"…You could find someone else to help, you know, someone who's willing to take in a wanderer on the border. As for your friend in the back seat, there aren't any good doctors in the wasteland who can treat head injuries. Want to find one? Go to Night City."
In a daze, Roche heard the sound of someone talking.
He rubbed his eyes, his head still feeling foggy, as if it had been caught in a door.
Who am I? Where am I? It seemed like he had forgotten something important...
"Hey! Hey! Lucky! Are you okay?" Before Roche could react, his swaying head was held by a pair of big hands, and a vaguely familiar face approached him, "Can you hear me talking?"
Buzz--
As the light slowly focused in his eyes, Roche held his head, which was throbbing with pain and echoing with a buzzing sound, finally able to see everything around him.
He was sitting in the back seat of a car, which was parked in a messy repair shop.
The man in front of him, showing an anxious expression, looked more and more familiar to Roche. In his memory, chaotic images began to overlap.
"V? ...V! You are... V!?"
Roche's eyes widened suddenly, his brain went into a stupor, and for a moment, he couldn't believe his own eyes.
"Ah, zz-zz-zz--!!"
The memories and chaotic fragments that suddenly entered his brain overlapped, causing him to fall into painful convulsions again--
He saw someone shooting at him, and before he could feel the pain, his vision blurred, and then he witnessed the last moment of his body sinking to the bottom of the sea with the cruise ship. The fragmented memories didn't last long, and countless bizarre images with shimmering light spots whistled through his mind without warning.
[System malfunction detected, performing emergency reset.]
[Reset complete, all data has been rolled back.]
[No relevant permissions, OVER-1 combat sequence closed.]
It wasn't until the last prompt sound ended that Roche's head finally calmed down. His forehead and back were covered with fine, cold sweat.
Looking at the nervous V in front of him, Roche was sure he had forgotten something.
But before he could think about it, the shock of realizing that he had time-traveled occupied his brain.
"...I, I... I'm okay... V."
Thousands of words condensed into one sentence, Roche patted V's hand, indicating that he was fine.
The words were meant for V and for his panicked, disoriented self. He needed some time to sort out his thoughts. The memories in his head were so chaotic that they could drive any normal person insane, completely disordered, like the shrieks of a siren echoing around him 24 hours a day.
But for some reason, such a simple sentence didn't feel strange or distant coming from Roche's mouth, as if he and V had been friends for many years, hidden deep in his subconscious.
"I'm glad you're okay. Once we..." V glanced back at the man dressed as a mechanic without revealing his thoughts, changing what he was about to say, "Once we get to Night City, I'll find you the best cyberware doctor."
Listening to the familiar voice, Roche's mood calmed down a bit. He felt the touch of the sofa seat and slowly adjusted his breathing to alleviate the sharp pain in his head.
V was always so reliable. If there was someone in Night City you could trust as a friend, this young man code-named V would be the perfect choice.
Although he didn't know what kind of relationship his original self had with V, the current situation wasn't too bad.
At the side, the roar of rock music emerged from the radio, distorted and reminiscent of an earlier era.
The TV was broadcasting news about "space pirates" in a stiff manner—
This was the world of "Cyberpunk 2077," where news like this couldn't be heard in the original world.
Slowly, Luo Qi closed his eyes, but was quickly shaken awake by an anxious V.
"Heh... I'm fine, V. Really, don't worry."
He smiled, and the pain in his head lessened slightly.
"Remember this—if you die, I'll go back and settle the score with those bastards right away," V said, supporting Luo Qi's shoulder with a determined look he'd never seen before.
Not until Luo Qi nodded did V finally let go.
"Where were we?" V asked the mechanic.
"Your friend needs to go to Night City for a head check."
"Not that, the previous one."
"I can't fix this car," the mechanic said, nonchalant.
However, V was no rookie. As a drifter who had spent time with the Bakker family and wandered the Badlands for years, a stubborn mechanic wouldn't deter him.
"The agreed-upon payment is non-negotiable, not a penny more."
"Sure, you can use my tools and fix it yourself," the mechanic said, arms crossed, indifferent.
V scoffed and pulled him away from the car, "No problem, just move."
Luo Qi watched this scene from the car, feeling somewhat helpless about the minor confrontation, and chuckled gently, careful not to exert too much force.
It seemed that V in this world was a down-to-earth wanderer.
"I plan to bypass the coupling and pull a wire from the engine."
While saying "plan," Luo Qi watched V pull a wire without hesitation and connect it somewhere.
As a complete novice in auto repair, Luo Qi could only watch V work, clueless.
"The compressor will keep spinning like that, and it might fail," the mechanic warned.
V turned and gave the mechanic a disdainful look, "Did I ask for your opinion?"
"Pfft..." Luo Qi laughed out loud in the car, then felt a throbbing pain in his temples.
It was V, undoubtedly.
The same familiar temperament.
The mechanic, embarrassed, stood aside.
"Alright, let's see if it works now..." V opened the car door, sat in the driver's seat, and started the engine.
Vroom... ignition failed x1
Vroom... ignition failed x2
Amid the mechanic's scornful laughter, the red old car finally roared to life.
"Well, you've got some skills, but how long will this last?" The mechanic's attitude softened as he closed the hood for them.
"If it gets us to Night City, that's enough. I'll figure something out there," V said, unconcerned. There were more important things to do, "Lucky, how are you feeling now?"
"Um, I think I'm okay," Luo Qi nodded.
"Then let's go meet our client first, alright?" V asked.
Luo Qi knew exactly who this so-called client was.
Jackie Welles.
It was a sad name because it carried a sad story.
Luo Qi didn't intend to wage war against the entire wasteland, but if it was to save Jackie, he would gladly do so, even if it meant flying a fortress all the way to Hiroshima. After completing the first chapter's mission with a terrible 30fps gaming experience, the death of Jackie in the car completely destroyed Luo Qi's desire to continue playing. So, until he was transported here, he never touched the game again.
V, hired as a mercenary, was tasked with transporting a client and their cargo across Night City's border. That commission would cover V's living expenses for the time being.
So, this job was a must-take.
As V connected to the non-functional car radio, intending to contact the client again, two legs in uniform pants approached from outside the roller shutter.
V quickly hid his equipment.
"Rattle..." The roller shutter was lifted, revealing a swaggering man wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses, dressed like a sheriff, "Hey, Mike, I didn't know you had visitors here."
The usually nonchalant mechanic in front of V suddenly became nervous, "They arrived a few hours ago... I thought they'd already greeted you."
The arrogant sheriff waved dismissively, hands on hips, "Don't worry, Mike, we can talk things out."
Although his words sounded reasonable, his tone carried a haughty air of superiority.
The mechanic, called Mike, touched the brim of his hat and retreated to the side.
"Tsk." The sheriff spat disdainfully, a malicious glint in his eyes, "Didn't you know you have to greet the sheriff when you come to town? Tell him... what you're here for, even if it's just for a cup of coffee?"
There it was, the classic line, identical to the one in the game.
A sheriff in person, a sheriff's spirit, an American sheriff above all...
Luo Qi quietly stayed in the back seat, acting mute, feeling nervous, but his inner sarcasm never ceased.
However, on his waist hung a real gun, the kind that could kill.
Who knew if the real-world sheriff would have the same "infinite patience" as in the beginner's storyline—where you could choose a disrespectful response or simply drive around in front of him without any consequences.
Would the story continue as he remembered it if he pulled out his revolver and killed the sheriff, or if something else unpleasant happened?
Luo Qi didn't dare to bet on whether this world had a "load game" function.
"Ah, I didn't notice there was another person here," the sheriff said, leaning on the car roof, a casual smirk curling up beneath his sunglasses.
"Don't worry, I'll be gone soon," V spoke up, drawing the sheriff's attention.
"That's not what I wanted to ask you, right?" The sheriff interrupted, "My name is Andrew Jones, you might have heard of me. I was in the special forces during the last war, ever heard of the 'Silver Shogun General'?"
V wanted to shake his head but remained silent.
"You're not much of a talker, huh?" The sheriff nodded, walked around the car, and finally stepped on the hood, "Is this a drifter's car? Huh! I thought..."
"I'll leave as soon as I fix the car, I didn't plan to stay here long." V clenched his fists silently and compromised.
"Right, you'd better not linger, because I can't stand the sight of drifters." The sheriff gestured, looking at V with contempt, "You, where's your clan's camp?"
"No clan, no camp. Just the two of us."
"I don't believe it. Drifters always travel in groups." The sheriff shook his head, dissatisfied with the answer.
"My clan disbanded, so I decided to go to Night City," V explained.
However, V wasn't telling the truth.
The real reason was to help the client smuggle items and to take Luo Qi to see a doctor.
Looking at V's profile, Luo Qi suddenly realized something.
If he and V had known each other earlier, it would mean that the two might have belonged to a drifter clan called Bakkers.
The sheriff was right; V and Luo Qi were now drifters among drifters.
Homeless, trusting no one, which was why V relied on and cared for Luo Qi so much.
V's radio was broken, the equipment couldn't connect to a signal, and he planned to use the local transmission tower. But the sheriff didn't care, all he wanted was for V and Luo Qi to get off his territory. Seeing these "drifters" on his turf made the sheriff furious.
However, because Luo Qi was there, V didn't dare to confront the sheriff and had to leave the place, swallowing his anger.
"V, thank you," Luo Qi suddenly said as the car drove on the dusty road.
"I owe you a life, Lucky," V didn't look back, implying that it was nothing.
Luo Qi looked at his back, smiled helplessly.
He didn't know what kind of experience forged their "more than brothers, but like siblings" relationship.
But it wasn't bad, was it?
Somewhere in the wasteland, the sun shone fiercely on the scorched, dry earth.
"Be careful, V!"
Luo Qi stood under the antenna tower, looking up with squinted eyes as V climbed the rusty ladder and walkways up the towering iron structure. The sunlight pierced through the tower, forcing him to find a backlit angle to see V's movements clearly.
"Bang! Clang! Rattle—!"
A piece of metal sheet whistled as V threw it down from the tower. Although it was on the other side of the tower, it still startled Luo Qi.
After connecting the antenna, V held the small communicator and gestured an OK sign to Luo Qi from afar.
So, Luo Qi spent a few minutes kicking stones below.
It wasn't until V deftly descended and landed on both feet, his face finally relaxing into a smile, "I contacted William. He told me the client is at a nearby farm."
Luo Qi had a vague recollection of this part of the story. It was probably about V's Bakker clan joining the Snake Nation, and V couldn't get along with the cunning and treacherous members of the Snake Nation. So, he had a falling out with them, deciding to take his brother Luo Qi and strike out on their own.
William McCoy, a Bakker man, was a tough-talking but soft-hearted good guy. Although V left the clan—which was considered a betrayal in drifter groups—he still secretly helped them out.
Luo Qi didn't know if V had any further dealings with drifter clans later on, but at least he remembered the name.
In Night City, in 2077 America, anything was possible—even immortality.
Only genuine hearts were hard to find.
V's old car traveled through the wastelands south of Night City. In the distance were low hills showing uneven textures under the sunlight, and the roar of the engine sounded like a large motorcycle, with the scent of the wasteland hitting them head-on.
This area was called "Dry Creek" by the drifters.
Perhaps there was once a forgotten river system here, but now the erosive force of wind and sand had worn away any trace of the riverbed, leaving the desolate outskirts even more desolate.
Cacti taller than humans, rusted and blurred billboards, and a mouthful of sandy taste.
Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey...
Luo Qi wiped the corner of his mouth.
First survival tip in the wild: Don't open your mouth while driving in the wasteland, unless you want sand for dinner.
"Is that it? A run-down tin shack?" V steered the car, stopping in front of the once-habitable building, "That's what the navigation shows."
"Lucky, you stay in the car, I'll go." V looked at Luo Qi with a parental feeling of telling a child to stay in the car and not run around.
"I may be injured, but I'm not disabled." Luo Qi smiled and held V's hand that was trying to stop him, "Besides, I want to meet... this client too."
"But..." V hesitated and, looking into Luo Qi's eyes, reluctantly said, "Alright, if you insist."
Entering the house, the two stepped on the weathered plastic floor, making crackling sounds.
On the sofa, a sturdy man wearing a jacket had one foot on a box, and complained as he saw V approach.
"I'm so poor I'm about to start farming. Ah, you must be here for me, right?"
Luo Qi emerged from behind V, revealing an expression of discovering a treasure: "Yo, look what I found, Jackie Wells!"
"You know me?"
Jackie raised an eyebrow, "It's Jackie, not Jack. Por favor (Spanish: please)."
"I heard you have some goods you want me to transport?" V found Luo Qi's excitement a bit strange.
In his view, the tall, sturdy man trying to look tough seemed a little silly.
"Uh, in our place... we have to get to know each other before doing business. It's a custom... or a courtesy, you know?"
Jackie mumbled, and the originally impressive line lost its impact coming from him.
V grinned, "You do value rules."
"A man has to have some backbone, brother. When everything's taken away from you, at least you have that," Jackie sighed.
"Alright, let's start with you," V said.
Listening to their conversation with a smile, Luo Qi sensed a hint of relaxation in V's tone and wore a happy, silly grin on his face—this was the living V and Jackie!
Dealing with a simple-minded big guy was much more pleasant than dealing with schemers, and V was more relaxed.
Jackie held a gun and said naturally, "Night City native, we bleed Heywood blood."
Heywood, such a resounding name—one of the high-incidence areas of gang turf wars.
Even those who didn't know it would have grown calluses in their ears from listening to Stanley's passionate tone on the radio every day.
"I've never been to Night City, it doesn't mean much to me," V wasn't impressed.
Jackie was taken aback and explained, "Well, imagine a place where everyone is like brothers and sisters, or distant cousins, at least."
On this, Luo Qi found it hard to agree completely.
It's hard to find many good people among those in gangs—Jackie was a rare species.
But Jackie had left the gang many years ago to work independently, dreaming of becoming a big shot in Night City. He became a low-level mercenary for the sake of his ideals and money, struggling in this city of dreamers.
If it were the Western era, Jackie might have become a famous cowboy or sheriff; if it were a Chinese martial arts novel, he would be a wandering swordsman; but in the cutthroat era of 2077, he could only be an obscure mercenary.
"Ha, I think I understand. You don't have to like each other that much, but you're all family."
V laughed, having experienced that sense of belonging to a family himself.
It was one of the few precious emotions left in this indifferent era. Even if it wasn't strong or entirely genuine, at least it could soothe people's hearts a little.
It was like a dimly lit room, cold and lonely, but at least there was a flickering candlelight.
Jackie saw that V understood what he meant and continued with satisfaction, "That's right, that's what Heywood is like. Also, everyone carries a piece."
Free America, shootings every day, yay.
Luo Qi muttered sarcastically in his heart.
"Put it this way," V looked at Luo Qi, "Our place is like a Heywood, too."
"Then I guess the three of us will get along well," Jackie pointed at V and Luo Qi, as if he had found kindred spirits.
"A little more sincerity, a little less scheming," Luo Qi said faintly.
"Right, right, AsĂ es (That's right)," Jackie nodded repeatedly.
He kicked the box he had been stepping on, "Here, the goods."
So, you used the goods as a footrest?
Luo Qi wanted to complain a bit, as there was a living thing inside.
"What's in it?" V, of course, didn't know and asked.
"Not knowing might help you sleep better. So, I don't want to know, and that's a good thing," Jackie said.
V, however, asked in surprise, "You don't know what we're smuggling? These things were stolen from the company."
"Stolen?" Jackie laughed, "Heh... some idiot lost it, another idiot picked it up, one after another, and now it's here. What's it called, the butterfly effect, I think."
"It really has been through a long adventure," Luo Qi said. "What, no one came looking for these boxes?"
"Even if they did, it wouldn't matter—unless they could find them before crossing the border, you know?" Jackie waved his hand nonchalantly.
Luo Qi crouched down and examined the packaging on the outside of the box.
It was an alloy box, with a blurry label that was hard to read. A small display was playing an advertisement for some energy food similar to Snickers.
DO NOT OPEN.
Only this line of text was clear.
"Come on, let's load the goods," V said, accepting the reality.
What else could he do? Regardless of what the goods were, they were in his hands now, and he just needed to transport them.
Jackie gave a "hey" and picked up the box with both hands, heading towards the door.
"I almost thought you stood me up."
"I was held up. Besides, this place isn't that easy to find," V didn't tell Jackie about the car issue. Right now, they were just in an employer-employee relationship, far from confiding in each other. At most, they had a mutual liking.
Jackie helplessly said, "That's called being low-key. That stupid sheriff is such a busybody."
"Exactly," V agreed without hesitation, obviously having been quite annoyed just now.
Jackie grunted and put the box in the back of the car.