Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 419 Reflections on Abilities and Invitations [1 words]

Gloria had never been so flustered.

Even though the observation room of the prosthetic research institute for the Dreamer was large enough for a street-level NCPD bomb-proof mech to move freely inside, she still felt uneasy...

Two pairs of women's eyes were far more powerful than the refrigerator with the strongest cooling effect in the advertisement. One was on the left and the other on the right, one standing and one sitting on either side of the prosthetic operating chair.

Gloria only dared to look at the young man lying on the operating chair, his eyes tightly closed and his brows slightly furrowed, his hands rubbing helplessly against his chest.

Emma's expression was gentle.

Two years seemed to have brought almost no change to her... The simple long dress accentuated her figure, and the length and slit of the skirt were just right, maintaining the seriousness and solemnity of the company's military-style attire while showcasing all the elements that a woman should display.

She lowered her eyes, her hair was gently tied up, one hand gripped the guy's cold prosthetic arm, and there was a faint smile on her lips.

You can often tell a lot about a woman's personality from the shoes she wears.

Emma seemed unconcerned about Lin Yue's safety, casually crossing her legs. Her fair ankles were faintly visible beneath her skirt, and her shoes were not the high-heeled Persian-style strappy shoes, but rather low-heeled, dark gold styles.

If one didn't know Emma's methods, they would probably equate her with the word "gentle".

As for the woman on the other side, she was like a completely black blade, extremely sharp.

No one knows why women with a natural height advantage wouldn't give up those aggressively styled, uniformly shiny silver stilettos... they just inspire fear.

Fortunately, Arasaka's special operations department, which is in charge of handling emergencies, really needs a female boss like her.

A more upright posture than two years ago, long trousers, and a well-tailored short suit—this is the kind of head-to-body ratio that many women have to beg prosthetic doctors to lengthen their leg bones while lying on the operating chair.

V's attention wasn't on Lin Yue, but rather on the woman's restless hands. Her eyes flickered slightly towards Gloria behind her, who was nervously watching the two of them...

Geek!

A person's sixth sense can always detect someone staring at them with unfriendly eyes...

Gloria's knuckles turned white, and her heart pounded.

In Night City Arasaka, V, who is in charge of corporate violence incidents, leadership protection, and holds a stable position in the company's management, makes even many street thugs who aren't afraid of causing trouble dare not curse the company's dogs.

"You mean..."

"He ate a meal at your place, and then his brain-computer interface overclocked several times over its limits before he passed out?"

Gloria wanted to nod.

But... such a frivolous answer might displease this young lady, wouldn't it? Gloria had no doubt that this woman would pull out a pistol from the side of her suit and shoot her.

“Ms. V, I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have let Mr. Rin come to Westbrook.”

Gloria knows exactly what she did, and this woman probably knows it all. Apologizing is probably the smartest option right now.

As the saying goes: three women make a drama.

Gloria was prepared to be the one to suffer, she just hoped Lin Yue's condition wouldn't deteriorate too much, even though she was an excellent trauma specialist, skilled in open wounds, gunshot wounds, and prosthetic coupling short circuits—

But when it comes to brain-computer interfaces, she certainly wouldn't presume to discuss the issues with the scientists at Dreamers.

"Humph…"

The short syllables uttered by V were unclear whether they were a sneer or expressions of dissatisfaction.

In short... Gloria felt even more anxious.

Emma's calm and gentle voice came through, "Oh dear... Miss V, are you really so willing to treat such a beautiful girl as a corporate spy for Arasaka? Isn't that a bit too cruel?"

As she spoke, she looked at Gloria with a smile.

Gloria forced a smile, but little did she expect that this seemingly gentle woman would continue to say things that seemed to provoke V.

"Women in love can look a little scary, right?"

"I wonder if Miss V... also wants to do this to me?"

Gloria confirmed that she was not hallucinating; it seemed like V's prosthetic body was making a sound.

"Oda".

Under Gloria's tense gaze, V didn't make any substantial move, but instead called out... Lucy quickly appeared behind V, probably about some company matters.

Lucy summarized the entire cleanup operation in Arasaka, and it seems that there is no such thing as a "newbie period" in Arasaka.

Once you enter the company, be prepared that no one will let you off the hook because of your lack of experience—of course, clerical work at the bottom of Arasaka Tower, or some planning departments, are also places where you can find respectable jobs.

But in the counterintelligence department, this is not the case.

Lucy's colorful pupils darted to the side, then she glanced at Gloria, clearly also worried about her boyfriend's mother's situation...

"You were there too, what did you see?"

Lucy hesitated to answer this question, and as she did so, V's voice softened slightly, probably realizing that her anxiety was putting pressure on the people who had been cleared of suspicion.

"This is of utmost importance. Rin is the partner that Arasaka Yorinobu cares about most—The Dreamers, Dogtown, Arasaka... It's no exaggeration to say that the lives of everyone standing here are tied to Rin."

Not just Lucy.

Everyone standing in the observation room was stunned...

Lucy shook her head.

As they spoke, V bent down and tidied Lin Yue's slightly disheveled hair, a gentle look in her eyes. Emma, ​​standing beside her, was also smiling, but her grip on Lin Yue's hand was very tight...

If the company hadn't found out from the data that Rin had voluntarily activated her brain-computer interface overclocking, Emma would probably have been even more sensitive and irritable than V.

“Lai Xuan doesn’t trust anyone except him.”

During his two years in Arakawa, V seems to have noticed a lot.

"Let's see when he wakes up... Hopefully, the assessment of the lost islands in Honshu was correct."

Emma also refrained from verbally provoking V at this point.

He glanced at V's hand longingly, still thinking this woman was going to attack him...

She simply said softly, "A normal person's brain would have problems if it overclocked beyond its limit for even a second, but he... rarely makes mistakes in his judgments about losing the island, so don't be too pessimistic."

Of course, we shouldn't be too optimistic either.

No one knows exactly what effect the pressure of several times the brain-computer interface frequency would have on Rin's powerful body.

Just as Gloria was stunned, her eyes filled with uncontrollable worry... Emma patted the side of the bed, "Don't be nervous, Mrs. Gloria. Rin herself said that your cooking skills are very good, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to Westbrook—but please keep Rin's whereabouts a secret, okay? This is no joke."

"Would you like to sit down and rest? If you're tired... Suzuki will drive you home himself."

Gloria shook her head. Fortunately, she had performed well at work and still had her saved-up vacation days.

The Trauma Team offers good benefits, but the working hours are far less favorable than those of the Night City Big Three... Some employees have even lived in the Trauma Team's staff dormitory building in Westbrook for over ten years.

Because if one member of the team takes leave, it means the entire team will be unable to complete the trauma group's orders, especially since Gloria has now become a special expert for clients above Gold rank... which means her working hours will be even longer.

Working over 100 hours a week is the norm. Moreover, most of the pay is calculated as commission based on the quality and frequency of attendance, meaning that if Gloria takes a day off, her team members are forced to reduce their income…

Fortunately, Gloria is well-liked.

Her teammates laughed and told her to get some rest, saying she was "exhausted like a dog."

Seeing Gloria sit down somewhat awkwardly, Emma smiled and turned her head to continue staring at Rin.

Keep looking at it, which represents a signal.

She was very unhappy that her lover was lying there…

It was only then that Gloria realized Emma had almost no cybernetic implants. It was hard to believe that the dreamer who had transformed Pacifica in just two years, even prompting Night City's municipal government to repeatedly demand its annexation, was a beautiful woman with virtually no fighting ability…

"I heard that Rin sponsored you and your child when she was in Arasaka, is that right, Madam?"

Perhaps it was because Emma's question didn't feel intimidating that Gloria subconsciously glanced at V standing next to her. Even though Emma only turned her head slightly, she still noticed the whole little movement.

"To be precise, it's all thanks to Mr. Rin, and Ms. V also helped a lot."

Emma smiled meaningfully.

V's quiet, disdainful, and cold voice came through at that moment, "They've started interrogating again..."

"Eh?"

Gloria clearly didn't realize that V wasn't the most troublesome woman.

Some people have long forgotten their initial promises... Remember, Emma herself said she didn't care who Lin Yue was related to...

But if Rin has even the slightest problem, Emma's reaction is undoubtedly the strongest.

“Ms. Gloria…you look remarkably well-preserved for a medical expert. I always thought you were some girl who ran away to Night City to find work.”

"I didn't expect your child could be of help to Mr. Rin. A top student from Arakasaka Academy, no wonder this guy is paying so much attention to you and your son."

Clearly, the intelligent Gloria now understood the specific meaning Emma was trying to convey.

"So what?"

Oops…

Gloria felt a sudden shift in temperature between her two sides; the heat was directed at Emma, ​​while V, speaking at the same time, moved to Gloria's side. The woman's chilling aura was also quite unsettling…

"At least Gloria's child is worth the investment, and it turns out we were right."

When this topic comes up, V's words are also very sharp.

"What about that kid? I'd like to see who can win your favor—"

“Miss Emma, ​​that child just started working in Arasaka, so of course he can’t come to a place like this.”

After interrupting Emma's ominous remarks.

Seeing that the situation was escalating to the point of confrontation, Gloria, who had been the weaker party, had no intention of playing dumb.

"To be honest, there's nothing between Mr. Rin and me... Could you tell me about his condition? Although I'm a medical expert, I can still understand brain-computer interface terminology..."

At this point, Gloria's worries had long since overshadowed the shyness she felt from her first words.

"Brain-computer interface overclocking is a module that only hackers would install. Theoretically, overclocking the brain by about twice its normal frequency is equivalent to a short circuit in a prosthetic body... Can he really wake up in the state you two ladies described? I'm scared..."

Unexpectedly, the icy woman behind her placed her hand on Gloria's shoulder.

"Others can wait until their brains are cooked to make the corpse look more presentable... but believe me, Rin's prosthetic body is beyond your imagination; it's not something the human body can easily withstand."

"Since you understand, you should know what that level of heat sink on an intelligent robot means to him."

Hearing this, Lucy, who had been silently standing behind V, was dumbfounded... She actually knew about the existence of the Hammer humanoid mech when she came to Night City, and she couldn't help but feel a little scared when she heard what V said.

She was grateful that she had met Lady Gloria two years ago... otherwise she might have already said goodbye to this beautiful world.

Gloria's eyes were lowered. "To be honest, I really... can't tell myself that such trauma would make someone wake up in a short period of time. I saw that brain-computer interface, and I'm afraid it's not a question of whether or not they can wake up."

V gently patted Gloria's shoulder.

Before Emma could figure out what was going on, she saw Emma, ​​who had been sitting to the side of the bed, stand up.

The moment her gaze shifted, she was so startled that she almost instinctively took a step back.

The young man with dark hair and bright eyes slightly opened his eyes and reached out as if to unplug the thick network cable that connected his entire prosthetic body to the Dreamer's subnet.

"is that a lie…"

Lucy covered her mouth.

Only V and Emma stared at Rin, their expressions thoughtful.

……

"cold?"

Lin Yue, who felt as if someone was smashing his head with a sledgehammer, was the first to react online.

Since Lin Yue's entire prosthetic body information and underlying data were written by the scientists of this state, he must be fully connected to cyberspace to perform a self-examination... which is what hackers often call a deep-dive state.

In his dazed state, Lin Yue kept hearing Ultraman calling his name...

When he saw the vectors and piles of data in cyberspace, he was immediately relieved to be alive. As long as his consciousness was still intact, he was alright.

only…

What exactly is the situation now?
Lin Yue felt as if his brain had been completely emptied, leaving him with no ability to think. He could only lazily reply, "Hey, Ultraman, I almost thought I was going to kick the bucket."

Ultraman's voice seemed to come from all directions.

"Instead of this, I hope you'll look at yourself when you have the mental capacity and awareness to support your online activities... especially in your current state."

This was the first time Lin Yue had heard Ultraman speak with a hint of doubt.

When Lin Yue realized his own state, he, who hadn't sworn and cursed like a typical Dogtown youth in a long time, finally couldn't hold back anymore—

"My darn thing!"

Ultraman…

Why did it get smaller?
How did I become so big?
and many more…

Lin Yue's cybernetic image stood out brightly against the empty, boundless blackness, appearing like a giant. Ultraman, who had once looked down on him like a god, was now just a woman a size larger than him.

It has a comical feel to it, like an adult and a child standing together.

"I go…"

"What the hell is going on, Ultraman? I can't go back?"

Lin Yue never expected that his brain-computer interface would suddenly overclock and send him happily into cyberspace simply because he had a meal in Westbrook and took a family photo.

Bartmos's death was at least spectacular; Arasaka even used orbital weapons and elite commandos, which forced him to upload his consciousness into cyberspace.

But what the hell am I anyway?!

Ultraman shifted rapidly, seemingly observing Lin Yue's situation and condition from multiple angles.

At this moment, Lin Yue's brain, which felt completely emptied, finally began to react slightly.

A flood of thoughts and memories washed over him, and Lin Yue saw once again what he had observed during his brain-computer interface overclocking. This time, however, he simply browsed through the memories without putting any pressure on his brain.

The strange thing is...

During brain-computer interface overheating, the prosthetic eye couldn't see very clear images, but the memories in the mind were incredibly clear.

"Did you...lose?"

After a long while, Lin Yue's incredulous murmurs echoed in the cyberspace.

To describe his current state accurately, Lin Yue saw... the "future"!
"How could I lose?"

Lin Yue looked down at his digitized hand, the entire memory display was incredibly clear.

That was a time when the entire company was in a state of chaos, but in the end, the real spoils were completely stolen by the [High Knight] and the European Space Agency, who were not mentioned much in Lin Yue's understanding. The company still existed—

Violent unrest has drastically reduced the number of companies; however, as long as the corporate system exists, the world will remain under the control of two even worse centralized hegemons…

V, Suzuki, Emma, ​​Rebecca, and others...

Everything turned into shattered dust in this so-called future.

As the panel revealed, David Martinez was indeed the one who ultimately tried to salvage the situation, and the final attempt to end the enemy's scheme with gunfire failed, as did Emma's efforts to hold the core network infrastructure on the ground.

"cold…"

"I'm sorry, I thought I could stay by your side like Badlands."

This sound was not like a hallucination at all, and it was different from the brainwashing hallucinations brought about by the previous AI implantation. It was so real that Lin Yue could feel the pain and helplessness, and he couldn't even protect himself. It was as if... the whole world had collapsed.

When V turned to look at the planet, Lin Yue still remembered the brilliance of business reflected in that tear.

From beginning to end, Ultraman simply watched from the sidelines.

She could tell that Lin Yue had a lot of emotions... so she patiently waited for him to process them.

"Even with such a solid foundation, they still lost..."

The pain and confusion in Lin Yue's eyes slowly disappeared, just like the fist that was clenched tightly by data.

If we can lose even when we have the whole situation under our control, along with Lai Xuan, then it proves that there is something we haven't done well enough.

"Ultraman".

"Ok?"

Ultraman, who had been silently protecting Lin Yue, passed through Lin Yue's body and appeared in front of him.

As an intelligent AI entity, she shouldn't have any curiosity or impulse, but she was still eager to know what had happened to Lin Yue.

"I think I can see our future?"

"Isn't this...as unbelievable as telling you a clumsy lie?"

Otto was silent for a moment, then began to describe the current situation based on her understanding.

"Humans belong to the real world after all. Your existence on the network is merely a projection of consciousness, and your scale and data are pitifully small... From the perspective of a large program like ours, you are insignificant."

"However, your current state reminds me of something I am familiar with."

"Programmed consciousness, the underlying logic of the Soul Killer..."

Lin Yue was dumbfounded.

"Wait, Ultraman..."

However, Ultraman's hand began to activate the program, and Lin Yue's body program began to shrink visibly... "Your consciousness can be controlled, reducing your projection in cyberspace, and even distinguishing you from ordinary human hackers."

Lin Yue noticed that Ultraman had started distinguishing himself from ordinary humans…

“I saw the spectacle happening to you on the cyber network, your so-called program… or panel is undergoing massive data changes.”

Lin Yue had no idea what that state was like.

"I am trapped in those strange data from cyberspace, and I can only wait for you to be connected to the network. That's how the so-called projection on you came about."

Lin Yue finally understood, and couldn't help but wonder if it was because his intelligence points had increased that he had such a large presence in cyberspace?
According to Ultraman's theory, the more complex and powerful a program is, the larger its image will be.

"Ultraman, I want to know what topological prediction means?"

Lin Yue felt like he had to accept such complicated information as soon as he woke up, and couldn't help but complain that this panel was really good at calculating. Could it be that people with an intelligence of less than 21 points could not understand these things?

"Predict future waveforms based on current waveforms."

After explaining the term, Ott patiently waited for Lin Yue to think about it.

If Lin Yue's observation skills were a little sharper, he should have been able to read that Ultra was full of vigilance at this moment. This was the defense mechanism of the intelligent AI program—it would react in this way if there was a program that might pose a threat to it.

"Ultraman, when I'm overclocking my brain, can you recount the states you see in cyberspace?"

After careful consideration, Ultraman said, "Rin, that's a calculation process that no program can simulate."

"The most powerful artificial intelligence can indeed predict many events, but this is all under the condition that the basic conditions are sufficient."

"Your brain is passively simulating the future on your behalf."

Lin Yue suddenly realized.

"I understand, Ultraman."

"If I'm not mistaken, this overclocking is based on my prosthetic body and my consciousness... a passive state under such rich conditions. Does this mean I can use what I see to identify what's illogical, thus increasing our chances of future victory?"

Lin Yue received no notification; in his view, this was an incredibly powerful ability.

Actually, his first thought wasn't a pessimistic narrative of a predetermined future; instead, his focus was on improving the future…

The thing people fear most on their journey is constantly making mistakes, but once that process is eliminated, things begin to become clear.

Ott clearly hadn't expected Lin Yue to see things this way.

"Do you remember a year ago, because of your prosthetic body upgrade, that person called Lost Island installed a more efficient heat sink for you and updated the Wasteland Moon at the same time?"

"Could these things also be within 'that thing's' expectations?"

That thing...?
Lin Yue frowned, deep in thought. "Shouldn't it be Barthes?"

Ott sighed. "This situation today is definitely not something Bartommos could have created. Perhaps you could look for the transcendental AI in Europe. Bartommos has observed it... maybe it can grasp some information?"

"But I have to admit you're an optimist, Rin."

"If what you say is true, and the program that can assist you describes this new ability as topological prediction, then it almost encompasses all variables in its calculations... No wonder your brain-computer interface has been able to overclock for so long."

Ultraman's words inadvertently pointed out the irrationality of the matter.

"Hmm, you're right, Ultraman. But can the human brain really do that..."

Lin Yue still revealed a hint of insecurity.

However, Ultraman used his knowledge as the former strongest programmer to dispel Lin Yue's doubts.

"You wouldn't say such a thing if you had ever witnessed the spectacle of programmed consciousness."

"Strictly speaking, humans have never fully utilized the brain; it's like a super server that's incredibly inert... Whether it's brain-computer interface technology or other prosthetic aids, the brain is the only and unalterable internal organ."

We've arrived here.

Lin Yue, who had just woken up, finally understood the situation completely.

"So if I dive deep into the network, I will have... abilities beyond those of a normal hacker. Does that mean... uh?"

Just as Lin Yue was about to say something, he saw several data chains attacking from his side...

The reason it didn't cause any panic, in Lin Yue's view, was almost negligible, like someone trying to tie him up with a rubber band.

"The data volume is too large. Without compression, you will render the Dreamer's subnet useless. Fortunately, your anchor point is here."

Lin Yue nodded as he listened to Otto's explanation.

"But Rin, I really want to know how you plan to change the future? Do you see all the variables and how things will unfold?"

How should we intervene?

Ultraman's questions are always spot on.

Lin Yue shook his head.

"Isn't it enough to see the future that the current conditions might produce? Think about it carefully... Do you really need to see every single point in time and then forcibly change it?"

I'm not so sure...

"Since the EC companies and those natives in space have made us lose this war, shouldn't we strike early?"

Ott stared at Lin Yue quietly for a long while.

"of course."

"Ugh... Damn, my head still hurts. I hope next time I won't be walking down the street and suddenly get hit like this."

Lin Yue's cybernetic image rubbed his head in a rather humorous way, even though it didn't alleviate anything at all, it was just a subconscious human reaction.

This reaction undoubtedly reassured Otto Cunningham somewhat.

At least this guy is still human.

Lin Yue didn't know under what circumstances [Topology Prediction] would be triggered, after all, what if this uncontrolled brain-computer interface overclocking occurred while he was fighting for his life...?

That's no different from suicide.

With so many things still unresolved, there's no need to think about them anymore... Being able to see into the future, Lin Yue felt he was almost touching the ultimate power of the panel.

Is that extra bit of intelligence really that important?

That's not important.

When the entire skill tree of the panel system appeared, Otto, who was still thinking, heard Lin Yue, who had his back to him, say a Chinese curse.

Perhaps because he had spent so much time with Lin Yue, Ultra was also learning during this process, as if someone was regularly feeding data to an AI.

"Fuck me!"

Looking at the dazzling array of hacking skill branches, Lin Yue almost knelt down and called out "godfather."

Because the only skill panel that he could never max out was the hacking panel, meaning that he had mastered all the hacking skills in the game... Not only that, but his ability to use smart weapons was also perfected.

Lin Yue, who was grinning from ear to ear, looked at the panel that had hardly changed in the past two years but had now undergone a complete transformation.

Lin Yue

[Physical]: 16
【Reaction】：16
【Technical capability】: 10
[Intelligence]: 21
【Calmness】：11
[Prosthetic Body Capacity]: 3144 / ? ? ?

There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the basic stats. The two extra points in physical attributes are a reward for the goodwill gained from spending time with Rebecca over the past two years. The one point in technical ability comes from Pila, while reaction and composure come from V and Jack, respectively.

Judging solely from his abilities, Lin Yue is already the strongest person in this world.

But... they are just people.

People who cannot fight against the company's crumbling system.

Lin Yue had been wondering why the goodwill between people couldn't be accumulated little by little like experience points, which might have given him more motivation.

Thinking of this, he shook his head at himself.

Rebecca's favorability rating had already reached 90... Besides, most people only realize their feelings and opinions about another person at some point in time.

If I think about it that way... if I had known earlier that David could provide such strong abilities, why didn't I involve David in the chaos in Night City from the beginning?
Isn't this kind of seemingly predetermined yet randomly generated trajectory precisely the charm of life?
Lin Yue only knew that he felt at ease.

It's not scary to lose in the future; what's scary is not knowing why you lost.

Lin Yue didn't bother explaining to Otto what had happened to his stats; he only knew how strong the feeling of his win rate had increased...

Just as he was about to leave cyberspace, Ultraman behind him asked softly, "Does our agreement still stand?"

The miniature version of Lin Yue is like a cockroach that Ultraman could crush with a flick of his wrist.

He stopped in his tracks, and Otto stared intently at the guy's back, his body bobbing up and down.

"Ultraman, why...why do you doubt me?"

A hint of surprise appeared on Ultraman's face, which was obscured by his features.

“Even if you don’t say your goal is the Divine Vehicle, we’ve come this far… I’m willing to let you go to the Divine Vehicle in space to accomplish your task.”

"Do not worry."

Lin Yue smiled helplessly.

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart…

Just as Lin Yue was about to return to the Dreamer subnet and exit the network from the node, he faintly heard Otto's voice in his ear, "I apologize for my inappropriate behavior."

Ultraman is ultimately a program.

Lin Yue knew that those who truly possessed human emotions would never say anything.

No need for further words; everything is said.

……

"Lin Yue!"

The clear, crisp voice calling in my ear was, of course, Rebecca's.

She was leading this batch of Dreamers recruits at the company, bored, propping her head up and watching the guys below trembling as they were submerged in the Mewtwo device. When she heard Lin Yue react, she quickly rushed to the observation room.

Of course, it was only the young soldiers who suffered.

Because they were surrounded by various hypothetical enemies, feeling gunshot wounds, the tearing of enemy mechs, the roar of bullets, and being bombarded by heavy firepower systems dozens of times...

And none of these battle scenes are the same.

Offensive operations in badlands, urban warfare, and defensive battles—

Keep in mind that Mewtwo's technology is completely realistic...

This is tantamount to throwing children with no combat experience into the hands of elite troops of major corporations for repeated torture, regardless of how much combat experience they gain...

The sheer weight of these battle wounds alone would have made these guys wet their pants...

Looking around at the large group of people, Lin Yue reached behind him and unplugged the internet cable. He sat up, scratched his head, and sighed.

Of all these people, only Gloria and Lucy had the strangest expressions. Lucy's eyes showed a mixture of fear and curiosity, while Gloria's expression was one of gratitude and disbelief.

He clasped his hands together, covered his mouth, and kept thanking the God who had almost never saved his life.

"How come you can sit up even though your brain suddenly overheats three times?"

Rebecca crossed her arms. "Do you think you can hack into networks and catch people without deep-sea diving equipment?"

Lin Yue didn't say anything, but amidst Rebecca's "happy" mutterings and resistance, he roughly rubbed the guy's head.

Sasha tiptoed to take a look and, finding that she could still play around with Rebecca, patted her chest gently with relief.

Just as Lin Yue was answering each question about whether he was feeling well, Emma glanced down at her watch, then leaned down and kissed Lin Yue on the cheek…

“You have to send someone away, dear; this is the Dreamers.”

"I have to go to an online meeting with Giraf's new equipment. Call me later?"

Lin Yue nodded blankly, clearly sensing Emma's hostility.

In fact, Lin Yue doesn't understand one principle: true love cannot exist without possession.

If you are not good enough, you can certainly accept that you don't care about the person you love being cared about by others.

but now…

For someone like Emma, ​​who seems normal but is extremely pathological in extreme situations, this is already the limit of tolerance.

Lin Yue was still in a daze.

The data was collected right next to the lost island.

"Don't worry, how could this guy possibly have any problems..."

"A thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle..."

Lin Yue was speechless, his face showing a complex expression of wanting to laugh and cry at the same time.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're yelling too loudly."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief amidst the jokes. At this moment, Gloria approached with tears in her eyes. Lin Yue could tell at a glance that Emma and V had made things difficult for her.

It would be a lie to say I don't have a headache.

After all, he didn't know that the control panel would cause trouble at Gloria's house.

"Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault—tell David not to worry either, it's probably because my prosthetic body was under too much strain, which caused a problem."

Sasha also offered a few words of gentle comfort, which calmed Gloria down a bit.

Everyone chattered away for over half an hour before they knew it. Gloria felt that staying at this company in Taipingzhou for too long wasn't a good idea, since she was still an employee of the trauma team, and there was no guarantee that the company wouldn't find any problems during their investigation. So she prepared to get up and say goodbye.

"By the way, Mr. Rin."

"I found some clues about the life support system you asked me to investigate with the help of some friends in Europe. I will send them to you when I get back."

Lin Yue, who had been thinking that there was nothing seriously wrong with his body, was about to get up to see V off, since Taipingzhou was currently under strict lockdown by Night City. Unexpectedly, V's hand immediately blocked his way.

Lin Yue could only chuckle. Suzuki, who had come in, took the person away. Gloria turned back and looked at him several times with reluctance, which made V's fists clenched even harder as he hugged his chest.

Upon seeing V appear and intervene in the "situation," Rebecca, who is always eccentric and fearless, immediately took off running, dragging Sasha along with her.

“Go back, Oda. And tell that new employee to do his job properly. His supervisor has told me a few times that he’s been distracted.”

Lucy nodded quickly.

"I will tell him that Mr. Rin is alright."

She left cleanly and decisively. Lin Yue even thought the girl was running away, but when he glanced at the panel... good heavens, it was still that negative favorability value.

I reckon she's a little afraid of me.

No wonder, Rin was prepared to kill him in the trauma group's underground parking lot.

When the huge room was empty, Lin Yue was like a mouse that had seen a cat, fidgeting with his two fingers and glancing at V out of the corner of his eye, whose posture was somewhat imposing and blocking the sunlight.

"how…"

Lin Yue roughly knew what V was going to say; he guessed it was going to be a lecture…

"How could you be so careless?"

V sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, carrying Lin Yue's favorite light fragrance.

Lin Yue looked up.

V looked at Lin Yue with her beautiful yet slightly cold eyes. "Is it really a prosthetic body, or is there some other problem?"

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yue, who found it a bit difficult to explain the panel, nodded. "It wasn't something I did on my own initiative. It was probably a small bug that the island didn't anticipate?"

"Maybe…"

V's long and aesthetically pleasing prosthetic arm came even closer.

"How long has it been since I last visited you?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment, "Three months? It seems Lai Xuanting values ​​you highly... after all, he's the director."

Lin Yue, who was about to say a few more witty remarks, felt his collar tighten.

again!

A woman with a long, white neck, tilting her head slightly, leaned closer…

Just an ordinary day.

V always likes to "talk" without asking questions; in short, he's a stubborn guy.

Even the synthetic lungs couldn't withstand the constant inhalation. Lin Yue sensed that V was preoccupied, and it was unlikely that Emma had given her the eye drops...

Or perhaps these possessive behaviors are just incidental.

After V stopped moving, he carefully examined the guy's face.

Her forehead gently touched mine.

Valerie is asking if you want to take a walk on Pacific Island tonight.

Think about your answer.

……

……

(End of this chapter)