Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 244 Subduing the Tiger (Part 3)

Maeda's heart was pounding.

Generally speaking, the biggest staff turnover in many high-end clubs is not in the so-called "unstable" jobs, but mostly in the sex doll industry—and many sex dolls or super cute female celebrities are unwilling to face clients with only one identity: corporate dogs.

Perhaps it's the workload of more than 16 hours a day at the company that leads to different ways of venting stress among men and women in the company's high-rise buildings.

Just like the extreme cases of BT (psychopathic) and terrifying black sunglasses, the people with the strongest purchasing power and the most frequent purchases are usually company employees.

Genting is one of the few clubs in Night City that provides protection for its members. Both the girls and guys have prosthetic doctors supported by the Tiger Claw Gang who are responsible for their physical or mental health, and there is also a certain amount of personal insurance.

Insurance policies often only become effective after a company employee makes a purchase.

"Put out that damn cigarette... Some big shots from the Tiger Claw Gang are coming over later. If you're done, go up there too."

The wooden figure then pointed at Maiko Maeda's face in a threatening manner—Maiko quickly selected a mouth spray containing bio-enzymatic deodorant from a pile of cosmetics handed to her by her staff, and took the medication, which was the secret to maintaining her condition.

Seeing that Maiko was so cooperative, the wooden man walked back to his personal monitoring room with satisfaction, where he would check the work at Genting every day.

Maiko felt a chill run down her spine.

Those people in the Tiger Claw Gang are essentially worse than corporate dogs...

She glanced worriedly at the end of the corridor... In fact, she was still worried about Judy. Although Judy's overly emotional nature prevented her from helping her, she was still her lover. She wondered if her forceful push had hurt Judy.

“Maiko, it’s time to go in. Remember to check the system compatibility and run the self-check program. A few days ago, a hacker tried to steal data and attacked room B02. The artificial mother of the sex doll was burned and stuck to the guest’s suit. The trauma team had a lot of trouble to get her back. You must not do anything stupid like that.”

The security personnel on the second floor of the Tiger Claw Gang were not as loud and boisterous as the underlings. You can actually tell the difference between high-ranking members of Japanese gangs by their behavior. The management of gangs actually follows the thinking of some modern enterprises, so it is common for high-achieving students to join gangs in Night City.

"The customer requested to bypass the system; such a request—"

Maiko Maeda snatched the "stimulation" chip core from the guy's hand. "I will refuse."

At times like these, Maeda Maiko would deceive herself by telling herself that the Cloud Top system would cause the sex doll to enter a brief state of consciousness suspension, and that all her actions were provided by Cloud Top's sophisticated algorithm. In other words, she was just a shell, a shell without senses.

When they woke up, they were either covered in injuries or their pillows were soaked with the tears of guests.

Not everyone comes here to have fun; stress can also be released through words... Although the probability of those guys from the company coming in just to chat is extremely low, Maeda Maiko still offered a prayer.

As the door behind her closed, Maeda Maiko swept her hair to one side and glanced down at her expensive yet undeniably worldly fishtail dress. Many customers admired Maeda's figure; she possessed a height uncommon among Japanese women. If it weren't for the societal changes brought about by prosthetics, Maeda's height advantage and the runway presence afforded by her high cheekbones might have made her a supermodel.

She slowly sat down on the round, soft bed, gently stroking her legs which were covered in a thin, dense fabric.

With a snap of her fingers, the room darkened, gradually turning a soft pink. Maiko's helpless and sorrowful expression seemed to be refreshed, filled with a fatal allure and haughty demeanor. The dark pink light surging in her lowered eyes seemed to have a life of its own...

The door opened.

Maiko wanted to see what the guy looked like. She wanted to judge from his facial features whether he was a pervert or a vicious person. However, her senses were fading too quickly. In addition, the man was backlit, as if she were rapidly sinking into the sea, looking at the gradually shrinking hole above.

She was getting tired of this kind of life.

Lin Yue, who had just entered, cautiously moved to one side. Although his prosthetic eye could not perform combat functions, it could see everything in the room by combining the NCPD database and Arasaka's big database.

【Maiko Maeda】

[Sexual Couple]

[Reward: 200?]

[Crimes: Participation in gang activities; kidnapping of company employees; fraud.]

[Combat: Combat stimulants; Behavioral chips.]

If you swept through the streets of Night City, eight out of ten people would have NCPD bounties on their heads. Lin Yue's attention wasn't on that. As for the combat chip... Lin Yue figured if he stood there and let Maiko hit him, she'd probably break her own arm.

"You came?"

The woman in the shadows is like a stunning predator lurking in a jungle of desire, her captivating eyes fixed on her "prey" whom she is about to devour.

Lin Yue didn't answer, and Wu Zi was very patient.

Genting's big data algorithm is so intelligent that it understands guests are wary, and that delays cost money, so Maiko didn't take any further offensive actions.

Instead, the skirt hem slid up quite a bit.

"How is this different from Emma's sex-pair chip?"

Lin Yue was only worried about this. Emma's state was too mysterious, as if something was seeing through her and everyone else. Lin Yue wouldn't fall for it twice in a row. However, the good thing this time was that he had set a "safety word" on the front end, which would ensure that the Cloud Top system would stop immediately.

at this time--

"Lord Rin, can you hear me? That wretched brothel managed to cut off communications. Luckily, we have the company's secure lines."

Lin Yue was still observing the wiring of the device connected to Wu Zi; satisfying his curiosity was never a bad thing.

However, after the line went through the ceiling, it should have gone to some centralized information server. What Lin Yue was also very concerned about was that there were more hidden cameras in this place than there were holes in the shower head in the bathroom!

It seems that no matter how times change, some people's voyeuristic desires remain unchanged...

"Oh? I thought you were busy, Suzuki."

Suzuki on the holographic screen remained silent for a long time. "You...you're really making fun of me, Rin-sama."

Lin Yue glanced at Wu Zi, whose eyes were practically bulging with rage, and asked, "Where are your people?"

Suzuki replied straightforwardly, "After the safety word took effect, I punched him and knocked him unconscious without triggering the alarm."

Lin Yue nodded. "Then it's my turn. Remember to take care of the surveillance room first after you get out. You'll guide us and find out the office location... We'll meet in the Tiger Claw Gang's higher-ups' office, okay?"

Suzuki: "Yes."

"Aren't you coming over here, my good puppy?"

Maeda Maiko beckoned with her hand, seemingly confident that she had the guy in front of her under her thumb.

Lin Yue's expression was strange. Yunding was simply messing things up... What kind of ridiculous nickname is that?

A faint hum of electricity rang out.

Lin Yue used the most basic magic puppet in the network access chamber to destroy all the hidden cameras, and also burned some suspicious network devices that were not connected to Maiko.

"Huangyue...a reliable old buddy."

Lin Yue slowly walked forward, carrying his suit jacket. The heating in the Cloud Top was on high, and there seemed to be a special fragrance in the air. Lin Yue knew that this fragrance was mostly related to hormones, and it was the kind that would hook you without you even realizing it.

The moment the masked expression vanished, the expression on Maiko's face remained unchanged. If it were a normal sex doll, it would have been terrified at that moment.

This is no different from the phenomenon of a person appearing out of nowhere.

Actually, Lin Yue didn't remove the behavioral feature panel himself. Rather, it seemed that the panel was flickering due to the influence of the Cloud Top's wireless equipment, and the frequent restarts affected the visibility, so he had no choice but to turn it off.

"Ah... so this is the real you."

With a hoarse voice, Wu Zi reached out and grabbed Lin Yue's sleeve, pulling him close to her face. She scrutinized the man in front of her, whose eyes gleamed with blood-red light, as he scanned her entire prosthetic body.

"What did you see? Your hands could clearly show you a lot, but you insisted on—" After eliminating the last trace of doubt, Lin Yue brought the woman's face closer and closer. Lin Yue reached out and covered the woman's mouth, smiling as he uttered a word, "Tiger."

He won't waste a single second here.

The ambient lighting, fragrance, and warm air in the room all receded like the tide.

Maeda Maiko experienced a spasm, as if she had been pulled from the water and was about to drown. She instinctively arched her back and gasped for air.

"Damn it! I've been kicked out!"

As Maiko breathed, she turned her head and saw the muscular man beside her who was almost completely engulfing her.

She was startled and unconsciously retreated to the other side of the bed, while the handsome man simply reached out and casually pulled over a chair, staring at her silently.

"You didn't come here to have fun!"

Maeda Maiko reached out and adjusted her slipped bra strap, speaking nervously.

"Uh-huh, of course."

The man's voice was steady, conveying a sense of confidence and certainty.

Lin Yue felt that time was a wonderful "thing". In his memory, Maeda Maiko was a woman who wanted to climb to the top of the cloud. She was indifferent and seemed to have nothing to do with the profession of sex doll. But now she still seemed a little naive and timid.

I wonder if she knows where the Tiger Claw Gang leaders will be meeting.

“Maiko Maeda, I have limited time. First, don’t let me see that glow in your eyes that looks like a notification light when a call is in progress; second, don’t try to touch anything in this house except the bed; third, don’t speak loudly.”

Lin Yue spoke in a slightly more amiable tone, stating all his requirements.

Maeda Maiko is clearly much more assertive, and Judy is probably not the dominant one in this relationship, so she immediately showed signs of resistance.

Lin Yue simply flashed, appearing in front of Wu Zi from three meters away as if by magic, still sitting quietly. "Smart people know how to make choices."

Maiko surrendered very quickly, even faster than France did in World War II.

"Who exactly are you...?"

Lin Yue felt it was necessary to put strong psychological pressure on the other party, so he didn't hide it, saying, "Arakasa."

He then pointed to the silver brooch on the collar of his inner lining, "After I came up here, the Tiger Claw Gang in the shadows called me a company dog ​​quite a bit."

Considering the abnormal behavior of most of the company's employees, and after hearing what he said, Wu Zi subconsciously thought that he was going to vent his anger on her—"I'm not with the Tiger Claw Gang."

Lin Yue was taken aback.

Damn, we really arrived too early.

So he decided to get up and let Maiko have a deep sleep first, and then he and Suzuki would touch the wooden man's office together.

Seeing that Lin Yue didn't say a word, Wu Zi's mind raced. What did he want? "No! Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything I know. What do you want? This time it's all free. I don't need... I don't need that system... You can play however you want."

Lin Yue tapped his head and asked, "Where do the Tiger Claw Gang leaders usually hold meetings? Can you go there?"

Maiko was dumbfounded.

She wasn't stupid. This guy in front of her always gave her a subconscious trembling feeling, and this feeling only appeared in those ruthless gang leaders, like a blade that had been warmed by blood for a long time.

So he's planning to cause trouble for those gang leaders?
Just as Wu Zi was about to shake her head, Lin Yue looked at her quietly. "Going to find the wooden man is just a bit more troublesome, after all, it involves killing a lot of Tiger Claw Gang members, which is quite risky... So you're not the only option. If you want to walk out of this door properly today, then make things clear."

Depend on…

Maiko was dumbfounded.

She realized she was unwittingly becoming an accomplice in the assassination of the Tiger Claw Gang leader, but she was certain that if she shouted, the man in front of her would not hesitate to take her life.

Humans are creatures of passion. If a man looks at you with an extremely calm gaze, you should reconsider your situation; at the very least, he won't show you any pity.

Maiko hesitated, "The wooden man said they were coming..."

The other side pressed for answers very quickly.

"How long exactly?"

Maiko: "It should be soon..."

The other person: "Should...? Do you think your life can be measured by the word 'should'?"

Maiko said nervously, "No, the wooden man never tells me the exact time, but I know where that place is—"

Lin Yue looked at her with a questioning gaze, giving her no chance to catch her breath.

Maiko: "But... that place isn't good for hiding people, but I know a passage leading to the top floor! Yes! I often... uh, I take a dip in the infinity pool there when no one's around."

Lin Yue's expression instantly changed from serious questioning to gentle.

Maiko felt a strange sense of relief, though her back was covered in cold sweat…

"That's exactly the answer I wanted. Thank you for your cooperation."

Lin Yue stood up and gave Suzuki the order to begin the operation.

Seeing that the guy didn't hesitate at all, Maiko's pale face showed a sense of helplessness; she knew she was doomed.

"that!"

Wu Zi was terrified that she wouldn't be able to clear her name. After all, she was sitting right there, and she didn't even want to think about what kind of interrogation the Tiger Claw Gang would give her if something happened...

Lin Yue turned his head, realizing he had almost forgotten about this person in his haste.

To Wu Zi's astonishment, Lin Yue delivered a punch directly to the woman's cheek. The force was just right—enough to create a visible injury and make her dizzy. As for erasing the memory, that memory had existed for too long; a hacker would have to operate on it for a while.

After Lin Yue came out of the room without lingering, several members of the Tiger Claw Gang were drinking, laughing, and cursing on a circular sofa not far away.

Lin Yue bowed slightly and slipped past the door, cutting off the view.

The moment the private room he was in automatically shut down, one of the Tiger Claw Gang members seemed to sense something and subconsciously turned his head.

"strangeness…"

Lin Yue, who was hiding at the automatic door of the bathroom, heard Suzuki's familiar voice.

He has taken over the monitoring room and can now guide Lin Yue.

However, just as Lin Yue was about to pass through the door of a private room, the door suddenly opened!
The guy inside, dressed like a Tiger Claw gang member with his pants up, seemed a bit confused by the man in front of him. Logically, this was the path leading to the monitoring room…

His expression changed drastically instantly!
Lin Yue turned and rushed forward. The guy sensed something was wrong and immediately tried to shout—

……

……

(End of this chapter)