Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 344 Fate's Reversal
"It hurts, it hurts..."

David was stunned when he saw the owner of the monomolecular line in front of him—

How could it be her? !

But the girl didn't give him a chance to admire her beautiful face at all. With a twist of her seemingly slender arms, David's stunned face instantly became distorted, as if he had been pinned to the wall with his hands tied behind his back before being arrested by the police.

The girl's soft voice came from behind his neck.

"Are you spying on me?"

David was in so much pain that his head was spinning. He felt something cold being inserted into his brain-computer interface. The girl seemed to have no qualms about the distance between them. Pressing herself tightly against the boy's back didn't seem to evoke any shame in her. At that moment, her eyes were emitting an orange-yellow light as she read data, and a mocking smile played on her lips.

"I go…"

David felt like his pelvis was about to be shattered by the girl's knee; if this kept up, he'd definitely have to go and install a super-powerful cannon...

Before a man's dignity is shattered, his resistance and voice seem especially powerful.

"No! I came to help my mom bring you some food. I had no idea you... lived here!"

To David, the girl was more like a deadly datura flower; her beauty and demeanor attracted boys his age, but the same absolutely dangerous and fatal allure made David fearful… So he could only hurriedly explain, but at this moment, what David couldn't understand most was why his mother knew this dangerous person who seemed to have installed a network access device?!
"Ah…"

After looking at the data, the girl gave a self-deprecating smile.

At the same time, David was in so much pain that he almost dropped the bag he was carrying, but it was caught by a fair hand.

Feeling a sense of relief wash over him, David slowly slid down the wall, a look of liberation on his face.

Grinning as he got up, he found that the girl who had just used force to search him and violently extract information was now sitting on the sofa by the window, legs crossed.

The people of Night City certainly have a bold style of dress; David hadn't expected the girl to wear such a matching black and white outfit at home all the time…

The design is indeed quite bold.

David felt a little dizzy; the girl gave him a very strange feeling.

I feel like I've seen this outfit somewhere before...

David was stunned, as if struck by lightning.

The girl, looking down at David warily from a distance, rested her chin on her hand. These kinds of boys never had honest eyes; they were always staring at his body, which was rather disgusting.

"you…"

David didn't know how to tell the girl that he also had a strange encounter in Heywood, with a girl dressed exactly like her, though their appearances were completely different, their temperaments were very similar.

Moreover, if it weren't for Mr. Rin, I probably would have lost the opportunity to study at Arakawa Academy.

Lucy's expression betrayed a hint of disgust and wariness, which she handled very well. A clever hacker could easily glean her thoughts from subtle facial expressions.

"you know me?"

To say we know each other...

They did know each other, whether it was when the girl appeared when David was being bullied at school, throwing Tanaka Katsuo and the others into a panic, or when they met her at the Santo Domingo prosthetic doctor's place, where she kindly saved them from being scammed by that stupid old man again. But what he wanted to talk about was something that happened more than half a year ago.

Seeing that David's eyes were still fixed on her curvaceous figure beneath her taut black hair, the girl's eyes, hidden beneath her black bangs, seemed to be subtly plotting to teach this guy a lesson.

But I gave up on that idea...

David, who was sitting opposite, noticed that the girl's eyes were strange, so he quickly looked away from the corner.

At that moment, the girl was thinking: This boy is that woman's child. Gloria and Rin have a close relationship, and she doesn't want to cause any trouble.

Yes, she is Lucy…

After changing his appearance, he used Rin's connections in Arasaka to enter the safest place in the city.

“I’ve seen this kind of thing on you at Haywood… uh, black market customer service.”

David explained.

Lucy was stunned.

This was the first time she had ever heard such an awkward pickup line from a boy.

"Hahaha…"

Lucy's laughter had a carefree quality to it. "That's a bit of an old-fashioned way to pick someone up, David Martinez."

David had been laughing along with the girl, but her laughter abruptly stopped, and she retorted with a hint of impatience.

"Tell your mother that I'm taking good care of my appearance, and that I'll listen to what the company says."

Maintain your appearance?

company?

and many more…

David's bewildered expression made Lucy instantly realize that the brat in front of her knew nothing.

Lucy waved her hand. "If you don't understand, that's fine. I work for Rin... Your mother probably wants you to come and see if I'm staying home obediently, that's about it—so you can send her a text message to tell her that I'm fine, and that the deceased Lucy is keeping her promise."

"what?"

David felt that the hacker was speaking riddles too fast, and his brain couldn't keep up at all.

Lucy?

David swallowed hard…

The girl who fled with Santo Domingo had this name.

But she seems to have forgotten herself, so it's highly likely that it was Mr. Rin's doing.

However, he did not want to delve into the matter of Mr. Rin, as Mr. Rin must have his own reasons for doing so.

However, human curiosity is an instinctive impulse that is difficult to control.

So David wanted to know what the girl had been through, but he didn't know where to begin.

The girl in front of me was indeed very brave—she was able to remain calm and composed in front of Tanaka. It was probably thanks to her that the chip burned out.

Her hacking skills and monomolecular ray-based combat prosthetics seem completely out of place for a student.

"Thank you...uh, Lucy..."

"It's best if you don't use that name again."

Lucy turned to the side and quietly watched the rockets shooting into the sky, interrupting David's thanks.

"Just treat me like a stranger, that's all... stay away from me, it makes a lot of sense for you."

A long, thin puff of smoke drifted from the cigarette in Lucy's hand.

“Oda Tsuki…that’s your name at school.”

"Hmm... So you're always asking your junior classmates what their names are, right?"

Lucy flicked her cigarette ash and slowly walked to the entrance, seemingly preparing to see her guest off.

"Unless it's something important, please don't come to my room again—"

David hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

So, could this girl be Mr. Rin...?

David felt a little discouraged when he thought about this.

"You're right, aren't you?"

Lucy simply gave up, with an expression that said, "Do whatever you want."

For a Night City cyberpunk like Lucy, innocence is the least important thing...

To Lucy's surprise, David nodded seriously with a solemn expression.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Yue… I have no improper thoughts, and please don’t tell Mr. Lin about my… uh, my presumptuous questions and scrutiny of you.”

"I will not go back to that unreliable prosthetic doctor."

Lucy's expression froze on her face. Holding a cigarette in one hand, she suddenly started laughing, even bending over with laughter.

Panting and calming herself down, Lucy murmured, "Baka... (idiot), are those guy's words like holy decrees to you and your son?"

David nodded seriously.

"Well... Rin's care for our family can't be explained in just a few words. The reason I was able to study at Arasaka Academy and my mother was able to have a decent job... is all thanks to Mr. Rin. That's all."

“We will not do anything that would offend us.”

Lucy's chuckle, her head bowed, gradually faded, and her expression became somewhat strange.

It really is…

What is it about that guy that makes him so appealing?

Honest people often inspire honesty in others.

For the first time ever, Lucy offered an explanation.

She just didn't know why she needed to explain.

"That's not how it is... I'm like a forgotten ghost in the city, waiting for the day he asks us to complete a deal."

"It's impossible for him to have anything to do with me, and he never will... Not hating me is already the biggest concession I can make."

"In some ways, I have to thank your mother."

“I’ll take the toast—please give my regards to Ms. Gloria.”

David, being the kind of boy who doesn't understand the unspoken meaning, just keeps grinning foolishly. First, he's certain Lucy and Mr. Rin have nothing to do with each other, which gives him a strange sense of relief; second, the girl isn't unreasonable, and Mr. Rin has been kind to her…

There's a natural sense of closeness and familiarity.

As for what exactly happened, David guessed that even if he asked the girl, she wouldn't tell him.

It's best to get as little involved as possible.

This is what David knows.

Read good books and complete the tasks assigned by Mr. Rin.

Rin played a large part in the reason why he persisted in studying despite being bullied at school.

"Don't be a disappointment," was David's promise to Mr. Rin in Heywood.

At that moment, the automatic door opened, and David prepared to leave.

Lucy suddenly said something.

“Hey David… how long are you going to keep lying to your mother about getting injured while participating in sports?”

David's figure paused at the doorway.

He immediately yelled, "Hey! Are you spying on us?"

Lucy scoffed.

"That's the question I should be asking you—"

"Boom boom boom!"

Lucy tapped the wall with her pale knuckles.

"There is basically no sound insulation effect. It is impossible for anyone whose audiovisual system has been implanted to be completely unable to hear any sound."

David was both ashamed and angry; he interpreted Lucy's meaning as Lucy probably wanting to tell her parents.

Before he could maintain this temper for long, under Lucy's astonished gaze, David whispered:

"so what."

"Even if I get my revenge on Tanaka, the school board will expel me from Arasaka Academy for violating discipline, my mother will be disgraced, and Mr. Rin will be disappointed—"

"My studies are the only thing I need to stick to. In a little over a year, I will be able to apply for a corporate internship."

David used the words he always used to comfort himself.

Lucy gave a cold laugh.

"I thought you knew him so well."

"Wasn't it obvious enough that he came to the academy and had the team members clean up the fields?"

"Do you really think his men like to pick fights for no reason? They can all guess your relationship with him—in this respect, you're far less as clever as your mother."

I was afraid of causing trouble and disappointing Mr. Rin.

This is the fundamental reason why David can swallow so much of the bitterness of bullying.

Lucy stubbed out her cigarette, seemingly realizing she'd said too many things that weren't hers to say that day.

However, she had her own plans.

Mr. Rin seemed completely unconcerned about the secrets of the Black Wall; he simply needed to highlight his own worth.

That ticket to the moon was something I had always dreamed of.

She was determined to use this boy to get Rin's attention and make things go more smoothly for her...

"So you're going to become a complete corporate slave to help your benefactor?"

"It seems like no boss likes a weak employee, right?"

David was pushed out.

The people inside speak very clearly.

"Tomorrow night, at the park by the river, I'll teach you how to stop lying to your mother with lame excuses."

……

"You almost scared me to death! Are you alright?"

Gloria hurriedly entered the VIP waiting room of the trauma team and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lin Yue dressed as a studded rock youth.

"Thankfully, thanks to you telling us the trauma team's departure time, our people in the valley area evacuated in time and didn't run into the medical team—"

Gloria smiled and said, "Alright, you don't need to tell me about what happened next. The trauma team members all follow the rules. When someone dies, they are only responsible for collecting the bodies of Platinum members. I didn't do much work."

"What is this...?"

Lin Yue's expression darkened when he spoke of this.

"I've come to see Suzuki."

"His wife and children..."

Gloria gently comforted him, "Mr. Suzuki's wife will be with him during the day, so don't worry, she has no idea you exist..."

"However, you'd better..."

She pointed to her face.

Lin Yue suddenly realized what was going on, took off his studded leather jacket, revealing a plain black T-shirt underneath, paired with hard-line jeans, making him look like a professional soldier.

A streak of light flashed by, almost completely obscuring the patterns on the prosthetic body.

"I'm bothering you so late."

Lin Yue felt a little embarrassed.

Gloria said coquettishly, "What you said makes me feel really bad... Coming here at dawn or now is the same, it's my shift today—why don't you go check on Mr. Suzuki first? All his vital signs have been good lately, but I don't know why he just won't wake up even though the data is good..."

"But luck is always on your side. Go see him. I'll go prepare the testing equipment."

Perhaps Gloria's comfort made him feel much better, and Lin Yue nodded gratefully.

"The new prosthetic features are beautiful and perfectly match your temperament."

Lin Yue rarely offered a compliment.

"Thank you so much, that's a sweet compliment."

Gloria never asks questions she shouldn't.

They didn't even have the slightest curiosity about what was happening in the valley area.

In a good mood, Gloria hummed a tune, smoothed her hair, and began to prepare.

Lin Yue silently left the front-end ward, and after gaining access, walked to the bulletproof glass outside Suzuki's ward.

Inside, Suzuki looked like an ordinary person asleep, but the tubes tightly connected to his body made Lin Yue feel a pang of heartache.

A series of high-heeled shoe clicks could be heard.

"The biotechnology emergency public relations incident has exploded. Their higher-ups believe that Nash has too much intelligence, which has caused the military technology feud. Arasaka is ready at any time. In this dogfight, we, Arasaka, have also gained a lot."

V sat next to Lin Yue.

Twenty minutes had passed by the time the two finished exchanging all the intelligence information.

Once she helps V and gains the upper hand, she can do more in Arasaka, making it increasingly difficult for Michiko to kick him out.

"There's one more thing. The student you sponsored got involved with the European branch of Arasaka Academy, a bounty-hunting hacker group, through my help."

“The child was bullied by the son of a school board member, and we didn’t interfere too much in order to avoid drawing attention.”

Lin Yue knew who V was referring to.

"How come this kid doesn't have the slightest thought of resisting?"

He was also helpless.

V sighed, "That's quite accurate."

"I didn't want to disappoint you, so I just gritted my teeth and persevered... It seems that the hacker wants to teach David some self-defense techniques."

In order to hide Lucy, Lin Yue had no choice but to rely on V's methods, but he never expected that fate would bring such a perfect twist.

No matter how you try to stop it, some intersecting fates will inevitably spin and intertwine once again.

"Let him be. Just remember to cover for him if something happens. It's understandable to fight back if he's bullied... It's not like he didn't study hard."

V wholeheartedly agrees.

V didn't want to ask what the relationship was between that child and Rin, lest she get upset.

"It is better to learn to fight for one's dignity than to be a submissive follower."

V curled the corners of his mouth.

It really was just as that hacker said…

The same.

……

……

(End of this chapter)