Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 178 Greed Breeds Beasts (Part Two)

"Long time no see, Song Zhaomei."

"What's the treatment like in the new America?"

Hansen casually pulled the corpse off the hacker chair, placed his hands on the table, and faced a wall covered with electronic screens used to monitor data and gain insights into Dogtown's affairs.

His sinister military-grade prosthetic eyes were fixed on the woman with purple hair on the screen, as if he were examining a collectible.

The local tyrant had an almost fanatical obsession with weapons and similar equipment. In his eyes, the woman's body was covered in hollowed-out prosthetic structure, the specially designed network access compartment that occasionally revealed the back of her head when she turned her head, and the fascinating deep-sea diving device.

Good weapon.

It is also a collection showcasing the most cutting-edge military technology. Others may not know what President Miles was tinkering with in the "White House," but Hansen knew very well.

This girl is a perfect strategic deterrent weapon, and Hansen wants to use her too.

All of these were thoughts flashing wildly through Hansen's mind.

Song Zhaomei's smile was somewhat forced. "Colonel...so many years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Hansen put away his greedy smile, adopted a nostalgic tone, and strolled slowly. "Hmm... who can argue with that? Back then, you loved sitting on the rooftop of the Dogtown Spa, right across the street. Maybe there weren't so many cybernetic bodies yet—time is a bastard, and in the blink of an eye, we've become enemies."

"Don't forget the freedom of Dogtown."

Song Zhaomei's expression was a little strange. "Uh... Hansen, we're not an enemy force."

Hansen seemed incapable of truly connecting with anyone. He spread his hands. “Ruthless abandonment, false promises, I have to do business to keep my brothers alive—a thorn in the side of New America, a wolf in the eyes of Night City Corporation, what other adjectives are there? I can’t think of any… Bird, you killed my men, I need to know what that means.”

"I doubt you have time for tea. Judging from your appearance... it seems you're doing your own thing behind the president's back."

There was a long silence.

Hansen wasn't in a hurry; he knew that he wasn't the one who needed someone's help.

Song Zhaomei's image on the screen seemed to be very conflicted, and the twitching muscles in her face made it seem as if she was trying to choke the words in her mouth.

finally…

Under Hansen's amused gaze, Song Zhaomei spoke with difficulty.

These words even changed the expression of an executioner who had weathered countless storms.

"I want to escape, help me, Hansen..."

what…

Hansen's bewildered expression gradually turned into understanding.

“I think I really am not young anymore… Song Zhaomei, it seems you’ve said something incredible—”

"Treason? Is that what I heard..."

Treason?!
Uh, no, Song Zhaomei was like a canary in a monitored cage, yearning for freedom yet afraid of paying the price, almost instinctively wanting to deny it.

Song Zhaomei's face was ugly, and Hansen seemed to enjoy the complete outburst of this woman's sense of shame.

"What has the new America given you? The best medical care, psychological counseling, and a generous salary. As long as you don't run away from that person, you'll be a million times better off in Washington than here—give me a good enough reason, at least for your sake, I can't afford to bear the guilt of harboring a traitor."

Can't you carry it?

Song Zhaomei couldn't believe it... Wasn't the person in front of her a traitor?
"It's because you can't bear the accusation of harboring nuclear weapons... Hansen, you should know I was selected for the Joint Logistics Command, and you know very well what I'm doing. If you don't say anything, everyone will pretend not to know—that's how it is... But I'm risking those hackers in Washington finding out, I'm just going to tell you—"

"I want to betray my country!"

At this point, the bird's dilemma was gone.

For some reason, Hansen saw a reckless madness in the woman's face.

Hansen nodded. "Hmm... I heard you right. And then?"

The lark seemed too excited, its chest heaving, and the prosthetic body under its wisps of hair distorted the air with heat.

“Miles has gone mad! She’s got this network that connects all of our brains in her hands, she’s made me risk getting caught by the internet censors, and she’s making me drill holes in the wall and above it… I can’t escape now, Hansen.”

“I can’t remember many things: when I was little, Dogtown, my hometown, my lover… I can’t remember any of them.”

Even Hansen, who was not afraid of trouble, looked terrible when he heard this.

This woman, Nightingale, has practically strapped a bombshell to herself. With all of Miles's mess, who knows who'll end up with their head on their hands?

However... the alpha wolf wasn't afraid at all.

He only sensed a huge business opportunity.

Dogtown has been suffering under the thumb of the company and Shinmi for a long time—on the surface, he is the boss of Dogtown, a local tyrant, and acts eccentrically; but behind the scenes, they all call themselves "dog shit" bosses, and they have no chance of survival without groveling to the company.

However, Hansen didn't make his sycophancy too obvious, or rather, he was very good at it. He first made his fortune using the Cuban group, which was far away, and then connected with many other companies. Everyone wanted to make more money, and over time, he became a hot commodity.

Look, it's not certain who'll be licking whom!

“I sympathize with you, Lark, but you know, the more you say these things, the less I can cover it up. This is like dropping a time bomb into my nest—what the hell are you thinking?”

The poor child, desperate for a cure, will try anything.

However, the lark doesn't seem to understand. If she doesn't say what she's going to give in return, how is Hansen supposed to explain himself?

The lark's eyes darted around. "Hansen...hey, I know what you're trying to do. Why won't you let me stay in Dogtown and do things for you? Listen, all I need is a little bit of human rights. I'll definitely do the big things for you, as long as you don't make me spend all my time online spying on other countries' politicians."

"May I?"

Perhaps the lark is just missing the phrase "Please" to hang on its back.

Hansen's eyes darted around slightly. "Ah...that's a good idea, but it depends on whether you trust me or not."

“I don’t have any special fetishes, like spying on those Westerners taking showers every day. How about this, I’ll be even more sincere… three uses a year, and you can go wherever you want, whether it’s Dogtown or Sapphire Blue. If we build good trust, going to Night City will be a piece of cake.”

"I understand the value of freedom all too well. Trust me, let's make a deal."

Song Zhaomei's expression gradually softened, but her eyes seemed to harbor malice.

"I can help you blow up a whole area of ​​hackers, Hansen. Nobody in Dogtown can touch you on the internet."

Hansen clapped his hands.

"Reunions after a long separation are usually bittersweet. I didn't expect us to get along so well. I won't use you for nothing. Name your terms—if it's related to that company dog ​​trying to squeeze in, I'll agree to it."

Unexpectedly, the lark smiled and gave Hansen a tremendous gift.

"No, Colonel, I'd like to give you a gift first."

Hansen's eyes were somewhat wary.

He understood that free things are very valuable.

"There's a facility beneath your feet. New America has a secret project underground in Pacific Island, investigating AI behind the wall. It was recently restarted shortly before our operation. One of the research specialists there obtained something—"

"Neural matrix".

Seeing that Hansen remained silent, Nightingale continued, "That thing is a technology that the company abandoned and the AI ​​produced on its own. There's a pair of European hackers called 'Skylight' whose details I've attached. They've been charged with a lot of crimes, and the woman even went to jail. You should go find them; this thing is priceless."

"Are you really willing to be controlled by the company? What if they turn out to be in cahoots one day? We'll all be in trouble!"

On point.

Hansen pondered whether there was anything suspicious about this information. He had no doubt about the Nightingale's network capabilities. On the contrary, the Brooklyn girl who was "studying" in the new America would only be more terrifying than before. He knew Song's nickname: human nuclear weapon.

"You're sending me gifts and text messages."

"I'm scared... We haven't even built trust yet, and you're already so honest. Is it because I'm too charming?"

The lark forced a smile. "I need your help."

At Hansen's prompting, she said, "I'm currently in dual-line communication. The man at the company is called Lin. You're familiar with his other name, Lin Yue... Do you remember him?"

He pondered for a moment.

“I remember this kid. He’s brave. He stood in front of me and watched others being executed without blinking. But because of Arasaka’s goods and the cooperation with the military, he was silenced… I never thought that my people would have the ability to get into big companies.”

"It seems that Dogtown's offer is quite substantial."

The lark smiled mockingly, "He and I are both tainted by the Black Wall... I want you to send out your main force to besiege him."

Hansen shook his head.

"I think you've misunderstood. This piece of trash that even the number one mercenary company can't handle, what do you expect me to do?"

The lark said confidently, "I will also take action."

"Control the force, get the man caught, and I have a way to incapacitate him."

"The key is that woman—"

Hansen interrupted, "Wait, a woman?" Nightingale looked like she was about to be pleasantly surprised. "Two Black Wall recipients, yes, you heard me right! The man is handed over to New America, and the woman... you detain her. She's already been crippled by the Lone Wolf of the Military Science Institute. Take her down, and with me and her... you definitely want to one day have the internet police sitting obediently behind your desk and doing business with you, right?"

“The New America won’t make things difficult for you once they get the man, since I didn’t report to them that there was a woman.”

Then, the hacker's last words ignited something completely.

"What's the point of having a 'dog-town emperor'? Don't you want a free state?"

Song Zhaomei's words seemed to possess a magical power, completely unleashing Hansen's greed.

The lark waited quietly, maintaining a calm demeanor even as the other route took an unexpected turn.

Damn it, how did that girl get online?
She didn't know, and at this moment she could only pray that Hansen, that greedy villain, would make a decision as soon as possible.

A few tens of seconds felt like several hours—

The ruthless eyes of the dog-town tyrant were cast onto the screen.

"Deal... Song Zhaomei."

……
-
Lin Yue slowly retreated.

Song Zhaomei knew that this guy had absolutely no trust in her…

why?
She simply couldn't understand why, despite all the good deeds she had done, this guy insisted on believing a girl who was highly suspected of being an AI.
屮…

"Rin, if you agree, we can talk."

"But now, you've ruined everything—wouldn't it be better if we could all be saved? You're going to trust these inhuman programs, isn't that right?!"

Lin Yue watched as the red light gradually crept into the lark's eyes.

Sasha whispered in his ear, "Don't be afraid..."

"The commotion in Washington's internet zone is too great; this woman can't handle the consequences."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue's lips curled into a cold smile.

This situation was very strange, as if the two people were in perfect harmony and their thoughts were highly synchronized. The reason he chose to believe Sasha was because of this feeling.

"you mean…"

"Bombing the internet? Attracting the internet police? Last time you almost didn't escape, what about this time?"

Sasha's data upload speed was already close to the threshold, but she still said calmly, "If you can't escape, then don't bother... We've been following the rules, but look... Mr. Rin, nobody follows the rules."

"The colonel has already placed his bet, and we've lost, so it's time he paid the price, isn't it?"

The lark was practically gritting its teeth as it made its final attempt to dissuade the bird.

“I know how that feels! Rin! AI isn't a toy; it's deceiving you in your head! You've lost your last chance—”

A cold voice interrupted her.

"Who cares? You want Little Beidou, huh..."

Uh?
The lark's face seemed to freeze.

He knew?! It was like an elaborately constructed maze of lies, which Rin pulled out with two fingers, removing the most crucial support in the middle, leading to its collapse.

finished...

My performance was a complete waste of time from beginning to end.

The lark disregarded everything else, its expression darkening as red electricity surged from its outstretched hands, piercing the vision within its prosthetic eye.

She started to make her move!

It's just being done quietly.

Lin Yue looked down at the black and red data that slithered across his body like snakes, seemingly unaware of the other party's killing intent.

“I’ve gotten close to the Black Wall and those friends, and I also have a way to control her… Nightingale, oh no—Song Zhaomei. You must be wondering how I found out about the Little Beidou project in a database guarded by a Washington genius hacker.”

The lark's expression was extremely unpleasant.

“Little Big Dipper… but I also want to use it to survive… You spared no expense to make me your substitute so that you could have a chance to catch your breath.”

Lin Yue and Sasha spoke at the same time, their voices seemingly overlapping, accompanied by the simulated sounds of malicious code in cyberspace:
"Then come and get it."

A mirror-like shattering sound rang out.

The traffic within the Dogtown domain instantly surged by more than five thousand times its peak!

At this moment, any hacker still online was overwhelmed by the crimson blood before they could even cry out. One by one, they collapsed helplessly, their bodies slowly oozing black oil-like data with red edges.

Number of users: 2301

Just one second later!

Number of users: 3…

The lark's voice sounds almost like AI:
"This is all your doing! All the innocent hackers on the internet are thanks to you! You're a greedy beast!"

Free bird, you really are still that kind of person...

Why can't we be honest about our intentions and make ourselves feel better?

"Thanks to me... Lark, if you hadn't been so clever as to collude with Hansen, Dogtown would have been taken over by me, and those people wouldn't have had to die."

"Greedy beasts? I admit that everyone living here is greedy—"

“But the beast is you, not me, Song Zhaomei.”

The amount of data continued to climb, almost clogging the entire network.

Sasha and Lin Yue stood side by side in cyberspace. Although the surroundings were still the familiar scene from the underground facility, Lin Yue knew:
The girl next to him has already launched an online attack on the Nightingale!
Sasha's voice was calm: "Mr. Lin, kill all the approaching Netherhounds first—Hansen has already given the order."

As if she knew what Lin Yue was going to ask, her smile, though sweet, had a slightly eerie quality when paired with her blood-red eyes that resembled an abyss.

"I can handle it... Let's share AI... Be careful, don't go crazy."

“Яждутебя. (I'm waiting for you) —”

Before the words were even finished, and before the cyberspace image had been cybernetically transformed, Sasha's delicate hand shoved hard into Lin Yue's chest, an action that indicated she had forcibly severed the link established by the lark.

The scene before my eyes vanished rapidly…

Lin Yue's body suddenly sank down, and he knelt on one knee on the ground.

The samurai sword in front of him was lifted up.

Lin Yue didn't want to be held back from entering the net by these ghostly hounds any longer, since—

It's good that someone isn't following the rules...

[Call: V]

V's eyes were filled with anxiety, "Is it resolved?"

Lin Yue smiled and shook his head. "Hansen really broke his word. New America, military science, one after another—"

V's teeth immediately clenched together, "Fuck the Military Science Department!"

Hmm... V's swearing voice is still quite pleasant to listen to.

“Dear Counterintelligence Minister, getting my people into Dogtown shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”

Lin Yue still didn't want V to take the blame, anyway, Nitta Kazuya was practically hating him to death—

However, since things have come to this point, I'll use the company's resources to my advantage.

Let's do it first, then we'll talk about everything else.

V stared intently at Lin Yue, "You used the roaming AI again?"

But at this critical juncture, there is no time to question anything else.

“You wouldn’t normally call me that—the transfer order was issued, but Jenkins disagreed and overstepped his authority. Of course… I’ll come too, hang in there!”

"What a fool."

Lin Yue smiled slightly and hung up the phone.

The blade emitted a buzzing sound.

Behind me were the sounds of hurried footsteps and gunshots hitting my bulletproof vest.

……

(End of this chapter)