Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 313 Learning to Be Brave
Forcing someone to shut up their questions is a familiar tactic.

It seems Michiko has learned how to create momentum; after all, everyone sitting at this table knows perfectly well which side they're on.

"I'm sorry, Minister V, the previous matter did require certain procedures to be followed, but now our misunderstanding has been cleared up..." Michiko smiled politely, but in V's eyes, she was already a dangerous person.

This move feels strangely familiar.

However, the current situation is very favorable for Michiko. Her iron-fisted approach can sometimes nip many people with ulterior motives in the bud. She is very skilled at using a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

Almost instantly, V thought of Jenkins. To be fair, V felt that Jenkins' situation was very bad—Lai Xuan never seemed to trust him, which made her wonder.

"The necessary review process is worthwhile, I have no objection to that."

V didn't want to give Michiko the chance to give him a "sweet treat".

It's a matter of life and death for us now and in the future; there's no point in saying more.

This unspoken arrogance in refuting her superior made Michiko's gaze darken. If any other department head spoke like that today, they would be fired immediately. But the counterintelligence department is different. Michiko needs to keep this trump card of Arasaka in check for the time being.

Remembering Jenkins' words, Michiko became more patient.

Because she also had a big gift to give to this Miss V.

"Since Minister V has agreed to the above personnel appointments, there is another reliable and loyal employee to help Miss V with her work."

Everything was just as Jenkins had predicted. This woman was indeed clever. At the Arasaka meeting, all they saw was Michiko's criticism of V, which led some of the guys who were disappointed with Yoriyuki's decision to think that Michiko had gone too far, and their expressions were not very good.

"Arthur Jenkins, a loyal employee of Arasaka, is willing to work hard for Arasaka's dream of creating a technological world even when faced with some difficulties."

"Hold."

V heard Xu cursing not far away.

The sound was low, but it was very clear.

After Lai Xuan's "misdecisive decision," the hawks in the Night City Arasaka branch were all on edge. Xu Zhi also knew how to protect himself. But the problem is that Michiko is now completely targeting the hawks. As long as V is around, the hawks in Night City can remain stable. But once V loses power, things will fall into complete chaos.

Xu Zhi noticed the change in Michiko.

It seems that Saburo has indeed taught his granddaughter a lot, and Xu Zhi can even see a trace of Arasaka Yorinobu in her.

V seemed to have no complaints whatsoever.

She merely glanced at her "mentor" with indifferent eyes.

A girl in her early twenties becoming the head of the counterintelligence team was all thanks to Jenkins… and now that Jenkins is standing here, V refuses to believe he was forced.

Jenkins knew exactly what someone rooted in the security services would do to him, but he still came.

A slight buzzing sound echoed in Valerie's ear canal.

She hesitated for a moment.

Without Jenkins, V would just be a little girl from a corporate family with no security, forced to adapt to the city's survival rules and become part of it, living a life of hedonism or becoming a marginalized figure.

And right now, Michiko's move has indeed hit V's weak spot once again—

Emotional.

Before V could think any further, Michiko announced her second major announcement.

The Night City Arasaka branch wants to cancel its special operations department, claiming that headquarters needs a dedicated security team to handle this critical moment.

It seems that Rin has dealt quite a few blows to dangerous girls, otherwise this woman wouldn't be in such a hurry to find a sense of security in Arasaka.

The establishment and abolition of internal departments must be approved by headquarters, even if the branch shareholders' meeting does not approve it...

V guesses that someone at headquarters has paved the way for Michiko. Such a biased move must be from Saburo Arasaka. I just wonder if Yoriyuki Arasaka will feel it's a bit unfair?

Michiko Arasaka's true intention was not what it seemed; she wanted to weaken V through a combination of soft and hard tactics.

V, who brought V into the Arasaka management team, has already committed an act that is "equivalent to betrayal". If Jenkins has problems in office, V's reputation will naturally plummet - the people below will not care whether V took away Jenkins' authority out of helplessness.

They only knew that V was absolutely untrustworthy, so his subordinates would naturally become disloyal, which would lead to a situation where V's subordinates would rebel against their superiors.

Xu noticed in the corner of his eye that V's hand on the table was gradually tightening, then relaxing.

She said softly in a pleasant, slightly nasal voice, "That's all, I agree."

Like all shareholders and department heads…

……

“Jenkins, you shouldn’t have come.”

“You told me that once you lose an Arasaka game, there’s no chance to start over, which isn’t very dignified.”

There are numerous examples in Arasaka's works of subordinates who, after being promoted by him, eliminate their superiors.

V was the only one who held back.

She thought Jenkins would understand what she meant.

"No one in Arakasa wants to be a loser. You know, some people don't even get the chance to stay and not leave."

Jenkins sat with his legs crossed, sipping his bourbon whiskey.

V seems to be a good girl, very self-respecting. The drink in her hand has improved her bad mood quite a bit, but the wine tastes particularly bitter today.

"So you're not helpless?"

Jenkins said coldly, "Don't ask such stupid questions. I've told you to use your brain more since the first day you came to Arasaka."

V leaned against the desk in silence.

She stared at Jenkins with an inscrutable gaze, as if trying to see through his skin to understand his inner thoughts.

“You’ve always performed well, but things are different now, V—I don’t owe you anything, and you don’t owe me anything.”

Jenkins stood up and straightened his suit. "Then wish us a pleasant workday, Minister V."

V looked at the hand in front of him.

She knew that the Jenkins of Arasaka Tower no longer existed.

Jenkins gave a knowing look. "Aren't you going to shake hands with your peers? Maybe I'm a good enemy."

V asked the last question in a hoarse voice.

"You can tell Lai Xuan about the death of the military technology spy—sorry, I don't believe you did it, but you need to find a way to explain it..."

Jenkins' expression was clearly not good.

"Explanation? I didn't quite understand what Minister V was saying... Besides, what makes you think your choice is right?"

Jenkins was being sarcastic.

They mocked V for stubbornly believing that only by following Lai Xuan could he have a future.

"Don't think too highly of yourself, V."

I've never really liked arrogant people.

Hearing Jenkins' blunt words, V suddenly realized what was happening.

She reached out her hand.

After giving the woman a perceptive shake of her hand, Jenkins left the office without looking back.

This was probably the last conversation they would have for the rest of their lives. Jenkins didn't want to ruin the conversation with his beloved student, but... he had no choice.

The woman behind him gradually turned cold.

Jenkins seemed to sense it, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Learn from V, treat everyone as an enemy in Arasaka, and choose to make up for what is precious with courage.

I just learned it too, what about you?
……

……

David only stood up, leaning against the wall, when the dizziness in his head subsided.

With one side of his face swollen, he raised his hand to look at the Mewtwo Ring in his hand, then dejectedly lowered his hand.

In fact, Martinez was a child who didn't like fighting.

He endured this kind of oppression for a while, and automatically ignored some of the words. However, when he carefully reflected on those words, he felt immense pain.

Nothing has changed.

There were very few children in the school who could match Sheng Nan's family background, but this humiliation was something Martinez could no longer swallow.

In addition, Mewtwo's headband was damaged in the collision, so he could only wander aimlessly through the streets, hoping that the prosthetic repairmen or junk vendors could use their technical knowledge to fix it.

A diverse array of people walked along the street, and David was like a walking corpse.

He didn't know what to say to his mother.

Although my mother has a respectable job, she is very tired but also very strong; she is a good mother.

She supported him without hesitation, whether it was for tuition fees or other expenses at school.

That night, when his mother returned home with a wound on her cheek and a weapon in her hand, David knew she was trying to resolve the entry barrier issue for his job. His mother had never told him about the dangers involved. It was a smart weapon.

David secretly looked at it.

David looked down and touched the dry banknotes in his pocket. He was very afraid that his mother would be disappointed when she saw the injury on his face, and he was also afraid that she would be upset that the expensive learning equipment he had worked so hard to buy had broken down so quickly.

A strong-willed boy won't explain that he's being bullied; he'll just torture himself over and over again with this feeling of guilt.

Just before boarding the intercity rail line to Santo Domingo, David looked up at the station above—

The girl with cascading black hair leaned against the cement platform, her elbow casually resting on it, and the slender cigarette in her mouth made David feel momentarily disoriented.

Why is she here?

The people at Arasaka Academy are all rich and powerful, and there are very few people like David. He wanted to rush up and thank him.

Just as David was about to run, he bumped into a man in a suit who was rushing around. Immediately after the collision, the man's rude voice rang out.

"Is your mother blind?"

David scratched his head and quickly apologized. Then he looked up and saw that the place where the girl was was empty.

Feeling empty inside, the boy reluctantly boarded the train, carrying the Mewtwo headband.

……

"boss!"

David pinched his nose as he entered the clinic, reaching out to dispel the stench—who knows what this doctor from the Santo Domingo 6th Street gang does in there all day, but he certainly lives a comfortable life, except for being dealt a blow by Mr. Rin.

That guy named Suzuki gave this prosthetic doctor a lot of trouble, almost beating him to death before he finally spat Mewtwo out of his mouth. Mewtwo was bought from a scavenger in Dogville.

"Who?"

"Fuck your mother! Don't fucking come here, you bastard."

The gaunt man with three tentacled prosthetic arms flailing wildly, his mouth full of yellow teeth, had an arm lying in front of him. It looked like it had been severed when the flesh and machine were connected. The prosthetic doctor was currently digging it out of the pile of flesh.

Upon seeing that it was David, the prosthetic doctor was not polite at all.

After David explained his purpose, the prosthetic doctor did not respond.

David gritted his teeth and reached into his pocket.

This was originally intended to pay back the money and buy my mom a gift.

"Help me fix this Mewtwo headband. I recently bought a set of prosthetic parameters online."

David is the kind of boy who loves researching weapons and cybernetic devices.

The cyborg doctor waved his hand. "No interest. I don't waste my time on something as boring as the Mewtwo Ring."

David shrugged. "Fine."

In short, I need to figure out how to go back and deal with my mom now...

The cyborg doctor's strange, scarlet prosthetic eyes darted around, and as David got up to leave, the chair beneath him suddenly slid, blocking his path.

"Don't rush, where's the stuff... let me see?"

Just as David was about to take something out, the cyborg doctor looked David up and down and said, "Oh, how did you get beaten up like this?"

A malicious laugh accompanied the cyborg doctor's scrutiny. "Tsk tsk... Looks like kids like you all have prosthetic bodies. This city is hopeless."

After a long while, David tossed over a chip.

"It's a Kung Fu chip."

The cyborg doctor suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, “That kind of trash—I wasn’t wrong about you, you really are a coward. Anyone with a bit of training wouldn’t have been beaten up like this by something that replicates behavior chips, right?”

After laughing, the doctor held up the chip and examined it closely; he didn't seem to be in good spirits.

He continued muttering, "This thing looks like some hacker's shoddy puppet carrier. Will plugging it into the subnet cause problems with my big gun? Who knows..."

Clearly, the doctor hadn't noticed David's incessant leg shaking; the boy was rubbing his hair, his aggressive nature impossible to suppress.

But he knew that if he fought back, Sheng Nan's family background would be enough to destroy everything he had now—he could only choose to endure.

The doctor's eyes, glancing sideways, gleamed with the light of data.

"no!"

David looked up abruptly, and his expression immediately turned grim upon hearing the prosthetic doctor's refusal.

Seeing the chip lying on the ground, the Mewtwo headband in his hand was snatched away. "Many of the technology from the Kichirokushi is patented. That chip is only worth 100 euros. Repairing this headband will cost at least 500 euros, not including parts."

David was completely deflated.

The wound on my face was burning with pain again.

"However... I can give you a solution that will allow you to make money and fix this thing at the same time. Do you want to hear it?"

The cyborg doctor sidled up to David, hissing like a venomous snake.

"A built-in reactor, an upgraded version of Krenzikov, no burden on the body, easily avoids any stupid chips - the first installment is 100 euros, and the second month is only 9.99 euros per day, not expensive, right?"

David looked at the dark red, unidentified object stuck to the transparent bag and instinctively took a step back.

"All I need is the data from this thing on you, consider this headband repaired for free, and I can buy back your tattered prosthetic data for a high price, 150 euros—"

The terms seem too tempting.

As they spoke, the cyborg doctor reached out and closed the jammed automatic door. "So? This chip is very important to you, isn't it? Let me guess... Is it your secret stash? Saving up some money to buy an exciting Mewtwo? Or is it a birthday present for your mom?"

"Holy crap, it really is?!"

David's face flushed red and then turned pale.

He looked at what the doctor was holding and subconsciously swallowed.

"I…"

The doctor slowly opened his mouth, seemingly expecting David to say "I agree." Verbal agreement meant the contract was formed, and even if the kid regretted it, he would have to pay compensation; the chip would then be his.

"Whoosh! Squeak!"

The old automatic door emitted a piercing sound.

The bright summer sunset streamed into the dimly lit and smelly clinic. A slender figure stood at the doorway, David shielding his eyes from the light with his hand. The girl's shirt sleeves were rolled up, and her wrinkled school uniform was wrapped around her waist. The Arasaka Academy logo swayed with each step she took.

"Stop scamming these useless guys. You won't make any money and you'll just end up smelling bad. My equipment had a problem, and I hacked a rather difficult firewall today—how about you make money off me?"

The cyborg doctor, sounding annoyed and exasperated, retorted, "Who the hell are you?!"

A sudden red light flashed in the girl's eyes, and David froze, inexplicably recognizing the figure from the Wild Wolf Bar as her...

"Damn, a hacker? You should have just said so earlier!"

"Please have a seat, Mr. Netizen!"

The girl gently pushed David aside, who was blocking her way, and picked up the headband from his hand. "Hmm... the headband is deformed, and the data transmission module inside is damaged. Go to the Japanese market to get it fixed. It's very cheap. There's not much difference between using a genuine and a pirated module."

"how do you know?"

The girl shrugged. "Maybe it's because I've been watching the same Mewtwo series for a while. I fixed my headband myself when it broke, I'm a natural."

"Ah...Speaking of which, this little cutie who doesn't even want to go for a run to improve her physical fitness got beaten up by those inferior products, so she's crying and seeking comfort from a doctor who's only thinking about ripping people off on her way home?"

The girl got very close and immediately figured out this clueless guy.

The insults were quite vulgar...

David was even more embarrassed.

A chill ran down her neck; David's headband had been caught on it.

The girl chuckled and walked away from him.

"Alright, now get out of here."

The prosthetic doctor cursed, but the girl prepared for surgery without any hesitation.

As their gazes met—

The clothes slipped down.

The prosthetic patterns attached to the back of the girl's neck were dazzlingly bright at that moment!
"A network access warehouse?!"

Everything is clear.

In David's eyes, the graceful structure of the prosthetic body constituted the most intriguing attribute of this girl—

brave.

……

……

(End of this chapter)