Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 489 Prelude (Part 3) [5.2K]

As Lin Yue walked into the backstage hall, he actually had a complex mix of anticipation and worry.

Throughout, Lin Yue's influence or role in driving various decisions and affairs in Arasaka has been the main factor. At that time, Lin Yue only had the Night City in front of him and the impending storm. Taking care of everything reduced the probability of problems.

But now Night City has already set up shop... There are some things Lin Yue has to let different allies or subordinates do.

They proved to be among the few legendary figures in the world who possessed both intelligence and strength, and sometimes their gains far exceeded Lin Yue's expectations.

So Lin Yue, suppressing his worries about his lover, sat up straight. He wanted to see how V, using intelligence as his trump card, could make those European guys flee in disarray.

"Mr. Rin."

An unexpected figure appeared behind Lin Yue. It turned out that V had specifically arranged for a subordinate to relay messages so that Lin Yue wouldn't need to do so...

Lin Yue frowned subconsciously and carefully searched his memory, only to find that he had never seen this person before. The only information he had was a brooch from the Special Operations Department on the medal in front of him.

Could it be that he was sent to be Lai Xuan's confidant?
Lin Yue nodded, revealing a kind smile.

The man paused for a moment, then returned the bow with a Japanese gesture, standing obediently behind him, his gaze resolute, seemingly single-minded…

After a long while, Lin Yue belatedly realized that this guy was just a simple service robot, similar to the guide or attendant he encountered when he first arrived in Arasaka.

However, since someone could fulfill his request, Lin Yue said, "Please... call Lucy in from outside, she'll be right here."

Soon the automatic door behind her opened, and Lucy, with a soft rustling of footsteps, stood obediently behind her.

Lin Yue casually pointed to the chair next to him, "Sit down."

As he spoke, he glanced at the girl's expression and noticed that she looked fearful yet was holding back her words.

Sometimes children grow up so fast...

Lucy was already tall, and after all the changes that have happened recently, she's even starting to have a bit of her teacher V's aura...

He was a little thin, and his makeup wasn't as refined as before, but he was clearly a trained hacker with excellent combat skills. After all, Lin Yue could still smell the blood on his body.

"Mr. Rin."

Before sitting down, Lucy greeted him, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the man who was sitting with his legs crossed, one hand propping up his chin, watching the large screen outside. At this moment, the Arasaka Tournament was a deadly battlefield; one wrong move and the whole game would be lost…

If Europe reacts strongly then, it's hard to say what will happen if Arasaka's accumulated strength is weakened once again.

However, the guy remained calm, as if he were just watching a TV program, and instead called in Lucy, an insignificant nobody... Lucy had no idea what this legendary figure wanted to do.

"How are things going in Arakasa? Ever since I saw you at Mrs. Gloria's house last time... I haven't had a proper conversation with you and David."

"are you OK?"

Lin Yue tried to speak in a gentle tone.

He could tell the child was afraid of him; it was like a mischievous street girl being caught in the act by her stern father…

“They are all… they are all good. Director V and Minister Harry taught me a lot.”

Lucy placed her hands on her knees and gripped them tightly, giving a rigid and official response.

Lin Yue smiled, not wanting to waste any more time on pleasantries. Instead, he raised his chin and pointed at the screen, "Lucy, your father..."

The moment Lucy, who was tense, turned to look at the holographic projection screen, she was struck dumb. Lin Yue observed Lucy's expression and found that the girl's confusion and pain gradually turned into resentment. What Takeda Kenji did was probably even more terrible than V described.

"damn it…"

Lucy gritted her teeth and muttered a curse under her breath that was much more powerful than her previous words. Only after she finished cursing did she realize that the man was staring at her with a smile.

Just as the girl was about to explain, she heard the guy say, "If my own father did something like this, 'death' would be the mildest insult—after all, not everyone deserves to be a parent, right?"

Just as Lucy was stunned.

"Lucy, what kind of person is your father?"

In Lin Yue's subconscious, Takeda Kenji was probably the toughest nut for V to crack. This guy would sell anything for Arasaka, and with his war crimes, he was probably another shadow of Saburo.

Without hesitation, Lucy seemed to have been opened up by the topic and replied, "Arasaka's followers."

"Selfishness, a protectiveness of one's reputation, the culprit who turned my mother into a brainwashing machine, Saburo Arasaka's loyal dog—"

Lin Yue nodded. "I'm sorry, but you can refuse to answer this question at any time if you feel uncomfortable with it."

A warm feeling washed over Lucy, and her behavior became more natural. She shook her head and said, "Your concerns are indeed not unfounded. Takeda Kenji is the biggest obstacle Arasaka faces in Europe... He would never look favorably upon Yoriyuki under any circumstances."

At this point, Lucy's face turned sneer. "Speaking of which, it seems that my family used to have a portrait of Saburo hanging on the wall. My father would reflect on his various mistakes at work every day, and dinner time would be delayed because of this. My mother and I could only kneel and wait for him to finish all of this."

Lin Yue also gave a cold laugh upon hearing this.

What a brilliant Takeshi Takeda!
"A person who has no weaknesses is terrifying."

Lin Yue sighed inwardly, watching as all the screens at the conference lit up—

“Mr. Rin, I have a request.”

When Lucy realized that Lin Yue wasn't planning to continue the conversation and was instead focusing on the meeting, she quickly and urgently spoke up.

Lin Yue looked at her in surprise.

Lucy's Adam's apple bobbed. "Could you tell me the truth about the data collection by the Warsaw agency back then? Also, I'd like to request entry into Europe..."

Lin Yue looked at the bold girl for a long time before finally speaking, "Who told you about the things in Europe?"

Lucy then realized she had said too much and quickly shook her head, hurriedly explaining, "I guessed... I'm sorry."

Lin Yue sighed. It seemed that Lucy wanted to know if her father had really used her as a tool for Arasaka's benefit when she was a child. This also confirmed V's words. Lucy knew that these people would be Takeda Kenji's greatest enemies. Holding hatred yet being close to her... this was undoubtedly a kind of pain.

"Let's see, Lucy."

"If you really want to know about this, I will tell you everything after the meeting. As for Europe, you absolutely have to go... whether you like it or not."

After saying this, Lin Yue looked at the meeting, which had already passed the formal opening stage.

It has to be said that Lai Xuan's sudden attack caught the European branch off guard. The meeting was full of doubts from the very beginning. As the most powerful person in Arasaka, Lai Xuan only made a few simple statements. These people did not dare to refute Lai Xuan to his face. The main attacker was still V.

After Lai Xuan finished speaking, everyone started talking at once.

Lin Yue focused his attention on the five people.

What methods will V use?

It remains to be seen how much of the move Lai Xuan laid out in Frankfurt will be utilized by V.

As expected, the noisy scene suddenly fell silent as Takeda Kenji spoke.

He clapped his hands first, his expression remaining calm, and said, "Lord Lai Xuan, is it that the European branch has failed to faithfully carry out the headquarters' requirements in some matter? Rashly launching network-level censorship is a crisis for our recently improved relationship with the internet censors. I hope you will reconsider."

Ruth nodded and said, "The European Internet regulators and the Internet Council will not agree to our request. If you insist on forcibly building it, you need to consider the consequences..."

The three people in the Paris branch remained calm and composed, their expressions unfriendly, clearly not believing that the matter could be carried out smoothly.

Lai Xuan clearly had no intention of arguing with these people; instead, he adjusted his glasses and stared at Takeda Kenji…

The other party was, after all, a veteran of corporate warfare. Even with Saburo staring at him like that, Takeda did not show any fear. On the contrary, his gaze became even more barbed, intending to make Yoriyuki suffer a loss in this matter.

Just as Lai Xuan's face darkened, preparing to use his anger to make these people understand the difference between the two kings, V finally made his move.

"Headquarters is conducting minimal online censorship within company rules and procedures... Do we still need to report to you from headquarters, Vice President Takeda?"

Takeda's gaze suddenly shifted to V. The European branch was well aware of V's reputation. In theory, V, with the authority given to him by Lai Xuan, could investigate them. However, a cunning woman like Takeda would not allow V to gain the upper hand.

"Are you representing Lord Lai Xuan? This order has not yet been carried out, you are nothing... Please understand your position."

Takeda wanted V to run away with his tail between his legs.

Seeing that at this moment, the high-ranking officials supported by Lai Xuan could be forced to retreat—

Several grim-faced high-ranking officials in Paris chimed in, "Who gives you the right to criticize us?" "Damn it... do you even know your place?"

Especially that old woman, in a lecturing tone: "The headquarters' review department is incompetent, still too young...V."

Backstage, Lin Yue watched V being besieged and silently remembered those two idiots from Paris who had spoken so rudely.

"You... want to help Director V?"

Lucy frowned as she looked at the increasingly one-sided situation and couldn't help but ask.

Lin Yue looked at V with an unchanged expression, listening to the noisy jeers and taunts in the meeting room, "Arasaka and I have always been allies, but that doesn't mean I have to handle everything. I believe that the abilities of my allies are also key."

"I'm just curious what methods V will use..."

at the venue.

V looked at the noisy upper management, her eyes seeing no details of their characteristics, only countless mouths agape, some pointing and gesturing.

Takeda Kenji quickly noticed her wandering gaze, so he lowered his head and chuckled softly. It was just like Yoriyuki himself... Takeda Kenji didn't think much of any of his men.

However, just as Takeda opened his mouth, V's gaze instantly focused, staring intently at the guy.

Takeshi Takeda was a very cunning man. While Saburo Arasaka was alive, he even feigned cooperation with Michiko, acting as a swing voter. Over three years, he managed to regain most of the initiative in Warsaw from Saburo's checks and balances.

He is cunning, loyal, and ruthless—he has it all.

They speak with more confidence these days.

It's worth noting that this guy was involved in Michiko's failed operation at NCX Spaceport. Furthermore, on the night Arasaka Yoriyuki seized power from Saburo and Hanako, he immediately chose to obey and use time to buy himself some space.

This guy saw through Lai Xuan's plans in advance and knew that he couldn't devote a lot of energy to Europe for the time being...

"Finished?"

V tapped her pen on the table, and the noisy executives instantly stopped what they were doing and talking about, all looking at the woman whose promotion seemed to have been as rapid as a rocket.

Takeda also had another set of techniques.

"This matter is inherently very difficult. We welcome any review, and we can even open our doors to Lord Lai Xuan in person... Warsaw has always maintained an extremely high level of loyalty, isn't that what the personnel department at headquarters said?"

With just a few words, Takeda had Yoriyuki put on the fire.

This is too clever a move. If Arasaka Yorinobu goes to Europe, it will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den. As long as Yorinobu gets into the slightest trouble, these Europeans will get what they want.

The situation has now reached its lowest point.

Even Lin Yue was starting to wonder what V was planning to do.

However, only V knew that her counterattack was already well-prepared…

Takeda bet that V wouldn't dare come to Europe, so he simply raised the bar very high. But this had a fatal flaw: what if V wasn't afraid of death?
“Jenkins…your divide-and-conquer strategy is still so effective.”

V murmured to himself.

She suddenly realized that when she sat in this position, her behavioral strategies showed traces of her teacher.

then--

"President Lai Xuan, this matter has been resolved."

"I recommend canceling the network connectivity proposal and instead having me personally lead the special operations team and counterintelligence personnel to conduct routine reviews and internal audits of Paris, Madrid, London, and other locations, starting from Warsaw—"

"Vice President Takeda's suggestion is excellent."

When this aloof woman uttered those words, all the Arasaka branches of the European Community fell into a deathly silence!
Lai Xuan was also taken aback; why would V do this…

Lin Yue's gaze suddenly twitched, then he let out a soft chuckle.

However, the people in the European branch are not so hard to break up; at least for now, they are still together.

V noticed several murderous gazes. She knew very well that going into the European Community offline would probably be a one-way trip to death... but V didn't think these people would dare to let her go.

Lai Xuan didn't express his opinion, but after a moment's thought, he said, "Since it's an investigation, this is for the best, to avoid involving those British guys—"

Seeing that Lai Xuan was about to make the decision, none of the Europeans expressed any objection.

However, Lai Xuan gave V a reproachful look. Caught in a difficult situation, he could only go along with the plan and send V to Europe to undermine them through other means…

Takeshi Takeda suddenly spoke up: "Then I welcome Director V to Warsaw. We... will be waiting for you anytime."

Lai Xuan's eyelids twitched. This was tantamount to a provocation, but there was no loophole in his words, and for a moment it seemed that they were going to be at an impasse.

In the backstage room, Lucy thought to herself, "Oh no!"

However, Lin Yue remained calm and composed, saying, "Don't rush..."

Just when everyone in the meeting thought this arrogant woman was about to pay the price—

She suddenly spoke up, as if having a casual conversation: "Thank you for your support, Vice President Takeda. After all, the censorship in Warsaw was unnecessary..."

"In addition to submitting your financial report, you have consistently exceeded your targets around Poland, provided constructive suggestions on certain regulatory aspects, and most importantly, you personally visited Night City... I apologize for disclosing your personal travel information here."

"I want to set an example for all my colleagues. Following the advice of Vice President Takeda, the Special Operations Department will remind the other branches to be prepared in these areas. Whether there are any problems or not, we will act in accordance with the Arasaka regulations."

Takeda's face darkened. This woman was talking nonsense in front of him.

When did I visit Night City?

Wasn't that report just fabricated? His intention was simply to give Lai Xuan a piece of his mind by reporting some trivial things…

Looking at the travel data, Takeda's flight data for his business trips in Europe suddenly showed a parabolic curve heading towards Night City. Takeda suddenly remembered that he had transferred to a Japan Airlines plane at NCX to go to North America to finalize an arms deal...

damn it.

How did this woman find out about this?
The innocent Takeda has now suddenly become a major "loyal retainer" of headquarters—or, to put it bluntly, a loyal retainer of Yoriyuki.

This made the Paris branch, which was next to Takeda, uneasy.

The old woman straightened her suit cuffs. "It seems Lord Takeda has been well-prepared. Paris is ready to welcome Miss V at any time..."

Although his tone was calm, a hint of anger at being tricked was implied in his words.

Takeda's expression immediately tensed, and sweat began to bead on his forehead...

He looked up at the woman with a hint of self-doubt. How could this woman manage to use intelligence to exploit information gaps without batting an eye?
Takeda is currently unable to explain himself. Although a quick check by the other branches after the meeting revealed that Takeda still has not been convinced by Yoriyuki, at this critical juncture, the Arasaka branch of the European Community has already developed a rift with Yoriyuki!
Divide and conquer—

The European Community was broken up into parts, and V created a small split to achieve temporary control.

For now, V needs to ensure that Takeda won't dare to gamble any further. If I'm not mistaken, the Madrid branch, which has the biggest problem, will have to make a move.

Ruth, the man who speaks the least and is the greediest, has to find a way to turn this into an online censorship issue.

After all, he had the most dealings with the internet regulators, so naturally he was expected to take the lead...

Takeda clenched his fists, his gaze towards V turning icy. V continued, "President Raigen, could we skip the Warsaw branch and speed things up, completing an internal baptism as Lord Arasaka intended?"

"I believe that Vice President Takeda is absolutely loyal."

Lai Xuan, relieved, glanced at the woman who, like Lin Yue, only played extreme reversal games and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that V was exaggerating, so he nodded and said, "Okay, please take good care of me, Miss V."

Just as the members of the European Community were intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Takeda, who himself felt uneasy, the dark-skinned man from Madrid, whose presence was the least noticeable, wiped the fine sweat from his greasy face—

"Please wait a moment!"

V stopped getting up, and a smile appeared on her lips the next second.

……

……

(End of this chapter)