Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 198 Thoughts and a Difficult Situation [Thanks to Zouyun for the generous donation!!]

The elevator was running smoothly.

Lin Yue leaned slightly against the cold interior wall of the elevator. He felt as if his body was constantly moving upwards. Lin Yue wondered if Hua Zi's men would still be outside when the elevator doors opened…

My body feels like it's filled with lead; even though the structure uses the lightest possible materials, it's essentially self-weighting.

He didn't know how Ultraman had managed to compress the data, but he could no longer contact the wandering AI. However, he found that his senses were very clear, which was completely opposite to the feeling of physical fatigue.

If I had to give an example, Lin Yue's neural projections in cyberspace would be wrapped in a layer of AI data. This AI data is the powerful guy who peeled off the Black Wall, assimilated part of the Orion data—Ultraman used his own algorithm to unify these two parts of data.

[Unknown user: Well done.]

Lin Yue used a clever trick when removing the backdoor, successfully evading the surveillance of the Arasaka hackers and Hua Zi's team.

That wasn't some decisive little trick, but rather a positioning procedure.

Sure enough, Ultraman was able to detect his actions at the network level…

Lin Yue did not try to reply to Ultraman, because he was still in the Arasaka Tower and he would not reveal his true colors while he was not in good condition.

finally…

There's a moment of peace and quiet now.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to think.

Lin Yue now knew very well that once Arasaka Yoriyuki and he were in a conscious state and knew about the access point to the sacred vehicle beneath the Arasaka Tower in Night City, Hanako would definitely change locations... because even if Yoriyuki might not know about his father's dream of immortality, which was an attempt to challenge the rules of life, he himself was aware of it.

In all the endings, the path of destiny that Lai Xuan lost, known as the "Devil's Path," was largely due to the Night City, the point of access to the divine carriage.

Of course, V, who single-handedly influenced the world, is also one of the factors.

at this time.

The elevator stopped abruptly.

Lin Yue's body tensed up, his eyes warily scanning the outside.

Hua Zi almost got himself a backdoor just now. Although he didn't know what the two siblings were talking about, Lin Yue felt that Hua Zi was really willing to use tricks against him despite the pressure from Lai Xuan, who was the president of Arasaka.

Fortunately, Saburo did not appear.

It seems that the old emperor of Arasaka really doesn't have much energy left... As long as his children and descendants don't turn on each other, Saburo can only maintain his vital signs with the help of a hypothermic medical system.

After all, such things are unpredictable. Some elderly people die without warning, and given Saburo's reluctance to let go, he must be afraid of that day that will come so suddenly.

Everything is a mess.

As the elevator remained stationary, Lin Yue's expression grew increasingly grim.

However, just as Lin Yue was about to break through the cover plate above the elevator and climb out on his own, the elevator started running again.

This time, however, the elevator is moving on a horizontal plane...

It seems that Hua Zi is indeed very careful.

"Oh shit…"

Lin Yue looked around the elevator, which had no display screens, shook his head and chuckled at his own overreaction, then continued to think about the problems he was about to face.

My first attempt to leave the company failed.

The best outcome for me after waking up this time would be to leave Arasaka and use the Dogtown base to get away from Arasaka's vortex. This would undoubtedly be the least risky way to survive. But unfortunately, the more I do, the more Arasaka values ​​me... Given my situation, Arasaka would never let me leave.

However, Lai Xuan's attitude made Lin Yue feel that at least the current situation was not the worst.

To put it bluntly, if the current head of security, Rin, wants to leave, there's nothing Arasaka can do about it—but that doesn't mean Arasaka will silently suffer this loss. Given Raiyuki's personality, since he's already been so honest with Lin Yue, and Lin Yue still insists on leaving, Raiyuki will definitely not hesitate to cause trouble for Arasaka's safety.

Lin Yue can no longer describe his current state of mind.

On the one hand, he was amazed by Lai Xuan's boldness in using people, saying that as long as you do the work, you can build my father's business as you please; on the other hand, he truly realized what corporate entanglement meant.

Interests, people, emotional bonds, and enemies...

These unseen, invisible shackles are even more insidious than the backdoor program that Hua Zi wanted to create…

Imagine if you left Arasaka, Military Science, and Dogtown now. No one would be willing to let you go. Dogtown, which relies on Arasaka for its core business, still needs to find a new employer. After thinking it over, the only option is to change to a new company.

So, is the City of Dreams truly free?
This was the first time Lin Yue had asked himself this question.

Upon arriving in this place, he was astonished by the collapse of the law, the chaotic streets, the distinctive culture, the advanced technology, and the company that held the key to the world's destruction.

That's not freedom, it's top-down control.

As for the last point, that's the AI ​​that split between Ultraman and the Black Wall...

These two giant Buddhas completely assimilated the Orion data, but Lin Yue was still a little unaccustomed to the absence of a sinister AI that would suddenly warn him of danger.

My old buddy, he's finally gone!

Lin Yue just wanted to punch the air a couple of times to vent his overwhelming joy—

However, upon further reflection, we have to accept two consequences.

First, he has one less way to find out the purpose of the Black Wall. Otto said that the Black Wall has questions it wants to answer, but he never said that the Black Wall keeps looking for something in the old network of the cyber network that is dominated by wild and wandering AI.

Secondly, will the ability to achieve a near 70% time stop by relying on the black wall and one's own high-reaction attribute still be available?
Lin Yue shook his head.

The prosthetic body gave an error, so he couldn't try it.

However, there is a very good place.

That means that one is at least invincible within cyberspace. Any individual or program attempting to attack one must confront a combination of three terrifying AI logics: the largest entity outside the black wall (on the surface), a smaller black wall, and Orion, which, despite losing a lot of data, has preserved its core architecture.

In other words, Lin Yue could stand still in cyberspace, and no organization or individual could do anything to him.

This was a "disgrace" for Lin Yue, who just a few months ago was studying the Bartholomew's Guide to Networking in his spare time from work and tasks, because no hacker would use such a powerful AI as an ICE, and such a powerful AI would not completely obey human commands.

But I have to admit, it feels great.

There's a kind of smug feeling, like you can hit me even if I stand still.

"The lark was taken away...? Hmm... Hopefully you've learned your lesson."

Lin Yue knew that his situation was not much different from that of the Nightingale at a certain time, but sympathy did not mean that she could be so bold as to damage his interests.

Fortunately, no major problems occurred.

……

This elevator ran for almost five minutes inside the Arasaka Tower.
However, V managed to hold off the Terrorist Mobile Squad and even received timely support. It's just that the person who came from Arasaka was Hanako, and this woman's only skills were Soul Killer and preserving her mark. V had already done her best…

Are they all alright?

Lin Yue's biggest fear was indebtedness, whether it was to V, Sasha, Emma, ​​or the other team members who risked their lives in Dogtown.

Owe money or favors isn't a big problem, but owing someone a life is a different story...

He only hoped that his presence and influence would keep V away from the vortex of the Frankfurt leaks.

In fact, regarding the leak of secrets about the cloud sea, Lin Yue, who only possessed memories of his past life but was unclear about the cause and key points of the incident, could not extend his reach too far, at least not to the moon.

So I just hope V can be smarter and pass the pressure down to the lower levels, instead of using Jenkins' physical methods to buy time. Besides, there's no sign of a power struggle between Jenkins and V, and Lin Yue had already warned V before.

It seems like... everything is in complete chaos.

Lin Yue had no idea what path to take in the future, but his memories of his past life, which he relied on most, were still useful.

The world is also moving forward in this spiral of change and continuity.

After the elevator moved upwards one last time, Lin Yue arrived.

"Ding dong..."

A panel for selecting floors slowly emerged from the smooth wall of the elevator, and a large screen unfolded on the side, broadcasting WNS news.

Through the door, Lin Yue could hear a bustling noise.

As the elevator doors opened, the face of the guy with the prosthetic upper body slowly emerged—

AI: "Arasaka 90th floor, counterintelligence department, security department has arrived."

The noise outside instantly quieted down.

The gazes of everyone at their workstations froze on the young man they had only ever seen on the internal employee roster…

pat.

The man who was talking to his colleague at his workstation, who was closest to the elevator, suddenly dropped the folder in his hand to the ground.

The man, startled by the noise he had made, hurriedly got up.

Immediately afterwards, everyone stood up, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Rin, Minister Rin?"

Kate, her hand resting on the table, saw her boss suddenly appear out of nowhere and quickly walked over. "Are you all just standing there like idiots?"

The counterintelligence staff, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly notified the counterintelligence minister.

Several security guards on duty quickly took Rin's arm from Kate's.

Everyone was curiously observing their superior, who had secured the greatest benefit for Arasaka in Dogtown. Few department heads operated like this; he was covered in unknown experimental prosthetics, and it was rumored that he was practically useless…

Before long, Lai Xuan's men arrived.

"Minister Rin, this way please. We need to give you a check-up first."

Lin Yue frowned and looked at Kate.

"Where is V?"

Kate: "Minister V has a mission and is currently still in Pacific Island. I have already informed her."

Everyone in Arasaka Tower is a shrewd and cunning individual.

Kate used the word "notification" because she knew very well that the guy in front of her was going to get promoted again, and by a terrifying amount—skipping a whole level.

The incident in Dogtown has put Night City on edge. Although she doesn't know the details of the operation, she can see that the higher-ups are overjoyed, and the counterintelligence and security departments at Night City headquarters have received commendations from headquarters.

A large sum of money.

The people in both departments were dragged along without lifting a finger, and apart from secretly rejoicing and treating their boss with high emotional intelligence, no one wentssip.

Lin Yue was struggling to stay afloat and, with the help of the medical team, left the office area.

With their boss gone, everyone returned to their posts, secretly exchanging emails with their colleagues, speculating about the next move of this guy who was still considered a greenhorn on the streets of Night City at that age.

Everyone thought Jenkins was in for another bad time.

Yes.

……
-
The streamlined sports car of the thugs had the accelerator almost completely locked.

Her V-shaped hair, styled with a cold expression, flew wildly in the wind blowing in through the passenger window. Her prosthetic arm, already modified, gripped the steering wheel tightly. If it weren't for the car's excellent workmanship and solid materials—

The steering wheel is probably going to break.

Emma sat in the passenger seat. After the assailant opened the window, there was an automatic vortex wind resistance device for the passenger experience, which means there would be an air wall on the window. The wind was strong, but not to the point of affecting visibility or conversation.

120 miles (193 km/h)...

Emma pursed her lips. This cold-faced woman had just roughly shoved her into the passenger seat and sped towards Night City at this speed. Of course, she couldn't resist, and she didn't bother to resist.

After thinking it over, I wonder if this V is going to find a new place to mess with himself.

But Emma didn't care. Even if she was tortured by Agent Arasaka, she would never make her business transparent to Arasaka!
The two women were preoccupied with their own thoughts. As the car entered Heywood, the roads were somewhat congested due to the start of the nightlife. The V-shaped car, which sped up and hit the curb, continued to move forward amidst a chorus of curses and honking from drivers.

Emma instinctively grabbed the passenger side door handle, only to catch a glimpse of... a hint of... at the corner of V's mouth.

Smirk?

"Where are you going?"

V slammed the steering wheel on. In the car blocking the way for ages, a bespectacled company dog ​​sat, rolled down the window, put his hand on the windowsill, and raised his middle finger.

Upon seeing the Arasaka brooch on his suit, the other party obediently turned and made way for him.

He muttered a few curses under his breath about being an idiot, Arasaka-dog. Ignoring the red light, V floored the gas pedal and taunted Emma, ​​"I thought you were really determined to die? What, only now do you think to ask?"

"Has the medicine worn off?"

Emma pursed her lips, feeling a sense of helplessness, like someone caught in the act of adultery but unable to retaliate.

"Arasaka usually brings prisoners back as corpses or half-dead... You're just like that guy, you're inhuman when you go crazy."

So what is V going to do with himself?
Emma didn't dare to ask any more questions. Based on her woman's intuition, she knew that the woman in the company was on the verge of exploding, and she could only let her drive dangerously.

It must be said that Ms. V has excellent driving skills. When cornering, she casually lets go of one hand and waits for the steering wheel to turn slightly half a turn before stepping on the gas to continue driving forward.

Yes, V received a message from Arasaka Tower's subordinates—

V didn't know why Rin didn't wake up in the intensive care unit, but instead appeared in the elevator completely soaked.

For the past two months, her life and work consisted of only two things: handling Arasaka Tower's business and waiting for Rin to have a miracle happen.

At the time, the state's medical team almost gave the security minister a death sentence for being online for too long, but under pressure from headquarters, these experts in brain, neurology, prosthetics, and cyber technology had no choice but to resort to desperate measures.

For a period of time, V had been following the expert group's report. Rin's cells, which had already entered a state of self-destruction, had begun to reproduce on their own, and all her vital signs and functions were improving, with her brain also showing normal activity.

But he never woke up.

This led Arasaka to conclude that Rin's neural projections had been lost in cyberspace... V was also confused.

V used only her own people for the neural matrix project. After confirming that Rin's body hadn't suffered from self-destruction due to the wandering AI, she numbly urged Sasha to accept the so-called matrix, even though the doctors at V's branch had determined that using the neural matrix might cause irreversible damage to neurons...

But V insisted that Sasha use it.

Because she knew very well that once the upper echelons of Arasaka focused their attention on Sasha, this girl would become the second Rin.

This is something that corporate employees, who always have a benevolent side in options like V, don't want to see.

V felt that the stupidest thing she had ever done was to give in to her hormones, and she fell into a vicious cycle of self-doubt. She couldn't let go of this ambiguous relationship that wasn't exactly dramatic... at least she was just a little bit short of it.

damn it!
Emma, ​​being a woman herself, understood perfectly well that V was sulking. She might not be able to see through other things at the company, but her naturally rich and sensitive mind made it clear to her that V was acting out of spite.

The car sped all the way to the bustling company square of Night City.

Emma's eyes were full of confusion...

Then she glanced at the woman next to her, whose beautiful features were almost frozen in coldness. She could only awkwardly turn her head away and quietly watch the two frolicking goldfish in the sky above the Night City Company Plaza outside the window.

How could she not guess that V had brought her to see Rin?

Although Rin was not in good condition, Emma just wanted to see him. For better or worse, she would help this woman from the company.

The car didn't slow down when it entered the underground parking garage. After weaving into a parking space, both women leaned forward noticeably.

The car window slowly rolled up, and there was complete silence inside.

"Thank you, Ms. V..."

Emma felt she should say something, “I’m so glad I was able to sit comfortably in the passenger seat and be driven to Arasaka Tower by a high-ranking executive from your company… Anyway, thank you so much.”

V's eyes were somewhat unfocused. One hand was still gripping the steering wheel, while the other rested on the window sill. His face was turned to one side, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"He's awake."

Emma paused for a moment as she handed over the seatbelt.

V stared at Emma's incredulous gaze and calmly repeated, "Rin has just regained consciousness. Now I'll take you up to Arasaka Tower. Throughout the process, do not use any prosthetic devices with recording capabilities, and do not attempt to turn any hardware on or off."

"Don't look around, don't touch things, and don't ask questions. Control your words and actions."

Emma nodded subconsciously.

Emma didn't realize what was happening until the woman in the driver's seat got out of the car and knocked on the window to remind her. She then hurriedly got out of the car...

V stared intently at Emma. "I'll confirm it again: you two are in a relationship, and you want to see Rin for no other reason than this. If I find out that you're desperately trying to get close to Rin for other purposes—you should know the consequences."

Emma lowered her head to smooth out the wrinkles on her long dress, then looked up at the beautiful woman on the other side of the car, her stubbornness almost written all over her face.

"To correct you, Ms. V, it's a romantic relationship."

A hint of doubt appeared on V's face. "Hmm?"

What's the difference?

Emma chuckled and added, “The purposes are different… A lover’s only right is to love the other, while a romantic partner is to possess—perhaps you’ll understand later, Miss V.”

V doesn't understand.

She just wanted to cause trouble for some jerk.

Because she felt that someone had to give her an explanation for sleeping with the informant, didn't she?
……

……

Amidst the ticking of various instruments and equipment, several miniature prosthetic manipulation instruments above Lin Yue's eyeballs re-laid out the wiring inside the prosthetic eye. Only after his sight was restored did Lin Yue breathe a sigh of relief; everything around him was something he didn't trust, so he naturally feared losing his ability to observe.

"Minister Rin, please tell me the corresponding numbers you see, and whether the data displayed in your prosthetic eye is clear—you can also tell me if you are experiencing any discomfort right now."

Doctors in this state are not very humane; they treat things one thing at a time.

Lin Yue lay quietly for a long time, his right eyelid twitching the whole time.

The doctor stopped what he was doing. "It's probably just that some nerves haven't been completely reconnected yet. It's not a big problem."

Hopefully?

Lin Yue felt a strange sense of unease.

Next came the software testing of the combat prosthetics. As each prosthetic was reloaded, Lin Yue initially thought it was about to enter a recovery state, but various errors soon appeared.

Lin Yue had a translator, so of course he could understand what these Japanese people were saying.

It was nothing more than endless bugs to fix, and the prosthetic body often overloaded. However, after inspection, no signs of interference from wandering AI were found, nor was it a virus, which immediately put these people in a difficult position.

Ultraman has overpowered himself...

I wonder what kind of prosthetic body could handle this level of data.

After more than an hour of discussion, the online hacker team offered three solutions, but ultimately could only make the prosthetic body temporarily usable. As for when it would overload or crash, that was up to fate.

But for these researchers, the Arakawa scientists were undoubtedly something that piqued their interest in working overtime.

"Minister Rin, perhaps these prosthetics need to be redesigned. After all, they are the technological achievements brought by scientists who defected from New America. We can make corrections based on the current problems, select new materials, and conduct prosthetic-related experiments after reprogramming."

Lin Yue naturally shook his head and refused.

I finally got rid of all the shackles like back doors, but who knows what kind of pitfalls these experts might dig for me next?

The leader had gray hair, round glasses, and a short stature. He wore a serious and earnest expression, the typical look of a Japanese scientist.

"Minister Rin, I must tell you that this is a very dangerous matter. Under dangerous circumstances, the prosthetic body may have adverse effects on the host and is prone to going out of control and injuring itself. Lord Raigen ordered us that you cannot have any problems."

"Therefore, headquarters will not agree to this."

Lin Yue was speechless. He had clearly rejected the black wall transformation, but these scientists with top-notch brainpower had found a loophole in his words.

No prosthetic body, right?

Okay, then let's strengthen the existing prosthetic body or replace it... that doesn't violate the agreement.

Seeing the increasingly fanatical gazes of the group who were treating him like a guinea pig, Lin Yue pursed his lips, almost wanting to wrap himself in a blanket.

Success and failure both depend on Xuan…

He really wanted to give himself some perks.

"The Arasaka Tower won't let you conduct any prosthetic experiments up there, so give up."

Unexpectedly, the old man pulled up his mask and paced back and forth, saying, "Then we'll apply to headquarters for enough space for testing. I'll ask Lord Lai Xuan for permission right away!"

These research fanatics have no concept of priorities.

As long as there is research funding and space, they are happy to do this.

Lin Yue's eyelids twitched as he watched these people make a call to Lai Xuan. The young president, who had just given Lin Yue a generous reward, had offered them a very good place: the subsidiary of Kejing Logistics had plenty of space and equipment...

"Yes! I will certainly not let you down, Lord Lai Xuan!"

The chief scientist bowed and scraped, as if he had eaten honeyed excrement.

The scientist, still unable to calm down after finishing the call, suddenly fixed his gaze on Rin, as if he were appraising some promising object.

"The opportunity to create works of art... We finally have a chance to compete with those guys from the military science department."

Lin Yue didn't know what Lai Xuan was planning, leaving a group of scientists from Honshu specializing in combat prosthetics to Rin. But Lin Yue quickly remembered what Pila had told him before, when everyone had only considered it a hypothesis—

And they only dared to think about manufacturing weapons.

As for prosthetics, it's not a question of whether or not to want them, but whether or not they are capable of being used.

After all, everyone knows that a company's prosthetic body is not something that can be handled by a low-level technical expert paired with a little girl who modifies guns.

But now, all the talented people in prosthetic technology are here, and they are the top people in Arasaka's field.

Lin Yue felt like he could just pick things up from anywhere and cobble together a company…

Lin Yue felt he had done right by not being a corporate slave in his past life, and he was completely clueless.

Feeling that these people might not let him go if he stayed any longer, Lin Yue quickly stood up and said, "I need to rest. Can we talk about this in a few days?"

“You don’t need to worry, Minister Rin.”

"Changing a prosthetic body isn't something that can be done in a day; it just requires your occasional cooperation... Please move to the private ward at the front. After 48 hours of observation, you can move around freely."

"Walk slowly."

These people are all crazy. When they see something new that they can study, none of them want to look up. After giving a brief explanation, they told Lin Yue to go to the ward specially set up for him to wait for the observation data.

Lin Yue shook his head, checked the prosthetic body to make sure it didn't affect his normal movements, and, eager to leave Arasaka Tower and get some rest, immediately stood up and left the place.

The ward is already top-of-the-line.

Because apart from Taipingzhou, finding a 400-square-meter flat in Night City, where land is incredibly valuable, is practically a pipe dream, but that's how the company operates.

All resources can be enjoyed as long as one has sufficient status.

Lin Yue plopped down on the sofa, fumbled for a while, and finally found a cigarette.

His hand trembled slightly as he lit the fire.

When Lin Yue exhaled his first puff of smoke, it felt as if his synthetic lungs were cheering…

It feels so good to be alive.

Only after a long time did he dare to recall the fear of losing his soul.

Just as he was smoking, the automatic door opened.

Confused, Lin Yue looked up and saw Emma, ​​dressed in a striking red dress, standing quietly in the doorway.

Emma?

Lin Yue was stunned for a long time.

Eyes move.

There was a guy standing behind Emma, ​​coldly watching her.

broken.

……

……

　It's my birthday today, so I'm late getting back~
　　Thank you to the wealthy author who often discusses the book with me and has generously donated! He's truly the kind of person who writes without caring about money; I'm so envious.

　　Thank you for receiving birthday wishes from fellow writers on my birthday!
　　Cry! ! !

　　
　
(End of this chapter)