2077: V really knows how awesome he is

"Okay, you do whatever you want, I'm leaving now," V said, glancing at the time.

Li De quickly said, "Don't go! We haven't finished filming today's scenes yet."

"We have to go. You forgot, today is..."

“Oh right, look at my mind, I’ve been thinking about art all the time.” Li De said, taking off his director’s hat. “Let’s go, let’s go together.”

V glances at the set: "What about here?"

"Let AI shoot the next few scenes, and I'll just edit and polish them later."

V: ...Pre-production, the decline of the Mewtwo series is truly not unjustified.

The two got into Dellaman's car. Since Dellaman was also a guest, V patted the back of the seat and said, "Let's go, old Della, drive fast, Vera's wedding is about to begin."

"Okay, please sit tight and hold on, the vehicle will start immediately. Choose Delaman, leave your troubles at the door!"

Chapter 198 Vincent's Training Plan

Five years later, in 2176.

Li De's film was ultimately a failure, not because he made it badly, but because it took too long to make.

The movie "V for Love: Really Knowing How Awesome It Is" took five years to film before it was released. When filming first started, everyone was full of expectations, but five years later, the original trend had long since shifted to other elements. The movie was critically acclaimed but not commercially successful. Li De's artistic dream was shattered, and he could only switch careers and open a tortilla shop. Because it was made by hand using traditional methods, it became very popular, and now the branch has even opened in the Witcher world.

Solomon Reed, a former high-ranking agent, filmmaker, and now intangible cultural heritage inheritor, often ponders in the middle of the night: "I should be an artist, how did I end up as a cook?"

"Li De, two more cornbreads, please."

"Oh, here it comes."

The customer interrupted the artist's train of thought, bringing him back to reality.

Li De was delivering cornbread to customers when V raised his hand as he passed a table and said, "Li De, pour me a Benben Monkey drink."

"Pour it yourself, don't you have hands?"

Li De left without looking back, leaving V both amused and exasperated.

They were so humble when they begged me to play the lead role, but now that the film has flopped, they're ignoring me completely.

Ah, artists!

V chuckled wryly as he stood up and asked Vera across from him, "What would you like to drink? Beer?"

"No, plain water is fine. I've given up alcohol."

Vera's surprising statement startled V.

"You're quitting drinking? What, is the world going to end tomorrow?"

"No way, I just promised Selene I'd quit smoking and drinking," Vera said irritably.

V became curious: "Why pull this stunt out of the blue?"

Vera once again made a surprising statement: "We're planning to have a child."

V's expression was very complicated: "..."

“That’s not surprising,” Vera said matter-of-factly. “Selene and I have been married for five years, it’s normal to want a child.”

“It’s normal, but it’s a bit strange to hear you say that from a street kid like you.” V thought for a moment and said, “It feels like the fledglings you’ve raised with great care have finally spread their wings and fly. There’s relief, but even more so, a sense of melancholy and reluctance.”

Vera's face twitched: "What the hell am I to you?"

V smiled and went to pour two glasses of water.

Vera took a sip and asked, "So, what did you call me out for? Selene gets off work at six, and I need to go back and cook for her."

V remarked, "Do you just cook for your wife every day now?"

“Of course not,” Vera shook her head. “I also do my wife’s laundry.”

V almost choked on his breath, and could only sigh in the end: "It's a real pity that the street kid who used to roam the world has now fallen on the brink of family troubles."

Vera was taken aback: "Huh, there are people like that? Who is it? Do I know them?"

V: "..."

She shouldn't have had such high expectations for an intelligence level of 3.

Left with no other choice, V had to speak his mind.

"I need your help with something."

Vera immediately replied, "No."

V was taken aback: "Aren't you even going to ask what's going on?"

"I won't ask. I promise Selene I won't fight anymore."

"Are you going to be a housewife for the rest of your life?"

“What’s wrong with being a housewife? During the day, Selene is at work while I do what I like, and in the evening, after Selene gets off work, we do what we like together. Why would I go and fight with you?”

That makes so much sense, V was speechless.

She said with exasperation, "I think you've been corrupted by Alex!"

“I’m much better than her,” Vera said proudly. “She waits to be fed during the day and to be laid at night, relying entirely on River to feed her. I, on the other hand, cook for myself. Haven’t you seen how I’ve fattened up Selene?”

You're only slightly better than Alex.

Seeing that Vera was unmoved by his persuasion, V had no choice but to resort to his trump card.

"You forced me into this situation, so don't blame me for being ruthless, Vera!"

Vera scoffed: "No matter what you say, I will not compromise!"

V chuckled and uttered that classic line: "Madam, you wouldn't want your wife to lose her job, would you?"

Vera: "..."

Faced with this "wife-only attack," Vera ultimately succumbed.

"Tell me, what exactly do you want me to do?" Vera said with a sour face. "But let me make this clear beforehand, I will absolutely not do anything to betray Selene!"

"I don't have such a heavy taste!" V gritted his teeth in anger and stated his purpose directly: "The Night of Echoes has been born again."

"Huh?" Vera was taken aback: "Didn't we destroy that thing? How can it come back to life?"

“It’s not resurrection, but rebirth,” V explained. “As long as time travel occurs, time ripples will be created. As long as time ripples are created, time reflection will inevitably occur. With reflection comes echo, and that’s how the Night of Echoes was born in such a magnificent way.”

"So you mean this thing will keep appearing, endlessly?" Vera frowned.

"That's right. Just like industrial development will generate various kinds of pollution, as long as we are still traveling through time, the Night of Echoes will inevitably be born."

"Then what should we do? Prohibit time travel from now on?"

"No, there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Time travel isn't as simple as finding one or two actors. The most important thing is that it can provide resources. We're already preparing to head towards the stars, and the resources of just one solar system aren't enough."

"So you want me to go and play Echoing Night again?"

“It’s not just you. I’m planning to form a special operations team specifically to deal with the Night of Echoes, and you’re one of them.”

"Who else?"

“You, me, Adam Hammer, Gant Odim, and some technicians.”

“Adam Hammer still can’t even transform into a Super Saiyan, and Gant is as slippery as an oiled electric stick. In the end, it’s still us two who are doing it.” Vera scratched his head: “And what’s wrong with the technicians? Adam Hammer and Gant O’Dim are fine, but they were just there to feed us.”

"Of course I can't let technicians participate in the battle."

"Then why did you invite them along?"

"It's very simple. In the non-material world, emotions are the most powerful fighting force. But we can't have everyone raise their right hands every time we fight Echo Night. After all, emotions are like masturbation; they need to be accumulated and released gradually. If you have them every now and then, they'll become like watery soup. So I wanted to create a device that can store emotions. We can store emotions like we manufacture bullets, and then unleash them all at once when needed. The technicians are there to collect the data."

“Although your analogy sounds like you’re making a suggestive joke, I think I understand it.” Vera asked curiously, “A device for storing emotions? You can really build one?”

"No, I've racked my brains for three months to design it, but I still can't get it right."

"What are you even saying if you can't do it?"

“It’s not entirely impossible,” V shrugged. “I can definitely design it once I get to full AI, but the cost is too high, so it’s not worth it.”

"Why worry about costs at this point? Once the design is done, it's a one-time solution, isn't that great? You corporate dogs are just so stingy and inconsiderate."

V retorted angrily, "What era are we living in? Still calling them 'company dogs'? If that's the case, then Selene is a company dog ​​too!"

Vera grinned lewdly: "So what? Selene isn't just a company dog, she's my little bitch."

V: "..."

She really didn't expect to be fed a mouthful of dog food here.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you." Vera took a sip of water and said, "Since you've put it that way, there must be a cheaper way. What is it?"

It's no wonder that Vera has been able to joke and make people laugh after communicating with the highly intelligent Selene countless times. V seriously suspects that her IQ has risen from 3 to 3.1.

Let Vera take a test after the conversation is over, but let's get down to business first.

V replied seriously: "I admit that with my technical skills, I cannot design this device to store emotions, but I know someone who can."

"Who?"

Vincent.

"Damn it, that little bastard!" Vera was furious at the mention of the name. "He ruined Selene like that, I want to beat him up every time I see him, and you want me to cooperate with him?"

"Don't get agitated," V reassured him. "First of all, you know that the two Selenes are not the same person. Secondly, he did this to end the cycle, but he went in the wrong direction. Strictly speaking, we wouldn't have succeeded without his help. I won't spout any nonsense about offsetting merits and demerits, but at least we should give him a chance to make amends."

Seeing that Vera was still hesitating, V pressed on, saying, "Most importantly, because of time travel, he has lost all his memories. He is now like a reincarnation, having completely severed ties with the past."

Vera frowned, then finally conceded, "Fine, I can give him a chance, but if he reverts to his old ways, don't blame me for striking first and eliminating him completely!"

V immediately nodded: "Okay, if he wants to turn back to his old self, I'll help you take him down!"

A moment later.

V and Vera travel through time to a farm on the outskirts of Night City in 2076.

Although it's called a farm, it has long been abandoned due to land pollution. The original huts have become dens for homeless people and drug addicts, and occasionally smugglers take over to carry out their illegal activities.

V and Vera both activated optical camouflage to become invisible; others couldn't see them, but they could see others.

Vera was slightly surprised to see the people in the cabin: "Jack, what's he doing here?"

“I gave him a job a few days ago, and he’s waiting for his driver here.”

“A driver?” Vera saw the box in front of Jack. “Smuggling?”

"Yes."

"Who is the driver?"

Vincent.

Vera wore a complicated expression: "The future Demon King has traveled thousands of years into the past to become a deliveryman?"

“Even the Demon King needs to eat,” V explained with a smile. “He landed on Badlands and was rescued by the Barker family, becoming a wanderer ever since. However, the Barker boss recently passed away from a serious illness, and the new boss chose to join the Snake Clan. Vincent disliked the Snake Clan's ways, so he chose to leave the family. Hearing that Night City was the city of dreams, he decided to try his luck here, and Jack was the first job he got in Night City.”

"What a coincidence?" Vera looked at V. "You arranged all of this, didn't you?"

“It wasn’t just me.” V didn’t hide anything: “This world is the one where we saved Ultraman and David, so Roger, Ultraman, Johnny, David, and even Michiko all came up with ideas and got involved.”

Vera was slightly surprised: "Johnny, David and the others are one thing, but why is Michiko, the boss of Arakawa Yoru no Jou, also joining in the fun?"

"Because the future Michiko met with her, I didn't ask what they talked about, but it's clear that the current Michiko doesn't want to become a brain stuffed in a jar again. So we unanimously decided to modify Vincent."

"How to change?"

“It’s very simple.” V smiled slightly: “Raise daughters with abundance and sons with hardship. In order to prevent Vincent from going astray again, we have decided to toughen him up and strengthen his body through a series of trials to help him establish a correct outlook on life, values ​​and worldview.”

“I understand.” Vera nodded: “When Li De makes a film, you make a film too. His films are for everyone to see, but your films are only for Vincent to see.”

"A hundred words from a person are useless; a single act of teaching will truly touch the heart." V asked with a smile, "What do you think of our plan?"

Vera scratched her head: "I don't know if Vincent will turn into a dog, but you guys are all really dog-like."

V raised an eyebrow: "So, do you want to join?"

Vera: "Woof woof woof!"

And so, the "Vincent Training Alliance" welcomed another formidable player.

Everything that follows has been arranged perfectly.