Chapter 186

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"Now, here are two crucial news reports from our station."

"Nights Corp has issued a public statement, confirming that the Matrix Space's launch was halted due to trial run issues. All related partnerships have been put on hold, and discussions on compensation for breaches of contract are ongoing."

"Due to this factor, the stock market opened lower today, with several companies' stocks plummeting. Nights Corp's stock specifically took a nosedive, causing a new wave of sell-offs. Investors are generally pessimistic about the company's new infrastructure plans."

"Regarding this issue, the CEO of Nights Corp stated that the cause of the Matrix Space malfunction is under investigation, and the new infrastructure project will proceed as planned. The development and progress of Night City will be shared with its citizens."

"According to our special contributor, companies, including Arasaka, will not withdraw investments or cancel partnerships over this incident..."

The news anchor concluded the first report and seamlessly moved on to the second important piece.

"It has been confirmed by the City Hall and NCPD that Mayor Lucius Rhyne passed away last night."

"Acting Mayor Holt made a public statement, revealing that Mayor Rhyne worked late into the night before suffering a sudden heart attack. He was taken to the public health center, where he was pronounced dead following unsuccessful resuscitation."

"Current city operations will be overseen by Deputy Mayor Holt."

"Deputy Mayor Holt emphasized in his statement that he will actively participate in the upcoming mayoral election, steadfastly promoting Mayor Rhyne's ideals of freedom."

"Preliminary support surveys among residents indicate that Deputy Mayor Holt has a low approval rating, trailing not only Mayor Lucius Rhyne but also Councilman Jefferson Peralez."

These two bombshell news stories quickly ignited heated discussions throughout Night City.

Tang Yu was preparing breakfast while listening to the broadcast on the television, occasionally glancing at the screen.

He brought the breakfast to the table, cleaned his hands, and began to eat.

Tang Yu wasn't surprised by the first piece of news.

The halt of the Matrix Space was something he had arranged with Mr. Blue Eyes.

Arasaka didn't pull out from the partnership, so seeking some compensation from Nights Corp was justifiable.

However, the second piece of news about Mayor Lucius Rhyne's death revealed some truths to him.

The mastermind behind this had to be Mr. Blue Eyes and his team. As for the news framing it as a sudden death from overwork, he found it laughable.

After all, if you lined up all the corporate drones in Night City who worked themselves to death, you could fill every corporate plaza.

There were indeed many who died from overwork, but none were high-ranking officials.

Tang Yu deduced that Lucius Rhyne's death was closely tied to the Matrix Space's halting.

Nights Corp's vision was to launch the new infrastructure plan with the Matrix Space operational, and then support Jefferson in winning the mayoral election. Post-brainwash, he would fully cooperate to push the new infrastructure.

But due to Tang Yu's interference, the Matrix Space was paused, and the infrastructure plan encountered resistance. Citizens became dissatisfied with Nights Corp, which in turn negatively affected Jefferson's support rate.

Ironically, Lucius Rhyne, who had always adhered to independence, saw his approval rating skyrocket, leaving other contenders far behind.

Following this trend, Jefferson's mayoral ambitions seemed increasingly unattainable.

The higher Lucius Rhyne's approval soared, the quicker he met his demise.

As for Deputy Mayor Holt, Tang Yu saw him as nothing more than an incompetent fool, with no real competitiveness.

Tang Yu remembered that the last time, Deputy Mayor Holt, to boost his approval ratings, had colluded with the NCPD to exclude Pacifica from crime statistics to prove that Night City's safety index had improved under his governance.

Looking at the breakfast he had prepared, Tang Yu thought it was almost time to bring Sasha back.

Gloria was managing Lizzie's Bar well, gradually bringing it back on track. Everything was progressing smoothly.

The turmoil with Mr. Blue Eyes and Nights Corp had temporarily subsided, and he had spoken with Michiko Arasaka last night.

Although their conversation was brief, Tang Yu needed to rush upstairs and report to Saburo Arasaka.

Michiko had revealed to him that Yorinobu Arasaka had secretly arrived in Night City, yet Saburo had not made any statements.

Furthermore, Yorinobu had stolen an experimental relic biochip from Arasaka's central lab.

Tang Yu knew that the chip contained Johnny Silverhand's engram, but he hadn't informed Michiko.

Michiko had pre-emptively shared this information with him to make sure he chose the right side. Arasaka Tower's hawkish members were already stirring.

Disaster always strikes when you're unprepared. Michiko already had difficulties commanding the board, and now, stabilizing the situation at Arasaka Tower seemed even more daunting.

Tang Yu sensed Michiko's anxiety; she was beginning to lose her composure.

Regardless of how prepared she was, as soon as the Arasaka heir set foot in Night City, the highest seat in Arasaka Tower undeniably belonged to him.

Tang Yu gently hinted to Michiko to learn how to avoid direct confrontation; she shouldn't become the focal point of conflict.

But Michiko hesitated. It was hard to give up the power and career she had painstakingly built over the years.

Seeing her stance, Tang Yu chose not to press the issue any further and left to the top-floor office to report the situation regarding the Matrix Space to Saburo Arasaka.

Tang Yu succinctly conveyed the fundamental goals behind Nights Corp's infrastructure plans and their attempts to use the Matrix Space to bypass the Blackwall, secretly nurturing rogue AIs. He even mentioned their ambitions about the Relic.

He felt that in the matter of tracking down rogue AIs, his current alignment with Saburo Arasaka was more or less the same, and thus there was no need to hide the main details. On the contrary, the more serious Tang Yu made the situation sound, the more apprehensive Saburo Arasaka would be. This way, when it came time for the rabbit to die and the dog to be cooked, Saburo would carefully consider Tang Yu's value. He clearly understood that once the job was done, the tool would no longer be useful.

Sure enough, Saburo Arasaka did not respond at all to Tang Yu's approach, which implicitly confirmed his actions. If he had annoyed Saburo, it would be impossible for him to enter this office again.

Tang Yu briefly reviewed last night's events, and feeling he had made no mistakes, he finished the breakfast on his plate in a single sweep. The matter between Yoruichi Corporation and the Matrix Space temporarily came to a halt. The Arasaka prince had come to Night City at this time, holding onto old friends, looking for an appropriate opportunity to meet.

Thinking of the relentless stream of things to do, Tang Yu couldn't help but feel a headache. After his rebirth, many things had fundamentally changed, though some seemed to still be following their original path. This was not a good omen for him.

He stood up, holding a guitar, and sat on the balcony, but had no mood to play. Looking at the view of Night City outside the window, his thoughts started to wander again.

"The Fifth Corporate War..."

The scenes of that nightmare-like global battle and apocalyptic imagery were still vivid in his mind. Everywhere he looked, there was devastation. At that time, they were filled with passion and romanticism, vowing to overturn the decayed and filthy rule of the corporations, hoping for a new order to rise from the ashes. But no one waited for that result. The power of the corporations was far stronger than they had imagined.

The nightmarish past had become a haunting nightmare in Tang Yu's mind. During these days, he had indeed grown and changed the destinies of many people around him, rewriting their life trajectories and helping them to gain a new life. Yet, the massive gears of this world continued to turn ceaselessly, trying to drag everyone into its mechanical cogs.

Tang Yu wanted to wrestle with the gears, a battle he seemed to win and lose at the same time. He couldn't see the right answer, just as there never was a right answer in real life.

Just as Tang Yu's thoughts began to drift, he suddenly received a call from Gloria. The familiar voice came through as he answered the phone.

"Mr. Tang, is now a good time?"

"Yes, what's up?"

Gloria paused for a moment, a bit surprised by Tang Yu's gentle tone. She didn't know if she was being overly sensitive, but she suppressed her speculation and continued, "Mr. Tang, I have something to report."

"Go ahead," Tang Yu said softly.

Gloria felt a wave of tingling sensations. His tone was so gentle and detailed, carrying a hint of concern. She was a bit unsure, feeling a mixture of joy and emotion, an inexplicable feeling rising inside her, making her head go blank for a moment.

After a moment of stupor, she suddenly heard the concerned voice on the other end of the line, "What's the matter?"

This tone of concern was unmistakable, clearly going beyond a general greeting. Gloria's cheeks flushed red, and she felt a warmth rising from her heart. Not knowing if it was from the surprise or the emotion washing over her, just as she was about to thank Tang Yu for his concern, she inexplicably felt so nervous that she choked.

Startled, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, trying to calm her erratic breathing. With wide eyes, she took a while to regain her composure and then said, "Mr. Tang, sorry, just now I—"

"It's alright," Tang Yu once again showed great patience with her lapse and spoke with extreme gentleness.

"..."

Gloria cautiously began to report the matters. She first recounted the things related to V and her team. Participating in last night's Matrix Space operation was Tang Yu's decision, but the entire operation's payment came from her.

The main bulk of the remuneration was given to Maine's team. Although they declined initially, they eventually accepted it. Since their collaboration with Gloria, they had earned considerably more than before. Next was Panam's team. As she had sent three personnel for the operation and provided necessary facilities at the Aldecaldo camp, which was critical as the action's base, she received the second-largest sum.

Then there was the mercenary V, who collected a payment for her solo efforts. Gloria specially gave her the money in cash, for which V was very grateful. Lastly, Lucy, employed at the Netwatch, declined the payment, stating she participated in the field operation not for the money.

The amount involved in this operation was substantial, all drawn from the million funds Tang Yu had allocated to Gloria. After reporting the tasks, Gloria expressed she had another request.

Tang Yu told her to go ahead. Gloria tentatively asked if Sasha could return to him to continue assisting. Now that her personal safety was assured by the Mox and the major powers recognized her as the proprietor of Lizzie's Bar, it wouldn't be necessary to trouble Sasha to stay with her.

Tang Yu refused without hesitation, "You need protection now more than ever."

Gloria: "..."