Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 55 V Zhentian is mine! (7.6K votes, please vote!)
December 29, 2071, 22:54, streets near the city hall.

V sat excitedly in her car, checking the chip in her coat pocket every now and then. If Mercer hadn't repeatedly warned her not to insert it randomly, she would have loved to store it in her head.

By this time, most of the lights in the city hall of Night City had dimmed, with only a few windows still lit, and NCPD patrol cars could be seen driving by on the street from time to time.

She nervously licked her lips for what felt like the umpteenth time, her mind replaying the route and precautions Mercer had arranged for her.

[Mercury: Can you hear me?]

“Yes!” V replied softly.

[Mercer: Prepare for action. As planned, arrive at the back entrance in five minutes.]

“Received!” V took a deep breath, opened the car door, and started walking towards the city hall building.

Security is very tight if you enter the city hall through the main entrance, but you can enter the maintenance worker's workshop through a metal door that automatically identifies your identity from the back of the building.

Once you unlock the door from the studio, you can go directly into the building.

V walked to the gate, and before she could even whisper to Mercer, the gate opened with a whoosh.

Without saying a word, she slipped inside, and the metal door closed automatically.

Mercer: Don't rush, wait ten seconds, let the security personnel move away, and give you plenty of time to act. Turn left after you go out. Don't worry about the cameras, they're all under my control.

Turn right when you pass through the second corridor corner; the first elevator you see is your target.

You'll only pass by one occupied office, so keep your voice down. You know, people working overtime until 11 PM are usually very sensitive.

V counted down for ten seconds, and then decisively went out. Although she had never done anything like this before, her naturally strong heart allowed her to perform beyond her usual level despite being very nervous.

She walked quietly, looking up the whole way. Every corner of the city hall corridor was filled with surveillance cameras, and even at night, the interior was warmly lit.

V barely dared to breathe, yet her steps grew increasingly light, especially when passing the office Mercer had mentioned was occupied; she practically darted past it silently in a flash.

Her exceptional body control allowed her to remain almost completely silent, even when attempting similar stealth maneuvers for the first time.

[Mercer: You're almost there. Relax, everything's going according to plan. Your heart rate is already at 120.]

V held her tongue, not daring to speak, until she reached the elevator. Suddenly, the elevator doors opened automatically, startling her so much that she almost drew her gun and fired. Fortunately, the elevator was empty.

Mercer: Ha. How about you consider participating in some rapid-fire competition? I almost thought you were planning to fight an elevator.

"Shut up, A," V said, finally letting out a sigh of relief as she entered the elevator, unable to resist retorting.

Mercer: I won't say anything then, but don't be scared.

"Fine, just tell me then." V thought for a moment and decided to beg him not to shut up.

The elevator quickly arrived at the third basement level. V nervously looked around for a while before finally pushing open the door and stepping out.

The elevator leads directly to different large server areas separated by glass doors.

"Wow, this is huge, which one am I supposed to handle?"

V was a little unsure for a moment, but Mercer quickly responded.

[Mercer: On your right, look at the sign on the glass door. Any server that starts with the N series is fine. Did you forget the entire operation plan?]

V muttered, "I just suddenly can't remember if it's N or S."

As she spoke, she walked into the server room, only to find that the glass door required a password to enter: "Mercer! Something happened?"

Mercer: I was afraid of scaring you again, so I didn't dare open the door directly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the glass door clicked open.

She quickly walked to the pile of servers, and after searching for a long time, she finally found the port and inserted the chip containing the virus, which she had been keeping in her pocket, into the server.

"Damn, did it work?"

V asked in a low voice.

[Mercur: Please wait a moment.]

V waited anxiously for a while.

[Mercer: All set, access obtained. His LAN is now public to me. Remove the chip, retreat.]

V immediately removed the chip, turning to leave while muttering, "Is it really that simple? Just insert a chip, and the server is yours?"

Mercer: To be precise, the chip helped me bypass ICE, allowing me to directly modify its data from the inside. You wouldn't understand the details anyway, so—yes, this server is mine now.

You have two minutes and thirty seconds to safely enter the elevator. Be cautious of people in the office. If an emergency occurs, retreat towards the elevator and wait for the next safe period.

"If I don't understand, I don't understand. I don't make a living from that stuff."

V suddenly realized that as she chatted with Mercer, she had lost all her nervousness.

[Mercury: Even if you wanted to learn, it would be difficult. I bet your IQ is no more than eight.]

"Bullshit, everyone's always said I'm smart since I was little." V disagrees.

Mercer: Yeah, I'll find out later.

V pursed her lips, took a light step after the elevator doors opened, and then retraced her steps, carefully quickening her pace the whole way.

She walked from the maintenance workshop back to the outside of the building through the back door, and after walking several dozen meters, she stopped and turned back to look.

"That's it? How come the city hall was just so easily taken over?"

V said incredulously.

Mercer: Because this is just a database that stores Night City's household registrations, not the secret servers that store those councilors.

Of course, the main reason is that I'm awesome; I got everything sorted out in advance.

V was speechless. She looked at the gun in her hand and was momentarily at a loss—she had been preparing all afternoon and was ready to fight the NCPD.

The result was like taking a walk.
[Mercer: Five thousand euros. Subtracting the advance I gave you, the rest has been transferred.]

"Is this order settled?" V murmured.

[Mercury: Okay, this deal's done. Go home and get a good night's sleep, V. You have a new job tomorrow.]

"What job?" V was instantly wide awake: "The one with 90,000 euros?"

Mercer: Of course not. That request isn't urgent. I need to verify the information first. It's not that I don't trust Wakako, but I have bigger ambitions.

It's a shame to only take what the client asks for, since I've finally got this opportunity to work in biotechnology. I plan to thoroughly explore the treasures of biotechnology once I've completed all the preparations.

"Brother, don't be too greedy. That's biotechnology! A top-tier company!" V felt like he had really boarded some incredible pirate ship.

[Mercer: Is it really top-tier? I don't believe it.]

V's heart started racing again: "Damn, you're incredibly bold."

Mercer: Forget your old street life, V. If you want to be a big shot, you have to get used to going against the company.

If one day, out of fear or apprehension, you choose to compromise with the company, or even become part of them...
Then you will never be yourself again.

She's just a piece of rotten meat manipulated by the company.

V suddenly became curious: "Why do you seem to hate the company so much? Have you dealt with the company before? You look to me about the same age as me, right?"

Mercer: I don’t hate the company, V. What I hate is this unfair world, and I hate everyone who stands over people and tries to enslave them.

The company is merely a vessel for those people. Therefore, one day, I will burn their rotting flesh and blood, and erase their tainted souls.

V paused for a moment, then said, "Isn't that how the world is? You have to adapt, Mercer, otherwise, you'll have a very hard time."

V may not have learned much 'knowledge' from her life on the street, but she did understand one thing—survival of the fittest is the most basic law of survival in this world.

Anyone who tries to defy the rules will be punished by this merciless world.

Mercer: The weak adapt to the world, the strong change the world.

V sighed deeply: "You think you're strong because you haven't seen just how terrifying those companies really are."

[Mercer: That's because you haven't seen how I fucked those corporate dogs to death, V.]

V said with a hint of disbelief, "Really? You really did run away here after getting into trouble, right?"

Mercer: That's right, so you changed your mind? V, I don't want to lie to you, but I really should be on some big company's wanted list.

Once my identity is exposed, I will definitely have many high-ranking agents coming to try every means to kill me.

I'm not going anywhere, I'm not running away. I'm staying here, in this city of night, and fighting them to the bitter end.

V's expression became much more serious. Unlike Rebecca, who was so hungry she was practically starving, and unlike Qiwei, who had nowhere to go, she actually still had a choice.

V's ambition is to rise to the top and become a big shot. This so-called big shot could be Adam Hammer or Morgan Blackhand.

But to be honest, Adam Hammer is Arasaka's dog, and Morgan Blackhand is the military's mercenary. Aren't both of them backed by companies?
Judging from Mercer's words, he seemed to have no intention of cooperating with any company at all; he was a complete lone wolf.

If Mercer really is a vicious fugitive that the company is keeping an eye on, associating with him is tantamount to being on the company's radar from the start.

Even if Mercer becomes famous, he probably won't accept being recruited. In the end, the company will only try to kill him using the most brutal and ruthless methods.

The company.
V thought for a while before giving Mercer a vague reply:

"I won't betray my friends, A, but I..."
Well, it's fine to rob or steal some company stuff, but if you're the kind of guy the company has a bad reputation for, then you're in trouble.
I do not know.

I... I need to think about it, A.

I had no idea you'd gotten into such big trouble.

V was actually prepared to be kicked out by him.

Well, she's already laid it all out to you, which shows that Mercer really wants to recruit her, but she's not giving him any face.

Street smarts told her not to risk her life for others so easily—if she were that kind of fool, she would have joined the Valentino gang long ago, and Mercer wouldn't be the one to fool her.
All she wants now is to make money, make a lot of money, and become a big shot. As for going head-to-head with the company... damn it, which street thug would dare to dream of such a thing?
Mercer: Okay, V, I understand.

Let me make this clear first: I'm determined to make a big deal with the biotechnology one. If it gets discovered, it'll probably get stigmatized as a biotechnology company, so think it over carefully before you decide.

There's no need to worry about our relationship. Even if you don't join my team directly, we'll still be friends, V.

Get up early tomorrow, I have some work to assign you—you shouldn't be afraid of ordinary work, right?

So, goodnight, V.

Mercer hung up the call, and everything sounded normal.

V felt inexplicably anxious, as if something was about to leave her, or as if she had forgotten something and couldn't remember it no matter what she did.

With this in mind, V drove aimlessly around the city for a long time before finally stopping at a bar in the Heywood district.

Wild Wolf Bar.

She just wanted to have a couple of drinks.

Upon entering the bar, it wasn't crowded. It wasn't a lively place at night; it was just a quiet place with soothing music playing, people drinking, chatting, and enjoying some delicious snacks.

V went to the bar, raised his hand to the bartender, and said, "Rabbit God, a drink, on the rocks, do you have anything to eat?"

"The fries here are great, served with fried bacon bits, sautéed onions, and black pepper sauce. Customers here love to order them, whether they're hungry or not."

After the bartender finished speaking, he smiled slightly and said, "We stop cooking after midnight, so if you want to eat, you'd better hurry. By the way, we close at 2 a.m.

"One order of fries, please," V said. The bartender nodded, his prosthetic eye flashing, and sent the message to the kitchen.

V rested her face on her hand, looking distressed.

With nothing else to do, the bartender poured her a drink and asked, "Not in a good mood, Chica?"

"Well, I don't know how to put it, it's just a bit annoying."

V took a big gulp, then let out a long sigh, feeling the hot alcohol slide down his esophagus: "It's nothing."

The bartender could tell she didn't want to talk much, so he nodded and didn't say anything more.

V kept drinking and eating fries, but he felt increasingly irritable.

Until a burly figure sat down next to her.

"Hey, Chica, drink less."

V turned his head and saw a burly man with a bun hairstyle: "Who the hell are you? What business is it of my whether I drink more or less?"

“Jack, Jack Wells, this bar is owned by my mom.”

Jack wasn't angry; he simply said in a gentle tone, "I think I've seen you on the street before? Are you a local from Haywood?"

“V.” V means concise and to the point.

"Heywood's girl rarely drinks alone or sulks. What's wrong? Did some guy hurt her?"

Jack probed. "Let me tell you in advance, you're not my type. I advise you not to waste your time on me, and don't expect me to get drunk and let you take what you want. I have a gun slung over my shoulder."

V glanced at him.

Jack burst out laughing: "Hey V, even though you're pretty, I still have a girlfriend."

Don't worry, I'm usually here in the evenings to help my mom watch the shop, so that no fools cause trouble.

Occasionally, when I run into friends who are troubled, I chat with them.

V then lowered his guard slightly, remained silent for a moment, looked him up and down, and said, "From Valentino's gang?"

"Yeah, I'm doing some work for the team right now."

Jack didn't hide anything, saying, "What else can a man like Haywood do if he wants to make a name for himself?"
And you? You don't seem like the type to settle for a peaceful life.

"The Marginal Traveler"

V used to simply say he was a mercenary, but for some reason, he suddenly thought of the image of Rebecca's eyes shining when she mentioned the word 'Fringe Walker', and unconsciously used that word.

"Mercenaries"
That's great. I've thought about it before: either join the Valentino gang, or become a mercenary like Morgan Blackhand or Adam Hammer.
I even bought Morgan Blackhand's mercenary handbook! I read it every day when I was a kid, and believe it or not, it actually worked! The knowledge from it has saved me several times over the years in the underworld.

Jack spoke with a smile, exuding a natural warmth and vitality, always so optimistic and positive.

"Do you know Johnny Silverhand?" V suddenly asked.

Jack nodded: "Of course! He's one of the most awesome legends in Night City. The Samurai band he was in still has so many die-hard fans to this day."

"Tell me, if you became a mercenary like him, would your life be considered good or bad?"

V didn't actually know much about Johnny Silverhand, but he did know that this guy was the one who blew up Arasaka Tower with a nuclear bomb, perishing along with the company building.
It wasn't really a case of mutual destruction.

A building can be rebuilt after it collapses, but a person who dies is simply dead.

"Well, I think that's enough to have lived a full life."

Jack answered without hesitation: "Come on, girl, we're just street people, what else can we possibly pursue in this life?"
Money, of course, we all love money.

What else?

Jack looked on with longing: "Of course, I want to become a big shot like Johnny Silverhand—you see, he's been dead for almost fifty years now."

But there are still people like me who know him, and a bunch of die-hard fans who wish they could get plastic surgery to look like him.

His legends and stories still circulate on the streets.

There are even drinks named after him at the Next Life Bar!

Let me think about it.

"Old-fashioned tequila, beer, chili," V murmured involuntarily.

"Huh? You know about this too?" Jack was somewhat surprised.

V suddenly laughed and nodded: "Some idiot told me this when he was drinking in the next life. He even tried to trick me into having a drink, but the recipe sounded awful, so I didn't fall for it."

I sometimes feel like he really treats me like an idiot, but if you ask me, he's the real idiot!

Jack realized what was happening: "You're drinking alone because of him?"

"Hmm?" V was somewhat surprised.

"He was all gloomy before, but he laughed as soon as I started talking. What's your relationship?" Jack's gossipy nature kicked in.

V touched his face: "Is it a boss-employee relationship? A boss-underling relationship?"

"Really?" Jack asked curiously and excitedly, "You two are drinking in the next life? Wow, you're already in the next life at your age?"

"He took me there; I don't have that ability."

As V spoke, he inexplicably couldn't help but want to show off, shaking his head as he spoke:

"But my sister is no slouch either. That night, some idiot mercenary named Fenrir suddenly developed cyberbullying. My buddy and I each shot him and sent that guy with all those prosthetics to the sky."

That guy was equipped with S.A.S.A.S., wow, he was incredibly fast. If my sister hadn't reacted so quickly, it would have been really dangerous.

At a distance of five or six meters, that guy flew right up to your face in less than a second.

"Awesome, Fenrir, I've heard of him! The Wolf Pack, his nickname is Wolf King!"

I've heard about his skills; he's incredibly capable. He once single-handedly killed twenty-three street cleaners and wiped out a street cleaner hideout in five minutes.

Who is your buddy? Which older brother in your next life? How could you possibly kill him?

Jack pressed on excitedly—he loved hearing stories like that, loved asking questions, and sometimes even fantasized about being that awesome one day.

"His name is A, a pretty awesome hacker. We killed someone, and afterwards Roger was very polite to him, just advising him to keep a low profile, without saying a single unnecessary word."

"You're new here, probably not well-known yet. What's with that expression?"

V suddenly noticed Jack's somewhat strange expression.

"His real name, is it Alex Mercer?" Jack asked.

V frowned: "Uh, his name is Mercer, but I usually call him A. Do you know him?"

"..." Jack thought of the child he had seen outside Old Vivi's clinic.

Not
Why does it seem like the Mercer he remembers is different from the image V describes?

Turning his head, Jack glanced at him, thinking about how Mercer was bossing V around and acting like a brother to him. Well, considering his abilities, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

"We met once, so we know each other. He even gave me his contact information so I could contact him if I wanted to change careers."

Jack spoke frankly, then asked curiously, "Are you his person now?"

"." This time, it was V's turn to be speechless.

V hesitated, then suddenly turned to look at Jack: "Jack, if there were a path, the path to becoming the big guy you imagine, right in front of you, what would you choose?"
If you agree, you might offend the company and a lot of terrible people, and you might not even live to be thirty.

If I refuse, perhaps there will be other opportunities—to become a living legend? Like Adam's hammer.

"Of course, let's go! Chica!" Jack said without hesitation.

He gazed intently into V's eyes and said earnestly, "V, you're still young, and you might think you'll have many more opportunities in the future, but to be honest..."
Sometimes, the chance to change your life comes only once, in a single moment. If you miss it, you'll never have a second chance in your life.

As for what I mean by provoking the company and not living past thirty, I'd say, V, what did you do before?

V was taken aback: "It's just... picking up some jobs on the street."

"Have you ever been shot before?" Jack asked again.

“Of course, I shot someone when I was thirteen. I’ve been shot seven or eight times in my life, and there were many times when I thought I was really done for,” V said with emotion.

"Then why do you still do this?" Jack retorted. "When you were shot, didn't you ever think about finding a proper job? Why did you still run off with a gun to become a mercenary?"

V suddenly froze.

Seeing this, Jack shook his head and chuckled: "Go ask the kids on the street how old they think they'll live if they live past thirty."

Valentino's gang had just lost a young man a few days ago, nineteen years old.

Do you know how he died?
It all happened because of some idiot who was fiddling with a grenade in the house and accidentally pulled the pin and let go.

That idiot picked up the grenade and instinctively threw it far away, into the alley outside the window.

That young man was so innocent; he had just turned into the alley when he was blown to pieces.

His mother wanted to grab a gun and go find that idiot to get revenge that very day, and guess what?

The man who threw the grenade committed suicide because the young man was someone he had brought with his gang. He couldn't get over it and felt like an idiot, so he took his own life.

Two lives lost because of an accident and a series of coincidences.

Jack said earnestly, "That idiot who committed suicide was only twenty-eight years old when he died, V."

Of those who join gangs, five out of ten die before the age of twenty-five, and four of them don't live past forty.

And you? In my opinion, mercenaries die more often than gang members.

V has actually figured it out.

She gave a somewhat complicated smile, shook her head, and then downed the drink in her glass in one gulp: "Thanks, Jack, I'm such an idiot."

"Chica, I'm glad I could help you. That guy named A... uh, MANO (brother), I mean, he really seems impressive."

I think it's reliable if you can work with him.

I chatted with Victor, you might not be familiar with him, he's a very skilled prosthetic doctor.

He said the kid was right up his alley and was definitely a tough character.

Old Wei has a good eye for people; if he thinks someone is reliable, they definitely won't be bad.

After Jack finished speaking, V nodded emphatically and patted him on the shoulder: "Jack, you're not bad either. If you want to change careers in the future, A welcomes you, and I welcome you too."

Anyway, contact me if you need anything, tonight. Thanks.

"Hey, it's no big deal, V. Can you still drive?" Jack asked with concern.

V laughed twice: "Don't worry, I'm in great shape. I'll take advantage of the fact that he's still awake and give him an answer as soon as possible."

"Okay, come visit Wild Wolf whenever you have time. Come early and contact me, I'll have my mom make some Mexican food, it's amazing."

Jack smiled and nodded at her.

"Yeah, bye, Jack."

V waved her hand and eagerly paid the money before getting into her car. She even forgot to ask him how he met Mercer.

He quickened his pace, got into the car, and dialed Mercer's number.

"Mercer, I've made up my mind."

"Hmm?" Mercer sounded a little surprised.

V said with utmost seriousness, "I'm giving you my life. I'm going to follow you! To hell with the company, to hell with all the idiots, I'm going to live the life of a big shot even if it means dying!"

"Okay, welcome to my team, V."

Mercer's tone was clearly amused: "But I'm quite curious, why did you suddenly become a coward before?"

V suddenly felt a little awkward. "I've already built up the atmosphere to this point. Why are you bringing up old grievances?"

"Okay, because I'm a fucking idiot."

Seeing that they can make money by working with you, and seeing their wallets getting fatter, they start to fantasize about their future success and a comfortable retirement with a large sum of money.

You keep telling me I'm amazing, that I'm very talented, and I actually believed it, making me feel like I had a bright future.

Damn it, if I really had that kind of ability, how could I not even be able to afford the rent?
Someone just told me, or rather, I've figured it out.

I'm just a street hustler now. If I miss this opportunity, when will I ever have another chance to become famous, make money, and do something big? Who else would value me like you do?

Who has time to think about whether a company is going to live or die?

"If I were afraid of dying, I should go back to my old ways, find a decent job, marry a reliable man, and not be a mercenary."

V said to Mercer with utmost seriousness, "A, as long as you don't lie and truly treat me like a sister, I'll risk my life to work with you! Let's do great things together and make a fortune!"

As for those companies? Damn it, that's what we're after! How else can we make a fortune?!

"To grow bigger and stronger, and create new glories, right?"

Mercer's voice chuckled: "Alright, then let's turn this Night City upside down together!"

"Let's do it!" V slammed his hand on the steering wheel with gusto, the horn startling a couple outside the bar who were biting their lips.

Before the other person could start cursing, V hung up the phone and sped off.

Oh shit
Who cares about companies!
I'm going to be a legendary woman!
At this moment, Lucy looked at Mercer, who was grinning foolishly from the hacker chair, with a strange expression.

"What are you doing? Did you win the lottery?"

Mercer continued to laugh, saying, "Almost."

Haha!

Now it's all settled, V-Zhentian is mine!!

I wonder who in Night City can stop me now?

Mercer felt like Cao Cao had finally subdued Guan Yu; the sense of fulfillment and satisfaction he felt was even better than watching Mewtwo ten times over.

Damn it, I have Admiral V-Zhentian in my hands!
Invincible!
(End of this chapter)