Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 243 Subduing the Tiger (Part Two)

The Night City's Super Dream Company or the Black Super Dream Director are very good at labeling their products, using adjectives like "the coolest," "the most addictive," and "so exhilarating it makes your head spin"—but if they had the spare money to get into Genting Club, they would go to Genting Club without hesitation.

Although the main hall consists of semi-enclosed booths with holographic puppets dancing on the tables, making it look like a cheap Mewtwo club with spray paint all over the storefront, it is actually much better in terms of brain-computer interface and overall experience...

There's a saying that goes something like this: Mewtwo isn't just about technology against fake N*, but a revolutionary product offering a full-dimensional experience, provided you don't get "Mewtwo Syndrome".

The room, a deep purple, had a beautiful atmosphere.

It's so subtle that it allows lovers to see the captivating details and brightness on each other's faces, bringing the slightly spicy and stimulating ambiguity to its peak.

"Much better, huh?"

Maeda Maiko looked at the woman in her arms, Judy, whose eye makeup was obviously smudged by tears.

Judy looked frightened, her nose red as she shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Maiko, I think I spoiled your mood. I... uh, I didn't mean to cry, I was just scared."

Maeda's eyes were filled with helplessness.

Who can blame her when her girlfriend is such an insecure little brat? She's just worried about Judy's mental state lately. As you can see now, Judy has lost all interest in dressing up her Mewtwos and keeps coming to her for comfort. Work and relationship pressures can be exhausting, even for a woman like Maiko.

A partner's independence is often a very important attribute, as it helps maintain a balance between emotions and life. However, Judy's level of independence is very, very small.

Maiko gently moved Judy's head, letting her continue to rest against her soft chest, her slender hand supporting her head as she took a few puffs of her cigarette.

Her expression had shifted from helplessness to a hint of impatience, as if she wanted to make a request to her reluctant partner who was brooding over her—but at this critical moment, knowing Judy as she did, Maiko knew that this would most likely make the cat bristle.

嗏

Maiko has her own reasons for her distress.

"Hey..." she tried to soften her voice, "You crybaby, haven't you done anything else besides coming here lately?"

Judy is head over heels in love with Maiko.

She liked this woman's gentleness.

"Yeah, you know, things are too complicated and chaotic—I'm sorry, I locked myself in my house for more than half a month, afraid that the company would cause me trouble."

company?

Maiko paused, her hand holding the slender cigarette between her fingers. "You didn't say that."

Judy said sullenly, "Actually, it's all just scaring ourselves. People come and go in Liz. A woman who might be entertaining customers today could be leaving this awful place tomorrow. Of course, some people have died. It was a few mercenaries who came here to analyze the footage."

"I haven't seen that girl in a long time, and I can't get in touch with her. I thought..."

Judy felt a chill run down her spine at the thought. She dreamt of those demonically gleaming red-eyed Arasaka ninjas in the gloomy alleyways, and behind them appeared a black-haired woman in a sharp suit, her face cold yet excessively beautiful—

Her fingernails were as cold as steel as she gently traced her jawline before staring at him with the cruel, eerily pale red pupil of her prosthetic eye.

When the katana was drawn, he could see the deep wound on his own neck...

It's a hundred times more realistic than Mewtwo!
Maiko patted her on the shoulder. Judy's editing talent for Mewtwo was the strongest she had ever seen. She also liked the proud and confident smile on the girl's face when she did what she was good at. So Judy had encountered all sorts of dirty work in Night City... There were too many jobs that were somewhat related to the company, so Maiko wasn't really worried.

"I've already asked around about the Tiger Claw Gang for you, there shouldn't be any problems."

Maiko leaned forward, Judy clinging to her, unwilling to move. With a sigh, Maiko struggled to stub out her cigarette. "Alright—"

Judy then said, "Maiko, shall we leave here? Before we go, let's go see my hometown—I have a whole set of diving equipment. Even though the town is flooded, I want you to see the place where I grew up."

Maiko nodded several times, "Okay."

But when she agreed, she didn't seem very sincere; her eyes kept darting outwards, and there was a hint of anxiety between her brows.

Judy, noticing something was off about her partner's words, looked up and met Maiko's anxious expression, which didn't quite match her gentle tone. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Bang bang bang!"

Maiko made a shushing gesture and cleared her throat forcefully—after all, speaking softly to her lover for a long time would make her throat hoarse. "Who is it?"

A Japanese man stood outside the door, his voice filled with gang-related slang and interjections, "Hey, Maiko, it'll be your turn in a little over ten minutes, don't slack off inside!"

Maiko's impatience intensified. "Shut up, you noisy bastard! Now! You're such a damn nag..."

Judy looked surprised, startled by Maiko.

Her lover withdrew quickly, and Judy sat cross-legged on the sofa, the space beside her empty…

Maiko Maeda lit another cigarette and paced around the room with her hands on her hips, occasionally scratching her forehead. The ambient lights in the room were off, and natural light from outside Night City squeezed into the not-so-spacious dressing room.

"What happened, Maiko?"

Judy was confused; perhaps she hadn't noticed her partner's absent-mindedness from the beginning.

Maiko exhaled several puffs of smoke, glancing at Judy every now and then, making Judy feel uneasy. Only then did Maiko prepare herself.

"OK... Judy, I wanted to ask about the Mewtwo Sensation Regulator that you promised me last time, the one that can be integrated into the Teamfight Tactics system. Is there any progress?"

She said this with her hands in front of her, a gesture of humble goodwill.

God knows how emotionally unstable Judy is; if she weren't facing pressure to meet performance targets and get promoted, she wouldn't have rashly pushed this at this crucial juncture.

as predicted.

Judy's expression darkened visibly.

“Judy, this is very important to me.”

Wu Zi felt uneasy; she had a feeling that things were likely going to go wrong again today.

Judy crossed her arms. "So you actually didn't make excuses for me today, and even said you made time for me, just for this?"

"this?"

Maeda waved his hand in front of him, shrugged, and made a gesture of confusion that resembled that of a North American…

“I’m sorry, this has been going on for over two months. You know how competitive Genting is. Evelyn has a strong foundation and a large customer base—even the Azure Tower has her loyal clients. As for me? I need to leverage my own strengths…”

Judy suddenly stood up from the sofa. "It's Evelyn again! You know perfectly well that she can't compete with you for your position at Genting! She's not even on the same page as you."

Maeda Maiko's voice suddenly rose, "But I can't get fired! I have to make money, understand? This Jinguji undershirt I'm wearing costs over five thousand euros, that's more than you earn in a month editing Mewtwo!"

Judy was stunned.

After a while, the corner of her mouth twitched, as if she was laughing out of anger.

"Maiko, so you never intended to care about me at all, you only wanted me to get back to work as soon as possible so you could solve your problems—"

Maiko felt even more aggrieved.

She stepped forward and questioned, "But isn't it for our sake?"

God knows, she had a good reputation in Cloud Peak and a great chance of promotion, but now she was as helpless as a man... That's right, Maeda Maiko had absolutely no way to deal with a typical little woman like Judy.

From beginning to end, Judy's only concern was whether the other person cared about her.

On the contrary, Maiko felt she had done enough; she was a pragmatist.

"us…"

Judy reached out and picked up the straps of her overalls that had fallen to the side, and in a fit of pique, grabbed the clothes from the sofa. After this whole sequence of actions, Maiko was holding her forehead and could only breathe heavily through her nostrils.

Seeing that Judy was about to turn and leave without saying a word, Maiko quickly started walking, the sound of her high heels hurried—

"Hey!"

She grabbed Judy's arms with both hands. "There were no corporate women, no Arasaka... or any other big company that wanted you dead. It's all in the past, okay?"

Judy shook off Maiko's arm. "So you think I'm talking nonsense? You're taking the scenes from the movie as my own memories? I'm not stupid! Maiko Maeda—you're disgusting! Let go of me!"

Maeda Maiko: "Me? Say that again, you fucking idiot!"

Judy refused to buy it at all.

"I thought you loved me, but it turns out you just saw me as one of those girls at Lizhi... I have to provide you with value, right?!"

"Okay, okay... I'll go back and make that thing for you right now, and we'll be done with Maiko!"

Maiko Maeda swore that she felt more helpless than ever before, and that decisions made in the heat of the moment were unlikely to be valid. She needed a guarantee, and of course, she didn't want to break up with Judy yet.

In the struggle, Maiko lost her grip and pushed Judy onto the sofa...

The chaotic noises and the sound of Judy kneeling on the ground instantly dampened Maiko's high spirits by half. Judy, on the other hand, looked as if something had shattered on her face.

Maiko attacked herself...

She stared in disbelief, the dull pain in her knees no longer mattering; she didn't want to stay there for even a second longer. Yes, everything was ruined.

Judy wanted to raise her voice and yell—

But then came an even louder knocking sound from outside the door.

"Do I have to come and invite you in person?!"

Maeda Maiko shuddered; the voice outside the door belonged to the manager of this club, "Wooden Man."

He works for the Tiger Claw Gang and is ruthless. None of the girls or boys here are afraid of him. I don't know what the Tiger Claw Gang member said to him, but he actually came over.

Maiko quickly covered Judy's mouth and whispered pleadingly, "Please!"

As he spoke, he pushed her behind a clothes rack hidden by a pile of clothes, "Don't make a sound!"

Maiko Maeda hurriedly opened the automatic door, and a burly, gloomy-eyed Western man immediately squeezed in. Maiko instinctively took a step back.

"Uh, sorry, I'm a little sleepy today."

The wooden figure pursed its lips, its cold eyes scanning every corner of the room. "A Tibetan?"

Maeda Maiko's acting was still quite good; she said helplessly, "She just fell asleep, I'll be there soon—"

As he spoke, the wooden man walked step by step into the house. "I told you before, Maiko, this place isn't a free P-room. Everyone who comes here, regardless of gender, has to pay... You're all assets of Cloud Peak, you haven't forgotten that, have you?"

He stared at the fitting room rack piled high with women's clothes, and from within the pile of clothes, a pair of tear-streaked eyes stared nervously at the wooden figure.

"I've heard from the people below that you're in a relationship, is it true?"

Seeing that the wooden figure was about to reach for the clothes rack, Maeda Maiko quickly said, "I'll go over there right now."

The wooden figure turned its head, and the two women in the room tensed up instantly…

Seeing the wooden figure gradually lower its hand, Wu Zi's heart gradually relaxed a little, and the manager in front of her, who only cared about performance, finally let out a satisfied sneer.

"No more dawdling?"

Maeda Maiko tugged at her skirt. "Yes, right now."

The wooden man strolled back to Wu Zi's side, pointed his finger at her nose and said, "Two big clients have arrived outside. The Tiger Claw Gang said they drive sports cars and look like damn corporate dogs—I'm giving you a task: even if you take the day off, you have to satisfy these two guys."

"You can take the extra tickets besides the entrance ticket; I'm always good at getting things done."

Maiko forced a smile. "Thank you."

The wooden man looked at the woman who was as obedient as a lamb, glanced at the back of the clothes rack again, and walked out of the room with his hands behind his back, satisfied.

Maiko glanced helplessly and deeply in that direction, then took a step and followed.

……

"Please surrender your weapons."

With heavy makeup, a metallic sheen on her lips, her hair styled in double buns, and a shimmering cheongsam resembling fish scales, the receptionist at the Cloud Top Hotel looked at the two men in front of her and smiled.

There were two men. One was a tall, thin young man with an ordinary face, and the other was a strong, muscular man who looked like a warrior, with a scar near his eye.

Of course, it was Lin Yue and Suzuki who used behavioral characteristic facial expressions.

The receptionist focused a lot of attention on Suzuki, since he seemed to be the main customer. However, this well-mannered and perfectly proportioned guy seemed to be listening to the opinions of this guy with an ordinary appearance.

At this moment, messages edited by Suzuki kept appearing in Lin Yue's prosthetic eye.

"Lord Rin, are we going in?"

Lin Yue was speechless for a moment. "Nonsense, what, are you suggesting I climb over the wall?"

Suzuki: "It would be troublesome if our weapons were taken away. I can provide support from outside."

Lin Yue couldn't help but glance at the old man...

What on earth is this guy trying to say?
"unnecessary."

Lin Yue replied coldly, "We'll proceed according to plan."

The reply came from the other end: "Yuko won't forgive me... But since it's Rin-sama's wish, I won't refuse. However, please reconsider. I can take action immediately after we infiltrate!"

Lin Yue glanced at the text message, then at Suzuki beside him with his hands in front of him and a serious expression, and immediately couldn't help but chuckle.

This guy…

"Don't worry, as long as we sneak in and find out where the Tiger Claw Gang leaders are meeting, we can just charge in. Do you think we can come out alive? This area is full of Tiger Claw Gang members."

"Besides, even if you wanted to, I wouldn't let you do it. I have to keep an eye on you for Yuko's sake."

A look of emotion crossed Suzuki's eyes. "Rin-sama..."

Lin Yue: "Shut up."

Seeing the two grown men standing stiffly for a long time, the receptionist with the bun hairstyle smiled sweetly as she looked at them with an inquiring gaze. "We can use a matching mechanism here. You two just need to connect the interaction line, and Genting's excellent algorithm will match you with suitable partners!"

"I guarantee it'll be just what you're looking for!"

Lin Yue rubbed his chin; neither he nor Suzuki were particularly willing to connect to the system.

After thinking for a moment, he simply asked based on his memory, "Do you have anything here called 'Blue Sky'? Or 'Angel' would be fine too?"

Suzuki suddenly turned his head and stared at Lin Yue.

Massaka…

Why does Rin-sama seem so familiar with this place?!

Lin Yue felt that Suzuki was probably acting strangely today; this jerk's actions were just weird.

The receptionist's smile lasted for what felt like half a century. "Uh, sir, while the two stage names you mentioned are lovely, we don't have those two genders."

"No?!"

Lin Yue was taken aback.

A quick calculation suggests I might have arrived too early…

He pondered for a long time, then said, "Hmm... what about Evelyn Parker?"

Suzuki's eyelids twitched. Is Rin really not afraid that V-class president will break his legs? Otherwise, he's still an adult, acting like he's back home in Genting Highlands!
The receptionist carefully examined the customer's face. "Are you... a regular customer? I'm sorry, the front desk's camera scan didn't find your membership information. I think there might be a mistake."

Then the girl, who was typing on the keyboard, pointed to a finger and added, "By the way, I've already entered the two stage names you suggested into the database. Maybe new mascots will use the names you suggested in the future!"

Lin Yue shook his head, "I'm not a regular customer... uh, a friend recommended me."

He racked his brains. He could choose other sex partners, but the problem was that he had to find one who knew the location of the Tiger Claw Gang leader. If it was a small fry, it would be a loss if it triggered an alarm in Cloudtop.

“Excuse me, sir… Miss Evelyn seems to be busy with business and is currently at the company plaza in the Watson district. Would you like to see someone else?”

Lin Yue's usual tactic is to use his prophetic memories to understand the other party's personality and behavior to manipulate them. However, with Evelyn and the other people from the original storyline of this world not around, he was in a dilemma.

correct!

Lin Yue seemed to remember someone, "Maiko Maeda... I hope I didn't call her by the wrong name, she works here, right?"

The receptionist thought the guy standing outside was acting strange, and he started pointing out the two attractive female celebrities from Genting Highlands...

At that moment, her prosthetic eye received a series of messages.

The receptionist bowed slightly in apology and said, "I'm so sorry, sir, Genting operates on a membership system. You need to enter your information into the system to prioritize data and recommend suitable partners to you. Also, membership is based on points, so you can't upgrade to a premium membership on your first try."

"Ms. Maeda is currently reserved for VIP clients; you are not yet eligible to enter the VIP area..."

Suzuki thought these clubs had too many rules, and his eyes were full of threat as he was about to speak.

Lin Yue reached out and stopped Suzuki from taking a step forward. At the same time, the front desk's account information showed an additional deposit of 2000 euros.

After completing the transfer, he didn't say anything, but just tilted his head slightly and looked at the receptionist with questioning eyes.

The receptionist was clearly embarrassed. "You... this is really against the rules."

[Transfer: 2000?]

Receptionist: "Please don't do that, sir..."

[Transfer: 2000?]

Receptionist: "Let me contact the person in charge for you. Generally speaking, we cannot bypass the system recommendation to connect with the client like this."

[Transfer: 2000?]

The receptionist took a deep breath, put her hands together in front of her, and bowed, saying, "Please wait a moment. Ms. Maiko Maeda will be waiting for you in the VIP room shortly. Before that, you need to pay a deposit of 50,000 euros to maintain your membership level."

Lin Yue scratched his face.

[Transfer: 100000?]...

He pointed to Suzuki next to him, "Double the price, payable to me... Dude, he has to be seated next to me. Let's skip the system entry, let him pick, preferably a guy."

The first half of what he said was serious, intended to allow Lin Yue to work together with Suzuki so that they could meet up.

As for the second half... it's purely about getting revenge on that old bastard.

Suzuki rubbed his forehead, not intending to say anything at all; as long as Rin-sama is happy.

The receptionist reached out as if welcoming a loving father, and all the system scans seemed like ghosts—

"Please come in, both of you! If you need any further services, feel free to contact me."

Lin Yue felt goosebumps rise on his neck as he pulled the stiff-footed Suzuki along, leading him into the pink and purple-themed club...

……

……

　【Wooden Man】: In the main storyline of 2077, among the advanced animals, the Tiger Claw Gang's manager in Cloud Peak.

　　【Blue Sky】·【Angel】: In the main storyline of 2077, the sexual partners of the Cloud Top Club are the result of the protagonist's V personality matching.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)