Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 4: The Folk Customs are "Simple and Honest"

Good morning, Night City!

"Yesterday's dead man's lottery result was a total of thirty!"

"Thanks to the endless gang warfare, at least ten people, including Heywood, have died."

"But one of the officers also died, so I think you'll all have to pay compensation..."

Lin Yue, who was lying on the bed, twitched his fingertips. The huge roar of the hovercar outside the window continued, and the television was still broadcasting incessantly.

This is Lin Yue's home. Compared to the unfinished buildings in Dogtown, this is a decent place to live.

Having fully integrated with the original owner's memories, he looked at everything that was both familiar and strange, and despite the aches and pains all over his body, he got out of bed.

"Ha, Night City... no, a new day in Dogtown?"

Lin Yue moved his prosthetic body around a bit, picked up the gold medal taco on the table and took a few bites. He only felt relieved after confirming that all his physical indicators had returned to normal.

The phone rang, and when he answered it, he saw Otto on the other end with an exaggerated expression.

“You little brat, you inhaled three cans of my Power Cure yesterday—I’m telling you, you should seriously save up some money to replace those damn old prosthetics of yours.”

Lin Yue nodded, agreeing with what the other person said.

But it seems this kid has also been absorbing quite a bit of the glitter he bought, right? He can't be here to ask for money, can he?
"Alright, buddy, I'm not some debt collector coming to your door. If you have time, come to the camp next to the checkpoint. Hansen said we need to return the guns to our soldiers."

"By the way, you should keep the colonel's matter in mind, and don't do anything unnecessary."

"Screw the brothers, let's have a drink sometime!"

Lin Yue hung up the phone and fell into deep thought. Yesterday, Hansen had asked him to go to the famous landmark in Dogtown called "Heartbroken," but he was still unsure who to meet.

A figure with a slightly hoarse voice and a face hidden in the shadows appeared in Lin Yue's mind.

"Could it be Hanz? The well-known middleman from Taiping Continent?"

It is now 2075. Lin Yue is unsure whether Mr. Hanz has become a well-known figure in this area. If he is someone he doesn't know, it will be troublesome to deal with him.

His greatest strength now lies in his general understanding of the personalities of these characters.

Being a middleman, a profession that involves navigating between various factions in Night City, is characterized by high risk and high reward.

Many cyberpunks believe that things are simply a matter of money flowing from one hand to the other, so why bother with middlemen to make a hefty profit? But the truth is that these well-connected individuals always manage to win over big clients and resolve most of the problems for those who get things done.

It can be said that without the intervention of a middleman, most shady dealings would be impossible.

Lin Yue emerged from the crisscrossing makeshift buildings and stepped onto the creaking makeshift ladder to descend to the ground. In the distance, a large tree adorned with candles stirred up vivid memories of this world.

He once controlled the game character V and talked with Johnny under the Tree of Remembrance. Perhaps, like himself, V was also confused about how to go on in the future.

And now, all of this has become reality. Those feelings of resentment, those friendships, and that passion have yet to unfold their own storylines.

I wonder what V is doing now? Is he a man or a woman?
Lin Yue played a not-so-small joke on himself, which calmed his serious mood a little.

The phone rings.

[Incoming caller: Unknown]

"Hello friend, I am Hanz."

Lin Yue had a better understanding of the situation, at least he was familiar with this person, so he nodded, "The famous Mr. Hans, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The mysterious middleman, whose face was obscured, seemed somewhat surprised. He chuckled softly, his voice refined and gentle, "It's rare that Colonel Hansen could pick out such a likable subordinate. Come to the Heart-wrenching Club, I heard you were seriously injured yesterday, so I gave you some time, my friend."

"Of course, I won't wait too long. There are some things I need to discuss with you in person."

Lin Yue nodded, and the person on the other end of the phone didn't waste any time and hung up after finishing speaking.

Lin Yue prepared to head towards the unfinished buildings outside Dogtown, where a dilapidated road connected the main buildings of Dogtown. At that moment—

A spit landed squarely at his feet. "You stupid ghost hound, now you're useless again, ptooey!"

The vendors selling odds and ends under the shelves were cursing incessantly. Only then did Lin Yue remember that yesterday he had been Colonel Hansen's tool of violence to oppress these Dogtown residents.

Now, it seems the Ghost Dog has kicked him out.

Don't panic when something happens.

The next second, Lin Yue's hand gripped the vendor's chin tightly.

Passersby stopped in their tracks, seemingly drawn by the shouts and curses. Some were terrified, some were excited, and some were even encouraging the vendors to fight back.

"Hey! Calm down, buddy."

The merchant was surprised to find that the soldier who had been driven out of the Netherhound was wearing a prosthetic body. His iron-like hands squeezed his face so hard that the prosthetic body seemed about to shatter, and he could only cower in fear.

Lin Yue wasn't the one who did the Netherhound's dirty work, so he wasn't going to keep this grievance to himself. Therefore, he immediately taught the guy a lesson.

"I hope you can watch your mouth. Whether I'm a hound or not is another matter, but that doesn't mean I won't deal with you—"

"Behave yourself, okay?"

Lin Yue knew that if he put his hands in his pockets and acted as if nothing had happened, he would face a lot of trouble later.

Fortunately, this prosthetic body is more than enough to deal with a foul-mouthed boss.

"I'm living here peacefully, you go about your business, OK?"

The boss nodded like a chick, and Lin Yue immediately let go.

As everyone watched Lin Yue leave with his hands in his pockets, they all muttered friendly greetings to the "parents" of the Netherworld Hound soldiers before scattering like birds and beasts.

Although time flies by in the game, Dog Town is incredibly vast in reality. The road behind the unfinished building is very long, and Lin Yue was even a little out of breath from walking it.

It's all the fault of the body's predecessor. He would either buy expensive, high-end cigarettes or gamble with his military pay, and he didn't even own a beat-up car...

Lin Yue walked for two hours before entering the military camp.

Upon entering the gate, they discovered that the soldiers of the Netherhounds had stopped their entertainment and were all staring intently at this young man who did not resemble a Netherhound soldier at all.

But since the gatekeepers had already let people in, they couldn't be bothered with all this nonsense.

"Your gun, and some money Hansen gave you—oh, a kickback, consider it my payment."

A female soldier with a mohawk, her uniform wrapped around her waist, and rose tattoos on her arms, swiped Lin Yue's gun while smoking a cigarette.

The female soldier's eyes lit up; Lin Yue's "dry" account had gained an extra thousand euros.

"How much was deducted?"

"Three hundred. If you're not happy, go tell the colonel. You can get out of here now."

Lin Yue blinked; he wasn't going to leave. "Give it back to me."

The female soldier clicked her tongue, about to lash out, when the soldier next to her spat out a pungent glitter, "Give it to him, girl, it's unnecessary. Even Otto..."

"You're awesome."

Only after the remaining three hundred were deposited into the account did Lin Yue ask the male soldier about Otto, "Where's Otto? Didn't he say he'd give me equipment?"

The male soldier stood up, grabbed Lin Yue's shoulder, and pushed him outside. "Who knows? He probably died at some girl's house. Anyway, get out of here and stop asking questions."

Lin Yue called Otto to tell him that he had taken the items.

After all, this is a matter of etiquette.

The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. Lin Yue had no choice but to give up. Looking at the [Heartfelt Club], which looked like a transparent pyramid in the sunlight, he took his first step in this world... how many steps did he take?

Oh well, it's a good start, isn't it?
(End of this chapter)