Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 269 "Official Business" [5.7K]

"Ugh! It's so cold here."

Rebecca hugged her arms and shivered. Her gorilla-like arms seemed to have not adapted to the low temperature of the room at first, and she stiffly fumbled for the zipper on her clothes, burying all the pretty light pink tattoos near her collarbone under the kitsch jacket.

"what…"

Rebecca walked on the frost-covered ground to the vicinity of the central, densely packed equipment.

"I thought most of the prosthetic doctors in Night City were bastards, because... you know, the doctor from the Santo Domingo Sixth Street gang, yeah—that guy whose face looks like a pair of underwear, he's ruthless and takes money like crazy, and as a result, Pila's prosthetic arm sensor malfunctioned!"

"Hahaha! That's hilarious, he wiped his butt until it bled!"

Rebecca's cheerful laughter echoed in the room, gradually fading until it turned into a muffled murmur—

"Okay, it's not very funny."

Rebecca moved a chair over to the side with her colorful handprints, rested her hands on her arms, crossed her chubby little legs, and squinted her eyes as if she were having fun at a friend's house.

“We’ve been so busy lately. Let me tell you what’s going on. Lin Yue has gone mad. You know Adam Hammer, right? Holy crap—that bastard actually got the Dogtown animal gang to take us away ahead of time, and he’s carrying Hammer all by himself!”

You know what I'm going to say!

Rebecca whistled, "That's fucking awesome! Wow! The Night City legend is that guy who was all scrambling around Dogtown with the Cleaners, getting himself all tangled up and carrying out the corpses!"

Rebecca seemed too excited; she forgot why she had come here.

So, as the fan emitted white, cold mist, Rebecca's face fell.

"But it seems to have something to do with that woman in the company... Don't overthink it. Anyway, I just think this guy doesn't pay much attention to safety and likes to play the hero, just like when we saved him in Dogtown. I don't really mind."

"Oh dear, this is what happens when a street kid gets a powerful prosthetic body and does something big. He can't control his temper and will do anything to pick up girls."

"Based on my extensive experience watching Mewtwo, these two are definitely up to something!"

Rebecca's legs swayed back and forth without her even realizing it, and she spoke through gritted teeth—the fine, firm skin on her calves was covered in tiny bumps from the cold air, a feigned leisure.

It's hard to imagine that this is the skin of a street mercenary. Although she has undergone prosthetic surgery, the prosthetic body is well maintained. Rebecca is not as carefree as she looks; at least she is a girl who loves beauty.

"Hey!"

Rebecca suddenly seemed to remember something and immediately sat up cross-legged.

My new limited-edition shoes look so boring...

"I heard from Qiwei today that there's a woman in Dogtown who has an ambiguous relationship with Lin Yue, and that's how I guessed it!"

With her quirky and mischievous expression, she made a circle with one hand and poked around a few times with the fingers of her other hand.

The sound suddenly fell silent.

Rebecca stared silently into the blurry cabinet. In the girl's short hair, a touch of neon pink at the ends made a vague human figure, but she couldn't even tell if she was alive.

Boring—

Sasha stopped talking to me.

Rebecca stared blankly at the ceiling. From the perspective of the Sasha cryomedical system, all that could be seen was the girl with her hand on her forehead, her eyes vacant.

"I think I'm a coward."

Rebecca's current situation can only be described as a missed opportunity. As a member of a cyberpunk team who has seen everything on the streets and been influenced by various ideas, she has an incredibly deep respect for emotions.

She respected Lin Yue's feelings and those of others, and tried to express them boldly, but with little success. Perhaps... it was a bit too crowded?
Qiwei's suggestion to change the strategy didn't suit Rebecca's taste. Rebecca could come up with a solution or "go to hell" for everything, but this was the one problem she couldn't solve.

Just as Rebecca was about to lie down and relax, she heard footsteps coming from above.

Looking up, I saw the thin Qiwei walking down, her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the small team "former" surrounded by a bunch of pipes in the middle.

Qiwei could see the hint of wariness in Rebecca's eyes out of the corner of her eye...

It's not surprising that the other members of the team are like this. After all, she had committed a complete "betrayal and betrayal" in the private room of the afterlife. Now that Qiwei doesn't ask and Rin has never mentioned Lucy's whereabouts, she also wants to find a place like Rebecca's where she can talk to herself, but unfortunately, she can't find one.

However, Rebecca had witnessed everything the team had done from Dogtown to where they were now, and she couldn't quite describe her feelings—even though she knew that Qiwei was doing it for her, and that such a choice in Night City was not surprising at all.

Everyone is living for themselves.

Was it wrong? No…

"The temperature here is not suitable for sitting for a long time."

Perhaps because of her exceptionally good synthetic lung function, Qiwei often has a cigarette stuck in her mask, but surprisingly, she didn't today.

Rebecca felt her quiet world had been disrupted and was slightly annoyed, but she remained silent. After all, the last time outside the industrial park, every move Qiwei made was crucial in that situation…

"Qiwei, is that hacker still alive? Hmm... you know, the really pretty girl."

Qiwei leaned against Rebecca, her body appearing even thinner under her large maroon leather coat. In reality, most hackers are quite tolerant of cold conditions, as their vital organs are supplied with warm blood by blood regulators. Moreover, every hacker who is online but hasn't yet started has, without exception, soaked in a bathtub filled with a mixture of ice and water.

"Who knows? Maybe I don't want to know either."

Qi Wei's voice was colder than the air itself.

Rebecca clenched her fists, her clumsy little mouth unable to form the question she wanted to ask the other person.

Qiwei looked at the girl in the cryogenic medical system, whom she hadn't interacted with much. "If necessary, I can discard anything, and I never trust anyone. That's my principle."

However, Rebecca was not upset by this answer; on the contrary, she admired the honesty.

"All right…"

But Qiwei clearly didn't finish her sentence.

"Perhaps that's a bit excessive?"

Not having heard clearly, Rebecca asked, "What?"

Qiwei shook her head, stood up and said, "It's nothing... I heard from Rin's deputy that Dogtown hasn't been able to get the two European hackers to talk yet. If you're really worried about this girl, you'll have to wait... You know the situation right now."

Rebecca said listlessly, "Of course, an enemy like Arakasaka knows what's important and what's urgent in front of anyone, I just..."

Qiwei: "Why didn't you go to his place? Are you sulking...?"

Rebecca yelled, "What's there for me to be angry about, you nagging old woman?"

Qiwei saw through it but didn't say anything. "Pila needs to keep an eye on those Japanese scientists in Honshu. It seems she's even got the chance to participate in prosthetic research. Suzuki Takeyoshi needs to stay at the company. As for the rest, it's impossible to tell which ones are honest and which ones are truly desperate—"

"Right now, it's just you and me who can move."

Rebecca looked up. "What do you mean?"

Qiwei replied, "Of course, it's the next job. There are people in Arasaka who don't get along with Rin, and of course—at such a crucial moment, other companies are more likely to get involved, so we have to..."

Rebecca's face immediately fell. "Huh?"

Qiwei sighed, "Yes, you're right. Someone has to handle these remaining matters. Can we rely on him alone? If something goes wrong, none of us can escape."

Rebecca immediately flew into a rage—

"What a bastard! He just goes wherever there's something that's going to kill him, huh? Let's just leave this lousy place behind. We... yeah, let's all go hide in Dogtown. What's with all this Night City bigwigs, all this legendary, awesome stuff? Does it even matter?!"

Qiwei let out a deep breath.

“You should tell him this to his face. The situation is unstoppable now... and this isn’t like you.”

After a while of silence.

Rebecca jumped to the ground as if in surrender, "Fine, fine, there's just no way to deal with that guy!"

"I hope that bastard breaks both of his legs one day, so he can rest and have some peace of mind."

Qiwei looked at Rebecca with a puzzled expression, muttered something, and walked towards the door with her hands in her pockets.

A hint of barely perceptible admiration flickered in her eyes as she looked at the healthcare system that required burning through euros every day to maintain—and this was a stripped-down version. The kind used by the wealthy would have equipment and wiring that occupied half the size of a football field.

……
-
The dazzling gold Jefferson slowly drove into the underground parking lot of the building housing the Night City Hall.

Emma, ​​feeling a headache, rested her head with one hand on her forehead and closed her eyes to relax. She hadn't taken the Psychic for a long time. The prosthetic doctor in Dogtown used rather rough methods and would give her large amounts of antagonistic drugs to suppress the headache, which made Emma feel restless and irritable all the time.

She hadn't noticed the underground parking lot outside the car window at all, but was alerted by the animal-themed driver.

"Boss, there are people outside."

Emma, ​​caught off guard by the sudden change in her mind, reached for the silver-white pistol on the seat next to her, only to find it was just some media personnel with drones flying behind them, crowding on both sides of the road ahead.

The other burly animal security guard in the passenger seat said in a deep voice, "We'll go down and clear the area first. Please wait patiently for a while."

Emma's expression first showed confusion, then turned somewhat gloomy.

These guys—

For Emma, ​​the underground ruler of Dogtown, making a public appearance means risk and proves that her image will be tied to NID's logistics company. Even though she is now appearing in court as a professional agent of the company, there is no indication that the media will be involved.

It seems someone just wants to get these news-digging guys involved to find some clues.

Night City is a deep pit after all. Apart from military technology and Arasaka, other companies can only resort to this trick if they are kept in the dark. Of course, Respectable Logistics will definitely be the first to take action, and they are the real victims.

The ever-closer camera lens and the eager gazes that yearned to see the person inside made Emma feel uneasy. She had once been a canary kept in a delicate cage, enjoying the admiration and attention directed at her—but now, the complex web of relationships that could affect her from every angle made Emma unsure if she could continue so rashly.

"boss?"

Emma took a deep breath. She had to fight for it. Even if there was only a sliver of a possibility, she had to ensure Rin's identity was preserved.

The moment the car door opened, the burly security guards immediately pushed the crowd to the back. The drones that were climbing up wisely did not collide with each other, but instead aimed at a pair of silver-white low-heeled shoes sticking out from under the back seat.

It would be more accurate to call it a meet-and-greet with Mewtwo, the female celebrity. The serious and rigid legal team that the reporters had imagined did not appear. Instead, there was a very beautiful woman. No one doubted that this was the result of plastic surgery performed by a prosthetic doctor to achieve a perfect proportion.

The woman smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, like a well-mannered beauty raised in a good family.

"Are you an agent for NID Logistics? Is it true that the company's shares have been illegally embezzled and sold?"

Emma looked at the guy who was blocked by the animal gang member's thick, veiny arms, but did not answer.

"Is Kejing Logistics' equity control over the company legitimate and legal? Are there any signs of other companies' involvement?"

"The subsidiary currently has legal heirs to its shares. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Miss, please tell me—"

Emma looked at the crowd and simply replied, "No comment."

At that moment, a microphone was suddenly thrust forward, and the surrounding reporters began to slowly disperse. Opposite them was a blonde woman with her forehead exposed, wearing a pink, custom-made suit. Her face was recognized by everyone in Night City.

Julian Jordan is a well-known news anchor on Channel 54.

“Miss Emma, ​​I never knew you were a professional company agent… It’s been a long time.”

The moment her name was spoken, Emma's faint smile seemed to fade. Julian, seemingly oblivious, looked at her questioningly again.

Emma, ​​who frequented high-end clubs in Japan, naturally recognized these people from Night City. She just hadn't expected this woman to have such a good memory and to appear in such a convenient place.

"Miss Emma!"

Upon hearing the name, the crowd immediately erupted into a heated exchange of questions.

The two security guards from the animal gang spread their arms to try and block the crowd; Julian was among them.

News Channel 54 has extensive information investigation channels, so they naturally know a lot of detailed inside information about NID Logistics. At least they know that this logistics company has some problems with its legal procedures; it's just a matter of which side has more issues.

However, it was Julian's next sentence that changed Emma's expression.

"Is this related to Arasaka, Miss Emma? It's said that the former de facto controller of Kei Kei Logistics' subsidiary, her husband, is a mid-level manager at Arasaka. Is that true?"

As soon as those two words were uttered, a constant chattering sound erupted!
Emma narrowed her eyes, which might have looked like she was smiling, but in reality, she had completely understood the other person's intentions.

Whenever some cryptic information is revealed, the media's motivation to dig deeper becomes extremely strong. No matter how meticulous the investigation, there will always be some oversights. When such a large operation is uncovered, it will cause considerable trouble.

Emma ignored the crowd and was filled with worry about the next steps.

Can it be successful?

……

"Jefferson! With Arasaka's blatant interference, is it possible that Arasaka is the one who's putting control of this case? What are you thinking? I don't believe you can't see it!"

In the waiting room before the trial, Jefferson appeared distracted and did not answer questions from his jury members.

This is destined to be a difficult process.

In reality, the poor performance of Kejing Logistics' subsidiary was caused by human factors. By the latter part of the story, it was no longer a question of who was right or wrong; dividing the assets was clearly the best approach.

However, Arasaka certainly won't be that easy to talk to.

Driven by profit, companies often choose crude methods to solve problems.

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, while Jefferson silently puffed on his cigarette.

He had to think about Elizabeth and the children… but some of the things he'd discovered made him waver. He hired security teams from other companies and made several preparations, but he still didn't dare to make any definitive statements at this critical juncture.

What should I do?
Arakawa's rude behavior greatly humiliated the councilor. If it weren't for his family, he would have already revealed Arakawa's belief that there was no way he could get this done...

However, the real-time security logs reassured him, as it was a security package using military technology.

The ironic thing is that Jefferson had to rely on the company to protect his family from threats from other companies.

Just as Jefferson was counting down the court dates and gradually making up his mind, an unknown phone call came in.

hang up.

Jefferson's heart skipped a beat.

So he quickly inquired about the current status of the security team.

Hoping it was just a spam telemarketing call that had slipped through a loophole in the public system, he made an excuse to get up and stand by the window to wait for news.

The phrase "Everything is normal" put his mind at ease.

Immediately afterwards, a message came from that unknown number.

[Councilor, shall we talk?]

Without guessing, Jefferson could recall the cold-faced woman's tone. He could process information separately with his two prosthetic eyes; one showed the surveillance footage of his family, while the other displayed the message interface.

He wanted to see the other person's rage and helplessness. Without replying to the message, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the lounge, one hand clenched into a fist and placed in front of his lips, staring in the direction of home.

Some people glanced anxiously at their watches, but given Jefferson's state, they assumed he was deep in thought.

Is it right to remain silent?

Jefferson's eyelids twitched...

This highly provocative message immediately ignited a surge of anger within him.

Jefferson immediately replied: 【What are you going to do?】

The other person seemed to have him cornered; their arrogant attitude was palpable even through their words.

I thought you were going to stay silent; I just wanted to make sure you wanted to do what we agreed on.

Jefferson let out a deep breath, on the one hand instructing security to be on high alert for any potential problems, and on the other hand suppressing the urge to curse as he replied to the guy.

[According to an agreement reached under unilateral coercion?]

Perhaps you should reconsider whether you've been too aggressive. This is something we can't accomplish alone. Does the company really intend to operate with impunity?

After Jefferson replied, there was a silence that lasted for two or three minutes.

[A package of military technology?]

Seeing that things had come to this point, Jefferson, no longer wanting to suffer such humiliation, immediately retaliated without hesitation.

Because he couldn't imagine that Arasaka would dare to attack their clients right under the noses of the military.

Yes, I am outraged by your heinous actions, Ms. V. Furthermore, I've discovered some things. Are you, Arasaka, still determined to let this company fall into the wrong hands?

in the screen.

Jefferson's wife sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through a book. Perhaps it was the security knowledge she gained from military technology that gave her confidence. She seemed relatively relaxed, even yawning, and put down the book to take a nap.

As Jefferson watched his wife gently lie down, he received a reply from the other party.

Have you thought it through?

It's a pity, Congressman Jefferson. Whether this succeeds or not is none of your business, but you need to learn to accept proposals.

I admire you, Congressman.

Jefferson felt as if a giant hand was squeezing his heart tightly!
What gives them the right?
Does she mean to seek revenge afterward?

Just as Jefferson's attention was completely focused on the information interface, the detection signal from the security camera immediately brought him back to his senses.

Almost instantly!
Jefferson's character has become as horribly colored as the clean white shirt collar...

He had even lost his speech, and could only slightly open his mouth, his pupils trembling.

In the scene in his wife's bedroom, a dark-haired woman with her hands in her trousers stands in the middle of the room. Even though her face is so attractive, Jefferson sees her as nothing less than a demon!

At this moment, she was peering through the peephole, seemingly gazing at Jefferson from afar…

Under Jefferson's almost collapsing gaze, Arasaka's alpha wolf extended a long, slender finger and placed it to her lips. Beside her tall, slender figure were the senator's sleeping family members.

at the same time--

A message appeared along with the woman's smile:
[Keep your voice down, she's sleeping.]

……

……

(End of this chapter)