Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 118 The Collapse After the Improvement
"David, remember to take these snacks with you when you go out tomorrow! Don't forget."

Gloria, standing by the door, was still holding her shoes, her large pale yellow coat half-undone. "Don't you dare steal any food, David! Eat what's baking in the oven, it'll be ready in ten minutes—damn it, I have an urgent work matter to attend to, see you later!"

David lay on the sofa, rubbing his belly, staring absently at the television.

"Okay, see you later, Mom."

The whole house was filled with the aroma of butter and milk. Although the kitchen was a bit messy, the exquisite pastries that Gloria had prepared for Mr. Lin were drying on the baking trays, emitting an enticing fragrance.

David patiently waited for his turn.

Most food manufacturers in Night City use gimmicks in their advertising, like the ad playing on TV right now:
"A bite of synthetic meat, and the whole family is happy..."

"100% real meat, real meat dripping with blood, slaughtered meat satisfies your instincts..."

But David knew that these were all products of technology.

One bite is all it takes to discover that these protein and fat compositions, which are indistinguishable from tofu, are fake.

Mom's probably going to be busy collecting the bodies of those guys who got killed by gangs and terrorist squads again.

Her self-taught emergency medical certification was completely useless in Night City—once the people of this city opened fire or picked up a machete, the difference was basically between a whole corpse and a mutilated corpse.

Gulu…

I can't bear it anymore.

David peeked into the kitchen, where the exquisite pastries had already whetted his appetite.

The pastries and gingerbread that Gloria had served on the large baking tray were still steaming, and David, who had just reached out to grab a piece, reluctantly withdrew his hand.

These are all for Mr. Lin. Although his mother might not know that he would sneak a few pieces, David still felt a mix of fear and gratitude towards this company elite he had never met.

So the focus shifted.

David picked up a bag from the table to distract himself. Its thick, substantial weight and expensive packaging, written in French, and most importantly, the prominent label that read 300 euros…

He felt ashamed.

My mom really went all out...

Although flour and meat can be bought in food stores, most of them contain added flavorings and synthetic ingredients.

The best-selling "food" in Night City is often a protein nutrient combination liquid; ignore the taste, and everyone is just looking to fill their stomachs.

David was convinced that the bag with the foil packaging inside, which was covered in butter, contained real milk butter. Unwilling to give up, David picked up the 200-euro milk carton, tilted his head back, and poured it into his mouth. A few drops of the rich liquid landed on his tongue, and David's eyes lit up.

"I go!"

It's a pity that Mom used it very cleanly, so David could only squat against the wall, staring boredly at the small pastries in the oven that were obviously made from scraps.

He didn't complain. Even though his mother's pastries cost them almost two months' worth of living expenses, he still thought his mother was the best person.

Mr. Lin's efforts are entirely worthy of this treatment.

But David was a little uneasy. He thought that those "high-level" corporate people who were used to eating good food probably wouldn't be interested in these snacks.

He wondered what the man's identity was. Was he the legendary "ninja" of Arasaka? Or a high-ranking agent of the company?
And...why would he donate to himself and his family?
Did they only meet once?

According to Gloria, wealthy and kind people would choose to sponsor their souls to gain a chance to enter heaven—her mother was Catholic, so naturally she believed in this.

The most outrageous thing David, who was kind by nature, ever did was buy and sell sunglasses... and he didn't dare let his mother know.

My mom thinks those things are bad things that pollute the spiritual world.

David twirled the chip between his fingers. The kindness of Night City was hard-won, and as the recipient of that kindness, he had to find a way to settle things for this good Samaritan. No matter what, he couldn't let such a dangerous thing circulate in Night City!
The prosthetic doctor gave himself two days; after that, he would sell Mewtwo, and then it would be too late to recover.

Therefore, for a poor student like Arakawa, getting 30,000 euros is almost impossible.

"A debtor company?"

David fumbled around in his Arasaka school uniform and pulled out the Arasaka Academy badge, staring directly at it.

Want to try it?

As I was thinking, the oven made a clanging sound.

David, who had been itching to get out of the oven, opened the oven door, but as soon as his hand touched the baking tray, he grimaced and painfully pulled the tray out.

Although the pastries were made from scraps, Gloria made them very well.

It just doesn't look very appealing; it tastes exactly the same as those fancy pastries.

It seems his mother still cares about him. David rinsed his hands with ice water, grabbed the freshly baked buttered bread, and headed to his room.

David ate something while carefully checking his emails in front of the computer screen.

[I am Myers, the president of the new America, trapped in the basement of a bar in Night City. Transfer 1000 euros online, and my agents will rescue me. I will then present you with a sword in the stone and a reward of 500 million euros.]

David's vision went black...

[I've taken control of your big gun! Pay the €500 ransom tonight, immediately!]

Want to make big money? Then go work outside Night City! Customs slots available, only for those who miss the deadline!

[Insider information on Dead Man's Lottery, add me...]

...

David clicked his tongue in exasperation.

Of the hundreds of spam emails, almost none met my needs.

"Ok?"

Just as David was about to go out and ask around on the street, a message caught his eye.

[Heywood's most powerful offline bank. Still struggling to afford what you want? Still drooling over the cool guns and cybernetic suits in the company square? As long as you're over 18 and have legal status in Night City, I can make your wishes come true! Contact me...]

David glanced at the sending time and looked somewhat embarrassed.

Good heavens, that was a text message from a year ago… David wasn’t sure if the guy was still in that line of work.

He tried making the call; the profile picture was a thorny rose and intricate totem characteristic of the Valentino gang.

David felt it was hopeless.

Just as he was about to stuff the last bit of bread into his mouth and leave, the phone was answered.

"Hello? What's up?"

He was a relatively young man with a slight Mexican accent.

David quickly said, "Um... can you pay here?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a voice said, "Are you fucking stupid? You want me to take money from you? Do you think I'm some kind of Arasaka Bank?"

David felt a sharp pain in his eardrums; this guy was yelling way too loudly!
"No, I mean, can I borrow money?"

The other animal smacked its lips. "Yes, how much do you want?"

David mustered his courage and, after several seconds, said, "Thirty...thirty thousand euros."

The other person wasn't surprised by the amount. "Sure, cars, houses, prosthetics... anything is fine. Bring the stuff to Haywood on the coast, that's right... the place with the most bastards in Valentino. There's a bar called Wild Wolf. Come up to the second floor and talk to me."

David was stunned.

Car, house, prosthetic body... I don't seem to have any of those!

"I don't have any of these, but I'm a student, I can—"

The person on the other end was completely speechless. "No?! You're kidding me—wait, wait a minute? A student? Which school? It's not some underage brat, is it?"

David said, "Uh... Arasaka Academy."

After listening, the person on the other end paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Brother, I was just joking with you. Haywood Wild Wolf Bar, come on... Amigo, bring something that can prove your identity, 30,000 euros is nothing... trust me."

Tick-tock, the phone call ended.

David's legs were shaking, and his back was covered in cold sweat.

He stared at the chip in his hand for a long time before putting it deep inside his pocket.

David swore: No one will see this!

Just consider it for Lin!
-
Arasaka Tower, the security chief's office. The ashtray on the driftwood desk was piled high with cigarette butts, surrounded by ashes.

Sunlight filtering through the corner of the shading system told Lin Yue that he had spent another night in Arasaka Tower, and his head was starting to spin...

People who can't stay up all night won't survive in a company.

Arasaka paid a high salary, but no one ever said that Arasaka had any humanity.

Actually, Lin Yue wasn't dealing with work, or rather, he had finished his work before 3 a.m. It was just that after finishing those things, Lin Yue felt he didn't have enough time to rest at home, so he immediately turned on his computer and started studying Bartmore's network hacking knowledge again.

"Supervisor, please sign the operational protocol for Police Officer Arasaka."

It wasn't until the person called out "Supervisor" several times that Lin Yue finally looked up in surprise.

Lin Yue rubbed his temples, and the biochemical controller inside his prosthetic eye started working, easing his fatigue somewhat.

Lin Yue, having completed the agreement authentication using his online identity information, asked casually:
"Didn't the Special Operations Department get involved in this matter?"

The subordinate replied, "No, the frequency of audits has dropped sharply recently. Even the HR agents who handle attendance tracking have basically stopped coming to our department."

Lin Yue waved his hand, silencing his subordinate's attempt to slip in his own opinion.

Lin Yue had no time to care what Abernathy was up to; all he could do now was to expedite Lai Xuan's plans.

At this moment, the cyber hacking room was opened.

Sasha stretched and patted her round mouth with her hand.

"I'm so sleepy... You're so healthy, how can you be so capable?"

Lin Yue closed the computer page of the online travel guide. "Time is the most precious thing to me, and I don't want to waste a single moment."

Sasha shrugged, made herself a cup of coffee, and began to give a detailed report.

This girl never hesitates to do things; she always gives herself an answer in the shortest amount of time. For example, Hans has already agreed to let Sasha, the "merchant from Europe across the ocean," enter Dogtown to do business.

However, both sides need an opportunity to cooperate with mutual trust, which is not difficult for Lin Yue. The sparganum has already been produced and replicated in Hanz's brain... just waiting for the final fatal blow to take over this "Mr. Hanz" who has connections and business in Dogtown.

As for Hansen, the NCPD was paving the way for Lin Yue in the city... The temptation to connect Hansen with the NCPD was a good deal for this warlord who ran Dogtown like a company.

Lai Xuan has done enough for himself, whether it's providing capital or paving the way; now it's time for him to get started.

While the help from others is invaluable, everyone must also strive to do their best for themselves.

Lin Yue picked up his coffee and took a sip, when suddenly his throat felt a little itchy.

He spat it out, and black specks splattered onto the dark brown coffee liquid, dissolving into the liquid.

After discussing matters yesterday, Lin Yue felt as if he had been burdened with an "invisible weight."

Sasha, who was standing nearby, noticed that Lin Yue's cough was lasting longer than usual, so she slowly stood up.

"Maybe you're under too much pressure."

Sasha sat down in front of Lin Yue. "Haven't you noticed that your body is decaying faster than you imagined? The Black Wall is constantly attacking those things inside your body. Without rest, you'll deteriorate even faster—"

Lin Yue shook the blood off his palm. "It's okay."

Sasha placed her hands on the table, palms down, and said firmly, "You need proper rest."

Perhaps the world is like a closed loop.

Lin Yue once watched V, through the screen, dragging his almost stagnant body towards the Arasaka Tower in this world. At that time, he cursed Silver Hand in V's mind as a bastard, but Lin Yue wished it was Johnny in his mind.

At least... the uncompromising rock 'n' roll kid is more vibrant, and even the road to death is full of fun.

AI stripped of its humanity will not communicate with you; it will only gaze at you with indifferent eyes, unaware of what it seeks.

"unnecessary."

Lin Yue opened the computer's subnet login page. "This lesson on anti-tracking and tracking programs is over. Come on, go online and try out the new things I've learned."

However, Sasha did not continue the topic.

Contrary to her usual behavior, the slender girl stood up. "Rest now!"

Lin Yue pursed his lips, a strange emotion beginning to flicker in his eyes.

He really dislikes the feeling of being disobeyed now.

In my chaotic mind: "Come here—don't be afraid anymore, and don't treat this place as a wasteland. Rather than acting like an overly defensive child, just walk in gently..."

What the hell?! Not again?
The thoughts in my head never seem to settle down.

Sasha stared directly into Lin Yue's eyes, as if trying to see what those things behind Lin Yue's pupils were doing.

"You (I) can do it."

The overlapping sounds vibrated in Lin Yue's eardrums.

He spoke without his control.

There were specks of red light in Lin Yue's pupils.

Sasha froze, instinctively taking a step back.

"What...what did you just say?"

The light in Lin Yue's eyes disappeared, and he frowned without speaking, as if waking from a dream.

Sasha was a little agitated. "Were they just talking? Oh my god..."

She reached out her hand to Lin Yue.

Lin Yue's chair slid back slightly, and the atmosphere in the office became as still as a stagnant pool.

He stood up, his tall frame rising. “I need to connect to the Black Wall. This isn’t about taking a break… nor is it me begging you, Sasha.”

Sasha withdrew her hand. "Hey, calm down! I know this period has been tough, but you understand... I got into Arasaka because of you, but my goal is biotechnology. I just hope you don't run into any problems."

"For our sake, don't do anything that puts you in danger. Deep diving can be accelerated... but not now."

"Things are clearly getting better! Sasha doesn't understand why Lin Yue seems to have reverted to his old ways after he went out for a while and came back."

She had no idea how Lin Yue's conscience was shattered during his deal with the corrupt bureau chief.

Just as Lin Yue was about to speak, there was a knock on the office door.

The automatic door opened, and Suzuki found the two of them standing face to face, so he quickly stepped back.

These two...

Lin Yue: "What's the matter?"

Suzuki said somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, I have the authority to remind you that you have a reception today... arranged by Ms. V."

"V?"

Lin Yue frowned, then suddenly realized.

When V first saw the cat at the apartment yesterday, he mentioned it to himself as a gift...that guy.

When Sasha saw Suzuki arrive, she turned around, picked up her coffee, and walked back to her cyber hacking room.

She was very sensible and never lingered in front of too many Arasaka employees; in fact, she had never left the Arasaka Tower since joining Arasaka.

Lin Yue: "Who is this person? Do you recognize them?"

Suzuki shook his head. "Yes... it's from Arasaka Academy. Should we refuse this invitation? I can speak to the administration."

"Arasaka Academy?"

Lin Yue probably guessed it.

He then waved his hand. Since it was someone V had invited, meeting her was no big deal; after all, he was still happy to listen to her.

"Let him come up here, but keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't wander around or touch anything."

……

　I didn't expect to be so busy with work lately that I have to work on Sundays, but I won't take any days off and I will make sure to keep updating and have more than 4000 words of content every day.

　　Please be patient, everyone. Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll be updating a lot around the 10th!
　　I've seen all your support and concern lately. It's true that working and writing is tough, but I can handle it, so don't worry about me!
　　I have no problem updating this part~
　　(●''●)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)