Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 149 Destiny and Momentum

The hovercar Holy Sword deactivated its low-altitude cruise mode and slowly landed in front of Lin Yue and Rebecca.

Rebecca glanced at Lin Yue behind her, then at the high-end hovercar she had only ever seen in Night City magazine.

Once the car came to a stop, Rebecca touched it from all sides, full of curiosity.

Even she, a layman, thought it was beautiful.

But now that the car has arrived, the people have to get on the road.

Thinking of this, she muttered:
"Miss V said if I wander around Night City after tonight... she'll shut me up for good."

"so--"

Are we going to Arasaka Tower?

Lin Yue stood up; in truth, he was also quite conflicted.

Rebecca's personality wouldn't allow her to survive in Night City, let alone Arasaka Tower. Of course, this isn't to say that Rebecca lacks fighting spirit or strength, but simply that her personality is unsuitable.

Sasha's personality is a good fit for the company; she is independent, clear-headed, and has very clear goals.

Lin Yue paused for a moment.

He looked at Rebecca and asked seriously, "Rebecca, are you sure you want to go to Arasaka Tower?"

"Actually... I can let you leave Night City. You can go wherever you want."

Rebecca didn't look at the man behind her who had asked the question, but instead gently stroked the smooth shell of the holy sword with her gorilla arm.

It's a pity the prosthetic hand has no nerves; she guessed the car must feel very comfortable to touch.

Maybe... it's more money the team could never earn in their entire lives.

"So you're leaving Night City too?"

Rebecca stepped aside, and the door of the hovercar slowly lowered.

Lin Yue said helplessly, "That's impossible."

Rebecca seemed thoughtful. "So why do you, like my father, always think I'm not suited to be a cyberpunk...? Can a qualified fringewalker be identified at a glance?"

When asked this question, Lin Yue didn't know how to answer for a moment. "Of course not."

Rebecca nimbly jumped into the car, sat on the soft seat, and patted the seat next to her with her brightly colored hands—

"Stop talking nonsense! Get in the car, you brat!"

Lin Yue was stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.

The airship closed with a snap, and the fully enclosed windows of the cabin began to display the composite light and shadow outside. Rebecca pressed her palm against the window and happily looked down at the skyscrapers painted with light spots.

She also exclaimed in surprise from time to time, her expression unusually excited.

Lin Yue envied this carefree girl, who seemed to accept the ending of any story with equanimity, without complaint or regret, and always followed the path of obeying herself.

"Hey! Lin Yue...that building, that's my and Pila's home!"

Rebecca's face fell as soon as she uttered Pila's name.

She stared blankly at the beautiful scenery she had never seen in Night City, and for a moment lost interest.

"Pila is such an annoying guy... just thinking about him makes me feel uneasy."

Rebecca plopped down in a chair with her arms crossed, muttering to herself.

"What, you can't bear to part with your brother?" Lin Yue sat upright to ease the discomfort caused by the AI ​​entering his brain.

Rebecca denied it, sighing with feigned maturity, "People like us who are on the fringes of Night City don't even know if we'll live to see the end of the next mission."

She counted on her fingers, "Think about it, there are gangs, there are crazy NCPDs, and there are some shady middlemen who post commissions—"

Lin Yue frowned.

"Are you talking about me?"

Rebecca looked embarrassed for a moment.

"Of course not. Your jobs are all big ones, like the one where Taipingzhou fought against the Animal Gang, and the second one where we disrupted the Animal Gang's situation. These are all lucrative jobs. So we'll find some reliable jobs to do on our own."

Lin Yue shook his head.

It seems these wild guys just can't stay still. He calculated the amount he paid for the commission, and it was probably the highest price in Night City.

Rebecca: "So, Pila, I don't know if he knows my dad's moves—but he seems to just mimic the appearance, likes to make things with his hands, and has a trendy but useless prosthetic arm... He's just a noob!"

"He might die at the hands of some stupid cyber lunatic on the street."

Lin Yue thought of getting up and covering the girl's mouth. How could she be so good at giving bad luck?

Rebecca said listlessly, "It would be better if he died by my hand. No one in Night City can kill him."

She even added, "You can't either!"

Lin Yue understood.

Rebecca may only have Pila as family in this city. Perhaps Rebecca is not good at expressing her feelings, but she will take them seriously.

The hovercar flew towards Night City Square.

Rebecca sees the world as small, and when a request makes her feel uneasy, all she can do is pray and silently consider whether to give up.

“And Mann… he’ll definitely be very sad.”

Rebecca shook her head. Judging from Lin Yue's posture, he didn't seem to intend to tell Mann where he was.

Lin Yue saw through Rebecca's thoughts.

“Rebecca, it’s not that I can’t say, but Mann and the Joint Logistics Command agents of New America seem to be quite familiar with each other. Apart from military technology and New America, Arasaka has no other obvious enemies.”

New America, the Joint Logistics Command… Rebecca didn’t understand, but she knew that it seemed like everyone in the squad had a terrible past.

Lin Yue didn't intend to keep Lin around indefinitely; he just lacked the confidence and manpower.

As long as he has access to information about Little Big Dipper in Dogtown, he doesn't mind taking on Lone Wolf's mission himself.

As for Mann's team... Lin Yue began to reflect on his own actions.

Whether it's friendship, love, or family, it can all make people lose their calm judgment.

If you want to perfectly execute the company dog's code of conduct, then you shouldn't have any thoughts about the life or death of your subordinates.

But everyone's data panel is still there in my eyes, and their favorability ratings are also there...

The words of those vivid characters, asking him to put Lin Yue back in the squad, still echoed in his ears.

Lin Yue admitted that there were still some things he couldn't do.

therefore.

In V's eyes, his intervention to save Rebecca tonight was illogical and extremely risky.

You should know that Arasaka was protecting his information to the death, yet he was engaged in a fierce battle with a lone wolf who was almost certain to be using military technology.

Leaving a clue anywhere is a troublesome matter. — If Rebecca were a complete stranger in Night City, Lin Yue would definitely consider silencing her and cleaning up the mess.

Fortunately, the presence of the facial features prevented Sunrise from knowing his identity.

But Rebecca is now at a crucial juncture.

If Sunrise continues to have designs on Rebecca, Lin Yue will be completely controlled by military technology.

"Actually, you didn't have to say things like 'I should go to another city'."

"I know you're going against the company and that Ms. V again..."

Rebecca waved her hand and asked in a low voice, "Is the company... really that good?"

Lin Yue: "Why would you ask that?"

Rebecca sighed. "Although I sometimes don't think too much about things, the two new hackers in the team are very interested in you... That woman named Qiwei often asks me when we're drinking if you're a member of Arasaka Corporation."

Qiwei...

This is considered reasonable behavior.

The airship entered the deep hangar passage of Arasaka Tower.

The bulkheads displaying images around the cabin began to close.

“Rebecca, the company may not be as good as you imagine, but it’s not all up to us… Can you handle it?”

Almost without hesitation.

Rebecca rolled up her sleeves and gave Lin Yue an approving look.

As Lin Yue got out of the car, a name that hadn't appeared in his prosthetic eye for a long time surfaced.

[Rebecca's affinity rating has been updated]

【Favourability: 80】

[Rewards: Physical attributes +3, Physical Ability Points +4, Prosthetic Capacity +20...]

[Rewritten: This character's total change progress is 20%.]

He didn't look at the reward much; instead, he stared intently at the last line of text.

Those who can see through the treacherous power struggles within Arasaka can naturally understand the meaning of this sentence.

At this moment, Suzuki came up from the side of the passage to greet them. He bowed slightly and said hello, seemingly unaware of the petite girl beside Lin Yue.

Lin Yue placed his hand on Rebecca's shoulder, who was curiously observing everything. "Should we say goodbye to Pila and the others?"

Rebecca shook her head.

"After this is all over... I might send a text message or something."

Lin Yue was somewhat surprised.

Is Rebecca really that decisive in her judgment?

By this time, he had made up his mind that after the Dogtown incident was over, he would give the team a large sum of money and let them choose their own lives.

This is the final mission to account for these hundreds of days and nights, and to bring the team's bond to a close.

Lin Yue looked down at the girl.

His subconscious told him: Rebecca now seems to have gone down a completely different path, so why hasn't her own fate changed?

Even 50% would be enough...

So he silently asked himself:

Does such a thing as destiny really exist?

……
-
Dogtown, Gemstone Green.

She touched up her makeup in front of the car mirror, with Hanz's voice in her ears.

“Emma… Catherine has been calling me. Where have you been?”

Emma used her fingertip to spread a congealed bloodstain from the corner of her eye. She tilted her head slightly to admire it in the mirror and found the color to be surprisingly pleasing.

The colors are much more vibrant than the eyeshadows and other cosmetics I use.

"Um... I just had too much to drink, darling."

Emma pursed her lips, her eyes fixed on a round object in the passenger seat, a delighted smile on her face.

Even Hanz in the holographic phone was at a loss with Emma.

"I know you haven't been in a good mood lately. Do you need me to go home?"

Emma made a soft "hmm" sound of refusal. "This is the last one. I'm going back right away. Tell Catherine to wait for me. I've been good... I haven't gone anywhere outside of Dogtown to drink my Sleeping Wine, okay?"

“I’m at the Long Beach stockpile. If you’re worried, you can have your men come and take me back.”

Her tone was gentle, like that of a good wife who puts her husband at ease.

Hanz said helplessly, "Promise me you'll go back soon and use your intelligent driving system, consider it a favor to me."

Emma blinked. "Definitely."

After hanging up the phone, Emma took a deep breath, her tone completely different, "Angie, have your people keep a close eye on people who come out looking preoccupied, and teach them how to answer the right questions so that nothing goes wrong at this critical juncture."

Angie, sitting in the back seat with her arms crossed, found it hard not to let her mind wander.

Because the air around her nose was thick with the smell of blood, and there was a human head lying on the passenger seat... This was fucking...

Emma, ​​that crazy woman, lies without batting an eye.

Angie complained, but did as she was told.

She now understands why she can only be the leader of the animal gang and not the leader of Dogville.

In the distance, at the entrance to the Gemstone Gate was a heavily guarded military camp of the Netherhounds. Angie felt her legs go weak just driving in, let alone walking in.

If Hansen were to give the order, not a single woman would be left, not even ashes.

Emma glanced at Angie's tense, pale face in the rearview mirror, her red lips curving into a seductive, venomous smile. "Rin said he came to Dogtown to help you stabilize the situation... He also said you were pretty brave, but now it seems that's not true..."

Angie leaned forward, trying her best to avoid noticing the sticky, round object in the corner of her eye.

"Stop talking nonsense! What did Hansen say? If you're going to risk your life, don't drag me into it. Let's get this straight, I'll be waiting for you in the car—"

She probably didn't even realize her own nervous, subconscious movements.

"If you mess this up, Rin won't let you off the hook."

Emma was about to speak when a response came through the message.

She looked at the guy's invitation and let out a satisfied laugh.

"Our good colonel replied, quite quickly. And... Angie, what makes you think you can sit comfortably in the car like a child waiting for its mother to come home from get off work and enjoy the ride?"

“We’re in this together, baby.”

Angie's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

"You crazy bitch, what exactly do you want?"

Emma: "Nothing much. First, I need you to testify that you control the gangs in Dogtown. Second, the financial records are in your hands, and a shrewd guy like Hansen wouldn't ignore them."

"As for the third one... I told him there were two guests."

Emma seemed to suddenly realize something, and gently patted the passenger's head. "Oh, two and a half."

Angie felt that she was destined to attract madmen.

Her expression shifted between light and dark as she pondered for a long time.

Finally, she realized with dismay that this woman had dragged her into this dangerous situation.

First, Lin Yue, a mercenary under Rin, tries to kill Mr. Hans, the local leader of Dogtown. Then, an extremely vicious woman appears—who happens to be Hans's wife!

She swore that she approached Emma simply because she wanted to find Rin.

"屮!"

Angie kicked the car door with her sneakers.

Emma watched Angie get out of the car before getting out herself, making sure to hold onto her "gift" in her hand.

Two women walked step by step toward the gates of Sapphire Blue in the cold wind of Dogtown.

The sentries and mechs, who were still on alert in the distance, noticed the figure in the darkness.

The mech was the first to react, its machine guns fixedly aimed at the uninvited guest.

However, the IFF system immediately identified it as friendly.

The soldier holding the gun looked at the green light on the mech and hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should move aside in front of the door.

Just then, the tall, haunted hound squad leader walked out with his hands on his hips.

The man, wearing a black mask sprayed with glow-in-the-dark paint, looked down at the severed head Emma was holding.

Emma remained expressionless and held up the item for the squad leader to inspect.

One of the new recruits was on guard duty for the first time.

They all craned their necks to see what the alluring woman was carrying—

That is…

Emma's arm seemed to be getting tired from holding it up, and the head in her hand turned to the side, its lifeless eyes meeting the recruit's gaze.

In that instant, my hair stood on end.

"屮?"

His instinctive outburst made him the focus of all the soldiers' attention.

The captain originally wanted to ask Emma a few questions, but unexpectedly found himself with a coward among his subordinates.

"You, and you, take him over there to play and teach our newcomer some manners." As he spoke, the captain also made way for him.

"Please come in, beautiful lady—the colonel is waiting for you upstairs."

Emma didn't seem to mind, and chuckled, "Thank you, gentleman."

Then, while swaying his waist, he walked towards the sapphire blue gate, which was full of combat bunkers.

Angie wasn't so composed.

Ultimately, the Ghost Hound squad itself didn't matter, but the pressure from hundreds or even thousands of Ghost Hound soldiers was far greater than that.

Courageous, but not enough.

The soldiers of the Ghost Hounds were like hungry wolves hiding in the night, and their eyes, which seemed to gleam with an eerie light, made her body stiffen.

[Caller: Emma]

Emma's voice was unusually calm at this moment.

"Be natural, Angel. You're the leader of the Animal Gang, and you'll have to face Hansen someday... Don't act like a chick."

“Mr. Rin’s corporate identity is a problem. Hansen won’t easily meet with people from the company, nor will he let him establish himself in Dogtown—so we need to be the ones in the public eye and do everything we can for him.”

"Let Hansen make money happily, and we'll take over Hanz's business peacefully, understand?"

Angie remained silent for a long time, the crisp sound of Emma's high heels clicking on the polished floor ringing in her ears.

"Hmm...we're together."

The first floor of the Gemstone Blue building was covered with a dense network of wire mesh on both sides. Hansen's rough military style seemed to have turned many areas into trenches, setting up these seemingly threatening bunkers.

The advantage is that the spacious hall of the sapphire crystal was forcibly turned into a narrow passage, making it almost impossible to force a breakthrough.

"Excuse me, ma'am, a body search is necessary."

Hansen is a very perceptive person.

A female ghost dog was specially arranged to block their way.

Emma generously opened her arms for the examination—no part of her body was spared.

The ghostly hound watched the two depart and slowly reported, "Without a combat prosthetic, they might be even worse than some sex dolls... The sniper can withdraw."

Inside the elevator, Emma stared at the drops of blood that kept falling beside her.

She exhaled softly.

It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous.

Mr. Rin's orders never included doing business with Hansen on his behalf, so Emma was overstepping her bounds both morally and logically.

But in fact, Mr. Rin may be mistaken.

Emma felt that Hansen might be ignoring Rin, hoping he would get rid of the middleman who was getting in his way. She thought that once Mr. Rin thought he could perfectly replace Hansen, he wouldn't let anyone from the company sit in that position.

She was quite certain of this.

Hansen needs someone who can navigate between the companies and himself. If he were to cooperate more deeply with one of the companies, it would inevitably provoke hostility from the others, and the apparent stability of Dogtown would vanish.

This former soldier in New America seems to run Dogtown like a business, living a life of luxury and power, but in reality, he is someone no one can mess with.

Emma had heard about it from Hans.

Hansen wanted to take more of Arasaka's goods, but Military Technology found out... This almost got Hansen into trouble, so the helpless colonel had to appease both sides, promising to clean up the mess.

However, it turned out that the situation was not handled well, because her husband, Mr. Hans, had an accident.

Lin Yue... a seemingly insignificant Netherhound soldier, has seized the lifeline of the middleman who intends to take a further step up the ranks.

Hanz didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but he discovered that Lin Yue had already climbed the corporate ladder.

Like a malignant tumor, Wade consistently adopted conservative treatment, which ultimately led to a major mistake.

Then think about the colonel; he's probably the best businessman and stabilizer among the military.

He only lets in the most vicious criminals and vagrants from Night City—

Furthermore, Hansen's brainwashing tactics for the Hounds and Dogtown residents have always been hostile to the Corporation, which is why Dogtown's morale is relatively stable. No matter how bad things are internally, they have never given outsiders from Night City a friendly look.

But what many people don't know is that the number of company representatives who have patronized Gemstone Green could probably form several squads of the Ghost Hounds...

Emma shook her head. She had to be careful about how she did business with this greedy alpha wolf.

As I was thinking, the elevator doors opened.

This dilapidated building, adorned with a huge portrait of Hansen, is transformed into the most luxurious club in Night City.

However, Hansen never handles matters here, Emma has investigated.

There were no troublesome ghost hound soldiers along the way, which should have been a good thing, but Emma had a bad feeling.

Inside the dark private room, Hansen's prosthetic eye, reflecting a silvery light, stared at the two women approaching from afar, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Colonel, the man has been brought."

Hansen waved his hand, and the ambient lighting behind him brightened up a bit.

He sipped his wine slowly, elbows resting on his thighs, his back hunched over, looking quite languid, yet his eyes were scanning the guests who were behaving in a completely different manner.

He recognized the woman in the black dress; she was the wife of the old man who seemed to be burdened with worries.

Another one seems to be the most troublesome animal gang in Dogtown besides the Cleaners. But I heard that the animal gang's "introduction" plan in Taipingzhou was ruined by an unknown mercenary organization. It seems that these two women are the culprits behind Hanz's decline.
interesting…

Emma didn't seem afraid of herself, while Angie, though trying to hold on, looked like she was about to snap.

"Please have a seat, both of you."

“I’m not a murderer or a villain… Business is business, put your head on the ground first… no need to wave it around, I know him.”

Emma smiled politely and sat down on the sofa, her posture a habitual gesture of someone who had clearly received a good education.

Angie thought for a moment, but still didn't sit down. Instead, she stood behind Emma, ​​as if she were a support... As for whether she would die standing or sitting, it didn't matter if the negotiations broke down later.

Hansen was surprised that the gang leader who dared to leave Queen graffiti in the stadium was willing to stand up, seemingly regarding Emma as his pillar of support.

Emma raised her glass, and Hansen didn't say anything either.

"Good evening, Colonel Kurt Hansen. Sweet dreams and good health—I hope I haven't disturbed you."

Hansen watched as the woman tilted her head back and finished her drink, then spread his hands and joked, "Honestly, I haven't met such a polite opponent in a long time."

Emma smiled slightly and placed the wine glass on the coffee table. Before she could let go, the colonel's slightly cold voice squeezed into her ears.

"But you ruined my plans."

At this moment, the Ghost Hound security guards outside seemed to be of the same mind as Hansen, and they all took off the rifles they were carrying and silently pointed the muzzles at the two women.

Emma placed her hand on the cup and removed it after a few seconds.

"If I dare to kill him, I'll naturally offer you an even more lucrative opportunity."

Hansen raised his chin, and two hounds entered and grabbed Angie's arms—

"What are you doing?"

Emma didn't say anything.

Hansen pointed at Emma and said slowly and deliberately, "Your compensation is one thing, but you have to pay the price. Let the lady who works for you apologize to my business first."

Just as Angie was about to speak, the soldier covered her mouth with his hand and struck her on the neck, causing her body to immediately go limp.

Emma stared directly at Hansen without any fear throughout.

Hansen was also looking into the woman's eyes, as if trying to see even the slightest hint of fear.

Unfortunately, no.

"Now..." Hansen spread his hands, "the animal gang won't listen to you anymore, what are you going to do?"

Emma spoke at a leisurely pace, seemingly unconcerned about Angie, who had just been dragged out.

“Angel… is proof of my abilities, and the Animal Gang is just my helper.”

Hansen gestured for Emma to continue.

He became increasingly interested in this woman.

“I’ve gotten involved in Wade Blick’s business with people from the Animal Gang, so…”

Emma stood up slightly, picked up the whiskey, poured some into Hansen's glass, and then poured some into her own.

She switched the cups, her smile carrying a hint of ruthlessness.

"He can sit in the sapphire blue, and so can I. Just like these two glasses of wine, it doesn't matter who drinks them, but they are both your property..."

Hansen fell silent for the first time.

He never expected that a woman could be so bold.

"But... I prefer drinking from my own cup."

Hansen beckoned with his finger, and Emma pushed the wine glass toward him.

Emma then played her last trump card, "What if I give you more wine? Would you mind?"

"Brand new weapons, better quality than Kangtao's, don't you want them?"

Hansen smiled.

"You seem very confident."

Emma took a small sip of her wine. "Yes. Dogtown shouldn't have a middleman, but I suspect... the Cuban side sent someone to control you for their own business security, right?"

“In the past few years, Wade has been extending his reach into Taiping Island and even solving your livelihood problems. Hmm... now he’s even starting to negotiate business with the company on your behalf.”

"You already know."

Hansen nodded. “Wade was unlucky. You’re much more ruthless than him… I feel a little sorry for this idiot. But as you said, isn’t it good that Dogtown only has me? Although I don’t think much of Wade, he has indeed taken my money over the past few years.”

Tell me the meaning of your existence.

Emma uttered three words:
"Money, security, exclusive resources."

Hansen smacked his lips. "Let me guess... this exclusive resource belongs to the company, right?"

Even at this moment, Emma didn't forget to give Hansen a hand.

"Nothing can be hidden from you, Colonel."

Hansen moved with lightning speed, grabbing Emma's arm. Emma was in excruciating pain due to the force of Hansen's grip, and her eyes twitched uncontrollably.

The dangerous alpha wolf scrutinized Emma.

"Do you know what you're saying, ma'am?"

Emma took a deep breath, suppressing her pain, "The company's money is what you've always wanted to earn... but you can't stand the military technology's interference and exclusion of other suppliers in Dogtown. Are Arasaka and Comto's products not good enough?"

“It’s just that you can’t make this money openly. I have a way to help you cover it up… nothing is more reliable than this.”

It seems impossible to find the slightest flaw in Hansen's face.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Hansen released her when Emma could barely bear the pain anymore.

"uh-huh…"

Hansen nodded. "My friend, who's always so preoccupied, is really lucky to have you as his fourth wife..."

Emma rubbed her arm without saying a word.

Hansen's greed was always rational; he wanted to eat more, but he was also wary.

Emma said softly, "Through the company's channels, I can even extend your business to Night City."

Hearing this, Hansen felt it was somewhat fake.

He wanted to see what this woman was relying on.

"The NCPD has been reorganized, and I don't know anyone there. The city council and companies are all watching me... I admire your courage, but don't treat me like a child. If you go too far, it won't sound good."

Emma shook her head, interrupting Hansen.

That's very rude.

Rin had told himself about the NCPD, and his goal was to use this card to persuade Hansen.

"But what if I told you that the NCPD can let you do business?"

Hansen stared at Emma, ​​seemingly trying to gauge the credibility of her words.

"Then I can let you kill Hanz, and I won't pursue the matter of you cutting off my partner's head today... If you miss even one of these conditions, guess what the consequences will be?"

"I have to say, you've really sucked up to a good sugar daddy."

Emma seemed oblivious to the irony, "Yes, Colonel."

The colonel looked at Emma suspiciously. "This is not a compliment, ma'am."

Emma's smile was unexpectedly gentle. "He has complete control over me, and I did it willingly... so this will make your business more secure."

Hansen never expected that a woman could do this.

He stood up and clapped his hands; the guards of the Ghost Hound stood quietly at the door.

"Bring the lady who's already asleep over here...and send a reliable driver to take them both home. Also, notify Bennett—"

"If word gets out that this... beautiful lady is coming tonight, I'll make trouble for him."

The soldiers saluted and then retreated.

Hansen watched Emma bow and added, "The company's troops are not allowed in. Tell your people to think carefully about the numbers and my bottom line... The Hound of the Underworld will send some people. We have to give our Cuban friends an explanation, don't we?"

Emma said she would do exactly as instructed.

Hansen stretched his neck; Night City's biggest speculator felt he had struck a perfect deal.

In his view, dynamic balance was paramount in Dogtown, and that company dog ​​at Pedro Petrochemical was indeed inferior to this woman.

At least for now.

What about the future? Hansen didn't know. He only knew that he couldn't lose Dogtown, and that the Ghost Hound was under his control. That was enough.

……

Sitting in the car, Emma couldn't wait to make a phone call to Mr. Rin.

She was like a poor little dog begging for praise.

Emma saw Rin's familiar face reflected on the holographic screen.

"Mr. Rin."

The voice on the other end sounded slightly weary, "Hmm...please speak, ma'am."

Suppressing her excitement, the woman recounted the recent events in Dogtown in as much detail as possible.

Even after Emma finished speaking, Rin didn't react at all.

At this moment, his expression remained frozen for a long time.

Rin sighed slightly, "I rescued you from the Azure Mansion to help you stabilize the situation."

Emma immediately bit her lip, her teeth rubbing against her lips, drawing out a trickle of blood.

Rin changed the subject.

"But I haven't heard any good news in a long time."

Emma's eyes lit up slightly. "So, what do you think..."

Rin nodded. “Great. If it were me, I probably wouldn’t have taken such a risk. You’re much smarter than Hans.”

Emma closed her eyes, her head spinning.

After a long while, she suppressed her excitement, her voice still soft and pleasant in the voice channel.

"The situation is as it is; I will await your arrival to take over here—"

"And I."

Rin's laughter was soft, but Emma could tell it was from her happiness.

This made her start to look forward to the day when Rin, deep in thought, would put shackles on herself.

……

　I feel uneasy if I don't stay up all night writing, especially since we're about to release Dogtown, and I'm getting a little anxious. All the details about Dogtown, including the character changes, are written. Next, I just need to clean things up and then start the next volume.

　　Hmm, I think I saw someone complaining that there's no more bloodshed lately. Well, it's a matter of pacing. Every author has their own style. My killings are all key killings. I'm not very good at handling plots where there are a lot of killings but I can still manage to contain the butterfly effect. Please feel free to give me your opinions. I might try a new pacing in the next volume.

　　As for health issues, all I can say is... I've been writing novels for a while now, so I haven't paid much attention to them. But I'll be more careful in the future, so please don't worry.

　　I hope everyone who wakes up tomorrow will have a wonderful time reading this chapter!
　　Good night~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)