2077: V really knows how awesome he is

Such a tragedy silenced everyone. They had guessed that the farce would end in failure, but they hadn't expected it to be so devastating.

"Vera." Maiko Maeda walked in from outside. With her management experience, she was now also in charge of some human resources work. "Some people want to join us; they're from the Kanto side. Should we take them?"

Vera looked behind Maiko Maeda and saw a group of people covered in blood standing outside the Wild Wolf Bar in a sorry state. They were all old people and children; probably all the young people were dead.

One of the girls, who was about 8 or 9 years old, was shot and half of her arm was blown off. She is now lying in her companion's arms, struggling to breathe.

“Call the doctor,” Vera said.

Gustavo went immediately.

The girl said with difficulty, "Thank you... My parents will give you money when they come back."

"You're an idiot," Vera said bluntly. "Your parents are dead!"

"Vera, you!" Everyone was shocked.

"What's wrong? I didn't say anything wrong." Vera squatted down in front of the little girl whose eyes had lost their light and asked, "Now you have two choices. One is for me to shoot you and end your suffering; the other is to try to live, even if you have to scavenge through garbage cans like a dog, you have to grow up and avenge your parents!"

The girl trembled uncontrollably, but struggled to hold back her sobs, letting out a feeble roar in a hoarse voice: "I want to live! I want to avenge my parents!"

“Very good.” Vera asked, “Kid, don’t you have a single penny on you?”

The girl shook her head.

"So what do you have?"

The girl pulled a individually wrapped cookie from her pocket: "This is all I have. My parents told me to eat it when I'm hungry, and they said they'll bring back more cookies when I come back."

Vera snatched the cookie with practiced ease, after all, she had often snatched glow sticks from other children when she was a kid.

"Although the commission is a bit low, I'll accept your commission!"

Vera stood up and said to the gang leaders, "What are you standing there for? Call the brothers and get to work!"

"Oh!"

Valentino, the Sixth Street Gang, the Tiger Claw Gang, the Whirlpool Gang, the Cleaners, the Animal Gang—a motley crew of social scum—are trying to uphold justice. It's simply unbelievable.

Why, you ask?

So when people looked at the arrogant figure at the front, they all smiled knowingly—because they had a true gang king!

"Wait a moment!"

Xiao Chao's noisy voice suddenly came from the speakers of the Wild Wolf Bar.

Vera frowned and said, "What? I've already taken the orders, don't try to stop me!"

“I’m not trying to stop you,” Claptrap said. “I’m just reminding you to be careful when you fight. The solar power plant is very important for our future development.”

Vera: (~_^)b

"What?! The six major gangs have besieged the Camtau Tower and already occupied the first floor lobby?" Jiang Ping was shocked when she heard the news. "What's going on? We didn't provoke them!"

The subordinate nervously replied, "They said they want revenge for the people who died at the solar power plant!"

"Those are Kangtao's employees, what do they care if they live or die!" Jiang Ping said angrily. "Send the security forces! They're the ones who provoked us. The Future People shouldn't even think about causing trouble. Kill them all, leave no one alive!"

His subordinate became even more nervous: "This... might be a bit difficult."

Jiang Ping's eyes widened: "What's so difficult about that? Are you saying the company's armed forces can't beat some street thugs?"

"We could win a fight, but... nobody wants to fight."

Jiang Ping was shocked: "What do you mean by 'don't want to fight'? They're paid by the company, can they just say they don't want to fight? Is there no law anymore?!"

The subordinates remained silent. Now they've remembered the law. Why didn't you mention the law when you ordered the pay cut?

Forget it, I only make a few hundred yuan a month, why should I risk my life? I'd rather take this opportunity to scrape together some chips or mainframes from the company, and then go join the tanking alliance!

Thinking this, the subordinate turned and left, leaving Jiang Ping dumbfounded: "Hey, where are you going? I haven't finished speaking yet! You have no respect for your leader at all! Do you even want to keep your job?!"

In the past, his subordinates would have definitely compromised, but this time he made a different choice without hesitation, as if he had made up his mind.

There were many others who shared his thoughts. The reason the first-floor lobby fell so quickly was because it was filled with the company's lowest-level employees, exploited laborers. They were powerless to resist, nor dared to resist. Now, seeing Vera leading six gangs into the building, they even felt a sense of schadenfreude.

Anyway, there's not a single place in the company that belongs to them. In the past, they could still fool themselves with their salaries, but now that salaries have been reduced, and they might even have to pay to work in a while, what's the point of them resisting?

So when faced with the siege of the six gangs, they immediately surrendered, either applauding and cheering for the gangs' looting and arson, or simply saying "Sir, this way." Jiang Ping had imagined the lobby to be a scene of gunfire, but in reality, the first-floor lobby was a harmonious place, with gang members and company employees offering each other cigarettes, living in perfect harmony.

However, the "tanking alliance" did not encounter any obstacles. For example, Jiang Ping locked the elevator, which required a key to activate.

Vera asked Doom Doom to crack the code, but the new leader of the Vortex Gang was good at mechanics and only had a smattering of knowledge about networks. He tinkered with it for a long time, but it was all for naught.

Seeing that the "playing dumb" alliance was in trouble, the Kangtao employees who were watching immediately decided to lend a hand. The security team leader contributed his key chip, and several network experts even took matters into their own hands and obtained elevator access.

Vera thanked them repeatedly, and the security team leader and the internet whiz immediately followed up, asking if they could join the tanking alliance.

"It is possible, but I can only guarantee that you will be paid according to the amount of work you do. The entire process will be judged by AI, and there will be no other special treatment."

Vera had expected these people to be greatly disappointed, but they were overjoyed and said that all they wanted was to be paid according to the amount of work they did, which was the best treatment they could receive.

And so, floor by floor fell quickly. At first, there were some automatic turrets and security robots along the way, but in the end, even these things were "accidentally" turned off by Kangtao employees, allowing the six gangs to run as smoothly as if they had been smeared with Indian aphrodisiac, crashing headlong into the heart of the matter.

Jiang Ping, who had seen everything on the surveillance footage, was filled with disbelief: "Why? Why didn't they fight back? This is their company!"

No one answered her, because even her most loyal subordinate had run away. After all, in order to make more money for herself, she had even reduced the wages of her most loyal subordinate.

With a bang, Vera kicked open the door to the CEO's office.

"Jiang Ping, your good days are over!"

"No, don't kill me! I have money, I'll give you all my money, please spare me!" Jiang Ping begged for mercy.

As she spoke, she pressed a button, and the east wall of the office opened, revealing a secret room filled with a mountain of euros that reflected a greenish light under the lamplight, resembling some kind of monster.

Gustavo and the others held their breath and looked at Vera, after all, this guy had a history of being bribed.

But Vera's Intelligence 3 suddenly kicked in, and with a clang, she drew her katana, saying disdainfully, "You idiot, even if I kill you, all this money is mine!"

Whoosh!

Jiang Ping smashed through the glass, performed a flying acrobatic feat, and jumped off the tower, crashing into a pile of flesh.

Vera opened a cookie in front of the broken window, took a bite, and couldn't help but frown: "Damn it, this rotten cookie is awful!"

But for such a lousy cookie, the acting president of Kangtao was killed like trash.

It's absurd and illogical, but logic is necessary for writing novels, not for reality.

Vera knows she's not a good person, but she also knows she's not completely evil. Above her is the source of all evil in the cyberpunk world, and below her is the morality and fairness pursued by all the underclass. Although she always says she's fighting to survive, she doesn't mind killing a few scumbags in the process, after all, legends are passed down by word of mouth.

Following Johnny Silverhand, David Martinez, and Jack Wells, there's now a new wine called Vera in the next life.

Raging vodka infused with tobacco, mixed with lime juice and chili syrup, topped with a small umbrella—wild and unyielding, trampling the law yet upholding morality, possessing the power to break the rules, yet also having a heart that holds the line. You ask who this is? This is the fucking gang king of Night City!

"Hahaha, I'm so awesome!" Vera put her hands on her hips and laughed wildly.

Her door was kicked open with a bang, and little Roanne, dressed in military uniform, said seriously:

"Vera, your good days are over!"

Vera felt that the sentence sounded familiar.

"You're not going to throw me out the window too, are you?" she asked fearfully.

Roan shook her head: "I'm not that barbaric, and the mistake you made wasn't that serious. However, you and Selene disobeyed orders and seriously interfered with the expedition mission. I'm here on the orders of the Commander-in-Chief to bring you back to the flagship for questioning."

"Damn, what's Selene doing? Didn't she go back to fool her dad? Did she fail?"

"No, she did bring Luxina Kushinada from this world to the Commander-in-Chief."

"and then?"

"Then she was hung up and whipped by the Commander-in-Chief."

Vera: "..."

In short, Selene's plans backfired, and David Martinez learned of her and Vera's secret dealings. Selene was placed in confinement, and Vera was transferred back to the flagship.

Vera didn't intend to resist, it was just a bit of a pity.

What will happen to these people after I leave?

“If I were you, I would care more about myself,” Roan replied sternly, making Vera curse her inwardly for being so stubborn.

Vera was sentenced to three months in prison after returning to the flagship, but when she was released from solitary confinement, she heard an unexpected message from Little Noisy.

"Miss Roan has taken over the 'Relaxed Alliance,' but she hasn't made any changes. She's still operating and expanding according to your and Captain Selene's expectations. Night schools are still open, more and more people are awakening, your gang friends continue to maintain order, everyone is working and living peacefully, and life is getting better and better. Just a few days ago, the 'Relaxed Alliance' took over the Americas, and the new US President, Rosaderin Miles, was dragged out of his bed by angry crowds and hanged in the National Mall. Miss Roan has already used space technology to win over the European high command, led by the European Space Agency, and is supporting Xu Shiming in regaining power in Asia. Half the world is already in her hands..."

"Little Roan is actually this powerful? Compared to her, Selene is a complete weakling." Vera was taken aback.

"Everyone has their own expertise. Miss Selene is General Xu Ling's prized student, specializing in tactics and strategy, while Miss Roanne is Chairman V's last disciple, so..."

“Got it, she’s just as cunning as V.” Vera stroked her chin. “It sounds like a dream, but V’s plan was to cut the Gordian knot quickly, right? She planned to take 2077 in two months, and it’s been almost a year now. Is that even possible?”

Little Clown didn't understand either, and could only say, "The only way to answer this question is probably to ask Commander David Martinez himself."

Vera, a mere common soldier, had no right to ask the commander-in-chief, nor did she intend to. She made a phone call to her gang friends, including Gustavo, to let them know she was safe, and then returned to her carefree, aimless existence.

But she didn't ask, while others did.

This person was none other than David's daughter, Selene.

"Why did you do this? Haven't you always been a staunch follower of President V's orders?"

David's face looked more mature, and he had grown a small mustache.

"Because your dad, like you, was once a passionate young man. To avenge me, he even joined some street mercenaries to attack company executives, only to be hacked to pieces."

Selene turned around in surprise and saw V sitting in the shadows.

David was somewhat embarrassed. He had worked so hard to cultivate a reliable and dignified image in front of his daughter, only to have it all exposed by V.

"President V, what brings you here?" The fleet commander-in-chief made conversation.

"If I hadn't come, you'd all be spending the New Year here," V said irritably, then asked, "Arasaka Yorinobu has been putting up a stubborn resistance, hasn't he?"

Selene nodded: "Arasaka's family-style education has earned him a group of die-hards, and other companies are also secretly supporting him. He has a high reputation in Japan, and some die-hards regard him as a hero who will save the world, gathering under his banner and carrying out a non-violent non-cooperation stance. If necessary, I am willing to redeem myself through meritorious service."

“No need, I’ll talk to him first.” V’s gaze seemed to pierce through time as he said with a touch of nostalgia, “There’s something I’ve been thinking about for 60 years and it took me 60 years to figure it out. I want to confirm it with my old friend in person.”

That night, Arasaka Yorinobu suddenly woke up from his sleep. This was the Arasaka Tower of the Tokyo headquarters, which was heavily guarded, yet he saw a figure that would never be here.

“Miss Vera?” Arasaka Yorinobu asked calmly. “Are you here to kill me?”

Vera remained calm: "I am not Vera, I am V."

Chapter 157 The End of "The Devil"

“V? According to the information I received, Miss Vera’s codename in the past was indeed V, you…” Arasaka Yoriyuki was speaking when he suddenly realized something and his expression tightened. “No, you are not Vera, you are Vera from 2157!”

V remained noncommittal: "How did you figure that out?"

“You have an aura that is completely different from Miss Vera’s. I’ve only ever seen this kind of aura in my father, Saburo Arasaka.”

"Have I become like Saburo?" V asked, somewhat surprised. "I think I'm quite approachable."

“But status will always distinguish gods from mortals. No matter how humble a god is, he will always be high and mighty in the eyes of mortals.” Arasaka Yorinobu got up, took out drinks and drinking utensils from the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of wine, one for himself and one for V.

“Vera is an extremely formidable mercenary, and you possess an even more imposing aura than she does. I imagine you achieved even greater things in 2157 than she did.” Arasaka Yoriyuki raised his glass, but V did not touch the drinks on the table. He didn’t feel embarrassed; he simply smiled self-deprecatingly and drank a glass by himself.

"Can't we say? Because of time travel, telling people about the future would cause chaos? To be honest, I graduated from a prestigious university, but I still can't imagine how humans in 2157 travel through time."

V shrugged: "After all, it's not related to your major. You studied finance and biotechnology at the University of Tokyo."

"That was to please my father; I didn't like it at all." Arasaka Yorinobu asked curiously, "So there's a 'me' on your side too, the past me?"

“Not entirely.” V rubbed his temples. “Let me think. It’s 2077 now, and the parallel universe theory is still the mainstream doctrine, which is why you think that way. But in reality, time is a one-way street, and there’s no such thing as going back to the past.”

"But you did go back to the past, from 2157 to 2077."

"That's just an appearance. To you, we seem to have come back from the future, but to us, it's like traveling from 2157 to 2077. We stay here for a year, and when we go back to 2157, another year has passed. Time still moves forward, and what happened in the past will not change because of it."

“I think I understand.” Arasaka Yorinobu said thoughtfully, “In other words, there is still no going back in this world.”

"What, do you want to change your past?"

“There are many.” Arasaka Yorinobu sighed softly. “But never mind. People only pay more attention to the present and the future when the past cannot be changed. Can you tell me how I am doing in the other world?”

"That's not good, you'll die in 2077."

"How did you die?"

"You have been possessed by the Relic chip containing Saburo Arasaka's consciousness, and have become the vessel for his resurrection."