Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 431 A Scheme Within a Scheme [7K]

The fire spread like wildfire.

A long, black trail snaked through a cluster of dilapidated buildings on Taiping Island. Gunfire echoed everywhere, creating an apocalyptic atmosphere against the backdrop of twilight…

The Dreamers' armed forces had arrived at the crash site first, and one team, whose weaponry and equipment resembled that of Arasaka's elite squad, was advancing deeper into the area.

The leading soldier was fully covered in nanoweapon equipment, was tall, and had a long, black katana at his waist…

Jinzhongwan...

The lead soldier raised one hand, and seven or eight people had already reached the top of the slope created by the friction of the planes. Everyone stopped moving.

As the orange-yellow mask fell away, Suzuki, with his cold and aloof expression, frowned even more deeply as he looked at the disintegrating aircraft below…

The situation looks worse than we thought.

"Boss, the power is a bit too much."

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Find Miles and drive her deeper into the Pacific Continent. Don't let the elite forces of the Ghost Hounds get close."

Suzuki nodded in agreement, then placed his hand on his waist and drew his sword.

With a metallic hum, the soldiers around them all began to inspect their weapons and equipment. The security robot, which was automatically released from Space-Time One, shook its head, picked up its gun, and stepped out of the machine's structure.

Its visual system scanned the surrounding scene: burning flames, inspection reports of various new American soldier deaths, and a severed limb beside it…

[WARNING: Location number one is missing]

The robot staggered and saw a dozen or so companions getting up from the ground around it. Just as it took a step, a dark shadow rushed towards it within its data-filled visual system.

[WARNING: Acts of War]

The robot, though seemingly clumsy, is actually extremely fast-reacting. Even if the other party uses an operating system similar to S.A.W.S ...

Furthermore, the system's zero-latency connection means that if one robot is attacked by the enemy, the others will immediately form a defensive formation.

These robots, independently developed by military technology, are designed to protect presidential figures and should not be underestimated.

Suzuki drew his blade from a pile of equipment, sparks flying as bullets hurtled past. The laser above instantly locked onto the machine gunner who might pose a threat to Suzuki, and the power of the Tsunami Technology sniper rifle destroyed its core the moment the gun was turned around.

The Dreamers Company team, which had almost no achievements in Night City, took to the stage for the first time.

They were all elite soldiers trained by Suzuki, Rebecca, Qiwei, and Sasha.

He possesses knowledge of network technology and implant technology, a deep understanding of gun construction and modification, and has the experience of a legendary gunslinger like Rebecca, as well as Suzuki's close-quarters combat skills.

In other words…

Those who go on to the next life are among the most expensive.

Their excellent psychological qualities have become a powerful tool for dreamers at the corporate level.

Suzuki watched as the robot beside him disintegrated, while two swordsmen rushed up to the other robot soldiers and dismantled them as well.

[Brandon: A squad of Ghosthounds has already breached the defenses]

Location is now shared in real time.

Ott and Brandon were already online after the network shutdown ended, and now the entire Pacific region is receiving no less than a billion attacks per second, all originating from Washington.

However... Ultraman was blocked outside, and Brandon was the real-time monitor, which prevented the NCPD from entering the Pacific Network Zone.

Brandon controls all network devices that exist in Pacific Island.

Suzuki glanced at the distance.

But there were still many robots ahead that hadn't been cleared. He suddenly looked down, and a hail of bullets swept over him instantly!

He swiftly and cleanly hid behind the wreckage of Space-Time One on the side, and the soldiers beside him immediately took Suzuki's place.

"Captain Suzuki!"

"System notification: Someone is approaching from behind!"

If the team doesn't clean up in time, the company's team will soon be caught in a pincer movement...

The most important rule on the battlefield is: never be attacked from both sides.

Suzuki held the knife in one hand and pulled out a communication device from his side that could be used for tracking.

"Keep pushing forward, don't stop!"

After saying that, the squad members watched as Suzuki's tall figure disappeared into the swirling black smoke. The sniper's voice immediately rang out in the channel: "Hurry up, don't let the captain take on the whole squad by himself."

Suzuki's plan was actually very simple: one person is more agile.

Using the unfinished buildings near Dogtown, he could keep them occupied. Gunshots had already been heard, and even without a locator, the special team in Dogtown could pinpoint the location of the company's squad.

This special forces unit, belonging to Hansen, has been very effective in capturing cyborg doctors and eliminating rival business competitors.

The reason for this is that they are all veterans who fought against Hansen in Taipingzhou and Ara-saka. Unlike the criminals in Dogtown, they are more pure in their approach to combat and are natural-born professional soldiers.

Suzuki observed the experiences of this small team.

No wonder Hansen was reluctant to use it in most situations, usually saving it for seizing goods and rescuing hostages.

Each of them is a veteran who has served for at least ten years, and the advanced weaponry that IBM brought into the Petrochemical Stadium is used on these people.

"Were these the soldiers who were trying to take Farida from Mr. Rin?"

Hansen's vanguard was not those ragtag soldiers, and the dreamers of Taipingzhou were the ones who understood this best.

Suzuki gripped the blade tightly in his hand—

A group of soldiers, connected by a common field of vision, were clad in dark green armor with paint-splattered dog heads on it, and their eyes, visible beneath nano-bulletproof masks, were filled with murderous intent.

"Safety."

The three men formed a shoulder-shaped formation and split up to scout through tunnel-like terrain, a typical special operations tactic.

"The crash site that the hacker mentioned should be just ahead."

"Hansen said..."

"Bring the people over here first, damn it!"

The soldiers, gathered together, synchronized the time and map coordinates, confirming the location where the nose of the plane crashed. The soldiers responsible for reconnaissance on the outside, holding their guns, crouched in a roofless building, watching the scene ahead.

He glanced down and saw a dark shadow flash across the old canned food packaging…

He immediately turned his head, and the military dagger in his hand was already thrusting backward.

however…

There was nothing but an empty space behind it.

A blurry light flickered to the side, and the soldier's pupils suddenly contracted. The last thing the soldier saw was a sharply defined face with a scar.

Suzuki gritted his teeth, gently placed the dying soldier on the ground, and wiped the blood off his knife with his elbows before walking away from the side.

"Report? Hello??"

The Dogtown soldiers, who had just finalized their action plan, realized that the sentries had fallen silent and immediately began a thorough sweeping operation.

They soon discovered the soldiers who had been thrown down from the second floor.

After the prosthetic eye scan displayed the message "Dead," the soldiers ignored it without making any move. Instead, their eyes hardened, and they prepared to find the murderer.

However, at this moment, the captain of the Netherhounds gave a very clever order.

"Humph…"

"Divide into two teams. Team A will continue to advance, while Team B will clean up the area around the bodies according to the operation guidelines and organize defenses as well."

Sure enough, as soon as he said those words, he sensed something was wrong.

Before me was a three-story building that had been destroyed by airplanes, now resembling a small mound of graves, with burning aviation fuel still on top.

If the enemy had used small squads to intercept them, there shouldn't have been so few traces...

Could it be just one person?

They must be crazy.

Just as the team split into two groups, one to bypass the ruins and search, and the other to continue advancing, the sound of collapsing rubble suddenly rang out from above.

Everyone simultaneously pointed their guns upwards—

A dark figure appeared above, holding a knife in both hands, its body slightly bent forward.

"Hold!"

Without a word, the soldiers moved their legs and the tall figure above the rubble moved, leaving a trail of afterimages behind him. Suzuki, who was already incredibly fast, was now at the bottom of the mound in a few flashes with the help of this operating system, kicking up a cloud of dust and rubble!

Ding!
To catch the thief, first catch the king. Suzuki's first target was the leader of the Ghost Hounds squad in Dog Town, but Suzuki underestimated this guy...

He first used his weapon to block the blow, and the crisp gunshot from the soldier next to him almost shattered Suzuki's eardrums!

Although the bullet only produced a few sparks when it hit Suzuki, Suzuki actually felt as if he had been punched hard in the waist!
It's undoubtedly a weapon modification.

Suzuki swiftly swung his blade, his body lunging forward, the blade striking the soldier's mechanical leg—

In an instant, the thing burst open neatly as if it were made of soap foam. The enemy let out a roar, pulled out a military dagger from his thigh with one hand, and stabbed it downwards with a backhand!

Using weapons at close range was troublesome. Without any orders, the soldiers were in a two-on-one situation, while the other soldiers drew their pistols, ready to riddle the reckless obstructor with bullets.

Just as Suzuki nimbly slid backward to dodge the attack, a dark shadow suddenly rose up from above.

The Dogtown soldier, empowered by the exoskeleton, delivered a powerful punch!
Suzuki crossed his arms and suddenly raised them to his forehead, but before he could regain his footing, several bullets came flying at his side.

Completely defenseless, Suzuki was blasted back several meters on the ground by the heavy punch. He held his knife horizontally in front of him with one hand, and with the other hand, he wiped downwards, revealing a sticky, wet patch.

His figure flashed by in an instant. The optical camouflage could only last for a few seconds at high speed. He instantly disappeared into the ruins. The bullets behind him could almost catch up with the traces of his movement. He almost took a few more bullets.

Hearing the sporadic gunfire from Space Force 1 ahead, Suzuki, leaning against the wall, gasped for breath, gritted his teeth, and abruptly stood up again. Looking out the window at the soldiers searching their direction, his body vanished once more.

……

At that moment, the Dreamers soldiers who were rapidly advancing forward also heard the gunfire behind them.

The sniper glanced behind him and then made a more decisive and skillful move.

After their assault troops used kinetic energy weapons to launch the last robot hiding in the bunker and eliminate it, they did not immediately advance forward, but instead turned their guns to face backward.

At this moment, the small shadow looked up at the battlefield that the Dreamer had just cleared, and Rebecca's expression darkened slightly.

"Is this price... truly worth it?"

The lark didn't understand what Rebecca meant, but remained silent for a while before saying, "He did it all to get everything, and you and I did it all to survive. It's all worth it."

Perhaps, dreamers are sacrificing every moment.

If all of this was only for Rin's own sake...

Rebecca clenched her fists.

"We need to hurry before the Dreamers dare to search any further. Miles is nearby; let's find a place to go down from the ground."

"Miles has nowhere else to hide except here."

Rebecca's face was completely obscured by shadows as she jumped down from the side.

The larks seemed to be able to locate the defensive forces ahead, and Rebecca had a smooth journey until she saw this most complex area of ​​the Pacific.

Because of its proximity to Dogtown, some refugees and criminals who couldn't get into Dogtown lived here, making it no exaggeration to say that it was once a Long Beach stockpile.

There seemed to be no one outside these intricately connected residential buildings, and Rebecca's wariness eased slightly...

However, before the lark could speak, Rebecca had just shown her face—

call out!
A bullet accelerated by electromagnetic force flew straight toward the top of Rebecca's head!

"careful!"

"Hold!"

The moment Rebecca ducked, her twin tails were instantly torn apart by the bullet.

"What the hell is going on, Song Zhaomei?! Isn't New America one of yours?"

Song Zhaomei was speechless for a moment...

“In these extraordinary times, anyone who gets close to Miles is being treated like this… Can you handle this?”

Rebecca cursed, "I can't even see where the people are!"

"Well…"

"Wait a minute, the network security is pretty tight. Your company has turned the entire Taipingzhou network area into an impregnable fortress... We can't get in no matter what!"

"I've got it..."

Song Zhaomei did something, and Rebecca's eyes immediately lit up as if she were facing an enemy.

However, the moment the enemy information appeared, the lark immediately cried out in a fit of rage.

"That old bitch!"

Rebecca ignored the lark's curses that broke her defenses; she knew perfectly well who the lark was cursing and who Miles was guarding against.

"able…"

"Should we try to infiltrate? It's crucial to get Miles to have that program implanted."

Rebecca looked utterly dejected; she thought the Nightingale had truly gone mad. "The president of the new America is surrounded in Pacific Ocean. Do you know what will happen if he falls into the company's hands?"

The lark is here again…

"War...what the hell does that have to do with me?"

"I wish I could tear this damn city apart!"

Rebecca sat on the ground in a huff, who knows how many henchmen Miles had with him.

The lark cursed Miles online, vehemently accusing him of seeing through her scheme, but she was now powerless to do anything about it. The Night Clan was also being routed and fleeing in terror.

Aside from informing her that Rin had uncovered their entire conspiracy, they provided no other information...

This made the lark even more impatient.

What's the point of all this if we don't kill Miles?
However, a strange light shone in Rebecca's eyes, as if she were silently listening to someone speak.

"You think it's some war and collapse that has nothing to do with us?"

"OK... While that's one of the reasons, do you know how many hours Miles was out of contact before the new American 'government' would put the vice president in office?"

Rebecca shook her head.

to be honest…

What the lark said was beyond her comprehension.

"72 hours, three days."

“If Miles loses this position, your illness, my life, we’re all doomed. Fine… if you don’t want to move, then we’ll just wait to die!”

Rebecca sighed helplessly and quickly crawled from behind the cover to the side. Under the scan of her prosthetic eye, she realized that peeking out had already attracted the attention of the security team.

The lark was also in a hurry and quickly found a route for Rebecca.

Just then, the voice in Rebecca's head rang out again.

"I was surprised that you didn't believe this white-faced guy from New America. If I had to choose between licking the boots of the company and licking New America, I would rather choose the former."

It's hard to believe that Silver Hand is still maintaining a mental connection with Rebecca.

"Honestly, I sometimes really believe in fate."

Silver Hand seemed to be sighing as he muttered something unrelated to himself.

"Don't be so cocky, buddy, don't put on your own concert in my head—it's not even half as good as Rin's singing."

Rebecca complained irritably.

Silver Hand immediately fell silent.

"What do you mean? This woman seems unaware of the extent to which our consciousnesses have been intertwined over the past two years—what was that bald Japanese man saying again?"

Rebecca had had enough of this hot-tempered, angry young man.

"Awareness-based joint defense."

Silver Hand laughed and said, "Are you really planning to be a dog of the new America, like in an American blockbuster, to win back the Mind and freedom, and restore the world order? Then you'll stand next to Miles like a Boy Scout and swear allegiance to America, right?"

"You're so eager to go after Miles, without trusting anyone else?"

Rebecca never intended to tell Silver Hand; in fact, she had been waiting for Rin's move—you could say that.

In Rebecca's small world, the only people she trusts are her friends and Rin.

This trust is like knowing that your older brother Pilar would never harm you.

"Rebecca, I found it. Shall we try going this way?"

Judging from the lark's uncertain tone, Rebecca guessed that she had probably chosen a path that wasn't very promising for her.

Is it reliable...?

The lark's voice was very low, "Still care about these things?"

Rebecca pouted and, following the lark's instructions, nimbly jumped onto the container and crawled inside through the building's side ventilation duct.

“According to the New America’s contingency plan, people outside may not even know Miles’ exact location, so… she may have one or two guards around her.”

Rebecca climbed inside the ventilation duct, listening to the lark's rambling explanation.

At this moment, Rebecca's biggest worry is that she has found Miles and discovered that he has been pierced by the Lark. She only wanted to take Miles hostage on behalf of the Dreamer.

To know…

When a lark is in a fit of rage, it can easily burn through its own brain.

However, during the two's actions, each with their own ulterior motives, the entire building suddenly trembled slightly, and Rebecca almost fell off the escalator. She quickly grabbed the sheet metal next to her with her gorilla arm to prevent herself from falling.

"What happened, Song Zhaomei?"

"You're asking me..." Lark gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Your company found Miles's location, how the hell did that?"

A two-pronged approach with multiple routes ensures that the goal remains the same.

cold…

That's so typical of you.

Rebecca quickly composed herself and offered a rare word of comfort to the lark, "The people around Miles aren't pushovers, it's alright."

"Do not…"

“Have you forgotten about someone like Li De? Miles beckons him and he’ll find a way to sabotage our plans.”

The lark was already rambling incoherently; if one could be patient, one could clearly see her contradictions and insincerity.

Li De saved Miles...isn't that a good thing?

Rebecca saw through their scheme but kept quiet, silently continuing to probe forward. The sounds of gunfire and various battle noises were now very clear…

I don't know what Rin should do to secure a chance of survival.

But Rebecca believed that Rin must have been able to foresee all of this.

……
-
Inside the dilapidated room, Miles, dressed casually in a jacket with rather offensive graffiti, still exuded an air of confidence and triumph.

The person standing next to him should be very familiar to the dreamer.

Morgan Blackhand.

Wearing a black trench coat, he simply leaned against Miles, silently smoking a cigar and watching the guy whom military technology called a new product.

【Black Dream】

Very few melee hackers.

Morgan immediately sensed a striking resemblance between this guy and that guy.

Having silently suffered several setbacks behind the scenes, the military technology team naturally used Rin as a model for analysis. These mad scientists discovered that Rin's excellent combat style was very suitable for lone wolves...

Military technology, with its expertise in prosthetic operating systems, has perfectly resolved the incompatibility issue between S.A.R. and the network access module within the past two years.

No one knows whether Black Dream is male or female; Morgan only knows that it is the last gift that the deceased Lucas left for Miles.

In the eyes of those who are driven by self-interest, emotions seem worthless. Morgan felt that anyone sitting in that position could no longer be considered human.

"Has Washington still not located that little bitch?"

Miles's plan here was actually very simple: expose the lark's true colors, eliminate the lark, and make Hansen the powder keg to ignite Pacifica, using war to prolong his throne.

However, it is not as good as God.

Or perhaps "heaven" belongs to someone else.

The lark must be killed cleanly; she carries too many sins that Miles, even in death, cannot escape.

Everyone wants to get rid of trouble completely and once and for all, and Miles is no exception.

Fortunately…

The colonel's performance was not bad; he, who had always stayed in Dogtown's shell, chose to take the initiative.

"Idle checks are too easy to do; just give the colonel something to keep him calm."

Black Dream's voice reminded Morgan of the Vortex Gang, a heavily synthesized voice, like the standard voice of a cyber psychopath.

"Hmm, the money is for the wolf cubs. Now we need to find a way to move to Dogtown. Hansen will swear allegiance to the new United States, and then Free State will be our territory."

Robber mentality.

Oh no, perhaps in the blood of the new Americans, they believe that oaths and allegiance are equivalent to ownership of land, and they have always held this view, no matter how times change.

"The lark's trail is very clear. She kidnapped a relic recipient to get close to you. She has no more cards to play."

Morgan Black Hand still had to speak up when necessary, because his job was intelligence work; if the boss wanted something, he had to give it to him.

Is this considered a gift?

Miles gave a cold laugh.

"Start the war, reap the relic, and all problems stop at the lark."

Although he was thinking this in his heart, Miles' face remained very serious.

"Then let's deal with her and get Washington to act quickly."

Hei Meng took a few steps back and disappeared into the stairwell of the unfinished building.

"Morgan?"

Morgan, who was smoking a cigarette, paused for a moment, then saw Miles stand up and quickly threw the cigarette on the ground.

"Your Excellency the President."

Miles looked at the cigarette butts on the ground.

Have you obtained your new legal U.S. citizenship?

Morgan shrugged. "If we get it, it'll be even harder to explain. You know... there can't be two identical people in the world."

Miles stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the night sky outside.

Gunfire erupted outside; it seemed that in Dogtown, the Dreamers and their own people had already made contact and were locked in a chaotic battle.

If the situation in Night City cannot be de-escalated quickly, war will be the next step.

"Morgan, join the Joint Logistics Command."

"Lucas is gone, I have to protect you."

Miles looked at Morgan quietly, while Morgan stroked her chin, a hint of reluctance and nostalgia in her eyes.

“You know, everyone sees you as a freak, but you don’t get to choose your ticket to this world—I’m giving you a chance, Morgan.”

If we're talking about why the legendary lone wolf "clone" who left behind countless loopholes in military technology is still holding onto this position, it's probably because of Lucas.

"Lucas died at the hands of the company, the enemies within New America, and those thieves; our cause must go on."

Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Contribute yourself to the new America, and you can get legal status. There is no Morgan in this world, only a brand new life."

"After this operation, you don't need to worry about anything."

Is this the life of an ordinary person?

Morgan thought about it...

"So I have to do something, ma'am?"

Miles paced back and forth. "Arasaka and Taipingzhou, that crazy company, think they're so clever, but you know what? I judge whether two forces are friends or enemies based solely on whether their interests are aligned."

"The lark was hiding things, thinking I didn't know the murderer who killed Saburo Arasaka was still alive, but that guy's ambitions go beyond that."

Morgan's expression darkened slightly.

"You mean he's coming to see you?"

Miles nodded. "It's not hard to see. I know the taste of power better than anyone else."

That's really...

Great.

Morgan smiled.

"So, ma'am, do you want to take advantage of that girl?"

Miles nodded. "Relic is a technology that can bring people back to life. It seems Rin has chosen the wrong target. This kind of power needs weapons to maintain it."

"The lark—"

"It will always be mine."

Morgan's expression grew increasingly calm.

Speaking of his ex... it wouldn't be appropriate not to say it this way. Why didn't the "true legend bearing the name Morgan" drop a nuclear bomb in the White House in New America?
……

……

(End of this chapter)