96 Chapter 95
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Tang Yu stood before the window, quietly looking down at the small square below, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
In Night City, being pushed to the brink of despair by corporations was not something only Moira experienced.
Compassion was never the main theme of this city. Every passerby on the streets had their own heart-wrenching stories to tell.
Tang Yu solemnly reminded Gloria beside him, "Tell Maine to hurry and find Marcello now. Militech will be targeting him soon. We must secure Marcello before they do."
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Gloria's optic implants whirred as she began calling Maine.
At this moment, in the bar, Maine was idly bantering with Dorio when he was interrupted by Gloria's call. His brow furrowed slightly in annoyance, but he answered while still running his mouth.
"What is it? I'm very busy right now!"
Gloria explained urgently, "Maine, there's an extremely important job that requires you to set out immediately."
Maine's expression gradually turned serious, causing Dorio to sense something was off and release her lips.
Maine asked, "How urgent is it?"
Gloria decisively said, "A flat fee of 100,000 eurodollars. I need you to protect someone named Marcello. I've sent you the address. You must find him as soon as possible!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, given the high price and 100,000 eurodollar reward, Maine knew it was no small trouble.
"Who are we up against?"
Gloria said gravely, "Militech."
Maine's demeanor instantly darkened, his tone even more serious. "If Militech is involved, we may not be able to complete this job."
He recalled that night's deal in Watson, where Militech had them completely suppressed with firepower, making resistance futile.
A corporation's formidable armed forces were not something a street cyberpunk team could contend with.
Gloria said sternly, "Maine, we'll find a way to stop Militech on our end. Your enemies may just be their pawns. No matter the situation, you only need to keep the target Marcello safe. Someone will come to support you!"
With that said, Maine pondered for a moment before resolutely replying, "Alright, I'll take this job. I hope you can hold off Militech, otherwise the mission is doomed to fail."
Gloria ended the call and reported the conversation to Tang Yu.
Tang Yu nodded slightly. With Maine's team setting out first, perhaps they could bring Marcello back before Militech made their move.
Just as the two were making arrangements upstairs, the small square below suddenly erupted in chaos.
An armed soldier approached Moira, syringe in hand.
As he tried to subdue her, Moira unexpectedly lashed out.
Arcs of electricity surged across her body, her optic implants flashing. With lightning speed, she snatched the syringe from the soldier's hand and viciously jabbed it into his eye.
A fierce battle was about to unfold.
The Militech special forces commander immediately ordered to open fire. Countless bullet sparks rained down on Moira and the soldier in an instant.
In a flash, Moira activated her Sandevistan at full power. The world before her eyes abruptly slowed, the dark teal vision even allowing her to see the trajectories of the incoming bullets.
She quickly grabbed the soldier in front of her, using him as a human shield to block the gunfire. Countless bullets peppered the corpse, splattering blood and flesh.
The Militech commander urgently reported via comms to the AV above, "Moira has lost control, showing symptoms of cyberpsychosis. Recommend immediate elimination!"
Moira drew the pistol from the corpse's thigh and activated Sandevistan again, counterattacking the Militech squad.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets left the barrel, trailing straight lines of fire through the air, aimed at their heads. Four Militech soldiers were instantly killed by headshots.
Seeing this, the commander, having received permission to engage, immediately synced his own Sandevistan, entering a state of rapid neural response, engaging in a high-speed shootout with Moira.
Bullets struck Moira but were deflected by her subdermal armor, failing to harm her.
The commander was also fully armored, completely unfazed by Moira's bullets.
Under their extremely fast reaction speeds, the two emptied their magazines in mere seconds.
After just over ten seconds, their Sandevistans reached their usage limit, causing both to freeze as the implants entered cooldown.
The scorching heat generated by the implants' high-intensity operation caused wisps of smoke to rise from the seared flesh on Moira's back, but her face showed no signs of pain, as if she were a machine devoid of sensation.
The Militech commander, panting heavily and enduring the burning pain, ordered his men to fire.
Dozens of machine guns immediately aimed at Moira, unleashing a hail of bullets. Even with her subdermal armor, she was riddled with wounds, exposing her battered synthetic skin.
Two Militech soldiers quickly unloaded an EMP cannon from the armored vehicle, aiming it at Moira as it charged up.
At this moment, Moira's entire body felt as if it were ablaze, her mind growing more unclear. Her optic implants began to tremble eerily.
If she had a shred of sanity left during the earlier fight, it was now completely gone.
Heedless of the risk of her implants frying her brain, Moira forcefully reactivated Sandevistan, invoking rapid neural response. Wreathed in electricity and afterimages, she vanished from her spot, charging straight at the armored vehicle.
In an instant, the two soldiers holding the EMP cannon were brutally disemboweled, their steaming entrails spilling across the ground.
Seeing the dire situation, the commander, suppressing the brain-searing pain, also reactivated Sandevistan and attacked Moira.
The two fought with reckless abandon across the small square, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow.
All the Militech soldiers were dumbfounded, frozen in place, unsure where to even aim their guns.
At the third-floor window, this was Gloria's first time witnessing combat of this level. It was nothing short of terrifying.
Whether in gunfights or close quarters, the two had surpassed human limits to an unbelievable degree, their speed and strength astounding.
Having worked in Night City for years, Gloria was no stranger to Sandevistan. Even many street thugs had this neural operating chip installed.
But none came close to the exaggerated extent of these two. Their speed left only afterimages.
In comparison, the Sandevistans used by street thugs were mere knockoffs, not of much use at all.
Gloria also understood why Tang Yu didn't let her continue investigating alone.
An ordinary person facing these warriors laden with high-end implants would be utterly defenseless. Life and death truly hinged on the whims of others.
Her gaze returned to Tang Yu, still not comprehending his unwavering confidence.
Facing a powerful foe was not scary, but facing a fearless madman would unnerve anyone.
Yet from start to finish, Tang Yu never showed a hint of hesitation.
Gloria was deeply perplexed. Merely relying on corporate identity was definitely not the best insurance.
She couldn't make heads or tails of it.
At this moment, Tang Yu was observing the battle from above, also activating "bullet time" to watch the two fight.
Although the two below were fast, Tang Yu could still clearly see the melee while fully focused.
The commander wielded a short blade, each strike aimed at vital points.
But Moira, having gone completely berserk, paid no heed to her own vitals. Her two terrifying claws targeted his throat and belly.
If caught by her grasp, one would be instantly disemboweled.
The commander dared not be the slightest bit careless, struggling to fend her off. Although he managed to stab her a few times, it failed to hinder Moira's movements. In contrast, if he were hit even once, it would be hard to recover.
Tang Yu noticed that even with both using Sandevistan, Moira still had the upper hand.
It was likely related to Moira's other complementary implants, her endurance and intensity surpassing the other.
The two fought to a stalemate, their Sandevistans operating beyond capacity for over half a minute.
Finally, the commander couldn't hold out. His spine and back of his skull felt like red-hot branding irons, the searing pain becoming unbearable as numbness spread through his body.
With a flip, he evaded Moira, rapidly darting towards the armored vehicle, hoping to escape pursuit.
The instant he reached the vehicle, Moira caught up, her claw plunging into his back. Her five fingers clenched powerfully, viciously grabbing his spine.
Riiip!
The white spinal bones, trailing countless blood vessels, nerve networks, and the neural chip slot at the back of his skull, were all wrenched out with a spray of gore.
The Militech commander was sent flying high into the air by the immense pulling force, slamming against the back wall.Peng!
His entire body slammed against the wall, flesh and blood splattering everywhere. Before he could even cough up blood, he collapsed to the ground, becoming a warm corpse, with only a look of extreme terror left on his face.
This scene frightened the surrounding soldiers.
Moira held a white vertebra in his hand and laughed coldly, "I'm going to pull all your guts out of your bellies."
This incredibly bloody scene instantly shocked the entire venue.
The militech soldiers' voices trembled as they unconsciously muttered.
"Cyberpsycho..."
"Moira has become a cyberpsycho..."
"This..."
Just as they thought they would have to confront the cyberpsycho head-on, a red laser net sprayed down from the flying car above the square.
Immediately after, countless electromagnetic pulse bombs burst out, covering the entire area like rain.
Zap zap zap!
Dazzling blue electric arcs instantly erupted, forming layers of electric nets enveloping the entire small square.
Countless advertising signs exploded, sparks flying, then extinguished and no longer lit up.
Everyone in the square was hit by the electromagnetic pulse attack, their cyberware short-circuiting and burning out as they fell to the ground in pain.
Even Gloria on the third floor was affected by the pulse, feeling her vision severely distorted, accompanied by intense static snow, squatting on the ground in agony.
Moira was no exception. Even if her speed was fast, she could not escape the electromagnetic pulse range.
Wrapped by countless electric nets, she let out a painful howl and gradually could not support herself, kneeling to the ground.
Immediately after, the side door of the armed flying car opened and two Militech special agents jumped down, their heavy machine guns aimed at Moira's head.
Bang!
The heavy gun blew Moira's brains out, blood and bone fragments splattering all over the ground.
After Moira was taken out, the small square gradually quieted down.
Another person walked out of the flying car again, wearing a silver suit uniform, with a pompadour hairstyle, the words "Militech" printed on his chest.
He stood on the deck of the flying car, not caring at all about the casualties in the small square, but his gaze turned to Tang Yu on the third floor.
Anthony Gilchrist?
Tang Yu had some impression of him. He was a senior special agent of Militech's Special Operations Division.
They had met once when they went to the Maelstrom gang's All Foods processing plant to snatch the Flathead.
Meredith suspected that Gilchrist had secretly colluded with the Maelstrom gang and sold information, resulting in a large batch of Militech's transport goods being robbed, including the Flathead.
Later, after Tang Yu helped Meredith deal with the Maelstrom gang, this guy disappeared without a trace. But according to company custom, he most likely shared the same fate as Dum Dum, returning to the deep sea.
At this time, Gilchrist looked towards the third-floor window and said somewhat strangely, "I know you, Arasaka Corporation's rising star, Deputy Director of two departments, Mr. Tang Yu, right? I think in the entire Arasaka Tower, you can't find anyone cleaner than you."
"Tell me, what were you looking for Moira for? She is a Militech service member. I don't think you two are friends at all."
Tang Yu calmly said, "Arasaka's business, is it something you can ask about? Let your Special Operations supervisor Meredith do the talking."
Gilchrist laughed, his tone slightly threatening, "You haven't figured out the situation now, have you? Interfering in Militech's internal affairs is a clear taboo on the surface. If something really goes wrong by accident, no one can be blamed."
Tang Yu had no time to waste words with him. He turned his head and asked about Gloria's condition.
"How are you doing? Feeling better?"
Gloria managed to stand up, rubbing her temples and nodding, "I'm fine, Mr. Tang."
"Okay, let's go. You go back and rest later."
Gloria still wanted to persist, but now was not the time to talk about these things. Leaving the scene was more important.
Tang Yu turned and led Gloria towards the door, not taking the Militech special agent Gilchrist seriously at all.
Daring to make a move here, they first had to weigh the power of the Arasaka Special Task Force, as well as the trauma team arriving in three minutes to save lives. After all, the lives of platinum members were above all else.
More importantly, could they bear all the consequences?
Gilchrist saw Tang Yu turn and leave, not paying any attention to him at all. His face visibly darkened.
Facing Arasaka's high-level executives, he ultimately did not dare to openly attack, and could only watch Tang Yu take Gloria and leave.
He was just a senior special agent. Without superior approval, rashly killing an Arasaka executive would end up with him taking the blame.
Even with superiors' arrangements, doing such a dangerous thing required mental preparation to be retaliated against by Arasaka.
It was fine to risk your life for the company, but offending the company could easily cost you your life.
Gilchrist could only suppress his anger and attentively listen to his subordinates' reports, learning about the matters related to Moira.
He did not dare to slack off. This operation was approved by the Special Operations supervisor Meredith Stout. He must immediately report the situation.
Gilchrist's eye implant spun as he pulled up the contact interface and dialed his superior's number.
At this time.
Meredith Stout was sitting in her office at the Militech building, plotting the combat implant deal with the NCPD along with the company's executives from R&D, external relations, and other departments.
This deal involved a large amount and was a high-profile transaction. Any link, be it product, transportation, quality, or data, could not have any errors.
Meredith saw her subordinate calling and realized there was a situation with the operation. She walked out of the office to the reception room.
Answering the call.
She patiently listened to Gilchrist's report, learning everything that had just happened at the small square on Rivulet Circle.
Meredith's brows furrowed slightly as she asked again to confirm the key information, "You're saying Arasaka's Tang Yu was also at the scene and arrived a step ahead of you?"
Gilchrist: "Yes, Commander Meredith. When we arrived, Moira had already talked with Arasaka's people for a while. Their purpose is definitely not simple and very likely involves implant experiments..."
After listening, Meredith secretly felt something was wrong.
Tang Yu investigating Moira and getting intelligence a step ahead made her think of several things.
Arasaka was secretly investigating Militech's experimental cyberware. Whether they wanted to steal technology or make some other move, it definitely wasn't with good intentions.
Moira had been killed, her body recovered, and Arasaka got nothing. They likely wouldn't let it go.
Also, Tang Yu personally coming to the scene to investigate meant this matter was very important to him. What exactly was it that could be worth the attention of Arasaka's executives?
Meredith fell into deep thought.
Moira, experimental cyberware, Arasaka Corporation, Counter-Intelligence, Tang Yu...
The words swirled in her mind, constantly repeating and rearranging.
Suddenly.
A flash of inspiration hit Meredith. She seemed to have guessed something.
She quickly got up to return to her office, sitting back at her desk. She operated the electronic screen, retrieving information from the department's archives - a string of personnel lists, all subjects who had been installed with Militech's experimental combat implants.
Meredith quickly filtered through.
First remove the deceased, instantly halving the list.
Then narrow the scope to Night City, halving it again.
Finally, filter and lock onto personnel information similar to Moira - retired soldiers, troops on sick leave, etc.
Locking onto the key person.
Marcello.
"Served in the same unit as Moira, had some interpersonal dealings, also installed with experimental combat implants. After retiring, chose to leave the company. Now wandering the streets, hanging around Santo Domingo."
After reading, Meredith immediately summoned her personal secretary and ordered.
"Find Marcello for me right away. If he's alive, I want to see him in person. If dead, I want to see the corpse. He absolutely cannot fall into Arasaka's hands."
The secretary immediately accepted the task. Just as she was about to go assign it to the Special Operations unit, Meredith called out to her again.
"No, this can't be handled by the department's special agents. Marcello is no longer under Militech's jurisdiction and Arasaka is also involved in this matter. The one to make a move should be him..."
The secretary quickly caught on and tentatively suggested, "Commander, to avoid direct confrontation with Arasaka, we can find a middleman to arrange for mercenaries to resolve it."
Meredith nodded, indicating her approval of the suggestion.
She didn't want Arasaka to get more leverage because of the Marcello situation, especially Tang Yu.
The two maintained a mutual understanding. At least on the surface, there shouldn't be open hostilities, especially since that incident had just passed not long ago. Meredith had to consider the consequences of exposure.
Meredith said coldly, "No matter the cost, you must get him for me."
"Also, notify the Sixth Street gang. Marcello is in their territory. It's time for them to lend a hand and put in some effort."
The secretary went to carry out the orders and began arranging the task according to instructions.
