Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 360 Foresight (Part 1) [6.5K]

The sounds of precisely operating instruments drifted intermittently through the clean, warm, and white prosthetic treatment room.

"As I get older, I sometimes have to stop and think about the operating procedures for these new gadgets, even though I'm probably the doctor in that small town of Watson who's most concerned about prosthetic safety—"

"Are you feeling well?"

Old Wei was dressed as always in a dark blue shirt, with vintage floral tattoos on his arms, and his calm demeanor was reassuring.

Strangely enough, the scientists from this state and the "barefoot doctors" of Night City were quite friendly in their academic exchanges.

According to Shidao, this is the level of a company's technical doctor, and a high level at that. He can perfectly fulfill the role of a technical doctor in the research team.

Who would have thought that Vee was a boxer in his youth?
"That's great. Anyway, after seeing your prosthetic body, I always felt a little unsure about other doctors' options!"

Lin Yue appeared to be joking and laughing, but in reality, he had concealed the discomfort of the prosthetic body very well. It wasn't that Lao Wei's technique was lacking; the complexity of this prosthetic body was absolutely a miracle, and it was quite a challenge for Lao Wei.

"You and V are so sweet-talking."

Old Wei lowered his head and aimed the sharp needle straight at Lin Yue's eye, but Lin Yue did not flinch.

"Relax... I heard you had Haywood's kid—Misty's boyfriend—doing business in Night City, is that right?"

Lin Yue's vision was completely black. He grunted and said, "That's not really an arrangement. Jack helped me a lot. Mrs. Wells was quite worried about him... How should I put it? Jack is a restless person. With my team cooperating with him, and my friends in the NCPD, I believe we'll be relatively safe."

Old Wei chuckled softly.

He always values ​​children who are "loving" and kind.

"You've thought of everything so thoroughly."

"I believe Mrs. Wells will feel a little more at ease... Come on, let's test if the picture is clear?"

The progress bar for data loading appeared in Lin Yue's eyeball, and his artificial eye regained its light, with the slightly hazy feeling dissipating considerably.

“Some solid dust got into the artificial crystal. Santo Domingo is often affected by storms from the bad soil, and there are just too many industrial areas there, so we still need to pay attention to the maintenance of the prosthetic eye from time to time.”

"Qilu Company's products are quite delicate, and the high-end products often have problems. I've made some optimizations for you."

Lin Yue clicked his tongue in amazement.

When a new product comes out, Lao Wei is always the first one to pay attention to, and his medical advice is always very detailed and patient, leaving a deep impression that you can't forget.

"I didn't expect that the equipment your company had would be compatible with Qilu Si. I talked to Shidao at the time, and we guessed that perhaps none of the prosthetic eyes currently on the market could perfectly adapt to the extremely complex neural connections in your face..."

Old Wei wiped the biological liquid off his gloves. "But you see, the optics of the Crossroads are the best in the world. It not only fits perfectly, but also has a margin of error."

Number one in the world.

Do you want to be number one in the world?

Old Wei's usual gentle and calm way of speaking left Lin Yue momentarily unsure whether he was joking or genuinely asking a question.

"You have too many things to consider, but you have to be clear that you are the most important. No matter what method you use, you have to live your part well."

Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

Old Wei pointed to the data on the computer next to him, and Lin Yue suddenly understood…

It turned out that his stress-related hormones were running high, and he noticed this small detail.

"Old Wei, your shop..."

Lin Yue sat up from his chair. Even the highly efficient Lao Wei had made the examination last for a full five or six hours.

"Otherwise, why would I have brought you here from the hands of those who were desperately losing their island?"

"Misty is still keeping an eye on that mercenary who's still under observation. He was shot four times. Whether he'll wake up or not is really a matter of luck."

Old Wei packed up his belongings.

"He seems eager to use his new technology on you... He's a very capable person, but you need to be careful."

"Although I've never seen a street kid survive something like this and still be alive and kicking, but..."

That's all for this.

In fact, the best doctors in Night City are never in the trauma team; they're more likely to be in the basement of Chinatown in Watson District.

A warm feeling washed over me.

Lin Yue said, "Don't worry, Lao Wei."

"I'm ready—"

Old Wei chuckled as he shouldered his things, interrupting, "Don't tell this old man too much. If the company ever causes me trouble, I can grit my teeth and bear it for a while if I know nothing."

Lin Yue actually wanted Lao Wei to stay at Dreamer permanently, even if it meant giving the revenue to Lao Wei.

But Lin Yue knew that this was simply impossible.

Old Wei was worried about the patients in the Watson ward who might appear at any time, so he could only keep this selfish thought to himself for the time being.

"Let's go see the lost island."

Old Wei glanced at the time, his expression like that of a patriarch watching his child embark on a long journey.

“It’s rare to see someone as influential as you on the streets, but that’s precisely why you have to be extra careful.”

Lin Yue paused for a moment.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Old Wei shook his head.

“Emma handled everything very well. A while ago, someone from the company was hanging around Watson. It was probably a company agent who was injured during a mission and looked almost dead... So, I still performed surgery on him to save his life. The system is from Zeta Technology and it was being targeted—this girl helped me solve the problem.”

Lin Yue frowned.

Zeta Technology?

Perhaps it was because all predetermined things changed that the old Vic Clinic, which was not to be acquired by Zeta Technology for several years, was targeted ahead of time.

Lin Yue wasn't very familiar with this company, which started out from among a bunch of small companies and used its personal computer business to snatch profits from the giants, but since Emma had made the arrangements, there shouldn't be any problems.

This is the result of Emma being reliable all this time.

After Lao Wei left, Shi Dao arrived at the medical room right on time.

……

It's hard to say whether this mad scientist Lin Yue is good or bad now.

On the positive side: He is indeed a research expert from Arasaka, Honshu, whose theoretical thinking and practical abilities are beyond question—Dreamers don't have that many sophisticated instruments and research equipment, so it's truly an achievement that he was able to complete the de-burdening of the gravitational field under these circumstances.

What about the downsides?
This guy doesn't seem to care about being human anymore...

Previously, Lost Island would consider the extreme pressure that the prosthetic body would exert on the human body. However, after Lin Yue's body was retrieved from Lost Island during the Badlands expedition, his thoughts changed quietly.

Lin Yue, with his extremely strong physical limits, completely ignited the desire to research the lost island.

His desire to create the most powerful weapon for the human body fully embodies his scientific ambitions, which were previously constrained in Honshu.

"Have you taken it?"

The sound of a lost island echoed through the Dreamers' empty training ground.

What Lin Yue was holding was not a gun or a new weapon, but the most advanced imaging scope of some technical sniper rifles.

Unlike infrared, its most terrifying aspect is that it completely reveals the outline of enemies behind cover. The Spectrum Capture Technology of the Crossroads is compatible with the aiming equipment of any military manufacturer.

Infrared is just a reference value for the situation of enemies behind cover. Built-in AI motion prediction simulation, prosthetic magnetic sensing and other technologies will make it impossible for enemies behind cover to hide.

In Night City and the world after 2045, building materials have made great strides. Only high-tech weapons with extremely strong electromagnetic acceleration can penetrate walls. Most bullets will lose speed and kinetic energy rapidly after penetrating a wall. Therefore, high-tech weapons combined with such aiming devices are the most deadly weapons on the battlefield.

Lin Yue had no idea what Shidao was up to, so he could only wait patiently.

In the shot, the island's clumsy body crouches behind the wall—

Lin Yue couldn't help but chuckle.

It's so flexible...

The island-lost man must have looked like an old man whose strength was exhausted and whose waist was weak when he squatted down.

It turns out he just had a lot of fat around his waist and was round and chubby, but some prosthetics and chips that enhanced his bones and motor functions made him much stronger than the average person.

He moved quickly behind the wall, and Lin Yue's camera kept capturing his movements.

The prosthetic eye can clearly mark the outlines of enemies in the environment, leaving them with virtually nowhere to hide.

Fortunately, Lin Yue rarely suffered losses against those with advanced weaponry within the gangs and Night City's forces. Most snipers struggled to aim at him due to his speed, so they showed little interest in the so-called research on Lost Island.

The sound of Shidao's voice continued to echo in my ears.

"Now disconnect the aiming device and use your experience to determine the enemy's location. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

"By the way, what kind of training process do you high-level mercenaries have?"

This question was suddenly asked of Lin Yue.

It seems that all I have is the training chip I got from the hackers in Dogtown and the experience of training with the squad at the outpost, as well as the training I received with the Dogtown hounds.

later…

It seems that they all relied on their fighting spirit and experience gained from repeated life-or-death crises.

Combat instincts often do not need to be learned.

"I'm selecting positions according to the company's internal sniper's combat manual. You can tell me the position you're most interested in first. There's one last step left, which is the experience of a veteran."

Is it true that you're using yourself as a go-to person for advice?
Lin Yue was both amused and exasperated, and could only follow Yajima's advice.

After a long wait, Lin Yue finally received a text message about the lost island. Below the training ground were various covers and equipment. Without the assistance to find the enemy, Lin Yue simply turned off the functions of the Oracle Eye of the Crossroads. Now he could only rely on experience to find the location of the lost island...

The company's sniper training manual?

Lin Yue surveyed his surroundings and identified five key points that posed a fatal threat to him from his current position.

The first thing a sniper needs to learn is how to take sniper shots.

The first priority is to ensure that the enemy's patrol forces or reconnaissance can locate the position before firing.

Drones also need to be taken into account.

As the number of locations began to decrease, it was as if Lin Yue had a map in his mind. His calculation ability and spatial imagination were already like an extremely meticulous supercomputer.

That's what a hacker with an intelligence level of 20 is like.

"Three-story terrace, coordinates 12, 45."

Lin Yue spoke directly, and the training ground remained silent except for the echo of his voice...

A few seconds later, Shidao stood up.

Although he was covered in dust and dirt, it couldn't hide the excitement on his face.

The guy in front of me was undoubtedly a super soldier; intelligence and strength, two powers that are difficult to reconcile, complemented each other in him.

“I had Brandon optimize this thing, but I didn’t expect you to still be able to guess it. It’s amazing.”

Lin Yue believed this was the essence of research on lost islands.

"I apologize, Professor Lost Island, but it seems I've ruined the new secret you and Brandon have created—"

"No, no, no!" Shidao's round body was still there. "I'm just making some final optimizations. When we hand in our assignments to Arasaka, it's always this rushed. Some of these last-minute optimizations are inspirations to me, rare opportunities. Next, you need to upgrade all the functions of your prosthetic eyes, including making good use of the eyepiece in your hand."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yue heard a strange noise.

It was the sound of something metallic clanging and rolling on the ground…

Lin Yue's combat instincts immediately told him that someone had thrown a projectile.

The prosthetic eye immediately locked onto that thing.

It is human instinct to be drawn to something.

When a stable environment is suddenly disturbed by a little external force, people can't help but watch.

Skilled lone wolves often exploit this human principle when carrying out infiltration missions, using devices to divert attention and thus gain entry into important facilities without bloodshed... This method is also explicitly mentioned in "The Enforcer's Handbook".

Morgan Blackhand, a unique figure in the lone wolf world, put this strategy into practice decades ago. Even though it was clearly stated in his book, some people still fall for it.

Lin Yue figured that the crazy, eccentric scientist from the lost island would probably actually do something, so he decided to hide for a while. However, the thing suddenly started emitting wisps of white smoke in a very short time, leaving Lin Yue standing there completely bewildered...

It's supposed to be a smoke bomb, but the smoke isn't even close to being thick enough.

Let alone the top-tier divine oracle that obscures the view of the Crossroads Division, even the prosthetic eyes of a street gang thug can see everything perfectly through the smoke...

How to describe it?
It's like a group of smokers playing cards together; even with the room filled with smoke, their vision isn't affected.

Even so, Lin Yue still stretched out his arm to temporarily cover his mouth and nose—

Who knows if Lost Island will have some shocking stuff added to it!
Moreover, the smoke lasted for such a short time that, in an environment with ventilation, Lin Yue thought it might not be a concern at all, and might even serve as a warning to the invaded guards that someone was about to enter.

"Professor Lost Island, if I remember correctly, the smoke bomb..."

"It was already useless during the Fourth Corporate War. It might be useful in attack and defense within residential areas, but decades-old technology can accurately locate targets through smoke. Drones are just sitting ducks in the air..."

He's a technical expert, but he's still a bit out of his depth when it comes to making actual weapon parts.

No one answered.

Lin Yue shook his head, assuming that Shidao had suffered a blow, so he prepared to politely leave, leaving Shidao alone to think about what the problem was.

At this moment, a streak of light flashed across the surface of Pila's external prosthetic eye, which had been watching and recording data at the main control console of the training field, revealing a malicious smile.

"Dude, it didn't say it failed."

Upon hearing Pila's voice, Lin Yue was initially delighted, as if meeting an old friend. At the same time, he casually glanced at the location where the island had been. Lin Yue noticed that the island, which had been there after the smoke cleared, had vanished.

"Optical camouflage?"

Lin Yue waited patiently for a few minutes. This thing consumed a lot of energy stored in the prosthetic body and needed to be cooled and recharged before it could be used. Moreover, it could not be used for more than three minutes when the body was at rest.

But as time went on, Lin Yue was stunned.

Where did they go?

The scopes of the technological weapons in his hands seemed to be asleep; they scanned the outline of Pira in the control room, but not the lost island…

"Kid, what's the point of the technology we have here?!"

Pila seemed to be on steroids, spitting wildly into the microphone.

Lin Yue had a bad feeling…

"For real combat, so you won't be carried back like a corpse again!"

Pila has completely merged with the island of Lost Island.

These two tech fanatics, who usually act like the dead when eating or doing anything else, were now both wearing excited expressions.

Lin Yue's face stiffened.

"Hey... don't be inhuman."

A light suddenly appeared on the left!

Lin Yue's Krenchkov instantly started operating!
Hold--

Real guns?!
When he was discovered, Lin Yue gained a fraction of a second of movement by using this time-stop technique.

Judging from the emitted flames, it is a technologically advanced weapon with considerable destructive power.

"crazy!"

Lin Yue's afterimage moved in a circle, and the bullet instantly pierced through the new type of concrete wall about 20 centimeters behind him!
Firing the gun means the location has been found, and Lin Yue will make this great scientist pay the price.

At least let him understand how powerful he is.

Almost instantly, Lin Yue's legs shot forward like a fully drawn bow, hurtling towards the spot he thought he was aiming for!
With his agile body and exceptional jumping ability, Lin Yue quickly rushed into the second-floor room on the left.

He didn't realize that as he moved, the originally weak smoke began to reflect bright light when it was brushed against his face, like a woman's highlighter eyeshadow.

"Ok?"

"What about people?"

Lin Yue was dumbfounded.

A non-professional shot himself and was still not caught by himself?

Does this mean there's a S'anwestan on the lost islands now...? Are you kidding me?!

Lin Yue was certain that his hearing was correct; at least he could still accurately recognize S. A.S.'s voice.

"Kid! Your chance is gone!"

With a passionate shout and a raised fist, Pila's actions, which were enough to prove something, showed that the fact that this scientist, whom even gang thugs couldn't handle, had suffered a loss at the hands of a human weapon that had destroyed a company squad and a small army on the Badlands was enough to make a difference.

Lin Yue admitted that he broke out in a cold sweat for a moment.

The Shadow prosthetic body is something ordinary people can't install at all; otherwise, every member of the team would definitely have one. It has to put pressure on the brain nerves and seriously encroaches on mental capacity.

Having ruled out the shadow's influence, Lin Yue calmed himself down and found the thickest spot in the corner of the building, choosing to hide himself there first.

call out!
Lin Yue sensed the bullet coming and immediately sprinted, trying to catch its trajectory as quickly as possible—

However, it was another fruitless trip.

The interval between the two shots was less than two minutes, but the distances were vastly different. It was almost as if they were fired from two diagonal positions. If the island had moved, it was impossible for Lin Yue not to notice any movement.

Lin Yue stopped in his tracks instantly.

He began sprinting towards the point of impact—

At this moment, Shidao, who had emerged from behind Pila, was covered in sweat. He had just run back to the control room from his previous position through the tunnel.

Pila's face stiffened.

"This is a fucking monster!"

He was filled with righteous indignation and heartbroken, raising his fist.

How come this kid is so smart?

Playing with your own sister is like having a piece of cake!

No wonder Rebecca is obsessed with listening to this guy…

"Teacher Shidao..."

“Pila—”

The master and disciple looked at each other in silence.

The moment Lin Yue rushed back to the point of impact, he knew what this thing was all about.

There were still bullet holes, but the walls were spotless, gleaming with a metallic silver-gray sheen…

I was actually tricked.

Lin Yue sighed, and helplessly said, "I'm sorry, I... underestimated you."

After a short silence.

Pila's shouts rang out, "What the hell are you talking about, you little bastard? Are you looking down on us?! Is this how you try to comfort us? I want to see you wander around the training field like a headless fly, and I'd love to sit here and finish my afternoon tea. Why should I?!"

Lin Yue was both amused and exasperated.

That Pila is full of bad intentions.

I don't know how such a kind girl like Rebecca could have such a perverse brother.

"What do you think—"

Lost Island didn't know how Lin Yue viewed current technology, but he felt uncertain. The speed at which they were seen through was too fast, and he wasn't even mentally prepared.

Lin Yue emerged from behind the cover, his expression extremely serious.

"Very strong."

"Although I don't know the principle, I was really forced to move. If the enemy hadn't spotted me, my actions might have meant that I would have to engage in an encounter and face an attack by many people."

The island was lost and pondered for a long time.

"Do you really think you'll need it?"

Lin Yue shook his head.

"I may not be able to carry out the high-intensity battles of the past on a large scale now."

"Could you please tell me how this works? Including... how to use it to maximize benefits?"

The master and apprentice exchanged a glance.

Losing the island is actually quite comforting.

“That seems to make sense… Once you cause a big commotion in Night City, the company might find out something, it’s just a matter of time—what you need to do now is to complete your tasks as discreetly as possible. I understand, this optimization can be adopted.”

Lin Yue heard the sound of footsteps approaching the island.

Pila followed behind, her hands behind her back, holding a strange instrument.

It looked like a collector, much like the grenade we just threw away.

"This is also a technology of the Crossroads Division. The original Shadow included this function, but we didn't figure out its purpose at the time. Since you think it's useful, we'll tell you the principle..."

Shidao was holding something in his hands. Lin Yue took a closer look and saw that it was something that looked like fluorescent powder.

"They are all nanorobots."

“When we rescued that girl, we used the technology of the remaining robots and the Qilusi to imitate and modify them one by one. The size is no longer nanometers, but the size of dust particles that can be seen with the naked eye. The mist is actually a biological volatile agent related to robot maintenance, and it cannot be used to obscure vision.”

“Emma was very supportive of this research; we all thought we’d messed things up.”

Pila, however, was unimpressed.

"That kid has such a sly look in his eyes, he's definitely up to no good!"

Lin Yue was somewhat surprised.

He nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He was becoming increasingly curious about how this thing worked.

"In short, it's still a smokescreen."

"Originally, it was a technology that worked in conjunction with Shadow, but nanobots were too difficult to implement, so what we made was very crude. The most powerful aspect was interfering with electronic devices. In other words, it was actually playing a short film in front of your eyes. What you saw was actually an illusion that deceived the mechanical structure and optical components, similar to Shadow."

Shidao spoke carefully, his hands behind his back.

"If your enemy is a group of robots, they would probably be completely fooled by this thing. The more advanced the modification, the greater the impact."

Pila added, "You can use it on a pervert like you, but if it's some idiot who probably doesn't even have a prosthetic eye, he'll probably only see a bunch of shiny dust in front of his eyes."

Lin Yue understood instantly.

This thing is incredibly effective against the company's high-level lone wolves and some guys with highly modified cybernetic bodies.

Especially with the addition of the shadow, it's no exaggeration to say that Lin Yue could kill his opponent without even touching him.

"Relax, Professor Shidao."

Lin Yue took the can from Pila; the robot had already automatically completed the recycling.

"From the moment you left this state, the dreamer will remain your dreamer, as long as I can..."

"I agree to everything."

……

……

(End of this chapter)