2077: V really knows how awesome he is

Alex asked the same question as Meredith Stock and the others: "How am I doing at the other time? Still the owner of the Moth Bar?"

"No, you told me to sell it, si..."

Before she could finish her sentence, V activated the Sinwidman and shoved a piece of ham into Vera's mouth, nearly choking her to death.

"Haha, let's eat." V chuckled awkwardly, trying to smooth things over, while glaring at Vera: "Eat more, talk less."

Vera: ? ? ?

Although Alex didn't hear everything, he understood. The other version of her was probably dead, but to be honest, she didn't care too much, and she wouldn't resent Vera. In fact, the other version of her experiences made her cherish her current life even more. Her only wish now was for her family of three to live a good life together.

That's right, the middle school girl is River and Alex's daughter, named Roanne Ward.

V and Rivers chatted about everyday things, mostly about Roan. They talked about how Roan got first place again, how she could now go to and from school by herself, how obedient and sensible she was, and so on. Rivers and Alex talked non-stop, and it was clear that they loved Roan to the core.

“River has always wanted Roanne to take over her job and go to police academy.” Alex glanced at her husband, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice. “If you ask me, what’s the point of a girl becoming a police officer? It’s too dangerous! He’s just a traditional, old-fashioned man!”

River was utterly wronged: "Come on, which of us is the old-fashioned one? The NCPD is all AI officers on duty now, and Roanne is definitely doing clerical work, sitting in the station all day. If we're talking about safety, is there any safer place in Night City than the NCPD? V, you're right!"

V gave an awkward laugh: "I think you guys are overprotecting Roan. The security is great now, you don't need to worry about it all the time."

"That won't do. Roanne looks so weak and easily bullied. We must protect her!"

"Exactly! Roanne's personality means she'll probably never learn to fight. We definitely need to make all the arrangements for her!"

Rivers and his wife were stubborn to no avail, so V could only sigh inwardly and give up.

Because the adults were talking, the two children, Roan and Vera, ended up together.

"Kid, what are you looking at?" Vera said with a displeased expression.

Luo An smiled sweetly and said, "Sister, you're so cool!"

"Hey, haha, you have a good eye, kid!" Vera immediately beamed with delight.

Taking the opportunity, Luo An asked, "Sister, did you come from 2077?"

"How come even a kid knows about something as big as time travel?" Vera muttered, not bothering to hide it: "Yes, I came from 2077. According to my real age, you should call me Auntie."

Roanne ignored this and continued, "What will 2077 be like? Will Night City still be under the control of Arasaka? What is the attitude of the Military Science? Is Arasaka Saburo dead? If he is dead, is Arasaka Yoriyuki in power now? What is his attitude towards Night City? What stage has the internal factional struggle within Arasaka reached?"

Vera was taken aback by the question: "Why are you asking these questions?"

Luo An projected a document: "Summer Homework".

Vera gasped: "Are students in 2157 really this miserable?"

Luo An pleaded pitifully, "Please, sister, this assignment is extremely important to me for the credits. You're such a kind person, please tell me!"

"You actually saw through my character. Looks like I haven't been hiding it well enough. Alright, I'll answer your question, and I guarantee you'll get a perfect score!" Vera exclaimed, then eagerly told Roanne everything she knew.

After the meal, Rivers and his family of three left, but V remained seated.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Vera asked, biting a toothpick.

“Wait a moment, I have an appointment,” V replied.

"Who?"

"Here she is."

As V finished speaking, a flash of white light appeared in front of the dining table, and Roanne, carrying a small backpack, teleported in.

Vera was stunned and asked V, "Is this the kid you invited?"

V didn't answer because the restaurant waiter arrived.

This handsome and refined waiter, who was also an AI, said politely but firmly, "Miss, this hotel prohibits any unauthorized jumps. I'm sorry, I must report this incident to the NCPD immediately."

Roanne's eyes lit up with blue light: "This is my authorization."

The waiter scanned the area and immediately said respectfully, "So you are Colonel Roan. I'm so sorry for not greeting you sooner. Would you like a private room?"

"No need, thank you for your service. I'll call you if I need anything."

"Yes, then I'll take my leave."

After the waiter left, Vera pointed at Roan in surprise and exclaimed, "That brat, the Colonel?! How old is she?!"

V asked Roanne, "How old are you again this year?"

"13."

V repeated to Vera: "She's 13."

Vera exclaimed in frustration, "It's not about how old she is, it's about how she became a colonel at only 13. Did she get in through connections?"

“No, not at all.” V explained to Vera, “Roanne is proficient in various infiltration and stealth techniques and has rich practical experience to handle all kinds of unexpected situations in various environments. She is also extremely good at intelligence gathering and analysis. She passed the intelligence department’s written test with a perfect score at the age of 7, and has provided accurate guidance for interstellar expansion on many occasions. She has also provided reliable support in the fight against global crime. Because of her outstanding performance, she was awarded the rank of colonel at a young age. There was not a single bit of fraud involved.”

Vera was completely stunned: "This is impossible! Intelligence analysis is one thing, I admit some people are born with a keen sense of intelligence. But infiltration and stealth require real-world experience. Where did a 13-year-old get this experience? From the womb?"

“You guessed right, she really was born from the womb.” V nodded and said, “While she was still in the womb, Roanne shared all of Alex’s skills and experience through nanobots. As you know, Alex used to work for the FIA, so Roanne was already an elite among elites from birth.”

"This is fucking possible?!" Vera exclaimed, speechless. "Doesn't that mean people with great parents are inherently better than those with ordinary parents? If this continues, the outstanding will always be riding on the backs of ordinary people. Where is the fairness then?"

"Why not?" V shrugged: "Now it's AI managing humans, not humans managing humans. Everyone earns PP points by renting out their brain computing power. It couldn't be fairer."

"She's a colonel, yet she wants to rent out her brain?" Vera asked, pointing at Roan.

V nodded.

"The colonel doesn't get a salary?"

V shook his head.

Vera was bewildered again: "What kind of colonel is she if she doesn't get paid? Is she doing good deeds?"

V asked Roanne, "Why did you become a colonel?"

Luo An replied, "If I like it, then I'll be it."

Vera: "..."

“That’s how it is,” V said, spreading his hands. “Current productivity can meet everyone’s material needs, and the emergence of nanonetworks can meet everyone’s spiritual needs. With the overall computing power of each person not differing much, the gap between rich and poor has also been eliminated. There will be no more anxiety caused by comparison and competition. Everyone can pursue their ideals and desires without any scruples. I admit that most people are addicted to virtual reality, but there is also a small group of people who yearn for a more meaningful life. So these people step forward, like River, who has worked diligently in the police department for more than 80 years, or like Roan, who has made outstanding contributions at a young age and become an excellent intelligence analyst, and so on.”

Vera was a little unsure of what to say. On the one hand, she envied such a free and easy life, but on the other hand, she felt uneasy about it.

"Can humans really be this carefree? I admit that a highly AI-driven society is wonderful, but what if AI betrays humanity one day?" she asked.

V's answer was simple: "If AI really betrays humanity, then humanity can just wait to die."

"Look, this is what I wanted to talk about!" Vera shouted, "The Omnic Crisis! Mewtwo has been filmed countless times!"

"Then what do we do?" V countered. "Completely ban AI? I don't know if the AI ​​crisis will come, but I know that without AI, humanity is doomed. Putting aside everything else, the environmental problem alone is enough. Without AI cleaning the environment 24/7, food production will decrease, water sources will be polluted, and AI won't even need to lift a finger; humanity will go extinct from hunger and disease. It's like fossil fuels from years ago. Those things pollute the environment, but without fossil fuels, we can't support the world's 7 billion-plus population. If we relied on burning firewood for heating, half of humanity would die in one winter, believe it or not."

Vera seemed to understand something: "So AI is necessary?"

"It's not that it's a must, but rather that we need to improve and optimize the product itself, just like how Alcohol 2 replaced fossil fuels, to ensure the harmonious coexistence of AI and humans," Roan said. "Currently, President V is doing a great job. Humans need the productivity of AI, and AI also needs human computing resources, maintaining a perfect balance."

Vera suddenly realized, but V laughed.

She looked at Roanne and said, "Not bad, little Roanne, you've learned how to flatter. Need something from me?"

Roanne blushed slightly: "I want to participate in this expedition to 2077."

"Why? Don't tell me it's because of summer homework. I'm not some idiot."

Vera: ?

Roanne said with a solemn expression, "I've heard about the horrors of 2077, but I want to see it for myself. Only by witnessing such a hell can humanity avoid repeating the same mistakes."

Vera was surprised that a junior high school student had such awareness and couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

But V wasn't buying it at all, and said with a straight face, "Tell the truth."

Luo An slumped down, her face contorted in pain. "My mom signed me up for a summer ballet class, but I really don't want to learn that awful stuff, Aunt V, help me!"

Vera: ...You fucking give me back all that emotion I felt just now!

Ultimately, V agreed to Roan's request and included her in the expedition team, giving River and Alex the excuse of a summer internship at Arasaka 2077. After doing all this, V felt that since she had already abused her power for personal gain, she might as well go all the way and give Vera a position in the expedition team as well.

"What is it? What is it?" Vera asked excitedly, "Sister, should I be a general or a marshal?"

V replied: "Infantry of the 14th Airborne Platoon, 5th Infantry Division."

Vera: ...You fucking give me back that "sister" I just called out!

A month later, the human army set out and returned to 2077!

Chapter 148 Back to the Past

Before the army set off, Night City held a grand farewell ceremony, with several bands performing, including the Wushi Band.

"Wait a minute, a samurai? Could it be the samurai I'm thinking of?"

Vera, who was mingling with V in the VIP section, was quite surprised.

But what surprised her even more was what followed, because she saw an incredibly familiar figure step onto the stage, shouting out lyrics that were full of youthful exuberance and madness, despite his age.

"Holy crap!" Vera gasped, nearly falling backward. "Saburo Arasaka?!?"

"Don't panic," V said calmly. "That's Johnny."

"How could Johnny be Saburo Arasaka!"

"Because I inserted the Relic chip into Saburo's brain."

Vera's face was filled with an indescribable expression: "Would Sanlang agree?"

"I don't know. I killed Sanlang first before I inserted it. He didn't object, so he probably agreed."

Vera: "...You're the real beast!"

Then V showed her what it means to be utterly despicable, with no limit to how despicable one can be.

She called Johnny over and tricked the rock star into having a Relic chip inserted into his head.

"Holy shit!" Johnny stared blankly at the other Johnny, "V, you fucking screwed me over!!!"

V said to Vera, "See? This is the consequence of just sticking chips into your brain."

Vera: "..."

Johnny and Johnny were arguing fiercely. Older Johnny thought younger Johnny was a hothead, while younger Johnny thought older Johnny was a stupid idiot.

Seeing "Saburo Arasaka" spewing nonsense at thin air, his face flushed with anger, Vera suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction. She had been bothered by that jerk Johnny countless times in the past, and now that she saw the wicked get their comeuppance, all her past resentment vanished instantly.

“V, get this damn thing off me right now!” Old Johnny shouted.

"You can just remove the chip. I've modified it into a regular Relic chip, so it won't cause any damage to the nervous system except for allowing people to talk to the dead."

Both older and younger Johnny were taken aback. The former asked, "What will happen to him after it's pulled out?"

"Imprisoned inside a chip, huh?" V shrugged. "Just like what you went through before."

"Damn it!" Old Johnny cursed angrily.

V asked with a smile, "Aren't you going to remove the chip?"

"I'm not pulling it out yet. I'll wait until I've beaten that hothead in a verbal battle before I pull it out!"

V pointed at "Saburo Arasaka" and said to Vera, "See? That's what tsundere is."

Vera nodded repeatedly: "Extremely tsundere."

Both older Johnny and younger Johnny broke down in unison, shouting, "Fuck you!"

This little incident passed quickly. V went about his own business, and Vera also took her personal belongings to report to the 14th Airborne Platoon of the 5th Infantry Division.

She had expected to see some teammates, but she was the only one in the 14th Airborne Squad, her only companion being an AI assistant.

"No way, is this some kind of war? Is it going to be this childish?" Vera couldn't help but complain.

The intelligent auxiliary AI explained: "One person and one AI is the standard configuration for the smallest combat unit. This configuration has been verified in actual combat and optimized many times. It has extremely strong flexibility and versatility, and its combat effectiveness is fully guaranteed. You don't need to worry."

"Fine, I'm from the countryside, whatever you say goes." To be honest, Vera didn't really care whether she had teammates or not; she was used to being a lone wolf. "What's your name?"

智能辅助AI回答：“DK945JH6-30K21D-205SL2-24DKX9。”

The Vera were dumbfounded: "What is this?"

"My factory serial number."

“It’s too hard to remember. Let me give you a name!” Vera said without waiting for the AI ​​assistant to reply. “You can call me Little Noisy.”

Intelligent Assist AI: "..."