Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 319 A Strong Counterattack
Counterintelligence department.

Data flowed across Jamie's single, red prosthetic eye, while the surrounding holographic screens displayed the current personnel status and operational progress of the Arasaka unit.

Currently, the information control over the movement of all troops is basically in the hands of counterintelligence agencies.

"Boss, three groups of troops have gone after them."

V stood on the central command platform, his jade-like fingers clenched tightly in his arms, his expression cold but the worry in his eyes unmistakable.

This is Rin's request.

V had to persuade Michiko to devote a lot of energy to his siege, all based on V's duties. He never intended to make things difficult for V, and the burden and risks were basically transferred to Rin.

"Lin Yue..."

V silently repeated this to himself.

Rin calls herself Valerie when she says important things, and V does the same.

"Speed ​​up a bit."

"Aren't you familiar with the previous topographic map?"

V glanced at the busy counterintelligence staff below. Even though she knew that Arasaka's operation would eventually be interfered with by the external force of military technology, she still couldn't be sure how Rin would obtain the core firmware of the cybernetic body.

The employees below were sweating profusely as they listened to the emotionless commands from their boss.

The former security minister was clearly in control; the rugged terrain could only be navigated by an inside man, especially since Rin's operation coincided with the approaching storm, which undoubtedly made the pursuit much more difficult...

The topographic map does indeed have a problem.

An abandoned fuel plant has built underground fortifications, and this passage leads to a nearby town.

The company rarely conducts exploration in the Badlands, only surveying a radius of thirty kilometers around the transport route. The large pursuit force actually ventures into areas lacking intelligence—this is Rin's brilliance.

To ensure that no one makes a mistake and no one notices the performance, it is essential to maintain a state of partial understanding.

It was precisely because V had no clue how Rin could shake off the large group of troops that his anxious and annoyed expression seemed genuine...

Heart rate, stress index, and various hormone levels were accurately transmitted to Michiko's front end through the biochemical controller. All of these data matched the action commander's parameters, so she was undecided at this moment.

Even Jenkins is now in a state of distress.

V looks so natural.

But it was just a gut feeling that Jenkins thought his apprentice was the kind of guy who put emotions first... In V's eyes, Rin was definitely not just someone from the same faction.

V took on any dirty work without hesitation, but ever since that kid named Lin Yue gained a foothold with a brain that didn't belong in Dogtown at all, V's bias became too obvious, and he was no longer just a colleague.

If Michiko, Jenkins, V, and the others knew that Lin Yue had spent a great deal of money to thoroughly familiarize himself with the surrounding terrain before starting this operation, they would only feel fear towards this clever guy.

The quantification of numbers is a manifestation of mental power.

Lin Yue's capital for manipulating company power struggles still lies with that security minister.

Now that he's no longer bound by the rules of the Arakawa game, he's using all sorts of unexpected tricks!
At this moment——

"Minister V!"

Jenkins and Michiko received messages from the counterintelligence department through their earpieces.

"Arasaka's vanguard made second contact with the target! They switched rooks—but our pieces are still on the rooks and are now in pursuit. The main force was a step too slow in encircling them... They broke through!"

V's face darkened.

"They rushed out? Don't the security personnel know how to drive? Should I go out of Arasaka Tower now and teach them how to drive? Hmm?"

V was obviously cursing someone else.

She knew perfectly well that there were other people observing in the command and control room, and she knew without even thinking who they were.

At this point, all the security personnel were to be in charge of the operation. Michiko refused, citing so-called "security concerns," claiming that the counterintelligence department couldn't handle the main fieldwork. But even a fool could see this was an excuse, a way of fearing the counterintelligence department would sabotage the operation.

But this played right into Lin Yue's and V's hands.

One of the objectives of the operation was to reduce the manpower of the security services.

When Rin revealed these plans that involved calculating the superiors' thoughts, even V was taken aback.

Lin Yue had always known that the counterintelligence department was the foundation of V, and a department must be supported by enough trustworthy people. The current excessive losses were definitely a form of weakening for V. In that case, it would be better to let Michiko boldly and confidently use the people in the security department.

If Jenkins prefers to be a lone wolf, then we'll certainly grant his wish.

The subordinates, silenced by the scolding, dared not speak; only the hurried footsteps and the exchange of information could be heard…

V felt no relief; the protagonist of this game had not yet appeared, and she was waiting for Michiko to give the order.

The counterintelligence minister doesn't even know which specific prosthetic line it is, so everything depends on Rin. V's job is to witness all of this—and of course, to always be vigilant in protecting her own interests in Arasaka. All of this is Rin's idea.

"A small force is approaching."

Jamie suddenly stood up.

"They're from DRAR?! Perfect, let these idiots know who Arasaka is!"

The counterintelligence personnel below were energized, while V frowned. Could it be that the bait was going to be sacrificed?
For V, who knows Lin Yue's personality very well, choosing who to send to their death would be a difficult task. At this moment, it seems more like... guidance? The guy responsible for acting as bait must be a racing expert. As far as V knows, there is such a middle-aged man in Rin's team who is extremely good at this.

However, for dreamers to follow at this point would seem somewhat superfluous, or even an unnecessary loss…

V thought for a moment, "Did the vanguard engage in a second firefight?"

The response came quickly from below: "Yes, Minister V, a firefight has already broken out. The enemy gunmen are very accurate, their vehicles are specially modified, and armed vehicles with missile capabilities are on their way—these thugs are very fast."

In the picture—

The soldier's recorder showed the car in front of him, its tail flames trailing yellow sand, swaying from side to side, making it seem as if the other side was maneuvering with ease.

A girl's ponytail swayed casually by the window, and the dark machine gun in her hand made the colorful graffiti on the gorilla's arm look punk.

Rebecca

[DRAR employee, criminal record: assaulting company representative/participating in organized illegal armed operations against the company/defecting from the company/shooting or assaulting others...]

"Eat your mother's big bullets, Arasaka children!"

"Whoosh!"

The damn recorder's sound transmission was extremely clear, and it also had an extremely powerful AI noise reduction function. The Arasaka employees present all turned a shade darker.

This type of weapon, which is difficult to control and primarily relies on suppressive fire, doesn't inherently cause much damage. However, Rebecca's accuracy is not only a talent but also an affinity for firearms.

Thick bullet casings, like fingers, were scattered everywhere. Sparks flew across Rebecca's face. The first car, unsurprisingly, took a heavy hit...

Even with its relatively thick hood armor, the engine still suffered a tremendous impact. A burst of sparks spread to the windshield, and the driver inside instinctively covered his face. This weapon immediately shattered the glass, or rather, it blew the driver's head apart.

The faux leather seats and interior of the car were all covered in bright red. The out-of-control car swayed left and right before suddenly overturning, smashing into a series of sand pits on the ground!
"Where's the sniper! Quick, aim at that bitch!"

The owner of the recording probe was calling out to his comrades. The mobile firing by both sides on these high-speed vehicles rendered many combat cybernetic bodies useless.

Even at its fastest speed, the Sinwiss cannot travel continuously for more than 100 meters; if it could, then vehicles would cease to exist…

The most troublesome aspect of troop pursuit is that lightly armored vehicles carrying weapons cannot catch up quickly.

In any era, engine and weight are essential fundamentals for acceleration…

The best option is to stop the vehicle, forcing the enemy to engage in combat.

The owner of this recorder was a military officer with a keen understanding of the battlefield situation.

Soldiers holding sniper rifles made with Tsunami military technology peered out from the roof of the vehicle.

The shaky environment no longer significantly affects the accuracy of snipers who rely on implants and their own judgment. With just a simple adjustment, the sniper's high-tech scope quickly locked onto the tires of the car.

"call…"

He began to regulate his breathing.

Rebecca's prosthetic eye began rapidly closing the distance—Damn it!

Nekota?!
It's true that weapons of the Badlands Control level are constantly emerging.

Her mouth gaped open, clearly having taken Lin Yue's words to heart, and without hesitation, she pulled her head back. "Sniper rifle! Lin Yue's! Falco, get out of the way! If the tire blows out, we're done for!"

Falco glanced at the rearview mirror, his brow furrowing.

Which tire is this guy trying to snipe?

Reaction time and the ability to anticipate and correct subtle movements are always key to a driver's victory. He guessed that the opposing sniper was also instructing the driver on how to make fine adjustments...

When the other car's front end veered slightly to the left, Falco knew the time was right.

If you turn the steering wheel too sharply at high speeds, even the strongest chassis will be in a dead end the moment it loses grip. Falco has its own way of operating the vehicle to maintain speed without slowing down.

The vehicle's motion module was now approaching the yellow-red threshold. Reaching a speed of 110 miles per hour without losing control on the sand was already the limit, but this was the car's speed, not Falco's.

hum!
A roaring sound accompanied the sudden swing of Falco's steering wheel. In the instant before it was about to lose control, the steering wheel was quickly turned in the opposite direction, continuing to output throttle and horsepower, causing the engine's traction to surge instantly, and the tachometer was already close to exploding.

"call out!"

The slight "death" silver hue seemed insignificant in the swirling sand and gravel, but the blue streaks of light appeared neatly in everyone's eyes!

The armor-piercing round, powerful enough to penetrate any Night City vehicle, grazed the car beside Falco, leaving a deep mark before burrowing straight into the ground, kicking up dust—almost like a grenade explosion!

"Holy crap! Awesome!"

Rebecca felt an extremely strong sense of weightlessness on the side of her body!
Falco's eyes burned with determination. "Now, Qiwei!"

In the instant the car swayed, Qiwei, who had already entered the hacking panel, stared directly at the sniper. The sniper's ICE was far beyond Qiwei's capabilities, but her target was not the human brain-computer interface, but the cat demon.

The weapon is linked to the brain-computer interface; the gun is also part of the implant.

The ability to quickly resolve weapon malfunctions is incredibly lethal at this moment.

Qiwei had heard about the cat's delicate nature, so this powerful weapon, which couldn't be affected by any "negative status effects," was about to be in trouble—

Wow!
The burning pain in his head forced the sniper to reach out haphazardly, grab the connecting tubing, and rip it off!
The cat-shaped sight in my hand crackled with electricity again; the electronic imaging of the scope had already rendered it inoperable…

"It's done!"

Qi Wei's muffled voice sounded so reassuring at that moment.

"Keep fighting!"

Before Falco could give the order, Rebecca grabbed her big gun and went out to fight back again!

This was Lin Yue's plan as part of the scheme.

If the goal is to achieve an overwhelming victory using cybernetic implants, then it's best not to give the opponent the opportunity to use them...

"what?!"

Michiko's eyes widened.

In the command room where V was in charge, there was an uproar. In just this one moment of real-time transmission of the firefight, Arasaka's advance force was outmaneuvered by the enemy's seasoned experience.

Rin hasn't even made a move yet...

Intelligence indicates there were four people in that car, one of whom was an inside agent…

Michiko immediately stood up. "What the hell is that mole doing? Are we supposed to keep following these guys?"

The original order to wipe everyone out was given by Michiko, but now she actually hopes that the traitor who gave Arasaka information but did not receive protection will do some more work.

"Get the counterintelligence hackers to figure something out. The nearby technical convoy should find the nearest signal tower and contact that guy. We can't delay any longer; the Cybertronian convoy has already entered Badlands!"

Now that things had come to this, Michiko stopped pretending and simply ignored the fact that she was currently eavesdropping on the counterintelligence command center. This action made Jenkins frown, and also made V below look up at the ceiling...

A mocking smile appeared on V's lips.

"Did everyone hear Lady Michiko's instructions?"

The counterintelligence department only began to work on the plan after hearing V speak.

This made Michiko's face turn even darker.

Jenkins stood up. "Some of the special agents from the counterintelligence department have been reassigned to the decoy team, which is a weakening of V. Let's keep it this way, President Michiko. We have to be patient for now until the prosthetic Kong is transported in. Even Lord Arasaka cannot ignore such an achievement."

"What we need is for the higher-ups to take it seriously, not for a quick fix."

It must be said that Jenkins' methods were extreme.

He has already used the most provocative and loss-mitigating methods possible to the maximum extent.

This is also the style of the counterintelligence department's madmen.

Before the two could finish their conversation, they saw V in the command room seem to have overheard something.

Her eyes were bright red as she looked up at the camera.

It seems that he has locked onto Michiko from afar.

What can a smart hacker who is also in the management of the Yoruichiro Arasaka branch do?
The answer is simple.

V overheard Michiko's plan in reverse.

Caught in a bind, Michiko reacted immediately, "Have Minister V finish his work in the command center, don't move! The order has already been issued by the technical department to liaise with headquarters, I have no authority to revoke it."

Can't it be cancelled?

V never believed such a claim.

This operation is not only the day of his lover's suffering, but also an opportunity for V to preserve his strength and weaken the enemy. He will never let Rin down.

At the same time, a weapon was raised from the side.

A strange smile appeared on the chin of the optically camouflaged Arasaka ninja. "Excuse me, Captain V..."

"offend?"

V's pleasant, slightly nasal voice was full of playfulness.

Under the ninja's gaze, she fiddled with the cuffs of her wrists, slowly tucking the expensive shirt into her sleeves. Her beautiful eyes and the eyeliner drawn at the corners of her eyes looked extremely aggressive.

“I cannot tolerate any non-compliant actions; I have to be responsible for Arasaka’s procedures.”

As they spoke, the woman's slender hand gripped the gun in the Arasaka ninja's hand. He tried to pull the trigger, but watched helplessly as the gun appeared in V's hand—

With the sound of parts being disassembled, V held up the gun and shoved out the last loaded bullet.

Her cold red eyes were already blazing with anger.

Even a clay figure has a temper, and Jenkins had already taught himself this lesson long ago when his bottom line was repeatedly pushed to the limit:

When you lack ability, be patient; when you have ability, strike back.

After completing this series of fluid movements, Arasaka Ninja stared wide-eyed as arcs of electricity crackled across his hands.

"Guess who knows the most about Arasaka's backdoor program? I can't remove it, but I can control it—"

"This soldier."

V patted his face, kicked the convulsing ninja away, and after glancing at S.A.S. behind his neck, V walked out of the command room with a cold smile.

Jenkins nestled in his office chair, rubbing his temples.

The students' response seemed to be stronger than expected.

……

……

(End of this chapter)