2077: V really knows how awesome he is

"Then?"

"Lend me your people."

Meredith Stock frowned: "What are you going to do?"

V said coldly, "Let's go big."

"Bullshit! You just want to go save people!"

"If you help me, I'll find a way to get the military science and technology department into the alliance, and I'll even appoint you as the liaison officer for military technology."

Meredith Stock was taken aback: "Then the exoskeleton technology you mentioned before...?"

"No more."

"Damn, was it your own father or mother who got arrested?"

"Just a stranger I met once."

"Are you kidding me?"

V said, slowly and deliberately, "I'm very serious."

Meredith Stock was also serious: "Calm down."

"I'm calm."

"If you were to calm down, you should follow the plan, submit evidence to Michiko, bring down Abernathy, and become second only to Arasaka. That's what you should be doing!"

“That’s too slow. You know how many procedures the company has. To prevent Abernathy from killing those people in a fit of rage, I have to act immediately and go straight up to Arasaka Tower to kill that bitch!”

"Kill...kill the Arasaka Tower?!" Meredith Stock was startled: "You're an Arasaka member, are you going to ruin your own livelihood for a few subordinates who aren't even your own men?"

V remained silent.

Meredith Stock remained silent.

A few seconds later, the blonde, slicked-back-haired woman angrily retorted, "Damn it, meeting you is the worst thing that ever happened to me! I can only help you hold off Arasaka's main force, that's all I can do!"

"Thanks."

V turned his head: "David, take Lucy home. It's time for the adults to go to sleep."

David refused the offer: "I want to go with you. I want to save Mann and the others."

V glanced at David: "That's Arasaka Tower. You've already lost your limbs, what else do you want to lose now?"

“Regret, resentment, and a sense of powerlessness!” David said firmly, “I will not back down anymore. I will take revenge on those who persecuted me!”

V looked at David, and David looked at V.

A moment later, V laughed.

This world is too quiet, so quiet that it makes you feel like even your blood is cold.

But there are always people who want to live a more resounding life.

V realized he had misjudged the boy; the boy had unknowingly transformed into a man.

"Alright, David Martinez is qualified to fight alongside me. Let's go, storm Arasaka Tower, and kill that bitch Abernathy!"

Chapter 21 Burning

"The Arasaka recovery team is approaching from the three o'clock direction!"

"Good! Let them see the power of our military technology!"

The two convoys met, collided, and exchanged fire, with bullets raining down and heavy artillery thundering!

"Hahahaha!" Meredith Stock laughed wildly, "That's fucking awesome!"

"Arasaka interception force spotted two kilometers ahead!"

"Send the Demon Lizards! Blow them up!"

The military-tech convoy changed formation, spreading out to both sides, with a heavily armed magnetic levitation armored transport vehicle moving to the very front of the procession. Although it was just a transport vehicle, and a relic from 10 years ago at that, as a genuine military vehicle, the firepower of the Demon Lizard was far beyond what the security company could withstand.

Even if the security company is named Arakawa, it won't work.

Only a company can stand against a company, and only an army can stand against an army.

As long as Arasaka's military vehicles don't get deployed, the Demon Lizard is invincible!

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Twenty-six surface-to-surface missiles were launched, and Arasaka's interception force was instantly blasted to pieces.

The military technology convoy rolled westward, crushing wreckage and flames, like an unstoppable demon emerging from hell.

They fought their way from the Badlands to the Lily District of Heywood, passing through the River Valley of Santo Domingo, Coronado Farm, and Charter Hill in Westbrook. Just one more step and they would reach the company square where Aragaka Tower is located.

Night City was thrown into chaos, and everyone went completely mad.

Ordinary people cowered at home in fear, gangsters looted and burned in the streets, politicians thought military technology was launching a surprise attack on Arasaka and the fifth corporate war was about to begin, and people in between kept making various phone calls to find out the truth.

Several news hovercars were circling in the sky, including those from WNS and News Channel 54.

"Sir, should we shoot them down?"

A military technology soldier asked a question, and before Meredith Stock could answer, V spoke first.

"No need. If they want to know the truth, then give them the truth."

V's eyes lit up with blue light, and the networks of all the news stations in Night City instantly crashed. Abernathy's various crimes were exposed to the public, and the evidence for each one was sufficient and complete, including her collusion with Anthony, as well as the recent "Memorial Park Massacre" that is still hotly debated.

Only then did people realize the true mastermind behind the tragedy, and that it was all just a sideline of an assassination operation.

V's image appeared on all the holographic screens in Night City.

She removed her mask, revealing her true face, and began issuing a personal statement:

"I am V, the deputy head of the counterintelligence department at Arasaka Corporation. Abernathy wanted me dead, but I survived, so I orchestrated this operation. This is a personal grudge between me and Abernathy. I won't boast about how righteous I am, nor will I brag about how kind I am. She dared to kill me, so I dare to kill her. This is a simple act of revenge, fighting evil with evil. Those who agree with me, please step back; I will not harm the innocent. Those who oppose me, come at me; I will make you shatter to pieces amidst your cries. If gangs try to stop me, I will destroy them; if companies try to stop me, I will take them down; if the entire Night City tries to stop me, then I will burn this city to ashes!"

“Finally!” V’s eyes flashed coldly: “Abernathy, you’re fucking dead. You better wash your neck clean and wait!”

When the broadcast ended, the entire Night City was in an uproar.

There are arrogant people, but they've never seen anyone as arrogant as V!

Do you find it offensive?

No, it's worship!

This is the Night City, a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. If we get beaten up, we have to fight back. V just made the scene a little bigger.

The people were relieved and, while keeping an eye on how things were developing, silently cheered for V in their hearts.

Gang members and mercenaries were ecstatic. For them, revenge was the ultimate goal in life, and V's declaration of war hit them right where it hurt, prompting them to grab weapons, board vehicles, and spontaneously send reinforcements to V's aid.

The aerial news vehicle clearly captured this scene, showing the military technology convoy speeding towards the company square, with countless points of light emerging from all directions and converging on it.

This scene is incredible!

The Vortex Gang, the Cleaners, the Tiger Claw Gang, Mox, Valentino, mercenaries from the afterlife, mercenaries from the Badlands—known and unknown, everyone who could come, came.

Good and evil? Right and wrong?

unimportant!

As V said, this is simply a pure act of revenge!

For Abernathy, and for Arakawa!

When personal grudges are temporarily set aside, class contradictions emerge!

People's hearts have been suppressed for too long, like corpses buried deep underground turning into petroleum under the torment of time.

Now, V sparks a tiny flame, and the entire Night City is completely ablaze!

"Vice Minister V, the news is going crazy, awesome!"

"Go ahead, Vice Minister V, we'll take care of the rest!"

"Vice Minister V, let's turn this place upside down!"

The gangsters and mercenaries, laughing and offering their blessings, charged toward Arasaka's recovery force. Even if they were to be smashed to pieces, they could not stop them for long, but more gangsters and mercenaries continued to pour out.

"They're all insane, they're all fucking insane!"

Meredith Stock was a woman who had seen it all, but now her hands were trembling uncontrollably. Not from fear, but from witnessing a new power, a power unlike any she had ever seen before.

She glanced at V and saw that V was making a phone call.

"what are you doing?"

"Call for help."

"Still barking?"

“This is nothing.” V said with a determined look: “Abernathy will not sit idly by. This is far from enough to defeat the company.”

In his office on the 66th floor of the Arasaka Tower, Abernathy's face was as black as ink.

"V, what a V!" She almost bit her teeth until they bled.

Her subordinates continued to report the latest developments to her:

"A convoy of military technology is speeding towards Arasaka Tower!"

"The first detachment of the recovery force was completely wiped out, and the second detachment suffered heavy losses!"

"The counterintelligence department, together with the administrative, logistics, and business departments, has sided with V. They have already taken control of floors 1-22."

"The R&D department and the finance department, along with sixteen other departments, issued a joint statement declaring neutrality, citing the reason of rejecting internal conflict and avoiding losses to the company."

Abernathy quickly asked, "Where's the security department?"

"The Minister of Security has unfortunately died in the line of duty. Although the Deputy Minister has not made a clear statement, he is reducing manpower and is probably planning to withdraw."

“Lord Abernathy…” the subordinate stammered, “All departments are standing by and doing nothing; we are completely isolated.”

"Damn! A bunch of opportunists!"

Abernathy was furious, cursing that the more triumphant she was when she took over other departments, the more severe the backlash she was now suffering.

"Damn it, do they really think I'm made of clay!" Abernathy made several phone calls with a dark face, and after promising countless benefits, she finally got reinforcements.

"V, don't think you can defeat me by gathering a bunch of rabble. Today I'll show you what true elites are!"

The military convoy sped along, while Arasaka's recovery force trailed far behind, neither firing nor giving chase, appearing to be going through the motions.

Meredith Stock, being a corporate executive, naturally understood the mindset of this unit and simply ordered a ceasefire as well.

Just when she thought the road ahead was clear, the radar operator suddenly issued a loud warning over the communications channel.

"Missile attack detected en route, Kangtao! It's Kang..."

Before he could finish speaking, several missiles rained down from the sky and hit the right rear of the convoy. From the air, it looked like a monster had taken a bite out of it.

"Damn!" Meredith Stock looked toward three o'clock and saw a highly mechanized unit bearing the "KangTao" insignia approaching menacingly. They were uniformly painted orange, and not only did every vehicle maintain the same speed, but the infantry were also perfectly aligned, hundreds of men moving as one.

"This is a huge problem!" Meredith Stock felt a chill run down her spine. She respected Arasaka because he was quick to start wars, like a mad dog. But she feared Contau even more, because everyone knew that Contau generally didn't use force, but when he did, it was the entire nation's strength.

That's right. In the era of 2076, companies rule the world and have long surpassed nations, with the only exception being Kangtao, a "state-owned enterprise".

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are enterprises under the jurisdiction of the state.

Offending Kangtao is tantamount to offending a nation.

Not the countries that exist in name only now, but the real countries of the old era, those with their own culture and history.

The people of that country have an almost pathological pursuit of unity; even after experiencing a major catastrophe like the collapse of the initial network, they were able to reunite from countless fragments.

Meredith Stock admired and envied this country, and now that Contau had joined the war, she knew she was in deep trouble.

"Was it sent by Abernathy?"

V nodded: "It's almost certain, she has a lover named Kang Tao."

"Damn, can something like that in your crotch really get you reinforcements from Contau? Is Abernathy's pussy now gilded?"

V chuckled, "That shouldn't be the case."

Meredith Stock glared at her: "You can still laugh now? Let me make this clear, I'm not going to go head-to-head with Comtau. If I lose more than 20%, I'm out of here."