Chapter 8

"Channel 54 News will continue to report on the progress of this incident."

In the news, they were discussing an incident that occurred in the wastelands, seemingly near the area where V and Luoqi used to dwell.

Before the Bakker family joined the Snake Nation, and before V and Luoqi left, vicious gang firefights were frequently seen on the news, but they had never been so intense and lasting.

Having lost his memory, Luoqi had no old feelings for the family, but V did. Therefore, for V's sake, Luoqi hoped that the Bakker family could overcome this difficult time.

"Up next is international news."

"The 'Moon Valley' uranium mine collapse that occurred earlier outside the city of Novosibirsk in South Siberia has been successfully resolved through multiple negotiations."

"As previously reported, 35 miners were trapped deep underground after a strong earthquake. However, due to the implanted Mole II-type hibernation device, the miners were able to survive for two weeks without food and fresh water. Fortunately, after a brief rest and technical assessment, the rescued miners immediately returned to their previous jobs."

Luoqi: ...

Capitalists watched and praised the expertise.

"Our focus shifts from underground to the surface, as Military Technology announces plans to establish a new colony on the Crimson Star. According to the company's plans, the base will be divided into three areas - industrial, scientific, and residential. Ten habitable modules are now available for purchase, with a starting price of 100 million euros each. Indeed, the price is a bit steep, but your safety is priceless."

Luoqi: ...

Capitalists watched and urged to buy, buy, buy.

What's there to hesitate about 100 million euros, since it's all the people's hard-earned money anyway?

"The NCPD reminds citizens to be cautious when using data terminals. A recent routine inspection revealed that many terminals have been corrupted by malware. Police experts confirm that the currently known viruses can cause network equipment failures and even, in extreme cases, death of the user."

"To address the escalating gang activity, the Mayor's Office has raised the public threat level to red alert. Residents of River Valley and Watson districts are advised not to leave their homes after dark and to always keep self-defense weapons at hand. Schools and hospitals have been closed, awaiting further notice."

"What will become of the Pacific? This area, once seen as a luxurious oasis, has now become a lawless paradise for violent gangs and drug addicts. Kanto Corporation recently expressed interest in acquiring Pacific real estate for the construction of a new large-scale server base and smart logistics center. The city government has publicly stated that if Kanto Corporation can demonstrate a commitment to eradicating criminal activity in the area, they will consider selling the property for a symbolic price of one euro."

"Today's final news item..."

The flamboyant female anchor in the news continued to "blah blah blah", and although Luoqi was still watching the screen, his thoughts had drifted elsewhere.

So not only was Watson district under lockdown, but also the River Valley district?

Luoqi took out a PDA, a rare device in this era of widespread cyberware, and opened the map of Night City.

Night City is located in the Bay Area, with six districts, each divided into smaller sections.

For example, his and V's apartment is located in the southernmost part of Little China in the northern Watson district, from where you can see the city's tallest building, Arasaka Tower, to the south.

Jack usually lives in a cozy little room in the garage behind the Wild Wolf Bar run by his mom. That place is in the southern part of Watson district, in Heywood, which is reached by passing through the City Center. And Although the anti-terrorist mobile unit had started to slaughter gang members on the streets, Luo Qi still didn't believe the media that lied in twelve out of ten sentences. After all, "Ma Yuan" told us that the main way for financial oligarchs to manipulate and control society is, in politics, through "personal union" with the government; and also through establishing policy consulting agencies, controlling news, science, education, and culture to influence and affect the country's domestic and foreign affairs and social life.

For example, military technology and the American government, Arasaka Corporation and the Japanese government.

In Night City, where "Comrade Marx" would come back to life in anger, nothing strange could happen.

"Harmony among the people and the prosperity of all industries" is the real nonsense.

Even Luo Qi, a political idiot, could see that it was clearly the NCPD chasing gang members on the streets, and the usually wicked guys were now hiding in the gutter shivering, just scapegoats used to cover up the truth.

The last news item was about a tax policy of 10,000 euros for dog owners, which seemed absurd, but in fact, those who could afford dogs didn't care about the money, and those who couldn't afford dogs didn't care either.

Realizing that something was wrong, Luo Qi eventually left the elevator, otherwise, he might have been dragged away as a mental patient if he stayed any longer.

On the first floor of the apartment building, there were various food stalls with questionable sanitary conditions. This was normal in the "sky-high slums," as more decent restaurants and hotels were not affordable for ordinary people.

Two police officers in NCPD uniforms were arguing about something by a table.

It seemed to be about the anti-terrorist mobile unit.

With Watson District sealed off and NCPD's police force significantly increased, the situation seemed extremely tense.

Luo Qi's nerves jumped.

It wasn't because of the logic of "seeing cops outside means no good will happen today" circulating among the common people.

Police officers looking for food during their break were already at the doorstep, which meant that the situation was not just tense, but extremely tense.

"A bottle of juice, please." Luo Qi took out his chip, transferred a few bucks to the owner, and took a chilled bottle of "coloring and syrup" concoction.

After drinking about half a bottle, Luo Qi left the bottle on the table and casually walked away.

He didn't eavesdrop on any useful information. The male officer was blaming the female officer for stepping forward to protect civilians and attracting the attention of the cyber psychos. In his opinion, ordinary police equipment couldn't handle such a situation.

The outcome was still good; the good people weren't killed, and they could at least sit here and eat.

"Ah..." Luo Qi sighed.

Even after half a year in Night City, he still couldn't fully adapt to the "chaotic and corrupt filth everywhere" environment.

Night City had unparalleled prosperity and unparalleled sin.

Brilliant, dazzling, and cruel beauty.

There were police officers in the hallway taking statements and records, and police cars on the other side of the street blocking off the crime scene.

It wasn't the arrival of the NCPD that caused the crime rate to rise, but rather that these crimes hadn't been discovered or stopped before the massive police mobilization.

Small City, Big Home; Cold World, Warm Home

Downstairs, at the Asian food stall with a red "Night Street" lantern hanging above, two figures had been waiting for a long time.

"Lucky! You're too slow!"

Jack slapped his thigh and yelled.

"Ah, sorry, I was just watching the news. V, are you okay? What's bothering you?" Luoqi sat down and then said to the stall owner, "Xiaolongbao and sushi, to go."

"No big deal, maybe just got a little poisoned." V waved his hand.

"Get in the car, let's talk in the car." Jack pulled Luoqi, who had taken the breakfast (?), and led him to the car that had just been fixed for V, "I've got a big deal lined up."

V, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was more cautious, "Jack, we haven't met yet. Don't run your mouth."

"Hehe." Jack scratched his head sheepishly, "Dexter DeShawn, the most badass fixer in Night City. I'm not saying Padre or Wakako aren't good, but he's on a whole other level."

"He was gone for two years and just came back." V added, obviously very cautious about this mysterious fixer who suddenly showed up.

Compared to the somewhat carefree Jack, V always liked to seek the opinion of the more cautious Luoqi.

"T-Bug introduced us, but I still feel something's off." V said, "You know, fixers are always looking for clients, finding the cheapest idiots to complete the job, and then throwing the bodies into the garbage heap."

"You're just nervous, V," Jack assured him, "We've made a bit of a name for ourselves, it's normal for people to come looking for us."

"No, Jack, you're wrong, very wrong."

Upon hearing that name, Luoqi began to picture a 300-plus-pound black man, wearing gold and silver, dressed in the 2077's fashionable style, and the image of a nouveau riche fixer.

There was also the alarm echoing throughout the Arasaka Tower.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

"The Watson district lockdown..." Luoqi's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, "It's not the gang members."

"What... what are you talking about, Lucky?"

Jack didn't understand why the conversation suddenly turned to the lockdown.

"Relic... no, it's nothing." He shook his head, as everything was still just speculation at this point, and there was no use in sharing it.

Then Luoqi patted V on the shoulder, "V, remember what I'm about to say - when you go to meet that fat bastard later, don't believe anything he says except for the facts of what happened."

"Why?" Even V was puzzled now, "Do you know him well?"

A fixer who had been on the run for two years was indeed suspicious, so V instinctively trusted his good friend.

In such situations, Luoqi had a stronger intuition than both V and Jack.

"No, I don't know him..." Luoqi held the bag of food in his hand, but didn't take a bite, "But I do know that no matter how powerful a fixer is, they're just a fox. It's the corporations holding the reins of state power and economic lifelines that are the true hunters with shotguns in hand."

He looked at V and the puzzled Jack, his gaze unfocused.

The sound of Johnny Silverhand's final performance echoed in his ears, as did the memory of his own body being consumed by fierce flames. On this land, in this country, no matter how history changed, the final victor was always capital.

Cruelly so.

Like a silent black comedy.

"Hey, hey, Lucky, are you alright?" Jack was startled by Luoqi's sudden gloom and waved his hand in front of his eyes.

"The pronunciation is 'la,' not 'lu.'

The car stopped at the intersection of Bradbury Street and Bran Street, where the window displays featured seductive men and women dancing around poles.

Luoqi wasn't interested in any of this, especially when he saw some scantily clad men, almost throwing away the xiaolongbao he had just started eating.

"Once old Vic fixes your circuits, come find us - let's see what kind of job Dexter has for us."

Jack entered Misty's shop and leaned on the counter, chatting and joking with her, which was his way of "building rapport."

This shop, filled with various statues and exuding the scent of incense, seemed mysterious. Candlelight added a mystical touch to the place, with porcelain, bells, and incense burners creating a collection of world religious cultures.

With her messy hair, off-the-shoulder blue sleeves, and fishnet stockings, Misty was the owner of the shop and also Jack's "almost girlfriend."

Who knew, after so many encounters, Jack and Misty were incredibly familiar with each other, their relationship strong, yet always respectful. They would chat and suddenly burst into laughter - Misty's laughter like a silver bell, and Jack's like a big chime.

Old Vic, Victor's cyborg modification shop, was located behind Misty's shop. From the outside, it looked like a poor alley, but inside, it was like a secret underground lab for a mad scientist.

When V first arrived in Night City, he had taken Luoqi to see Victor about his head. Victor had given him a painkiller and sent him on his way.

At first, Luoqi was confused, but when Victor told him it was just a mild concussion that would heal in a few days, or at most two weeks, and the facts proved this, he realized Victor's calm demeanor was impressive.

After all, if you went to the hospital, the bill would be enough to kill you.

"They're lizard people from the Alpha Centauri constellation!"

The self-proclaimed "Prophet Gary," a cybercrazy man, began to ramble and chant loudly outside the door.

Given that he was a non-combative cybercrazy, and considering his daily outbursts had become a feature of Bradbury Street, attracting people to take photos and check in, those responsible for street security just let it be. No one wanted to stand in the way of customer flow, which meant money.

However, Luoqi knew that this bespectacled man, whose real name was Gerard Winkler, knew about the "AI behind the Blackwall," the Vortex gang, and the inside story of the Arasaka Corporation. But for him, it was either too stimulating or the result of a faulty implant; in any case, he now stood there, going insane.