Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 195 The World Is Like This (9K)

"Hi, friends of Night City! Hello everyone!"

"Still the same old story, I care about your business..."

After David Martinez emptied the junk from his pockets and placed it on the coffee table, he stared suspiciously at his mother, who was covering her mouth with her hands and looking expectantly at him, as well as at the Night City financial program playing on TV.

John Cavajk's signature bald head, belly, and the bullish incline on his desk symbolizing further gains in the stock market...

Even a kid like David knows: This isn't about "I care about your business".
John is practically begging to kneel down and lick Arasaka's boots; it's clearly "Arasaka's business" that I should be concerned about... I wonder what Mom is up to again.

"Mom... is there anything else to eat?"

Gloria was clearly preoccupied with other things. When she noticed her son had returned sometime earlier, she glared at him and asked, "David? What are you still doing at home? You have class! The tacos are next to the microwave, make them yourself."

David plopped down on the sofa and slid off lazily.

"School is still closed today... I think I should fix the communication system. Everyone else has received a notice that the suspension of school will be extended, except me."

My mom was still glued to the TV program. "I think it's probably because our information subscription has expired."

David: "Huh?"

I glanced at my profile, which was overflowing with spam, and realized my mom was absolutely right…

He stayed up late last night watching Mewtwo, and now, with droopy eyelids, he listlessly stared at the program his mother was watching.

On the television, Kavokin, wearing yellow-rimmed glasses, rambled on: "Night City hasn't been peaceful lately. Missiles flying through the air, corporate scandals, Dogtown's in an uproar—even the criminals know to keep their heads down and hide for a while..."

David deliberately picked up on the host's line in a mischievous way.

"Hmm... the missile shrapnel has all landed in the company square."

Gloria: "Shut up, David!"

Seeing his mother roll her eyes at him, David smacked his lips and said, "Don't tell me you invested... Mom."

Kavokin: "Biotechnology, a small agricultural company that originated in Rome, Italy, has become a global giant in bioengineering and gene products in just a few decades—especially the high patent fees for alcohol 2, which have led energy companies such as Petrochemical and Su Petrochemical to pay it huge profits every year."

"Especially in the last decade or so, biotechnology has been dedicated to protecting the biosphere and biodiversity, [even equipping Canadian eagles with weapons not originally designed for them] to protect their populations from human harassment..."

"At first glance, the public image and performance of biotechnology companies are quite excellent, especially after they have been cooperating with military technology for a long time. It seems that the company has no interest in world affairs and is focused on moving towards a better future for mankind. But is that really the case?"

David raised an eyebrow.

Anyone in Night City with a brain-computer interface received encrypted biotechnology files. Although the company processed them quickly, the files that weren't completely deleted are still spreading wildly online, especially the persistently banned website, [Bartlemos Collectivism], which continues to update its explanations of the biotechnology security measures…

Therefore, people have long understood that this is the work of biotechnology. The widespread outbreak of public trust crisis has meant that biotechnology is facing more than just asset shrinkage; decades ago, this would have been a devastating financial disaster for the company.

Since that day, the protests in front of the biotechnology building have never stopped, and in the end, they have formed a rare scene of unity:
Whether they were corporate employees, gang members, soldiers recovering from war, or even children, anyone who used SafeLing gathered at the biotechnology company's doorstep demanding an official response.

However, biotechnology has always been known for its tendency to play dead.

There's a lame joke in Night City: if you're aiming for a job in a company's public relations department, you'd better know how to print newspapers, because they only print newspapers that project a positive image to themselves.

Kavokin: "Companies with such excellent performance seem like good investment targets, but the crisis of public trust triggered by Anquanling has been going on for a full two weeks since it broke out, and the market value of biotechnology has evaporated by more than 100 billion!"

"And its staunch ally, military technology, is in the same situation... It doesn't necessarily mean that it can continue to be profitable, even though most of its orders come from the new United States. There may be some transfer between different parties, or perhaps it's a 'subsidy' from the new United States to the company?"

"Who knows?"

"As for my advice... sell, sell like crazy! Sell as much as you can! But if you're an investor who's still observing, why not learn about this 'money tree'?"

Kavokin pointed to Arasaka's logo, "【The Imperial Talisman Protection Plan】, a financial service as stable as a rock, protecting your wallet—see you next time!"

Gloria covered her face in despair.

David leaned back on the sofa. Without a word, he knew what his mother was doing... The young man gently patted his mother's shoulder to comfort her.

His toes were twitching incessantly; David often did this when he was nervous or at a loss.

Kavokin's words... of course, shouldn't be taken seriously.

Besides, why is Mom so obsessed with stock trading?

It seems she's been secretly hiding a lot from me again.

David's eyes dimmed slightly. "Mom... I'm not a child anymore. Why did you keep such a high-risk investment from me?"

Gloria: "My thousand euros... are gone!"

David paused for a moment, then withdrew his hand. What was going on? Although a thousand euros was three months' living expenses, it shouldn't have made his mother this depressed!
A thousand isn't enough to open an account, what is Mom doing now?
As if knowing what David wanted to ask, his mother handed him something that looked like an envelope from inside her oversized jacket—

The top is a specially made screen-shaped sheet of paper, featuring a familiar logo with a lively animation…

Your resume has passed the second review and you have successfully completed the career aptitude test.

[Name: Gloria Martinez]

[EMT Practitioner Certification (Level 1)]

[A combat skills assessment will be conducted in three months. Please report on the agreed date.]

Trauma group?!
He held the rather heavy piece of paper in his hand, from which slipped out a vocational skills certificate stamped with the credentials of the trauma team and the city hall. Gloria, with her hair in a ponytail, smiled quietly.

Is Night City a stepping stone to getting company meals?!
"Eh!!!"

David jumped up from the sofa as if he'd been hit by a needle!
"is that a lie?!"

Although Gloria's "investment failed," seeing her son's exaggerated reaction gave her a sense of accomplishment and recognition.

David held the offer letter and kept trying to get closer to his mother.

Gloria's gloom from losing money dissipated somewhat. She crossed her arms, pointed a finger at the ceiling, and looked a little proud.

"This only proves that I am your biological mother! My son can get into Arasaka Academy, so why can't I pass the recruitment test for the trauma team?"

David held the offer letter, pacing back and forth around the coffee table, his eyes fixed on the document, which could be described as extremely expensive to forge and contained a lot of patented technology information.

"Mom, your education level is blank!"

Upon hearing David's words, Gloria clenched her fists instantly.

The kid seemed oblivious to the fact that he had stepped on his mother's landmine. "Last time you said you helped Mr. Rin take care of his friend and got a great job opportunity, is that it? Is Mr. Rin really that capable?!"

A dark shadow flashed before David's eyes.

Immediately afterwards, the boy squatted on the ground with a mournful look on his face, having already been hit on the head by his mother!
Mom said, "It's all thanks to Mr. Rin! Mr. Mann was in critical condition at the time, and I could only do what I could during that time... so that legendary doctor gave me a chance."

Oh…

After all that talk, isn't it still related to Mr. Rin?
Gloria continued, "Although Mr. Rin is a rare and wonderful person, Mom didn't cheat, of course—"

Her face fell.

"I'm sorry, David, I shouldn't have kept it from you, but I've already paid the penalty for leaving the company, using the money I earned helping those cyberpunks and Mr. Rin take care of Mann..."

Almost every company treats its employees like private property. Even if an employee leaves, they can only be dismissed by the company. However, leaving early usually incurs various penalties for breach of contract.

When David learned that Gloria's buyout clause was over 50,000 euros, he became uneasy.

"Isn't that a subsidiary of the Trauma Team?! How could they be so rip-off?!"

Gloria pointed to the logo on the jacket, the lightning bolt-shaped logo that David had always liked.

"Night City isn't just full of rich people; there are poor people too, and gangs too... Even the poorest guy needs someone to clean up his body. We only have occasional business dealings with the Trauma Team; it's just an outsourcing relationship—[a few years ago, we were even shooting each other in the streets!]"

"Of course it won't release them easily... Thanks to Rin and Mann, two kind people, we have enough money to pay the fee."

This is an old topic in Night City. In the medical field, besides Trauma Teams (TT), there's another "watered-down" version of TT: REO Meat Wagon (literally meaning ambulance).

Just like its colloquial name suggests, the business is very cheap and includes "jump meat" operations. In fact, some employees who work with the cleaners have their organs harvested before the customers even die... and this has become very common!
David: "Mom, I don't think there's anything shameful about going to work properly."

Gloria repeatedly emphasized that she worked for a trauma group outsourcing company because she didn't want David to be looked down upon at school.

Seeing his mother pause for a moment, David forced a smile.

"Uh…"

David probably knows what his mom is up to. She's probably in a jobless period right now, and the large expenses have forced Gloria to take a break from her jobs…

Gloria immediately stood up. "Okay! Son... five hundred euros to live for three months, we can definitely do it!"

and many more!

Five hundred euros to live on in Night City for three months? How will you pay the rent?
Gloria stretched out an arm. "Your mom's got the strength... The rent's already paid for three months from now, don't worry about the brat."

The brat protested, "Ugh! What am I supposed to eat? That fancy food with so much artificial flavoring that even my burps taste like corn?"

From inside the room came Gloria's mocking scolding and David's defiant retort.

It seems that no matter how chaotic the outside world is, the lives of ordinary people are still full of troubles, and everything must go on.

Just as David was munching on a taco and watching TV to kill time for breakfast, Channel 54 News quickly replaced the Whole Foods ad.

Inside was a man speaking in a powerful and resonant voice.

Gloria, who was hanging clothes to dry in the bathroom, seemed to notice the unusual behavior of Channel 54 and came over to take a look.

The guy was dressed in a black T-shirt, a standard military uniform, and his cybernetic implants all revealed that they were high-end products of military technology. At this moment, he was standing behind the podium, next to a flag of the Ghost Hound, and the microphones were covered with the logos of various media outlets.

"This is Kurt Hansen... I want to apologize to the citizens of Night City for the dangerous actions taken a few days ago."

"Dogtown has always believed in freedom, but Arasaka is clearly unhappy with our existence... So I'm here to explain why we launched missiles into the sky—it's because the company's infiltration of us has never stopped, and they've even directly invaded us!"

"They're trying to interfere with our ideal of free governance; Dogtown is where that dream comes true... As for the corporation? —"

"Fuck it! If I ever meet God, it will be because of Arasaka's dog."

As soon as these words were spoken, the media immediately sensed something amiss.

"Colonel Hansen, please speak again!"

"Colonel Hansen, could you reveal a few more details?"

"Colonel! What substantial evidence do you have?!"

As the colonel was about to leave, he turned to look at the camera equipment. The guy recording the video seemed startled by the cruel look in his eyes after he turned around.

"Evidence...? I'd like to ask Mr. Arasaka's spokesperson, where were the heads of their security department and the counterintelligence department that's always scheming to spy on secrets? Go find them."

Gloria was completely confused.

David, on the other hand, didn't look too good.

“That mom…”

"Mr. Rin seems to be... the head of the security department?"

……
-
Sasha likes to open the window in the morning.

The lower levels of Night City always seem to be filled with a chemical odor and a faint fishy smell... but in Arasaka Tower, this smell gradually fades, leaving only a slight pungent odor of sulfuric acid or nitric acid.

Before we knew it, the weather had warmed up.

As the days grow longer, sunscreens developed using biotechnology inspired by toads sell very well. To combat the intense ultraviolet radiation filtering through the ozone hole, people sometimes feel compelled to buy these oily, shiny coatings...

This is a premium version of the biotechnology product that Arasaka sent to female clients in the hospital ward.

But this was undoubtedly a strong irony for Sasha.

Then the sound of bottles and jars falling into the trash can echoed in the room. She was wearing a thin Arasaka hospital gown; her physical functions had declined somewhat due to a month of prolonged bed rest…

However, the prosthetic bodies were still functioning normally, and experts from the main state were directly parachuted into the Night City branch to wait for Rin and Sasha.

They didn't know that this treatment was simply because Saburo had promised his son.

"They seem to never die..."

Sasha looked out the window at the company building gleaming in the warm sunlight.

Suzuki stepped forward and gently pulled the window shut. "Miss Sasha, you should lie down... The nerve and prosthetic trauma is not enough to keep you standing like this."

He did not answer Suzuki's question.

Sasha lay back down silently, covering half her face with the blanket and gazing at the large curtains in the luxurious hospital room.

This is WNS News.

Suzuki got up to turn it off, but Sasha spoke up, "Don't worry, Suzuki... I'm just looking."

Arif Iqbal: "Arasaka issued a statement regarding the accusations made against Dogtown nearly two weeks ago, stating that Dogtown has become the biggest factor of instability in the Night City area in recent years..."

"Furthermore, Arasaka has never conducted any military operations against Dogtown, and he reserves the right to pursue all necessary legal means against Colonel Kurt Hansen in response to the allegations made by the person in charge of the area."

"At the same time, Arasaka also stated that the company will never and could never cooperate with gang forces."

Just then, a notification scrolled through Sasha's to-do list on the Arasaka website:

[Public relations department holds emergency meeting in Zone E, 68th floor of Arasaka Tower]...

Suzuki's expression was somewhat unnatural.

Sasha's eyes were devoid of any emotion, as if she wasn't paying any attention to the television program at all.

Arif's expression was indifferent, which is consistent with WNS News's style, intended to emphasize its "seriousness" and "timeliness".

"There has been an update on the issue of biotechnology safety. Yesterday, the biotechnology headquarters in Rome, Italy, issued a public apology for the medical incident that caused public panic. The apology stated that the drug was independently developed, tested, and marketed by the Night City branch."

"There are still doubts about its review process. The person in charge, XX, said that an internal review was initiated immediately, and all senior executives of Night City related to the drug were immediately detained and charged. On this basis, the adverse effects of the drug were eliminated to the greatest extent possible."

"Users who purchase the drug through legal channels can receive free treatment at biotechnology-backed medical institutions by presenting proof of purchase or a certificate of diagnosis of post-treatment symptoms..."

Suzuki, wanting to respect his colleagues' human rights, coughed and switched channels; it was the Night City media again.

“KUSO…”

Suzuki muttered a curse in a low voice.

Ms. V didn't want Sasha to see these things because Sasha's physical condition was not yet stable and she couldn't handle any stimulation, and it would also be detrimental to the next round of employee evaluations.

"Shut it down, Suzuki."

Sasha had already fallen to her side at some point, her back to Suzuki, seemingly staring at the sunlight outside the window.

Suzuki got up and unplugged the damn pipes behind the TV, standing there somewhat angrily. He seemed to have messed things up, and if V found out, he'd definitely get a scolding. The automatic door opened gently, and even with her makeup on, V couldn't hide the high-pressure level marked on the biohazard controller; her fatigue made her skin look even paler.

V raised her chin, and after Suzuki got up and left, she casually sat down in front of Sasha, blocking the sunlight.

Sasha's lifeless eyes twitched as she looked at V staring at her. She saw the new prosthetic body hidden behind the woman's black hair, including her clasped hands. The prosthetic body's patterns were still the original colors, but its structure had clearly changed.

"You got a prosthetic body?"

Sasha looked away and slowly sat up.

V nodded. "Yeah, you always have to take matters into your own hands eventually. Compared to cyberpsychosis... I'm more afraid of entrusting my life to subordinates who want to sabotage me. I didn't expect that getting a promotion and a raise wouldn't be so easy—maybe it's because I'm used to being a secret agent."

"Some optimizations were made to the brain-computer interface, the [Honshu Experimental Network Access Chamber], and high-strength skeletal modifications... It cost Arasaka a lot of money."

Sasha remained silent for a long time.

"It's hard to imagine how many injections of inhibitors you have to take every day."

V frowned slightly. "Now that you mention it, I haven't used it for three or four days. I've been too busy with work—"

"Let's get down to business."

Sasha turned her head away.

She heard about these so-called "important matters" several times during her two-week recovery period...

"That neural matrix is ​​military technology, and it requires a key. However, our hacking team can solve it, but it will take time. Right now... you have to go there yourself to do the authentication and train the model... you have to prepare your own drugs. Arasaka's technical department is waiting."

"Once the key is extracted, we can save you."

V speaks in a calm and unhurried tone.

Sasha bit her lip. "There's no need to try V anymore... Rin hasn't woken up yet, I won't use it."

"Asking me to reorganize my nervous system using a neural matrix in this situation and then tell myself that everything is in the past—I...I can't do it."

This is the first time in half a month that V has stopped trying to persuade V.

Instead, V just stared at her without any emotion.

“Yes, that’s what I thought too, but he hasn’t woken up since he went offline… Do you know what Arasaka is watching over him like? Like a rare prey that has been captured, still hoping that he can get up and continue to work for the company.”

"I absolutely do not want the Neural Matrix used on you, are you satisfied?"

The constant high pressure at work caused V to show signs of emotional outbursts.

Sasha stared blankly at her so-called superior. Suzuki had also mentioned her bitter battle with the Terrorist Mobile Unit in Dogtown, and even so, she had joined the network without hesitation to buy time for Arasaka Hanako and the hacker team...

Everyone risked their lives for this, so why... did we not get any good news?
V had no intention of giving Sasha a chance to speak.

“He can’t wake up, and the experts at Arasaka are also helpless, so the neural matrix can’t be wasted. I respect his choice, but that doesn’t mean I’ll have patience for you.”

Sasha, who doesn't usually like to argue, closed her eyes in pain.

"What have we actually gained?"

Such a question is undoubtedly damaging.

But V must answer that her actions, which she didn't want Rin to pay such a high price for, were pointless—

“The media in Night City won’t tell the truth. This operation…we gained a huge advantage in Dogtown, expanded our business significantly, and Rin used the biotechnology scandal to get their bio-farm to buy our security services. Dogtown also swallowed their bitter pill…isn’t that enough?”

"That damned neural matrix! Dogtown sent their top-notch people here. If we hadn't evacuated early enough and had timely support from outside, you would all be dead!"

Sasha listened to V's words with a self-deprecating smile.

"Yes, Ms. V...the company has made a fortune, not us."

"I just don't understand, Rin has lost so much, but the biotechnology is still there... and we can't change anything!"

These words seemed to strike at a point of contradiction that V had been unwilling to confront, and she immediately stood up.

“Even a three-year-old in Night City knows not to go against the company. It’s a behemoth that even war can’t destroy… None of us can change it. Accept reality. I’ll give you time to think it over. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

V lost his last bit of patience.

Perhaps V, who took a different path from the predetermined one, could never wake up from this dream. She was still the girl whose first words after losing everything at the Liz Bar were, "My life, my money, everything I have is gone."

The same group may not necessarily have the same ideas. The moment people are born into different backgrounds, it determines that many people will have different perspectives on things.

V cherishes Rin and everything he worked so hard to achieve, which is why he patiently and earnestly persuades Sasha to accept the Neural Matrix.

She didn't want to hear Arasaka reluctantly announce one day that this young man, unable to return to his post, was leaving, so she could only do everything she thought would make Rin happy within the limited time she had.

Yes.

As a result of Arasaka's work, Rin's body went offline too quickly, and the neural projections may not have returned to his body. Now, the activity level of his cerebral cortex is pitifully low, and even the most advanced technology will have little effect. It is even impossible to determine whether he is qualified to be lucid.

V stopped in his tracks as he walked to the door.

"Unless it's the end of the world, this is how the world works... Call me when you've thought it through."

……
-
Dogtown.

The building, modeled after an ancient Egyptian pyramid, still had a beam of laser light piercing straight into the night sky.

Two months have passed since the smoke cleared and missiles rose from the ground here.

The worries are still there, but the owner has changed.

Emma sat on the sofa, a slender cigarette between her fingers, the curve of her eyeliner at the corner of her eyes more mature and alluring than before.

"Then this order is settled. Don't ask me why I gave you extra... you deserve it."

The light in her eyes dimmed, and she smiled as she looked at the Arasaka Corporation representative and two agents with their hands behind their backs sitting on the opposite sofa.

"What can I do for our distinguished guest from Arasaka?"

The company representative from Arasaka removed his eyes from the curves outlined by Emma's graceful figure. "Ms. Emma is indeed very suitable for this new job. We're here to give you a heads-up."

Emma's gaze gradually darkened; clearly, she had lost interest.

hiss…

Emma took one last drag of her cigarette, tilted her head back and watched the smoke drift away, seemingly unconcerned about what the company representative was saying.

As expected, this disrespectful behavior aroused the other party's dissatisfaction.

"I hope you can be sincere and listen to our advice."

Emma beckoned, and the well-dressed animal security guard handed his boss a stack of documents.

"Say it, I'm listening."

The company representative took a deep breath, loosening his stiff neck. "Stop your retaliation against Hansen. Ship this shipment as the company requests—we appreciate your proactive action in securing a smuggling route from Hansen after the operation, so we'll comply..."

"Arasaka will not treat you unfairly."

The only sounds in the room were Emma flipping through documents, and the company representative's patience was slowly wearing thin...

"Are you sure you want to turn against the company?"

Emma stopped what she was doing and said with a smile, "Of course I don't want to, but I have a few contracts and things to look at... After all, this is my boss Arasaka's business."

The company representative nodded. "It's good to know you're from Arasaka..."

Emma put down the documents and stood up. The animal gang bodyguard's face twitched, and he consciously stepped aside.

Emma took a step, and the wine-red dress custom-made by Jinguji made her smile extremely alluring—in addition, she was wearing a bio-technology-made "hormone" perfume, which made the expressions of several office workers a little unnatural.

"Gentlemen, what are you doing standing behind the sofa? Move aside... I need to apologize to your boss; do you company agents have to be wary of a woman?"

The two security guards exchanged a glance, and under the company representative's watchful eye, slowly retreated to one side.

Emma stood behind the company representative, her two hands, like works of art, resting on his shoulders and slowly sliding down to his chest.

The company representative's Adam's apple bobbed, and Emma tilted her head to the side, staring at the guy.

“I have to correct a narrative error on your part; I am not an employee of the company.”

Arakawa and his two security guards started to tense up.

Emma's nails were also deep red, as if painted with blood. Her fingertips slid across Arasaka's cheek, and she whispered in the company representative's ear, "But I'm Arasaka's dog..."

With a soft chuckle, the company representative looked at the alluring woman almost in front of him, and his throat involuntarily bobbed.

"Isn't that right? I bet you'd like to say that too? Quite a few middlemen have done things for the company... Why be so secretive? What if I like this title?"

After saying those words, whether seductive or with ulterior motives, Emma lightly touched the company representative's lips with her fingertips, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

Just as the company dog ​​was feeling dizzy and the security guards were distracted, Emma held a silver-white pistol in her hand and gently pressed it against his forehead.

The intense heat instantly subsided.

"I am!"

Just as the two Arasaka security guards were about to draw their guns, the hacker tackled them to the ground. The Animal Gang security guards strode over with the agility of tigers and lifted the company representative up like a chick—

"You bitch! Are you crazy?!"

Emma fiddled with a pistol in her hand, her long legs peeking out from under her long dress. She straddled the back of the sofa and sat down, bending down to use the barrel of the gun to pull a bottle of sensor-activated gas from the coffee table.

The clattering of medicine bottles, accompanied by the company dog's terrified gaze, made the animal gang member carrying the company representative's security guard glance down at the guy.

Emma smoothed her hair back, her eyes somewhat unfocused due to the sensory connection.

"Teach him to speak like a human being."

The animal security guard gave a muffled reply, and after a series of blows, the company representative, his face covered in injuries, stumbled and collapsed onto the cushion at Emma's feet.

The pain was accompanied by the eerie, bizarre laughter of the woman overhead; the company representative almost wet himself…

Emma kicked the guy over, and then, holding a gun, she swayed precariously, looking like she was about to accidentally fire it.

The company representative kept a straight face and didn't dare to look at the femme fatale again.

"Dogs recognize their owners, don't you understand that, darling?"

"As long as Rin doesn't come here, you can forget about taking a single penny!"

The company representative was also somewhat angry about the loss of dignity.

"Damn it! He's crippled! Are you sure you want to do this to Arasaka? If you don't let me go today, Arasaka will find someone to replace you anytime! Try touching me!"

Emma's somewhat manic smile slowly faded.

A glint of malice slowly rose in his eyes, and the other person quickly squeezed closer to the coffee table.

Emma: "Guess who the animal gang listens to? I'm so desperate to die, I wish they'd just take me out of here right now—hmm? I could go keep Rin company, how about that?"

His incoherent, raving words made everyone in Arasaka regret coming here.

“Tell that woman at the company that the middleman in Dogtown will never listen to you unless he sees Rin. As for if you want to replace him… I’m always happy to help!”

"Now... I'm giving you time, run as fast as you can."

Emma suddenly raised her pistol as she spoke, and the company representative scrambled to get out.

Emma, ​​already in poor spirits, squinted at the guy who was about to run away in a panic, making a "pong" sound that terrified him so much that he almost couldn't squeeze out of the doorway...

Emma, ​​having put down her gun, reached out her hand. The polite animal security guard, used to his boss's daily tantrums, helped him down.

"Do you think Arasaka will send that company woman who knows Rin's whereabouts?"

The animal security guard honestly shook his head, "But if you do this... the company will be very unhappy with you. I suggest you... be more careful with Arasaka, after all, this concerns Dogtown's business and your safety."

Emma scoffed, "Is that so...that's exactly what I wanted."

The animal gang's security guards knew what not to say and what to say, and they helped the swaying boss out, their minds heavy with worry.

Emma sat in the car, enjoying the cool breeze outside the window; she still lived in the same place as before.

Looking at the desolate scene of Taiping Island, everything is still as dilapidated as before. It is hard to imagine that just two months ago, a dangerous event that could have almost caused war broke out here.

But aside from gaining this identity, Emma didn't feel it had any meaning whatsoever.

Dogtown has a new middleman, backed by a new power. Everything seems meaningless; the stagnant city will return to its unchanged state once more.

Except people.

Emma's world went from desolate to rich, but with the departure of her beloved, it became a dead land again, unchanged.

"Boss, someone's following us."

"It's a security guard in a car," the guard said in a deep voice.

Emma seemed unconcerned, resting her chin on one hand and still looking out the window. "Hmm."

The animal gang's security guards were already quite skilled drivers, but they were ultimately stopped by a sapphire blue thug that suddenly appeared from the side.

Emma remained calm throughout, watching through the windshield as the aloof woman in a suit and tie with a high ponytail stepped out of the driver's seat...

“V…you’ve finally decided to show your face.”

Emma muttered softly.

……

　[I Care About Your Business] [John Cavokin]: A TV program in the 2077 main storyline. This program is one of the few financial programs in Night City. Its host promotes Arasaka by saying he bought a yacht. Of course, don't expect him to give you any serious advice. In his eyes, buying Arasaka's financial products and working hard can lead to the pinnacle of life.

　　【Canadian Eagles】: To prevent resurrected rare animals from suffering at the hands of humans, biotechnology has endowed them with self-protection mechanisms they did not originally possess.

　　【Bartlemos Collective】: One of the network forces in the 2077 main storyline, it has many hidden agendas and is somewhat "extreme".

　　【REO meat wagon】: According to the background story, the company was still engaged in gunfights with the Trauma Group in 2070, a clear hostile relationship, but this was not reflected in the game 2077. This is a fan-made creation to fill in the previous setting loophole.

　　[Toad]: Biotechnology has many patents and products that target various aspects of life.

　　【Honshu Experimental Network Access Container】: Similar to the military technology chapter network access container in the game 2077, Rin's network access container, after being weakened through multiple data corrections, can be made available to ordinary hackers.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)