Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 206 The Greatest Distance is Between the Hearts
"Lord Rin, there is no possibility of a leak in the process."

Suzuki meticulously reviewed the entire process. Lin Yue couldn't interfere with V's side, so Suzuki only told half of what he wanted to say—he didn't know if the counterintelligence department might have leaked information.

Lin Yue quietly looked at the loyal samurai. "Suzuki, find a way to investigate Nitta Kazuya. His social connections, assets, business dealings—including his lovers, security agreements, and specific details... gather all this information."

This statement is quite plain, but anyone would know what it means when a subordinate sends someone to investigate their superior.

Someone wants to take over the North American region's country vice president...

However, Suzuki showed no emotional fluctuation; Rin-sama's choice was entirely expected.

"clear."

Lin Yue remained silent for a moment.

"Are you scared?"

Suzuki looked up and saw the barely concealed hatred in his young boss's eyes.

"I'm not afraid, making concessions repeatedly is not your style."

He knew very well what Miss Sasha meant to Rin. Within the network of Respectable Logistics, this girl almost traded her own life for Rin's. In the operation in Dogville, she also, to some extent, held back the Nightingale...

And this Nitta has clearly crossed the line several times on matters of principle.

Suzuki Takeyoshi was confident that Rin would one day make this dove's temporary leader, who only thought about extracting benefits from others, pay the price.

"Hmm... but you can't mobilize a large number of people in the tower at this critical juncture, or Lord Arasaka will definitely cause you trouble—let Miss Sasha leave Arasaka Tower first, that way you'll have fewer worries."

"and…"

Suzuki hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lin Yue before mustering his courage to say, "Minister V has also put his safety aside for this operation. I think you should inform Minister V. My apologies!"

As Lin Yue's subordinate who had been by his side ever since he became the head of security at Arasaka Tower, Suzuki actually knew Rin's true purpose for temporarily leaving Arasaka Tower this time:
The situation is becoming increasingly conspicuous, and danger could strike at any moment—not to mention that Rin-sama's prosthetic body also has some issues.

Lord Laixuan's place has been temporarily taken over by Saburo Arasaka.

On the surface, the two factions in Night City's Arasaka Tower—the Doves and the Chicks—have the upper hand. If Lin Yue and V continue to serve in Arasaka Tower, the other side is very likely to take radical measures to regain some or even all control of the Night City branch.

Suzuki felt it was time to change the approach.

Besides... he didn't think Nitta Kazuya was more difficult to deal with than Michiko.

Rin's temporary departure means that the security department and counterintelligence have been handed over to V—no one except Jenkins will be able to stop V from having the authority to manage the department.

The primary enemies of the doves and the inexperienced faction are Rin and Sasha, who have clear backing. By shifting some of the conflict away and creating a situation of one overt and one covert conflict with V's department, the current situation can be stabilized.

After all, Jenkins, V, and Rin are all officially confirmed to be Yoriyuki's people. The entire violent intelligence agency of Arasaka Tower belongs to Yoriyuki, which is a situation that the pigeons and chicks do not want to see.

The problem is... this puts V's choice in the bag.

In other words, once Rin leaves Arasaka, the entire counterintelligence and security department will be under that woman's control. Once she changes her backer, Lin Yue will have no chance to return to this department.

Suzuki felt he didn't trust V much, which was why he "presumptuously" offered his advice.

But Lin Yue was different. He knew what the journey had been like, or rather, subconsciously, Lin Yue never thought that V would have any designs on him.

"Thank you, Suzuki... Please sit down."

"I'll definitely see you before I leave... but V and I have been having some trouble lately, and I'm not sure how to explain it; what year were you born?"

When Lin Yueyi brought up this issue, his expression became somewhat like that of a young man. The clever thing about subordinates like Suzuki is that they know what topics are suitable for in-depth discussions with their superiors and what should not be said.

Clearly, Lady Rin is incapable of handling emotional issues.

"Born in Osaka in 2045."

Suzuki sat down, answered the questions, and listened attentively as his superior briefly explained why things had recently gone so badly with V… After Suzuki learned the whole story—

He felt that Ms. V was already very gentle if she didn't resort to violence.

Suzuki's earnest expression held a hint of dry humor as he said, "This is terrible, Rin-sama..."

Lin Yue leaned back in his seat, somewhat annoyed. "Of course I know, but Emma herself is... damn, so based on your experience... what do you think?"

Suzuki: "To be frank, things have come to this point, so you need to tell Minister V how we're tied together—as for the rest, I can only say that you and Ms. V are in the same boat, doing a lot of things for each other beyond your job responsibilities from the company's perspective. You need to tell her your thoughts first..."

There is a misconception in this world.

Men think they can guess what women are thinking, but they don't realize that women's thinking is actually very different from men's—there's an old saying that women are clueless about romance; clearly, married men like Suzuki are obviously inexperienced in this regard.

However, Lin Yue nodded, indicating that he would try his best to try the last suggestion.

Suzuki nodded and stood up, his expression serious. "Please communicate with Minister V about Miss Sasha's relocation; I'll prepare a contingency plan for the things you've arranged."

"Oh, Suzuki, there's one more thing."

Lin Yue also slowly stood up, holding onto the handrail.

"What about the hacker who was detained by the counterintelligence department? V seems very suspicious of her. Did he find out anything?"

Suzuki: "It's about data from a certain AI variant that the Polish branch obtained outside the Black Wall, but it seems that Lucy's parents intercepted part of the key. Ms. V didn't get any other information—we're still waiting for your opinion on this matter."

AI?

Lin Yue's body trembles whenever he hears those two letters.

Suzuki awaited his superior's orders. Finally, Lin Yue sighed slowly, "Let her go. NCX's spaceport is an international area, and Night City's diplomacy doesn't reach here. The situation is quite complicated. Once I've dealt with things here, you can personally go and escort her."

"After all, she didn't infringe on our interests."

Suzuki wasn't too surprised by his boss's choice, agreed, and turned to leave.

"Yes."

……
-
"come in."

Since V stopped sitting in a cubicle office like other company employees, she would often turn down the office temperature control and take off her suit, wearing only the most comfortable militaristic textile shirt worn by Arasaka's middle and senior management.

This seems to keep the body and mind alert at all times.

V is a natural clothes hanger. She wears old-fashioned clothes that would normally conceal a woman's soft curves and temperament, but she manages to make them look like a strong woman. With her sleeves rolled up, she looks down as she reviews and signs documents. Her ponytail is casually tied up, and two strands of hair fall across her forehead, trembling slightly with the movement of her nose.

"Minister, the King Kong prosthetic body from this state has been transported to Night City."

"The receptor screening is not yet complete. Should we escalate the process to a higher level?"

V looked up and answered the question posed by his subordinates through the internal administrative system: "Does such a simple matter need to be asked of superiors? Didn't you investigate many records of cyberpsychotics? What? Is there not a single person who can withstand this prosthetic body?"

If V can't handle simple tasks, he won't be very polite.

The company is a battlefield where pressure is passed down from layer to layer. In V's view, this is very simple, and even Arasaka does not need to provide resources to use these.

The subordinate clearly sensed her superior's displeasure. "Yes, Miss V. To avoid leaks, we've transported the prosthetic body to Badlands—military technology is very interested in our new technology, and we've already completed three counter-espionage operations internally."

V hummed in agreement and that was the end of it.

She was trying to be a competent boss, rather than a spy who was constantly exhausting herself.

Interrupted, V glanced at the bio-controller. There were already more than a dozen missed calls from her life coach. V had almost ignored the psychological counseling that the AI ​​had booked for her last time—because she didn't think that occasional nausea, dizziness, or other similar symptoms were psychological problems.

AI: "You have been on duty for 18 hours. We suggest you take a reasonable break."

V still has a few security protocols to go through, which are all on the security department's to-do list, but right now that guy's health...

Thinking about this, V became reluctant to sign the documents.

That guy is in excellent health!
She gripped the pen with noticeable force, and when the surface of the pen dented slightly, she tossed it aside and leaned back in her chair expressionlessly. As a result, her gaze met that of the guy standing quietly in the middle of the office.

Only then did the belated AI issue a notification.

"Security Minister, Rin, your visit is approved."

V didn't want to give this guy a friendly look. She turned her fair chin and looked at the goldfish dancing in the fish tank embedded in the left wall. Her tone was quite unfriendly. "It seems that Minister Rin's body is healthy enough to continue working?"

She then pressed down on several security protocol documents and pushed them across the table.

"Perfect timing, I hadn't had time to do your work yet..."

V felt a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent it, and the other party had no attitude and was very "disrespectful" of her existence. Although this word is a bit inappropriate to describe it, V really felt that way.

Anyway, that guy can like the whole world, but not himself.

But women who are both beautiful and capable may not understand that for men, the pressure will not only increase dramatically—but may even lead to feelings of inferiority and shame.

The other person didn't say anything; instead, they seemed to be doing something silently.

This made V, who had been deliberately shifting his gaze, seem somewhat insecure.

She lowered her eyes slightly, watching the guy opposite her sit at the table, looking down at the documents one by one, and then carefully signing the three letters LIN.

V's throat bobbed. From her perspective, the way that guy handled the security protocol looked like a child who had done something wrong. Ms. V, whose bottom line had been lowered again and again, was obviously a little flustered... She thought that the other party was also being stubborn with her.

Time passed quickly. Rin processed the documents efficiently, even marking questionable sections with his pen on several occasions and signing off on them. During one of these breaks, his gaze met that of a man who was quietly watching him with his arms crossed. Seeing the man instinctively avert his eyes, Lin Yue smiled slightly and said, "Most of the security department's protocols have loopholes. Unlike counterintelligence, we need to ensure every step is airtight. Our subordinates need the most detailed guidelines possible to complete the relevant operations—"

"Therefore, you will need to propose improvements to some unreasonable aspects. Of course, the security personnel for other middle and senior management also need to be rotated weekly, and the HR department should be involved in the review more frequently to promptly identify and address any potential risks..."

V's voice drifted over, "It seems the Minister of Security isn't very satisfied with my work?"

Lin Yue shook his head helplessly; women who are throwing tantrums are never easy to appease.

He looked intently into V's eyes. "Thank you, V."

V's premonition turned somewhat bad.

The more Rin thought about what she just said, the more something seemed off; it sounded like she was giving instructions for what to do next...?
"So... you're going to pack up and leave again, huh? It seems like headquarters gave you something really valuable... The people below are saying you're going to board the special operations department's fast ship—but I know you won't choose that."

V is quick-witted too.

She could see that Lai Xuan's faction was now in the lead in the Night City branch, and the opposing forces would naturally choose to take back some of what belonged to them during this vacuum period.

The more V talked, the more he felt like a clown indulging in wishful thinking.

"The high salaries and generous benefits at headquarters are indeed quite good... I've heard that your prosthetic body has some unresolved issues. With Arasaka Yorinobu under his nose, there might be far fewer people causing trouble—"

"But what about your squad? What happened to the huge mess you created? And... never mind."

V wanted to ask him what he thought of her.

Lin Yue's breathing was a little heavy, and he said helplessly, "I will not go to headquarters, V... I will still be in Night City."

V felt like he'd punched a cotton ball, and was momentarily speechless.

Remembering Suzuki's advice, Lin Yue pushed the signed documents to the front.

"However... I will be leaving Arasaka Tower for the time being."

Lin Yue wanted to first have an open and honest discussion about the current situation, as it involved everyone's safety, and V wouldn't make a fuss about such matters.

So he began to tell Lai Xuan all about his promise and everything that had happened recently.

As the other person listened to his thoughts, his expression changed from displeasure to the indifferent one he used when discussing company business.

V was relieved that the other party had also told him about their hostility towards Nitta Kazuya, which at least meant that they still trusted each other.

But V doesn't really like this kind of proposal—

V felt that the other party regarded him as a reliable partner, rather than someone they cared about. Having two departments in his hands would inevitably mean a lot of work, and it would also mean that he would be able to take charge of things independently in Arasaka Tower.

At that time, Valerie had just taken office as the Minister of Counterintelligence, and she still maintained the mindset of a junior agent.

Her gradual growth and talent allowed her to quickly adapt to her new identity. During the time Rin was still unconscious, the young corporate agent disguised herself as a capable head agent who could handle anything...

The moment Rin regained consciousness, her tense nerves relaxed considerably, and that feeling of having someone to rely on returned. However, she didn't expect the other party's calm withdrawal to make V feel like the other party was only considering their own interests and didn't treat her like a woman at all.

"It seems that Minister Rin had already made plans."

V shrugged. "The HR department will contact you. I'll trouble you to make the trip yourself."

The other person was unfamiliar and indifferent; Lin Yue knew he had stepped on their landmine.

Lin Yue: "As the situation requires—"

V raised his eyes. "I'm never part of this story, you know... you're a fucking bastard."

His long, slender middle finger was raised.

"The stupidest thing I've ever done is... it's—"

She stood up, waved her hand, and sat down on the sofa. "Doing stupid things that even you think are brain-dead... You can leave. I accept this proposal. There's nothing wrong with getting a promotion, a raise, and more power. After all, we're mature partners."

The word "partner" was emphasized heavily by the V.

Lin Yue was dumbfounded. This was completely different from what he had expected.
Spurred by a sudden surge of courage, Lin Yue followed Suzuki's advice and said, "What's bad for you is bad for me too. I'm not abandoning you..."

V was so angry she laughed.

It's really simple; just say a few kind words and make yourself accept his caring attitude.

"Yes, if I have a problem, we're all doomed—I'll be careful."

“V, you know that’s not what we’re talking about.”

Lin Yue shook his head, "We used to—"

V looked at Lin Yue coldly, "Bonju told me to stimulate your humanity. That was the company's requirement. I did my job. Let's forget about that... We're not suited to talk about this."

Lin Yue, who was trying to express his feelings, was deeply hurt by those words.

He blinked, his eyes dimming slightly.

"Sorry, V."

He tossed the cigarette pack onto the table, lit a cigarette, and instinctively glanced at V. He noticed the woman slowly standing up, arms crossed, her prosthetic eye gleaming a cold, pale red light as it operated.

Should we take action?
Lin Yue sensed a murderous intent in V's expression...

No, V seems to be staring at the wall behind the fish tank.

The instant their eyes met, Lin Yue instantly understood what the woman meant—

There's something behind the wall!
V made a hand gesture. Her prosthetic eye had been enhanced after the Dogtown operation, and theoretically, it could perform liveness detection behind cover using the subnet and smart connection components. At this moment, in V's eyes, there was indeed someone behind the fish tank...

Lin Yue continued, pretending to mutter, "I still hope you don't misunderstand."

At the same time, Suzuki immediately led his men to block the area.

Within minutes, people were brought in under the escort of security personnel.

Suzuki looked down at the guy writhing on the ground in pain. "Rin-sama, it's a guy from the Special Operations Department."

V's face was a little pale.

It wasn't because someone was trying to spy on him, but... Jenkins.

Jenkins is seen as a mentor and friend to V, but the recent events within Arasaka Tower seem to have jeopardized that relationship...

Seeing V's unpleasant expression, Lin Yue signaled Suzuki to search him.

A short while later, a chip was handed to Lin Yue.

"Give this to Minister V."

V's expression was restrained, but it still revealed a hint of despair as he took the chip.

Everyone held their breath and waited, while Carter, who had been trying to cause trouble behind the wall, had been knocked unconscious by the security guards.

Interrogation was an ordeal he couldn't escape.

After reading the chip, V seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and staggered to the side of the desk.

After removing the chip, she looked at Rin with a complicated expression, "Take a look."

Lin Yue, who was still pondering what Jenkins was going to do, was somewhat taken aback. After reading the chip, his expression immediately changed.

This wasn't Jenkins's little trick; it was a warning from the other side to the guys above to make a move!
"Get rid of this person, and you won't need to trouble Minister V anymore."

Lin Yue didn't want to put V in a difficult position, so he simply said one sentence and immediately got up and rushed out.

The agents quickly left, leaving the thief looking like a dead dog. Suzuki noticed the awkward atmosphere between V and Lin Yue as soon as he entered, but he didn't say anything. He bowed his head in apology and left the office.

V was left with almost all his strength drained away.

She stared down at the cigarette pack that Rin hadn't taken in her haste, and remained there for a long time...

V reached inside and pulled out a cigarette with a clean white body, examining it closely, along with the forgotten lighter, a gift he had given to Rin.

In that instant, the distance between the two seemed to grow vast.

pat.

The flames flickered.

A woman's hesitant, soft cough came from the office.

……

……

　I've finished all the foreshadowing and romantic subplots at the end of the first volume. I finished writing it at the e-sports hotel, and I'll catch up on the missing words after Sunday.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)