Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 183 Father's Lesson

Japan, Kyoto.

For Lai Hsuan, everything is based on pragmatism.

His office had almost no fancy decorations. The jet-black, gleaming floor was wiped and washed several times a day so that Lai Xuan could sit on it at any time. In the center was a large screen with a dark red main color scheme, displaying data from various headquarters and detailed reports on current high-risk events.

The Arasaka family has an almost unwritten tradition that each headquarters will reserve an office space for members of the Arasaka family. Yoriyuki also has one in each branch.

At this critical juncture in Project Relic's progress, he was unable to personally oversee the project in Night City. Instead, he could only quietly monitor the intelligence agencies loyal to him and spread throughout the world to obtain the latest developments in Dogtown.

In his view, things had already begun to deviate significantly and were difficult to correct.

The owner of Dogtown shouldn't have such obvious biases in his mind, but now Kurt Hansen has almost placed a heavy bet on his rival, Military Science, and Arasaka's property (Rin) related to the Black Wall is also in a so-called "out-of-control state".

The missiles launched from this dilapidated town kept many people in Night City awake at night. From the moment Arasaka sneaked in, the media's inquiries about him never ceased. Lai Xuan immediately took control of Night City's WNS news, silencing the remaining doves and instigating a war of words between WNS and other media outlets.

However, it was unavoidable that the Night City Hall and Council had begun to pressure Arasaka to take a stand.

Lai Xuan stared intently at the screen, then stood up, pointing in the air as he walked, saying, "First, have Assistant Xu delete all the data. Find Adam Heavy Hammer. If things get out of control, pull Rin out of the mire! Remember, I want the corpse too..."

"And people in Washington, get moving too—if some people don't want this face, then none of them do!"

The Arasaka ninja, standing in the darkness, nodded slightly and vanished into the dark area of ​​the office like ink.

Please give me some more time...

Lai Xuan was breathing heavily. He rested his hand on the table and adjusted his glasses. He knew all too well that his father probably already knew about this...

Based on Lai Xuan's understanding of his father, he would always eliminate any factors detrimental to Arasaka at crucial moments. Abandoning his children would be the fate of Rin and the others. Moreover, as the planner of risky and radical decisions, he might lose a large part of his power, or even have it taken back.

Fortunately, the reason for this action was justified: to expand Arasaka's influence.

The father couldn't find any fault with this place.

No matter what, V and Rin are people he must protect at all costs; at least in Night City, these two are incredibly easy to use.

From the very beginning, Lai Xuan disapproved of his father's actions, especially in recent years. His father's obsession with relic made him feel hopeless. Products that harvested the wealth of the rich to mourn the dead were never what Lai Xuan wanted.

Until he saw Rin…

That was a weapon, and also a beginning—the starting point that would make Arasaka a giant in this world!
In Lai Xuan's eyes, his mother's hand seemed to be tapping his head, her voice slowly comforting him.

Just like what my mother said:
Sometimes we have to face the worst outcome, but even in the worst, there is a way to turn things around... Missing a good opportunity is the real failure.

Since the father is determined to achieve the ultimate balance between Hanako, Michiko, and himself, the bargaining chip is this black wall weapon—the key is to let the weapon fully explode and become a hot potato, something Michiko and the others will definitely avoid at all costs…

But then a problem arises: he still doesn't have a perfect solution for the backup plan.

Ultimately, all decisions rest with people. Unfortunately, from the information submitted by the technical and network experts, he couldn't see the glimmer of hope his mother had mentioned.

From a technical standpoint, the worst-case scenario for the final explosion of the Black Wall weapon (Rin) is destruction; from a cyber perspective, the instability of the Black Wall will expose Arasaka's shady operations under internet surveillance, dragging Relic down with him…

And this is Saburo's Achilles' heel!

These "watchmen" in the network rarely carry out large-scale attacks on the company, but when Arasaka becomes the target of public criticism, the internet censors become the sharpest knife in their hands.

"Help me, mother, help me..."

Lai Xuan was never afraid of failure, but he was afraid of dying on the road, the painful feeling of not being able to give full play to his talents.

Just as he was waiting for the next piece of information, the door behind him opened.

He tilted his head slightly, staring at the person who came in behind him with cold eyes, like a wolf whose territory had been invaded, his gaze as sharp as a hawk standing upright.

With the gaze of an eagle and the look of a wolf, this is how it should be.

Goro Takemura stood not far away, his hands in front of him.

The clattering of wooden clogs on the floor grew louder as an elderly man with a slightly hunched back walked in through the door.

The maid in the red kimono beside him released the man's hand, bowed deeply, and retreated...

Lai Xuan looked at his father with a gaze that was even less appreciative than that of a stranger, but rather full of hostility.

Goro Takemura frowned slightly. He really didn't understand why his lord would hand over the kingdom to Yoriyuki. It was like putting money in the hands of a villain and then praying that he would return enough interest.

"Lai Xuan...you know what you're doing, don't you?"

In his memory, Lai Xuan had never seen his father speak in a loud tone; no matter how bad the situation was, he always maintained this calm demeanor.

Rather than calmness, it was more of a form of contempt—contempt for children.

Lai Xuan casually walked down the steps in front of the screen, saying, "Making Arasaka the world's number one, Father, I know exactly what I'm doing!"

Saburo stood with his hands behind his back, looking very tired.

He let out a long sigh. "So, you've turned that stubborn cancer in Night City (Dogville) into your stage...? War against the Military Science, is this your answer? I remember in Night City, for a moment I saw my younger self—"

"Sometimes I have to compare you with Jing. You've taken too big a step. There's an ancient wisdom in the East that says... that can easily backfire."

Lai Xuan sneered, "What's the difference between sooner or later? [The Free States in the Unification War are supported by us], the Military Science Academy has pushed its territory all the way to Night City, Father... if we don't produce weapons of the same caliber as the Military Science Academy, we will be pushed further, all the way to the sea, [like my brother] dying on the same ship!"

"Do you really think that kind of technology that allows you to 'call the dead' can save Arasaka?!"

Lai Xuan always seems to lose control in front of his father.

Takemura felt a chill run down his spine; no one had ever dared to speak to Saburo like that before.

Saburo Arasaka seemed not to hear his son's roar, slowly climbing the stairs and looking at the various information compilations on the screen.

"Lai Xuan, you still haven't understood what I mean..."

"Your actions are getting increasingly outrageous. Apart from the fact that you're a self-destructive idiot, I see no benefit in starting a war prematurely... Perhaps you should ask your sister more questions, such as how to deal with weapons that you yourself can't control."

This matter needs to be resolved through debate.

Lai Xuan knew that arguing was a way to buy time.

If Saburo's digital identity is entered into the system, Night City will listen to him instead of itself.

Fight!

Lai Xuan, his expression changing, decided to go against his own heart:

His tone softened slightly. "Perhaps you were right that day, Father... On the day I graduated from university, you said that Arasaka was destined to become the mainstream and the controller of this world. I was afraid that I wouldn't live to see that day, Father... You've grown old!"

Ok?
Takemura, who was looking at the surface of his shoes, looked up in surprise.

Am I hallucinating?

Saburo's hands were originally behind his back, his palms hidden by his wide black kimono, but these words still made the arrogant old dragon turn around.

Perhaps at some point, this autocratic patriarch did have a moment of tenderness.

His aged face twitched. "Ha...is that so?"

Lai Xuan stepped forward, his voice trembling with emotion, "Father, this is hope! It proves that we can hold something far more terrifying than a nuclear bomb! A building, a life, can be razed to the ground by a nuclear bomb, but what about the world? We must hold the fuse in our own hands! I don't want Arasaka to fail in my hands on the day you... can't see it! Absolutely not!"

Takemura reminded him, "Lord Yoriyuki, please stay away from Lord Arasaka. Lord Arasaka is unwell and cannot be called out casually."

Lai Xuan looked at Zhucun. Just when this loyal dog thought that the Crown Prince was going to glare at him, he unexpectedly retreated.

From the moment his first struggle failed, Lai Xuan knew that things that are too rigid are easily broken, so he would play the card that his father wanted most at the right time—namely, family affection.

“Hmm…Yorinobu, we have been disgraced in the past. The successive wars have damaged the foundation of Arakasaka’s life.”

"Haste makes waste... It doesn't matter if I don't live to see that day, as long as you can see it—"

"Alright, time is of the essence... I have to teach you some things."

It seems they didn't hold out for long.

Lai Xuan already knew that he had done all he could to fight for...

He only hoped that his men would perfectly execute the orders he gave them.

When Saburo was making arrangements, his movements were remarkably similar to Lai Xuan's. As he walked, he said, "That independent little kingdom is backed by outposts of many companies, and it is also a place where forces in Night City vie for power."

"His existence is to tell the Free States that this place could explode at any moment... The new America is undoubtedly in pain; they cannot break free from the shackles of military technology, yet they have no choice but to depend on it. If one day this place falls to one side, it will be gone."

"Everyone wants control of this place because he has his sights set on Night City, which is strategically important... but he can never truly favor one side, because those who cannot obtain it will naturally not feel at ease."

"So, it's not time yet. We shouldn't be the ones to fire the first shot... Tell me... Lai Xuan, how far have we gotten? I'll tell you how to play your game."

"This is for you... the second to last lesson."

What was the last class?

Lai Xuan only had this one thought…

"New America and Military Science are still the same as before, they're in cahoots. That bandit leader in Dogtown has completely sided with New America—our weapons are being hampered there, and the company's counterintelligence department has already gone in... Currently, they're holding back the terrorist mobile unit that's trying to deal with Rin."

Lai Xuan's report was thorough and concise, covering all the details.

For some reason, he felt a glimmer of hope, because he understood that the card he had used, called Bloodline, had worked…

So he knew he had landed safely, and all he wanted to do was see what his father, who had completely suppressed him, would do.

Saburo said slowly, "Yasunobu, nuclear weapons and bombs are not ways to control people's hearts—only by using greed can it be done. The reason why Arakawa keeps innovating under my control is because no one can resist the temptation of having their superior kicked out at any time."

"Unless the military science woman sitting in the White House of New America goes mad, she won't stop... but the fact is they're still continuing, don't you understand?"

Lai Xuan felt as if he'd been electrocuted, and in an instant, he understood something…

The father's teachings continue.

“A tiny place that dares to side with the company must be tempted by huge profits… A country that is bound to the company and dares to attack our people at any cost must be offering huge benefits to the people in power in Dogtown. Lai Xuan, you should find that point and not try to attack them from their own stronghold. There will be no benefit other than losses and retaliation.”

"I have always believed that personal greed can completely influence the course of the game, do you understand? Lai Xuan... Greed is the strongest weapon."

It turns out, a glimmer of hope for turning things around lies here…

Lai Xuan admitted that he had lost, and in the same shameful way his mother described.

The result was neither good nor bad. He used his strongest emotional appeal to regain his weapon, but at the same time, he lost everything.

Just how well did my father understand people's hearts?
How did he arrive at this conclusion with such a short amount of information?
A series of questions weighed on Lai Xuan's mind.

On the surface, the forces at play seemed to have never escaped his father's keen insight... A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

He gazed at the hunched old man standing atop the steps, as unshakable as a mountain.

Saburo raised his hand, and in less than three minutes, a report came through the screen behind him—

Hacker: "Lord Arasaka, the hacker who risked his life to enter the Dogtown network has detected information about the Blackwall. More than one user is connecting to the Blackwall."

Saburo said, "We need to find a way to push the Westerners' affairs out of the open. They'll shut up, and the Night City Council will stop its incessant clamor."

Hacker: "Yes, Lord Arasaka."

Seeing this, Takemura's expression began to relax a bit.

Lord Arasaka has never grown old!

As long as he's here, Arasaka will live on forever...

This blind worship kept Takemura Goro following him, so in his mind, Yoriyuki and his gang of idiots were the bane of Arasaka, and in the end, it was still the benevolent adults who had to pay for their mistakes.

Under Saburo's gaze, Lai Xuan slowly lowered his head, like a child who had made a mistake.

However, there was no shame in those eyes looking at the floor, but endless fear.

Lai Xuan was scared.

He wasn't afraid of his father living on; he was afraid of what such a person would leave behind after death…

That was the thing he found hardest to resist.

Will I be able to win what I want?
Now it seems a bit difficult.

The screen is off...

Saburo's aged voice echoed in the office, "The source of greed... I've found it for you. First of all, I'm glad you're an honest child... It's true that these barbaric Westerners have cut into our heads (the black wall)."

"Secondly, you will have to pay some price for your recklessness."

Lai Xuan's heart sank.

What was bound to happen has finally happened…

Saburo: "There are only 8 months left until 2077. The scientists told me that a batch of chips belonging to Arasaka's unique crystallization is about to be completed. I only ask that you concentrate on them for half a year and keep a close eye on them with your own methods. No one should get close to our technological crystallization except your sister."

"Is it possible to do that?"

"I can let this matter go, and I'll have Arasaka provide resources to treat that samurai afterwards. But you have to learn to let go. Good subordinates aren't raised by being escorted all the way. Let him fight Nitta Kazuya. If he loses, it's because he's not good enough. Honshu can rebuild its nuclear weapons..."

After saying all this, it seemed as if he had exhausted his last bit of strength.

Zhucun reacted quickly and stepped forward to support his lord.

Hesitated for a long time.

Lai Xuan finally nodded...

“I will keep an eye on this batch of chips for six months, I promise you… Father.”

The elderly emperor, his eyelids drooping, swayed as he slowly descended the steps with the help of Zhucun…

He stared at Lai Xuan's bowed head for a long time, then gently touched his cheek.

"You just look like your mother..."

"get out of class is over."

……

　【The Free States We Support in the Unification War】: This is the origin of Dogtown. In the cyberpunk world, the United States is falling apart. Since Miles came to power, he has been committed to reclaiming the country. After lobbying for military technology, he brazenly promoted the war. Meanwhile, some independent free states were supported by Arasaka and began a proxies war that lasted for a year and a half.

　　【Like My Brother】: In 2023, after the defeat of Arasaka in the Fourth Corporate War, Arasaka Kei was ambushed on his escape yacht by a lone wolf from a rival company. They gave Kei a dignified death by seppuku.

　　[The technology to talk to the dead]: Relic's ostensible business is "protecting your soul." According to Arasaka's advertising, this technology allows communication with deceased relatives. At the 2077 columbarium, a father and son can be heard talking during the day. Because of lack of money, it is impossible to communicate with deceased family members. At least the middle class and above can afford this technology.

　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)