Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 257 Paranoia and Resistance (Part 1) [5.2K]

"V, you've arrived."

Jenkins is an impatient person.

Having worked for this guy, whom Arasaka jokingly called "the eternal runner-up," for a while, V naturally knew his style—

For example, constantly swearing, an impatient tone, etc.

At this moment, Jenkins didn't seem as agitated as he had been on the phone. Instead, the only light in the office came from the dim glow of the alcoves. He simply rested his elbows on the desk, covered his face with his clenched fists, and stared at the girl who could be called his successor with a look of incomprehension.

V's steps were steady, as natural as when he encountered an emergency in the same department and discussed it according to procedure. However, in reality, the board of directors may have already set up the "guillotine" and was just waiting for the dual-role minister of the Night City branch to stick his neck out and be slaughtered.

"Ah."

Jenkins had never heard V talk much about his personal life, but they were indeed very close. In the battlefield of corporate interests, successful actions were the foundation of equal cooperation and trust.

She has a cold personality, and her colleagues in the counterintelligence department mostly describe her as: ruthless, cold-faced, and a person with little emotion.

V knew she wouldn't waste much time here, so she didn't sit down and patiently waited for Jenkins to say what he wanted to say.

Since Lai Xuan reorganized the company's middle management, Jenkins has become a completely different person.

Others may not understand Jenkins' predicament, but V understands it very well…

Perhaps in any branch of the world, the special operations department would have a firm grip on the counterintelligence department, not to mention the security department, which has almost no autonomy in decision-making. Even when carrying out a mission that could cost them their lives, the security department has to comply.

In other words, Jenkins is like the person standing at the highest point under the board of directors, except that beneath the glittering facade lies a castle in the air that could collapse at any moment.

V has wondered many times why Lai Hsuan doesn't use him.

"V? Was my reminder not obvious enough?"

The first sentence that broke the silence was clearly a bit too much, like someone suddenly stabbing you in the heart with a knife in an incredibly boring movie like Mewtwo—that feeling of cold sweat breaking out and your heart turning cold…

V's brow twitched, and his eyes instinctively tried to look around to see if there were any other people present.

Jenkins seemed quite distressed…

He poured himself a glass of wine, without asking V if he wanted to drink.

"There might be big trouble later; alcohol impairs judgment."

Jenkins shrugged, leaning back in his chair and sipping his drink intermittently. “Sometimes I have to marvel at how ridiculous this world is—when I went to the Japanese headquarters I was thinking… ‘When will I be able to get that bitch Abernathy out of my way?’”

"Now? I really want this guy to roam around Arasaka a little longer."

It seems that people do indeed have fantasies about the paths they haven't walked.

V wasn't concerned about the content of the conversation; on the contrary, she knew that today's events were very troublesome. Even with news of Rin, today's events could very well turn into a dangerous internal conflict within the Arasaka faction.

Arasaka's subnet reminder: today's content is pitifully scarce. Compared to the fuss over trivial internal review, the complete silence is truly frightening.

Jenkins could tell the girl was in a hurry, but he seemed to be doing it on purpose, as if he was stalling for time.

“V, I remember your name is—never mind.”

V's calm expression couldn't hide her anxiety, but she couldn't back down at this critical juncture, because this whole situation was definitely Lai Xuan's doing, and she had to do what she had to do.

"I both hate and love this place, Arasaka. I'm completely focused on my work, and I have nothing but whiskey."

For a fleeting moment, V seemed to see Jenkins and Dr. Victor overlap, but only for a brief instant—

If Jenkins continues to drag things out like this, and the counterintelligence mutinis again, she will be in a very troublesome situation. She entered Jenkins' office entirely out of gratitude for his kindness and because of the secret help he had given her that time.

So, almost instinctively, the girl reached into her suit pocket and grabbed the knife!

Arasaka's subnet prevents subordinates from using combat prosthetics and weapons in their superiors' offices, but V can still do that for Jenkins' body, which has almost no combat prosthetic support.

V doesn't need to think at all when making certain decisions.

Just as the throat-slitting weapon was about to be drawn—

"There's still a chance for V; you can still leave now."

Jenkins finished the last sip of bourbon whiskey.

V's hunched elbow froze on the spot, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, he chuckled and said, "I remember the things you said to me the most were 'Don't ask such stupid questions,' 'Make it clean,' and things like that... What?"

Jenkins stood up, pulled his suit jacket forward, and tilted his head back to adjust his tie.

"Because I have no weaknesses, V."

V's expression gradually darkened.

Jenkins waited patiently for V's response.

As he looked around, he realized he didn't need a reply. "Damn it... how come you're just as stubborn as me? Aren't we people who walk into the Aragaka Tower all alone a little bit obsessive? Hmm... see you up there then."

The words I just heard, about helping V leave Arasaka Tower, still sound like a hallucination.

Jenkins smiled, walked past V, and the automatic door closed.

……
-
"Strange, what's going on today?"

Joel took a bite of the tasteless can of peas and watched as the security personnel gathered in the yard.

The company currently has fewer than a hundred employees, almost all of whom are former soldiers—they were sent to this company by their superiors for reasons unknown. Apart from a few workshops, unswept bloodstains on the floor, and the deepest part of the factory where access is prohibited by confidentiality agreements, there is nothing else.

Of course, there were also some goods that needed to be transported by trucks, namely Arasaka's weapons.

"You know something's wrong, bro..."

My colleague, who works in a technical role, complained as he ate, "Arasaka is going to fire us all. I'm a true Night City native, and I've never even heard of this company in Watson District. It looks like I'll have to find a new job."

Joel found this carefree guy rather interesting.

"If you get fired, you'll lose everything."

Instead of looking gloomy or downcast, the person opposite them started chattering indifferently: "In the company's eyes, we are just machines, and they don't need one more... If you ask me, Arasaka isn't even the worst of them—you know that the factory is giving its employees prosthetic bodies and taking out a 50-year loan, right?"

"Besides, those bastards from the counterintelligence and security departments will end up in a much worse state than us."

"They have to do whatever their boss says. If you want them to work their lives away, anyone who wants to be a coward will have to deal with you first."

Joel chewed on his beans, thinking that his companion seemed to have a point.

Whether others will be fired is unknown, but the counterintelligence department certainly won't be, because strict confidentiality agreements mean that counterintelligence employees can only be dismissed passively. And passive dismissal often involves not only the confiscation of assets and prosthetics, but also the question of whether their lives can be saved.

The companions, who had lost interest in the outside world, were more curious about Joel.

Seeing that the other party wasn't interested in his topic, the carefree man continued to flatter him: "Seriously, damn, you're awesome, bro... I've been repairing equipment for so many years, and I never expected that I would really have to rely on your help today. Your skills—how come I've never seen you in the maintenance department of Arasaka? I don't even remember you in the Arasaka Industrial Park."

Joel kept his eyes fixed outside, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

problem occurs.

The security personnel outside began to divide into groups and deploy throughout the logistics park, while I, having been temporarily reassigned due to my technical skills, had not received any orders.

"You mean that thing is a machine tool for prosthetic bodies? I don't think so. How big would a prosthetic body have to be made with such a big machine tool? Is it for building tanks...?"

The chatter of my companions seemed to fade in my ears.

The moment Joel stood up, the door was pushed open by several security guards, and the technicians sitting there for their meal were stunned...

The spoon fell onto the sex doll poster on the table. Joel's hands were a little restless because of his training—who knows why, he was just a guy who had just joined the company and had been training for a few months to make a living.

The soldiers remained silent, holding their guns as if they were temporarily imprisoning these people.

Seeing Joel standing there motionless, his companion quickly pulled him away—"Are you looking to die?!"

The soldiers who rushed in without saying a word and behaved badly also noticed this person.

"Sit down! I'm talking to you!"

However, what Joel said made his companion's hand immediately freeze.

"The counterintelligence department knows nothing. What happened?"

Depend on…

His companion looked on in disbelief, completely unaware that this young man with oil stains still on his hands was a member of the counterintelligence department.

The soldier's hand slowly rested on the trigger. Joel immediately sensed something was wrong, and then a heavy rifle butt slammed into Joel's chest. "Ask Supervisor Suzuki anything. Now—everyone in this room, go squat outside." "If you want to ask anything, just ask Supervisor Suzuki!"

Joel, nearly breathless, felt himself being violently pulled out. Within minutes, all the employees of the unnamed NID company had gathered in the square.

"what happened?"

Everyone was like a fat sheep being herded in a pen; they were all whispering among themselves, but no one dared to speak loudly.

That's when Joel started to panic...

He was bold, having only been in the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department for three months after completing his training, but when he truly faced this unknown change, he realized that his life was not even in his own hands.

No, he had to find a way.

People are naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm, so a green recruit who has never experienced this situation before can't come up with many good ideas.

He observed that the area controlled by the security department was divided into three parts: one part was the team outside the deepest part of the factory, another part was responsible for normal guard duty, and the remaining dozen or so soldiers were in charge of watching over these dozens of people.

Under the stark white searchlights, the soldiers' faces showed vigilance and tense nerves, as well as the fear of those being guarded.

In any situation, especially in a complex and unpredictable one, the one with the gun often has the upper hand, even if it's just a small company conducting internal control and cleanup afterwards.

When Joel saw that the soldiers weren't paying attention to him, he gritted his teeth and listened carefully to the conversations of the people around him.

The frequency started to increase, and it became increasingly noisy.

The leading soldier frowned and shouted, "Quiet down!"

However, it was precisely this style of not taking a tough stance immediately that caused the crowd to become restless.

"Damn it, what's going on? We're employees of Arasaka, what right do you have to do this!"

"What the hell is going on so late at night?!"

good chance!
Joel shoved the person in front of him, like a spark falling into a powder keg, and the crowd immediately showed signs of rioting. He swallowed hard and reached for the cheap pistol tucked behind his waist.

Other weapons can't be brought in, this one is enough.

Seeing the crowd charging forward, the soldiers immediately raised their guns. Fear and hysteria filled everyone's eyes. "Get the fuck back!"

suddenly!

A piercing gunshot rang out in front of the crowd!
The plaza ground, which had been paved with pressure-resistant material by Arasaka, was now riddled with large holes. Sparks flew from the feet of the guy at the front, and he immediately covered his face with his arms and started flailing his arms and legs in terror…

The large shell casings fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and the [Defender Heavy Machine Gun], which was often mounted on an automatic turret, was lifted up and carried on a shoulder by a disproportionately small hand.

"I am!"

The guys who were pushed to the front by the crowd immediately sat down on the ground, looking at the short girl with pigtails in front of them, their courage completely shattered.

Rebecca looked utterly speechless. "Hey! What happened?"

A man who was trying to run away from the side had just taken a step when he saw that he was blocked in front of a guy who was tall but hunched over, had a strange prosthetic eye, and long, thin limbs.

Qiwei quickly used her decryption skills to put those loud guys in the crowd to sleep.

Someone got serious, and the crowd instantly calmed down.

"Oh no...we're doomed! Are we going to be disposed of here? We didn't do anything..."

"Lord, thank you for giving me this day. Please guide me and protect me..."

Joel's talkative companion next to him squatted on the ground, holding his head and shaking it repeatedly, his voice trembling with tears, as he muttered prayers.

The pale-faced recruit Joel obediently squatted down. "Who are those guys?"

His companion clearly couldn't hear him and just kept shrinking his head away.

Unable to count on anyone else, Joel overheard the employee beside him muttering, "He doesn't seem like a soldier, nor one of those scientists, who the hell knows—look at that horse-faced guy (Pira) with his face like a giant cannon, he's really scary!"

At that moment, a man's voice came from behind.

“That’s my friend.”

Someone turned around and saw a young man behind them whose shirt was covered in blood.

At this moment, Pila shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hey kid! What the hell are you doing? What the hell is going on?"

The crowd immediately realized that the two men in front of them were the key decision-makers in this incident, and the soldier officer who had repeatedly asked the crowd to be quiet ran over.

"Minister Rin, Supervisor Suzuki."

Joel, who had just made a lot of small moves, was too guilty to turn around. He could only glance at the two men standing in the crowd out of the corner of his eye. When he heard the soldier leader call out the names of the two men, the fear in his eyes became even more obvious.

Just as he was lost in thought, wondering if anyone had noticed his little actions, the man walked past him and into the crowd.

The soldier's voice could be heard faintly—

"Supervisor, according to your instructions, only repression has been adopted."

Suzuki replied in Japanese, "This company doesn't need that many people. There's no need to cause bloodshed. Let's listen to Rin... Boss."

Lin Yue had naturally seen the crowd about to resist. He hadn't expected Suzuki to leave the problem unresolved until now. In fact, they could have been completely dispersed, leaving only the Honshu science team.

Since things had already come to this point, Lin Yue simply told the truth.

"From today onwards, this company no longer belongs to Arasaka. As for why it doesn't belong to Arasaka... my own life is proof of that."

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The soldier leader behind Suzuki panicked. He was just following orders, but he never expected that his superior would make such a troublesome decision behind their backs. He immediately gripped his gun.

With his back to him, Suzuki said calmly, "Yamagami-kun, it's best not to do that. Listen to what I have to say before making a decision."

After listening, Rebecca pondered for a moment, then asked, "What does that mean?"

Behind her, Qiwei said quietly, "Of course, it's our good boss causing trouble again. This time it's quite big; he snatched the company from Arasaka's mouth."

Pila appeared beside him, her face grim. "What a bastard..."

Seeing the awkward looks from everyone, Lin Yue continued in a statement of fact, "So now I only give you two choices: leave or stay. All your wages and compensation will be paid together."

"Make way, everyone."

The security personnel, including Arasaka soldiers, neatly made way.

The employees who had been transferred from the deserted area looked at each other, none of them daring to make a move.

Suzuki coughed, bent his knees slightly, and pulled up the guy next to him who was almost scared out of his wits, pushing him forward.

The man's expression crumbled with each push, and when his fear reached its breaking point, he suddenly began to run forward recklessly.

Suzuki stood there quietly, watching the guy run further and further away...

The expected gunshots did not ring out. Apart from the soldiers on guard (Suzuki's men) who remained as steady as a rock, everyone else began to waver.

In fact, Lin Yue had no intention of keeping these people here. Letting them go was the best solution. He could easily transfer more people from Dog Town later, so it wasn't a big deal. He also didn't want to get his hands dirty with blood because of this.

The crowd began to flee forward, having all received bank transfers from Dogtown to ensure they wouldn't be affected by Arasaka.

The soldiers began to waver.

Just when Lin Yue thought he was about to lead his team to help V after everyone had run away, he discovered that there was a "dishonest guy" still standing there.

Are you too scared to run away?
Suzuki also noticed the guy; it seemed to be the one who had caused trouble in the crowd earlier.

Moreover, more than a dozen people did not choose to leave.

Lin Yue's eyelids twitched.

"Minister Rin, what are the consequences of not leaving?!"

Some bold people asked questions.

However, Suzuki answered on Lin Yue's behalf:
"Then let's make Arakawa our enemy."

……

……

(End of this chapter)