Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 162 Loyalty and the Past
Two days later.

Dogtown, burdened with worries.

"Sorry, my friend. This is our first time having a formal phone conversation... well, first of all."

Mr. Hanz's holographic phone remained as impeccable as ever; his burgundy bespoke suit was impeccably tailored, and his face was hidden in the impenetrable darkness of the background, seemingly representing the role he played in Dogtown—

A local tyrant who doesn't operate in the shadows.

In the ear canal of Hanz, the male voice on the other end was calm and powerful, speaking fluent German.

"Night City... I know it's a free city, even though I'm far away in Berlin. Ever since the American War of 70, many European businessmen have been eyeing it. The place in the world with the most profitable arms trade is Night City—the worst place in America."

You may not have heard the European joke: What's the safest place outside of Night City?

Was the other person surprisingly easy to talk to?

Hanz pursed his lips. "I'm all ears."

The gentlemanly man opposite him gave his answer.

"Everywhere."

Hans and the European merchant opposite him burst into laughter at just the right volume. "It seems that doing business with you, sir, was the right decision."

call…

Hanz's expression slowly returned to normal.

Now that the relaxed meeting is over, new topics will naturally emerge.

"Speak up. Although I understand your special identity, your choice not to show your true face still makes me a little uncomfortable. And you seem to have something on your mind. I hope it won't affect our business."

Are Germans always this blunt?
After a brief silence.

The anger in Hans' heart from the theft of his weapon grew stronger, but he had to pretend to be calm.

"It's like this, I think our cooperation will have to be postponed for a while... I've been too busy with my business lately, I'm really sorry."

A shrewd middleman tries to make his tone as flawless as possible.

After a brief silence, a middle-aged German man with blond hair and blue eyes, displaying standard Germanic features, appeared on the holographic screen with a half-smile. He then placed his hands together on the table.

“I think I should reiterate, Mr. Hans. It is you who have the need and we have the weapons, not us who are begging you to take our scarce goods… It seems you’ve reversed the order, Dogtown middleman.”

Well... the Germans are angry.

At this critical juncture, Wade Blick, whose goods had been completely destroyed by a force outside Dogtown, still had to silently endure it.

He could only laugh and say, "Last time you came to Night City and stayed at the Azure Hotel, I didn't personally greet you. I just hope you can wait until I've finished dealing with this matter. I promise you a satisfactory price..."

A satisfactory price is just empty promises to customers, and Hanz understands that.

as predicted.

The European arms dealer sneered, "Speaking of Azure, I've witnessed firsthand the security level of Night City. After all, even the Arasaka Hotel, which is known as the safest hotel in the world, was locked down for a full 12 hours."

“Apart from your… delightful wife, I’m not particularly interested in anything in Night City, and I don’t need you to meet or have dinner with me in some low-class place where condoms are soaking in wine glasses.”

Upon hearing the word "wife" and the preceding adjective, Hanz's hands clenched tightly.

"I must say, you at Peizhuo Petrochemical have a knack for choosing women, and I'm quite satisfied with the conversation you facilitated. For Emma's sake, you'd better give me a proper explanation."

These incredibly insulting words, especially when paired with the German man's contemptuous, sidelong glance—

Hanz, who had worked as a senior executive at Peizhuo Petrochemical for so many years and still couldn't let go of his arrogance, almost lost his composure!
How can you buy yourself some breathing room?

By this time, the shrewd Dogtown businessmen had found a way to stall for time.

"To be honest, I was tricked."

Upon hearing this, the arms dealer's expression instantly changed, his face filled with distrust.

"Looks like there's a problem with your territory?"

"Hans, your wife said you're the one with the most influence under the Colonel in Dogtown. Now it seems—you're just using me as a fallback plan?"

Hans spread his hands; he was a master of shrewd business and knew how to put others at a disadvantage by being candid.

This guy decided to play a calculated move.

"There is no overlord in Night City, and neither in Dogtown. Perhaps one day this colonel will also die at the hands of some nobody. Neither you nor I can say for sure... But if you want to enter Night City, my best partner is me."

Hans continued slowly, “Forgive my bluntness, but you’ll need some time to take over the companies in Night City. As for the Colonel in Dogtown, he has ambiguous relationships with various companies, not to mention... I’m not saying you only have me as an option, but I’m being frank, my situation is indeed not good.”

"Whether you wait a week or a month, I think you have your own plans."

The expressions on the faces of European arms dealers resembled the build-up of a storm…

But as he spent more time thinking, the German man came to a realization.

However, it seems more like a reluctant compromise.

“Alright, your attitude has won my leniency—Hans, I'll give you a week. I don't want my people handling the Orbital Airlines refund process for me. Transoceanic calls are expensive. See you later.”

The phone hangs up.

Immediately afterwards——

A loud crash came from Mr. Hans’s workshop as an exquisite glass shattered on the wooden floor, scattering shards everywhere.

A triangular shard of glass bounced on the dark floor, making a series of sounds.

Finally, it bounced onto a woman's instep. Beneath her fair skin, faint blue veins were visible, leaving a trail of blood that slowly trickled down her arch...

Emma frowned slightly, slowly bent down, and her delicate fingertips just touched the shard of glass—

A cold, silver-white cybernetic prosthetic hand gripped the woman's chin with considerable force, causing her natural bones to crack slightly.

"Hanz..."

Because of her husband's force, Emma's hand slipped and broke from the edge of the glass she was picking up, and her eyes looked like those of a frightened fawn.

Mr. Hanz's beard was slightly upturned on both sides, and he usually appeared quite amiable. But at this moment, his eyes were like those of a former company dog ​​who interrogated his subordinates behind his desk when he was a senior executive... full of cold, murderous intent.

"Emma, ​​nobody knows where this shipment is going, and I haven't told anyone..." (Note: Emma heard this while recording Mewtwo with her prosthetic body in Chapter 103.)

Emma's confusion and pain quickly transformed into anger and resentment.

"let me go!"

Her well-maintained hands gripped Hanz's prosthetic hand, appearing utterly harmless and instead enhancing her pitiful and vulnerable aura.

"Wade... are you even human?! Let me go—"

Just as Emma was struggling desperately, Hanz shook her off.

Emma sat half-sitting on the ground, her vintage Roman dress, like an artwork, making her look like a sculpture of the goddess of beauty in Vienna. She lowered her head slightly and murmured in despair.

“Wade. I’ve been with you for eight years, ever since you started taking jobs in Taipingzhou…”

"You used to treat me like a caged bird, a decorative vase—but now? I'm managing the business, and I haven't lost a single penny!"

Hanz had a gloomy face.

He paced back and forth with his hands on his hips.

Emma's voice suddenly rose, "I'm helping you with the business in Dogtown that you don't have time for, and with the advice you need!"

"I treated myself like merchandise, begging your new partner to exploit me, and now what do you take me for?!"

"What else are you dissatisfied with?!"

Her well-defined hands tugged at Hanz's clothes.

The silence and oppressive atmosphere in the room made it hard to breathe.

Emma slowly stood up. "I'm going back to Taipingzhou. You can continue running the business; I'm quitting."

Hanz had been scrutinizing the woman who had been with him for so long.

He wanted to see even the slightest sign of disloyalty. Had she truly obeyed him as he wished? Was she truly loyal?

In fact, the better Emma did, the more wary Hans became.

Because he himself created Emma's current situation in a sense, she is very smart. Hans has always disliked smart people. The kind of people he prefers to be close to are mercenaries who are resourceful, strong, and good at settling disputes.

Emma looked like a dead puppet, blood dripping from her hands and the backs of her feet.

Hanz eventually gave in.

"Sorry Emma, ​​this Respectable Logistics line has had two problems in a row... It's understandable that we're a bit anxious. The first time it was Angie from the Animal Gang. And the second time, I haven't been able to find out who was behind it—"

Emma suddenly said, "It's Arasaka."

Hanz's expression immediately changed!
He wanted to grab Emma's wrist, which was still bleeding, but wanting to be a gentleman, he moved closer, his heart filled with doubt and apprehension...

How would Emma know about this?

A smart woman knows that at this critical juncture, she must ensure that Rin's situation is 100% stable.

Hanz is a suspicious man by nature, and I have to work hard enough to get him to temporarily turn his attention to a "non-existent enemy".

Emma said, "Hanz, you're so busy... That's why I came here. Just now in the cubicle, I bought some intelligence from someone from the afterlife. The logistics company you contacted wasn't lucky; they claimed to be Respectable Logistics—"

"In reality, the actual controller of this subsidiary is a dead man named Arasaka who was planning to make money."

Emma placed the chip in Hanz's hand.

“Arasaka and his wife kept embezzling his money. Arasaka wanted to make acquisitions, but found that the losses wouldn't stop, which triggered an internal investigation. Those things were definitely confiscated by the company, do you understand?”

Hanz looked at Emma suspiciously.

Emma sighed and retreated to the cubicle, where a shallow bloodstain was visible on the floor.

Only then did the cold-blooded guy feel safe enough to put the chip into the socket in his neck, and the contents were indeed consistent with what Emma had said.

He was very unlucky; Arasaka forcibly took back control of the logistics company.

Ugh…

Hanz was at a loss.

At this moment, Emma, ​​who knew when to advance and when to retreat, was as obedient as a machine being controlled, saying, "As you can see."

Hanz waved.

Emma knelt beside Hanz's knees, always exaggerating her weaknesses to make the arrogant Hanz, who couldn't see the situation clearly, lower his guard.

"Why, Emma?"

Emma also had an answer to Hanz's seemingly random questioning style.

"Because if something happens to you, if something happens to Dogtown, we will die together—afterwards I just need some money to let me leave Night City, out of consideration for our marital bond."

Sure enough, their relationship had broken down.

However, Hanz, who often played this trick, did not realize that he had also fallen into a trap of seemingly honesty.

If he understood the principle of "an eye for an eye," perhaps Emma's disguise would fail.

Hanz's prosthetic arm stroked Emma's soft hair intermittently.

"I promise you... I'm sorry, darling."

Emma's eyes were calm. "Please believe me, we share the same predicament, so I will be absolutely loyal."

Hans narrowed his eyes. "My intention in delaying matters in Europe was to—"

Emma stood up.

"Sorry, Wade, you don't need to tell me how you plan to get European arms dealers to lower their prices less. Unequal power between buyers and sellers can easily lead to forced sales."

"That's how the company operates. You know it better than I do, but right now, you just need to know the methods and approaches yourself. You don't need to tell me anything else."

She raised her wrist to check the time on her elegant watch.

"The trauma team is coming; I'm going downstairs."

Hanz silently watched the woman he had pushed out with his own hands.

For the first time, this usually cold-blooded middleman felt grateful, as if he were the one who had made a mistake, yet the other party was extremely loyal and clear-headed, telling him that they were only together temporarily.

It seems...

Emma has truly learned the ways of survival in Night City.

Hans decides to make a decision he may never have imagined before: to ensure Emma's safety after the deed is done.

This was his final "compensation".

……
-
Lin Yue's expression after hanging up the phone was neither sad nor happy.

His face still had medical fixation pins on it from the intense battle, his lips were slightly pale, and there was a hint of weariness in his eyes.

In a sense, Arasaka Tower held two powerful weapons—counterintelligence and security—in his and V's hands—but the death of the counterintelligence agent who was captured told them that this was not the end of the matter.

Doves?

Are the military science department's dogs at the top?
Or perhaps a military intelligence agent tasked with silencing them?

These were the only three identities Lin Yue could think of.

That phone call was the first time Lin Yue had spoken to Hanz in a long time. Having regained most of his humanity, he suppressed his murderous intent throughout the call and even told a joke to calm his extreme anger.

call…

Stay calm.

Fortunately, Military Science doesn't seem to have any connection with Hanz in Dogtown, but Lin Yue still wants to pin the losses on this former company employee.

It took a lot of effort for Hanz and Hansen to manage the territory so well that outsiders could hardly get involved.

If it weren't for Old Vie's repeated requests to rest longer, he would have already asked Emma to inform Hans that he was going into Dogtown to discuss "business."

The business is about how stiff Hanz's neck is and whether his head can roll on the ground.

Just as Lin Yue was pondering these things, the automatic door opened.

The outer passage has AI authentication, and that beautiful woman with a gloomy face could enter as she pleased without even giving me a notification!
Do we have human rights?
Lin Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, "V... I like colleagues who know the rules—"

The woman slammed her hands on the opposite side of Lin Yue's desk, immediately interrupting him, "Stop pretending, Rin! I'm asking you, why did you go back to Arasaka Tower so quickly? Where's Suzuki? Damn it... does he think it's enough for him to just follow your orders?"

Lin Yue tilted his head slightly, the cleavage and snow-white skin beneath the V-neckline somewhat dazzling.

"Don't cause trouble for Suzuki. He's keeping an eye on Sasha now... I need the help of Arasaka's network department. Have you forgotten about the Dogtown incident? Hanz made a hurried phone call today. Do you want me to have Old Wei put in a good word with him?"

V felt that this guy in front of him was beyond redemption.

"But you..."

Hesitant to speak, with anger and worry mingling in his eyes, V chose to let Rin listen to the other end of the phone.

Old Wei's voice, which had just been mentioned, echoed in the office.

The computer screen in front of me showed Old Wei's face in a holographic call.

Old Wei seemed to be waiting, and only came to his senses when he saw Rin appear on the screen.

"Thank God, I finally got in touch with you."

V's expression grew even more displeased.

In the eyes of this woman whose parents had long since left her company, Lao Wei was family, and deceiving family members was the most despicable thing to do.

Uh…

Lin Yue didn't know what to say.

Old Wei rubbed his forehead and gestured with his hands, saying, "Lin... why did you leave in the blink of an eye, and even rejected so many of my calls? Your body shouldn't be overworked like this."

Lin Yue felt a little guilty, but still said without batting an eye, "I feel fine, after all, I have a lot of things to do."

As he spoke, he winked and gestured to Old Wei not to reveal certain things, but the responsible old doctor clearly had no intention of doing so.

Old Wei said sternly, "Listen, kid, I don't care if you work yourself to death at the company or if you're a big shot on the street—"

“You’re V’s friend, and in my eyes you’re like a child. You’ve lived a full life, that’s fine, but you also need to find a way to live longer. V is here too, and Rin’s condition is very, extremely, very bad!” Lin Yue coughed lightly, avoiding V’s scrutinizing gaze.

V almost gritted his teeth as he asked, "Old V, please continue."

Old Wei shrugged and said, "The other prosthetic bodies have new materials that Arasaka sent before. I've figured out how to use them quite well, and I fixed them without any problems."

"I can't do anything about his legs."

V abruptly turned the computer screen away without asking the person involved for their opinion.

Lin Yue reached out his hand, then swallowed his words, nestled in his office chair with an expression of utter indifference.

V asked worriedly, "What exactly happened?"

Old Wei sighed, "You know my clinic basically doesn't have many styles of leg prostheses... I asked a lot of colleagues and got the most common ones on the market, and guess what?"

"They are all incompatible with the system. Rin's current prosthetic body was provided by Arasaka and is compatible with its own system. There are no prosthetic bodies on the market that can adapt to this strange system."

"I don't know if you understand what I'm saying, V?"

V's mind worked quickly. "I know, hardware always needs software support. You mean you haven't seen this state's system before? That can be solved, old V—"

Old Wei stared at V's face and interrupted, "No, child, Arasaka always does things thoroughly. The materials contain the complete system that Arasaka wrote for Rin, but it can't be imported."

"Moreover, something is stimulating his body to begin experiencing cellular degeneration. If the burden can be reduced, there is still hope for him, but he has been fighting for too long..."

"I'm sorry, child."

V looked bewildered, "How could this be..."

She then frowned, her lips barely moving as she commanded, "Stand up!"

Lin Yue stood up confidently and even took a few steps.

V looked at Old Vie suspiciously.

"This is the best result of my efforts. I guess there is some kind of extremely stimulating nerve in Rin's body, similar to the software that functions like the spinal prosthetic Sianway? Or something like that... Anyway, he knows."

"But none of the mainstream prosthetics on the market for the legs are compatible. I tried to make two skeletal prosthetics using Arasaka materials, which barely held up. Alas... but artificial muscles cannot replace them, and he will never be able to use any combat prosthetics again."

V pursed her lips.

What's the difference between this and a death sentence?
Rin's position dictates that he will frequently have to take action. Once the matter with Yoriyuki is resolved, he will have to follow the orders from Arasaka, thus terminating the authorization for this overstepping of authority.

That was when Rin was working most frequently for Arasaka.

Lin Yue had already heard Lao Wei's explanation, so he didn't react. But the way he looked at V was no different from the way he looked at himself dying.

"Sometimes I find you to be a pretty jerk, Rin."

Lin Yue shrugged. "It's come to this, so accept it."

V said, enunciating each word clearly, "You've reverted to your old self, completely unchanged. You only trust yourself. Tell me, why don't you think about the future? Are you planning to keep it a secret—until something happens to you, so I can bury you in Night City's urn and say some cheesy things?!"

Lin Yue gestured for V to calm down.

If you can't find the Little Big Dipper, you're doomed...

"V, guess what would happen if I couldn't get rid of what's in my brain, and I lost two legs?"

but…

V swallowed back the words he wanted to say to Lin Yuezheng to behave normally.

Old Wei was also looking at the man who seemed to have a big enough heart.

“Old Wei… I can’t even remember what I said when we first met.”

Then he turned to look at V.

"I remember a lot about you, but I've forgotten what you told me yesterday."

After a brief silence, Old Wei murmured, "It's starting to lose memories indiscriminately, hmm... this is troublesome."

Then Lin Yue raised his palm and pointed to the dark red smudge between his fingers.

"I'm coughing up blood more and more frequently. Old Wei has been very conservative; I'm well aware that the remaining forty percent of my body is decaying on a large scale—"

"What might happen? Without a fixed AI system, without the company's advanced technology, I can only wait to die. I need to demonstrate my value, V... understand?"

V was stunned. "You mean... Arasaka has this ability?"

Lin Yue shook his head.

In the new America, Arasaka believes that as long as he's willing to spend money, he can definitely be saved.

But the premise is that some people become worthless once they are saved.

This is how V, who was kicked out of the company, is, this is how Nightingale is, and this is even more true for myself…

Lin Yue hadn't forgotten Sanlang's words.

That old man knew about his relationship with the Black Wall; Arasaka obtained what the Military Science possessed at a minimal cost—it was practically a free nuclear weapon.

Given this old man's attitude of risking worldwide condemnation to resurrect himself, if he were to master the ability to control people's minds, he might even make himself explode the Black Wall.

Once things are made clear, the bloody truth will be revealed.

Old Wei looked at the two young men and said, "You're right. What's worse is that this isn't biological technology, so I can't really help you much... Rin can only buy time with conservative treatment. Let's see if the company has any solutions."

company?

Lin Yue did not want to.

Now all he wants to know is how to use a neural matrix for himself and Sasha.

Lin Yue didn't want to face or choose who would live and who would die.

Just when Lin Yue thought the conversation was about to end, Lao Wei seemed to be looking down at something.

"Wait for the children."

Old Wei adjusted his glasses. "Hmm... My colleagues in Santo Domingo said a new prosthetic doctor has come to Dogtown, supposedly specializing in leg prosthetics."

V and Lin Yue exchanged an awkward glance.

In their conscience, they didn't want Old Wei to know the company's target location, as this would be a burden on the kind-hearted prosthetic doctor.

V curled his lip. "Dogtown is full of criminals. How many people who can make it in Night City would want to go there? I feel like you've been fooled... Old V."

Lin Yue felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Dogville, a prosthetic dentist specializing in leg surgery?

Old Wei scratched his head. "Hmm... In Night City, even fabricated charges can force someone to leave Night City and go to Dogtown to make a living."

“There are a few clean doctors in this area. If they can cure diseases, they are good doctors. Go and see them—just for my sake, child.”

Old Wei's gaze was always calm and powerful.

Lin Yue nodded subconsciously.

Old Wei smiled with satisfaction. "My colleagues wouldn't send a doctor with mediocre skills to me. By the way, his name is Qian Sihu, and he's said to be a filial son."

Lin Yue was suddenly stunned.

V noticed that something was wrong with Lin Yue. "What's wrong? What a strange name... If I were to choose a screen name, I would probably choose one like that."

Old Wei continued, "Those in the know will use his nickname 'Niu Niu' as a code word to identify him, and there are even rumors that he was forced to hide in Dogtown because he cracked the code of a certain technology from Arasaka."

V remained silent for a long time.

"Thank you, Old Vision, really."

Old Wei's smile had a somewhat ambiguous meaning. "V...you're too nervous. Learn to be like Rin. I remember you weren't like this. Anyway, I hope you all stay healthy. The company isn't a good place. Come and sit down when you're tired."

"See you."

The phone hangs up.

V raised her head; her pretty face was still cold, but much better than before.

"Dogtown...I want to go with you."

Lin Yue plopped down in a chair. "No way."

V's initial surprise quickly turned into confusion, and she even seemed somewhat exasperated.

Lin Yue laughed and said, "You want to wander around Dogtown with this highly recognizable face? Believe it or not, there are plenty of people in Dogtown who remember Arasaka's name. I have a prosthetic body, so it's not a big problem. You should stay outside and provide support."

Just as Lin Yue was making arrangements, V grabbed Lin Yue's collar.

Even her voice had a sweet fragrance. "I said, treat the legs first!"

Lin Yue raised his hands. "Dad, if Lai Xuan's affair falls apart, it won't just be a matter of losing both legs. Think about it, if something happens to me, you can't escape it, right? If your company's prosthetic bodies all shut down, what will you, poor thing, do in Night City? Beautiful women are in the most danger at the bottom of Night City—"

V loosened his collar, pulled over a stool, crossed his legs, and watched this guy who was full of nonsense with great interest.

"For the sake of you calling me Dad, I won't hold it against you for hiding your life from me this time."

dad?

V still doesn't seem to understand what "living father" means. In the eyes of the AI ​​translator, it simply means "living dad." The Chinese language is truly profound and complex...

Lin Yue nodded, feeling a chill run down his spine as he looked at V with the same smug gaze he had on his prey.

"What are you looking at?"

V replied with a bewildered expression, "Of course I like you and want to date you—otherwise, would I be crazy enough to spend 20 to buy you a cat?"

Lin Yue slapped his forehead.

V said irritably, "I had the butler feed it."

Embarrassment and blushing.

V kissed me on the desk last time, which is typical of her straightforward personality, but...

To everyone's surprise, V waved his hand and said, "Alright, stop looking like you're crazy. I like you, but I don't need you to do anything for me. You have too many women, and they're all the same type of woman who's all eyeing you with longing."

To be honest, Lin Yue hadn't even thought about how to respond to Sasha and Rebecca.

"Stay away from that crazy woman in Dogtown. I looked at the information I compiled for you, and she probably has mental issues—she's just short of sneaking into your bed."

Lin Yue knew about Emma's situation, but given Emma's current excellent performance, he could only judge whether this woman was suitable to work for him when they met in person...

V sighed.

"It reminds me of my dad... having affairs is perfectly normal for a corporate employee—"

"I've met that woman before. It's an arranged marriage between small families within the company. My mother also has her own... uh, never mind."

To be honest, this was the first time Lin Yue had heard V talk about his family.

“When I was little, my life was… well, I guess you could say it was a comfortable life. But my family was just like that. There were endless classes and etiquette lessons to learn. I tried to socialize like a real corporate dog.”

V gazed out the window at the city where floating cars shuttled back and forth, her delicate profile seemingly tinged with melancholy.

Lin Yue sighed.

"Then why force yourself to become a secret agent? Arasaka's training includes a death quota."

V nodded.

"Yes, but only I can protect myself."

"Lin Yue... promise me, we face all sorts of risks at any time. Lao Wei often tells me that we should live a life that is worthwhile. Do you think we can live a life that is worthwhile?"

V rarely uses his real name.

So the man, whose body was on the verge of collapse, replied with a laugh: "The counterintelligence minister, the security minister, there's only Jenkins above them—"

"Absolutely worth it."

Then, Lin Yue explained V's confusion in detail.

“Valerie, if you don’t want to fall, don’t just aim for mediocrity… Arasaka doesn’t follow those rules. We can only listen to Yoriyuki. Whether it’s worth it or not, we’ll do it first and see.”

V shook his head and laughed, "You really dare to say that, you're clearly trying to kick Jenkins out... Aren't you afraid that one day I'll kick you out to get back up? People can change, just like my family."

Lin Yue spread his hands.

"That's how the game works. We're in a situation where we're essentially Arasaka's target—or at least external factors dictate that we can only be loyal to each other right now."

V extended his hand. "I don't like drinking, but let's shake hands, dear Minister Rin."

Lin Yue reached out his hand, and the two of them, just like that time at the Dog Town Snail Farm, lightly clasped hands.

Then Lin Yue said seriously, "However, if you're lying to me about not using a honey trap, I feel like you are using this Eastern tactic right now."

V smiled sweetly and raised a slender middle finger.

"Fuck you!"

Lin Yue pursed his lips; at least in his eyes, this proud woman was now alive and well.

Perhaps there are very few people like V in the company, because when everyone is thinking about their own interests, this woman will always follow morality and make some humane choices.

For example, Lin Yue knew that V had deleted the emails from Michelle's family.

Michel was miserable, but he believed that even more tragic events were unfolding in the corners of this city...

As for the woman who expressed her feelings.

Lin Yue felt only guilt and burden.

Losing one's humanity has one advantage: one never considers other issues. But Lin Yue knew he had to think of others. He was now a cripple... how could he not betray the heart of his beloved?
He couldn't think of any solution.

At this moment, the corporate dog, who had come to terms with the realities of this world, looked intently at the woman's eyes gazing out the window, her fluttering eyelashes, and silently suppressed his feelings in his heart.

V, I hope I can stay with you longer... and I also hope you won't repeat the same mistakes and live your own life.

By the way, I like you very much too.

Just as Lin Yue was about to get up to handle other company matters, the office door opened.

The agents filed in and quickly formed two rows around Lin Yue's office desk.

V's face instantly fell.

She straightened her legs, stood up, and asked calmly:
"Inverted?"

A sound came from outside the door at that moment.

"Ms. V...didn't the company teach you to respect your superiors?"

The two watched as the newly appointed president, Arasaka Tower, entered.

Lin Yue didn't quite understand; was this technocrat deliberately courting death...?

His eyes narrowed as he watched the short man barge into his office for the second time. It seemed that the doves were not only dissatisfied with Lai Xuan, but their dissatisfaction had even turned into contempt.

To be fair.

Few people would keep a close eye on the boss's son every day. This technocrat performed terribly last time; I wonder what he's up to this time.

V silently reached out and subtly blocked Lin Yue's path.

She bowed and greeted him in Japanese.

"Welcome, President Kazuya Nitta."

Lin Yue even stopped calling Lai Xuan "Lord Lai Xuan" in front of him. In addition, since V played the bad cop, he could only play the good cop.

A slight smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded slightly.

If you support Lai Xuan, then you'd better die supporting him.

This "unruly" security minister, who even went so far as to commit murder at the board meeting, calmly replied in standard English:
"Mr. Kazuya...what brings you here?"

……

(End of this chapter)