Cyberpunk: I didn't cheat.

Vito thought that biotechnology was just about making alcohol 2 and selling inferior painkillers.

"continue."

Vito lowered his wrist slightly, bringing the muzzle of the gun even closer.

"The company wants us to reduce chip costs and start batch production... The target is homeless people and undocumented immigrants in the Badlands, to be captured and used as test subjects. Women are chosen because of their higher neurological compatibility..."

The researcher's voice was choked with sobs as he spoke rapidly.

"Research and development went smoothly, and costs were brought down to mass production standards. However, all the test subjects with implanted chips developed cyberpsychosis, without exception..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Vito's gaze abruptly turned to the laboratory chamber inside the lab.

Inside the transparent cabin, many homeless women remained in tense fighting stances. Their cybernetically modified arms gleamed with a cold metallic light, their eyes were bloodshot and their pupils were dilated and dull, yet they always exuded a ferocious ruthlessness that seemed ready to devour anyone who might harm them.

Their limbs twitched incessantly, and low, inhuman roars emanated from their throats. They slammed their bodies against the cabin walls, producing dull, deafening thuds. Each impact carried the uncontrollable rage unique to cyber madmen.

"You work for the company, right? The new chip is in that safe, take it! Let us go, the new chip is much more stable, you'll do a great job if you take it! Please, there's no need to make things difficult for us, we're just working for the company!"

The researchers pointed to a temperature-controlled safe and pleaded with Vito.

"Why establish the laboratory in Night City instead of at the European Continent Biotechnology Headquarters?"

Vito loosened the gun barrel pointed at the researchers.

The researcher breathed a sigh of relief and quickly answered.

"The espionage war on the European continent is very troublesome. Although the situation in Night City is not stable enough, it has a foundation, and research can be carried out better in Night City."

"Why choose a wanderer from a barren land?"

"Well, because these people have a relatively higher tolerance, and taking care of them will allow the various projects in Badlands to proceed smoothly."

At this moment, on the other end of the encrypted channel, T-bug had just finished her battle with the enemy hacker. Data blocks flashed before her eyes as she cleaned up the traces of the intrusion to avoid being tracked by biotechnology.

"Vito! What are you still doing in there! It's time to retreat."

T-bug didn't retreat immediately; instead, he turned back to check on his teammates.

"Xiao Cha, has the data download finished?"

"No! The data is too large; it'll take a while!"

At this moment, T-bug's tone suddenly became urgent.

"Zeta has entered! It's probably Tommasino's backup plan. You must evacuate! Forget about the data."

"Little Cha, stop the download. Mr. Scientist, please tell me how the safe is encrypted."

When the researchers saw that Vito was about to leave, they were overjoyed and told him about the encryption.

"Little Cha, bring that thing up."

Vito looked toward the experimental chamber, at the female test subject ramming wildly inside, his expression complex.

In Night City, watching a once vibrant homeless man transformed into a monster who had lost his self by capital, Vito felt a chill run through his heart.

These wanderers of the Badlands, far removed from the core conflicts of Night City, only wanted to eke out a living on the wasteland, yet they still couldn't escape being captured and used for experiments. In the eyes of the local authorities, they were not even as valuable as experimental data.

"Sir scientist, is there any hope for them?"

"They are failures. The reason why the chips induced cyberpsychosis is probably because the low-cost chips have residual neurotoxins that continue to damage the host's brain nerves. It is pointless and impossible to save them."

The word "impossible" definitively sealed the fate of these experimental subjects.

"Alright, thank you for your explanation, Mr. Scientist."

"You are welcome……"

boom!

Vito shot the researcher in the head, and the sudden gunshot caused the researchers on the other side of the laboratory to scream.

He didn't look at the test subjects or the researchers again, and began to evacuate with Xiao Cha.

When they arrived at the gate, Jack saw only Vito and Chapman and asked in confusion.

"Didn't they say someone got arrested? How come it's just you guys?"

Vito walked quickly past Jack.

"They've all gone cyber mad; we can't save them this time."

Jack remained silent and followed Vito.

As they rushed out of the laboratory, the sound of NCPD vehicles could be heard in the distance, their headlights piercing the night as they sped toward the industrial park.

Vito immediately activated the magician, the engine roared violently, the wheels screeched against the ground, and the car shot out of the industrial park like an arrow, disappearing into the night.

The carriage was silent, save for the roar of the engine and the heavy breathing of the passengers.

After they left, a squad of company soldiers dressed as mercenaries entered the laboratory. Several hackers downloaded experimental data, while gunmen executed all the researchers.

A few minutes later, the team destroyed the data core and quickly withdrew.

Afterwards, the NCPD arrived and set up a cordon.

News 54: A hovercar descended from the sky, and Gillian Jordan immediately got out, adjusted his expression, and began a live broadcast in front of the drone.

"An extremist attack has occurred in Watson District! The attack targeted a humanitarian laboratory set up by a biotechnology company in Watson. According to sources within the NCPD, all staff members on site were brutally murdered by extremists; there were no survivors..."

The arrival of the NCPD was opportune, and News Channel 54 arrived just in time. At that moment, Thomasino was listening to his subordinates' report from inside a floating vehicle in the distance.

"Just one? I thought someone like him would take care of everyone. Send the data to headquarters and let those little tricksters go home. They're pretty good, they deserve it."

The hovercar that was following Vito and the others turned around and flew away.

The magician sped through the neon lights and shadows of Night City, the Watson District laboratory receding into the distance behind him, but a violent storm surrounding the corporation had just begun to unfold above Vito's team.

The darkness of Night City is not just about the gunfights on the streets, but also about the sins that are entangled in capital and technology and never see the light of day. And they have now stepped into the heart of this evil.

Chapter 103 Trap

Click!

A prosthetic volume chip is inserted into the computer.

A few seconds later.

The prosthetic capacity chip is ejected.

This is the fourth one this month. The prosthetic capacity chip is working. Vito feels like he has returned to when he first came to Night City, and the things that have been accumulating in his mind are being dispelled.

Vito stretched and checked the information sent by the middleman.

[Okada Wakako: Here Comes Vito, an elite employee of a company falls into a trap set by someone else. Fortunately, he has a loyal subordinate who is willing to spend real money to save his boss. The money is considerable, but the job is not easy.]

So, will you answer? If you do, I'll send you the attachment. I hope you remember I'm impatient.

Vito replied to Wakako Okada.

[Of course I'll accept! At least the joss paper can be washed and exchanged for some loose change.]

Wakako immediately sent the attachment along with a smiling emoticon.

Vito got up and walked around a single-soldier exoskeleton armor, which he had assembled using the Grasshopper Armor after completing the commission from Thomasino. As he walked out of the newly added room in the repair shop, Vito saw Li Ying lying in a chair undergoing chip training in military technology.

Vito didn't disturb her and went out to the mission location.

This operation isn't too big; it doesn't require the action team and hackers to work together to infiltrate.

Vito drove his Type 66 Dangerous, equipped with a thermometer, speeding through the streets. Occasionally, he would give Night City residents who were slow to start moving when the green light turned green a full-speed sprint with his puppet.

As Vito rushed to the mission location, the mission's target, Valerie, woke up in a room with cold, tiled walls.

After the Zhu incident, the Night City's Arasaka Counterintelligence Department was deemed incompetent, and her superior, Jenkins, received a lot of criticism for it. Many people were demoted, and half of her subordinates were replaced.

Valerie recognized the new recruits; they were former members of the security department. The security department had discovered Kim Yeon, who had almost been beaten into a fugitive like Shang Yang on the East City Highway, and retrieved the company's confidential information. Many people were promoted as a result.

All of this had nothing to do with the counterintelligence department; they were controlled by false coordinates throughout the process, constantly transmitting useless information to the action team.

Sato Yoshitaka, from the security department, had always loved to cause trouble for the counterintelligence department. This time, he even got Jenkins' rival, Abernathy, involved. Although Sato Yoshitaka died in the Zhu-affiliated operation, his subordinates inherited his determination to cause trouble.

Valerie's life wasn't easy either; she protected her capable assistant Anne Cornwall, but she herself was often suppressed.

Jenkins wouldn't sit idly by. He received a secret message: a gang member had dirt on Yoshitaka Sato and his direct superior, Rintaro. So he sent Valerie to get her hands on the dirt as leverage in the company's power struggle.

When Valerie arrived, the person who met her showed her a video of The Dream. Without thinking much, Valerie put the Dream headband on her head, and when she woke up, she was lying in this room.

Her trauma group member signal was not blocked, but Valerie frowned and looked serious, which perhaps indicated that the person who tied her up didn't care at all.

"Oh? You're awake? Open the door and come out, it's unlocked."

Valerie tried to call for help, but her communication was turned off.

"It's that damn Mewtwo!"

Valerie cursed inwardly.

She opened the door and found herself in a luxurious rooftop detached garden apartment in a skyscraper.

A man is sitting on the sofa in the middle of the living room.

The man was about forty years old, with a refined face and slightly graying temples. He held a cigar between his fingers, leaned back leisurely, and looked at her with gentle eyes. He looked like a debonair business tycoon, without a trace of the violence of a kidnapper.

The man beckoned to Valerie, his smile polite and just right.

"Please have a seat. I apologize for inviting such a beautiful lady to my humble abode in this way. Let me introduce myself. My name is Pan Xianming."

“V”.

Valerie found that Pan Xianming was the only person in the room, so she sat down on the sofa to see what he was up to.

"What would you like to drink?"

"No need. Just say what you want to say. Bringing me here doesn't seem like you're offering me a drink."

Pan Xianming chuckled softly, stood up, and slowly walked to her. His gaze lingered on her face, seemingly restrained, yet it thoroughly scrutinized her from head to toe, carrying an almost greedy scrutiny, which was perfectly concealed beneath a refined smile.

"I know you guys haven't been having a good time in the counterintelligence department lately."

He spoke slowly and casually, yet his words struck Valerie's sore spot with pinpoint accuracy.

“Someone is suppressing you at every turn, undermining your power, and even trying to kick you out of the core department. Everything you've done with all your might has become a stepping stone for others, including your boss Jenkins. Isn't he about to lose his temper?”

Valerie frowned slightly. This man had thoroughly investigated her situation, but why would he set this up?

“I can help you.”

Pan Xianming leaned down, his tone suddenly becoming gentle, and said, "..."

“I have enough connections and resources to clear away all obstacles in the counterintelligence department that are against you, so that you can secure your core position and even go further and get all the power and status you want. In this city, there is nothing that I, Pan Xianming, cannot do.”

He spoke casually, yet with an undeniable confidence; his condescending kindness was so hypocritical it was nauseating.

Valerie hated this way of speaking; even after years of working at Arasaka Corporation, she felt a sense of nausea.

What do you want?

Upon hearing this, Pan Xianming's smile deepened. He straightened up, his back to the French windows, and the light and shadow fell on his face, half bright and half hidden in the shadows, completely tearing away the facade of elegance.

He looked at Valerie with no trace of pretense in his eyes; it was naked possessiveness, a twisted obsession, a madness that saw beautiful things as private possessions.

"I collect all the most beautiful things in the world: precious jewelry, rare works of art, top-tier real estate. And you are the one I want to collect. Your appearance and abilities qualify you for my collection."

"Damn it! You pervert!"

Pan Xianming wasn't angry. He gently rubbed his fingertips, and his face once again wore that fake, gentle smile, his tone seductive.

"As long as you promise me that you will stay by my side and be my person, all the troubles of the counterintelligence department will disappear, and you will have ten times more power than you have now."

I will give you endless luxury and elevate you to even greater heights, but you must remember, everything you have belongs only to me.

He stood there, looking at Valerie on the sofa with a cold expression, seemingly waiting for her answer like a gentleman.

The oppressive aura emanating from him silently proclaimed that, whether she liked it or not, he had already included her in his collection list. This seemingly equal transaction was merely an excuse for him to satisfy his perverse collecting desires. Beneath his gentle exterior lay a paranoid and sinister desire for control.

Valerie couldn't take it anymore. Although she was known for her hacking skills in Arasaka, she was also quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Now she was going to clench her fists and smash the head of this perverted dog in front of her.

"Wow, your company's employees are way more perverted than I imagined. Collecting? Where did you get this stamp collecting obsession?"

Pan Xianming's pretense was shattered, and he looked coldly at the source of the voice.