Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 83 Formal Medical Care (Part 1) [Please continue reading]

[Character Valerie (V)'s affinity has been updated]

【Favourability: 30】

[Rewards: Reaction Feat Points +3, Cybernetic Capacity +20, Cybernetic Upgrade. Gain the opportunity to establish a connection with other Legends.]

As soon as Lin Yue stepped out of the elevator, the favorability rating on the character development panel changed.

To his delight, he gained more prosthetic capacity! This meant he no longer needed to search for those company-expansion chips; simply increasing the character's favorability would provide this value.

However, this increase in favorability also proves one thing: there is nothing wrong with the way I chose to get along with V.

V likes honest people, and she is also very smart. She is better at speaking her mind than hiding her true feelings. In a way, this approach is actually a kind of confidence for Lin Yue. He knows that V will not be able to get promoted in the power struggle in Arasaka, so he will not compete with her. V will then let down her guard.

After all, humans have a very sensitive "smell" for power, let alone corporate employees.

Just as Lin Yue was pondering how to allocate points in the reaction skill tree, V's text message arrived.

[V]: I forgot to tell you something earlier. Now that you're part of Arasaka's group, psychological counseling is necessary—I recommend a psychologist specializing in "Quantitative Enlightenment" to help you relax and rejuvenate, which will help you maintain a stable mindset. :)
[V]: Also, you have some junk prosthetics. For your health, you should replace them. Old Wei did illegal modifications, but you can get these done at Arasaka Medical Center. You usually need to make an appointment in advance through the service platform; I've already arranged it for you.

The truth is the sharpest knife... V's evaluation of some of his own prosthetic bodies is that they are garbage.

Lin Yue couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

【Rin】: Thank you.

When V saw Lin Yue in the office, she replied with just two words, her brows furrowing slightly. She closed the screen on her phone where she was sending a text message to Lin Yue, shook her head, and continued with her work.

[Incoming caller: Unknown]

Lin Yue looked at the unfamiliar number and guessed it was someone from V-Push, so he answered the phone.

"I'm a psychologist specializing in quantitative enlightenment. You can call me my life mentor. Nice to meet you, Rin." The middle-aged man on the other end of the line wore glasses and had a warm smile.

In Night City, only corporate executives can afford the expenses of a psychologist, so Lin Yue's first concern was the bill.

"Um, what are the fees?"

The life coach smiled and said, "Arasaka employees have three free consultation opportunities every month. You can come to the medical department to find me, and I will provide you with comprehensive counseling for your mental health. See you later."

"Well, see you later."

The receptionist robot who had led him into the Arasaka Tower walked quickly over with synchronized steps, bowed slightly, and said, "Mr. Rin, Ms. V has made an appointment for your medical consultation and medical bill. You can view your bill through the Arasaka Sub-Net Bank Account Database—Arasaka Medical will reduce your fees by up to 60% and provide you with personalized extension services!"

Lin Yue was a little confused. The robot was babbling on and on, but Lin Yue only heard two things: money and installment payments.

"Alright, let's see how your formal medical care is." Lin Yue shrugged.

It wasn't that he was following Arasaka's orders, but rather that he was curious about why the incidence of cyberpsychosis among the company's employees was so low. He figured it must be due to the advanced medical technology—the last incident with the slider had really terrified him, so going to see for himself wouldn't be a bad thing.

The AI ​​robot covered its non-existent mouth, seemingly chuckling, "You certainly won't be disappointed!"

Unlike other departments, the Arasaka Medical Department didn't have the oppressive obsidian-style decor. Instead, it was decorated in tranquil sky blue and white. The mentor he had just spoken to was waiting for Lin Yue in a corridor with a cream-colored upholstered design. "Hello," the mentor said, shaking Lin Yue's hand.

The middle-aged man spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, seemingly possessing a strong sense of approachability.

So Lin Yue, this "country bumpkin," walked into the counselor's consultation room. The decoration inside was simple: an expensive leather sofa, a Rubik's Cube on a black coffee table, and a pleasant aromatherapy diffuser.

“V mentioned you to me, saying that you were someone she met at work.”

Lin Yue nodded. "So, we've officially started now?"

The life coach reached out his hand to Lin Yue, gesturing for him not to rush. "Relax a bit, you're too tense—try not to focus too much on the goal, just sit here and say what you want to say."

Lin Yue shook his head inwardly. He could say anything? That would be too unsafe. There were some things Lin Yue would never say in his life.

Seeing that Lin Yue wasn't going to speak, the psychologist, who had seen many people like him, wasn't impatient. "Good mental qualities require a good personality... self-discipline, self-reliance, or self-confidence. You can think about this question: why are there so many cyber lunatics?"

Lin Yue thought for a while. This question didn't seem to contain any traps or misleading questions, so it was answerable.

“Because no one can rise from the bottom. Confidence, self-discipline, and self-reliance don’t exist at the bottom of Night City. All you can chase is power and money, and one day you’ll lose your way.” Lin Yue looked into the doctor’s eyes. “Am I right?”

The life coach was somewhat surprised, then shook his head and smiled, "You and V are very similar; you see things very clearly. You know where the problem lies, but you can't help but get stuck in it, so your stress levels are both very high."

Lin Yue frowned. "Stress index? Where is it?"

The life coach explained, "The Arasaka website reads your hormone levels and I can see every abnormality. Those are proof of your stress. You know, your body doesn't lie. Quantitative enlightenment is a systematic psychological assessment that includes various behavioral and psychological interventions."

“Aside from soldiers who risk their lives, very few employees of the Arasaka Company suffer from mental disorders.”

A seasoned psychologist can tell whether someone is wary, so he didn't rush to get the young man, whose eyes were full of suspicion, to talk about the source of his stress.

"So I won't ask you anything today, but you can try doing something with me that will help you relax."

As he spoke, the life mentor picked up a soft string and looked at Lin Yue with a questioning gaze. "I don't intend to offend you, so the decision is in your hands."

Lin Yue looked at the interface in his mentor's hand. Actually, he didn't want to access the company's things, but since he had already accessed the subnet, a lot of things had already been completely read, so there was no need to hide it.

He reached out and took the cord, tucked it behind his head, and his mentor smiled and waved his hand, causing the sofa to automatically adjust its angle.

Lin Yue, leaning back on the soft sofa, stared at the ceiling. His prosthetic eye showed the uploading progress bar. The moment the upload was complete, Lin Yue felt a sudden lightness in his body, as if he were lying on a ball of cotton.

"Your hormones are starting to balance. Relax, just like an afternoon nap... Feel your nerves relax, don't focus on those empty prosthetics, let every inch of your skin feel nature, the breeze... the sunshine, and the coolness of the dew."

The instructor's languid voice seemed to come from near and far. At this moment, Lin Yue felt as if he were resting on a soft meadow, his consciousness gradually fading...

……
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[Quantitative Enlightenment]: A process that uses a biochemical controller to provide timely feedback to Arasaka on employees' physiological hormone levels and psychological assessments.

[Life Mentor]: The psychologist for the 2077 company dog ​​who starts with V.

(End of this chapter)