Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 336 Shadow (New Cybernetic Body DRAR·Shadow) (33)

"Is that guy out of his mind?!"

Rebecca's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as she watched the rock band perform.

Aside from the NCPD and a few thugs, almost no residents in Night City dare to directly target the company in this kind of setting.

That song wasn't a metaphorical expression of dissatisfaction with the company at all; its rhythm and lyrics, just like its name, violently crushed the company.

In the Valley area, the Sixth Street gang... one can only imagine the reaction of the local residents who had been cheated by the company and deceived by New America...

This kind of spiritual incitement was enough to fundamentally change their discontent because of this action—

Emotions are like a wild beast; when they reach a point where they cannot be controlled, they become uncontrollable.

They shared the post online, venting their dissatisfaction and even raising their middle fingers high in the direction of the company's billboard!

“No…Rebecca, he’s not crazy.”

For Sasha, even from a distance, this rock music was understandable; the crimes of biotechnology were brutally revealed.

Other companies are all contributing to the chaos in this world.

Rebecca's eyes flickered as she stared blankly at the girl beside her.

You may forget everything else, but hatred is a permanent scar.

"and many more--"

Just as Rebecca was stunned, Sasha raised her chin, and everyone immediately shifted their attention from the performance venue to the direction the girl was pointing.

Several figures that did not belong to this building appeared on an apartment building facing the square.

They were fully armed, clearly dressed as company soldiers.

As the people in the car drew closer, the creature beside them revealed itself to be an "observation hand" with a complex optical system modified on its head…

"Sniper!"

Rebecca quickly glanced at the approximate trajectory of the bullet—sure enough, the company was preparing to take action against that rock star.

"Biotechnology is becoming increasingly shameless."

Rebecca's face was somewhat ferocious as she said this...

Several people agreed wholeheartedly, and the fact that they were using biotechnology only proved this point... But it didn't seem right, since even though the company had its share of dirty tricks, it shouldn't be so blatant.

Falco explained, "It seems you don't pay much attention to the news?"

The two girls exchanged a glance.

It seems this rock kid has done other big things too.

"Fan riot, KIA at the Whirlpool Gang's territory in Watson District—these fanatics broke through the Whirlpool Gang's blockade and killed several mid-level biotech executives who were watching Mewtwo in a rooftop VIP room."

"He died a horrible death; he was barely recognizable as a human."

Sasha frowned slightly.

"Falco, do you know the background of this band?"

The mature man thought for a moment, "I know a little, but not much."

The group watched the biotech soldiers' actions while listening to Falco recount the story.

"Apart from the lead singer, the others are all record vendors at the Westbrook market, making a living by selling old rock records—"

"I'm living a pretty frugal life and don't have any famous works. I have released quite a few songs though... but I heard that they are too heavily imitative and therefore don't have many fans."

Falco liked to pay attention to newcomers in Night City, including the mercenaries who were currently making waves in the afterlife; he knew a little about them.

"I know that, I just haven't kept up with the trend."

Rebecca shrugged.

But they're here today to cause trouble. Could it be that they're protecting this rock star?
But that's not what the mission was about...

“Even rock veterans like Chris have changed their style and no longer sing songs that are easily rejected by record companies,” Falco said with a smile. “You guys are still young and probably don’t know the name ‘Samurai.’ To be honest, before this lead singer, this lukewarm band was imitating Samurai.”

Everyone was waiting for news from Qiwei.

She was monitoring her surroundings in real time via the public network, looking for traces of corporate spy rendezvous—

Because it's one-way communication, in the past Qiwei could only rely on her only advantage—her exceptional memory—to complete the identification of a large number of images. But everything changed after Brandon was brought into the company server by Lin Yue and the deployment was completed...

Having a joke-loving, intelligent guy with a natural sensitivity to data is undoubtedly a powerful asset.

In an unknown location, Qiwei lay quietly on a chair covered with cables. The hum of the server running was accompanied by humid, hot steam—this was the harsh environment in which hackers worked.

No matter how excellent a fresh air system is, in order to protect themselves from hackers who want to open the box, they can only choose between comfort and safety.

"found it…"

Qiwei cannot contact V.

She is still officially a member of the company, and her every move is subject to the company's management and monitoring.

Although the hackers who have been hanging around the Arabanzi website for years are not the most technically skilled, their sheer numbers are overwhelming. When these guys swarm in, many hackers are powerless to resist.

That's why such a conservative method as one-way communication was chosen.

Qiwei patiently waited for the spy inside the car to get out.

Just then, the city traffic cameras equipped with sound detection capabilities heard a short, muffled gunshot.

Qiwei is like the apex of a triangle; she is the central node of that one-way communication.

"Take action."

V's cool voice came through, and Qiwei, covered in sweat, began transferring the uploaded data.

The best way to successfully evade detection and prevent other companies from noticing Arasaka's involvement is to upload the data quickly.

"Brandon!"

Qiwei's brain-computer interface power began to rise to its peak. Unable to concentrate, she could only ask Brandon to notify the team—

Just seconds before Brandon's notification, Sasha and his two companions in the car saw the rock star on stage get slammed backward as if he'd been punched hard. A loud rumble followed, and the stage seemed about to collapse.

"This shot..."

Sasha, who was trying to help Rebecca who had witnessed injustice, was completely taken aback by the gun's immense power. It was clearly a new brand that had never appeared in Night City before, far exceeding the power stipulated in the previous Night City company agreement!
The man is dead, but now, just as Falco said, the real show is unfolding.

A bio-technology-powered hovercar roared in from the horizon, and the agitated crowd quickly located the gunman's position; the percentage of gun owners among the residents of Night City's streets was not low.

Moreover, this is the Valley area where the Sixth Street Gang is entrenched.

"What the heck?! What about us?!"

Rebecca, in a hurry, grabbed her bag and was about to go.

She didn't know what to do, but as soon as things got chaotic, this girl got anxious. She couldn't wait to get ready to make a big splash!

"Let's wait for the biotechnology blockade. Brandon said the data transfer has been completed. The fence-sitters in biotechnology have leaked the information, and Ms. V has completed her evacuation."

“Always be prepared.”

Everyone's expression turned serious.

Before the chaotic crowd had even fully gathered, biotechnology had already surrounded everyone nearby.

"Damn company dog!"

Impatient gang members in the crowd had already begun to raise their guns and attack the hovercar.

but--

The biotechnology on the airship clearly aims for an iron-fisted crackdown!
As the airship's hatch opened, sparks flew from the fully armed biotech soldiers—stray bullets from below.

"Wait! They won't—"

Rebecca thought biotechnology had gone completely mad.

This company has achieved a unified ideology from top to bottom, and its attitude towards human life has become extremely indifferent.

Is this confidence or arrogance?
The moment the gun fired, Rebecca instinctively flinched. Bullets sprayed everywhere, and the crowd in front of her fell like wheat being harvested.

Most of the people here are from the Sixth Street Gang.

The gleaming light on the soldiers' helmets, the bullets that took lives beneath their indifferent expressions, the roars, howls, and resentment—all these were reflected in the three men's pupils, as bloody and rebellious as a song sung by KIA.

As the crowd in front of them collapsed... the people of the valley, blinded by anger, finally succumbed to fear.

The lingering smoke of gunpowder filled the air, and the stench of blood was so strong it felt like being submerged in a sea of ​​blood, making one want to vomit. Finally, one of the guys who couldn't hold back any longer vomited.

The blindly bewildered crowd instantly calmed down. The officer on the hovercar clenched his fist and raised one hand—a ceasefire gesture… Then the vehicle's vectoring engines began to reduce their thrust, the altitude gradually decreased, and the military boots slammed heavily onto the ground, splashing up a thick, red liquid.

"He—tui!"

The officer spat out a mouthful of saliva, his face contorted with disgust.

The sound of the hovercar behind me started playing on a loop…

"You are suspected of assaulting company members and participating in organized attacks against the company, causing serious damage to the company's reputation. Please lay down your weapons and surrender immediately."

The cold, indifferent AI female voice made everyone present exchange bewildered glances; everyone turned pale and their legs trembled uncontrollably…

The soldier tilted his head and looked at the white truck parked on the side of the street behind him. It was empty, so he quickly looked away and pointed to the collapsed stage.

"Take away that idiot's corpse who sings rock and roll; biotechnology needs to give him a little something."

Undisguised threats and brutal suppression by Chi LL unfolded in Night City in 2076.

"Humph…"

The officer smiled disdainfully as he looked at the bastards who were obediently squatting down with their heads in their hands.

"Sir, the second squad has found traces of the traitor, and the special squad is in pursuit."

The soldier leader indicated that he understood, and watched as the men carried over the "body" of the "rock star".

“屮…”

The soldiers carrying the man cursed inwardly; this guy looked like he had a bunch of useless, flashy prosthetics, but he was surprisingly heavy.

And the skin is actually pretty good, kind of like a kitsch implant, which is pretty nice, but it just loves to mess things up—

"Rock star? Decades ago, there was a idiot who was just as reckless as you, and now you can't even find his corpse, not even a grave."

"Take him to the minister (Minister of Biotechnology Intelligence) and make sure he does a good job!"

"Yes!"

The speed of biotechnology is undeniably fast; within five minutes of the firing of the gun, a complete blockade has been completed within a five-kilometer radius of this stage in the valley area.

Strangely... when the rock star walked past the group, all the guys who had been looking down in fear suddenly raised their heads—the sight made the soldier a little uneasy. In his surprise and anger, he grabbed one of the guys who was still staring intently and punched him in the stomach.

That man was just a young member of the Sixth Street Gang; one punch almost made him vomit some acid.

"Huh?! You like watching this? Do you even realize you're a dirty web crawler that's detrimental to the company?!"

With each heavy punch, those around heard the man whimper, a painful growl, and a faint, weak sound coming from his throat…

"why?"

Someone was sobbing with their head down.

His face was contorted with rage yet also filled with fear.

The company treats human life as something less than an object, trampling on people's heads to instill fear and depriving them of their most basic human rights.

This soft question stirred up those whose lives had been constantly reminded by the sound of fists—

"All of you, squat down!"

The soldiers behind the officer noticed something amiss and raised their guns, shouting a warning.

Some soldiers who were collecting weapons while walking through the crowd were stunned. They subconsciously looked down at their feet and saw that those who were looking at them with their heads tilted to the side had fierce and hateful eyes.

"Rebellion?!"

The soldier leader growled.

He gripped the man who was about to be beaten to death in his hand, his gaze equally fierce.

The crowd immediately fell silent.

"They really are a bunch of trash..."

Before the word "trash" was even uttered, a few scattered individuals started to stand up.

The scene instantly descended into chaos. The biotech soldiers roared loudly to mask their unease, while the people used their renewed anger to complete their resistance.

The soldier who was putting away his gun in the crowd saw something was wrong and tried to retreat, but his thigh was immediately grabbed!

"Damn! Watch out!"

The crowd pounced on them like hungry wolves.

"Huff, huff..."

The tense soldiers on the outer edge held their guns up, swaying around the soldiers covered in "people," and dared not fire for a moment.

Once a riot begins, it's an irreversible and devastating event!

The biotech soldiers didn't expect the unarmed guys to dare to do this, and they certainly didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

A gunfight erupted, a chaotic melee ensued, and more and more soldiers involved in the blockade rushed towards the scene. Those protecting the officer pushed him back, while shield-bearers pushed forward. But the situation changed drastically; the officer, disregarding his dignity, drew his pistol and attacked.

Unexpectedly, the people on the other side immediately overturned the shields, and the bricks on the ground became weapons, drawing perfect arcs from the sky and being thrown into the biotechnology camp!

"Squeak!"

A screeching sound of tires screeching filled the air, and the officer whirled around.

The car that was parked there thinking no one was there suddenly started!
"Oh shit!"

The white truck started with a burnout and suddenly accelerated, heading straight for the biotechnology soldiers!

[Berserk Prosthetic Body - Activation]

The officer shoved aside the soldier beside him, and with a violent hissing sound from the prosthetic body, the hovercar carrying the rock singer's body quickly ascended and disappeared into the sky.

He assumed Rebecca's group was there to steal the kid's body, never expecting that their orders were so simple—kill the biotech soldiers and create even more chaos!

More and more soldiers, burdened by moral guilt, disregarded everything else, activated their cybernetic bodies, and immediately prepared for a complete purge!
……

hum…

The transport hovercraft is operating smoothly.

There were only two soldiers inside the vehicle, still shaken, guarding the body.

"This is it...it's probably too late to cover it up—"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Another soldier, clutching his head, interrupted sharply.

"These people are all crazy..."

Without exception, they all looked at the rock singer lying quietly on the opposite floor. "They're all extremists! So what... weren't they all purged by the company?"

The soldier who realized his comrade was even more emotionally unstable than himself shut up.

He was convincing himself that the company could solve all the problems.

The disoriented soldier held his head in his hands, staring blankly at the floor. His gaze was unfocused, and his mind was in turmoil.

As he glanced at the opposite seat, he caught a glimpse of a pair of black hippie boots…

The person's subconscious reaction was that they were seeing things, but their guard instantly brought them back to their senses, and they froze as if struck by lightning.

The companion beside him was oblivious to all of this, simply rubbing his temples with his eyes closed.

He felt his companion nudge him a few times with his elbow, and, increasingly impatient with this coward, he yelled, "You motherfucker—"

The sound stopped suddenly.

Both pairs of eyes simultaneously saw the young man sitting in the opposite seat, quietly watching them. His eyes were dark, the same color as his hair, and a mocking smile was on his face.

They mechanically turned their heads and looked at the floor again…

Corpse? !
The body is still there!

The scene before them made their temples throb... Fear washed over them like a tidal wave!
This is not finished.

As the two men stammered, speechless with shock, the corpse on the floor moved—

Then he slowly got up...

It's like a shadow breaking through the dimensional barrier and becoming another real being...

……

……

(End of this chapter)