Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 121 Wild Wolf Bar
In a daze, Lin Yue had a sense of peace, as if he had never been to this place before.

Western cooking methods often lack the warmth and savory flavor of Chinese cuisine. For many travelers far from home, the only thing that evokes memories is the unique aroma of hot oil frying in a wok.

Lin Yue instantly felt a sense of fatigue after letting his guard down.

He quietly looked at the various photos pasted on the walls of the small room, which was less than eighty square meters.

Next to the coffee table was an old-fashioned photo frame. Back then, Gloria was still a slightly naive young girl, her wine-red hair was shinier than it is now, and the baby in her arms was smiling, revealing her delicate milk teeth.

Many things in this world are fake, and many things are broken or even defy common sense, but only love is real.

Lin Yue felt that Gloria must have put in a lot of effort.

The fact that this mother could create such an atmosphere for an immigrant family accustomed to North American cuisine to cook Chinese food suggests that she must have placed this matter at the highest priority.

Gloria, her face slightly flushed, stirred the vegetables in the pan, and her mood gradually calmed down.

Perhaps in Night City, the reason most of the company's employees are called "company dogs" is not because their methods are dirty, but because of the condescending contempt that comes from their very bones.

They believe that only companies are the true controllers of the world, and any company employee with some ability—

For example, Mr. Rin would never condescend to come to a place like Santo Domingo, to attend a family dinner in a somewhat poor family, let alone eat the food made by this "rough" woman from the City of Night.

She carefully rinsed the plate in hot water, a tip taught to her by her master chef: hot dishes shouldn't be served on cold plates, as it would affect the taste.

Probably scalded by the hot water, Gloria hissed softly. She unconsciously turned her head and saw the tall man leaning against the doorframe, staring intently at her as she worked.

She immediately became uneasy. "Oh? Please...please sit down for a moment, I'll be right there."

Lin Yue shook his head. He wasn't the kind of person who was reserved or awkward. Although the black wall had affected him, he had always been straightforward and outgoing. On the contrary, the host was a bit shy...

Lin Yue: "The aroma suggests that Madam's cooking skills are very authentic. It must be... taught to you by an experienced chef who knows this kind of thing, right?"

Gloria scooped the beef, which had absorbed all the wok hei (wok aroma) from the pot, onto a plate, exhaled, and adjusted her posture.

She smiled slightly and said, "It seems that what I learned is quite authentic... It's just that I can't find the kind of cutlery that you use, so you'll have to make do with knives and forks."

Lin Yue: "It's okay."

Gloria was carrying a plate—Lin Yue extended his prosthetic arm, "Let me do it."

Lin Yue had barely given the woman time to refuse before he had placed the dishes on the table. Although his expression was calm, his inner thought was: When are we going to eat?
The taste of this dish was like a resurrected memory from a past life; he couldn't resist it any longer.

Gloria was somewhat shocked and confused. Although her job didn't involve much contact with company employees, she had heard that people in companies weren't easy to get along with...

However, this gentleman was more approachable than I had imagined.

As she worked, she felt the approving gazes behind her, and the feeling of being recognized for her hard work was wonderful.

She broke the silence in the kitchen:

"I think David is my lucky star."

"Ever since he got into Arasaka Academy, not only have cyberpunk fans bought my stuff, which has helped my son and me a lot... we even met you."

Lin Yue was taken aback, then suddenly realized.

It turns out that the prosthetic bodies that Mann sold to individual buyers in Dogtown were provided by this woman.

So he said, "You can't make much money in Night City through legitimate means, so having a side hustle is understandable—"

"But you should stay away from this kind of business in the future. After all, your main job is as a medical emergency responder. If the company finds out... you will face huge fines and lawsuits."

Gloria nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed, because it wasn't something to be proud of.

"But haven't you tried to get a certification in cryotherapy? There's a lot of demand for trauma teams, and I bet it would make your life better if you joined one."

Gloria looked puzzled and turned to stare at the man. "Is it okay for an ordinary person like me?"

Lin Yue shook his head.

"There are no ordinary people, only people who are willing to risk their lives."

"However, using weapons and combat prosthetics is indeed a troublesome step for you. After all, as you know, the trauma team needs to know how to fire a gun... This is just a suggestion, madam."

Gloria thought about it; the goal this man mentioned was almost an insurmountable peak.

She could only say quietly, "This is all I have to do in my life. My greatest wish is to ensure that David can live a worry-free life in Night City."

Lin Yue: No, you're still very young, you can have your own dreams.

young?

Gloria glanced instinctively at her reflection in the kitchen tiles, "You're joking..."

Lin Yue, however, was very serious and said, "I'm not joking."

Because you can't tell from her appearance that she's already a college student's mother.

However, David and Gloria seem to share a common flaw: they only prioritize other people's dreams at the expense of their own.

The fact that one person was able to get into Arasaka Academy and that a woman who struggled from the bottom to become an emergency medical technician through self-study speaks volumes about their abilities.

It's important to understand that those who can obtain such a stepping stone under these resource conditions are not ordinary people.

In other words, a collapsing world will most likely turn intelligent people into mediocre ones.

However, the worse the living environment, the more likely it is to produce a few strong individuals who can adapt to this law—but in this process, you have to focus on yourself.

Gloria paused for a moment, her eyes and brows softening with the gentleness that comes with the passage of time.

"Do you think David is a good candidate? I want him to enter Arasaka Tower smoothly... perhaps he can be like you?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment.

While it's true that one could stand atop Arasaka Tower with a full set of military cybernetic armor, such a personality is completely unsuitable for reaching the top in Arasaka's complex promotion system.

Lin Yue had no clear idea of ​​how things would develop in the future; everything seemed to have changed, yet nothing seemed to have changed at the same time.

However, dreams, like love, are blind.

Lin Yue didn't speak, and Gloria understood.

The so-called transcendence of social class is a very difficult thing; she just doesn't want to admit it.

Once she started talking, the lady was quite happy to chat.

“David said your office is on a very high floor of the Arasaka Tower, is that right?” Gloria stirred the noodles in the pot, wiping the sweat from her forehead caused by the steam.

Lin Yue neither confirmed nor denied, saying, "I can't talk about things that involve the company."

Gloria apologized, then smiled slightly, "Are you married?"

Lin Yue: "..."

Even in another world, the women's topics of conversation were surprisingly consistent.

He even felt that Gloria was about to introduce him to a girl any second.

Do foreigners also engage in matchmaking?

Gloria curled the corners of her lips as she sized up the guy. "You were born around 2055, right? And Miss V, to be honest, I think you two are both good people—I think she's a perfect match."

Lin Yue said helplessly, "Madam, you've never even seen her before."

Gloria shook her head. "That's right. David also said he saw Miss V at the foot of the Arasaka Tower. That kid is always so presumptuous. He even scanned her and got himself into trouble."

And this thing?

Lin Yue didn't know.

Gloria held up a finger and said mysteriously, "David said this young lady is very beautiful!"

Why did the topic turn out so strange?
“Ms. V is very concerned about your health. I was actually wondering what was wrong with you, and I even asked David to check on you—are you alright?”

Lin Yue denied it.

Gloria continued, "That Miss V... trust me, a woman's intuition is never wrong."

Lin Yue escaped for the first time.

He barely said a word before turning around and sitting back on the sofa where he was supposed to be, leaving Gloria with a wide smile covering her mouth.

She hadn't expected this gentleman to be so cute.

Just as Lin Yue was making Gloria uneasy—

The door opened, and David, who was wearing an Arasaka Academy uniform, paused for a moment.

He looked at Lin Yue, who was sitting on the sofa smoking, with a hint of fear on his face. Like any child, he went into the kitchen to stay with his mother.

Gloria moved very quickly.

The food was ready in no time.

David was just about to plop down in the chair at the dining table when Gloria grabbed him.

"Etiquette...forgotten?!"

That brat.

Gloria whispered through gritted teeth, then smiled and squinted, inviting Lin Yue to sit down first.

After everyone was seated, David looked at his mother, then at Lin Yue—

My mom seems a bit younger today.

"Mr. Lin, please try it."

Lin Yue noticed that the mother and son were staring intently at him, and knew that they would definitely not eat unless he took a bite. So he could only use his fork to pick up the fried noodles from the plate and stuff them into his mouth.

The chewing motion paused for a moment.

There's something there, young mother.

Lin Yue felt this was the happiest moment in Night City. He wondered how Gloria had replicated it; it was so delicious that he thought Gloria had added something extra…

The stir-fried noodles had a chewy texture, and the smooth, tender consistency, coated in a spicy sauce, was a far cry from the typical flavor of beef. The Night City synthetic meat was far superior to what one would expect from beef, completely unlike anything Night City food could offer. Gloria's eyes were expectant, as if she wanted some feedback from Lin Yue's expression.
Seeing Lin Yue pause for a moment, she became extremely nervous.

It would be embarrassing if it didn't taste good.

however--

The man then began a violent inhalation; although his movements were restrained, his actions were entirely certain.

Seeing Lin Yue start eating, David didn't stand on ceremony either.

One bite:
"Wow! Mom. What is this? When did you learn to make something so delicious? It's much better than your sandwiches—"

Before David could finish speaking, he received a slap on the back of the head.

Gloria blushed slightly. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

David doesn't maintain a proper image while eating at home. At first, he ate his fried noodles with the plate still on, but later he just ate the whole plate straight away. Not only that, but with his mouth full of food, he mumbled, "Mr. Lin, you must come more often when you have time."

Gloria rolled her eyes at him.

David swore he wished Lin Yue could live in his house; having eaten too much convenience food, he felt his mom's cooking had improved so much lately it was like she was a completely different person.

Frustrated and hungry, David could only vent his anger on the food with mixed feelings.

Gloria rested her chin on her hand as she looked at them, a satisfied smile on her face. Nothing could make her happier than this.

David would also glance at this silent man during his meals.

Mr. Lin didn't have the disdain that the aristocratic children of Arasaka Academy and corporate people had for him. He treated him and his mother seriously and equally, and even brought him many benefits.

Even his mother, who usually looked exhausted from working overtime, seemed more energetic because of his arrival.

A formal dinner inexplicably put David at ease.

Things that are hard-won are always fragile, David knew.

If Mr. Lin finds out that he has watched that Mewtwo video, he might make him pay a heavy price, but that's not what he's worried about—he just wants Mr. Lin to be safe.

His mother's smile and his husband's calm attitude gave him even more determination to solve his husband's problems.

……
-
David watched Mr. Lin get into his car and leave, at Gloria's request, and accompanied him all the way to the side of the road.

The man also praised his mother's cooking skills, but still expressed that he had attended the banquet to accept their thanks. Although he didn't say it clearly, the gist of it was that he wouldn't come again and told them to live well.

However, David felt this was normal. For company personnel of Mr. Moussa's caliber, it was already quite an achievement to be able to come to Santo Domingo for this meal, and they all understood.

Before getting into the car, Mr. Lin simply told David to study hard and didn't say much else.

David only turned around and stared blankly at the chaotic scene outside the skyscrapers after the car's taillights disappeared into the traffic of Night City.

He lied to his mother earlier, saying he was going to school, but actually he was going to Heywood to meet the person in charge of the "offline bank".

Kirk?
That seems to be its name.

David, with his hands in his pockets, strolled leisurely toward the city rail transit station.

There's always a strange smell mixed with beer in the light rail carriages of Night City.

The train conductor announced: "Next stop, Watson District, Chinatown. Combat cybernetic devices are strictly prohibited on board..."

David swung his leg, glanced at the empty seat stained with vomit, and turned away, helplessly placing his hand on the armrest.

The view of Night City through the glass is always so captivating.

Despite its high crime rate, and even being once ranked as the worst area in North America, no one has ever said that this city is not beautiful.

On the contrary, it is precisely this dazzling scenery and the unrestricted city rules that make this dream city, constructed from the material world, that has bewitched so many people, making them willing to do anything to survive here.

jingle--

That colorful light flashed in my eyes again.

David looked around and, across two carriages, saw a young girl gripping the handrail, her face unremarkable—but as David scrutinized her, she seemed to sense his gaze, turning her head slightly and looking at him with lifeless eyes.

He quickly turned his head and pretended to look out the window.

Why do I feel like I've seen her somewhere before?
Do I... even know myself?

However, girls like this are rarely seen in Night City; they seem to possess a kind of magic. He reluctantly turned his head to look in that direction again, but after a moment of surprise, he realized that the girl was no longer there.

David then sighed.

The train carriage disappeared into the middle of the city buildings, and his face was reflected in the dark glass, his eyes filled with confusion and fear of the unknown.

As the billboards flashed by, the train disappeared into the glow of Night City.

……

Haywood's style has always been distinctive.

The Valentino gang favors retro and intricate patterns. As David observed, the skulls in street graffiti often have blood-red roses blooming in their eye sockets, and their golden prosthetics and luxurious jewelry often signify their status within the gang.

Of course, not everyone in Heywood is involved with this faction, but they are all more or less influenced by the organization and follow the trend of wearing gold and silver.

The eerie green neon lights of the Wild Wolf Bar resemble the eyes of a canine at night.

The Mexican-style drumbeats mixed with the aroma of corn from Tacco (Mexican food) were David's first impression of the bar.

The Wild Wolf Bar has no access restrictions and seems very relaxed and casual, but no chaotic situations occur in the surrounding area.

But if David's intuition were sharp enough, he would have noticed that many "outsiders" were watching him closely.

Walking down the streets of Heywood, if you don't have some skills, you're destined to be robbed.

As soon as David entered, the burly man with a thick beard behind the bar locked his gaze on him.

The guy's expression seemed very unfriendly; he had a thick beard, a slicked-back hairstyle, and one hand gleamed with the golden light of a prosthetic body.

To be honest, David wanted to walk around and check things out, but he didn't want to get too close to the guy—but it was even more dangerous to ask other customers where a guy named Kirk was in the bar, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk up to the bar.

"Um... excuse me, do you have someone here named Kirk?"

David could almost picture the guy saying "get lost" in a menacing tone.

However, this guy's voice didn't quite match his image; it was even a bit slow.

Peppy scratched his head. "Uh... Kirk? He's on the second floor. You can go to the innermost booth. If you see a fat guy standing outside eating a hamburger, that's him."

As he spoke, his golden prosthetic arm pushed a small glass of wine towards him, "You can drink this before you go up. That guy is not easy to deal with."

David quickly waved his hand. Goodness, Haywood is so polite?
Peppy tilted his head back, finished his drink, forced a smile, and said to David:

"Remember not to wander off."

David found it unusual that Night City had such a polite person... but he also wondered if there was something wrong with him, that he was uncomfortable with others being polite.

Amid David's repeated thanks, Pepi watched him ascend the iron staircase—

"Hi Pepi."

Lucy walked in from outside and sat at the bar.

Peppy slowly poured himself a glass of tequila. "You're looking for Kirk too?"

Lucy, a cigarette between her fingers, asked, "Too?"

Peppy nodded. "A guy I've never seen before came to see him earlier—how's your business going? I heard you provided Kirk with a lot of vehicle certification information for the company dogs, is that true?"

Lucy stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. "Hmm... so-so. I recently joined a new team and plan to work in the afterlife. But I'm only in charge of selling information. I really admire people like Kirk—it seems like there's no car he wouldn't dare to steal."

After saying that, the girl tilted her head back and poured a glass of very strong tequila into her mouth.

Peppy whispered, "A better life...it's good to be able to move to a different place, after all, Kirk has a gang behind him!"

Gangster?

Lucy sized up the somewhat dazed guy. The fact that Wild Wolf Bar could remain unmoved here meant it must have some powerful backing, right?

As the most prestigious pub in Heywood, Mrs. Wells, the owner, hardly put any effort into running the place. Everyone tacitly agreed that no one dared to cause trouble at Wild Wolf, and the neighbors all had a very high opinion of the old woman, which also meant that Peppy didn't have to worry much about his work.

But the bartender clearly didn't know where Anwen came from; he probably thought it was because Mrs. Wells was highly respected.

Lucy handed him a glass. "Thank you for the drink, Peppy. I have to go upstairs now."

It's rare for strangers to come to Wild Wolf. Although he doesn't know why, Wild Wolf's customer Pepi can tell who it is just by listening to their footsteps with his eyes closed.

Aside from that young guy from before, it seems another one has arrived—

After entering the bar, the tall, dark-haired young man looked around. His demeanor and style were completely out of place on the street.

The man forced a not-so-pleasant smile after his eyes fell on Peppy, and, as if he had determined the direction, walked toward the spot on the left side of the bar where Mrs. Wells often stood.

Pepi smacked his lips, feeling like something was going to happen tonight.
……

Upon entering the bar, Lin Yue followed Jack's instructions in his text message and headed towards a private room deep inside the Wild Wolf Bar.

[Report on suspected activity of a criminal wanted by Arasaka // Recommendation to nearby employees: Detain the suspect and notify the branch office where the suspect is located // Wanted: Luxina Kushinada, Reason: Assaulting company security personnel, leaking company secrets, violating company law...]

Is Lucy here?
These kinds of messages often pop up on the Arakasaka website, probably trying to get employees to voluntarily solve problems for the company, with no rewards.

Therefore, Lin Yue was too lazy to take any action, since he could leave the work to Mann and the others.

While thinking, Lin Yue discovered Jack's location.

A burly man leaning against a sofa in the distance had his hair in a bun and wore a familiar leather jacket.

Hey! Dude over here!

……

　[Cryotherapy]: In cyberpunk board games, cryotherapy can temporarily save the lives of people who are on the verge of death, allowing them to await further treatment. Trauma teams also possess similar technologies.
　　【Kirk】: In the 2077 Street Kid game, he starts by having V steal a car and act as a middleman to settle the debt with bartender Peppy.

　　Pepi: The bartender at the Wild Wolf Bar.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)