Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 381 Dragons and Hunters (Part 1) [6.7K, still recovering from a cold, minor update]

Herman's description of his current life as one of constant anxiety is no exaggeration.

He swore he only told Lai Xuan about the potential technological "applications" of Relic, but now there are many rumors circulating in Tokyo—

Arakasaka wants to bring the dead back to life.

Although this might sound perfectly normal to someone with nothing to hide...

It's important to understand that since the introduction of Relic technology, the right to communicate with deceased loved ones has been a luxury. Compared to impoverished families who can't even afford a burial plot and can't afford to bury their family members, this can easily incite hatred.

The verbal attacks that Arasaka has suffered are far more than these.

But Hermann just felt a sense of impending doom...

No matter how much I loosened my collar, I couldn't calm myself down.

He even lost interest in his work.

On ordinary days, while sipping coffee, I would uncontrollably pay attention to the news from Arasaka's branches around the world, with Night City being the most eye-catching—

Night City has been making some pretty big moves lately.

Biotechnology has lost ground in North America, and Arasaka has made numerous acquisitions, including Dangerous Girl Mercenaries, a subsidiary of Arasaka Yoru no Shiro.

That's all he can see.

Herman works for Biotech Nation and has also worked at its subsidiary, Sente... Ultimately, he is now a member of Arasaka.

The place in the world least affected by Arasaka is North America, but that's only relatively speaking.

All flights from Japan to China are subject to strict controls, making it difficult to escape to Kangtao's territory...

Even though Lai Xuan had promised him that he would have a way out and that Kang Tao would gladly accept him... Herman had no idea what to do.

Night City is currently enjoying great success, could it be that his path lies in the European Community?

After thinking about it, he decisively shook his head.

No matter how you look at it, Night City is a melting pot of all sorts of people, making it an ideal place for farewells.

"chief!"

"chief…?"

The assistant, who was completely wrapped in a sterile lab coat, had no choice but to take the liberty of patting his superior on the shoulder to remind him.

Hermann's soul returned to its body, and he was naturally startled.

I blurted out "night" without thinking...

"Excuse me... what did you say?"

The assistant was afraid of missing any of the chief's instructions, because during the production of the relic core sample, Hermann was in charge of the unified management of neurons—only Hermann could accurately judge the trend from the complex data in this project that required the use of large artificial models for calculation.

"The third data run is about to begin."

The assistant held the tablet, looking very serious.

He couldn't see Herman's pale face, which was only visible beneath his eyes; cold sweat made his lab coat sticky.

"It's nothing... Let's begin."

Herman looked at the excited researcher with envy.

Does not knowing many things mean you can do the job you love without worry?

Sometimes he hates his own knowledge.

In this way, he would not become Saburo Arasaka's scientific advisor, nor would he come into contact with these secrets that could cost him his life.

This test is equivalent to a live in vivo test before a drug officially enters the market.

Hermann glanced at his assistants, who had their backs to him, with a cryptic look, and began typing code. A "so-called model" extracted from the shrine became the test subject.

As the chief of the entire Relic project, he naturally knew what the Divine Carriage was and that each so-called verification meant the demise of a complete digital soul.

Observe whether relic is stable under the projection of neural interference.

Even if it's claimed that this technology allows for the portable placement of deceased loved ones in a brain-computer interface, enabling them to live on in another way—

But Herman knew that this was about observing the rate at which the invading digital souls replaced the host.

In other words…

Is it possible to live a second life?

His fists clenched.

Even if those programmed digital souls don't make any sound, those who don't study them deeply can only think of them as a kind of large AI model, or even one with extremely rigorous topological applications, but they wouldn't guess that they are living people transformed by soul killers.

"They're all crazy..."

Hermann seemed to hear the wails of souls being scorched by the heat.

He did not underestimate Saburo's fanaticism for immortality, but he underestimated Lai Xuan's madness...

His ambition to seize control of the narrative in Arakasa swelled to the point that he recklessly pushed for Relic's IPO!

Hermann believed he had made himself clear enough to Lai Xuan. Relic's ultimate goal was definitely not the so-called communication with the dead.

But Lai Hsuan is attempting to fundamentally shake the life sciences of the entire world!

Lai Xuan, that madman, doesn't seem to consider the consequences of becoming a target of public criticism at all...

To date, all Relic prototypes that have been able to dissolve and replace the living brain, invade the host's neurons, and thus construct new life forms have been based on the Arasaka family's genetic map.

He now even curses the prototype core for having unpredictable problems, otherwise he wouldn't have had time to make adequate preparations.

With a background in Relic research and extensive experience in transforming human neural projections into digital souls, Arasaka is not so easily fooled.

Because of these fundamental conditions, Relic can make the sample cores for human rebirth incredibly stable!
said with no exaggeration.

Even if someone is nearly beaten to death, Herman estimates that as long as a Relic chip is inserted—its surface is rich in active cells that embody Arasaka's top wisdom—and with some surgical intervention, the dead could be brought back to life.

Saburo wanted absolute certainty.

This was the secret Herman kept hidden, one he never dared to tell Lai Xuan directly.

There is a major vulnerability in the project.

If Saburo is to continue living, where will the vessel for his soul come from?

Hermann has always believed that this work should be done using living embryos.

However, there is no evidence that Arasaka has overcome the phenomenon of sudden self-degradation in cloned embryos.

This is easy to understand.

Dolly the cloned sheep would have had a normal sheep lifespan, but suddenly exhibited signs of aging diseases in her youth.

It's as if some codes within this set of genes have already determined the lifespan, which will drastically accelerate the youth stage, thereby allowing this gene to dissolve.

Biotechnology has yielded promising results in this area, but without exception, none of them have been applicable to humans.

But the current situation forces him to consider another, terrifying answer…

His gaze unconsciously shifted to the observation glass above the cooling pool.

The chief computer scientist of the entire Relic project, the one who holds the key to the divine realm and provides the digital soul, is right behind it all.

Hanako Arakasaka.

Does she know?
How is this possible...?

Hermann simply couldn't imagine such a family existing—

The younger sister watched as her brother's body became a vessel for their father, and the disgust that came from the bottom of her heart made her want to rush to the toilet and vomit immediately.

At the same time, quantitative enlightenment also reminded Herman that his stress level had gone off the charts.

"The data is perfect!"

The assistant stared excitedly at the matching accuracy on the large screen.

This means that the sample core being tested can replace another interference source that is the same as it under any circumstances.

Just one step away.

In vivo experiments.

This sample chip needs to be inserted into a person with a brain-computer interface to constantly monitor the data transmitted through the black wall. This data is highly concealed and difficult to track. The downside is that the black wall makes it easy to locate the test subject (which is why the lark was able to locate the protagonist).

Perhaps it was the assistant's excited voice that brought Hermann back to his senses.

Before he could even examine the data closely, a woman with excessively pale makeup behind the observation glass above was whispering something to the person beside her.

She would occasionally glance at him.

As expected, before Herman could analyze the data further, he was surrounded by several elite soldiers in lab coats.

"Manager Herman, there's something I need your cooperation with in an investigation."

"Please come with us."

Herman felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground.

After passing through two gates, Herman's lab coat hood, which was stuck to his face, was completely ripped off, and a wisp of cool air brought him back to his senses.

The soldiers ignored whether Herman walked on his own initiative, simply supporting him and letting the tall scientist drag his feet across the ground.

All he could do was gasp for breath.

In the spotless, pristine white room, Herman was forced into a chair by the person behind him.

There was no one else but Hua Zi.

Only Lai Xuan's enemies would do this, Hermann knew this perfectly well, but still wanted to struggle—

"What are you doing?!"

Realizing his hands were tied behind his back, Herman immediately began to struggle.

"Save your energy, Herman."

Hua Zi, dressed in a shiny white dress, appeared behind him with her hands lightly clasped in front of her abdomen. Herman stiffened as if bitten by a venomous snake upon hearing the voice, his eyes darting around.

Hua Zi walked around behind him, not asking any questions, letting time torment this restless scientist as he was being tortured.

"What...what are you trying to do, Hua Zi?!"

"I was hired by you at a high salary, I am the chief expert of your technology products, not a criminal you can interrogate at will!"

Herman finally recovered from the damned aftereffects of stress.

Upon hearing this, Hua Zi finally stopped her irritating pacing.

She placed her hands on Herman's shoulders—

Are you sure you have strictly adhered to our contract and agreements?

Hermann's expression stiffened slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Seeing that Herman seemed determined to persist, Hua Zi slowly said, "A few months ago, a satellite phone signal used our own Arasaka signal relay station, attempting to disguise itself as normal Arasaka business information exchange..."

Herman began to tremble slightly as Hua Zi spoke.

"Then let me put it another way."

"What did you say to that mysterious person in the arid hill? Who... is he?"

Although Hua Zi's voice was in the same tone, to Herman it sounded like the whisper of death.

a long time--

"You can't kill me!"

"Can't!"

Hua Zi stared at this spineless genius with a gloomy expression.

Herman is a genius in fields such as neuroscience, but given his character, he'll definitely spill everything.

“I have one last study… I haven’t figured it out completely yet,”

Herman was practically about to pee himself.

He would rather stay in the hands of the Tokyo bandits and wait for his family to bring the ransom than fall into the hands of Arasaka.

This is no different from being dead...

Hua Zi's voice drifted over, "You should be glad that the project hasn't gone wrong yet. Tell me, Herman, we'd rather get to the bottom of what's going on than have problems with the project."

“Answer the question properly, Herman.”

Hua Zi also found it strange.

She could probably guess who Herman was in contact with.

Arasaka Yorinobu.

The strange thing is that if it were his own brother, the project shouldn't have gone so smoothly.

Having worked with Arasaka for so many years, Lai Xuan has been quite hostile towards the projects he's in charge of. Now that the chief expert has tipped him off, it's highly unusual that Lai Xuan hasn't taken any action.

"I have nothing to say."

Hermann had barely uttered those words when the samurai beside him drew his sword.

The crisp hum of the blade instantly shattered Hermann's resolve—

"Don't fucking touch me!"

Of course, there are many ways for Arakasaka to get people to talk, but for a scientist like him who lacks willpower and is driven by self-interest, those methods are unnecessary.

"You're all a bunch of bastards who discard their tools after they've served their purpose!"

Clearly, Hua Zi didn't quite agree with this explanation. Just as the knife was about to strike Herman's thigh, the man, protecting his face, shouted, "It's Arasaka Yorinobu!"

This matches the assumption.

Hua Zi had a complex feeling of relief mixed with apprehension.

With Lai Xuan's shrewdness...

They've probably already investigated the Relic project thoroughly.

Hermann's defenses crumbled completely, and he blurted out, "Lai Xuan contacted me, wanting to know the technical details of this batch of Relic sample chips!"

"He's the current president of Arasaka! I... I have absolutely no way to refuse!"

"Of course I know this will cost me my head, but put yourself in my shoes. Do you think Lai Xuan would be slow in taking my life?!"

Hua Zi's tone was icy. "You can't touch the Relic project, not even the current president of Arasaka! He has no right to kill you!"

"Also, it seems you didn't think of Lord Arasaka..."

Hermann hated this white-faced man who was making baseless accusations.

Despite his domineering words, Arasaka Yorinobu has gained the upper hand in several of Arasaka's internal power struggles, making his position far more secure than before...

“But Hermann, that’s not what we’re talking about.”

"I want to know what he said to you? How much material did you send him?"

Herman's voice noticeably softened when asked the crucial questions.

"Damn it! You guys can even intercept satellite phones, what else can I send him? A complete backup or a whole set of data...?"

"It's all just talk."

Hua Zi's eyes narrowed.
Whenever this guy talks about things that Lai Xuan shouldn't know, she will make the decision for her father without hesitation!
I told him these sample cores were... were...

Hua Zi bent down slightly and looked directly at him.

This answer was a matter of life and death for him, and this tiny gesture alone made Herman extremely uneasy.

"Yes…"

Hermann's eyes darted around, as if trying to discern a glimpse of the correct answer from the expression on Hua Zi's face, beneath the eerie makeup.

But Arasaka's dog won't give him time.

With just one powerful punch, Herman roared as he spoke rapidly: "The latest version of Relic is a compatibility test concerning whether genetically unrelated samples can accommodate digital soul imprints at a certain level!"

It's remarkable that he managed to string together so many complex words into a single sentence under such painful circumstances.

In a sense, Hermann was a perceptive and honest man. Even if the other party used only a slight trick, he would tell them everything without revealing a single word, without any pretense.

Hua Zi looked somewhat surprised.

She waved, and Xiao Tian, ​​who was not far away, walked over and respectfully placed his hands in front of him.

"Ask the technical department if the signal transcoding is finished."

“Hermann, swear to Arakawa that if that’s all you said, Arakawa will apologize for your presumptuous behavior today, and we will give you a substantial amount of compensation. We will not take back what Lai Xuan gave you; on the contrary, we will give you an extra portion!”

"but…"

Hua Zi's eyes when she looks at people make people feel a little uneasy, perhaps because the pupil of her prosthetic eye is too small.

"You must always remember that Arasaka exists only because of Lord Arasaka, not because he is some petty person who sits in his seat and tries to change everything, understand?"

Does Hermann dare to say he doesn't understand?

If Hua Zi asked him to kneel down and call Sanlang "father" right now, he wouldn't even blink.

"Don't worry, Miss Hua..."

He spoke breathlessly and tremblingly, "I didn't mention a word about the Arasaka family's genetic map! Of course, I didn't say that the adaptive tests related to close relatives were the first to be conducted—"

Hua Zi's expression instantly turned somewhat annoyed.

Damn!

This guy has no emotional intelligence...

Hermann, who was trying to be clever by saying how indirectly he loved "Sanlang," was completely unaware that his seemingly loyal words had torn away the fig leaf from some people.

Hua Zi's gaze involuntarily drifted to the side.

"enough…"

An aged voice came from the side.

The pristine white "walls" disappeared, and behind the light screen, Saburo, sitting in a wheelchair, revealed no emotion. His single eye silently watched the chief scientist of the project, which concerned his long-term survival.

Hua Zi gave Herman a look that warned him to shut up, and the samurai around the aragaki all bowed their heads in unison.

Saburo Arasaka moved his wheelchair very slowly.

He himself seemed to be very resistant to things like prosthetics. Even though he went blind in one eye, he never received a prosthetic transplant. Even though multiple organs were aging and surgical organ replacement had become the norm, he was still unwilling to replace them with more convenient artificial organs. The same was true when choosing a wheelchair; he preferred to use his own hands to drive this convenient mobility tool for patients.

Hua Zi obediently knelt down to the side.

“Father… everything Herman said is true. That’s what he told Lai Xuan.”

"Lai Xuan himself responded to Hermann by sparing no effort to launch the Relic prototype chip, attempting to elevate Arasaka's status once again with the gimmick of immortality."

"He's gone mad."

In conclusion, in Hua Zi's eyes, Lai Xuan had become a monster, only thinking about expanding his power and making Arasaka's territory even larger...

Hua Zi even began to doubt whether Lai Xuan was simply rebellious in his youth.

He's more like a corporate dog than a corporate dog; he's ruthless, greedy, and disregards any international obstacles.

Saburo looked at Hermann, who was sitting in the chair, looking bewildered and pale.

"You just said something that even I couldn't make up my mind about."

"Should we say that Arasaka's future is bright, or that it's bleak...?"

Hua Zi lowered his head and said, "Father, we can't let Lai Xuan continue like this. We must take back the control that is rightfully ours and allow the Relic project to be separated. You—"

Hua Zi felt rough hands touching his face.

After he became an adult, the father rarely touched his daughter's cheek, but this time, in his weakest and oldest moment, he chose to cup his daughter's cheek in one hand and examine her closely...

Sometimes, you're just like me.

"You've carried out any of my decisions with a bit of hesitation very carefully, Hua Zi... You've really worked hard."

Hua Zi was stunned and completely failed to understand his father's meaning.

For the first time, Saburo spoke softly, as if a parent were asking a child what they wanted to eat: "When there's no way to turn back, do you really wish your brother's body contained your father's soul?"

For the first time, Hua Zi's eyes shifted...

Even his eyelids drooped down.

"It's not that we hope for it, but that Arasaka doesn't have a qualified leader."

“Family, honor, and the Arasaka Empire, Father… You should prioritize these things. You have done enough for your family; you cannot lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of the small things.”

Saburo's other hand hovered in mid-air as he tidied his daughter's hair on the side.

"But I think Lai Hsuan is more suitable."

Hua Zi's expression changed drastically.

"He's a liar!"

However, Saburo immediately followed up with Hua Zi's question, "And what about you? How can I be sure that your feelings are the same?"

Hua Zi clenched his fists, unsure how to respond for a moment.

Finally, she understood…

There's one thing about my father that he can never change.

That is arrogance.

Lai Xuan's obedience led Saburo to believe that the once rebellious child simply wanted to be different, but Hanako never told him what Lai Xuan had said to her, his younger sister, when he was young...

"I want to completely destroy the company."

The hatred in Lai Xuan's voice when he said these words was so obvious and clear, as cold as a steel knife.

Sometimes even Hua Zi didn't know what to do.

Perhaps this is the path my father took…

Being able to watch her brother live on (in a physical sense), and having a wise and powerful leader in Arasaka, isn't that a kind of family happiness?

besides…

Hua Zi couldn't think of any way to preserve the concept of "home".

"Father, Lai Xuan is acting."

Hua Zi rarely speaks with such certainty.

Saburo released Hua Zi's cheek, his face showing a look of dejection.

"Yeah…"

The murmur sent a chill down the spines of those around him.

Even Hua Zi knew that what she was making was probably an accusation without any evidence...

Father will probably be disappointed, won't he?
"Since we're going to keep acting... let's make Arakasaka stronger first."

“As long as the Relic technology remains in our hands, and he doesn’t know about the Arasaka family’s genetic map, let him use his power to do things for the Arasaka. Those Westerners are extremely barbaric and want to plunder our things. Only a ruthless character like Lai Xuan is willing to protect him.”

"Haven't he always wanted this position? Then let him do it well."

Hua Zi looked surprised.

She had no idea that her father had been coaxed to this extent by Lai Xuan.

Since when did my brother become a different person? He showed less and less hatred towards Araka, and he no longer resented the annual salary Araka gave him like before. Now he spends money like water, criticizes the media, and acts arbitrarily in Araka's own field. Power has turned him into a living evil eagle!

Do not…

It could even be said that Lai Xuan was like a dragon perched on a treasure trove, watching those mountains of gold and silver grow larger and larger with satisfaction.

"If the goal is simply to minimize Western public opinion, there is absolutely no need to have Lai Xuan promote this technology!"

Hua Zi knew that if he didn't try to salvage the situation, there would be no way to stop him.

Saburo acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.

He stared at Hermann and smiled, "Then I'll leave it to you to keep up the good work."

He also nodded slightly.

Startled by such a generous gift from the ruler of Arakasa, Herman hurriedly stood up!

So much so that he made a lot of noise even with the chair—

“Sorry… uh, yes! Lord Arasaka.”

Takemura signaled to the soldiers to take him away.

Hermann kept turning back to look, seemingly not expecting his life-or-death ordeal to have passed so easily…

With Hermann's departure.

Saburo said casually, "Have the technical team conduct an assessment. Once Herman's matter is settled, let him leave here quietly."

Takemura nodded.

"Yes, Lord Arasaka!"

He then looked at his daughter, who had not yet answered the question.

"You underestimate a hunter's control over his prey."

"Aren't those dragons that roam the digital space still managed to have their temperaments figured out one by one by hunters? You're a hacker... you should know these things even more."

"There is no need to stop anything that benefits Arasaka."

"The one who harmed Arasaka..."

Saburo didn't continue speaking.

Instead, it was like a murmur in a sleep, "It's coming soon... Is it an unyielding evil dragon, a lone dragon... We'll find out when the treasure is unearthed."

Seeing that he was powerless to stop him, Hua Zi could only watch helplessly as Sanlang left.

In that instant, she seemed to witness an unprecedented catastrophe…

Just like decades ago.

Another battlefield, even more brutal than the corporate war, had already formed within Arasaka.

The struggle between dragons and dragon hunters has never ceased.

However, she could no longer comprehend these things; the game had escalated from intrigue to playing the game of "momentum."

Using the enemy's hand is a tactic only an old dragon like Saburo would dare to employ.

If it were more accurate...

"No destruction, no construction"—this four-character phrase perfectly describes the current situation.

That's just right.

……

……

(End of this chapter)