Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 539 Old Feelings [5.5K]

"If you ask me, you should light one up sooner rather than later. I know you want to fight and kill, but that's not how Night City is."

Rebecca, walking the streets of Night City, felt a sense of unprecedented confusion.

Where is the hope of survival? It seems that the only option is to take a Delaman taxi to the NCX spaceport.

"No!"

Rebecca is 100% opposed to the topic of smoking.

Drinking alcohol is already an unhealthy habit, and adding smoking on top of that... she wanted to live a few more years!
Johnny, on the other hand, saw things very clearly. In his eyes, anyone who didn't smoke was a jerk. He just wanted to take control of his body and find his own freedom in this drastically changed city...

There's nothing wrong with staying in the world of data; at least the so-called loneliness doesn't exist, and it's not as boring as you might imagine... It's just that it gets tedious after a while, and your tongue unconsciously recalls the taste of tequila with chili peppers, as well as the feeling of a hangover brain stimulated by cigarettes.

Rebecca hesitated because she didn't want Johnny, that bastard, to use her body for bad things.

"You need to give me a straight answer, ladies, right?"

"You could tell those two top agents weren't keen on involving you—they keep saying they're going to investigate the Terrorist Mobile Unit, but everyone knows you have a Relic stuck in your neck and you cough up blood every now and then, right?"

Johnny just wants to go to a bar and have some fun.

"Getting down to business is the priority. I've seen that Kerry on TV several times; he seems to be doing quite well... What about your other teammates?"

Johnny had a toothache.

But he couldn't show that he particularly wanted to go out and have some fun. "Kerry has already taken care of it. It was your big boss who suggested it. We were discussing how to change the lead singer."

"I think if you go there looking like this, putting aside what your big boss's teammates will think, a coward like Kerry will definitely cause endless arguments—"

"He was always like a sissy, afraid of everything."

It has to be said that Johnny can be quite scathing when it comes to his old friends.

"You mean you can get things done by controlling my body?"

Johnny casually picked at his ear with his pinky. "Hmm... a bunch of greenhorns. Kerry is indecisive. Your boss is obviously not familiar with the stuff we rock musicians do. A really hot and awesome concert isn't just about finding a venue. We need to build up the hype. Getting some big names from the underground scene counts."

"Besides, I always felt that Night City had other ways to survive besides working for the company, but I need to talk to Roger. Maybe Roger has some reservations about your boss?"

"I know her best; she's all about feelings, not reason."

Rebecca gave Johnny a look that said, "I can't stand you anymore," and said, "I wonder if Roger is blind. What does he see in you?"

Johnny's disgusting skills are beyond measure.

"Romantic, with a touch of talent, and dashing—those are my defining characteristics."

"Fuck you!"

Rebecca walked forward in a huff, but her hand kept touching the medicine Misty had given her in her pocket. According to Misty, this medicine was to release the demon and let Johnny control this body.

It's important to know that from the very beginning until now, apart from being forced to let Johnny control her by sealing her consciousness, Rebecca has never dared to let this guy cause any trouble.

After all, when he escaped with Black Hand last time, his combat performance using his cybernetic body was really hard to evaluate; he was just good at shooting with a pistol...

"Honestly, before you decide whether to give up control, let's go somewhere, in Taiping Island. With your status, we can go wherever we want, but we don't know... if that place is still there."

Johnny surprisingly showed a hint of gloom as he spoke.

Rebecca was quite curious about what Johnny was talking about, since something that Johnny would bring up in the face of death must be very important, right?
So the two of them went to Taiping Continent first. The intercity train in Night City of Taiping Continent can still be accessed by crossing the wall. However, people who get off at Taiping Continent have their weapons confiscated, except for Rebecca.

When Rebecca and her companion emerged from the graffiti-covered subway station and saw Taiping Island, their first reaction was one of utter disbelief.

What was touted by the media as a chaotic place where murder was not illegal was now in a state of complete order. In particular, the skyscrapers across the street, spaced perfectly apart, gleamed in the sunlight. Judging from the marks on the ground, it seemed that the entire city was being repaired bit by bit.

"It's even better than when I left!"

Except for the area a few kilometers away from Dog Town, which is still in ruins, the transformation plan for Taipingzhou is nearly 60% complete. Before long, it will no longer be as desolate as it used to be.

Johnny shielded his forehead from the sun with his hand, his finger moving from the clean city center to a dilapidated hotel in the square.

"Luckily, that place is still there. Let's go over there."

"At least we've been through life and death together, and tormented each other. I want to make things clear before some things happen."

Johnny's tone was unexpectedly serious.

Rebecca was left bewildered and could only follow along.

Although her consciousness had stabilized, her body still needed to be pushed to its limits from time to time. The motel, whose floors were locked, could only be accessed by Rebecca by climbing up little by little. The moment she reached the top, she coughed up blood against the wall.

Johnny's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, held a strange look. He simply stared silently at Rebecca and asked, "Are you alright?"

Rebecca struggled to her feet. "I won't die."

Rebecca was led by Johnny through the hotel to a room that hadn't been used in a long time. Cockroaches were still crawling around on the bed, probably because the guys who had nowhere else to live used to live here. The smell was still a bit unpleasant after all this time.

As Johnny had instructed, Rebecca pulled out a string of rusty, chain-like objects from a hidden compartment in a rusty cabinet.

With a clattering sound, Rebecca picked up the items and stared at the words on the sign.

Robert Johnny Lind

Of course, there was another person's name, but before Rebecca could get a good look, Johnny snatched the item away with his bare hands.

In reality, for Rebecca, it was just a matter of switching from one hand to the other, but the erosion of her consciousness made it difficult for her to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Johnny paced back and forth in the room, seemingly very excited, holding the sign. After a long while, he finally pulled over a chair, pressed his chest against the back of the chair, and sat down in a carefree, horseback riding posture.

"This guy saved my life."

Johnny spoke slowly.

"On the battlefield in New Mexico, I almost lost my life to a shell. It was he who taught me how to live from then on."

It seems to be a sad story from the past.

But deep down, Johnny and Rebecca's relationship didn't really seem like that of comrades-in-arms; they'd just been through so much together, and neither of them had ever truly confessed their feelings.

Who should live?

Rebecca assumed the question was hers, and Johnny was also tactful enough not to bring it up.

No one would believe him if he said something empty and grandiose like "I'll let you live," but Johnny was tired of it. He came here today to make things clear.

"Now, I'm giving you a second chance at life."

“Rebecca, I want to ask you… if we were in a battle like the one in the previous federal states, would you have saved my life? Just answer yes… or no.”

Rebecca didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Johnny laid bare the question that left both of them speechless, and in such a resolute and candid tone that Rebecca remained silent, lost in thought.

Is Johnny... a good person?
A nuclear explosion claimed countless lives. The company calling him a terrorist wouldn't be an exaggeration, but was he truly evil? Rebecca had a hard time saying…

She had read about this man's life—muddled, absurd, yet filled with an unvented, defiant rage.

He knew the world was sick, but he didn't know what to do, just like the lost Rebecca... They were both guys who couldn't see the future.

"I think I will save you."

Rebecca answered honestly.

Johnny, who at least gained control of the body, carefully led her out with the help of the Black Hand. At crucial moments, he kept reminding himself that even though he knew the road ahead was narrow and there was no hope, he still wanted to find a way out from the bottom. His ultimate goal was to defeat Arasaka and find the path to salvation in Kamikoshi.

"it is good."

The dog tag in Johnny's hand jingled.

“Then I will too, Rebecca.”

"From now on, we need to trust each other and figure out our own solutions. We can't just sit around waiting for the mugwort!"

It has to be said that this guy's words are quite inflammatory.

This is the benefit of being in sync; two people whose hearts can be seen through each other and who are in the same boat can come up with the optimal solution to this problem.

Johnny would choose to give up on himself under any circumstances.

"I don't want Saburo Arasaka to rise again like a maggot that can't die, for Ultraman, for... my lost comrades."

but--

Johnny's tone remained cold, "But if you kneel down and hand over this chip to Arasaka to choose to live, I will find a way to burn your life, along with Arasaka's,!"

Rebecca's eyebrows immediately furrowed.

"You fucking insulted me?"

Johnny paused for a moment.

He then burst into laughter. This guy had never laughed so heartily since he appeared in Rebecca's mind. "Awesome, Rebecca."

"No matter what, I still don't trust the company to oppose the company. In my eyes, it's just another round of exploitation."

Johnny had no intention of letting Rebecca defend Rin.

“We need to find a way. Even if we can’t control the world, we have to tear these guys apart no matter the cost. You don’t have to answer this question for now; just consider it a rant from me.”

Rebecca listened to Johnny's words in silence.

Who's right and who's wrong? Rebecca's little head couldn't process so many questions. She couldn't see through the complexities of the situation, but deep down, she held a fundamental moral compass, the most basic understanding humans are born with. "Then... what if they (Rin, Lai Xuan) are right?"

Rebecca stared directly at Johnny, wanting to ask this man with a long history of misdeeds—who only wanted to destroy the company—how he could face people who truly had the courage to change the world.

Johnny answered almost without hesitation.

"If someone finds a better solution to this runaway system than I have, I'd give them my life!"

"This is an oath I swore in Johnny Silverhand's name!"

……
-
Open your eyes.

The world became crystal clear once again.

Johnny looked down at his hands in disbelief. Above the black lines of the gorilla's arms was a layer of illusory silver film, as if an even thicker arm was wrapped around them... That was Johnny's perspective.

"finally…"

Beneath the youthful voice lay a rough edge, carrying the somber tone of a middle-aged man.
Johnny looked at the world outside the hotel, laughed for a long time, and then murmured, "Night City, your coolest rock star is back!"

Johnny rummaged through his clothes and pulled a bottle of medicine out of his pocket.

That was the drug Rebecca used to put her consciousness to sleep, allowing Johnny to control her. The bottle had a cartoon face drawn on it, gritting its teeth—

"If you dare to smoke, you're fucking dead!"

This sentence is on the top.

Johnny sneered, "A brat who doesn't know anything."

As they spoke, they pulled out a large package wrapped in oil paper from another hidden compartment in the locker. The gun oil smell on it was still very strong, but inside was a brand of cigarettes that had been discontinued thirty years ago.

Looking at the perfectly wrapped cigarette box inside the plastic wrapping that was not yet soaked with oil paper, Johnny couldn't wait to tear open the outer plastic wrapping and pull out a stick of tobacco that had already been dried out. The tobacco, which had long lost much of its flavor, became unusually attractive at this moment.

Now, the substance is in his mouth. Although it would feel even better if it were still within its shelf life, at least it satisfied Johnny's long-awaited craving.
However, this body simply couldn't twitch, and Johnny coughed several times—

Next comes the standard procedure for rock kids.

Just pick any car on the roadside, and with its window shattered, it's Johnny's silver hand. He can floor the gas pedal and turn the steering wheel however he wants. After all, that's how he got by decades ago when he was driving a Porsche 911.

After outmaneuvering countless NCPD officers chasing speeding vehicles, Johnny finally managed to move this utterly wrecked machine to his backyard in the afterlife, relying solely on his memory.

The place hasn't changed much; the surrounding area still has tall buildings that look like they could collapse at any moment and crush people, rotten chimneys, and a yard full of mud.

"Here you are, child."

The burly security guard at the entrance greeted Rebecca in the manner of meeting an acquaintance.

child?

Johnny snorted coldly, "Don't try to give me that seniority talk when you see someone like me who can't pee."

The burly man was completely bewildered, scratching his head, wondering how he had offended this important guest from the afterlife. After a long while, he seemed to remember something—

He said to the person on the other end of the phone, "It looks like a different person... Yes, yes, I'll keep an eye on her."

Johnny's mind was filled with nothing but cigarettes and alcohol. He'd save serious business for after his hangover. Right now... whatever, he'd drink first.

"Bring up your best stuff."

Johnny sat at the bar, feeling embarrassed by Rebecca's height, so he grabbed a cushion from the sofa next to him, placed it on it, and looked at Claire with a nonchalant expression.

Claire shrugged. "I don't recommend ladies drink anything strong, but you seem to be in a good mood today, so how about something a little something kicky?"

"How about Johnny Silverhand?"

Johnny snapped his fingers.

He came here to have some fun first, and then to see Roger. He felt that with his influence, Roger would definitely come up with a different approach than the company.

I didn't think about seeing Kerry at all...

That's how cognition works.

The spiciness of the chili combined with the explosive aroma of the tequila made Johnny feel like he had finally come back to life after the first bite.

One glass after another, Rebecca, a small woman, downed more than ten glasses of cocktails that would normally knock out a man in three or four.

"I'm sorry, darling, I can't give you this kind of wine anymore."

Claire's smile was gentle.

Johnny Silverhand stared blankly as he raised the middle finger of the gorilla's arm.

Claire wasn't angry; instead, she smiled and took all the glasses away...

What's next?

Of course, she was practically begging for a ride on the toilet. On the dance floor, the other guests were completely captivated by Rebecca's heavy drinking.

Drink, vomit, vomit, drink—that's basically it.

Of course, getting into a fight with other drunkards is also an essential part of the experience.

With his prosthetic body numbed by alcohol and Johnny being such a novice, he was naturally the one who would get beaten up.

When Johnny suddenly regained consciousness, he was already lying in a private room of the bar, pacing back and forth with his hands on his hips, talking incessantly on the phone about business—

"Hold…"

Hearing the noise behind him, Roger turned around and frowned.

"You came to my place drunk and caused a scene, what did Rin do to you?"

Johnny stood up, clutching his head. "Why bring him up?"

Roger crouched down and looked at the pretty girl. He turned his head and used a hot towel to wipe the dirt off her cheeks. Unexpectedly, the girl looked at him with a gaze that was completely different from his own. That gaze... was all too familiar.

"you…"

A soft, childlike voice drifted out from Rebecca's lips...

“Rogge, you’re still the same as before, you haven’t changed at all.”

Roger hurriedly got up.

Whether it was the reunion of old friends or the panic caused by the resurrection of some long-forgotten secrets, few people had ever seen the Queen of the Afterlife in such a state.

"That chip can actually do that?"

Roger couldn't believe that this technology was being demonstrated right in front of him.

Whatever you ask, the other person knows it all. They can even answer any detail about Rogue and Silver Hand's time together in a flippant and nonchalant tone.

It's definitely that bastard.

Rogue is a difficult person to deal with, but Silver Hand doesn't seem to have a good way to handle him.

"It's been so long since we last met, aren't you going to say something? I'm not just talking about things from decades ago, after all, you're living a very comfortable life now, and I don't want to bother you."

It was at this point that Johnny began to resemble the legendary Silver Hand.

Rogge's lips moved, but in the end, he couldn't utter a single word. Admittedly, her survival in Night City was inextricably linked to Arasaka, but... that was all in the past. Rogge no longer wanted to argue about right and wrong.

"What I want to ask is, are you really going to side with the company?"

Silver Hand's movements are rather aggressive.

He grabbed Roger's wrist and stared intently at her.

Roger silently tossed the towel in his hand onto the coffee table, a hint of youthful struggle appearing on his weathered face. "Johnny, it's all over now... and that girl should have told you what's going on, right?"

However, Johnny did not intend to accept this explanation.

“You’re Rogge, with all your connections. Is there really no way you can keep us all alive? No, at least I can’t completely trust Rin from that company… Even if he really intends to save this girl, I can’t put all my eggs in one basket.”

“I have to keep her alive. If she lives, I can live too. But if she dies, I won’t be at peace.”

"For the sake of our past relationship, Roger, I need your help!"

Johnny's words were firm and earnest, and Roger's eyes clearly showed some hesitation.

Johnny wouldn't admit it unless he personally tried various methods; Roger knew this man very well…

But Rin's plan must not go wrong; at the very least, Johnny must not cause a huge uproar and create trouble for Rin.

So…Rogg wants to know what Johnny is up to.

So, without batting an eye, her expression softened considerably. "Alright, I'll help you this time."

Seeing that Roger agreed so quickly, Johnny pondered for a moment and said, "I want to find someone, or rather, she's currently online, Otto... one of my girlfriends."

Upon hearing this, Roger's expression turned sour.

……

……

(End of this chapter)