Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 366 Choosing the Most Dangerous Person [6.2K] (Part 1)
The company has always valued its image.

This is especially true for company employees.

The basic requirements for elite teams in any large corporation are height, weight, and other hard criteria. Neat and uniform standard equipment and black-based cybernetic implants often put immense pressure on opponents.

Even now, Night City still has the story of the Arasaka elite force, led by Adam Hammer, single-handedly defending against a joint attack by several companies on Arasaka. This is even more evident in the Terrorist Mobile Unit—reducing individual characteristics and maintaining a sense of collective consciousness and obedience has always been a basic requirement of the company's armed forces.

However, the current company team is not entirely unisex; they are all wearing high-strength bulletproof tactical clothing purchased from Europe. The only problem is that the differences between individuals are too obvious.

Calling them a company team is a bit of an exaggeration; they're more like Night City cyberpunks involved in a kidnapping.

"Wouldn't it be okay to just keep that big, dumb idiot Heywood?"

Rebecca was a little annoyed.

After finally catching up on so much of Mann's situation, he was forced to return to Pacific Island to participate in an operation at Emma's request. Even though he knew that Regina and Jack wouldn't interfere, he still couldn't help but complain.

In contrast, there are two things she really wants to complain about:
The tactical clothing in Europe is so strange. It's the most skin-hugging combat outfit Rebecca has ever worn. The only distinguishing feature Rebecca has left is her two gray-green pigtails. Everything else is a pattern of red and black, especially the tactical vest, which is short and sturdy, and Rebecca is even embarrassed to wear it...

This is still custom-made.

The second thing is this so-called temporary operation in Taipingzhou. Emma said that there are hostile forces in Taipingzhou that need to be eliminated.

If things were as they appear on the surface, Rebecca would naturally welcome it with open arms. But the reality is that the entire team is crammed into the truck, waiting for Santo Domingo's convoy to pass through Taipingzhou, ready to intervene when the time is right.

what is this? !

"Damn, that's really tight!"

Rebecca twisted her clothes, and could only bark like a puppy caught in an unfamiliar environment.

Because the clothes were a complete set, the entire arm had to be inserted into a black, highly elastic material. The arm immediately felt like it was covered with a glossy black protective film. Incidentally, she used her mechanical fingers to push her middle finger out of the film to vent her dissatisfaction.

“Cut-resistant, high-grade materials that distribute external force evenly, starting at 100,000 euros per set…” Sasha blinked and added, “It’s beautiful, darling.”

It must be said that when the individual team members are taken out and put on these clothes, they look very aggressive. The company's cybernetic bodies and meticulous design style will not make people underestimate their strength at first glance. However, when they are all of different heights, they look like a large costume party.

The tall ones are tall, the short ones are short...

Rebecca felt a little better after hearing Sasha's words of comfort, and wondered what the effect would be if Granny Qiwei wore such a thing.

Unexpectedly, Qiwei, who was sitting next to her with a cigarette in her hand and glancing sideways, had already noticed Rebecca's furtive observation.

Looking at those two legs and then at her own calves dangling precariously off the ground, Rebecca became even more annoyed.

How come their legs are so long?
Qi Wei's entire figure resembled a straight, long sword, and her languid, crossed-leg posture was strangely attractive.

Rebecca gritted her teeth, stretched out her toes, and tried her best to touch the floor; she wasn't going to lose at this.

But as his gaze wandered, he spotted Sasha again, wrapped in a black coat and now wearing a pink jacket to keep warm…

wrong!

Twelve out of ten things are wrong!

how…

Rebecca stared blankly at the surging side, wondering why she didn't think she was that well-endowed!
Subconsciously touching her perfectly flat body, the most confident young mercenary in Night City felt like collapsing...

"I said, can't I really wear my shirt and waistcoat?"

It seems that Falco is also unwell.

He always claimed he was just a driver, but he could easily dodge Rebecca's punches, and his revolver was incredibly accurate...

Rebecca lay down between the driver and passenger seats—

"This is practically a control over one's personal freedom!"

Falco, not one to shy away from trouble, exclaimed, "I agree!"

"Alright, stop fooling around. This is an investment from the company for everyone. You'll know how worthwhile this money was when you're slashed by a knife held by someone like Lin Yue! Also—"

“This time you will be facing... several of your opponents whom you have never encountered in Night City before.”

Upon hearing Emma's words, Rebecca and Falco, the two troublemakers, swallowed their resentment.

If Emma in Dogville couldn't command these people back then, she's capable of it now.

Whether in company management or in many major decision-making processes, Emma always used her judgment to give Dreamers an advantage, especially during the time when Lin Yue disappeared in Night City. If it weren't for Emma's mediation, the company would probably have been devoured in the incident where they were squeezed out of Watson District.

No opponents encountered?
Everyone looked at each other.

Rebecca recounted who she had been involved in armed clashes with.

Thinking about it this way, my mercenary career has been quite eventful...

He's encountered gangs, rivals, companies, ghost dogs, and even agents from New America.

An enemy we've never seen before... Could it be that the company has cultivated another lone wolf with monstrous combat power?!

Only Qiwei and Sasha exchanged a silent glance. Qiwei had told Sasha about the cyberspace incident before the operation. Yesterday, after Lin Yue entered the network, his traces disappeared quickly. The Dreamers Network Department, which was so frightened, almost forcibly disconnected Lin Yue, but they gave up because his vital signs remained stable.

Even though Lin Yue didn't say anything when he woke up several hours later, Qi Wei roughly knew that he had probably been in contact with those terrifying beings in cyberspace...

Is it a roving AI?

Sasha asked.

Rebecca: "Wait a minute? What AI…"

"It's probably those programs that the internet regulators are chasing like crazy, right? That's what things outside the Great Firewall are called."

Falco, perhaps because he frequented drivers' bars, had some knowledge of these things.

Rebecca then realized that the Black Wall weapon she had was actually provided by the roving AI.

But shouldn't the issue of roaming AI be the domain of hackers?
So she asked a question as well.

Rebecca had no idea why she and Falco were involved in an operation that should have taken place online…

However, Emma had no intention of hiding anything and told the whole truth, which seemed like a fabricated story...

"These roving AIs involve a piece of data in your possession. Now listen to me, and then prepare for what might happen—"

Everyone opened the message that Brandon had sent through the company's intranet, but after just a few glances, their brows remained furrowed.

At the same time, Emma's speech slowed down, becoming serious and earnest.

"As the briefing stated, the roving AIs have already crossed the black wall; they may even be human."

“Ye Shi at NCX is a prime example.”

"There is no evidence to support the above information. If you insist on saying it is based on something, it is what Mr. Rin obtained through the Black Wall... In short, there is a world of difference between programming and human thinking, and the level of roaming AI is even more dangerous."

Soon everyone saw the section below the Night Family's situation.

Emma didn't say who provided it, but Qiwei and Sasha knew perfectly well—

They had glimpsed the terrifying entity that appeared beside Lin Yue in Dogtown's network...

"Based on the top-secret information extracted from the company's data fortress, the company also inadvertently lets in stray AIs while mining data outside the black wall. They call this 'crossing the black wall behavior.' They have strict procedures to block the information and at the same time eliminate stray AIs that have already resided in human bodies, but occasionally there are cases where company soldiers fail."

The sight of the separated chip and the bloody scene in the picture speaks volumes about how terrifying these programs are.

All human empathy is unnecessary to programs, which exist solely to ensure their data is in a dominant position, just as it is in the real world.

"so…"

Emma said in a deep voice, "Lin suspects that this operation is very likely to be coveted by AI forces that have been roaming around the Pacific Continent. If any situation arises, you will be needed to handle it."

“I know that you guys, including the other group of soldiers we’ve prepared, have a bit of wishful thinking, believing that Rin will show up under any suitable circumstances and save your lives.”

“But the last time you disrupted the company’s plans was the last time. Rin can’t be caught by the company. If you don’t get ready to handle these situations soon, Dreamer has a more suitable position for you. You are Rin’s friends, but I have to be responsible for the safety of Dreamer and Rin.”

He spoke clearly and logically, and no one disagreed with him.

Lin Yue is a good friend... but it seems that from Emma's perspective, she doesn't want her friend to drag Rin down.

Rebecca wiped her nose. "You look down on me, Miss Emma. I can take down the ACPA. The roving AI better not show its face in front of me. I might blow its head off on the spot, no matter what kind of black wall technology it's made of!"

Falco shrugged helplessly. "Then I'll just have to drive faster. I'll accompany you no matter what the arrangement is."

Knowing the complexity of the incident as hackers, Qiwei and her companion weren't exactly bursting with enthusiasm...

"Miss Emma, ​​is the AI ​​online... or is it offline?"

Sasha asked from a professional perspective, "This is very important."

"That's the troublesome part. We don't know, this is just Rin's guess."

Emma shook her head.

Sasha and Qiwei exchanged a glance, both of them noticing the deep worry in her eyes, though their gazes were very serious.

Rin is now connected to Arasaka, dreams, and the livelihoods of many people. Dreamers are also an important part of everything, ensuring the survival of the Dogtown people's power. Therefore, we cannot let these guests from the other side of the network disrupt the order. Emma's arrangement is correct.

"Ok!"

Sasha and Qiwei nodded emphatically.

Emma didn't mention the mission at the end, but instead said in a way that sounded like a request: "This operation is very likely to attract the attention of network surveillance, so you must keep an eye on Rin's movements... You absolutely cannot let him be exposed, even if you fail, you must keep him within sight, understand?"

These people were Lin Yue's closest companions all this time; they would have been willing to act this way even without this instruction. "Looks like we exhausted Rin quite a bit last time?"

Falco smacked his lips. Several cars appeared on the distant highway, which was affected by the heatwave. "Stop talking and let Boss Rin see the results of our training over this period of time?"

Rebecca makes a peace sign.

She's always so positive and optimistic—

He just doesn't say anything nice.

"Fuck him!"

The two hackers didn't want Lin Yue to run into trouble at this critical juncture, so they quickly checked the network equipment and their prosthetic bodies.

Emma smiled gently and temporarily disconnected from the connection.

……
-
"Your records are incredibly popular at the market! Even the eighty-year-old lady next door can make rock and roll gestures and shout out a few of your lyrics!"

Lin Yue sat in the driver's seat, and the person speaking in his ear was naturally the big man, the person in charge of this escort operation.

Most of the people the old captain found were from Santo Domingo. Through the big man's arrangement, Lin Yue also got in touch with this guy.

It takes at least an hour to drive from Night City to the repair shop in Santo Domingo from the Badlands. On the way, this big guy, who clearly liked the band KIA, called Lin Yue and they chatted. He didn't have any bad intentions, just a very straightforward person who would express his likes loudly.

When did I become an underground celebrity?
He was somewhat amused and exasperated. "Thanks, buddy, but I was singing this for you guys anyway."

The burly man smacked his lips, turning the steering wheel with his hands while keeping a constant watchful eye on his surroundings, though his tone was relaxed.

"Honestly, it's been too long since anyone noticed this shitty place, Santo Domingo... It wasn't like this before. The company messed things up here, leaving a huge mess, and everyone has been affected by the pollution and the company's dirty deeds for who knows how long."

"We should be thanking you. If you hadn't cursed the company, you would have been a star and made a fortune."

"Yeah...why are you cursing the company?"

Lin Yue did notice the last muttered remark.

"The more people criticize, the more they will know what the company has done and do what they can to help. I think that's what playing rock and roll is all about."

The big man laughed heartily and waved his hand, "No need to say anything more, awesome! Come to the bar behind the steel mill sometime, the stuff there is pretty awesome, the rum is all top-notch, I have connections there."

The call hadn't ended, and all the team members were on the same wavelength. The big man had just been "talking" to himself, because everyone needed to know immediately if anything happened; this was one of the many layers of protection the old captain had.

"We're about to enter Taipingzhou, so get your spirits up!"

The prosthetic body markings made his face, which was adorned with large, powerful lines, appear even more imposing when he roared.

The Emperor in his hands was a genuine factory-made vehicle. Any configuration would cost at least 100,000 euros. With the company's customized security modifications and engine upgrades, it would cost a total of over 200,000 euros. So it was the highlight of this shipment.

Of course, these dozen or so vehicles were indeed no match for the Sword in the Stone and the Sword of the Lake Maiden...

The old captain, driven by the need to make a living, risked bringing these good cars into Night City to sell, because there were so many people waiting to eat.

Upon hearing the order from the person in charge, Lin Yue unconsciously tensed up, even though he knew that the roaming AI might not be interested in his vehicle.

He was just trying to figure out what the purpose of these AIs was...

If a luxury car is stolen, the first thing to consider should be the money, since the price of a luxury car is more than most people can earn in a lifetime.

But the old captain never received any extortion, nor did he find that the cars had been resold, which proves that the things are still there... What would a bunch of programmers want luxury cars for?
Starting with the attributes of the item and then considering the purpose, Lin Yue quickly came up with the second idea.

speed.

The speed of luxury cars can even rival that of intercity trains.

If the purpose of the robbery was to move the vehicle, then that would make sense...

After all, human legs are not something that a prosthetic body like S. A.S.A.S. can achieve at high speeds for extended periods of time.

It seems there's some truth to this idea...

Lin Yue frowned. What other details were there?

As the car sped through the intersection between the two weathered giant rocks, Lin Yue seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration and grasped something!
It is unrealistic to expect roving AI to reside on the Chinese internet indefinitely. While internet regulators may turn a blind eye to companies, their efforts to eradicate roving AI are extremely strong, especially since those roving AI that survive outside the Great Firewall are more or less intelligent programs with powerful thinking abilities.

Therefore, the best way to exist in Taipingzhou in the long term is to go offline.

Night City's Pacifica is one of the areas with the worst power supply. The Voodoo Gang relies on engines and stolen electricity from the Santo Domingo power plant to run their hacker servers. Therefore, it's possible that the massive AI exists on an offline server. Another possibility is—

Lin Yue knew it all too well.

His face darkened.

That's the human brain-computer interface!
Having personally experienced AI entering his body, he naturally knew just how quickly AI could corrupt the human body. If it weren't for his numerous prosthetic bodies and Arasaka Yoriyuki's use of Honshu's technology to forcibly prolong his life until things took a turn for the better, Lin Yue probably wouldn't exist in this world.

There was only a ruthless and heartless security minister who was killed by an AI possession syndrome after a technically challenging mission in Arasaka...

Could it be that roving AI has a way to make the human body withstand the aftereffects of AI programs entering the brain-computer interface?

Following the example of Ye Shi... Could it be that these outsiders will create the next AI company?

Lin Yue was very fortunate to have seen so much and to be mentally prepared for what might happen in the future. This was more important than anything else. At least... the feeling of having some initiative in his own hands was reassuring. This was also the reason why he asked Otto to spy on Arasaka's secrets.

"Friends, please appear soon!"

Lin Yue guessed that hackers would launch an attack soon, but he heard that the old captain had hired a whole team of hackers to monitor the situation online, so what action would they take?

Along the way, debris, reduced to mere car shells, began to appear on the road, and the rising black smoke made Taipingzhou always shrouded in a gray haze.

The convoy began to pick up speed. In any case, no gang or roadblock dared to bother them... because no one was stupid enough to rob a group target.

Besides driving well and not falling behind, Lin Yue was paying more attention to places along the roadside where intrusion attacks might occur. He was using his Oracle Eye to check for traces of intrusion wires, while also keeping an eye on everything around him.

No…

Lin Yue looked at the map.

We're quite far from the most chaotic part of Night City, Taipingzhou now. There's a faint flow of traffic on the road, and in less than half an hour we'll be heading directly into Santo Domingo from the overpass... Could it be that the AI ​​isn't interested in these inferior vehicles?

The online hackers hadn't found anything wrong either, and at that moment, some mercenaries were making raunchy jokes with hackers they knew.

Lin Yue let out a deep breath, but the vague unease in his heart was still there.

Just as Lin Yue was focused on the road ahead, a muffled roar seemed to come through the glass—

He abruptly turned his head, and he and the burly man in the car ahead immediately noticed the car coming from the opposite direction across the road…

The dark gold exhaust wing trim and the noble white color give it a noble and holy appearance under the sunlight, like a magnificent sword inlaid with jewels!
The engine roared beneath its gentlemanly exterior, instantly overtaking Lin Yue's speed and rushing to the position of the lead car!
"The sword in the stone?!"

Lin Yue was suddenly startled!
At the same time, he seemed to see some red and black data blocks in his eyes. Upon closer inspection, he saw that behind the Stone Sword, which was rubbing against the hot road and emitting blue smoke, there were data traces of AI tearing through his vision outside the black wall... like a crack between three-dimensional and two-dimensional!

"AI...it really was them!"

Lin Yue immediately heard the alarm in the warning channel, and the big man was cursing!
Before he could even think about what these AIs would do with the stolen sports cars, a more streamlined sports car with a longer, narrower body and a retro design suddenly appeared on the right.

The car's exaggeratedly long and narrow front face, covered in bright red paint, resembles a medieval divine weapon engulfed in flames!

That is…

The Lake Woman's Sword?!
The two sports cars, one in front and one behind, threw the entire convoy into chaos!
As one of the old captain's men, the big man immediately recognized them as the two missing sports cars!

"My darn thing!"

How could the big man tolerate this? It was one thing if the car was stolen, but if those guys secretly hid and sold the old captain, he might be severely weakened and never recover. But these unknown hostile forces actually swaggered off with the stolen goods and provoked the convoy from the side of the road. So the big man immediately started cursing!

Only Lin Yue realized that the appearance of these two cars was probably not just a provocation...

He always felt like he was being watched!

An even stranger situation arose: Lin Yue discovered that several of the missing luxury cars were reappearing one after another, and without exception, Lin Yue could see data patches falling off their bodies as they moved...

"Ok?"

Upon closer inspection, Lin Yue realized that his Wild Wolf was soon surrounded by sports cars that were cutting in from both sides, blocking the surrounding vehicles.

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Ah, so you remembered me. I thought Ultraman hadn't left you any leverage. You're so patient."

Clearly, the roaming AI noticed Lin Yue emerging from the data fortress; the reason it didn't act was probably because Ultraman moved too quickly…

This is probably...

Opening the box?!

Lin Yue chuckled to himself.

I've essentially unpacked the AI ​​myself...

Just when Lin Yue thought the target was only him, the company's leader who held the Dreamer server key, dense red lines suddenly appeared on the cars. Lin Yue's face darkened instantly; his first thought was of the burly man from Santo Domingo, his fans…

"Everyone, scatter immediately!"

The instant his reminder appeared!

A beam of fire shot into the sky from the side auxiliary road!

A missile suddenly shot down from above the Lake Maiden's Sword, which was attempting to use the intermediary point to hack into all vehicles!
It rapidly magnified in Lin Yue's eyes—

……

……

(End of this chapter)