Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 469 Closing Ceremony (Part 2) [7.3K]

Westbrook.

The vast city lacked the bustling atmosphere that a red-light district should have in the past.

Instead, groups of serious-looking Tiger Claw gang members were seen on the streets, along with the NCPD members who had already set up defenses on the bridge. The major events of the night had put the company plaza on high alert, and everyone wanted to storm the Night Corporation's building.

Knowing that the company had incurred public wrath, the NCPD had no choice but to stand on the company's side.

Who knows if these people will pull something like the nuclear bombing they did decades ago...

It's important to know that the death toll at Arasaka Tower was extremely high, and even the NCPD couldn't handle the consequences.

But as the Tiger Claw gang patrolled their territory, forcing the remaining businesses to close, the Arasaka police on the bridge suddenly withdrew their defenses, replaced by a long line of cars—

"Fuck Arasaka!"

The Tiger Claw Gang still wanted to stop them, but the Octave drone scanning overhead completely extinguished their will to fight...

Watching the massive Arasaka army march towards Westbrook, their weapons deterred any gang member from being the first to resist.

In addition, the Tiger Claw Gang's higher-ups issued an order that not a single vehicle belonging to Arasaka Company could have any problems.

It seems someone in higher-ups is well aware that Arasaka's actions are provocative, and not only that, but they'll also be inviting trouble and reprimands...

If Arasaka's people cause any trouble on Wakako's turf, Arasaka will not hesitate to smash their stall.

"Holy crap! What are these corporate dogs up to?!"

"Do the people below need the company's permission to rip off a rock singer?"

The burly, bald man in a white suit, with a Ukiyo-e style tattoo that extends all the way down his face, had the typical face of a Japanese gang leader, with a scar running from his lip to the corner of his eye.

These conservative members never think about transforming the organization; they do whatever makes money.

Although Lin Yue, as an external figure, had consolidated the Tiger Claw Gang's structure, the sheer size of its business meant that Wakako still had to select subordinates from within the gang whom she could control. This "feudal system" led to a problem—

There are still people who don't realize they deserve to die.

"If Arakasaka continues to push his luck like this, then we will never cooperate with Arakasaka again."

"Those modification fanatics from the Uzumaki Gang are also dogs raised by Arasaka..."

Everyone was talking about it.

Completely unaware that two burly men wielding samurai swords were standing behind them, Wakako's face was extremely grim.

"Go."

The scene of an elderly woman like Wakako sitting on a gaudy pink sofa that clashed drastically with her plain kimono was already rather unimpressive, but as she slightly raised her chin, the samurai behind her drew his sword and moved...

Everyone immediately shut their mouths.

"What does this mean?! Wakako-san!"

The man in the white suit realized that the samurai was coming for him, but his security guards were all outside, and now all he could rely on was a short samurai sword at his waist that hadn't been searched.

"Wakako..."

With the enemy attacking Arasaka, and Wakako making her move at this moment, the other leaders are already considering spreading the news...

We can't just sit here and wait to die.

"Maeda!"

As the samurai walked toward the white-clad leader with his sword, Wakako coldly snorted and summoned the leader of this territory, Maeda Maiko, who had been running Cloud Peak steadily for five years…

The current Maiko Maeda is not just someone who manages the accounts at the sex doll club.

Over the years, Genting has expanded its influence, and many of the girls have come into contact with various social classes, forming what could be considered Mrs. Westbrook's intelligence network. These leaders are well aware of this—often, when their subordinates commit crimes, Maeda Maiko has already reported them to Wakako before they even know it.

"Maiko Maeda, shut your mouth! Stop spouting nonsense—"

The leader in white took out a short dagger from his waist.

"Sawada-kun! Wakako-san! There's definitely some misunderstanding here!"

The woman who came in, wearing a fur shawl that only sex dolls would wear, said coldly, "Your people went to Santo Domingo to chase people, that's one thing, but you also chased after the people from Arasaka—do you know how serious your crime is?"

At this point, the white-clad leader, though blustering, roared, "Who the hell knew that bitch was from Arasaka?!"

"you know."

Wakako's slightly relaxed eyelids drooped, and she suddenly said calmly, "Not only did you know, but you also sent more people when things couldn't be covered up anymore..."

The surrounding leaders all frowned.

Even if it were someone from Arakawa, they wouldn't need to make such a big show of it, would they?
Just then, Maeda Maiko continued to pronounce judgment on the Tiger Claw gang leaders, "Arasaka has already entered, and his numbers are the same as in the corporate war... Do you know how many there are? They can wipe out the Tiger Claw gang completely, you know?!"

"asshole…"

"what?!"

Now who would dare to sit here and brag?

Arakasaka just walked in so brazenly...

“V”.

Does anyone know this name?

Wakako seemed so helpless that she laughed in exasperation.

Seeing that everyone around him was in a daze, the white-robed leader's face darkened...

"Tell me, Sawada-kun."

The leader in white snorted coldly, clearly prepared to fight to the bitter end.

Wakako wasn't in the mood to pay him any attention, and continued, "You all know who Abernathy is. We've done a lot for this Special Operations Director Arasaka, but now this V is her replacement. Let me put it this way..."

"Do you understand?"

"Shareholder level? Damn it... how come we didn't know about high-ranking intelligence officers?"

Logically speaking, Arasaka's shareholders are all well-known figures in the Tiger Claw Gang. However, due to V's special background, Arasaka is very protective of the person in charge of this intelligence department.

Therefore, it is very important how Sawada knew that the mercenary was the Special Operations Director.

But Wakako didn't intend to ask; she had to kill this man before that woman arrived…

"You old bastard, you're asking for it!"

Sawada rushed straight towards Wakako, startling everyone who jumped to their feet. Wine glasses on the coffee table shattered on the floor. However, Sawada only took one step before the heavily prosthetic man pinned him down and killed him…

The black trim around the neck looks like it's from a factory outlet.

"Bamboo Village."

"Go ahead, you'll be a hassle here later. Also, go and investigate what I told you in Santo Domingo."

The unshaven samurai pulled his sword from Sawada's stout body, nodded slightly, and left.

Looking at the group of leaders exchanging bewildered glances, Wakako leaned back. "We'll accept the punishment, that's all we have to do. But Arasaka can't just pinch our noses whenever he wants. I've already sent my people to investigate."

"Why is the director of the special operations department hanging out with a rock kid? I hope everyone shows this kind of spirit, and they won't dare to do anything to us."

Wakako has always been good at handling problems.

In her opinion, this matter would be resolved once it was brought to Sawada.

However, her intelligence network overlooked a crucial issue: the other side was coming for a fatal purpose, because of a certain person.

Personal matters were unnecessary for Wakako, so she openly set up this trap for herself, a move that experienced people often feel is in the bag.

As the scene calmed down, amidst the tension of the gang leaders and the composed expression of Wakako, Arasaka Ninja pushed open the door, dressed in a suit and tie, a master of full-body modification—the sound of high heels clicking on the soft carpet at the doorway came to a halt.

"Director."

The leading ninja bowed in greeting.

The woman simply raised her ornately patterned prosthetic hand, and the man quietly withdrew.

Looking at the chaos in the reception room and smelling the stench of blood, V knew that the old fox from the Tiger Claw Gang had struck first.

She was also hoping that the Tiger Claw gang would tear off all pretenses and fight her to the bitter end in Westbrook tonight…

After all.

Really boring.

V is not interested in playing these kinds of tricks.

"Director V."

Wakako showed no intention of getting up, but instead pointed to the fat, muscular corpse lying on the ground, its white suit completely stained with blood, "Our people were ignorant and disturbed some of your company's...secret activities, so I took care of this guy first."

"I hope you are satisfied with this outcome..."

V crossed his arms and nodded slightly, lost in thought. The Arasaka ninjas who entered stared intently, but as V passed behind these leaders, they could catch a glimpse of his snow-sculpted profile and his icy cold eyes...

"Wakako."

V stood behind Wakako, while Maeda Maiko beside her took a slight step back as she looked at the powerful woman. The steel-like prosthetic arm of the Arasaka Ninja behind her pressed down on her shoulder.

"Please don't move, ma'am."

The ninja's warning made Maiko Maeda freeze.

V turned his head to look at it as if it were an ant, then looked down and asked, "How are you so smart?"

"Do you want me to praise you?"

Wakako frowned.

No, the matter is not over yet.

The woman behind her had already expressed her dissatisfaction. She probably knew what V's problem was, so she changed her expression and smiled, "Miss V, I know how to manage a gang and how to deal with people who mess with the wrong people."

"We'll do whatever Arakasaki wants."

"But I must offer a word of advice: gloves come in black and white, and besides, our Tiger Claw Gang has been helped by a certain big shot—"

That's all for this.

V smiled.

What would Wakako think if she knew that her subordinates were chasing after the so-called important figures they were talking about?

"Furthermore, it's not exactly aboveboard for Arasaka to associate with street kids from Night City, so of course the people below wouldn't know all that... Please forgive me if I've offended you."

Wakako thought that things had become clear by now, and that she had revealed everything: concessions, threats, and all the information she had.

But she didn't know that the person behind her wasn't there for this outcome.

"I heard that the people from the Tiger Claw Gang who came tonight were sent by him, is that right?"

"Then can you tell me why Sawada continued to send more men even though he knew Arasaka's people were there? Did he want me to die?"

Wakako couldn't understand why this woman was so stubborn.

“Ms. V, I think I’ve made myself very clear.”

"The Tiger Claw Gang's operations are complex, and it's not like I can handle everything—"

V nodded knowingly and patted Wakako's shoulder in a disrespectful manner.

To be honest, Wakako thinks some of her juniors are becoming increasingly rude.

V held a small knife in her hand, and the Arasaka ninjas standing guard around her twitched their eyes. Wakako, who remained calm and composed, had no idea what kind of violent action this woman in her twenties would take.

On the very first blow, Wakako almost thought she had broken a bone.

A short knife was plunged directly into her shoulder. The old woman's eyes widened, and all she could hear was a gasp of cold air.

"Bastard!"

Seeing Wakako being stabbed in the back like this, the Tiger Claw Gang leaders couldn't sit still any longer. Maeda Maiko was also so frightened by this sudden turn of events that she covered her mouth.

"What are you doing?!"

A long, drawn-out trilled "r" sound, a typical gang roar.

But when the Arasaka ninja held the knife to their necks, they were speechless. V's long, slender fingers gripped the hilt of the knife…

Listening to Wakako's panting breaths, she knew that this kind of pain was somewhat cruel to the elderly, but it didn't matter. V was here today to solve the problem.

“I’m saying, I want to know who in Arasaka let Sawada know about this and made him continue to act. Also, you’ve been talking to me like a big shot, why didn’t you leave Sawada alive and wait for me to come? Is the way of doing things in the Kichiroku Tsukasa group that you can just kill someone and that’s it?”

Wakako's hands trembled, and she slowly bent over in disbelief—

It hurts so much!
"Do you want Westbrook to...be in chaos?"

However, the woman from the company said, "It seems that you are the source of the chaos in this district, right?" "I have some bad news for you. Arasaka is going to hold a big event here... I'm here in advance to sweep the floor and settle accounts, so tell me honestly how Sawada got this job."

Wakako was in so much pain that she couldn't speak.

At that moment, V whispered in her ear, "Arasaka doesn't care if this place is chaotic or not, I just want you to know who's feeding you—"

Amidst Wakako's panicked gaze, V simply said, "It's all been taken care of."

"Take her with you, and also find that subordinate she sent out."

“You can take this as revenge, Wakako.”

……
-
"B04 report: The number of people on site is estimated to be over 5,000. Queen's Road and the roundabout at the company plaza have been urgently closed."

Inside the NCPD police car, the panicked agents, looking at the densely packed crowd, were all contemplating whether to quit their high-risk jobs.

The company square became the target of public criticism after the man with the Ye family's identity mark made his move.

The speed at which public opinion spreads is completely uncontrollable. There are already no fewer than a hundred fabricated reports about the Ye family online. Most of these articles and information have one thing in common: the evidence is "real".

There were even fabricated stories like "Night's election manipulation," "Night's sale of privacy," and some people even over-interpreted the lyrics of KIA's albums to create a story about a "rock star exposing the truth about the company and almost being silenced by the company."

But regardless, it's true that people are going to storm the Ye family's company building.

Anti-corporate protests happen every year, but in recent years, these protests have become the prelude to a series of major problems…

Besides the orderly battle robots at the entrance of the Ye Clan holding off the crowds outside, the defensive devices at the entrance of the Ye Clan were also subtly poised to fire.

However, the Night Corporation seemed to have disappeared. No matter how the city hall tried to contact them, they maintained the same attitude of wanting to wipe out the citizens of Night City...

The night sky above after the rain.

Lin Yue looked down at the ocean of light points converging below. The bustling streets of Night City seemed like the lifeblood of the city's restless soul. In addition to the sound of the wind, he could hear the wind of Night City and the engine of the hovercar.

V was already beside him.

The two hours ended simply with the Tiger Claw Gang's top brass being wiped out, and Wakako surviving and promising to give an explanation for the matter...

The dog kept by Arasaka was exceptionally easy for him to manage, saving him a lot of trouble.

Most importantly, V got his revenge.

Two people are enough for this operation.

Just like decades ago when Rogue and his gang suddenly descended on the top floor of the Arasaka Tower, but the difference is that Ultraman is the one playing the role of hacker in the network.

Descenting from the top floor is not a particularly good idea. For example, large companies usually have anti-aircraft weapons on their rooftops.

"After going down from the top floor, the main server floor is on the forty-third floor."

"The Night Clan has lost control. If they try to intrude now, there will be a black wall and network surveillance. The Nightingale is probably being used in a program-like manner now."

Lin Yue and V exchanged a glance.

Doesn't this mean that Ye Shi has now become a Kongbu member in the online world, the kind who could blow up the black wall at any time?
“As long as Night City is still being watched, the Night Clan will not do this—and I’ve checked, the way the program is used is very flawed.”

Ott offered an explanation.

Lin Yue nodded and explained the plan to V in detail. He was responsible for drawing the fire of the Night Clan's automated defense forces, while V was only responsible for downloading the important data and then setting up a pathway for Arasaka's hackers to successfully infiltrate.

In this way, nothing will be left, and the Night Clan will completely lose its foothold in Night City.

From the very beginning, when signs first appeared at NCX, the game centered around Ye's Company was about to end. This was the second company wiped out under Lin Yue's involvement; the first was a biotechnology company.

"The crowd below is also a big problem."

V was somewhat worried.

If the crowd rushes into the Night House, something unpredictable is bound to happen.

"Would the Yoru clan plant a nuclear bomb or something in the underlying data service center like Arasaka did?"

V shook his head. "Hard to say."

“The data server is the lifeblood of the company. When our two sides worked together to completely destroy the biotechnology's foothold in Night City and its North American continent, the first thing they did was destroy and transfer the server.”

“That’s what Arasaka did too. You could say that the Hokkaido server center is Arasaka’s lifeline—no defensive measures are too much.”

While speaking, V even used heavy weapons, all of which had been prepared in advance to strike against any potential threats at the top level.

"Be prepared, there are targets, and there may be surface-to-air weapons."

The Ye family had been secretly accumulating wealth for countless years.

The most low-key and mysterious company in Night City has actually automated its entire facility.

The powerful combination of Comto's robots and Ye's software capabilities presents a challenge for V.

To be honest—

If it weren't for the huge commotion at Night City Company Plaza, Lin Yue could have handled it all by himself.

The level of attention it receives varies.

The advantage is that Santo Domingo was able to take advantage of the chaos and easily escape, causing considerable disruption to the Night Clan's large-scale model. The disadvantage is that Lin Yue cannot currently use his transcendent power to solve these problems.

V: "Still thinking you can handle this all by yourself? Your online influence is too strong; it's inevitable that the company and internet regulators will find out—"

"There are so many eyes watching... Lai Xuan's speech is about to begin, we have to make our move."

As they spoke, Lin Yue's phone kept ringing.

He simply turned it off.

The woman opposite him continued to laugh, "Looks like you're about to become the first rock star to go down in history!"

Lin Yue felt helpless.

“V…”

He seemed to have already foreseen the future of this identity.

My phone is flooded with text messages from the band members, and the old captain keeps asking me questions too—

I don't have time to deal with this.

Lin Yue just wanted to clean up the Ye family and give them some peace and quiet for a while.

Like V, he also wanted a vacation.

"Let's descend, Ultraman."

The hovercar's AI system had been taken over by Ultraman; after receiving the command, it didn't respond, and the two of them began to sink—

"Now let's take a look at the current state of Night City Corporate Plaza."

"The Night Clan's use of violence to openly confront the Night City system's leader, KIA, has escalated. As the leader of the first confrontation with a major corporation in Night City 2077, he is not currently present at the scene."

"Sources have revealed that K is very likely the mastermind behind the march."

"Of course, the main purpose of this live broadcast is that there are related reports indicating that the Ye family may be attacked tonight! And this is the first news after the Ye family announced that its assets have shrunk by 70% and that all its major businesses have been suspended."

The female news anchor holding the microphone was the successor to the deceased Julian Jordan. She faithfully broadcasted her message through the noisy crowd, with handwritten signs reading "Fuck the company" all around her.

Just as the female anchor was about to conduct the interview as required by the program, a sound like muffled thunder suddenly rang out from above…

The crowd gasped and looked up.

The night sky after the rain was pitch black, with only a few points of light shooting out in parabolic arcs above, accompanied by a rumbling sound a few seconds after they were launched.

"Close-in weapon system?!"

The female anchor and those around her hurriedly squatted down.

Her eyes were filled with panic, and the rumbling sound above showed no sign of stopping.

"Urgent report! Please switch back to the main station! The Ye Clan has suddenly launched an attack on the upper levels using anti-aircraft weapons..."

The female anchor spoke in a hurried tone.

"above!"

Amidst a string of tracer bullets resembling an unraveling necklace, the airships rapidly descended from the densely packed layer of automated airships above Night City!
"It's here! Citizens, the Night Clan has been approached by an unidentified hovercraft!"

On the company plaza, near the Night House building where a crowd had gathered, unusual activity was once again detected at the Aragaka Tower.

A large curtain is displayed on the company building.

"My friends in Night City, I am Arasaka Yorinobu."

Behind Lai Xuan's brown-tinted glasses, his eyes were burning with fervor; he was issuing a proclamation to the city.

"Given the Night Clan's manipulation of the Night City elections and their undeniable responsibility for the collapse of the Night City's Black Wall, Arasaka will launch an online attack against the Night Clan; at the same time, I support the Night City warriors in launching attacks on the Night Clan's assets, and Arasaka will cooperate at any time."

"Now Arasaka is requesting the citizens of Night City to evacuate the company plaza. Evidence will be released afterward, and major media outlets will receive news of the Night Clan's betrayal of Night City."

"Furthermore, the Ye family may possess weapons with widespread destructive power—"

"Please cooperate to avoid any unnecessary losses."

With brief words and the rumble of close-in weapon systems, people saw Police Officer Arasaka emerge from the goldfish holographic projection in the company square. Arasaka's methods were not gentle; as he appeared, the crowd began to retreat in an orderly fashion, and the sound of blank rounds being fired echoed all around.

Furthermore, when Arasaka mentioned that a large-scale massacre might occur, the crowd immediately began to scatter.

Drones were skillfully controlled to divert crowds at the risk of a stampede.

A series of exclamations rang out.

The media were unable to capture close-up images of the top floor; they only saw the hovercraft retaliating with weapons such as heavy machine guns…

The wind surging from inside the hovercar made Lin Yue squint slightly, and he could hear V controlling the weapons that were attacking the robots that were surging out from above.

"get ready!"

"It's time to go down!"

Lin Yue nodded.

As they were talking, Ultraman disabled the Night Clan's online anti-aircraft weapons.

A barrage of gunfire erupted below. Lin Yue seized the opportunity and fell from the five-meter-high vehicle. Three robots standing side by side continued their mechanical firing. The person falling from above suddenly plummeted down, the gorilla's arm slamming heavily onto the rooftop floor—

Boom!
The tremor caused the robot to fly backward suddenly, and Lin Yue stood up from the dust with his fists clenched.

The robots that tried to get up and struggle had their control modules on their chests shattered by Lin Yue, who rushed over in a few flashes.

Lin Yue has solved many problems with Kangtao Robotics; he has long been familiar with the design weaknesses and attack strategies.

"Don't drag V along, find the defense layer, let's advance from both ends and see if the Night Clan has any self-destruct mechanisms."

"We absolutely must get the data."

V nodded, and the hovercar suddenly lifted up and fell down the building like a falling leaf. On a rooftop, there was a heavy automatic door with a brushed metallic sheen. Ultraman accurately delivered it to the door.

V, who had just left, pulled out the soft wire from his hand and stared intently at the progress of the intrusion program at the door.

The failure of the air defense weapons above allowed the drones of various media outlets to fly up and interview. The footage of rock star "K" smashing the robot quickly dominated the media outlets of Night City.

"K is back!"

Lin Yue stared at the entrance leading downstairs and suddenly grabbed an automated robot with one hand. The robot's speed was almost as fast as that of the S.A.S. user.

He suddenly crushed the robot's head with force, grabbed a gun built into the robot on the ground, and rolled away to avoid the automatic cannon's barrage.

What used to be a problem that could be solved by hacking now required his own effort. However, Lin Yue didn't complain. He lifted the robot, which weighed almost as much as an adult, and hurled it away!

The fluid movements resolved the rooftop defenses in just a few minutes…

As Lin Yue rushed in, he confirmed V's location while examining the possible topographical map of the Ye Group building.

This was provided by Sandra.

Many areas of the Night Clan are off-limits to internal employees, and even Sandra, who works at the lower level, is unaware of their specific functions and divisions.

Lin Yue rushed to the door without hesitation, using nearly 20 points of physical strength to pry open the heavy vault-level door, and then suddenly exerted force to tear it open!

The instant Lin Yue rushed in, in the center of the five- or six-meter-high building in front of him, a huge server emitted a dense beam of light, like a lighthouse—

Lin Yue's expression changed.

how come…

"The subnet is still working?!"

It's too late to say.

Lin Yue felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the dozens of intrusion progress bars in front of him. They were rushing towards the server like cannonballs, as if they wanted to smash it to pieces!
……

……

(End of this chapter)