Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 214 Greedy Wolf
【annex】

Good evening. You're probably wondering how the laws of Night City work. No problem, I'll tell you now.

[Who should win and who shouldn't isn't determined by legal clauses, but by the strength of the parties involved; my client, the unfortunate guy who was kicked out of the Night City operations team at Respectable Logistics, used all his savings to ask me for help to copy the details of that guy's irregular equity purchase from his offline device.]

[This won't be difficult for you, trust me... and this attachment might solve some of your problems and confusion. My client said that if someone can bring these things to you, he's willing to tell you anything about Night City Respectable Logistics.]

Thank you for your efforts in ensuring the perfect enforcement of the law in Night City. I think we'll get along very well, and I wouldn't mind having another middleman in Watson District taking on jobs. ;)

What a coincidence!

After reading the letter, Lin Yue even subconsciously looked up and glanced around.

The feeling of having someone calculate your progress and actions step by step is actually very uncomfortable, and it even feels like being monitored. Lin Yue suppressed the urge to call and question Roger, and sat up slightly.

"what happened?"

Sasha, who was the first to notice that Lin Yue's expression was not good, immediately cast an inquiring glance at him.

"It seems we have a way to find out the shareholders of that mysterious subsidiary."

So Lin Yue shared the news that Rogge had brought with everyone. However, when they heard that the news was brought by Rogge, Rebecca and the others, who had extensive experience in the underworld of Night City, didn't seem very surprised. Only Lin Yue and Suzuki were very puzzled.

Qiwei: "Okay, maybe you don't know, but none of the middlemen who can dispatch orders in Night City are simple people—Mr. Lin, at least the company can't replace them."

Seeing that Lin Yue was still puzzled, the hacker patiently explained, "Whether it's Rogge, [Old Captain], [Dino Tinovich] in the company square, or Okada Wakako... it might be easier for them to dig up some intelligence than for the company."

“Night City isn’t just about companies. Often, companies use intermediaries to get information, since people from all over the world can smell the company’s activities. I heard that the kid Haywood we worked with in Dogtown often got information from him that companies couldn’t access or that was hard to get.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Pila added, "In the next life, mercenaries would kill to get into this place, not for the sake of face or anything. Do you know what those kids call her? She's got connections everywhere. As long as the price is right, Roger can find you what you want."

There's a saying that if even Roger can't handle something, then it's basically hopeless.

Rebecca nodded in agreement. "That's true. They're all saying that Roger's work is of high quality and very detailed. He only entrusts it to people he considers reliable. Many people, even after they enter the afterlife, only take on jobs assigned by middlemen and have little chance of connecting with Roger."

Lin Yue and Suzuki exchanged a glance and agreed that it made sense.

If the company could have a complete understanding of everything in the city, then there would be no need for these information brokers to exist. At least the influence of these middlemen is due to the company's power and oppression. V and Jack's collusion on some Arasaka-style deals is probably because Jack knows most things about the city.

Sasha coughed lightly.

"Of course, Lin Yue also had his share of mishaps. It's said that a particularly famous middleman in Night City, Dexter Deshoon, had a mishap. Some middlemen go for big jobs, while others assess commissions. Mercenaries who want to make big money all aim for big jobs, but the chances of something going wrong in these situations are too high."

At this moment, Lin Yue gained a deeper understanding of this complex and charming city.

This can be considered a reminder.

Taipingzhou and Dogtown are essentially lawless areas. Aside from the Cleaners, the Animal Gang, and a few other gang members who wander around the city, there are only people from the company and Hansen's side. In contrast, the situation in Night City is much more complicated. Blindly wandering around without understanding the situation will only lead you deeper into the mire.

Lin Yue wasn't stubborn about this; on the contrary, he took it all into consideration and formulated the detailed operational rules for the entire mission.

The city hall staff still need to investigate. After all, even if they find the shareholder of that subsidiary, it might still require a conflict to resolve. Murder is easy, but they're worried about any further problems arising on Arasaka's side during the process. They need to be thorough in their investigations.

Lin Yue would not reject Roger's overtures, but he also had his own plans.

The only question is who should handle Rogge's matter?

He shook his gorilla-like arm; the stiffness from the mechanical transmission was still there, and the combat system was still reporting errors. Although it hadn't affected Lin Yue's normal actions in the past few days, there was no guarantee that no problems would arise during the mission.

Looking at Suzuki behind him, Lin Yue dismissed the idea.

"Lord Rin, I can go."

Lin Yue shook his head. "You still need to handle most of the problems here... Never mind, I'll go to Little Chinatown and find that friend."

Rebecca seemed quite puzzled.

"What about you?"

At this point, Qi Wei, whose arms were dangling over her shoulders, moved slightly. Perhaps in Qi Wei's view, Lin Yue might not risk his life in a gunfight where bullets were flying. He had a full team of men under his command, and his status had changed.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yue said helplessly, "Rebecca, there are some problems with my prosthetic body."

When everyone learned about the problem with Lin Yue's specially made prosthetic body, their expressions couldn't help but show some worry.

Pila reached into the pocket of her leather vest, felt something, frowned slightly, and looked at Lin Yue without saying a word...

As for the so-called friend Lin Yue mentioned, it was of course Jack Wells.

Since the last operation in Dogtown ended, he hasn't had a chance to see this guy. It's not his fault, since he had just woken up in Arasaka Tower and had been dealing with the problems that followed the Dogtown incident. The best night he slept was the first night he woke up on the sofa in the medical room.

Lin Yue stood up. "It's getting late. Let Suzuki take you to rest. The Tiger Claw Gang of the Night City NCPD must be in complete chaos tonight. It's best to stay off the streets."

Rebecca glanced at Sasha with lingering reluctance.

The cat-like girl gave the cute girl a reassuring smile, and led by Suzuki, the group left the ward.

Lin Yue stood up, walked to Sasha's side, and naturally placed his hand on Sasha's forehead.

"It seems that Dr. Arasaka's skills are quite good; the temperature control system appears to have been corrected."

Sasha slowly shrank back under the covers, hiding the slight blush rising on her face, "Mmm..."

The thought of Suzuki saying that there was no news about the Skylight hackers in Europe made me feel a little annoyed.

Looking at the fair skin around the girl's eyes and brows, Lin Yue's brows furrowed with deep worry.

The girl gently touched the raised "川" character between Lin Yue's eyebrows with her slender fingers, her voice soft and sweet, "You must be tired after waking up, with so many things to do. It's only been a few days—I didn't expect so many things to be weighing on you."

Lin Yue could only suppress his expression and say, "Don't worry, trust the people on V's side."

At this point, the girl would just squint and smile, her long, curled eyelashes glistening as she squeezed together. "Please thank Ms. V and Director Suzuki for me, as well as the agents from the security department."

Seeing Lin Yue's hesitant expression, she quickly interrupted, "Don't worry, I'm not that fragile."

Since Sasha had said so, Lin Yue could only shrug indifferently.

Just then, Lin Yue received a call from Jerry. He had contacted the NCPD director earlier in Westbrook on behalf of Rebecca and the others.

In the holographic screen, Jerry always dressed like a corporate dog. He had never worn the uniform of an NCPD official. Perhaps he should still consider himself a businessman.
"How did things go? Your men were speeding, but not a single shot was fired."

Lin Yue gave Sasha a look, signaling her to rest, and quickly left the ward.

"Of course I'm very satisfied."

Jerry doesn't have the habit of taking credit, so the greedy old wolf must have a new demand.

Lin Yue simply pretended to be confused and didn't take the initiative to ask what was wrong.

Previously, Lai Xuan had Lin Yue connect with this greedy guy from the NCPD who had barely settled in and was already asking for the Night City Management Fund. This was more to pave the way for his future in Dogtown, but things don't always go as planned.

Dogtown is now in a 50/50 situation, and letting Jerry in would only create more instability.

This guy will do anything for money. Any contraband from Dogtown, no matter what it is, will definitely get into Night City. And a chief who can cooperate with the Cleaners, expecting him to have any moral bottom line is simply wishful thinking.

Jerry seemed to have anticipated Lin Yue's attitude. "I shouldn't have called you, but I've been having some trouble lately."

trouble?

Lin Yue walked out of the factory, enjoying the night breeze, lit a cigarette, and said casually, "Suzuki has brought people to help you shuffle the deck several times, what other trouble could there be? Don't tell me you think the NCPD is boring and want to try your luck in Night City?"

Jerry took the joke in stride, chuckling dryly. "Of course, working for you would be lucrative, but I still prefer to eat from my own bowl—that guy with the scar on his eye under you is certainly efficient. If you ask me, your company is really ruthless."

"Look, I've given Arasaka the green light so far, and I only recognize you and no one else. Such a good performance can't be offset by just getting rid of those troublesome guys, right? I know you guys made a big profit in Dogtown."

Jerry really doesn't have much of an art of speaking.

Seeing that Lin Yue remained silent, Jerry continued, "But don't worry, I've already made my money, but new troubles have arisen, it's that simple."

Sometimes, having contact with such greedy individuals isn't a good thing, but both morally and logically, NPCD has provided a lot of convenience. If Jerry becomes uncooperative and loses his temper, things will only get more complicated right now, especially since it's a turbulent time.

Lin Yue even thought that one day he would have to get Jerry out of office.

“Okay, Arasaka will definitely do anything he can to help you.”

Jerry's face was full of smiles. "I like a straightforward partner like you. Although I'm in charge of the NCPD now, I can't help but have that idiot Lucius Lane interfere. I want Arasaka to help me deal with the audit issues."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue lost all interest in listening further.

Jerry really dares to think outside the box.

If Arasaka were to stand behind the NCPD and openly confront the politicians of Night City, the outcome would be predictable.

Where is the brain?
Lin Yue suppressed the urge to curse.

"If I remember correctly, the laws of Night City state that the mayor can supervise the Finance Office, his deputy, and official agencies such as the NCPD and NCFD... If you eat too much, you can spit out some of it and then recoup it later, but Arasaka will not help you fight against those politicians in Night City."

"If you need money, name your price for what happened to these men tonight. You dare to dream of getting my men released and then asking me to carry out assassinations for you? Are you dreaming?"

Lin Yue had already become quite blunt with his words at this point.

Jerry was surprised by Lin Yue's decisiveness, and his expression instantly turned sour.

"Uh... fine, then let's settle the bill according to Night City's rules."

After the money was transferred, Lin Yue immediately hung up the phone, not wanting to say another word.

Lin Yue had a lot on his mind, but he patiently took a few deep breaths, smoked a few cigarettes, and sorted out most of the things.

So he sent Emma a text message: "Be aware of any newcomers coming into Dogtown. If the Night City NCPD wants to get involved with Dogtown, let me know. Thanks."

There was no reply from the other end, and Lin Yue didn't intend to wait for a response. He started to walk away.

A tall, thin figure leaning against the wall not far away called out.

Lin Yue looked at the person who had arrived.

"Pila?"

Pira put his hands in his pockets, felt around, and finally took out a chip.

Lin Yue looked at the object and immediately realized, "Is it the AI ​​technology we dug up from Old Wei's place that time?"

The cigarette butt in Pila's mouth glowed intermittently. "Was your prosthetic body redesigned by Arasaka?"

Lin Yue nodded. "There's a Japanese technology team involved. What? Are you interested in this?"

Pila stared at him for a long time, until Lin Yue became a little uncomfortable, then suddenly became excited, "Nonsense! Remember what we said about this back then?"

Lin Yue: "I remember you said back then that this thing could be used to make weapons or something."

To be honest, even now Lin Yue doesn't think this is a reliable plan; he just considers it a hypothetical scenario.

Seeing the kid's lukewarm reaction, Pila exclaimed, "Holy crap?! What's with that expression... We said we'd use the stuff in here to handcraft weapons when we had the means, but it seems we need to be more ambitious..."

Pila started rambling on and on, spouting technical jargon that only technical experts would use, giving him a headache since his head was already a bit fuzzy.

"so?"

Lin Yue reached out to interrupt.

Pila stopped spitting out words, hesitated for a long time, and finally mustered up his courage to say, "I've never asked anyone for help in my life. How about I ask those Japanese scientists to mentor me? Hmm?"

Lin Yue's face immediately filled with question marks.

……

……

(End of this chapter)