Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 501 The Visitor from the East (King of the City)
A night's sleep was not exactly perfect.

The floating bed and mattress in the penthouse suite caused him some discomfort in his lower back. Additionally, the excessively large floor-to-ceiling windows allowed sunlight to pierce through the polluted smog of Night City, forcing him to open his eyes early and get to work…

Sitting blankly on the bed, Lin Yue glanced at the time. Last night, Roger brought him to this house overnight. Before leaving, he left a message for Lin Yue's opinion that he "didn't want this house": Believe me, no one in this city can achieve more than you.

Indeed…

K is already among the top tier of legends, not to mention that behind every major event in this city, there is a guy named Rin.

The home AI, designed to detect sleep, started playing music. To Lin Yue's amusement and exasperation, it played KIA's songs. He had to admit, listening to himself sing was a little embarrassing, especially since his voice wasn't exactly perfect. So—

"Martial Attendant, intubation... Thank you!"

Upon hearing Lin Yue's voice, the AI ​​system of the penthouse quickly responded. Alva's voice was sweeter than other AI systems, "Good morning, K—we detected that your sleep last night wasn't very good. Should we modify your appointment?"

"The Delaman Top-Tier Car Service will arrive for you in one hour and thirteen minutes. You have the right to amend the agreement before then without liability."

Lin Yue gently shook his head, and the uncomfortable dizziness began to subside. "No need, let's proceed as usual..."

"You currently have thirteen new messages, many of which have been found to be harassing messages from strangers—it is speculated that the information leak may have been caused by your meeting last night in the afterlife. Based on the content analysis, most of them are harassment from music fans."

Lin Yue paused for a moment while brushing his teeth, his hand resting on the sink as he quietly observed the luxurious decor that juxtaposed minimalism and modernism. His face seemed utterly mismatched with the status that came with his wealth.

"Let them send it. There's no need to report on our meeting in the next life. I know everything."

Alva no longer recounts the events.

"Okay, have a nice day."

If Lin Yue had dreamed of living in a luxury mansion that surpassed even a large flat before his time travel, with a deep blue swimming pool outside the window and a lawn wide enough to play golf, this would be the limit that the people at the bottom of this city could achieve by giving it their all.

But now, he feels that behind material conditions often lies a bloody truth.

Even the king of the city, the pinnacle of mercenaries, couldn't live in the top-tier suite of Charter Hill.

The mansions on Charter Hill don't care about money or how much you risked your life; they only care about your background.

Especially after Lin Yue came to understand certain realities within the company and witnessed too much helplessness in this city, he gradually came to understand a kind of fighting mentality: the soft conditions created by the company bound people, and even the first sentence in the fate line that should have been kicked out of V was "I have no assets, no house, nothing left."

Looking at his reflection in the holographic mirror, Lin Yue muttered to himself, "Then let me, a legend who poses no threat to survival in Night City, teach these corporate dogs a lesson."

Suzuki also has a very sharp eye for things.

This way, the city's top mercenaries and rock stars are still alive, and those who want to explore the city will no longer dig too deep, giving the dreamers who are in charge of these things a breather, and also allowing them to encounter even more top-tier jobs in this capacity—

Although Lin Yue didn't think anyone in Night City would dare to take his head in the short term, no one could say for sure what would happen in the future.

Lin Yue slowly walked into the workshop, picked up his coat from last night, and stared at the running PC that was flashing red and blue light. He was using this computer to do something that would make all the hackers in Night City tremble with fear.

Without any cooling equipment or protective measures, this computer's pitiful computing power was used to conduct random sampling checks on the entire Night City network.

As the situation in Night City gradually stabilized, the European Community was no longer able to intervene, and the hackers in Washington temporarily ceased their activities. Lin Yue was now able to access any information about the city online.

At this moment, Night City is truly Lin Yue and the Dreamers' backyard. Even Aragaka only has the right to use it, and their hardware devices can theoretically be tracked by Lin Yue.

Patting the heat off his neck, Lin Yue stepped out of his luxurious residence and stood on the hovercar tarmac, staring at the small black dot approaching from above. That was Delaman Chauffeur's top-of-the-line hovercar service, but he figured it probably wouldn't offer the same level of comfort as the Holy Sword.

But for the king of the city, it's a truly impressive display of power.

Lin Yue also has an interesting little question for Delaman.

Good morning, K. Are you ready to go?

Lin Yue shielded himself from the strong winds brought by the hovercar with one hand and slowly walked into the exquisite cabin with a maroon interior.

It must be said that compared to the rigid AI of the company's hovercar, Drumman's emotional value is much higher. At least he will chat with you familiarly like an old friend, and he will not easily touch other people's sensitivities.

"Actually, I'm really curious, is your company really managed entirely by you alone?"

Lin Yue hadn't researched the company online, primarily because Delaman Taxi offered fair and honest prices, and once you paid, they would go to great lengths to get your life back. Furthermore, this company was far more committed to contracts than any company run by a living person; even if a mercenary died or was barely clinging to life, they would still connect to the system to monitor your condition in real time and provide medical advice…

"Of course, K can be said to be me, or it can be said not to be me."

"In our minds, there is no distinction between each other, only separate ways of thinking—and these separate ways of thinking have troubled me for a long time, once plunging my company into a personality crisis. Fortunately, some people helped me, and I think you may know these people."

Lin Yue smiled and said, "Is there a hidden meaning in your words?"

Dellaman's bald head, tinged with blue, appeared on the holographic screen in the opposite seat. "You're joking. That team impressed me... Rebecca, Pila, Qiwei, I still remember their names. They also went to biotechnology to prepare for a big project."

"I really hope they are all well and safe now."

Lin Yue shook his head, "Looks like you're quite the joker, thinking I know most people in Night City..."

Whether or not Delaman sensed something, he said, “I just think they’re bound to do something big… Since you don’t know them, then I’m sorry for the intrusion that led to this unpleasant conversation.”

Lin Yue didn't want to dwell on these things. These AIs in Night City all seemed rather strange. He then changed the subject and asked, "What's the reaction on the streets? What about the company? It's been a long time since we've made our mark in Night City. We should at least give them a heads-up."

The buildings outside the car window began to appear shorter. Delaman calmly said, "Your return undoubtedly breaks the pattern that Night City legends eventually disappear. Many people speculate that you were dealt with by the Night Clan's backup plan..."

"The people on the street are naturally overjoyed. You are an admirable musician and a pioneer in Night City's fight against the Corporation for nearly thirty years... If I may be so bold, it's hard to find a mercenary who has accomplished such great things as you and yet has escaped unscathed."

Lin Yue looked out the car window and thought, "There are so many big companies; the Ye family alone is not enough to compete with."

Delaman said, "The most important thing is to break it down. According to the proverb in your hometown, 'Even a centipede dies but does not fall down,' how can you bring down such a large enterprise? To achieve the feat of destroying a company as the legends say, you have to truly make a company completely lose its self-control, suffer losses, and let the exploited profits return to the market."

"So...your company is included too?"

Lin Yue said this jokingly as he watched the hovercar about to land.

However, Drumman's words were quite meaningful—

"The relationship between rules and rule-makers is vastly different, but at least we know that our lives will certainly not be happy if rule-makers exist... But that's life; only with greater external pressure can we live a fulfilling life. Goodbye, Mr. Rin?"

For some reason, Lin Yue felt that the Delaman in front of him was not the same thing as the artificial intelligence that had politely welcomed him...

"The next life has already arrived."

The Rebirth Bar rarely stays open until 7 or 8 in the morning. Today was special, and Roger used some tricks to prevent it from being overcrowded. But news always gets out, as evidenced by the fact that Rebirth's burly security guards were blocking the crowds surging under the pedestrian overpass behind the bar.

"Goodbye, Delaman. I think we'll have plenty of time together."

Lin Yue breathed in the familiar yet pungent air of Watson District. This land possessed a strange magic; standing on it always stirred emotions within him, influenced by the so-called "big shots" Stanley spoke of. Just as Lin Yue had wanted to become such a being the moment he opened his eyes in this strange world, he now felt a greater sense of responsibility.

In some ways, Lin Yue's experience as a rock star can be considered clean... Apart from the bar fight, there are no other more serious accusations. What's that saying again?

You can't really call yourself a rock singer if you've never been in jail...

"Fuck you! K!!"

"Holy crap! Is this person really alive?"

Even though the security guards at the next station had already brandished guns and made threats, they still couldn't withstand the attention from busybodies and the media. The next station made an exception and extended its operating hours, and the people inside were all people that Roger knew very well... Her goal was simple: to announce to the outside world that K was still alive.

Let's also talk about "the next steps"...

Lin Yue felt that he would still pick up the guitar.

Compared to empty speeches and outrageous remarks, only music is truly inspiring... Many rock kids try to fight against the system, but they overlook the most important essence: they need to always stand with the grassroots.

This is why, after Johnny's death, everyone in the Samurai band did alright, but they could never make a splash again.

Fearless courage is built on this one key factor.

Lin Yue didn't try to hide anything; instead, he extended his hand openly, like a triumphant figure returning home in a high-profile manner…

K's intimate behavior clearly made the situation a bit out of control.

Lin Yue didn't want to be overly disturbed in his next life, so he took the initiative to stand behind the security guards and signaled to the crowd that was trying to rush in to remain calm...

Lin Yue watched the crowd until they themselves gave up.

After a long while, Lin Yue's voice echoed throughout the backyard of the afterlife.

"Maybe in the future I'll be constantly traveling around with my guitar, telling the world what we're doing, but right now I hope to let today pass peacefully... We don't need to cause trouble for others, and besides, rock kid K will never disappear, never—"

A distinctly punk vibe.

Lin Yue became increasingly skilled.

He can always perfectly embody the characteristics of various roles, which is why Night City and the enemies outside can never find the right one.

The security guard at the entrance of Laisheng wasn't familiar with K. He only knew that Laisheng had taken in two rock kids. The first one was now a strong liquor on the drink menu, and quite a few people ordered it. The other one was the guy in front of him. To be honest, he had made a name for himself in places other than Laisheng, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

I'm only here because of Roger.

"Welcome back, child."

On the streets, there's an order to things, and seniority matters. Many big shots who rise to fame in their next life seem to have never heard this saying.

Lin Yue nodded and walked into the place that gave him a greater sense of security. As soon as he entered, Claire's eyes curiously scanned this legend that had appeared overnight.

There was a rock kid in Santo Domingo who was doing quite well, but they never expected that this guy was the mastermind behind the Night Clan's overnight downfall.

"Hi K".

People who had spent the night in the bar to witness the new legend of Night City stood up, all filled with curiosity.

Lin Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was the price he had to pay. Everyone on the street knew K, the rock kid from Santo Domingo, and KIA would also become a legendary band…

Speaking of the band, Lin Yue looked towards the direction of Roger's private room.

The KIA members stared at Lin Yue in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Li covered her mouth and sobbed uncontrollably, while Mendro put his arm around her shoulder and whispered words of comfort.

"I thought you were just trying to show off your status by being late after all this time..." Roger was a seasoned actor, and he extended his hand with a humble yet assertive attitude. If it weren't for the cold sweat on his palms, he might have actually fooled Lin Yue. "Welcome to the next life. Perhaps I should give you this place in the next life."

Lin Yue naturally took it as a joke, but when he looked up and saw the guy's serious eyes, he was momentarily taken aback.

As before, the most polite rock kid hugged each of his teammates in a way that wasn't exactly street-style. Li's hug was warm with some tears in it. "Hey, I thought you gave up on our team."

Lin Yue didn't say anything, but just gently patted her shoulder.

Mendelsohn said "Welcome back" and patted Lin Yue on the back with a steady and powerful gesture.

Roger nodded, and the group filed into the private room.

Once inside, there's a natural exchange of pleasantries and toasts. Alcohol is the gesture of greeting, and street urchins are always willing to start a conversation with a drink.

"What do you plan to do?"

Roger cut to the chase, "Are you planning to open a record company and become a boss, or are you planning to use this identity to sign with a fearless record studio and sing 'rock and roll never dies' for the rest of your life?"

At this moment, all the band members looked at Lin Yue; they always centered their attention around K.

Lin Yue toyed with the empty wine glass in front of him, and after a long while looked up at Roger, "I don't want any company, I don't want any profits. I'll use my skills to take orders and pay our own people, and then... I'll sing rock and roll until I die."

Roger wasn't surprised that the rock kid would make this choice, and joked, "Looks like you guys have a lot to sing?"

Lin Yue shook his head, "Sing until the company dies."

As soon as she finished speaking, Roger's expression became inscrutable. She didn't quite understand why the person in charge of a company secretly harbored such deep hatred for it. Now, she seemed to understand the driving force behind Dreamers' willingness to lose money in business.

However, the Queen can always catch up on what's going on in the next life.

“The performance and such still need someone to manage it. Let me introduce you to a group of people from the East... They will be very much to your liking.”

"Although it's a company, we can still talk. They're very interested in you..."

Just as Lin Yue was wondering, a group of people whose faces were almost unmistakably from the East walked in. The woman in the lead had her hair tied up, and her long neck made her look very arrogant. Only her face was obscured by a screen of light.

"Hello, K..."

"I have come here specifically on behalf of Kangtao to seek cooperation with you."

"Nice to meet you. My surname is Xu."

……

……

(End of this chapter)