Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 357 Unexpected People and Events [6.6K]

The performance was a great success.

The final note brought KIA's underground appearance in Santo Domingo to a perfect close.

The band members high-fived each other, and nobody remembered what ND was...

The bar was packed with people; people from nearby venues heard the news and wanted to see the band.

So the bar's revenue naturally increased accordingly...

Lin Yue, who had just come off the stage and was about to go backstage to pack up his instruments, felt the guitar on his back lighten. He nodded to Li Yang, who was about to carry the guitar for him. Only then did Lin Yue see the market's residents appear at the entrance to the performance area.

It seems the owner of the red clay shop is quite knowledgeable.

To Lin Yue's surprise, the seemingly shrewd businessman understood who the song "Fire Source" was dedicated to, which is why he asked the security guards to stop obstructing them and let them talk to Lin Yue.

The die-hard rock fans all wanted an autograph, but they only wanted a thank you.

Thanks to the increasing number of people in Santo Domingo remembering these events, there are also more voices in bars cursing the company...

"You can fight and sing, that's awesome." Massimo greeted Lin Yue with a handshake and a hug, patting the muscular young man firmly on the shoulder.

"Lauren, my wife, and these are my children..."

Following the direction Massimo was pointing, three children huddled around a smiling woman, a healthy girl who seemed perfect for a peaceful life.

"Hello."

Lin Yue clapped his hands as he squatted down. The boldest of them all was Massimo's youngest son, who actually stretched out his hand like a rock 'n' roll kid to give Lin Yue a high five.

"You sing so well! My mom says if I were ten years younger, I'd definitely be waiting for your performance at the bar—"

"Oh yeah, that rock kid is so cool!"

The clever little devil stood with his hands on his hips, his words carrying a mature air about him.

The children of Night City mature early.

Perhaps high technology has had a huge impact on the growth of innocent children, so it's perfectly normal for them to say such things.

However, Lin Yue was not opposed to it; on the contrary, he felt that Massimo's children should be eloquent and articulate.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat!"

His mother also interrupted the little guy's speech without any politeness. The strong woman, tempered by life, did not act coy or pretentious like a little girl. Instead, she used her rough hands to clench her fists and rubbed the boy's head to teach him a lesson. Of course, her eyes did not hide her appreciation for Lin Yue.

She took a step forward.

Hugging is a basic social etiquette here, especially as a way of expressing gratitude.

The woman gave Lin Yue a gentle hug, and whispered, "Mia will be very grateful to you."

Lin Yue, who had sensed the friendliness, was taken aback by these words.

Mia.

I instantly realized that it was Massimo's sister who died in the fire...

Massimo, standing beside her, naturally heard his wife's words. His eyes softened, as if he had suddenly felt relieved after being wronged for a long time.

The neighbors greeted Lin Yue one by one. Some of the women and elderly people couldn't help but lower their heads and wipe away tears, silently comforting their lost loved ones and purifying their grieving souls.

We still haven't done enough.

Lin Yue had an impulse to make this incident an undeniable festering sore for Peizhuo Petrochemical, to bring down this huge and extremely corrupt monopoly, and to completely complete his revenge.

"If there's anything else I need to do—"

"No, kid."

The old man next to Massimo grabbed Lin Yue's sleeve, "Protecting yourself is the right thing to do. They like to keep quiet and are good at causing trouble... I just hope that our affairs won't affect your career."

The woman who had been seeking medicine from Massimo also spoke up, saying, "You've done enough."

On the surface, Lin Yue could only suppress his impulse to do this for the time being; he wouldn't just let it go like that.

This song will reawaken the collective memory of Santo Domingo. He firmly believes that he is not the only one who harbors resentment towards the corrupt company, nor is he the only one among the dreamers. As long as there is memory, revenge will never cease.

Seeing the worried looks in the neighbors' eyes, I realized they didn't seem to be faking it.

Lin Yue could only quickly agree, treating this matter as a secret to be protected together with his neighbors.

As the neighbors dispersed, Lin Yue waved goodbye to them. Besides feeling immense psychological satisfaction, he felt incredibly tired, something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

However, this fatigue was a good thing. He lowered his head, lit a cigarette, and prepared to finish work perfectly and go home.

As for how much he earned, and how much the red clay shop owner would give himself—

He doesn't care at all.

As long as the band members receive their due compensation, that's fine.

"Hi K!"

To Lin Yue's surprise, the Red Clay boss, whom he thought would be busy counting money tonight, actually came to find him first.

The band had finished packing up, but Li still had to work part-time at the 24-hour motel restaurant. Despite everyone's repeated attempts to dissuade her, she insisted on going, citing the fact that the owner had taken her in before…

As soon as he entered, the portly boss was holding a wad of cash in his hand.

Lin Yue didn't seem to care much, since he was alone in Santo Domingo and could live on a little extra money. However, the others looked at each other in disbelief, judging by the thickness of the bill, which was probably at least two thousand euros.

"As we agreed, I've increased the profit sharing a bit."

The boss put the money on the table, and his attitude was much more lenient than before, trying his best to conduct the conversation with respect.

"It's a 50/50 split. Everyone who comes to your show tonight will need to pay a minimum spend of 5 euros for a ticket..."

Hearing this, Lin Yue was about to ask something when the shopkeeper, with an expression that said, "I know you inside and out," pointed a finger as if to say, "People near the market get in for free."

"The drinks were originally split 70/30, but now it's 60/40, so the total is 2,153 euros. This is all the income your band has. I won't interfere with how you divide it."

Everyone in the band was happy, at least they earned their living with their skills. They had played for other bands, but every performance was a losing proposition. Mendero still owes money to the music store owner!
"Wow, you made two thousand in one game?!"

Mendelsohn couldn't keep a secret, but he still glanced at Lin Yue subconsciously. Everyone was patiently waiting for Lin Yue to share the money.

However, the boss's eyes lit up, and Lin Yue saw that three thousand euros had suddenly appeared in his account. For a moment, Lin Yue's brows furrowed tightly.

Now it was the boss's turn to feel awkward.

He rubbed his hands together. "Brother K, how about... we talk outside?"

The band members were all a bit confused. Lin Yue saw a hint of panic in their eyes; they probably thought he was about to achieve great success...

"You suddenly transferred money to me and then told me to go out and talk behind my teammates' backs. Who am I supposed to sing with now?"

"Rock and roll isn't something you can do alone. I thought you understood that."

Lin Yue shook his head. He wasn't disappointed, but he felt that his boss's behavior was a bit too strange.

To everyone's surprise, the boss suddenly turned red in the face, hesitated for a long time, and finally plopped down in his chair in a fit of despair.

"Sorry to trouble you, there are, um... some unfamiliar guests. Two people specifically asked you to come over. They're not easy to deal with. They look like either they work for a company or they're high-ranking members of a gang."

Lin Yue's expression immediately changed.

Is this boss really stupid or just clueless?
"I'm sorry——"

Lin Yue didn't even bother to smoke his cigarette; he just wanted to slap the boss twice.

He was furious that the boss had taken money from the company and then shared it with him. His expression was one of utter disbelief – after all, the team members' faces had changed. They were the ones who were criticizing the company, but the boss had taken money from someone suspected to be from the company and then shared it with the lead singer!

Is this hush money?
"I'll just say it straight!"

"That woman is amazing! Nobody has ever seen anyone like her before!"

The boss almost burst into tears.

"My two men immediately disarmed the man and made him lie on the ground like grandsons. The private room was originally reserved for another gang's regular customers, but as soon as they went in, they ran away with their butts between their legs before they could even say a few words!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"She didn't say what she wanted to do, she just gave me money saying it was a tip for me, that she appreciated me and wanted me to go to her private room..."

"puff!"

Li, who was drinking water, couldn't help but spit it out.

Seeing Lin Yue, whose face was twitching, turn around, she quickly wiped her mouth and said, "Uh, well... I'm so sorry."

"No way, you think my buddy's a prostitute?!"

Mendel could no longer bear it and suddenly stood up!

Lin Yue's face darkened even more...

Why does he always feel insulted but can't find any evidence?

The boss gave him a look that said, "Don't look at me, it's all your own people criticizing you," and tentatively said, "Maybe they think you sing amazingly? A lot of rich people want to chat with artists or something..."

Seeing Lin Yue make a move to get up, he hurriedly stretched out his hand to block him and said with a wry smile, "Not many people can afford to mess with this kind of person. Even the gang's higher-ups run away with their tails between their legs. What do you expect us to do? Think about your teammates. Maybe it's just a conversation?"

Having been sitting in his office position for so long, Lin Yue obviously hadn't thought of this aspect.

If he were the rock star from Night City, without this cybernetic body, he'd be nothing but a nobody in the eyes of many factions, let alone his bandmates who didn't have any combat cybernetic bodies...

Even though his cybernetic body was incredibly powerful, he still had to temporarily disappear due to the company's crackdown.

The atmosphere immediately became somewhat heavy...

Is this revenge against us?

Only after hearing this did Mendero belatedly realize that trouble was coming his way.

The boss shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum…

"I'm pretty sure they weren't employees of the company involved in the Santo Domingo tragedy. They're more like people who were just looking for fun out of boredom. Would the company really take such a gentle approach?"

"It's just that I can't afford to offend this kind of person, so I wanted to ask..."

The boss slapped his thigh.

"Alright, K, I'll be a good guy to the end. You and your band can leave now. Just come sing at my place as long as my shop is open next time."

However, Lin Yue put down the various instrument bags he had just packed.

"I'll go."

He had a vague feeling that the matter wasn't as complicated as he had imagined. Besides, he didn't believe that someone of his strength could be easily subdued. In any case, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he decided to go anyway.

The boss seemed surprised that K was really that brave, so he also adopted a posture of going all out to accompany him.

“I’ll go with you. I swear on my life that I’m not going to target your company’s bastards. If he tries to cause trouble on my turf, we’re not going to be sitting idly by.”

Lin Yue didn't pay any attention to his boss's impassioned speech.

In his view, this kid was afraid to speak up because he encountered someone with unknown background, wealth, and power...

Which businessperson isn't tactful?
The boss's words comforted his teammates, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After giving his teammates a reassuring look.

Lin Yue pointed to the money on the table, "Everyone, please divide it up and go home early. Li Xian, please hold onto my share for me..."

Once you enter the world, you have no choice.

Using this phrase in Night City might not be entirely appropriate, but life is never smooth sailing, and that's the gist of it.

He was just worried about his group of like-minded friends.

On his way there, Lin Yue made up his mind that if they were just idle guys with weird ideas, whether they were from a company or a gang, Lin Yue would make them submit.

Watching K's departing figure—

Everyone fell silent.

"he…"

Li pointed to the door, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Clearly, no one was in the mood for splitting the money; they all looked dejected. It was unexpected that the same people who had launched a strong attack on the company on stage would have the lead singer bear the pressure in the face of simple power struggles. The blow came far too quickly.

A understood perfectly: "Judging from the boss's expression of not being able to pee, he's probably a big spender. Maybe he just wants to meet K? This guy is likable, so he might be interested in him."

Mendrone was furious. "Those damn power dogs!"

To kill someone by attacking their spirit, one could say, "Just consider it... that guy went to exchange performance experience."

Mendelsohn felt even more bitter upon hearing this.

As expected, Li choked on the water again. The other members were all staring intently at the woman, and Li didn't dare look into their murderous glares.

"Your mom, is this water poisoned?"

……

Before even entering the private room, Lin Yue, who had been filled with worries, instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

There was even a hint of helplessness...

Lin Yue recognized all the security guards at the entrance, even when they turned to ashes.

It's Leiden, who's temporarily filling in for the company's security guard position since Suzuki is absent...

Emma is always going crazy.

The boss looked at this guy with a hint of fear. Even he, an expert, couldn't tell the specific model of the prosthetic body covered by the coating. If it weren't for the tiger claw tattoo on his arm and his attire, he would almost certainly have assumed that this was one of the company's employees.

"He can go in."

Leiden certainly didn't understand why the boss wanted to hire a rock star, but he would absolutely obey all of the boss's orders.

Lin Yue couldn't offer an explanation, but the boss was clearly very loyal; he squinted and moved closer to Leiden, a distance that most likely indicated he wanted to fight…

"This is Hongni. I've brought you the person. Want to cause trouble?"

Leiden remained unfazed. Standing a head taller than his boss, he patiently said, "Perhaps my boss just wants to discuss some musical matters with Mr. K. It's a private conversation. I will guarantee his safety—you can take action only if there are any problems, okay?"

This is the gentlest tone I've ever used.

The boss is in a dilemma.

At this point, Lin Yue could only nod and didn't explain anything further. He walked in as the automatic door opened.

Immediately afterwards——

A group of bodyguards appeared behind the boss, who gritted his teeth and said, "Keep a close eye on them!"

Leiden showed no fear, simply shrugged his hands, and stood quietly watching the group.

The moment I stepped inside.

Lin Yue discovered that the situation was more complicated than he had imagined…

Emma was the first to speak, of course.

She was genuinely happy to see Lin Yue after so long, and her eyes crinkled with a smile as soon as he entered.

Standing next to the floor-to-ceiling window was a tall, unfamiliar woman. Lin Yue knew without even reading the data that she was a V-shaped woman with a stern, expressionless face…

"superstar."

Emma wanted to cling to Lin Yue, exclaiming, "He sings so well!"

“Please get off him, Miss Emma.”

V looked at the two of them with a cold smile. Every time this happened, she wanted to strangle that bastard Lin Yue. It was a completely instinctive impulse.

Emma's face instantly fell. She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and plopped down on the sofa. "I wonder who was staring at the people below for so long without saying a word? Without me around, they'd probably be screaming 'Ahhhhh' like some little fangirl!"

Lin Yue would rather be bothered by the company, at least he would know how to deal with it.

Mediating between V and Emma is probably the most difficult thing in the world.

"I think you need to teach someone a lesson. If the company gets hold of a clue, all our efforts will be wasted."

Lin Yue had witnessed Emma's sarcastic and unpredictable nature firsthand.

"That way I can go find the rock star all by myself~ and maybe even sleep with him while I'm at it—"

Lin Yue, exasperated, covered Emma's mouth.

"Stop, stop, stop! You were arguing like this before I even got here?"

I must have committed too many sins in my previous life to have ended up in this mess.

V's focus is indeed different from that of ordinary people.

A smooth liquid ran through her body, and her rather aggressive brows furrowed slightly. "Take your hand away!"

Lin Yue reluctantly withdrew his hand, unsure of what to do next...

Emma could only roll her eyes.

Before we get down to business…

"It seems like there's a story behind your song?"

"You sing well—it seems you're well-suited for this role."

V, on the other hand, frankly praised the other party.

Lin Yue had a lot to say about today's performance: "It was a tragedy perpetrated by Santo Domingo Pedro Petrochemical. In order to cut off the industrial chain and evade punishment, they burned the labor force of hundreds of households to death in the underground facilities of the old factory site."

"The company's methods are very strict, and many people can't speak out... With this song, I believe the company will also have a headache about how to deal with this public opinion. If someone with ulterior motives investigates again, Peizhuo Petrochemical may face considerable trouble."

As Lin Yue recounted these events, Emma rested her chin on one hand and watched with a smile.

As V listened to her boyfriend say these things, a slight smile crept onto her lips.

"You're not the one with ulterior motives, are you?"

Emma gently poked Lin Yue with her finger.

V shook his head. "I advise you not to. Military technology and biotechnology are all the rage right now, and sometimes it's too chaotic, which isn't a good thing..."

Emma's voice, as if possessing a magical power, added in my ear, "She's worried about you."

After saying this, Lin Yue noticed that V's eyes were twitching...

"All right!"

Lin Yue felt that running away was not a solution, so he simply stopped the two women's fierce, overt and covert confrontation and made a pause gesture.

"If you two are arguing, then I'm leaving."

A man should stand up for himself sometimes!
Although he thought and did this, Lin Yue still paid attention to V's expression.

Emma's expression immediately changed: "No way..."

V: "Sorry."

Surprisingly, V actually apologized for the first time ever.

This time, Lin Yue was caught off guard.

"I came to Santo Domingo to talk to you mainly because the assassination attempt on Nash has brought the military technology and biotechnology fields to a fever pitch. Companies in Night City are all choosing sides. Arasaka has gained a lot of initiative, but some biotechnology projects in non-free states have been swallowed up by military technology. In return, some projects have also been withheld by biotechnology. Arasaka can try to negotiate with the free state regions..."

When it came to serious matters, V was very logical and explained in detail what Lin Yue had been unaware of during this period.

"There's also intelligence, tricked from that spy in Europe. The operations there provided the counterintelligence department with many opportunities to take the initiative. Thank you."

Lin Yue was responsible for contacting and implementing most of the plans. V knew that he was able to escape unscathed and not be kicked out by the dove Michiko thanks to intelligence. The initiative was in V's hands, and Michiko could do nothing to this department under any circumstances.

Although it was all good news, V and Lin Yue felt there was a lot to do, and their mood was inevitably mixed with a bit of worry and confusion.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Emma blinked and smiled, "I've had enough good news already, how about one more?"

"Suzuki is awake."

V was only slightly pleased when she heard the news, but a larger part of her joy came from Rin; she knew how important Suzuki was to her lover.

Lin Yue's mind was instantly filled with joy, and he subconsciously grabbed Emma's hand, "Really?!"

Emma didn't make a sound even though she was being pinched, but instead whispered slyly, "How about I feel the pain again when V isn't around?"

Lin Yue, realizing he had lost his composure, found it difficult to calm down.

This was another unexpected surprise—

"You can go see him if you have time."

Emma seemed to have forgotten that Lin Yue had just told her not to provoke V; in fact, she was about to leave after saying that.

"Alright, my mission is complete."

Lin Yue was somewhat taken aback. Why was Emma, ​​who usually liked to cling to him, preparing to leave today after giving such happy news?
Emma stood up and straightened her charming yet understated skirt. She reached out and pinched Lin Yue's cheek. "My dear rock star, keep up the good work! I've already made some records, and I've had someone record the live soundtrack—remember, I'm your biggest fan!"

V on the other end smiled and took a sip of his drink. "Really? I'd like one too."

Emma smiled sweetly, "Of course, my cool little beauty."

For the first time ever, V didn't react at all to Emma's teasing.

Lin Yue, who was confused about the situation, only heard Emma whisper in his ear: "She misses you a little. Take a good rest, okay? Don't overwork yourself. Come find me when you come to Taipingzhou. There's new research on Lost Island that I want to talk to you about."

"Don't worry about the team. We've found a lot of clues, and these people are getting more and more adept at it."

"Well...bye-bye?"

Emma beckoned him, then ignored the bewildered Lin Yue.

They left through the back door; Leiden was left behind temporarily, while someone below met Emma.

She always did a good job as a mistress.

V watched Emma leave with slightly narrowed eyes. That innate hostility had always been there, but it was limited to feelings.

Aside from her occasional emotional outbursts, Emma is not some weak, pretty face. She's someone who can use her brains to pull herself out of a whirlpool; her trump cards are her intellect and her ability to make good decisions.

"What, you want to catch up now?"

V has always been a very confident guy, at least when it comes to his appearance.

But she didn't know why she added a sarcastic remark, perhaps instinctively trying to prove something with irony?

It's a bit strange.

She coughed lightly a few times and took a long stride to sit down next to Lin Yue. She was exhausted both physically and mentally from the high-intensity work at the company and the recent chaos in Night City.

"that…"

"I heard that rock stars all have a bunch of girls chasing after them? They seem to have a lot of fun. Is that how it is for artists?"

Lin Yue's face showed terror—

"Where did you hear that?"

V thought for a moment, "Your second woman."

"..."

Lin Yue has already begun to miss the old V; the current V has simply been "poisoned" by Emma.

"do you miss me?"

V's questions are becoming increasingly difficult to answer.

Lin Yue couldn't help but glance at V, who was now sitting in a posture that resembled that of a girl. She had her hands on her sides, looking like an ordinary girl chatting next to her boyfriend—except that her appearance was too outstanding.

"certainly--"

Lin Yue had barely uttered a single word when the woman turned her head slightly, her eyes sparkling beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows.

No matter how many times, my heart still flutters.

"Then why didn't you express anything at all? For example, by holding me and doing what Miss Emma wanted?"

what?
V.

Are you serious?
……

……

(End of this chapter)