled her lip. "I thought you were a decent guy at the company—turns out you're quite the schemer. Before Lin Yue's accident... you wanted us to get that bastard Hanz out of that crappy pyramid and shoot him!"

Pila raised her hand. "Boss Rin, you want to sell your goods in Dogtown, so you're keeping us here so we can do that, right?"

Lin Yue nodded, "Yes."

Dorothy crossed her arms. "You've said so much to Emma, ​​just because you think she, as a woman, can't get anything. But if she could... Arasaka's stuff wouldn't pass through that warlord's hands, and it should be able to sell for a lot?"

Mann puffed on his cigarette in silence. "So what do you think, Boss Lin? Should we send Lin Yue out to work with us?"

Lin Yue understood; it turned out the team wanted to pull the mercenary Lin Yue out of the company's den of iniquity.

However, the result greatly disappointed them.

Lin Yue shook his head. "He won't come out. You'll have to rely on yourselves."

"If the information is sufficient, I will naturally assign you tasks. We are now in a fair employment relationship, right? I will pay you the highest level of compensation, just like before. You can contact me to decide which option you prefer."

Emma's mood was like a rollercoaster ride.

She gave Sasha a grateful look.

Lin Yue then turned his gaze to the team, "Actually, I came here to ask if you would be willing to go to Dogtown to help Angie. It seems you are willing, so I welcome you all to continue working for me."

As he spoke, he stood up:

Goodbye, everyone.

Lin Yue showed no intention of lingering and walked out of the private room one after the other with V.

At this moment, the oppressive atmosphere in the private room finally eased.

Mann's sunglasses slid down, his eyes fixed on the back of the boss, Lin. "Tch, this guy is much more troublesome than I thought—looking at it this way, Lin Yue is still more lovable."

Emma suppressed her pent-up grievances and ambitions.

She closed her eyes slightly, suppressing her emotions, and said, "Thank you."

Pila, who always tries to get close to beautiful women, plopped down next to Emma and casually put his hand on the beautiful married woman's shoulder. "Oh, don't be so polite! That's how corporate dogs behave! There's a four-eyed guy who's even more annoying than this one—oh right, his name is something like Faraday."

Before he could finish speaking, Mann reached out and pulled the prodigal son back.

Dorio raised her chin. "Madam, what do you think?"

Emma thought for a moment, "Let's provide this Mr. Rin with some information first. Hanz's business has many informants in the stadium. I guess Mr. Rin means—he wants to get rid of all these positions and then arrange for his own people to enter the stadium..."

"It's like starting a new business. Even if the colonel finds out that the person with the heavy heart has been replaced, he won't say anything as long as there's money to be made."

But knowing that the company prioritizes profit, that would be really not worthwhile.

This woman can't see through that guy's thoughts.

Once the deal is done, Hansen will take a cut. It's just a matter of replacing Arasaka's people with people sitting in the pyramid. What's the purpose of that?

No matter how you look at it, taking over Hans's plate is the most appropriate thing to do.

Emma, ​​of course, couldn't guess that Lin Yue was after Little Beidou in Dogtown and squeezing out the military science business.

For Lin Yue, money was no longer the most important thing he sought; he needed enough trustworthy people to find Xiao Beidou's location.

This woman, who was already recovering from an injury, became haggard due to the intense mental stress, looking like a dried rose that was about to fall apart at any moment.

Almost no one noticed what the woman was thinking as she held her forehead.

At this moment, Rebecca's chest was still heaving; she had been holding back for a long time.

Mann, with the leather strap tucked under his arm, slapped his younger sister on the head. "Hey! What do we do? It looks like Lin Yue's working for this company dog. You didn't see him tonight, are you hiding under the covers crying?!"

Rebecca pulled out a pistol, startling Pila.

The girl gave him the middle finger and yelled, "You bastard, I'll fuck you!"

Sasha then looked at Emma and asked, "Are you alright? You look terrible... You probably won't be able to have the prosthetic surgery."

Everyone looked at Emma, ​​who was on the verge of fainting, and naturally noticed the bright red wound on her wrist. Even though it had been carefully treated, everyone knew what this woman had done.

Unexpectedly, Emma's somewhat unfocused gaze gradually softened and became more determined.

"Could you please perform the surgery today? I can pay."

Emma knew that if she returned to Hans today, she would be placed under house arrest again, so she needed to make sure everything was in order.

Rebecca felt this woman, who hadn't undergone much cybernetic modification, was somewhat insane. "Are you serious?"

Everyone was a little confused about this stubborn woman.

But only Emma knew that this was the only chance.

Rin was right. Her ambition was to occupy that position, burdened with worries, to be a mother who knew she was dispensable, yet was willing to risk everything for herself and even for Catherine.

Or perhaps, she was prepared to die... as the Empress.

……

　【The Empress】: Tarot Card 2077, The Empress. It signifies the mother, refined and sensitive, knowing what she wants.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)