2077: V really knows how awesome he is

But the world is not at peace.

First of all, the “war” between the European Space Agency and New Africa is not over. Calling it a war is not quite accurate; it should be called a one-sided crushing defeat.

The European Space Agency (ESA), possessing not only mass accelerators but also numerous allies worldwide, was already in an invincible position. However, the assassination of the president of the new Africa by an "unknown person" utterly terrified the already hopeless Black people, causing the world's largest nation to instantly split into two factions: one advocating war, the other peace. The peace faction was further divided into various groups, each with their own preferences, such as serving the ESA, the Soviet Union, and China. The unity of the nation was completely absent; instead, the stark contrast of abandoning one another in the face of disaster was on full display.

Faced with this situation, the international community should naturally lend a hand.

Major corporations are sending people to Africa, and the world knows what these companies are really like. They exploit their own citizens whenever possible, and they have no shame when it comes to foreigners.

These giant corporations are using the guise of humanitarian aid to seize territory, resources, technology, and cheap labor.

At first, the pro-war faction in New Africa continued to harass the headquarters of major companies, wanting to liberate their people. However, when the companies improved the treatment of African laborers and added half a piece of synthetic meat to their lunches, these people did not hesitate to betray their compatriots and report the hiding places of the pro-war faction in the vicinity.

What happened next was predictable. Under the company's encirclement and suppression, the pro-war faction suffered heavy casualties and was forced to hide in the mountains. The pro-peace faction thought they had made great contributions and that their master would reward them with a piece of meat, but little did they know that their master would even smash their rice bowl.

Without the pro-war faction, there's no one to stand up for them when they bully the pro-peace faction, so they'll definitely be bullied mercilessly, until they die!

And so, the company tore off its mask of pretense, revealing its fangs of cruelty.

Sweatshops were built one after another, and Black laborers were forced to work themselves to death. Every day, human corpses were transported out of the mines along with the ore. The products in the factories consumed not only raw materials but also an equal weight of lives.

Robots should theoretically be more efficient than humans, but the weather is currently unfavorable. Wheat production is declining, the price of methanol 2 is soaring, insufficient sunlight is causing solar power plants to become less efficient, and there is a severe power shortage.

In this situation, primitive human labor is the most useful. Even if it's slow, people can work non-stop, and it's more cost-effective to exhaust a few people than to buy expensive methanol 2.

Soon after, labor uprisings broke out across Africa. Although they were suppressed, they still prompted reflection among major companies.

They felt that the reason these laborers dared to revolt was because they weren't ruthless enough; if they were ruthless enough, who would dare to resist?

So the company came up with a new idea: they established boarding schools and forced indigenous children to enroll. This way, they could brainwash the children from a young age, cultivate their sense of obedience, and also control the children's parents, making them work obediently.

This measure was undeniably effective, with uprisings across the country decreasing dramatically. However, not all people have lost their conscience, and soon journalists exposed cases of child abuse in boarding schools.

The most shocking discovery was made at a boarding school in Ireland, which could accommodate 2000 students. Reporters found the remains of nearly 800 children in its septic tank. Most of the remains were mutilated. The person in charge stated that the children died of illness and were not affiliated with the company. The mutilated parts were reportedly crushed and used as feed to a locust farm in the biotechnology sector, based on cost recovery principles.

Such egregious behavior caused a global uproar, with the biotechnology company directly suing the company, arguing that the feed sold by the company had not undergone relevant inspections and was suspected of being substandard. Ultimately, the Irish company lost the case, paying the biotechnology company a large sum of money, and the matter was finally settled.

That's right, that's how it ended.

Ordinary people are dissatisfied, but they have no connection with the dead children and cannot file related lawsuits; while the children's relatives work in dark mines and factories, they know nothing and are powerless even if they do know.

If no one files a lawsuit, then no action will be taken; as for public prosecution, the new African government has long since fallen apart, and those who remain to maintain appearances are too busy currying favor with the company to risk offending it for the sake of some civilian areas.

So-called law is merely a tool of rule, and has never been related to justice and fairness.

In an instant, public resentment boiled over, and ordinary people's hatred for the company reached its peak. The entire human society was filled with anti-company waves and declarations.

As things have progressed, the company realizes it has made a big fuss, so they have no choice but to sit down and think of a solution, and finally decide to hold the Olympics.

The internet has no memory. Using a spectacular Olympics to divert public attention, who the hell will remember those "feeding boys" after the Olympics are over?

And so, the Olympics opened in a grand manner, and Aaron Wins returned to his original competitive level to compete. V even organized a cheering squad from Night City to cheer him on.

However, Aaron Wiens was unlucky and drew the previous Olympic champion in the first round.

No one had high hopes for Aaron Wiens, and he indeed found himself in a tough fight. He battled the world champion for four rounds, and everyone thought the final score would be decided on points. However, Aaron Wiens unexpectedly knocked out the defending champion with a single punch at the last moment.

This dramatic victory immediately became a hot topic at the Olympics. In order to divert attention, news channels under various companies also launched a massive coverage. The public's attention was immediately diverted to this new boxer. Everyone thought that he could win a gold medal in his first Olympic Games and give birth to a new boxing champion. But no one expected that Aaron Wiens would lose to an average-ranked boxer in the second round and stop in the quarterfinals.

Overnight, people's expectations of Aaron Wins turned into harsh words. Even those who didn't pay much attention to the Olympics or boxing would join in the criticism, as if the recent deterioration of the natural and economic environment was all thanks to Aaron Wins.

“It’s not surprising.” Old Wei suddenly said this while waiting to pick someone up at the airport.

V was taken aback: "You mean it's not surprising that Aaron lost because he overexerted himself in the first round?"

“No,” Old Vil shook his head. “I’m talking about people’s hearts.”

V: "..."

“I’ve let a lot of people go on credit, but David was the first to pay me back. Do you know why I chose to become a prosthetic doctor? Because cold machines are much gentler than human hearts.” Old Wei stood up: “Let’s go, the plane is here.”

V greeted Aaron Vines and his entourage at the airport, and some Night City residents also came spontaneously. Aaron had expected to hear the same harsh words as outsiders, but to his surprise, Night City was filled with support and encouragement.

"What a pity, Aaron!"

"Great play in the first round, Aaron!"

"Aaron, you will always be the champion in my heart!"

"Don't give up, Aaron! Let's try again at the next Olympics!"

V looked at Old V: "I guess there are more and more people who will pay you back now."

Old Vil smiled: "That's right, Night City has changed, because of you."

Jack, who came to pick them up with him, was a little puzzled: "Why did it change? I initially thought everyone would be criticizing Aaron."

Xu Ling shook her head and said, "When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame."

Kurt Hansen, still struggling with Chinese, asked, "What is the little girl mumbling about?"

Joanne Koch explained, "What she means is that only when the granaries are full and people are well-fed and clothed can they pay attention to etiquette and value honor and shame. In the past, Night City was in constant danger of starvation, so of course people would burn, kill, and loot without restraint. Now, Night City is peaceful and everyone is healthy, so people will naturally become more civilized and treat others with kindness."

Kurt Hansen suddenly realized: "I was wondering why I've been hearing less and less profanity lately, now I know."

"Isn't it better to use less profanity?"

"It's good, but it feels like it's missing the Night City vibe."

I'll fuck your mother!

"Yes, yes, that's the taste! No, why the hell are you cursing at me!"

V watched the crowd playfully bickering and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

At that moment, Sasha came over and whispered, "The ESA meeting will start at 4 p.m.

V nodded: "Understood, I will be online on time."

The meeting was proposed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and invited various world leaders. The theme of the meeting was the conflict in the new Africa. According to ESA, they no longer want to fight and want to restore peace.

Everyone wants peace. Although the gods of Earth made a fortune in this conflict, their poor economic system and natural environment are indeed not conducive to long-term development. Therefore, when the European Space Agency proposed peace, everyone responded enthusiastically.

The meeting started on time, and V's network serial number was surprisingly 01, second only to the host country, the European Space Agency. She only realized this after logging in and immediately intended to decline, but the gods unanimously recommended her, leaving her no choice but to accept.

The bigwigs breathed a sigh of relief when they saw V "sit down." If V's solo kill of the god was just a prediction in the past, now it was a verifiable achievement. The bigwigs knew perfectly well who killed the new African president. The so-called 30% probability was 100% in their eyes. They were too big and powerful to gamble, and they didn't dare to gamble.

Their attitude towards V can be summed up in one word: pamper them!

Make any requests you have, and tell us your needs. We will fulfill what we can, and find a way to fulfill what we cannot.

This is why the third round of research funding arrived so quickly.

After exchanging pleasantries and pleasantries, the meeting officially began.

The European Space Agency (ESA) spoke first, stating that it truly wanted to end the war and restore peace. Everyone assumed the ESA was going to negotiate with the new Africa, but instead, the ESA produced a map of the mountains in the new Africa.

"According to our investigation, the illegal armed groups in the new Africa are hiding in these mountains. In order to end the war completely, the European Space Agency has decided to launch a second round of meteorite attacks to completely eliminate these black sheep that threaten world peace!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

One meteorite has already turned Earth's environment into this mess, and you want a second one?

Has the European Space Agency gone mad?!

Chapter 103 Up or Down

The bigwigs were discussing it animatedly, and the meeting room was as noisy as a market.

"No, the new Soviet Union is firmly opposed."

"Military technology also disagrees."

"Biotechnology hopes that the European Space Agency will reconsider this proposal."

The gods objected, and the head of the European Space Agency banged on the table.

"I am not asking for your opinions, but informing you that at the very moment the meeting began, the European Space Agency had already launched its second meteor attack and transmitted the footage."

"Yes." The AI ​​in the conference room responded and turned on the holographic projection, displaying a satellite image of the African continent before everyone's eyes.

The newly formed Africa, already bearing seven scars, now has seven more deep craters. The impact sites are mainly concentrated in southeastern Africa, at the intersection of the Drakensberg Mountains and Mount Kenya, a complex terrain that served as a major hideout for the pro-war faction in the new Africa. With the second round of meteorite impacts, the once towering mountains have been transformed into a sea of ​​fire, with crimson lava churning endlessly on the ground and thick smoke billowing into the sky, obscuring the sun.

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

"Has the European Space Agency gone mad? What are you trying to do?!" a senior official roared. "A meteorite attack will only further exacerbate the deterioration of Earth's environment. Are you trying to make us pay with our lives for those black devils?!"

"Quite the opposite," the head of the European Space Agency said loudly. "I'm trying to find a way out for us."

"A way out?"

“That’s right!” the head of the European Space Agency said solemnly. “Humanity’s future lies in space, without a doubt. But in reality, everyone is only focused on immediate interests, and they are outwardly compliant but inwardly resistant to space colonization plans. Why? It’s because Earth hasn’t been completely destroyed yet, and we can still manage to live a decent life. I thought everyone would gradually realize the seriousness of the problem and return to work that is truly beneficial to humanity, but New Africa has shown me with its actions that it was just wishful thinking on my part!”

"Everyone knows why the European Space Agency (ESA) targeted New Africa. They fabricated false intelligence, attempting to use Alpha Centauri as a trap, which is why the ESA destroyed New Africa. But if the problem isn't addressed at its root, a second New Africa will soon emerge; if humanity cannot break free from selfishness and infighting, it will never enter the space age!"

Many bigwigs understood: "So you took this opportunity to drop meteorites, punishing New Africa was just a side effect, your real purpose was to destroy the Earth's environment!"

"Exactly!" the ESA leader exclaimed passionately. "Only adversity can unite humanity. Humanity must have a common enemy, and the current severe environmental degradation is that enemy! According to AI projections, the dust and debris from these two meteorite impacts will obscure 80% of the global sky over the next 20 years, severely damaging the ecosystem, energy, food, and air. As time goes on, an economic depression, social conflicts, food crises, energy crises, and health crises will erupt one after another. Earth will become a complete cesspool. If we don't want to live in this cesspool, all companies must unite and use every means to move upwards, towards space, towards the universe!"

There was silence in the conference room.

Everyone was shocked by the European Space Agency's madness.

In its ambition to colonize space, the European Space Agency is going so far as to deliberately damage Earth's environment; this is simply...

"A do-or-die approach." Kangtao President Xu Shiming spoke up: "I personally admire this courage, but you've used this to blackmail major companies and caused the deaths of tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of people worldwide. How do you think the world will judge you?"

"Madman, serial killer, megalomaniac, ambitious maniac, and so on... But it doesn't matter. My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do is for justice. People don't understand me now, they curse and insult me, but thousands of years from now, when people have left the solar system and occupied the entire Milky Way, they will thank me, worship me, and regard me as the father of all human civilization."

“I see, I understand.” Xu Shiming pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, “Kantau fully supports the European Space Agency.”

The head of the European Space Agency was overjoyed.

With Kangtao taking the lead, other companies followed suit.

Since things have already developed to this point, if we don't want to get bogged down in this mess, we have no choice but to follow the European Space Agency's plan.

Soon, the major companies joined forces and decided to go all out to develop space colonization.

They planned to build a true colony ship within five years, complete all tests and preparations within eight years, and finally take off and escape Earth within ten years.

The technology for colony ships has existed for a long time, and the blueprints have been continuously updated to the twenty-seventh generation. However, the cost was too high, so it has not been implemented. But with the joint efforts of major companies around the world, even the high cost has become acceptable.

The colony ships were built by Comtau at a secret location in the Himalayas, a fact that no major company objected to, since only Comtau, a populous nation, had the experience to coordinate such large-scale operations.

With the hardware sorted out, the next step is the software.

Space colonization will be a long process, potentially lasting several generations. Because cryopreservation technology is lacking, the people on board must maintain basic necessities like eating, drinking, and using the restroom, making the supply of materials an essential part of their lives.

This aspect is mainly led by biotechnology companies, who have long since cultivated crop seeds that can grow normally in space and are currently researching artificial soil. Once successful, this will ensure the food supply inside the colony spacecraft.

Yes, people initially thought the biggest challenge in space agriculture would be the crops themselves, but after much research, they discovered that the biggest challenge in space agriculture is the soil.

Soilless cultivation is too energy-intensive and yields too low. It's fine for getting funding, but if we really used it as a primary food source, the people on the colony ships would starve. However, the soil source for soil-based cultivation has become a problem.

Ordinary people have no idea that soil, which is ubiquitous on Earth, is actually a non-renewable resource, possibly even rarer than gold in the universe. Soil is an essential element for developing space agriculture, and the amount of arable soil directly determines the scale of agriculture and also limits the population cap. Biotechnology-based artificial soil projects aim to break this constraint.

Afterwards, numerous industry leaders finalized many issues, including energy, materials, and even the administrative and political framework for colony spacecraft. It could be said that today's meeting resolved more problems than in the past 50 years. But ultimately, it all came down to that unavoidable issue—ecosystem building.

Whether it's humans, plants, or machines, all produce waste. The process of processing this waste and forming a perfect cycle is what we call an ecosystem.

"Regarding this, I suggest leaving it to Night City."

The head of the European Space Agency looked at V, but V was lost in thought and seemed dazed until Meredith Stock called her name, which brought her back to her senses.

"Sorry, I was a little distracted." V rubbed his temples. "What were you all talking about just now?"

The head of the European Space Agency repeated it again.

V nodded: "No problem. The new nanorobot type I can effectively purify water sources, which has been proven by experiments; the new nanorobot type II is specifically for purifying air and has already begun experimental applications in Night City. Everyone has seen the first batch of data, and the results are good. The official report will be sent to everyone in two months, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"What about soil pollution?" the biotechnology executive asked.

"Soil pollution is the responsibility of the new nanorobots Type III. The Night City laboratory has already begun relevant research and has experience with Type I and Type II. It should be able to make substantial progress soon."

“V, we need a specific time.”

"One year."

“Alright, we’ll wait a year for Night City.” The head of the European Space Agency was very satisfied with the result and said with a smile, “President V has made great contributions to the ecosystem. I am willing to give up a portion of my ticket share to Night City when the time comes.”

Upon seeing this, the others also expressed their willingness to give up some of their tickets to Night City. After all, the colony ships had limited capacity, and the guards for the big shots would be significantly reduced. V, with her extremely strong individual combat power, would be even more valuable, and winning her over would only bring benefits, not harm.

V smiled and accepted everyone's kindness, not caring whether it was genuine or not. Frankly, she had no intention of embarking on any grand space voyage; all she wanted to protect was Night City.