Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 283 The Dreamer [5.8K]

Are there any problems that can't be solved?

Upon hearing a question behind him, Shidao turned his gaze to Dr. Victor, who stood not far away wearing black-rimmed glasses and whose hands had been replaced with prosthetics.

"The problem before we started was that we were missing a good prosthetic doctor. My student used to be in charge of this section, but right now... this 'barefoot doctor's' skills have really impressed me."

Shidao took off his goggles and hung them around his neck, then leaned closer to Lin Yue, seemingly wanting to know more.

"Even strictly resident physicians may not have such good skills. Can you tell me which college he graduated from?"

Lin Yue was speechless.

Everyone in the Watson district of Night City knows Dr. Victor is a skilled surgeon, but... his skill is so exceptional that it creates a stark contrast between his seemingly amiable middle-aged man persona and his technical expertise, leaving even himself speechless.

Of course, his skills are good. After all, he's the kind of guy who "even Zeta Technology would try to acquire his clinic." You know, companies rarely take an interest in private individuals unless your skills are something the company is interested in.

Clearly, Old Wei belongs to this group.

“I have received some training.” Old Wei looked down and fiddled with the various prosthetic parts in his hands, and said with a smile, “My eyes are getting old and my ears are getting sharper and sharper—if I had to say where I came from, I think it would be more appropriate to call me the Valentino rascal on the Night City Arena.”

Beneath the amiable exterior, the dark-colored totems on their arms seemed to possess a youthful arrogance.

Lost Island smacked his lips. "It's really strange, kid... Night City is such a garbage dump, and these self-taught guys are all terrible..."

Lin Yue guessed that he wanted to say "awesome".

"The preparations are going well, but the main event—" Shijima blushed and carried up a large, silver-white box with the Arasaka logo painted in the center. It was so heavy that he didn't want the security guards or himself to help him. This must be the main event.

Panting heavily, Shidao tapped the box with his knuckles and began to introduce it with an air of pride, as if he were appraising a rare treasure.

"Nanorobots, the most powerful form of surgical intervention in the world—"

Lin Yue's eyes narrowed suddenly.

Unaware of the young man's odd expression, Shidao continued his eloquent introduction until he noticed the man staring intently at the box. Only then did he sigh and say helplessly, "This kind of thing is priceless; you don't need to stare at it like that..."

Shidao stroked the cool, smooth material of the box.

"When Lord Lai Xuan asked me to bring this thing, I also felt very incredible."

Lin Yue turned his head and asked, almost in a murmur, "Why is it so unbelievable?"

When Lao Wei, who was busy organizing equipment, didn't know where to begin when he was at a loss for words, he simply responded to the question from a value perspective.

"Kid, you probably don't understand the risks involved. I'm referring to the risks to the company."

Old Wei adjusted his glasses and looked at the girl beside him, whose body was still covered in mist and moisture due to the low temperature. "From the company's perspective, this question is easy to answer because it's meaningless... Suppose that this box of things that many company CEOs can't buy heals you and this girl, would the Black Wall prosthetic body have to be removed? And your nerves would most likely gradually become fragile. Are you sure the company would be so kind?"

Nanorobots.

Old Wei had only seen it in cutting-edge reports in some medical journals. This meant that humanity was no longer limited to pitiful traditional surgical methods when facing intractable diseases that previously had almost a 100% fatality rate. Nanorobots could precisely locate lesions—

It can even solve neurological problems.

"If you're thinking of building this yourself, that's not enough. You need a company of Arasaka's scale, like those in military technology, to have the necessary foundation."

Shidao nodded with a hint of approval. He wasn't very good at expressing himself, so Lao Wei had done a good job.

In fact, Lin Yue wasn't greedy enough to want to create any nanorobots.

But...

I feel a deep sense of regret for V, who met his final fate in my memory, and for all the other vibrant characters in this world.

Arasaka might be able to save V, but it would be an expensive way. In Arasaka's eyes, V, who rose to fame in her previous life, was just a capable urban mercenary. To save her, V would have to come up with something that cost more than nanobots and Arasaka's self-developed fixed AI matrix.

This is obviously impossible.

Just as Lin Yue was lost in thought...

Old Wei's voice interrupted him.

"In short, it's good that everyone is alive, and it also broadens the horizons of this old man."

As they were talking, the stool under Old Wei slid down, and the tech fanatic from Lost Island quickly shifted his attention to nanobots—it has to be said that having similar hobbies or passions often helps people quickly build good relationships.

Just as the two were busy talking, Shidao suddenly called out to Lin Yue.

"By the way, kid."

"There is a very high probability that the surgery will cause this girl to lose the ability to support the prosthetic body. This probability is impossible to estimate. The surgery will begin once the hackers have completed the projection of the neural matrix. Before that, she may open her eyes at any time. Let's talk to her."

Lin Yue glanced at the lost island with some gratitude.

Old Wei nodded in agreement. "After all, making decisions for others is often the hardest thing. For a mercenary, her life might just be that of an ordinary person—complaining and blaming you. Whether the road she hasn't traveled is wide or not is all unknown."

After saying that, he reached out and pushed Lin Yue in the waist. Old Wei really thought this guy who was playing guitar and had a gentle smile was Watson's street kid.

Lin Yue was somewhat dazed.

He was working so hard outside, and he had too many burdens on his shoulders.

The unpredictable internal turmoil in Arasaka, the various monsters and demons of Night City, the street gangs, the menacing enemies of Dogtown, and any other unfavorable factors that prevent him from surviving here.

He was overwhelmed with other commitments.

Fortunately, he had these companions. His desperate journey was not only about improving himself, but also about eliminating his weaker self.

A talentless, aimless ghost dog might die one day in a gang fight, or have its body riddled with holes and decaying due to combat stimulants, but it will never escape a life devoid of dignity.

He wanted to use his fists to stop people like Mr. Hans, the middleman in Dogtown, from being manipulated at will.

With mixed feelings, Lin Yue walked to the operating table surrounded by a dense network of tubes and wires. He looked down at the girl's fair face glistening with water droplets, her upturned eyelashes that indicated her barely surviving condition, and her upturned lips and delicate nose that made her look like an adorable kitten.

Lin Yue thought Sasha must be very cold.

Her entire body was covered in a gel-like, opaque material—a bio-glue that loosened the prosthetic structure. One could vaguely see the shy, hazy curves of her purse-like breasts, yet to fully bloom.

There were no distracting thoughts, only worries.

In his mind, the girl's desperate screams and resigned gaze in the cyberspace filled Lin Yue with a sense of fear.

Hatred is the most terrible thing.

Lin Yue didn't have the habit of speaking to patients with their eyes closed; he simply repeated over and over that his cybersecurity expert was safe.

Just then, the girl's eyelids twitched.

The blurry light and shadow on the eyeballs seemed to dissipate with the fluttering of eyelashes, replaced by a gentle gaze.

"Hey."

Sasha felt as if her throat hadn't spoken in decades, and it took her several strange syllables to finally manage to say hello.

Lin Yue replied with a "Hi," then forced a smile and comforted her, "The people of Dogtown have cracked the memory banks of the two hackers, obtained the complete neural matrix password, and also brought over the cutting-edge technology from Arasaka. You'll be alright."

The girl simply nodded obediently, seemingly still struggling to withstand the aftereffects of the hypothermia treatment.

That is fatigue.

"You look very tired."

Lin Yue's lips trembled slightly as he smiled and said, "How could that be?"

Even when seriously ill, the girl's mind remained sharp: "My time is synchronized, is everything alright?"

Lin Yue nodded heavily.

The girl's eyes were vacant, and she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Before entering the cryogenics, she knew that it would have taken a huge price to acquire this company, but this guy was really something, not telling her anything interesting that happened...

Most importantly, I'm so tired that I can't even talk to him for more than a few minutes.

"Adam Hammer is dead, but we held off Arakasaka."

"Rebecca, Pila, Qiwei, Suzuki..."

“V…Emma…”

Lin Yue patiently read each name aloud, "We got through this together."

Any street mercenary who knows the name "Heavy Hammer" would be very curious, but Sasha just had an "I already knew" look on her face, because she always believed that the guy who gave her hope for revenge during the heavy rain could create a miracle.

"Sleep soundly, biotechnology is waiting for you."

Lin Yue wanted to give her hope. He was afraid that Sasha would lose hope at any point, and he didn't want that to happen, even if the probability was very small.

Sasha nodded, and her eyelids began to slowly open and close.

Just as Lin Yue was about to leave, a pale, damp hand grabbed his sleeve, and Lin Yue leaned closer—

"I still want to be your network expert."

"okay."

After Sasha closed her eyes, Lin Yue slowly straightened up, his expression inscrutable.

Is it considered a dream?
Lin Yue had already made the choice for others; all he could tell himself was that just being alive was enough.

Perhaps what he didn't know was:

In a life and world that is bad enough, being an ordinary person is sometimes more agonizing than death.

……
-
[Night City Related Asset Qualification Verification Form]

[Organization Name: NID Respectable Logistics Subsidiary (Discontinued) //...Please change]

Number of employees: 30

[Business Scope: Light weapons transportation, security, and spare parts manufacturing.]

[Established: 2064-2076]

[CEO: (Unknown Name) NC01334 //...NCPD wanted data not integrated]

[Business Status: Poor; Involved in unfair transactions, unclear shareholding structure, participation in planned small-scale military operations, etc...]

Suzuki is rectifying all remaining data within the NID Logistics subsidiary's network and needs to complete company registration at the Night City Hall. However, he cannot decide on the company name for Rin-sama…

Hearing that Miss Sasha was going to have surgery today, he could only put the matter aside for the time being and choose not to disturb her.

Just as he turned his head, the figure behind him nearly made him draw his weapon, a reaction driven by his long-standing muscle memory! "Lord Rin?"

The young man in front of him sat in a chair, staring at the sub-network control center located underground in the logistics subsidiary, and raised an eyebrow.

Realizing what had happened, Suzuki immediately changed his tune, "Sorry, boss."

Lin Yue stared at the person in front of him, someone he had no memory of, without blinking. "I never expected this, Suzuki. If you hadn't been serving in Arasaka, you might have been a pretty good professional manager."

Suzuki's face stiffened, and he immediately lowered his head somewhat embarrassed.

“These are all simple matters. Compared to this, I would much rather participate in the operation with you.”

This was the first time Lin Yue had ever seen this loyal warrior express a sense of complaint.

He's like a highly obedient blade; it's natural for him to be dissatisfied with doing delicate tasks like chopping vegetables.

But it must be said that Suzuki did a very good job.

“I have reviewed the information on all the other personnel responsible for the company’s normal operation, except for the small team and the medical team. It is very detailed.”

The guys Suzuki left behind were basically people in Night City without any weaknesses.

The reason for this is that these people will not be interfered with in the company's future operations, since they have no family members, or have been protected by Lai Xuan and V in other ways.

"It was Miss V who helped us; she provided our manpower."

"Boss, the company is currently operating in a very bad way. It's just that given the current hostile relationship between Arasaka and us, they have no choice but to rely on us."

Lin Yue slapped his forehead.

"Perfect timing, I have some money here, you can..."

Just as Lin Yue was about to use his money for the company's operations, Suzuki stopped him.

Clearly, the boss knew nothing about running a company. Finances aren't something you can just cover up when the company is short of money. You should know that this logistics company used to be under Kejing Logistics, and its management style and organizational structure were at the level of a large company.

Lin Yue spread his hands, and he could clearly see the helplessness in Suzuki's eyes.

"Okay, then I'll explain in more detail."

"In short, for the company to function properly, you need to..."

Lin Yue nodded, wondering when this old guy had ever studied "business administration"?

Or is it that Arasaka has such high standards for his agents and security personnel...?

This is just too much involution.

However, Lin Yue had no right to criticize Suzuki. Due to various events, he hadn't even mastered network technology, let alone understood the knowledge of this world.

Actually, it's quite simple. Some basic knowledge can be learned instantly using memory chips, but... managing a company can't be accomplished with those basic concepts alone. Lin Yue felt a headache coming on from the intricacies and years of learning involved.

All visible corporate branches in Night City, regardless of size, are led by individuals who have fought their way up from the battlefield (physical) and in the business world.

Companies in this world are no longer organizations that rely solely on business tactics; they need a well-rounded manager.

With time running out, Lin Yue didn't know where to begin.

Suzuki had a way, but he dared not speak casually, because the cautiousness instilled in him by Arasaka made him always remember not to overstep his superior's authority.

Lin Yue looked at him with annoyance—

"You're making such a big deal out of a place that's only for about thirty people?"

Suzuki's smile was rather goofy and not exactly handsome. "Professional managers are a good option. You can hire them on a contract and I can keep an eye on things for you—provided you trust them. Of course, people with management experience can also be given a try, but we urgently need someone to do this right now."

"I can't, boss."

Lin Yue rubbed his chin.

This was the first time Suzuki had said he couldn't do it...

That seems to be quite a problem.

It seems like I'll have to do it myself?
As he pondered this, the words "management experience" popped into his mind, and he suddenly thought of someone.

As he spoke, his eyes lit up, and the logistics company's database was projected into their eyes.

Soon, the image of a beautiful woman appeared in the message box filled with information.

As Lin Yue scrolled down the document, he realized that the information seemed far too detailed.

Emma's surname and hometown aren't really a big problem—the key issue is Emma's child, Catherine, whose long and detailed information doesn't seem to be Emma's at all, but rather Catherine's.

Fortunately, Emma is indeed highly educated and has a management background.

The two men, however, had strange expressions.

"I want to ask, who investigated Emma's information?"

Suzuki's expression tightened. "Boss, it's Miss V."

Lin Yue's jaw felt a little sore...

No wonder.

V has the backing of Arasaka's counterintelligence department, and since Emma had done several smuggling operations with Arasaka before they "fell out," he can naturally investigate her thoroughly.

But this little scheme is too obvious.

This constantly reminded Lin Yue that this crazy woman had a child.

This is the difference between genuine feelings and feelings built on physical attraction first; Lin Yue had never really thought about having children.

Of course, as a lover, Emma possessed the same qualities as a cigarette: the addiction makes you smoke, but it is undoubtedly a mild poison, which can sometimes be fatal.

But Lin Yue had no recollection of Emma mentioning this artificially bred child.

"Boss, I recently heard that Hansen from Dogtown has been having some friction with Miss Emma over generators and other supplies. She might not be able to come to Night City. I'll go first—"

Lin Yue waved his hand.

"I'll go to Dogtown sometime."

Suzuki's eyes widened. "Boss, that place..."

Lin Yue laughed and said, "No problem, Emma is sitting cross-legged. I'm just meeting with her once to discuss the possibility of things. Of course... if she's not willing, then I'll have to step in myself."

The world's riskiest professions are street mercenary and CEO.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's true.

According to incomplete statistics, a company's leader may face more than a hundred assassination attempts in a year. In this era, companies compete through business warfare and malicious competition, but when everyone has no cards to play, speaking with "truth" is the only real option.

After all, it's hard to imagine that a corporate war actually started between two small companies mining the Pacific Ocean; Arasaka and Gunko were just using it as a pretext.

"By the way, Suzuki, I heard your wife and children returned to Japan before the operation?"

The moment this was mentioned, the tall man's expression became unnatural.

Lin Yue had his back to him, only slightly turning his head. Suzuki had been getting less than three hours of sleep a day lately.

"He was protected by Mr. Lai Xuan."

Suzuki lowered his head and said.

But in reality, he was very worried and also wanted to see his wife and children.

"I trust Xin Xuan. I've also mentioned it to him... Your family will be transferring from the spaceport to Night City. Their identification information has been prepared and they've been arranged in Dogtown. Don't worry, Emma is there."

"By the way, we could try calling or texting Yuko... wouldn't that be nice?"

Suzuki, who had been numbing his nerves with a lot of work, finally couldn't hold on any longer.

He just stared blankly at it.

Lin Yue had just gained control of the subnet, and he muttered to himself, "What should I name it?"

While he was still in a daze, Lin Yue had already walked out.

Suzuki felt like he was having a beautiful dream. He had sent a private message to Yuko before carrying out the operation. At that time, Rin-sama seemed to have ignored his actions, but now it seems that she had planned it all along.

[Caller: Yuko]

Suzuki thought it was a hallucination from his prosthetic eye, but his wife's holographic phone call image did indeed appear before his eyes.

Will Yuko blame herself for not going home and letting strangers take them back to the Japanese headquarters?
Have you neglected your family because you saw an opportunity to realize your value within the company?

In the brief moment of distraction, Suzuki almost missed the call, but not wanting to lose this opportunity, he quickly answered it.

A round-faced woman with anxious and worried eyes lowered her head as if she were comforting a child.

"No fooling around."

Upon seeing the holographic call connected, she instinctively noticed that Suzuki's eyes were immediately filled with mist.

"Gangliang...that's great, you're alright."

Yuko covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, but her eyes curved gently downwards, making it hard to tell whether she was laughing or crying.

Suzuki's longing and fear turned into a boulder that blocked his greeting.

"Um... Yuko, I'm fine... Are you all... alright?"

Suzuki choked up.

In a somewhat hazy state, Suzuki caught a glimpse of the incomplete company asset qualification verification form on the company's subnet.

It's like someone is editing online, it's Rin-sama.

The cursor was moving in the "Organization Name" field...

Amidst Yuko's tears of worry and surprise, the cursor landed on a single word:
Dreamer; [Registering]...

……

……

(End of this chapter)