Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 306 Emotion and Machinery

The usually bustling city at night suddenly became very quiet.

For a moment, Lin Yue felt as if he were in a previous era. The old buildings, the quiet voice of the girl, and the city river that usually smelled sour all seemed to be shimmering with light—there was even a breeze.

The unspoken understanding is probably what things are like now.

Lin Yue's hands were in his pockets, and the girl's meaning couldn't be clearer.

This sentence can be interpreted in many ways: Rebecca's lack of confidence in the future competition between the companies, her worries about herself, and her desire to leave together.

Lin Yue, who wanted to give an answer, found that he was unable to respond to the final, beautiful wish.

"I don't want to see you risk your life with those dangerous guys."

“They have endless people to kill, money, and they'll use all sorts of dirty tricks—and, and your body, your cybernetic implants are so advanced, I'm afraid you'll still be as quiet as before, like a strange, cold-blooded machine…”

The girl buried her face in her collar, looking at her shadow on the ground, her voice growing softer and softer.

As she came to her senses, Rebecca realized that she had been holding back her words for too long and suddenly blurted them out. Feeling that she was not in the same state as usual, she wanted to make amends for something—Rebecca should be a crazy girl holding a big gun, and when something bad happens, she should just give the middle finger!
"I…"

Lin Yue hadn't even had a chance to speak.

Rebecca skipped and hopped ahead, her twin ponytails brimming with energy.

"Look at me! Last time I drew the attention of the hovercars and helped you take down a lot of enemies!"

Rebecca struck a pose like a strongman, showing off her muscles, and her teeth were white and even when she smiled.

Damn it, Lin Yue, forget what you just said. My brain has been messed up by Mewtwo's controller.

Rebecca muttered these words to herself.

"No, Rebecca."

Lin Yue still answered.

She was stunned.

I just stared blankly at the unfamiliar yet familiar face beneath the demeanor...

What does "no" mean?
Is it to refuse to leave this place, to get away from the ever-present threat to one's life—or to refuse oneself?

Lin Yue simply wanted to tell Rebecca that the current situation was no longer one where he could simply leave.

Throughout his arduous journey, he was unknowingly burdened by responsibilities. His departure wasn't simply about losing a "cyberpsychopath" level lone wolf from Night City; V would be targeted by AI, and the company and Dogville were deeply intertwined—when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.

More often than not, it's guys like Suzuki.

On the day of the falling out between Konpaku and Suzuki, his men lost their lives for profit and for an uncertain future…

If he hadn't thought about it carefully, it would have been fine, but after doing the math, Lin Yue almost reflexively said "no."

It seems that he felt his tone was too harsh.

“Rebecca, I…”

Lin Yue wanted to explain.

Even though Rebecca is usually good at managing her negative emotions, she was still finding it hard to process this sudden rejection. Girls are the most possessive group in the world, and if it's not just hers, she'd rather respect the other person's feelings.

"Ha! I knew you wouldn't want to leave this awful city!"

Rebecca's eyes were completely hidden by her excited expression. "Now we can get our hands on a lot of cybernetic devices in Night City. I can become very strong too. Even a bastard like you, who almost got taken care of by us in Dogville, can get a cybernetic device. So can we!"

"As always, our Mann team—uh, no, the Dreamers Corporation team—will protect you!"

Rebecca, being outspoken, mentioned a name she had sworn never to speak of again.

"Although our team is down to just me, Pila, and Qiwei who joined halfway through... we're going to be famous mercenaries in our next life, so feel free to ask me for anything you need. I'll definitely help you anyway."

As he spoke, the guy patted Lin Yue's shoulder with his colorful hand, looking very pleased.

The girl's bright smile made Lin Yue feel a lump in his throat, yet also a surge of warmth.

Fortunately, Rebecca survived.

Words may be on the tip of your tongue but you can't say them. Sometimes, life is short; a moment is enough—it can even replace the long journey of an entire life and provide support for your beliefs.

He wanted his beloved lovers and partners to be happy, not because he was afraid, but because he feared that something like what happened to Suzuki would happen again to these people he had feelings for.

Seeing the smile on Lin Yue's lips, Rebecca instantly dispelled the gloom of being "politely rejected."

Anyway, she's not the type of person who likes to finish what she's saying.

What she keeps in her heart is her view on relationships.

"I've already made up my mind, Lin Yue. Once Sasha recovers, we'll take down those guys who're against us in Night City together! Company stuff is so boring, and Miss Emma knows it all too well, right? We should do what we're good at and become the next generation of legends!"

"I can ask Old Wei if he has any new high-end stuff. I need a prosthetic body that raises my reaction threshold, and I also need a new set of accessories. And my gun—"

Rebecca didn't notice that anyone was drawn to his smile, quietly listening to her say things that were even more exaggerated than dreams.

So Lin Yue spoke up.

However, the girl's incessant chatter was interrupted by a casual remark.

"You're so cute, Rebecca. I like you too."

Lin Yue said earnestly.

"... "

Rebecca's face looked as if it had been fitted with a color-changing panel, the cyborg-style pale, slightly bluish skin instantly replaced by a pale cherry-like hue—

Lin Yue slapped his forehead.

At this critical juncture, one should try to speak as clearly as possible.

"I...that's not what I meant..."

Rebecca quickly hid her face inside her collar.

Seeing Rebecca's refusal to listen, Lin Yue felt a headache coming on, but he was afraid of hurting Rebecca's feelings, and was about to finish speaking.

"You childish bastard."

Rebecca muttered something to herself.

"You shouldn't use such language if you want my help. It's disgusting. I don't know how Miss V can stand you."

Seeing Lin Yue's stiff expression and helpless look, Rebecca burst out laughing. The gorilla didn't pull back her arm at all, putting it on Lin Yue's shoulder, looking every bit like a big sister.

"Although you are very strong, I am not bad either. I will take care of you. Just think of it as having another son."

Lin Yue was nodding frequently at first, but after saying the last sentence, he almost choked on his own saliva.

A hint of disappointment was well hidden in Rebecca's eyes. She leaned closer to Lin Yue and teased, "Doesn't the famous boss of DAR give you any benefits at all?"

Lin Yue understood, while Rebecca was seething with hatred.

"Who wants your money?!"

Lin Yue was stunned. As the atmosphere froze, he tugged at his collar—

His Adam's apple even rolled inappropriately.

"what?"

Rebecca's forehead veins immediately throbbed. Why do men always manage to anger her with the most unintentional actions? Pila's actions were one thing, but what did Lin Yue mean by that?
Lin Yue turned his head to one side, his eardrums buzzing. Rebecca's loud complaints drew the attention of pedestrians near the Japanese street. Lin Yue clenched Rebecca's fist and waited for her to finish her rant before giving her a look of relief.

"Then what do you want?"

Rebecca crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and turned her head to one side. "Miss Emma gave us every penny we owed her."

Seemingly remembering something, Rebecca's face fell. "Emm...it seems you danced with me, so—"

Lin Yue was happy to grant Rebecca's wishes. She was lively and incredibly agile, just like he really had such a quirky and incredibly powerful cyberloli girl. So he would agree to many seemingly nonsensical requests.

I wonder what kind of idea this living father has come up with this time.

"I want a mini Coke."

"[The kind of icy tongue flavor, whether you love it or not is not important]."

That bastard is so dense, he probably wouldn't understand if I made a sarcastic remark.

Lin Yue didn't expose the girl's little secret. Everyone in Night City, even Dog Town, knew how widespread Little Coke's advertising was—the slogan, "Little Coke, love on your tongue," paired with an adorable girl's voice, made it one of Night City's best-selling carbonated drinks.

"Okay, I'll have someone from the company buy some for you. You can drink as much as you want."

Unexpectedly, Rebecca said, enunciating each word clearly, "I only want one can. I want the drink from the vending machine under the H8 skyscraper."

Lin Yue looked at the area three kilometers away, which was still Cloud Peak, and was entirely occupied by the Tiger Claw Gang members…

Although he had helped Mrs. Westbrook, Lin Yue hadn't cared at all about the current state of the Tiger Claw Gang.

Is Rebecca taking her anger out on herself?
"The vending machines there can talk, it's fucking hilarious!"

Actually, Rebecca just wanted to linger with Lin Yue for a while longer. Plus, she wasn't in a great mood, so she wanted to chat with the vending machine downstairs. Of course, she was prepared to be rejected.

After all, Lin Yue has a company, so he probably doesn't have time to do such boring things with her.

Lin Yue stood up. "Let's go. Hopefully, the little Coke there will make the trip worthwhile."

Rebecca exclaimed excitedly—

"Okay!"

……

……

Skyscrapers are iconic landmarks characteristic of Night City.

In Night City, one can often tell how well-off someone is by their residence... Due to the exorbitant prices of real estate in Night City, most people rent.

Generally speaking, people who can live in skyscrapers are considered to be working class in Night City, and skyscrapers are not as chaotic as the streets, with a certain level of security—provided that the building management company can handle the gangs and hooligans in the area.

"When did you become so familiar with the area around Japan Street?"

Rebecca walked briskly, with an expression that said, "You underestimate me."

"I'm a true local of Night City, what place don't I know? Most importantly, the Japanese district has lots of novelties and the shopkeepers have great service. I've heard that Japanese people are generally good at customer service."

Lin Yue couldn't deny that they were probably just a group of people who only cared about petty etiquette and abandoned the greater good.

Of course, there were warriors like Lai Xuan—

The best thing about the cyber age is that you don't get tired when you go shopping with a girl.

The two people talked as they walked.

"Is a vending robot worth all this attention? What's the difference?"

“I don’t know, Night City has a lot of strange things—but I always felt that there was a living person living in that machine!” Rebecca said mysteriously, “Brandon has been there for a long time. Back then, my bastard brother took me to live with Grandma Wakako. When no one played with me, I would talk to it.”

Lin Yue seemed to have an impression of such a machine in his mind, but he wasn't very clear about it.

It's not surprising that machines can act like living people. After all, Rebecca isn't a hacker. If the people around her had seen roving AIs to some extent, then the boundaries between humans, programs, and machines would become extremely blurred.

The super skyscraper H8 suddenly appears before your eyes at the corner filled with electronic cherry blossom trees.

A giant neon tiger head emerged on the main body of the skyscraper, and Brandon stood next to the long staircase at the entrance, with a machine that looked no different from any other vending machine on the street.

There weren't many people, perhaps because it wasn't nighttime yet.

If Genting opens at night, it will likely become more lively with the presence of drunks and gang members, but it will also be more dangerous in the area.

"that's it!"

Rebecca deftly rushed up the escalator and jumped into the small corner. Lin Yue looked at the stinking trash can in front of him, hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside and stood on the steps, staring at the machine with great interest.

Hey! You over there.

"Oh my, it's you, Xiao Bei. Long time no see—I bet you're the most awesome mercenary in Little Chinatown lately, right? I've heard the news."

It was like the greeting between old friends.

ha?
Lin Yue was momentarily dazed. Apart from the slightly distorted electronic voice and the fact that it was indeed a vending machine, he couldn't find any evidence that it wasn't human.

“I knew you were the best talker!” Rebecca giggled. “Let me introduce you, my um… good friend, Rin.”

As she spoke, Rebecca winked, seemingly seeking praise, since she hadn't mentioned Lin Yue's real name. But the crucial point was that Brandon immediately fell silent upon hearing that name.

"Hey? Brandon? Is it stuck? Or are you just playing dead?"

Rebecca looked puzzled and poked Brandon with her finger.

Lin Yue had a strange feeling that this guy was sizing him up.

Lin Yue's eyes showed even more doubt and interest. This was very interesting—a large number of physical AIs were stripping away humanity, while Brandon was simulating humanity.

"Uh no, Beckham, I'm just... happy that you brought a new friend to see me."

The cabinet above features Brandon's little expression.

Rebecca pouted. "You sound like you're really reluctant..."

Before he could finish speaking, Brandon immediately changed his tune, "No, no, no, I just really miss you. There's no one as interesting as you on the streets around here... By the way, could you ask your strong-looking guy to help me move this trash can?"

"Ugh, I can't see the street, I have nothing to do, and I don't have a loving friend like you to keep me company. It's so boring and unbearable!"

"Hey! How about a mini Coke?"

Rebecca gave her a knowing look, and both she and the machine said in unison, "The kind with the tip of ice!"

Gulu!
The machine whirred, and Rebecca pulled out a Coke can covered in condensation and white mist. "Huh?! There's one extra!"

Brandon laughed, "Consider it my treat for you and your friend! Don't be shy! Of course, the reason there's always a trash can in front of me is because I often give drinks to the neighbors. After all, a small Coke can fetch ten times the price in Genting. They hate that I'm a company asset, so they came up with this way to deal with me! Humph!"

call!
A can of ice-cold drink was tossed to Lin Yue, who quickly reached out to catch it, only to see Rebecca already drinking it.

Lin Yue glanced at the drink in his hand, but before he could speak, Brandon spoke up again.

"Hey! The famous Mr. So-and-so—could you please help us out for the sake of Coke? This little lady and I would be very grateful!"

However, before Lin Yue could even get up to help this interesting robot, Brandon, caught up in the conversation, seemed to blurt out something that immediately froze Lin Yue in his tracks—

"Of course, I can't tell whether you're like Beckham or not. Hmm... you're more like a bug, a data loophole! Uh... sorry! I misspoke."

……

……

(End of this chapter)