Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 216 Cyber ​​Psychosis: Nothing Left (Part 1)

Wearing only a champagne-colored textile dress, V sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cat next to her who looked satisfied.

With a furrowed brow, she sized up the man in front of her several times, then sighed softly.

"So, at least two prototypes from that facility weren't taken out? Are they in Hansen's hands?"

V was very sensitive to information about the Black Wall weapon, and she felt helpless about the man who only now remembered to tell her about it... But it was no wonder, since Rin was lucky to have survived in that situation, let alone care about the Black Wall technology prototype.

Once Lin Yue calmed down, he wasn't as flustered as before, but he felt a little regretful.

If we had that thing, maybe with the research team from Honshu that Lai Xuan gave us, we could actually come up with some prototypes of Black Wall weapons. Even if we didn't hand these things over to the company, it would be great if we could use them ourselves.

Lin Yue didn't feel particularly sorry about the chapter's network access warehouse, but he was somewhat worried about Erebus's whereabouts being unknown.

According to the team's intelligence, personnel from the military technology company Meredith had entered the facility, and the Hound of the Underworld had also attempted to enter the facility to steal Little Big Dipper. If it weren't for Mann's appearance and the subsequent support from V and the company, they might have lost their chance of survival.

"If the Ghost Hound squad entered the areas I just mentioned, it's possible they brought out these weapon prototypes."

V had heard Lin Yue briefly introduce the 30-year-old network access module and the Erebus weapon. Her interest was the same as Lin Yue's—because she couldn't imagine how a weapon that used bullets to take the lives of enemies could incorporate rapid hacking into every bullet.

Seeing that V remained silent, Lin Yue continued, "I'm sorry, V... I hadn't considered these things at all before. In that situation, all my hopes were pinned on Xiao Beidou, and Sasha as well, as you know—"

V's eyelids drooped, but he was actually listening very attentively.

Strange, this guy has actually learned to explain.

“I just think this matter is very important, and besides, I don’t have anyone to talk to about it.”

V rubbed his temples. "I haven't had a moment's rest during the two months you've been lying down. Suzuki also told me that he participated in an operation targeting a facility in Taipingzhou. I checked, and those top-secret documents didn't mention these weapons. So you have to tell me... how did you find out about these things?"

Her meaning was clear: Arasaka is not a helper who can be investigated however you want.

To be honest, V was more interested in Lin Yue's background, since Lin Yue hadn't yet explained to him the mysterious matrix inside the Little Beidou facility that could stop iterations.

At this point, the young man in front of her became like a dead block of wood, stammering and refusing to speak.

V, whose eyes had been filled with a hint of disappointment, gently placed the cat aside. "You've been like this all along? Hmm... It seems that thing is indeed very important, like the Little Dipper that's bound to your fate. Am I not worthy to know?"

"Alright..."

V lowered her legs, stood up, and smoothed her hair.

Of course, she didn't notice the struggle and helplessness in the guy's eyes.

For some reason, V wanted to satisfy her curiosity; she wanted to know some of the other person's secrets in order to strengthen this ambiguous relationship.

Leaving Arasaka only opened up a wider world for him, and the trajectories of their destinies seemed to slowly drift apart...

Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief. "Sit down first."

He felt he should explain this issue to others.

V crossed his arms, his body language conveying distance and wariness, ready to listen attentively.

But she was still quite satisfied.

At least the other side gave an explanation, didn't they?

However, when the guy in front of him earnestly explained how he knew so much, V's otherwise decent expression slowly turned gloomy.

The phrase "Arabian Nights" wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe what this guy was saying.

Lin Yue knew the other person would have this expression, because if he were V, his first reaction to hearing these things would also be disbelief.

V reached out and interrupted Rin's explanation.

She shouldn't have answered his call and come here to upset herself again. She could have kept quiet, but toying with her like this was definitely going too far.

"Alright, if I have any information on this, I can keep an eye out for it for you, but you'd better ask your lover in Dogtown if she knows anything about these things; take care of your own affairs first. Although Lai Xuan gave you a company, you still have to do all the work you're supposed to do. I don't have much to do lately."

"If there is any, I hope Minister Rin will not hesitate to use her strength."

As his light, airy voice faded and the automatic door closed, Lin Yue opened his arms, looking utterly dejected.

If Erebus wasn't so important, Lin Yue would never have provoked V at this critical juncture. But since the other party promised to keep an eye on this information, that was enough. If even the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department had no clue, he probably wouldn't find anything even if he plunged headlong into Dogtown and Night City.

Of course, there is one last possibility: that thing is now buried deep underground and can never be found again.

Lin Yue had nothing to explain now that things had come to this. He had kept his secret from V most of the time, and today he had finally been honest, but the relationship between the two seemed to still be at that freezing point.

Lin Yue shook his head and got up, then made a phone call to Jack.

This is the first time I've contacted this amigo since I took a two-month break.

Jack on the other end was clearly not asleep; the colored lights on the wall behind him indicated that he was definitely in a bar somewhere in Night City.

Jack, who was quite drunk, stared at it for a long time.

"What?! Rin! Are you alright?"

He patted his face, thinking he was hallucinating due to the effects of alcohol.

Lin Yue laughed and said, "Surprised?"

Jack seemed to say something to the person next to him, and his loud voice gradually subsided, indicating that he had left the bar.

"How could this not be surprising? When I contacted the girl last month, she said you were like a demented old man in a wheelchair at the entrance of a church, with your eyes closed and no reaction at all—I told her to relax. To be honest, I was prepared that we would never see each other again in this lifetime."

"You know how big of a commotion there was in Dogville. Ever since I came back to Heywood, I've been playing hide-and-seek. I haven't been to any of those car chases, boxing matches, or target practice. I'm so bored!"

Jack Wells kept complaining, and Lin Yue expressed his understanding.

"Has the company given you any trouble?"

After Lin Yue asked this question.

Jack paused for a moment, then smacked his lips. "Is there something wrong with Arasaka?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment and then reminded him, "I guess so. Some people up there didn't like it, so I left the company... I think V must have reminded you."

Jack: "Damn... you and V both said that, it's making me a little nervous. Okay, okay... be a good kid, go home and stay with your mom, exercise more, don't drink, and don't wander around the streets, okay?"

Lin Yue could hear the resentment in Haywood's voice.

For street mercenaries like Jack, who are used to being free and undisciplined, worrying about this and that all the time is more painful than killing them.

Lin Yue comforted him, "Just a reminder, your name hasn't been put on the Arasaka sign yet—"

"Of course, I'm calling to say thank you, really."

Jack nodded. "The girl has already thanked me with money."

Lin Yue continued, "If you don't have anything bothering you lately, how about you go do some work? Not to risk your life for Arasaka—"

Jack's eyes lit up immediately at this point, especially when Lin Yue said it wasn't for Arasaka's work, which made him even more eager.

Lin Yue briefly explained the situation of the logistics company in Watson District, referring to the middleman as Roger, which whetted the appetite of the mercenaries who dreamed of working for those middlemen in their next life.

"Wow, Rin, Roger? I thought I'd be lucky to get a commission from that black-skinned Jesus in my life, but it turns out to be a top-tier figure from the next life, the real deal?" Lin Yue nodded. "Of course count me in, but my prosthetic body is having some problems. But I can handle it with hacking. I'll take charge online, and you handle the actual operations. Just provide the data. I'll forward all the attachments Roger sent me to you."

Jack was grinning from ear to ear, as if he'd eaten honey.

In his opinion, the job Rin gave him was even more satisfying than any reward.

"Shall we meet in person to discuss the specifics?"

Jack agreed with Lin Yue's suggestion, but surprisingly, he did not choose the location in Haywood.

According to him, things haven't been peaceful in Heywood lately; the Terrorist Mobile Unit flies over there every day, and Mrs. Wells has been out of business for a week.

Lin Yue didn't think too much about it. After they agreed, they hung up the phone.

Lin Yue lay in bed, having finished all the preliminary preparations, and unable to resist the overwhelming sleepiness, he closed his eyes tightly.

……

……

After finishing his call with Lin Yue, Jack tightened his jacket, lit a cigarette, and got on his motorcycle.

The dark streets were dyed in a variety of colors by neon lights, each ray of light like a tentacle reaching out from the abyss of the future, casting ghostly shadows on the wet pavement.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the approaching dawn.

The vehicle moved slowly through the narrow back alley of the bar.

Above, a dark figure, like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, hid behind a giant electronic billboard.

Virtual idols on billboards are dancing tirelessly, and the music playing echoes through the narrow streets.

Tick-tock.

The roaring motorcycle beneath Jack seemed to have encountered some problem and refused to move forward.

As he bent down to fix his vehicle, he noticed a man, even more robust than himself, standing at the entrance of the alley.

Sensing that something was off about the atmosphere, Jack slowly reached behind his back—

His brows were furrowed, and beads of sweat slid down his scarred face, glistening in the neon lights.

The man standing at the alley entrance couldn't be seen by his expression, but his face was covered with grotesque, centipede-like wounds. His eyes were cold and resolute, like two sharp knives, staring intently at the man behind him through the gaps in the billboard.

He gripped the modified kinetic weapon tightly in his hand; the metallic texture of the gun gleamed coldly under the neon lights, and the energy indicator light flashed blue like the eyes of a wild beast.

"Damn it, have mercy on me."

Jack naturally assumed they were there to cause trouble.

Just as he reached for his gun, the guy at the alley entrance suddenly raised his weapon!

His fingers were gripping the trigger tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Jack's eyes widened, and his excellent combat instincts made him jump off the motorcycle quickly!
Suddenly! A bullet whizzed past his ear, its sharp sound like a demon's shriek, and struck the billboard, sending up a burst of dazzling sparks!

Jack's facial muscles tensed instantly, a hint of alertness flashing in his eyes. He quickly crouched down, like a nimble raccoon.

The instant he crouched down, he suddenly raised his arm and fired several shots in return!

The bullets fired from the tsunami defense system's pistols ripped through the night sky like blue lightning, their intense light casting interplay of light and shadow on his resolute face.

The energy blast struck the building's exterior wall, creating large craters that emitted a burnt smell, and sending debris flying everywhere.

"You are not my target!"

The burly man murmured in a low voice.

That is--

Sean Westan?
While Jack was stunned, he instantly overlapped the image of the guy at the alley entrance with the image of a guy on the roof of Dogtown.

"It's you?"

The person who arrived was none other than Mann, who shouldn't have appeared at this time!

The other party's target is clearly not themselves, which means...

Jack's hair stood on end!

He turned around and fired behind him almost without hesitation!
A figure suddenly darted out from behind the billboard. Jack's hand remained remarkably steady as he calmly retreated and fired.

Such bizarre behavior—what else could it be but a cyber madman?!

The bullets all missed their mark due to the guy's agile movements.

The cyber madman let out a strange cry and began a frenzied counterattack!
An unidentified gun spewed flames, and bullets rained down upon it.

As Jack dodged, his gaze grew increasingly serious. He rolled to the side with clean, swift movements, disappearing behind the wreckage of an abandoned car like a whirlwind.

The car's windows were shattered, and the internal circuitry was exposed, occasionally emitting sparks from bullets.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew by, and Mann stood beside him, gun raised.

Whoops!

The cyber madman's eyes flashed rapidly.

His lips were slightly pursed, his nostrils flared rapidly, and he was breathing heavily. In this brief pause, he had already chosen his target.

A sly smile curled at the corner of his lips.

A lump of iron clattered and fell to the ground.

Jack and Mann both lowered their heads!

However, the expected explosion did not occur...

With a hissing sound, thick smoke quickly spread, enveloping the entire street in a white mist.

Mann slowly rose to his feet, his prosthetic eye searching for the enemy's whereabouts.

Although the guy was dodging and weaving above, Jack didn't seem to realize that the guy's speed had the same abnormal effect as S.A.S.'s—but such a high-to-low attack was something that Mann, who could only move on the ground, couldn't handle in a short time.

Sianwistan cannot float.

Just as Mann was searching, the white smoke in front of him suddenly billowed up, as if something was about to burst out!

Jack instinctively reminded him.

"Damn! Watch out!"

……

……

(End of this chapter)