Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 177 Greed Breeds Beasts (Part 1) (See what the author says~)

[Declassified Documents]

[Name: Kurt Hansen (deserter)]

[Officer in charge of Operation Midnight Storm, rank: Colonel]

[An international red notice has been issued, facing thirteen charges including arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and plotting inhumane military attacks.]

[Criminal Group Name: Ghost Dogs]

Sunlight streamed into the pristine white hall, while outside the window hung branches laden with withered, yellow leaves.

Behind the solid wood desk, Miles, dressed in impeccably white business attire, with neatly styled golden hair, glided across the paper with his pen, leaving behind a line of elegant handwriting.

“Irving…”

Miles put down his pen and glanced at the thick stack of declassified documents beside him.

As Miles' chief advisor, this seasoned corporate elite always offers his superiors advice at the right time, just like the role he plays: exquisite thin-rimmed glasses, a slightly retro-designed suit, and the confidence often seen on the lips of European and American elites.

"Your Excellency the President."

Miles leaned back. "Do you think authorizing Xiao Song to do this might cause some... well, unpredictable adverse effects on military technology?"

Owen certainly knew how Miles had orchestrated the unification war, and he also knew how this woman, with her background in military technology, had persuaded the company to get involved in that [year and a half of murky waters]...

Many people say that the new America and military science are deeply intertwined, even inseparable, and economists, political scientists, and the media are saying so—but Miles knows very well that the company needs enough interest to push forward.

Arasaka was the mastermind behind California's efforts to win over free states.

Owen thought for a moment, "Xiao Song provided the company with quite a few samples, which money can't buy. I understand what you mean... Taking action on Hansen's territory, although it doesn't comply with international law, could, as long as we can damage Arasaka's important assets and regain some initiative in the Night City list leak incident—"

"I don't think the company has any reason to react violently."

Miles rubbed his temples. "You need to see what our loyal colonel was doing before. He was abandoned by us, and now his arms business spans the globe. Do you think he'll just let this go?"

Irving smiled slightly.

"If the price is right, there's nothing we can't negotiate."

"Clearly our colonel hasn't grasped the difference between power and money. He's blinded by pride. He can take the presidential order... Trust me, Your Excellency, it's not difficult."

Miles thought for a moment and then wrote his name on the agreement.

“There’s only one thing, Owen, find a way to get Hansen to agree and get Song to settle down… I love this child very much. She is an important asset and tool for the country. I can allow her to go crazy occasionally, but she can’t sneak off to Dogtown behind my back.”

Upon hearing this, Irving leaned down and asked Miles in a low voice, maintaining an extremely polite distance.

"Your Excellency... Lark may be adding new methods for the country. Arakawa is progressing slowly on this path. I think there is no reason for him to continue to stay in Night City and serve the Japanese."

"The Lark has always been under control. We have a top-notch team, so you don't need to worry."

Upon hearing this, Miles slowly turned his face, like a busy parent complaining about their rule-breaking child.

"Xiao Song, this child..."

Owen nodded with a smile, and as he was about to get up and get to work, he seemed to remember something: when your boss is in a good mood, saying negative things can generally be twice as effective, allowing you to smoothly get over things.

"There's some bad news. The company has an asset in Dogtown... that's dead. Apparently, it's been nurtured for almost thirty years... Regarding this—could you offer some assistance?"

Miles signed the documents without looking up.

Do you think the company understands the difference between power and money?

Owen nodded, pursing his lips. "I know what to do, Your Excellency. Let Arasaka's assets contribute to our cause. I think that besides the Lark, we will wield even more Swords of Damocles..."

"May you be healthy and may God bless you."

Miles heard the door close and seemed to let out a soft sigh.

……

Sapphire green.

Hansen's eyes gleamed, with the Ghost Hounds' security guards behind him.

There's a problem in Dogtown, and the first place to reinforce the troops won't be the gates of Dogtown, but rather the lair of the local tyrant.

"I swear to God, my friend... it's having some trouble getting your goods across the border. Those vagrants are a nuisance, and the increased costs are obvious—"

"No, no, friend, I think you've got something wrong. Europeans won't do business with low-credit countries like yours in South America, but I can."

Clearly, the other side compromised very quickly.

Hansen's white eyes revealed no emotion, only a meaningful smile.

"Let's drink to the money then."

After hanging up the phone, Hansen asked, "How did it go?"

At that moment, Yuri was walking out of the side door. Despite the cold weather, this robust soldier was still wearing a tight-fitting black military T-shirt that accentuated his muscular physique…

"It's alright. A truckload of Cuban goods was scattered by someone. The fire was fierce. A lot of the local bastards around here were intoxicated by the smoke. It's pitiful. With dozens of times the normal dose hitting their heads, how could they not die?"

"The animal gang was having a blast on the mountain, the cleaners didn't do anything, and the woman from that company at the Long Beach stockpile was killed. We don't know which underground pipe she died in. When our people went there, there wasn't a single thing left."

Hansen nodded repeatedly.

"Yuri... I have to warn you, be more reliable. Those friends have done so many big things on our turf, and you haven't heard a thing?"

Yuri was most afraid of Hansen's questioning tone.

"Ugh...who the hell keeps an eye on this kind of thing every day? Isn't it Bennett's responsibility? Just getting coded generators into the city is a headache enough, not to mention all those smuggling routes, they're all doing fine, aren't they?"

"But you, the company's idiot, got played like this by us. Do you think others will accept that?"

Hansen rested his hands on the back of the soft leather sofa.

"You're not happy? Then you'd better keep quiet. Don't even mention Arasaka trying to squeeze in, even Europeans have to follow the rules here."

"Have those hackers keep an eye on things. If anything goes wrong, Yuri, you know what I'll do to you."

Yuri ground his teeth. What else could he do? His older brother had spoken; he had to swallow his anger.

Just when this high-ranking member of the Ghost Hounds thought his scolding was about to end, the Ghost Hound approached and whispered something in his ear, making Yuri's face even darker than before.

Oh shit…

Hansen sneered as he looked at his two subordinates who couldn't handle the mess.

"Uh... Colonel, all those hackers are dead."

Hansen is never angry about being shot, but he demands an explanation.

then.

Yuri: "Remember that stupid thing about letting Lazarus in last time? It was that idiot... I just don't understand, when did the Japanese get so technically advanced? And this time you're messing with Arasaka's people... Won't it backfire?"

Hansen spread his arms. "The Japanese aren't really familiar with us. Bennett's close relationship with these white-faced bastards—Japanese goods aren't great value for money, and Arasaka's small arms have become a mess these past few years. As for that company dog ​​who wants to squeeze in and support that woman... there won't be any problems."

"He'll behave..."

The company's threats were nothing new to Hansen, and the topic didn't last long.

Even a company has to bow its head and work hard in this lousy place... After all, even Arasaka has to listen to his superiors, right? Hansen knew very well that Arasaka wouldn't dare to break ties with him.

However, the ever-confident Hansen probably never imagined that his unwavering greed would breed an uncontrollable beast in the depths of Dogtown.

End of topic.

Hansen continued, "I remember telling you about the tsunami defenses coming to Dogtown recently."

Yuri gave him a look that said, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Smuggling channels are all dedicated to specific goods and supplies. Where would you find an extra route to use these delicate weapons? Tsunami's guns are powerful, but they break down all the time. This thing... wait, you don't want to use it yourself, do you?"

Hansen stood up and stared coldly at Yuri.

"If land transport is unavailable, then air transport will do. The transport hovercraft that flies over Night City will drop short-range control model disposable unmanned cargo hovercraft. They are inexpensive, stable, and there are only a few locations. Let Daojie coordinate with you—"

"I need to go see my old friend."

Yuri looked completely bewildered.

Uh, who?!

Hansen walked slowly away, "a bird yearning for freedom."

"You've seen her before."

Yuri thought that Hansen must have installed cameras on every single person in Gemstone Blue, and even in every place, otherwise how could he know everything?
……
-
"Ah…"

Lin Yue couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile.

The lark seemed to have a lot of tolerance for this very wary guy. She looked at Lin Yue and muttered, "Hmm, a high-ranking executive from Night City's Aragaka Company came to Dog Town to cause trouble in person, with your company's product stuck around his neck."

"You're going to die, do you know that?"

Lin Yue didn't intend to reveal much information.

What exactly is the operating mechanism of Relic? Why can the lark that drills holes in the black wall enter consciousness through this thing? Most terrifyingly, Lin Yue felt that the trouble he experienced when installing the network access pod for the first time was probably related to this woman.

Now the lark has to get out of my head on its own. If I show even the slightest hostility, this woman can use Relic to mess around in my head.

Lin Yue nodded.

Nightingale breathed a sigh of relief. The military technology logo on her prosthetic body couldn't be washed off, and it would undoubtedly be difficult to take the first step in dialogue with the high-ranking officials of the opposing forces, but she had already made preparations.

"Relax...you're very nervous."

The lark hopped off the table, stretched out a hand, and lowered its body, as if to reassure him.

That's fucking ridiculous...

If he comes any closer, Lin Yue will have to reveal the data. "Don't come any closer!"

So he began frantically calculating using the remaining AI data from the Black Wall—

The lark noticed the unstable path but didn't suspect Lin Yue. Instead, it focused its energy on reinforcing the existing path.

It's too thick...

As a Black Wall Corruptor like the Lark, he completely failed to understand Song Zhaomei's use of the Black Wall's mechanisms. He always felt that this woman and the Black Wall were one and the same. He asked himself honestly, even if Lin Yue could dive deep, he shouldn't be able to crack Relic and establish a communication connection.

Complex, difficult, and requires advanced hacking skills.

"The lark? If I were you, I wouldn't go any further—you have to tell me which side you're on."

Lin Yue's words indeed had an effect.

The lark, fearing a violent reaction from this ethereal creature before it, reluctantly stopped.

"Hey... I'm just helping you optimize your chip. Trust me, it won't hurt. Besides, your prosthetic body is the first version of mine—no, it's not even as good as my first version."

"Are you aware that your prosthetic technology originates from military technology?"

Lin Yue nodded in acknowledgment of the prosthetic body's origin, but his words betrayed his refusal:

"Sorry, I don't need optimization."

Whoever tries to tamper with me now is my enemy.

this is very simple.

At the same time, he was also sparing no effort to find the slightest opportunity to forcibly cut off the data gaps and loopholes.

Damn it, this AI, whose main program was taken away by Sasha, has lost a lot of flexibility, or perhaps it's despising itself. In any case, apart from some reminders at critical moments, the program is like it's dead, just following the lark's progress.

“I know believing is a difficult thing, but it’s okay… We’re the same kind of people, I’m also part of the Black Wall, I understand you—can you understand?”

The lark's posture is already at its lowest.

Lin Yue also felt that if he reacted too strongly, it would arouse suspicion from the other party. He gestured for the lark to stay where it was and then reached out to drag something over and lean it against his back.

"Tell me... how long have you been watching me?"

The lark pondered for a moment.

"I've been watching you ever since you downloaded the list and connected to the prosthetic doctor network in Dogtown."

“I watched you walk step by step toward the black wall, yes… I was right there (Chapter 98) – watching you escape military technology and Arasaka’s pursuit, I’m sorry… I thought I could succeed.”

Lin Yue frowned. What did the lark mean?
“I know this is painful. When I wanted to help you, New America, military technology, and Arasaka were all chasing you, right? Only the Black Wall could save you from Lazarus alive—”

"Do you understand now?"

Lin Yue felt for a moment that PUA was truly a great invention of mankind.

He even laughed in anger at one point, "Me? Are you sure you're helping me? Lark—you know what? You won't say where you're from, you won't say who you're working for... I almost died at the hands of the Black Wall, and you're helping me?"

How could Lin Yue not know that this woman was from the Lianqin Bureau?
Even so, even when expressing anger, he still had to guard against information leaks—he even felt a dual sense of anger and exhaustion.

The lark hesitated for a moment.

"New America, Joint Logistics Agency."

"Okay, although getting closer to you can help you optimize Relic better, I'm still standing here to do this for you, but on one condition: you have to promise to save both of our lives—oh no, all three of ours, and your little girlfriend's life too."

[Transferring...]

Lin Yue tried to stop it, but the Lark's upload speed was too fast!
The key point is that this woman caught him off guard; she was deep underwater, and only a cyberattack could ensure her escape.

However, as the Relic series chip logo appeared in Lin Yueyi's eyes, many of the error messages abruptly stopped.

The tingling, numb sensation in my scalp had largely disappeared.

What stage is the technology at for Lark?

Lin Yue was instantly filled with a chill; there was little surprise in him, only horror.

How to do? !

Immediately afterwards, the lark's voice suddenly became urgent.

Lin Yue also noticed that the connection was becoming unstable.

"Trust me, Rin."

"My name is Song Zhaomei, and I am the chief cyber expert of the Joint Logistics Department. If you want to live, we have to cooperate!"

Lin Yue knew this woman was going to use the Little Beidou again, but Song Zhaomei's next sentence caught him completely off guard—

"Abandon Arasaka with your partners, and the New America has the technology to cure you... provided you trust me."

ha?
Switching to the new America?!

Lin Yue immediately straightened up from his leaning position.

His innate wariness made him want to refuse immediately.

Song Zhaomei felt she had made a huge effort, and the other party had no reason not to believe her, but seeing the increasingly wary look in their eyes…

Really bad.

Did I say something wrong?
She simply didn't know the origin of this guy's memories.

Lin Yue's distrust was based on his past memories; the seeds of doubt had long since taken root and sprouted, and could not be eradicated.

The lark then tried to use other information to testify to its sincerity.

"Military technology has made a deal with the Dogtown colonel. You must die, and the girl will stay—your hope of getting rescue qualifications for Arasaka is nonexistent! Don't you understand, Rin?"

"A segment of the new America will not heed military technology; only we can save you!"

only?

Lin Yue just found it funny.

It's possible to save the body that Relic has taken over, but the Black Wall, in the eyes of that new beautiful politician, will never be saved.

Even if only the brain remains, its last bit of value must be squeezed out.

At the same time, Song Zhaomei gave Lin Yue a lot of footage recorded by the probes, as well as information from the separation chip.

The details of the collusion between Hansen, Meredes, and Hanz were exactly as Lin Yue had predicted.

Seeing Lin Yue's gaze begin to wander...

The lark lowered its voice and continued:
"You're alright for now, you retain a lot of your memories. I've almost completely lost my memories from when I joined the Joint Logistics Command. Before things get too serious, listen to me! Arasaka absolutely has no ability to save you—"

Buzz... The screen began to flicker slightly.

Suffered.

Sensing something was wrong, the lark's eyes grew anxious, as if it wanted to quickly and clearly express its meaning...

suddenly!

scoff!

Suddenly, the communication became unstable, accompanied by a loud noise!
Sasha's voice whispered in my ear, "Rin, she's lying to you!"

"Hansen made a deal with her, we die... she gave Hansen a great gift."

Lin Yue swallowed slightly.

Why is Sasha connected to cyberspace? Where is she?

What the hell is going on now?
The lark's expression wasn't feigned at all; it was a terrified shake of its head. If this were truly acting, Lin Yue would admire it… but what was terrifying was this: he knew very well that Sasha had recently lost her fighting ability. Who on earth was speaking here?

Lin Yue stared intently at Sasha, whose eyes were bloodshot.

Is AI a form of fraud?

"No, no, no... Rin, that's a black wall! It's lying to you!"

The lark's voice began to sound indistinct, with an electronic, blurry tone, and then her eyes began to glow red.

"I've come to save you, Rin."

Oh shit!

Lin Yue started swaying.

now…

A fair arm slowly wrapped around Lin Yue's shoulder. Sasha lowered her eyes, and her fine teeth looked somewhat frightening.

She murmured:

"We are one, believe me."

Listening to the noisy commotion, Lin Yue felt like he was going crazy.

……

　【A Year and a Half of Muddy Waters】: refers to the unification war launched by Miles. The unification war broke out in January 2069 and the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement in Southern California in June 2070.

　　Some people have reported that the recent chapters are difficult to understand. This is a problem I've been working on. It's actually quite simple: it's just a change in the clone's perspective. Hanz is using a double. Due to the short timeframe and large update volume, it's inevitable that some information points will be missed. I'll try my best to make the story clearer in the future.

　　I'd like to address the issues of betrayal and choice in Cyberpunk 2077 here. There's no need for everyone to argue in the comments about who's good and who's bad, because I've always wanted to write about the agonizing feeling of original storylines and choices, like "who's right?" It might be a bit unsettling for readers, but believe me, that's the charm of cyberpunk—choices are paramount.

　　I understand that everyone wants to see the story from a higher perspective, because every choice is bound to be agonizing, just like in a game where a wrong choice can't be undone. But I thought about it and decided to write this down anyway, because I update frequently and can quickly dispel this anxiety. Don't worry if you don't understand or have questions; maybe the next chapter will have the answer you're looking for?

　　Finally, there will be double monthly votes tomorrow. It's okay if you've already voted, because voting for me even without double votes proves you like my writing. To those who haven't voted, I can only say you're so kind; you saved up your votes until the end of the month, which makes you like me even more, hahaha. That's all, goodnight~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)