Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 468 Closing (Part 1) [7.2K]

Outside the city at night, at the Sunset Motel.

The sky was as black as ink, as if the rain had only visited Night City… The dilapidated, rustic style, the unstable orange-yellow lighting, the laughter of men and women—it was as if this place belonged to a completely different world from Night City, yet the party was still going on…

Amidst the laughter and shouts behind me, there were a few news reports from the Night City program, still reporting the breaking news from Santo Domingo that night.

With multiple forces involved, K disappeared without a trace, and the company's lone wolf was executed in full view of everyone.

For the residents of Night City after the cyberwar, this was undoubtedly a comforting victory. In short, the company suffered a loss right under everyone's noses. But no one could have known that a space-based weapon capable of surpassing the destructive power of a nuclear bomb launched from Arasaka Tower fifty years ago was once aimed at the ground—

They revel, all for a fleeting, vague awakening of consciousness.

To be honest, even Lin Yue couldn't calm down for a long time...

The feeling of discovering he had a gun pointed at his back only after the fact made him very uneasy, so while sitting on the bench, his ordinary appearance made him seem to be waiting for someone—in reality, he was closely communicating with the internet.

Of course, Lin Yue isn't afraid of being shot; at least his outer skin is bulletproof. But what if the orbital weapon that killed the Network God, Barthesmos, really fell into the hands of the Night Clan…

The consequences could be disastrous.

Although the Ye family's overall objectives and procedures were unclear, including what kind of change they were talking about—

But Lin Yue realized that they were aiming to destroy the world to achieve their goal.

Therefore, Lin Yue's immediate priority is to obtain some information. The Badlands signal can only cover this farthest point, so he needs to spend time sorting through Sandra's intelligence. The offline server must be taken down tonight.

Looking at the time, Lin Yue knew tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. He wouldn't keep Ye Shi until dawn... He was just waiting for the wanderer to take the person away.

"Want something to drink?"

After his facial wounds were briefly treated, V shut down his expressive face in the night. Although there was fatigue in his eyes, there was an uncontrollable joy...

With the wound on V's face, he looked even more like the fearsome counterintelligence minister that others talked about.

"Thank goodness, we're all alright."

As they were talking, V handed the cold beer to Lin Yue.

Lin Yue took the beer and forced a smile. He didn't want to bring too much worry to V, but V wasn't going to pretend to be deaf and dumb.

After a while of silence.

"Hey, I mean... uh, if you could tell me something more detailed?"

Lin Yue stared at the beer in his hand, then turned his head after hearing those words.

V looked at the guy beside her with a mixture of helplessness and heartache, then moved off the bench and slowly leaned against Lin Yue.

"You're like a child, you've never changed."

Lin Yue didn't think he had done anything childish, so he was immediately puzzled.

Seeing the man beside her about to argue again, she said, "Think about it, what's the difference between you and a child guarding their toy car? The more you cherish something... the less you want it to be exposed to the environment or suffer even the slightest damage..."

"But look at tonight, all the things you've done in Night City over the past few years have paid off, haven't they?"

Lin Yue nodded thoughtfully.

"You mean everyone can help me? I know... the power of teamwork and personal connections is invaluable, but—"

V interrupted his speech with an unquestionable look in his eyes.

“Space-based weapons, this is no joke… V, you know what I mean? We almost died tonight. I don’t know if it was good luck or if Ultraman in the network discovered something—anyway, I have to wait for her.”

V skillfully pulled the human-computer interaction software from her slender wrist and gently inserted it into the brain-computer interface behind Lin Yue's neck.

"Then let me hear it all, and what you're thinking... Lai Xuan wanted to talk to you about cooperation before we went to Europe. Arasaka used the crudest and most hasty approach this time, but still failed to disrupt the situation."

"From now on, we'll be operating as a team, Rin, understand?"

Lin Yue was undoubtedly extremely confident in the internet. Perhaps subconsciously, he believed that no one could eliminate him. So, after hearing what Ye Shi Du Lang said tonight, he belatedly realized his mistake.

It is extremely dangerous for an individual to confront the system.

This reminded him of a familiar story from his past life: Sun Wukong possessed extreme fighting power, yet he was still no match for others in certain aspects.

Whether it's people or changes in consciousness due to uncertainty about the future.

"The company has nuclear weapons, an army, space-based weapons in space, and an orbital accelerator on the moon—there are also soul killers in the network. Think about the nuclear weapons like Xiao Beidou before you take the risk."

Lin Yue was taken aback. V, who was usually rational and had a good temper, unusually took a few gulps of beer and pressed his forehead against the side of Rin's cheek.

It's like the tender moments after countless dates.

She was relieved that her loved one hadn't encountered any problems...

"Your plans, content, and ideas all tell me that the European network is very resistant to external hackers. Even after years of operation, the local Ara-saka team doesn't dare to openly launch a large-scale operation on the network. So you have to rely on us. There are some things I hope you will do well."

Lin Yue's tense expression suddenly relaxed.

He was trying to accept that he was just an individual, not a nuclear weapon that could destroy a century-old company with a flick of the wrist. It could deliver a fatal blow, but if the enemy wanted to fight to the death, then everything would be meaningless.

Lin Yue recounted everything about the Ye family from the beginning to the present, including the Ye family's invitation to him and his many speculations.

"You mean in what was supposed to happen in this world... uh, in what was supposed to happen, the Ye family once controlled what might have been the next mayor of Night City?"

V frowned, trusting her lover completely. She had already accepted Lin Yue's decision to change things based on his knowledge of what was supposed to happen in the world.

"There's another matter, V. The Night Clan is very interested in Crystal Palace. They need the city's strongest mercenary... someone capable of defeating Adam Hammer and single-handedly taking on Night City's Abandoned Tower to go to Crystal Palace..."

Lin Yue guessed that V definitely knew something…

As expected, V, with his eyes slightly narrowed, asked softly, "Why did that person agree to the deal to go to Crystal Palace?"

Lin Yue looked at her profile and said, "Because there's no way to survive, her life is hanging by a thread, and the deadly chip is forcing her—she has to solve this problem."

V raised his eyelids and said seriously, "Rin, do you know that Crystal Palace is not only the biggest money pit, a collection of expensive works of art, and an entertainment paradise where the law doesn't prohibit it... but what else is it?"

While Lin Yue waited, V revealed information that only the higher-ups at Arakawa would know.

"That's the world's most sophisticated information storage center; what's stored there is more valuable than gold and far more mysterious than a divine palanquin—"

"Of course, it also includes a lot of information about old, abandoned network facilities, a lot of black wall technology used for transactions, and also... orbital aviation and ESA data fortresses."

It seems that the Night Clan is using V, their strongest individual soldier, as a gamble to obtain something like space-based weapons to launch a so-called "progress"?
"It seems we need to hurry up with our trip to Europe."

Lin Yue stroked his chin, placing the European Space Agency and companies like Orbital Aeronautics as his top priorities.

Blowing up the Black Wall and triggering a space war—the Night Clan's methods were too extreme. His concerns made Lin Yue impatient to wait any longer…

After tonight, North America will be without night.

At that moment, Lin Yue and V, who was connected to his brain-computer interface, heard the sound simultaneously.

"Ott?"

Seemingly noticing that V was on the line, Ultraman remained silent.

“Speak, Otto, we need to bring someone to Europe who knows the situation and company events better than I do, V.”

Lin Yue thought Ultraman would refuse, but she simply said "That would be the best" and then answered the question that had been bothering him.

"The matter you asked me about within IBS is true, Rin, and I responded to this unfavorable situation without any prior notice; I used my own intrusion, at the cost of losing more than 20% of the firmware data, to allow Orbital Aviation's ICE to identify Yoru's intrusion."

Lin Yue and V both looked somewhat somber upon hearing this.

What good luck...

If Ultraman hadn't taken the initiative, Lin Yue would probably be nothing but dust by now.

"Perhaps you've forgotten something, Rin. This small detail saved our situation."

Ultraman explained in detail.

"You have complete control over the entire Night City network, but you haven't conducted a large-scale data cleanup. Furthermore, the Night Clan hasn't verified your identity, which has affected the Night Clan's model's judgment..."

Model?

This was the first time Lin Yue and V had noticed this word.

“I once said that AI thinks differently from humans.”

"Humans can make more accurate judgments than AI in certain irrational situations, while AI, which prioritizes rationality, can only make inferences based on data. The Night family relies on a data-analyzing AI, which is essentially the same as their management AI... but in reality, their judgment was influenced by tonight's data."

V suddenly realized.

"No wonder--"

"That guy kept muttering your original code name, which clearly confirmed your identity, but the space-based weapon didn't activate... that's what happened because of you, right?"

But Otto shook his head.

“Essentially, you saved yourself. I just deprived the Night Clan of the chance to back out. If it weren’t for your timely concealment of your identity in Night City, and because your identity as a rock singer was tainted with a lot of independent data, even I couldn’t have stopped that firing.”

"The space-based weapon is ready to launch; it only needs one command."

I wonder what Ultraman is like.

Lin Yue and V were both covered in cold sweat.

“V, your reaction was quick… I detected that the data fortress under Rin’s control had undergone a self-check due to your company’s hacking activities, and the hidden Night’s control program and information acquisition channels had been cut off.”

"Rin, I have to admit that your partner's advice to you is accurate."

“Ye, the internet censors are very interested in your new territory. I will do the final cleanup for you—but I need you to supplement my data.”

Fair and reciprocal transactions.

Lin Yue had no reason to refuse. If it weren't for Otto using his own data as a price to attack the ICE of Orbital Aviation and alerting them, things might have been very different.

"Thanks, Otto."

Lin Yue never expected that being cautious would actually help him...

Back in Heywood, I was wondering if it was necessary to be so careful.

This wasn't even mentioned in topology prediction, and Lin Yue is increasingly convinced that topology prediction can truly provide the most perfect analysis of the current situation.

After Ultraman went offline, Lin Yue and V exchanged a glance—

The guy even flashed a grin, "Looks like I'm in luck."

Rin always seems like an ordinary, normal person, but when faced with immense pressure... he becomes so powerful that he doesn't seem like someone who truly exists in this world.

Through the exchange of information and conversations, Lin Yue felt that he was not alone.

He took out his phone…

He greeted each of the people who had helped him that night. In short, nothing in Night City can't be solved with a drink; if all else fails, have a few more.

V, leaning against Lin Yue, gazed at the dark sky while listening to the cheerful laughter from the Sunset Bar, her eyes sparkling. "What a pity..."

Lin Yue looked up.

"What's a pity?"

V pointed to the sky, "There used to be a place in Night City where you could see lots of stars. Come with me to see it after I finish my business?"

Lin Yue pondered for a long time. The protein factory in Night City and the surrounding pollution made it difficult to see stars except in the Badlands. However, he heard from others that if he went beyond the border of the Badlands, he could see stars.

"What are you going to do?"

V stood up and pulled his leather jacket tighter around himself. "Of course, it's time to settle the score."

"Rin, you need to understand that the Tiger Claw Gang won't be greedy for food."

This was the first time Lin Yue had been lectured by V. He sighed. There were many wicked gangs in Night City, but the Tiger Claw Gang was the worst. They were incredibly ruthless and preyed on the people, which was far worse than the Vortex Gang, which was obsessed with reformation. At least they only harmed themselves…

"I thought Wakako could control them without her boss..."

V snorted coldly.

"The company has arrangements to hold an event in Westbrook. Although Lai Xuan doesn't want to do it, he has no choice but to meet up with the Ye family in order to appease those old-fashioned Sanlang faction members?"

"Jack said the situation is a bit complicated and told us to wait for news... Anyway, let's deal with this problem properly tonight?"

It's great to have someone handle the details.

However, before leaving, V hesitated and said something that might make her lose face: "Wait for me, okay? I promise."

She was afraid that Lin Yue might cause problems because he was too confident in his abilities.

"More than changing the world, I wish I could just be by your side and talk to you..."

Lin Yue also stood up.

“V”.

“I never blamed you for chasing after the company before, but we’ve been together for so long… you should know what I mean by that.”

"Are they going to pretend to be deaf and dumb and wait for the company to fleece the neighbors and citizens who know nothing? You saw what their first reaction was when the network crashed. It's always about making money and maximizing profits."

"I have no choice but to stop them at all costs. Lai Xuan and I are both that kind of people..."

Moreover, Lin Yue knew that the Tiger Claw Gang would most likely face annihilation after tonight. Lin Yue didn't intend to know what Kako thought, nor was he interested. In short, he supported this matter.

After seeing V get into the car and drive off with a full throttle, Rin, who had just wanted to be alone for a while, saw two beams of headlights coming from the direction of Badlands.

Lin Yue felt like a spinning top, even after almost being wiped out by space weapons, he still had to keep going on to do the next thing. But he wasn't tired at all; he had already seen a richer world being revealed.

"Panan?"

After the car, clearly modified by a vagrant, stopped, the person who got out of the driver's seat looked at it for a long time, seemingly unsure if the person sitting on the dilapidated bench was K.

The two burly men who got out of the car also looked wary.

Mitchell and Scorpion pressed their hands to their waists…

Tonight's events are quite serious; from a homeless person's perspective, being relentlessly pursued by the company is a significant problem.

Hey, Panan.

Even though he was about to attack Ye's company's offline server, Lin Yue, who was already in a much more relaxed mood, greeted everyone.

"Hold…"

Both men heard Panan let out an incredulous curse.

"K, is that you?"

Lin Yue said with a smile, "Absolutely genuine."

Okay, I guess I'm fake anyway, so it doesn't matter.

Although we hadn't seen each other for two or three years, we would often exchange greetings on holidays, and occasionally send a thank-you text to K when business was going well—K's tone was full of surprise and delight.

She first glared at Mitchell, who had pulled her away first, and was still worried about how to explain to K that the wanderers had retreated first. Unexpectedly, K came up and shook hands with Panan in a very generous manner.

"Uh, that K..."

Lin Yue noticed that Sandra wasn't in the car and was about to ask Panan when he saw the impulsive girl with an unyielding expression on her face, who couldn't hide her feelings, looking somewhat conflicted.

"Thanks, Panan. If it weren't for you... it would have been very difficult to get Sandra out."

"Are you all okay?"

The scorpion nodded listlessly. "It's nothing—"

Little did anyone know that Mitchell, that big mouth, would add: "K, you should thank us. Panan almost gave us two brothers a good dressing down on the way... You know what the situation was like back then. Damn, I've never seen such a big scene in my life. Oh right... there was also that network crash. There was a war going on in Night City's network, and several of our prosthetic doctors' devices went down."

Mitchell is such a chatterbox…

At this point, Scorpion nodded in agreement, "K, we'll do as you say."

Panan's face immediately darkened...

These two idiots are usually quite decent, but today...

The kind-hearted Panan hadn't quite grasped the situation. Mitchell and Scorpion, being seasoned veterans, were the best way to apologize, and they could also use the opportunity to open up and discuss things. Lin Yue could understand that, but some of the more shrewish girls might not.

"Fuck you, Scorpion. I'll fire another one and that terrorist mobile unit's airship can get even worse."

Mitchell retorted confidently, "What, do you really want those cyber-lunatic cops to come chasing you to your doorstep?"

Lin Yue quickly reached out his hand.

If this continues, who knows what these three clowns will do? Their noise has already attracted the attention of the partygoers around them.

"Alright, Panan, don't rush—no matter what, you did help me save Sandra, Mitchell and Scorpion were right."

"But I'm even more grateful to you, my friend who remembered me and helped me solve this huge problem..."

"Besides, aren't I right here?"

Mitchell laughed so hard his two front teeth were showing in the night wind. "Did you hear that? My buddy said we did a good job. Panan, you have to apologize."

The scorpion kept rushing forward, stirring up the fire—

"Yes, yes."

"you--"

Lin Yue quickly stopped Panan, "Look, buddy, I'm fine. What are you afraid of? Last time Kang Tao almost shot us in the car, and we got away with it."

Panan's eyes lit up as he carefully circled Lin Yue, "I didn't see that coming..."

"Haven't seen you in years, you've become a legend in Night City?"

Lin Yue shamelessly retorted, "You were a legend a few years ago. I told you to trust me, but you wouldn't listen. You were secretly thrilled that a legend was working for you to get information on selling goods, weren't you?"

The four of them tacitly raised their middle fingers at the same time.

"Hold!"

Mitchell thought this kid was something else; he knew from the first time that this kid was no pushover. But the wanderer liked this kind of energetic and ambitious friend.

"Your prosthetic body is way more powerful than those reconnaissance squads in my unit when I was in the war."

"In the past, Night City couldn't even get their hands on this kind of high-tech gadget for a hefty price tag; they'd even have to risk their lives to cause trouble for the company—anyway, I've seen your story, awesome buddy!"

The two men expressed their respect.

Panan is, after all, a woman, and she thinks more delicately, even if she appears carefree on the outside...

"Are you alright? Is everything in Night City taken care of?"

Lin Yue nodded, "I guess I escaped with my life."

That's absolutely true; to be precise, I really did escape with my life today from a space-based weapon...

Panan spread his hands with a "that's it" look on his face. "My god, you're making it sound like you just finished a synthetic steak tonight."

"To be honest, my hands are still shaking. That's a terrorist squad—I'd rather blow up the Contau airship."

Lin Yue was both amused and exasperated.

Panam really did get bombed.

Mitchell teased, "Oh, you were just saying you wanted to fire a second missile."

Talk about it, talk about it, make trouble.

Lin Yue pulled a money chip from his pocket. "Panan, I have nothing else to thank you for... We've already repaid all our favors last time, this time it's me who owes you and Adcardo..."

"I'm sorry to have gotten you involved with the Terrorist Mobile Unit."

Panan raised his hands and backed away, "Hey! What are you doing? Trying to bribe me?"

Lin Yue, holding the money chip, wasn't embarrassed. He knew that only sincere people could be friends with the people of Adcado. In fact, the wanderers were very pure and loyal friends. At least when facing them, Lin Yue didn't want to be so calculating.

"Panan keeps saying that Adcado has supplies now because you helped a lot, and we owe you a huge favor."

"Now you're saying you owe us a huge favor. How about this—we're good buddies now, so we don't need the money."

Lin Yue looked surprised, smiled slightly, and said, "Then if there's anything I can help with in the future, please call me."

Mitchell reached out and patted Lin Yue's shoulder with his arms crossed over his chest. "That's what I've been waiting for, buddy. We didn't dare bring her here. We're too close to Night City—that woman is terrified and won't say anything. We can't even pass on a message."

"Who is she?"

Panan spoke up: "Don't ask Mitchell questions you shouldn't ask."

Mitchell patted his mouth. "Alright, I just said it off the cuff."

Lin Yue shook his head, feeling that there were some things that needed to be said.

"He is a former employee of the Ye family."

The eyes beneath the scorpion mask narrowed instantly. "A company dog? Only those who are afraid of death run to the Badlands. You're protecting him."

Lin Yue told him the truth, partly to assess whether Adcardo would accept the man, and partly to reassure the other party.

"Yes, she was hunted down for taking some confidential information from the company. The details would be troublesome for you if I told you—but I'll be going to the company square tonight, and the Ye family will die."

Panan hesitated for a moment.

However, Lin Yue did not intend to rely on the homeless's influence, so he immediately said, "This has nothing to do with you. Sandra told me that after the intelligence transfer data is completed, I would like you to send her away or take her in. However, I promised her that I would not be found by the company, so the homeless are the most suitable."

“There are other tribes outside the borders of Night City, so it depends on what you think.”

Doing company...

This sounds like a fantasy to others, but considering Lin Yue's performance tonight, it's not impossible for him to achieve it.

Panan and the others exchanged glances.

“Alright, the tribe is still under Thor’s control. Let’s sit down and talk about this. If Sandra changes her appearance and stays in the tribe peacefully, there will be no problem. But if she still wants to run to the city, Adcardo will have to send her across the border.”

"Having a company background isn't a bad thing, but the problem is that things might be unclear."

Panan shrugged.

In fact, many homeless people are also company employees. They just feel that the backstabbing and deceit in the city and the company will eventually lead them to death, so they choose to live a life of homelessness, even if they are not rich, at least they are living for themselves.

Lin Yue felt relieved.

"Thank you, Parnam."

Panan shook his head. "Don't thank me. It's not a bad thing that Adka has more manpower. Two years ago, we found a biotechnology experimental warehouse... It was full of white rice. Everyone is used to being frugal, so they ate that stuff."

"At the time, Scorpion, Mitchell, and I were out doing odd jobs. We crossed the border, and Thor led a group to cause trouble for the Chaotic Knife Society—"

"When we came back, all twenty of us were gone."

Lin Yue's face stiffened.

When did this happen?

Panan, who had texted him, didn't mention it at all...

A hint of hatred flashed across the face of the feisty woman before him. "Even so, Thor is still thinking about cooperating with the company. Thor is in frequent contact with that company in Taipingzhou... I don't know, K, but in short, Thor is completely out of touch with us now."

"Don't talk about that, Parnam."

Scorpion said softly, "The rice Adcardo has been able to eat these past few years, grown by himself, is all thanks to seeds that company took from the biotechnology apartment..."

"Sol doesn't want everyone to go hungry either."

Panan sneered, "I even suspect that the company is afraid we'll grow something edible using biotechnology, so they're poisoning it."

Mitchell shook his head repeatedly. "Panan, don't talk nonsense without evidence. At least for the past few years, everyone has been eating real food that money can't buy."

Lin Yue saw that the company's veteran "hatred expert," Parnan Palmer, was about to say something more...

"Panan, if it's really too difficult, let's send Sandra away and I'll find someone else to protect her."

Lin Yue couldn't answer this question; he couldn't use words to dispel people's opinions about the company.

"If it really was Taipingzhou Company that did it, I won't let them get away with it easily."

He believed in Emma.

"Alright, my question shouldn't affect your K. So... shall we go? Although we can't just let you take down the Ye family, we can still lend a hand or something?"

(End of this chapter)