2077: V really knows how awesome he is

Johnny immediately beamed, bowing and scraping, "Okay, okay, I am scum, I am a complete scumbag. As expected of the famous V, your insult is spot on!"

V figured her 20 yuan was going to go down the drain. But it didn't matter; she was rich, she had more money than she could ever spend. She could make a hundred Johnnys, let alone one.

The group drank until the next morning, when V stepped out from among the scattered "corpses" and onto the early morning street.

She left the bar and walked north for about 500 meters, eventually arriving at the intersection of Bradbury Street and Bran Street.

Turning into the alley here, you'll find Victor's Prosthetics Clinic and Misty's Tarot Card Reading Shop. And next to a vending machine outside the reading shop is the person V is looking for.

"The Arasaka family isn't an ordinary family; they're not human at all! They're vampires, a whole bunch of them!"

V laughed, "Our Night City's prophet goes to work pretty early."

Chapter 92 An Ordinary Day

The prophet Gary was a middle-aged man who wore glasses, had a large beard, wore a leather hat, and was dressed sloppily. His home was an empty space next to a vending machine, and his entire furniture consisted of an old mattress.

Upon seeing V, Gary paused for a second, but quickly regained his composure and continued to promote his ideas.

“Arasaka’s body doesn’t age, but look into their eyes—they’re cold and lifeless!”

"The company exists only to cover up the countless crimes they committed in order to survive... no, to avoid death!"

“I’m telling you, the current Saburo Arasaka is no longer the Saburo he once was; a more evil soul has been infused into him. But the real Saburo has never died either; he is waiting for his chance in the family’s secret chamber.”

"He greedily drank the blood of his servants, waiting for his body to rejuvenate, waiting to return to the world... Remember my words!"

After gesticulating wildly as he finished speaking, Gary began to breathe heavily, as shouting at the top of his lungs was indeed strenuous work.

“There’s nothing strange about it,” V shrugged. “Arasaka has been researching immortality for a while now, and Relic is about to be released. It’s never been a secret.”

Gary immediately shook his head: "That's a lie to cover up the fact that they're not human! Their immortality doesn't rely on technology, but on the power of immortal blood! You ask me how mere mortals become such monsters that disregard death? It's all thanks to the necromancers of the Centaur Alpha constellation! Saburo Arasaka was transformed into this evil creature by drinking their unclean blood!"

“Ha, interesting.” V said with great interest, “It seems I’ll have to have someone thoroughly search the drawers when I get back. I really want to see what the blood of immortality looks like.”

Gary, breathing steadily, asked, "President V, are you here to arrest me?"

"No, I was just passing by and was drawn in by what you were saying."

Gary was a little flattered, after all, this was an affirmation from the famous V.

He said excitedly, "President V, your eyes tell me that you have opened your heart to listen to the truth. Would you be willing to donate a small amount of money to help me continue my mission?"

“Why not?” V’s eyes lit up with blue light as he handed over 1000 euros. “You’re doing a good deed for the public; use this money to awaken the City of Night!”

If it were a typical scammer, they would probably be overjoyed at the amount, but Gary calmly accepted the donation.

"Thank you for your donation. From the beginning, I knew you would become a disciple of the truth."

V smiled and nodded, then turned and left.

Although Gary was somewhat disappointed that he could no longer preach to the Emperor of Night City, he was not discouraged and continued to recite his Bible with his arms outstretched.

"If you ignore their existence, then they have already won!"

"The truth is in the radio waves; those with ears will listen, and those with eyes will see!"

"Their mothership is hiding in the sky above us! Get ready, they're coming!"

"Wake up quickly, or it will be too late!"

Passersby scoffed at his remarks, regarding him only as a charlatan who fabricated conspiracy theories to swindle money.

V thought so in her past life, but with the information provided by Delaman this time, she realized it wasn't true.

Prophet Gary is a startup program deployed by CN-07.

Of course, Gary wasn't a robot; his brain had been modified, but to a very slight degree, far less than Jefferson Perales's. All CN-07 had him do was stand there and recite those inexplicable, bizarre statements day after day.

Nobody took these comments seriously, but according to CN-07's settings, if someone listens for four consecutive days and donates a "small amount" each time, the real data of the Centaur Alpha system hidden in the Night City network will surface.

No one would be a fool to listen to a charlatan's nonsense, let alone for four days straight. If someone were, that fool would definitely be unemployed and unable to afford the "small amount of money," thus ensuring the data wouldn't be accidentally activated.

As for completely sealing the data... CN-07 can install a dozen locks on the door to prevent thieves, but it cannot seal the door with cement, after all, it also needs to go home and retrieve the data.

Gary's ability to spout so many mystical things stems from an accident in which his neural processor was damaged. After being replaced with a seven-handed neural processor at a shady clinic, he occasionally received encrypted messages between AIs. Since he couldn't fully decipher them, his brain automatically filled in the gaps, creating a classic urban conspiracy theory.

Of course, all of this was arranged by CN-07.

The incident was caused by a gang fight. The two irreconcilable forces were lured by CN-07 and ended up in the same place at the same time.

The doctor at the shady clinic and the scavenger who unearthed the seven-handed neural processor also underwent some degree of brain modification. Despite personally participating in such a conspiracy, they completely forgot about it afterward.

CN-07's tentacles are everywhere; such patience and precision are something only AI could accomplish.

V patted the door of Lao Wei's clinic, called Lao Wei to get up and pee, and then left quickly without waiting for a response, having done a good deed anonymously.

As she walked, she pondered Gary's words.

"Arasaka never grows old" is probably a literal translation; for example, Michiko is over 60 years old but her physical condition is almost like that of a 16-year-old. In 2077, the lifespan of the wealthy has already been greatly extended, which is not surprising at all.

As for "Arasaka will not die," it probably refers to the Relic plan. Arasaka Saburo hiding in the family's secret room should refer to the shrine.

The shrine in Tokyo was destroyed by Hanako, but the shrine in Night City is still there. V originally wanted to destroy it as well, but it contained digital backups of many deceased scientists, which had unparalleled academic value, so she ultimately chose to preserve it.

The reason why Night City was able to make such rapid progress in ecosystem technology is twofold: firstly, it is due to the outstanding abilities of Nakamura Kayo, and secondly, it is due to the development of the shrine.

Everything has two sides. While the Sacred Disk has indeed given rise to many tragedies, it has also ushered in a new era of academic research. Nakamura Kayo has decided to upload a digital backup to the Sacred Disk after her death, so that she can continue to contribute to the scientific research of Night City.

This selflessness is admirable, and it is precisely because of this that V completely abandoned the idea of ​​destroying the sacred vehicle.

Gary said that Saburo Arasaka was still "hiding in the family's secret chamber" because there was indeed a digital backup of Saburo Arasaka in the shrine of Night City.

As for the evil spirit within Saburo Arasaka now, that is Johnny. This is not a secret among the higher-ups, so it's not surprising that the AI ​​would have received the information.

But what happens next is quite interesting.

Gary said that Arasaka's immortality did not come from technology, but from "the blood of the immortal," and the source of "the blood of the immortal" was the necromancer of the Centaur Alpha constellation.

It is now known that Arasaka's immortality is based on the Relic Project, and Relic is derived from Ultra Cunningham's Soul Killer Program. Johnny Silverhand's ex-girlfriend was digitized and turned into an AI decades ago. Does that mean that the Soul Killer Program is the so-called "blood of immortality," and the blood's owners—those necromancers of the Centaur Alpha constellation—are actually the wandering AIs represented by Ultra Cunningham?

Considering that Alpha Centauri was a trap set by CN-07 to help New Africa dig towards the European Space Agency, the possibility of AI involvement becomes almost certain.

To summarize Gary's statement today, he basically said that Arasaka represents the human elite, necromancers represent roving AIs, and the necromancers' unclean blood represents the advanced technology of the roving AIs. In other words, "the human elite are using the technology of roving AIs to achieve immortality." If this is ignored, the human elite will "win," and ordinary people will live under their rule forever, with no chance of ever rising up again.

This statement is truly thought-provoking, revealing the biggest problem in human society: class stratification.

V sighed for a moment, then put it out of his mind.

Otherwise, should we expect her to change the status quo?

She's just the local tyrant of Night City, not the real Virgin Mary.

Upon returning, he woke up his lackeys, and they all went their separate ways, returning to their respective towers.

V went back to handle some official business, and in the afternoon, she went to Aaron Wiens' training facility according to the address.

When they saw that V had actually arrived, Aaron Wiens was not only taken aback, but the entire training facility was thrown into chaos.

Angie, the owner of the Animal Gang Sports Club, was incredibly excited to receive V. Her flustered and trembling movements and expressions clearly showed that she was a big fan of V.

V was quite surprised, because in her mind, the members of the Animal Gang were all muscular men and women who were 200cm tall and weighed 400kg. This Angela in front of her was not only not burly at all, but also slender and tall. In the Animal Gang, she would look like a bean sprout that never gets enough to eat, but among ordinary people, she would be a hot and sexy woman with a healthy body and a wild look.

Angie wore a baseball cap, had long pink hair, a smart gold jacket, skinny jeans, and white platform sneakers, which perfectly showcased her straight legs and round, perky buttocks.

She enthusiastically introduced V to various aspects of the club, and V expressed his agreement and affirmation in every way. When the topic of Adam Wiens came up, Angie patted her chest and assured him, "Winning a gold medal is a bit difficult, but winning a medal is definitely no problem. Aaron is talented and hardworking. He was forced to fix fights before because of life's hardships. His real battlefield should be in the ring; he was born for this!"

V became interested as well: "Talking isn't enough. I need to see for myself how good Aaron is."

Angie was shocked: "You mean...?"

V nodded: "That's right, I want to fight Aaron."

“You’re a precious person, what if something happens to you? No, absolutely not!” Anqi shook her head repeatedly, her attitude very firm.

"If Aaron wins, I'll invest an additional 500 million."

"Quick, get President V a pair of boxing gloves, brand new ones!"

And so, V and Aaron Waynes stood in the ring.

Aaron Waynes was sweating profusely, not out of fear, but mainly because he was in a dilemma. Angie had just given him a strict order: win, but don't hurt President V!

How can a boxer win if he doesn't injure his opponent? Is that considered martial ethics?

Aaron Wiens was still hesitating when V kicked him.

Using his feet to box—Adam himself may not have any martial ethics, but President V certainly doesn't.

He raised his hand to block the kick, and at the same time came to his senses.

V stopped attacking and instead adopted a defensive stance: "Come on, let me see your punches."

Aaron Wiens deliberately held back, throwing several punches in a row, all of which were perfectly blocked by V.

"Didn't you eat? Even the sex dolls in Cloudtop who've been fucked all day are more energetic than you. Give it your all!"

Aaron Wiens knew this was V's provocation, but he still fell for it.

If a boxer doesn't have a temper, what's the point of boxing? He might as well put on a leotard and go ballet.

Driven by passion, Aaron Waynes roared, forgetting all his status and position. He swung his arm and delivered a powerful punch, while V raised his arms to block. The two collided, and a loud "bang" resounded across the training ground.

V was knocked back two steps to dissipate the force, then laughed and stretched his shoulders: "That's more like it, let's do it again!"

Aaron Wiens immediately launched an attack.

Angie, watching from the sidelines, was so worried her heart was practically leaping out of her throat, fearing that Aaron, that idiot, might accidentally injure V.

But as the "bang bang bang" sounds continued, the onlookers were surprised to find that V not only held on, but held on quite well.

No, it's not just good, it's practically flawless, like a sealed-off window.

Aaron Wiens clearly noticed this as well, and he became more and more excited and hit harder and harder, after all, he had never encountered such a good punching bag in his life.

He unleashed several powerful punches, but V blocked them all with minimal twisting of his body and movement of his arms.

This was experience gained from countless street fights. V, alone, always had to face being surrounded and beaten by multiple people. Although Aaron Wiens' punches were fierce, he only had two hands, so it wasn't difficult for V to defend himself.

V used to have to dodge bullets while fighting hand-to-hand with people wielding samurai swords. Often, even after being stabbed in the lower back, she would still try to break her opponent's neck. After a battle, V was truly covered in wounds. Several times, she crawled into Old Vi's clinic, but each injury that couldn't kill her only made her stronger.

Aaron Wiens delivered another powerful punch, snapping V out of his reverie. Feeling the stinging pain in his arms, V became excited.

She licked her lips: "Well played. Now let me see your defense!"

Defensive ability?

While Aaron Wiens was still in a daze, V had already switched from defense to offense and rushed forward.

Right straight punch!

Aaron Waynes judged V's punch and raised his hand to parry, but to his surprise, V's straight punch was not very powerful and felt like a tickle to him.

Oh no, it was a feint!

Just as Aaron Waynes was about to change his stance, V's left fist came flying in. She twisted her waist and hips, and with power rising from the ground, a beautiful left hook passed through Aaron Waynes' hastily set up defense and landed heavily on the young black man's chin between his arms.

boom!

Aaron Wiens fell backward, sprawling on his back.

"Ding ding ding ding!"

Angie quickly rang the starting bell to end the match.

She certainly wanted the 500 million investment, but she valued the athletes' health even more.

Aaron Wiens' match is imminent, so he absolutely cannot get injured.

"Are you alright?" V asked, looking down.

Aaron Wiens rubbed his chin: "It's nothing, there's just some noise on the prosthetic eye, it'll be fine after a rest."

V knew his limits and didn't use his prosthetic body, as did Aaron Wiens. Their exchange was merely a friendly spar, ending only when necessary.

“Come here.” V reached out his hand, and Aaron Waynes grasped it and was pulled up.

"You're good on offense, but your footwork on defense is too rigid and your movement is not agile. You need to work on that."

Aaron Winnes understood that this was his weakness and humbly accepted the criticism: "Yes, I know that myself, but there are too few people who can put pressure on me, so the results of my practice have not been very good. If President V could come more often, that would be great. With an expert like you, I would definitely improve a lot on the defensive end."

"Don't worry, I'm really not busy for the next three or four days, so I'll be coming often. But my playing style is something I learned from playing on the streets. If you really want to improve, you'll need to hire a professional coach."

Angie walked over at this moment: "I also want to, but the famous boxing coaches are asking for too much money and are unwilling to come to Night City. Our local coaches in Night City are all from underground boxing, so they are not professional enough."