Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 474 War Chariots [5K]

“There’s nothing seriously wrong with your personal neural connections. I’ve examined them thoroughly, but I think what you need most right now is to get some rest.”

The doctor packed up the equipment in a room on the second floor of the Arasaka mansion, stood up, and bowed slightly.

Lai Xuan, who had been sleeping less than three hours a day for the past two weeks, breathed a sigh of relief.

A perfect attempt.

That's all he could say. If the first biotechnology acquisition wasn't perfect, then this acquisition of the Night family achieved the effect he had agreed upon with Rin three years ago.

Arasaka is like a wild beast lurking in the open, waiting to strike its prey when it's weak, and Rin's job is to weaken the prey...

“I will consider your suggestion, but I still hope you can cleanse my body of the harmful substances produced by staying up late—humans are machines that can’t stop, and my father has always said so.”

The doctor smiled slightly.

He had met all sorts of powerful and influential people, and Lai Xuan was undoubtedly the most powerful guy in Arakawa and even in the world. It seemed that he was not as harsh as people imagined.

"Cleansing also takes a toll on your body. You can take a nap now to avoid these problems. Also, I heard that Arasaka is going to hold a memorial event for Arasaka-sama soon, is that right?"

Lai Xuan's brow twitched slightly.

Under no circumstances would Lai Xuan criticize the deceased Saburo in public in Arakasa, because Saburo's power within the organization had not yet been fully absorbed and replaced, so he had to be careful with his words.

"Yes."

Lai Hsuan sat up straight and put on his watch. "When I was young, I didn't know the immensity of the world. I only knew that my father thought too much... I always called him indecisive."

"But I understand now..."

“With such a large family business as Arasaka, I have to be responsible for the livelihoods of so many people. From the perspective of an unfilial son, I think we should commemorate our father and let the outside world know that Arasaka will always move forward steadily according to our father’s wishes.”

The doctor stared at the seemingly declining upstart of the company, his lips pursed, lost in thought.

"Lord Arasaka knows you are intelligent, and he should be very pleased."

After the doctor prescribed the medicine, he began instructing Lai Xuan's security guards on how to administer it. He also provided additional samples for drug testing, which could be mixed with the officially administered medications. This was part of the company's rules for medical treatment for senior executives.

"By the way, isn't Europe much better than this awful North America?"

Lai Xuan asked with a smile, "Are you settling in well with the food and lodging? I told them not to bother you to make the trip, but you still came."

The doctor shook his head.

"My job is to ensure that everyone is healthy. Those doctors who focus on prosthetics have deviated from the original intention that human health requires its own circulation, so I have to come and take a look to prevent any mistakes from happening."

Lai Xuan's smile held a hint of strangeness.

The mansion's exquisite wooden door was pushed open, and a man and a woman dressed as company security guards walked in. The doctor glanced at them but didn't pay them any mind.

"Then it'll be hard work."

"Take the professor to rest—"

The company's samurai strode forward, extending his hand, "Please, Professor."

The doctor glanced at it, smiled slightly, nodded, and left.

Apart from the man and woman, all the other security personnel went out at Lai Xuan's behest.

The room was silent. Everyone in the room, with its exquisite floor-to-ceiling windows and dark gold semi-transparent patterns, watched as the hovercar rose up and disappeared into the night sky. It was at this moment that Lai Xuan spoke.

"I think I should send you a text message to let you rest for a day before coming back... You've really had a hard time on this trip."

A ripple of light emanated from the male security guard, and his black hair and bright eyes clearly belonged to Lin Yue.

V is here too.

"I have no intention of prying into your secrets. Are you really not planning to take Miss V on a date?"

Lai Xuan is over eighty years old; he's seen it all. He just looks about thirty.

Before Lin Yue could speak, V said, "We are in a romantic relationship, but we keep our personal and professional lives separate."

Lin Yue clearly hadn't expected V to be so direct.

Lai Xuan suddenly smiled brightly, "I've played the villain again. Miss V has already made it very clear in her words."

Seeing Lin Yue blush bright red, Lai Xuan was even happier.

He prefers people with humanity. Adam Hammer, who can no longer be called human, may be a sharp blade, but he would definitely hurt himself.

Lai Xuan has discovered more than once that Heavy Hammer would secretly release enemies he considered very strong, simply for "fun." Perhaps Heavy Hammer will do the same at a crucial moment someday...

His behavior was cold-blooded and ruthless, while the guy in front of him, whose strength far surpassed that of the heavy hammer, still acted like a young man.

Are we considered friends despite the age gap?

Lai Xuan thought to himself...

"Alright, Rin, you can joke around anytime, but I urgently called you here, and I'm sure you've seen that—"

Lai Xuan's eyes were sharp.

Lin Yue composed himself and nodded. "They want to see what's going on in Europe?"

Lai Xuan nodded. "V knows very well which branches in Europe are in big trouble right now... You tell Rin."

Lin Yue looked at V.

"Brussels, Belgium; Rotterdam, Netherlands."

"Backed by European arms companies, Arasaka dumps its products in Africa through price swaps, while its other environmental businesses and European-made weapons are reverse-dumped in North America, South America, and Asia..."

"【Midnight Military Industry】, 【Delta Defense】, and the previously mentioned Nordic Network, etc..."

Lin Yue frowned.

Night City certainly has a rich history, but apart from Midnight Military Industry, none of the European companies V mentioned seem to be familiar with Night City.

“Rin, the situation with European companies is complicated.”

V succinctly stated the core points; she guessed that the rest would be taught to Lin Yue gradually afterward.

Lai Xuan nodded.

"It's nothing new for companies to be able to control the government. If you've been to Japan, you know how much control Arasaka has in the country."

"But that doesn't mean companies can replace them—"

“Public grievances, the right to interpret the law, conventions, etc. are the last line of defense for enterprises, but they can be ignored when it comes to real competition for interests.”

"Perhaps in Japan you can only see Arasaka, which has a monopoly, and other companies that try to diversify their businesses to avoid competing with Arasaka in the market."

"Kichirokuji, Mitsubishi, Tsunami Defense, Japan Airlines..."

Lai Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window, and spoke softly.

"If this is the case in Japan, then the European Community, which has many small countries, is even more so... It is no exaggeration to say that the number of European companies combined is more than the total number of companies in the two continents."

"Intertwined interests, complex and intertwined, with the consequences of a single move affecting the whole situation, make it the toughest nut to crack for us."

Lin Yue pondered the information Lai Xuan had revealed.

No wonder, in the ending of Lai Xuan's failure and defection to Arasaka, he watched as his people in Arasaka all over the world rioted and was immediately killed by Saburo in the cradle, and his body became a container for Saburo's digital soul.

The map in his memory was blurry, and the parabolic curves (representing attacks) in Europe were the most densely packed... Furthermore, Lin Yue boldly speculated that Night City was the location where Lai Xuan was beheaded, and Europe was the key battlefield where the last chessboard was lost.

"Can you tell me what you plan to do if we fail to achieve this plan, Lai Xuan?"

Lin Yue was very curious about what Lai Xuan, who had tried to launch wars several times, would do.

Lai Xuan paused for a moment.

"Just like last time when I sensed you might be at a disadvantage, I already showed you what I was going to do."

"Even though I know the chances of success are incredibly slim, I still want to escalate the situation through corporate warfare, letting companies all over the world experience the baptism of this fire..."

Lai Xuan's expression turned somewhat somber as he spoke of this.

"If you hadn't cleverly drawn the company into the network, igniting the war at the network level and ultimately winning, we would probably be embroiled in a protracted tug-of-war even longer than the war for unification..."

"On this point, you and Kangtao are completely in agreement."

"No wonder it's a company from your hometown..."

Lin Yue smiled.

Is it considered a family company? Although it's not the China you might imagine, Kangtao's cultural atmosphere and logic align with the way things are done in ancient civilizations.

Lin Yue also views war in this way.

Unless victory is assured in one strike, the overall situation is the most important factor when forces are evenly matched.

However, to be fair, Lai Xuan's daring and aggressive personality, coupled with his willingness to take all risks, makes him an excellent partner.

He truly deserves the title of hero.

However... Lai Xuan was under so much pressure that he had no effective way out except to self-destruct.

But it's different now.

"So I think we need to change our approach."

Lin Yue shrugged.

"Whether Rin is dead or alive is not important..."

"But once my identity on the internet is confirmed, the war becomes one-sided."

Lin Yue didn't sound like a young man when he talked about these things. "Lai Xuan, I know what you're thinking, but the worst outcome for us isn't war, but a targeted war. Nothing can be changed then, we can only destroy Arasaka—"

"So, you originally wanted to destroy Arasaka, didn't you?" V silently observed Yoriyuki's expression.

To everyone's surprise, Lai Xuan nodded seriously.

His obsessive gaze held a hint of madness that was hard for ordinary people to understand.

Perhaps V wouldn't have understood a few months ago, but after sharing the same experience as Lin Yue, it's not hard to understand now.

They don't want the world to get any worse.

Honestly, she simply couldn't believe that Lai Xuan, a rising star in the Japanese business world who aggressively pursued large-scale acquisitions of other companies, was actually aiming to destroy the company.

Lin Yue was fine when he said these things, but Lai Xuan, who had witnessed firsthand how he was willing to have his henchmen instigate multiple rounds of bloody infighting within the company for its own benefit, calmly revealed his plan to destroy the company...

This was undoubtedly a psychological shock for V.

"So, Ms. V, the reason you don't understand some things is not because I'm deliberately hiding them, but because they don't align with human nature."

"Money, fame, status, a glamorous life—everyone wants that. But in my opinion, the parasites in Arasaka have caused the number of displaced people to far exceed this class. We are draining the pond to catch the fish, V."

V simply nodded slightly.

"I agree with Rin."

Lai Xuan breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed he had underestimated the relationship between V and Lin Yue.

At this moment, Lin Yue suddenly spoke up and continued the conversation.

“Lai Xuan, I’ve also heard about the influence in Europe. It’s hard to guarantee that aggressive strategies won’t cause a backlash. European companies are much more shrewd than those in North America.”

"International Electric, EBM, these old companies' assets have fattened up countless enterprises. Their biggest problem is that they can unite. At least in order to fight against companies like Arasaka, Comtau, and military technology, they will prioritize the interests of the European Community's Internet Surveillance and the European Space Agency. Do I understand correctly?"

"So I guess you called me here because you think the Ye Clan's acquisition strategy this time fits the 'secret operation' tactic, and you want to replicate it in Europe..."

V stared blankly at Rin beside her.

He never seemed to reveal much ambition to V; on the contrary, V sometimes overlooked the fact that he was the mastermind behind making Dreamers one of Night City's top companies.

Lai Hsuan feels that he is sometimes very scared.

There are very few people who can actually seize the initiative in their father's hands. Most of them will be completely crushed by Saburo's subsequent actions. The guy in front of us, besides his ability to defeat almost ten thousand people, has a thinking ability that is almost like that of a monster.

Sometimes Lai Xuan even wondered if this guy had seen the script for this world, if he really had—

It wasn't until Rin defeated his father that Lai Xuan realized he didn't understand Saburo at all; he had only been indulged by Saburo in some minor tricks.

"It seems you've read my mind, Rin."

“I’m here to discuss a starting point with you. I will appoint V as the inspector for this round of internal company audits.”

“Abernathy is good at maneuvering. Although her private life is rather chaotic, she can be flexible in her methods of internal investigations. She is indeed suitable as the company’s ‘whip,’ which is why my sister chose her.”

"V has a very arrogant personality; in Japanese terms, he's too aristocratic."

Lin Yue knew what Lai Xuan was worried about.

V's methods are too ruthless... He's afraid V will unleash a bloodbath.

Lin Yue glanced at V, "Looks like you've figured out how to enter the situation?"

Lai Xuan nodded.

Here comes the important part.

Lin Yue's analysis and warnings were simply to prevent Lai Xuan from being obsessed with war, and instead to carry out war purges and bring down European companies under reasonable, controllable, and non-outrageous premises.

Lai Xuan is undoubtedly the most aware of the distribution of power within the company.

"Poland, Warsaw."

"Germany has just gained a foothold in Arasaka, and we still need that man."

The reaction to the Polish Warsaw V was rather lukewarm.

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow—

Obviously, this reaction did not escape Lai Xuan's notice...

"what happened?"

Lin Yue looked at V and said, "The girl who was chased and intercepted by the Ye family before is the daughter of the person in charge in Warsaw."

Lai Xuan was also very surprised, "I remember now."

“That girl and that boy made up for a lot of losses in Arasaka. I think David Martinez is more suitable for the medical department.”

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

David's high humanity stat remains unchanged.

After listening to what Lai Xuan said…

Not only did David save people, but he also protected several servers that hadn't yet gone offline. As a newcomer investigating internal company infighting and nearly escaping as a lone wolf, he saved a huge amount of money. You could say he was promoted before even finishing his internship.

Lin Yue, however, said, "Forget it, let these two guys do what they're supposed to do in Night City. Warsaw is short-handed, but I have plenty of manpower."

Lai Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

It was already known that Lin Yue had several people under his command besides Rebecca, forming a very strong team in Night City, including those from Dogtown, Pacifica, and Haywood...

“If that’s the case, Frankfurt will always be the main base for the European retreat. Your people may need to go to Europe, including V—but I promised online monitoring, and Arasaka will also send people there.”

“There’s no V watching over here… I’m worried about other companies causing trouble.”

Lin Yue shook his head.

"The Night Clan has given me a great gift. V can stay in Night City for the time being. I trust my people can handle the problem. It's enough for me to stay here and monitor the area."

"In addition... I myself will be traveling to Europe."

"Is it a secret?"

It wasn't that Lin Yue was hiding something from Lai Xuan; such things were best kept private to avoid a lot of trouble in Europe.

Lai Xuan did not press Ye Shi for answers.

"The task of refuting the Ye family's public opinion with the black wall is now entrusted to you."

"I believe that DRAR and Arasaka's tanks can give Europe a shock."

"We need to get Nordic Networks to start the Warsaw matter. The Ye family has connections with this company, so they will naturally investigate the leads when we land. However, there is one thing to note, Rin."

"Don't trust anyone except those from Frankfurt."

Lai Xuan sighed.

“I know this adds pressure to you, but… those so-called veterans who 'conquered the world' with my father in Europe are deeply entrenched in local companies, and I have already built a node underwater off the coast of Night City.”

"Perfectly suited to the low-temperature requirements, Arasaka's armed forces will protect you."

Having plenty of money is a good thing.

Lin Yue felt much more confident after his trip to Europe.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that Emma and the company have to spend so much money and military resources to build this is practically emptying their savings.

"Furthermore, Arasaka will use Arasaka Bank to invest in dreamers..."

"Everything is uncensorable and completely transparent. I've gotten this far without being kicked out of my position by those old uncles in Europe, all thanks to this financial weapon."

"If you need the list of employees who have been bribed in Europe, feel free to use it."

I don't know how to thank you enough—

"But that's all Arakasaka can do."

Only these...

Lin Yue was both amused and exasperated.

"The investment amount is one billion euros, which will be injected in batches and kept hidden in the company's internal accounts. Not too much will be used at once, and hopefully it will be enough."

"Six months from now, once the Ye Group's integration is complete, you'll have a full network equipment production line. Do you think that's appropriate?"

Lin Yue and V stared at each other.

I never expected Lai Xuan to do things this way.

A billion yuan was given away just like that... and they even gave more money afterward?!
Lin Yue was about to ask Lai Xuan what he thought.

However, this guy, who lacked strategy but had the courage to make radical changes, revealed a hint of gentleness in his eyes.

"I've been keeping an eye on Taipingzhou..."

"I also hope that Heywood can become a second Pacific Islander, a place we believe truly reflects the real world..."

Lin Yue also smiled slightly, "Yeah, that's right. It's not good for Arasaka to get involved in Heywood's affairs, but V and I can."

Lai Xuan waved his hand.

An expression that speaks volumes: "Everyone is yours."

"The land left behind by the chariots will not be barren."

"We both hope that something will sprout from those tire tracks, right, Rin?"

……