Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 277 Let the Stars Present a Gift to You! [6.2K]

Japan, Tokyo.

In the vast conference room of the Arasaka Tower headquarters, Lai Xuan sat quietly at the table.

Everyone thought that Lai Xuan had completely "failed" this time... However, no one expected that Lord Arasaka would forgive Lai Xuan so easily and make no intention of dismissing him from his post—on the contrary, he only revoked a small part of his authority, such as the authority to mobilize the company's security team and the authority to appoint personnel.

"Lord Arasaka really loves children..."

"Family is what Arasaka-sama values ​​most, just like everyone who has devoted their heart and soul to Arasaka, so do we."

Many people say this in private.

Moreover, Lai Xuan seems to have learned his lesson.

It's like a child who has made a mistake in front of their parents and then becomes restrained after being forgiven.

Even so, he still wanted to salvage Night City's losses.

When the Night City's intelligence agency reported Nitta Kazuya's absurd actions and series of blunders at Arasaka Tower, Lai Xuan became particularly agitated.

He repeatedly questioned this fool about why he chose to fight amongst himself at this critical juncture, while also ordering Arasaka's legal team to create difficulties for the transition of rights for NID Logistics subsidiary during the trial, no matter what.

Lai Xuan went mad.

He's willing to do anything to get the lost assets back.

While the "chicks" were still on guard against any further moves by this Taka (eagle), he had already ordered Adam Hammer to head to the Arasaka Industrial Park. And in the ensuing close combat, Hammer, who was once considered the strongest line of defense for Arasaka Tower's security, fell...

That's right.

It was a defeat.

It's a true collapse!

Many high-ranking officials have come and gone from the conference room. They couldn't stand the ridiculously low air pressure and the almost non-stop discussions. Even with a biochemical regulator, not getting any sleep for a few days would be a terrible thing.

Lai Xuan, who was initially full of energy and ranting angrily at the various level commanders, immediately ordered the Night City Arasaka branch to repair the heavy hammer intact after learning that it was injured.

The entire meeting room was quiet when the order was given.

Only Lai Xuan's calm voice, as if his heart had died, rang out.

No one knew what he was thinking; they only saw him smoking incessantly, his brow furrowed, and his assistants around him dared not utter a sound.

If, at this critical juncture, Heavy Hammer, one of the strongest remaining members of Arakawa's roster, were to fall...

That was a heavy and humiliating blow for Arakawa.

but--

"Hopefully, the heavy hammer problem will be completely solved."

This was the first thought that popped into Lai Xuan's mind.

If you were to ask him what he thought of Heavy Hammer, he'd say scum, trash, a psychopath who just can't die; but the hawks have to use people like that!
His purpose in existence is to kill. If he were given to Hanako, Michiko—or even his father—Yorinobu would not be willing.

Lai Xuan is the kind of guy who would rather bear the infamy of being a mad dog chasing power than let others control the capital that opposes him.

So... why would he want the hammer to kill him?

Perhaps he never expected that Hammer would take the initiative for the first time and suppress Nitta Kazuya, who was trying to seize power in the Night City's Arasaka Tower, and instead go to Rin's side ahead of time.

This was extremely dangerous and almost ruined the game he had set up.

This was a huge mistake.

This also proves once again that a person like Adam would act on his own initiative after achieving a predetermined goal.

However, Rin actually won.

This was the most incredible thing for Lai Xuan. As the person in charge of Arasaka, Lai Xuan was not from a technical background, but he was fully capable of understanding the product attributes.

The prosthetic body that Rin wore, cobbled together from a defector scientist from New America, was practically no match for the Dragon Knight—no, to put it another way, under Adam Hammer's close-quarters combat, Lin Yue's normal prosthetic body would likely suffer greatly. The reason he was strong was because of the constant connection to the Black Wall, but since Dogville... the Black Wall connection was broken.

In fact, Lai Xuan's outburst of anger was not due to Nitta's stupidity, nor was it because Rin would defeat Adam Hammer. Rather, it was because he was afraid of the only person whose ideals were not necessarily aligned with his own, but whose mind resonated with him.

This grand drama shouldn't have been borne by Rin alone; for the first time, Lai Xuan hesitated to give the order because of his soft heart.

The father watched...

Lai Xuan could only coldly issue orders, like a president trying his best to protect Arasaka.

He was thinking about how to eliminate the distracting factor of the heavy hammer right under his father's nose.

The management and operating mechanisms, which have always been sluggish, have changed this time.

"The spare Dragon Knight-type prosthetic body that was shipped all the way from Japan has come in very handy!"

"Manager Adam is now online!"

When the assistant mentioned this to Lai Xuan with a beaming smile, President Arasaka's face twitched involuntarily...

The assistant was somewhat apprehensive; he didn't quite understand what he had said that had displeased his boss.
Lai Xuan stared straight at the other person, making one's heart pound with unease.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Lai Xuan suddenly laughed.

With a sense of relief, he continued to direct the intelligence agencies to operate normally, consulted with senior officials at other headquarters, and made plans for the next steps.

Just then, the long-silent communication connector at Night City headquarters responded.

The moment Xu Zhi's face appeared on the screen, he looked at Lai Xuan, who was in the most prominent position.

Saburo Arasaka is not here...

Xu's tension did not ease; instead, he became even more cautious.

Given the huge problems in Night City, it's unreasonable for Saburo Arasaka to put his "mistaken" child in power.

Xu Zhi had followed Lai Xuan for so long, and he always remembered Lai Xuan's words.

Think before you make any decision.

First, if Lai Xuan's authority were normal, the personnel changes in Night City would have been completed immediately. However, so far, headquarters has had almost no influence over Night City, and there hasn't even been any intervention from other Arasaka security forces.

We're being watched?!
Xu Zhidu was startled when the idea popped into his head.

The two people looked like they were standing on opposite sides of a cliff, connected only by a thin steel wire; one wrong step and they would fall into the abyss.

"Lord Yorinobu!"

Xu Zhi's voice was full of energy, "I apologize to you and all the officers at headquarters for the oversights of our Night City headquarters, and I humbly request your punishment."

No one dared to mention punishment.

Before Lai Xuan could speak, they could only nod with forced smiles, "Thank you for your hard work, Xu Zhijun. This is not your fault. Traitors don't know when to cause trouble."

After a moment's thought, Lai Xuan stood up and stretched his legs, which had gone numb from sitting for so long.

"Lord Lai Xuan, why don't you take a rest?"

They hadn't slept for two nights and a day, and they were all somewhat ashamed.

Lai Xuan slowly said, "Xu Zhi, tell me... what are the chances that guy will take over the company?"

Xu Zhi's face was solemn.

"A 70% probability."

There was an uproar.

At this moment, the most restless people are not the hawks, but rather the inexperienced ones.

"What the hell?! What are you talking about? When did Night City's legal team become a bunch of useless good-for-nothings who just eat and do nothing?!"

"Isn't the training in Watson District enough to make them ready?"

Lai Xuan reached out and stopped the agitated man. With just a glance, the man reluctantly sat back down on the bench.

What's the rush...

Lai Xuan wants 70%!

"That's right, Lord Lai Xuan. Legally speaking, Lin's case has already been formally amended by our legal team. We can only create obstacles to slow down the process as much as possible—"

It seemed that he noticed Lai Xuan's expression was quite unpleasant.

Xu Zhi quickly bowed his head and apologized without batting an eye, "It was our oversight, but now there's nothing we can do—we need to focus on protecting the Arasaka Industrial Park, as many competitors, including Watson's criminals, are eyeing it."

"As for what Arasaka Bank does... you know, it's related to Dogtown's grey arms business, and the money goes through European banks, so we have no right to interfere."

Damn!

Everyone instinctively looked at Lai Xuan with displeasure, but when they saw Lai Xuan's murderous face... they swallowed hard and remained silent.

Now we're just waiting for the CEO's decision.

After all, Lord Sanlang is watching from above, so he has to perform like his life depends on it.

however--

"Find me Xintian."

Lai Xuan said.

However, Xu Zhi shook his head. "After the incident broke out, Vice President Nitta has been out of contact, and we also cannot reach Kenichi Saburo, the security supervisor dispatched by headquarters. Heavy Hammer is currently at the industrial dock. Do we need to make a call?"

Nitta has gone missing.

Although this was unexpected, it was entirely logical.

Having made such a huge mess, even if Nitta had ten heads, he would have to be chopped off. Destroying him would be the bare minimum; the pressure from the company's laws would make him wish he were dead!
It wouldn't be surprising if human rights were violated one day and this happened at the prototype test base of Arasaka.

"this…"

It seems like Night City has no chance now?

That's what everyone thinks anyway.

The reality is that his authority only allows him to mobilize forces near Night City, and the two strongest special teams in Night City are led by Adam Hammer and Kenichi Saburo. Adam has now lost all his cybernetic body, and Kenichi Saburo and Nitta Kazuya are both in trouble.

Conservative treatment and timely hemostasis seem to be the best approach.

Lai Xuan remained silent for a long time, and Xu Zhi did not urge him. His most brilliant move was to subtly shift the topic to a direction where we no longer had the means to do so.

Stop Arasaka's suppression of Rin immediately!

This is the most urgent matter. The play has gone on to this point, and if Sanlang still doesn't believe it... then there's really nothing we can do.

Lai Xuan thought so too.

He kept asking himself one question: Father, do you believe me or not?
Why is there no response yet?
Finally, after some deliberation, Lai Xuan announced with a sense of helplessness, "Let Heavy Hammer return to the Japanese headquarters to undergo the Black Wall ICE transformation. The Arasaka Security Force will implement Hayabusa-level security measures on all facilities in Night City. All projects will be temporarily frozen, and external business will be upgraded to the next level."

"I heard the Counterintelligence Secretary seized Jenkins's authority in order to protect himself during the Midgard farce?"

Lai Xuan seemed quite interested in this.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Zhi nodded. "President Nitta believes that Ms. V is a follower of that traitor Rin, but in reality, she provided a lot of information about the details of the trial, and she is now leading a team to work on contingency plans."

Emergency plan.

To put it nicely, it's just about making the jury succumb to Arasaka's tyranny.

Lai Xuan nodded, "Very good... but I don't have the authority to make personnel changes right now, so let her do it for now, and my father will make a decision later."

"Oh, right—headquarters will clean up what needs to be cleaned up afterward."

Lai Xuan held up one finger.

To be honest, now that things have come to this, it seems that Rin really did manage to make Arasaka swallow his pride, and Yoriyuki's decision was flawless.

He did his best to mitigate the losses within his capabilities.

Even the youngest chicks, who had a lot of opinions about him, watched him endure this for a long time. All his actions were under the watchful eyes of everyone, and there was no secretive decision-making involved.

The rumors about Rin being a staunch lackey supported by Lai Xuan are starting to fall apart... After all, many of the offensive operations were personally supervised by Lai Xuan, and most importantly, Adam Hammer's obstruction made that madman pretend to lose? Anyone who thinks that way is insane!

Lai Xuan and Xu Zhi's eyes met subtly, everything unspoken.

"Then—"

"Brother, please wait a moment."

Lai Xuan's eyes darkened instantly. With his hands on the table, the veins on his forehead throbbed noticeably. He turned his head to look at Arasaka Hanako, who was dressed like a black servant, by simply twisting his neck. This made Hanako feel like she was being stared at by a hungry wolf.

Those eyes…

Hua Zi steeled himself and stepped forward.

She was legally involved in company decision-making in Arasaka. As for why she didn't show up for so long, it was because she stayed by Saburo's side from beginning to end to see if there were any suspicious points in Yoriyuki's behavior.

"It seems your job is easy, all the higher-ups are here, but I can't get in touch with you."

Lai Xuan's tone was neither warm nor cold.

Hua Zi placed his hands in front of him and bowed slightly, "I am very sorry, President Lai Xuan."

The woman's calm gaze made Lai Xuan and Xu Zhi feel a chill run down their spines.

"Why...recall the heavy hammer?"

Hua Zi asked casually, and before Lai Xuan could speak, she immediately added, "It was Father who asked."

Lai Xuan exhaled a breath from his snort, "Having already lost a crucial weapon, are we still going to take radical measures? The heavy hammer is a unique item that cannot be replicated; Father surely understands this... You're probably asking this on behalf of yourself, aren't you?"

Hua Zi shook his head.

"To be honest, President Lai Xuan... I know the whereabouts of Nitta-san, Kenichi-san, and Adam."

Lai Xuan didn't seem surprised. Instead, he stepped aside and gestured for his sister to stand there.

"It seems your father has given you the authority to act. Please proceed."

Hua Zi was stunned for a moment.

Not only Hua Zi, but also the higher-ups and even Xu Zhi were dumbfounded.

Is this Lai Xuan?
Everyone instinctively wanted to stand up, thinking it was a sign that Lai Xuan was about to get angry. However, in fact, Lai Xuan did stand aside. His assistant pushed a chair over, and he sat down, crossed his legs, and rubbed his temples, seemingly a little tired.

“Uh… Lai Xuan—”

Lai Xuan suddenly roared, "Hurry up! How much more losses do we want Arakawa to suffer in this stalling game?!"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes. This mistake has nailed me to Prometheus's stake. Please stop testing me... Arakawa's soldiers are dying, you know that, Hanako Arakawa!"

Hua Zi clearly hadn't expected his father's words to come true.

Brother... has he really come to terms with reality?

"The heavy hammer cannot be withdrawn."

Hua Zi stepped forward. “I have always been against your risky choices, but this time the losses are too great. It involves our lifeline in Night City, so we have to try no matter what.”

Lai Xuan clenched his fists.

Rin... can she really face another heavy blow?

Please, God, have mercy on me, and have mercy on him too.

From the Steel Dragon to now, Lai Xuan has lost a lot and won a lot. All those fruits were grown on piles of bones. But Rin really endured too much intensity. This is the first time Lai Xuan has admired someone, and also the first time he has felt guilty towards someone.

That's something money can't buy—the feeling of having your destiny in your hands, which could even cause Rin's plans to help him to fall through.

It's all for nothing!
"Kenichi Saburo is chasing Rin and the middleman in Dogtown."

Hua Zi announced the details of the operation to the senior executives present: "Heavy Hammer will block the possible routes. As for the Minister of Counterintelligence... as everyone knows, personnel appointments have been frozen. This operation has not been notified to Minister V, to ensure that the traitor can be killed."

The only female leader in charge of the Arasaka family headquarters spoke with an icy voice.

"Arasaka will let the enemy know what the price is for deceiving us."

Lai Xuan suddenly felt like laughing.

Is this person talking about me?
Xu Zhi glanced at Lai Xuan, his heart filled with sympathy for Lin…

Did they still not count on Saburo Arasaka in the end?

How exactly can we defeat this monster?
Lai Xuan, it seems like we're having really bad luck.

……

As time went on, even Lai Xuan, who didn't pay attention to the details, knew that Kenichi Saburo and Rin had entered into a skirmish.

Hua Zi nervously assessed Rin's condition from the soldier's combat recorder, while Lai Xuan could no longer bear to listen...

First came the heavy hammer, then Kenichi Saburo!

If these two people come to kill me, I'll have to double the size of Arasaka Tower's guards.

But he didn't give up. He kept thinking about every possibility, even the slightest glimmer of hope, because he had to help Rin.

At least, for the sake of my own conscience.

This kind of thing shouldn't exist in the first place, but Lai Xuan can't get over this mental hurdle.

Just as he was feeling drowsy and dazed, a gasp came from those around him, and Lai Xuan frowned and looked up.

The image shows Rin's blood-stained face, his eyes like those of a demon, as he wields a sword and fights against the person depicted in the scene.

"What the hell is this monster?!"

"Kenichi Saburo is going to lose!"

"Oh shit…"

Are we about to lose?
A commotion erupted as Lai Xuan watched as Rin pushed Kenichi Saburo off the overpass. The recording equipment seemed to flicker incessantly due to the violent impact!

"What about the department responsible for network communications?"

Hua Zi's voice was somewhat shrill.

Perhaps even she herself realized that all decision-makers become unwilling and frantic when they find things getting out of control.

Lai Xuan had a cold smile on his lips.

He remembered that back in Steel Dragon, the free-spirited and clear-cut atmosphere of the wanderers had always influenced him. There were many capable young men there, and they all considered how many Arasaka people they killed as their achievements, but none of those young men were as awesome as him.

Yes, that's exactly what he wanted to do with such crude language.

That's awesome... Rin.

However, for some unknown reason, communication on Hanako's side completely failed after Kenichi Saburo fell.

The technical department conducted a simple investigation and deduced that there might be strong electromagnetic interference at the combat site, with the peak values ​​indicating a state just before an outbreak.

This means that the command from now on will fall solely in the hands of Adam Hammer!

Hanako subconsciously turned her head to look at her brother. She didn't know why, but when she saw her brother's deeply furrowed brows, she suddenly regretted it. A terrible thought popped into her head: Could it be that Yoriyuki really did it for Arakawa?

If we follow the conservative approach we just took, does that mean we don't have to pay the price of Kenichi Saburo?
Arasaka only needs to rest and recuperate; he can still maintain a place in Night City...

Damn!

"Find Adam at all costs!"

The surrounding executives looked at each other, completely bewildered.

No, did these two siblings get a head transplant today?
"Rin is in very bad shape. As soon as communication is restored, have Heavy Hammer strike immediately. Take no prisoners. Use Soul Killer when necessary! Hurry!"

The officials beside him nodded repeatedly. Lai Xuan rested his elbows on his thighs, pondering whether the signal loss was related to Rin.

How can I save you, Rin? Answer me.

Fortunately, the intelligence analysts at Arasaka headquarters were not incompetent.

While listening in, Lai Xuan quickly learned of Rin's intentions. He planned to use an abandoned military signal tower that could enhance power to launch an electromagnetic pulse. Of course, this tower could also be connected to the old network, which meant that Rin could use this as a breakthrough to launch a data burst.

good boy.

Lai Xuan and Xu Zhi both clenched their fists secretly.

Eliminating manpower, employing various schemes, luring the enemy into a trap—this is not the kind of strategy a young person should possess.

He seemed born to fight!
younger sister.

It seems like you've run out of opportunities.

Lai Xuan gestured for Hua Zi to continue making a decision.

Based on estimates, the heavy hammer cannot withstand this level of data impact.

Lai Xuan was tense; he wanted to hear the final news.

Regardless of whether he would help him in the future, Lai Xuan only wanted this clever guy to protect him; this was the last selfish thought he would have.

Just as Hua Zi was in a flurry of activity—

"Lai Xuan".

An aged voice came from outside the conference room, along with the sound of an old man coughing.

Saburo's kimono sleeves fluttered slightly as he walked, and the maid behind him carefully supported his arm. He could hardly contain his joy.

"Father?"

Lai Xuan stood up, his posture not very steady, his fists clenched, like a child who had failed to make amends.

But in reality, his loathing for the hierarchical control of power within this corrupt empire reached new heights.

Saburo is not one to waste time.

He paid the price to prove his son's loyalty, and then he would naturally make a decision.

"Use your brain to help your sister. Family members shouldn't hold grudges."

Lai Xuan shook his head subconsciously.

“Father…I already…”

He bowed deeply and nodded, "I can't accept failure anymore! Please forgive me!"

There was silence.

Saburo sighed and put his hand on his shoulder. "Do it. You won't regret it even if you lose."

At this moment, Lai Xuan, who was bent over with his face to the ground, had a slight smile on his lips.

Rin, let me offer the final flame for your battle.

He suddenly stood up, walked to Hua Zi's side, and spoke calmly and resolutely:

"Arasaka has a satellite in low Earth orbit. We can use it to contact Heavy Hammer and recover Arasaka's last possible loss!"

With Sanlang's presence, the high-ranking officials, who were already terrified, nodded hastily.

Arasaka's losses today are massive.

The only option is conservative treatment.

No one else knew, except for Lai Xuan, who understood that this satellite would allow Rin to wipe out all enemies—

Then let the stars crown your new life with a celebratory gift.

凛！
……

……

(End of this chapter)