Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 304 A Formal Date
The Black Wall Key.

Lin Yue pondered what this thing was all the way. Because Lucy was in very poor condition, and because she was being pursued by Arasaka and Yoru, Lin Yue had no choice but to have someone from the company send her to Old Wei.

From Lucy's fragmented words, it seems that the Black Wall is making a choice, somewhat similar to how Night's AI enters the body, attempting to unravel something.

Should we notify Ultraman?
Lin Yue thought about the problem repeatedly, but ultimately decided to hold back.

Ultraman is also unreachable now, and while Ultraman is always willing to help, there's always a price to pay: he needs to participate as a natural person in the long-standing, military-grade AI struggle within cyberspace…

Even the world's smartest and most elite hackers stick together when facing these new intelligent life forms in cyberspace. He is very unsure about getting involved in Ultraman's affairs too early.

Looking at the empty passenger seat, Lin Yue stared forlornly at the bizarre and dazzling city.

Sometimes he even wondered if it would be better to just be a mercenary who lived a life of debauchery, turning the accelerator to the maximum and rocking out in a rock bar.

There was a fact he subconsciously didn't want to accept: the world had reached a point where it was beyond cure.

No one is born a brilliant rebel, but for these unavoidable reasons, they all become thorns in the side of the company.

When no one was around, Lin Yue acted like a young man. He puffed out his cheeks, exhaled, and told himself to make plans for what was to come.

Now that the enemy has been clearly identified, and the two factions within Arakasa, Hanako and Michiko, cannot tolerate him, and the Yoru clan has also completely crossed its bottom line in this operation, as for military technology—this old friend has long been Lin Yue's mortal enemy.

"journey."

Lin Yue asked the vehicle's infotainment system.

This is a low-intelligence AI developed by DAR under the guidance of Qiwei and others. It can only simply narrate schedules and some work matters, but its tone is very realistic. Doing this in 2076 is relatively simple.

"Mr. Lin, you have no tasks to complete today."

Lin Yue was taken aback for a moment, then his expression turned very displeased. Perhaps because he had been exposed to many highly intelligent AI systems that iterated through massive amounts of data, the AI ​​in his car's infotainment system seemed more like an artificial "idiot"...

However, the AI's next sentence made Lin Yue's expression freeze on his face.

"Ms. Emma, ​​DRA's Career Operations Manager, tells you that there's no need to delve into things you're not good at. Have a good day."

Depend on…

Lin Yue admitted that he had absolutely no interest in how the company made money, and that he realized in this other world that he was indeed not suited to managing a company. Fortunately, he had someone like Emma who had experience in company operations.

Logically speaking, handing over a company to an outsider is extremely dangerous. After all, in the cyberpunk world, it's not uncommon for professional managers to control company power. The most famous example is the bloody corporate battle between Pan-American Electric and Berlin Electric.

Behind them are professional managers.

But Lin Yue didn't think that much about it. Although Emma's mental state was worrying, she had no problem working. Anyway, since a crazy woman was already in charge of half of Dogtown, the company would run more smoothly in the hands of the right person.

The only cost is…

Lin Yue's cash reserves have visibly shrunk, ostensibly for the sake of a healthy cash flow.

But for people who aren't very materialistic, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Emma became even more enthusiastic about this trust. For a long time, Dogtown didn't make any major moves, but Lin Yue knew very well how chaotic that good colonel's team was, as well as his ambitions. He was a swing player between New America and interests, and the outpost that New America had planted in Night City didn't seem so easy to control.

Take the initiative to defend against and anticipate the enemy's possible actions.

Only in this way can we survive the attacks from these malicious companies.

Now, only the core of the prosthetic body remains to be solved.

As Lin Yue was thinking, he unconsciously pressed his phone, and the contact he swiped through happened to be V.

In fact, V has definitely not been doing well lately. Michiko has great suspicions about V, and V has been suspended from his duties by orders from headquarters. It is estimated that this was done by Lai Xuan to dispel Michiko's doubts. In short, V has not said a word about company matters.

She is like a vigorous flower that refuses to beg for nutrients and will never show weakness.

Lin Yue looked at the chat history on his phone, which was still from the night Michiko left. V, who was being closely watched by Arasaka, must have been in a hurry, as he only sent two short messages:
【Are you ok? 】

Why be so impulsive?

Lin Yue didn't reply to the message, nor was there any need to. He guessed that this was one of V's backup accounts... V was being watched by Michiko, and he couldn't afford to reveal any flaws. In addition, DAR Corporation was surrounded by its spies, so V was unlikely to be able to contact him for a while.

That's fine, at least I won't get scolded by V with a cold face.

She'll definitely look at you with disbelief, let out a "ha" that's almost mocking or incomprehensible, and then embarrass you with her unique, sarcastic, and profanity-laden language.

The phone was immediately put aside, like a hot potato.

However, speaking of the cybernetic body, Lin Yue knew that V would inform him on the day the cybernetic body activated, so he had to patiently wait for Rogue's map and the border officer to be bribed. Secondly, he needed a small team to go there... Night City is not what it used to be.

The price of military-grade cybernetic suits on the black market within Night City's public network continues to rise. The company is still recklessly selling items it previously dared not openly display. The military-grade cybernetic suit stores in the company plaza now feature cybernetic suits that seriously violate Night City's laws, no longer the "family outdoor sets" they used to be.

Instead, it's the "Legendary Kit".

Turning murder into entertainment is something only a company would do... If I remember correctly, the Dead Man's Lottery seems to be a "hellish joke" created by these same people.

Combat cybernetic devices such as the Mantis Blade and projectile launching systems have become highly sought-after items among the city's up-and-coming fringe individuals. These are all backdoors to companies that are impossible to bypass, and finding a mediocre cybernetic surgeon to save on surgery fees is a life-long investment.

Therefore, the company's armed forces began to increase rapidly in a short period of time. Previously, the security personnel of S.A.S. could only be found at Arasaka Tower, but now every transport convoy has these guys.

When Lin Yue thought of the team, he thought of Rebecca and Pila, the siblings.

Ever since that incident outside Night City where Adam Hammer was killed, Rebecca has been holed up in the company's factory, refusing to leave. Pila, on the other hand, is carefree; after the trauma team pulled him out, he patted his butt and said being a company dog ​​was great, then went off to work on a prosthetic body with the professor...

Sometimes, problems cannot be avoided by running away from them.

Questions like whether or not to live are unavoidable, but feelings are not like that... Unless he's completely oblivious, Lin Yue can read the meaning in Rebecca's eyes, including when he chased after that imposter Sunrise Daddy when he kidnapped her. Rebecca's thoughts had already been completely exposed.

Just like Lin Yue remembered, she expressed her feelings very directly, but she liked to back down when things got tough.

Perhaps it was because of the danger Pira faced that the girl was at a loss for what to do?

After thinking it over, he still couldn't figure out why Rebecca would choose to stay home all the time...

then.

Lin Yue sighed and silently watched the hurried crowds on the pedestrian crossing ahead, listening to the occasional police sirens and gunshots from within the city. In the end, he turned the car around and headed back to the company.

……

……

Shh—Pop!

Pink bubbles burst, and Rebecca, her cheeks puffed out and constantly chewing, was dressed casually in hot pants and a tight-fitting sports vest. She held a game controller in her hand, a Mewtwo headband around her neck, and her expression was unusually serious, until she saw the word "game over" appear on the old-fashioned arcade machine—

She dropped the controller, clenched her fists, and looked like a little tiger with its back arched!
"What the hell is this game?! I clearly switched to easy mode!"

If someone saw this scene now, they would definitely regret thinking too much...

In Pira's words: "Are you kidding me! That's Rebecca, a brainless woman whose head is only occupied with guns and having fun—and she's flat-chested." Rebecca, panting, gritted her teeth and chewed her bubble gum, suppressing her urge to lash out. She puffed out her cheeks and sat cross-legged on the floor like she was giving up, idly turning her lipstick around with one hand while resting her chin on her other, looking utterly uninterested.

Should I go out for a trip?

I heard that Lin Yue from NCX almost killed Arasaka last time, by a hair's breadth. When she heard this news, things about NCX had already blown up, but she was lying in bed, immersed in a dreamlike state of sleep for several nights.

but…

Rebecca could have chosen to provide support, but she was immediately overcome with fear and kept pestering Pila to ask how Lin Yue was doing.

Until his older brother, who was always in the lab, impatiently raised his middle finger and yelled, "That guy's like a cockroach, he's not going to die, is he?!"

Rebecca then listlessly walked back to her room.

The naive girl had a very straightforward understanding of the dangers of this city:
In areas occupied by gangs, she had to see what was going on; in areas where the company was located, she had to think carefully about whether she could get involved.

Another thing is... when you get paid for a service, you need to get a reconciliation of the amount entrusted to you.

But the present and the future are probably no longer in the realm of mercenaries, she knows that very well.

Rebecca had heard on the radio more than once about how chaotic Night City was now. Although it used to be one of the worst places in North America, it was even worse now because the old censorship could now be applied to anyone—provided they had money.

Speaking of prosthetics...

In fact, the several dangerous situations she faced with Lin Yue were due to her own lack of ability. That guy named Adam Hammer had almost become Rebecca's nightmare. If it weren't for Lin Yue's strong intervention, Rebecca wouldn't even know how she died!

Because she couldn't see the movements of that almost humanoid monster at all, just like Lin Yue, she felt an insurmountable sense of defeat.

“屮…”

Rebecca rubbed her hair in slight annoyance, tapping her cheek with her fingers, as if trying to figure out how to explain to Lin Yue that she had just been playing around and forgot she had errands to run, and that it wasn't because she was scared or anything... Well, actually she was just a little scared, and what worried her most was Lin Yue's strange prosthetic body operating mode.

Will he fall into physical decline again?

It's outrageous! He's already made so much money, and I've given him a lot of it. Why won't he stop?
Why become a mercenary?
Make money and buy, buy, buy! Become the most beautiful and awesome person in the next life, uh... isn't that it? As for any legend, if it costs her her life, she'd rather be a good-for-nothing bastard who just loafs around and waits to die.

"It's most likely that woman; they all seem quite good at lying."

Rebecca angrily labeled Emma.

"And that cold-faced woman from the company, it must be her!"

Lin Yue's reluctance to settle down in Night City with his money is most likely due to her—

But aside from fuming and brooding, Rebecca could only resign herself to her fate and surrender...

She is actually very willing to respect other people's feelings; at least Lin Yue did not cross the line.

"Wow..."

A slender woman emerged from the hacker's room, a cigarette dangling from her damp fingers.

Rebecca turned around angrily and glared at her. "Hey, why did you set up the deep-sea diving site in my room?"

Qiwei, on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all. "Oh dear... someone's got a really bad temper, and he kept muttering a single word about me—besides, there are several deep dive sites. Wouldn't it be great if a gunslinger like you could play games outside while also acting as a warning system?"

Rebecca scoffed and went back to her own thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Qi Wei, who was wiping the ice water with a towel behind her, said quietly, "Aren't you going to continue?"

Someone's voice finally rang out after a long pause, "You want me to risk my life against Arasaka? I don't want to—besides… never mind."

"Hmm..." Qiwei gave her a "I don't believe you" look. "Alright, we need to change our strategy. Let's look on the bright side. We already have two, which is better than dealing with one. Why don't we give it a try? Like... taking advantage of the nice weather, pestering him for a walk or something?"

Rebecca remained silent.

What kind of talk is this? One more or one less won't make a difference!

A brief silence fell over the room.

"it is good!"

Rebecca sprang to her feet. "A serious date, huh?! Come on!"

Qiwei sighed behind her mask, "You're not looking for trouble with the Whirlpool Gang kidnappers, are you? If you're going to cause trouble, act like a woman, okay?"

Seeing the unfriendly look in someone's eyes, Qiwei spread her hands, giving an expression that said, "But he's been worrying about that subordinate... oh no, or friend's matter these past few days. The trauma team is on the verge of death and will probably need to replace their prosthetic bodies. Rin is probably trying to find a solution... um, and his own prosthetic body probably needs someone to help him too."

"If you can't find a reason, you can use this."

Rebecca held a pistol in one hand, took a big gulp of beer, and tucked her black jacket under her other arm. The only gesture she made that showed any concern for her image was fastening her cyberpunk-style hair clip. Otherwise, she didn't look like someone going on a date at all.

Qiwei thought she was overthinking it; Rebecca probably didn't need any grand reason at all.

Watching the tiny creature head towards the door as if going to its death, a barely perceptible hint of gentleness appeared in Qiwei's eyes.

"Well... thank you, grandma, and thank you for helping him when I didn't know what to do."

Qi Wei was taken aback.

"You're welcome."

Rebecca's somber eyes instantly transformed into a confident smile. "Let's go!"

Just as Qiwei was about to speak, the automatic door in front of Rebecca suddenly opened. Rebecca, still clinging to her habit from Night City's poor security, heard the door open and, without hesitation, pressed her pistol against the chin of the person entering…

"Damn it..."

The hot-tempered Rebecca had just yelled out a word starting with F when she found the tall man in front of her with his hands raised and a gun pressed against his chin...

"Huh? It's you?"

The voice becomes cute in a second.

Rebecca blinked and quickly grabbed her pistol, scratching her head with the butt of the gun, unsure where to put her hands...

What an awful scene!

Qiwei gently pressed her hand to her forehead and slowly lowered her head.

She was already not very optimistic about this date.

……

……

(End of this chapter)