Amidst such an atmosphere of danger, be it V or Jackie, even Dexter, they are all just pawns.
Pawns of the giant capital that covers this world.
Someone wants to break away from Arasaka, stab them in the back, so there have to be a few pawns to sacrifice.
But now, there is a guy named Luoqi who has jumped onto the chessboard, planning to smash this plan to smithereens.
"There are two solutions: first, move up the timeline to avoid risks and escape smoothly," Luoqi sat in a coffee shop, ordering an expensive but delicious cup of strong tea. "After the alarm goes off, even with an injured person, we can escape from Konpeki Plaza, let alone when there's no alarm."
"Second, the most unfortunate scenario—we can't move up the timeline and have to go ahead anyway."
"In that case, we must prepare other escape routes."
Luoqi revealed a charming smile: "The rooftop can be used to escape by air car; this requires learning to drive and hacking. The main entrance will have us face off with Adam Smasher, where the brave win in a narrow encounter, and only the living have the right to go through this door. Going out the back and down the maintenance tunnel... no, no way, even if Jackie getting shot is a matter of probability, I won't go."
"Here's your tea, please enjoy," the waitress handed over a cup of tea on a saucer with a smile.
"Oh, thank you..." Luoqi's expression changed, taking it with a smile, then resumed his "aloof, ruthless, handsome, and full of aura" thinking look. "So it seems that going to the rooftop is indeed the best choice... right?"
Konpeki Plaza probably wouldn't fire anti-air missiles.
Floating armored vehicles probably wouldn't chase and shoot.
Arasaka's aircraft carrier Kujira probably wouldn't dispatch fighter jets.
No way in hell!!!
Luoqi painfully covered his head—anything related to corporations, especially when it came to their fundamental interests, capital could kill you in ways you can and cannot imagine.
Escape plans should prioritize being low-profile and feasible, ensuring safety and thoroughness when discovered.
But whichever way they chose, it would require a lot of money for preparations.
Looking at the remaining balance of a few thousand Eurodollars in his card, Luoqi felt a headache coming.
The cost of living in Night City was outrageous; high levels of automation led to massive unemployment of low-skilled workers, so the "poor" end of the wealth gap was extremely low. Workers spent 100 Euro a week on meal costs, averaging 5 Euro per meal, and there were 30 Euro worth of cheap synthetic food per week for those struggling.
There were also rent, internet fees, water and electricity bills, and a bunch of messy bills to be paid.
What dream city? Waking up every day to be drained of surplus value by work is the truth.
This isn't a game where you can regain full health after being injured by casting "Devoted Healing" or "Rejuvenate"; it's a reality where people can die at any time without plot-induced deaths. A samurai sword can't cut through the shell of power armor, clothes can't provide armor to deflect bullets, and an anti-terrorism unit can deliver the finale with one shot.
He needed money, lots of money, preferably enough to support the entire escape plan.
"Ding, ding, ding..."
Walking on the street, Luoqi's PDA suddenly rang.
"I talked to Dexter," V said.
"Hehe, the fat man must have given us a fat job,"
"In the midst of such a deadly atmosphere, whether it's V, Jack, or even Dexter, they're all just pawns.
A pawn of the big capital that envelops this world.
If someone wants to compete with Arasaka and stab them in the back, there must be a few pawns ready to die.
But now, there's a guy named Rogue who has jumped onto the chessboard and plans to smash this plan to pieces.
"Two solutions, the first is to advance the time, avoid the risk, and escape smoothly," Rogue sat in a coffee shop, ordered a cup of expensive but quite good strong tea, "After the alarm goes off, even with an injured person, it's easy to escape from the Azure Building, let alone when there's no alarm."
"The second is the worst-case scenario - no way to advance, just have to go in headstrong."
"Then, we must prepare other escape routes."
Rogue revealed an enchanting smile: "The rooftop can be used to escape by air car, which requires learning to drive and hacking. Going through the front door and facing Adam Smasher directly, the brave win when adversaries meet, only the living are qualified to go through this door. Going out the back door, down the maintenance channel... Damn, no, no, even if Jack getting shot is a probability issue, I won't go."
"Here's your tea, please enjoy," the waitress handed over a cup of tea on a saucer with a smile.
"Oh, thank you..." Rogue's expression changed, smiling as he accepted the tea, then resumed his "cold, unfeeling, handsome, and utterly pretentious" thinking face, "So it seems that going through the rooftop is indeed the best choice... right?"
Azure Building shouldn't launch anti-air missiles, right?
Air armored vehicles shouldn't chase and shoot, right?
Arasaka's aircraft carrier Kujira shouldn't dispatch fighter jets, right?
No way in hell!!!
Rogue painfully covered his head - as long as it involves the company, especially the fundamental interests, capital can kill you in ways you can think of and can't think of.
The escape plan should be low-key and feasible, and ensure safety and thoroughness when discovered.
But whatever escape route is chosen, a lot of money is needed for preparation.
Looking at the few thousand euros left on his card, Rogue felt a headache.
The cost of living in Night City is really outrageous because high levels of mechanization have led to massive unemployment of low-skilled workers, so the "poor" end of the wealth gap is extremely low. Workers spend 100 euros a week on boxed meal expenses, averaging 5 euros per meal, and there are 30 euros a week of cheap synthetic food for those who are struggling.
And there's a bunch of miscellaneous bills like rent, internet, and utilities waiting to be paid.
What dream city, every day waking up to be drained of surplus value by work is the truth.
This is not a game where an injury can be healed with a "Full Effort Cure" or "Restore and Health" and be full of blood, but a reality where people can die at any time without plot kills. Samurai swords can't break through the shell of mecha, and clothes can't provide bulletproof armor. A single shot from the terrorist tactical team can create a big finale.
He needs money, lots and lots of money, preferably enough to support the entire escape plan.
Chapter 10 What a useless military technology!
"Ding ding ding..."
As he walked down the street, Rogue's PDA suddenly rang.
"I've talked to Dexter," V said.
"Hehe, the fat man must have given a big job," Jack was still as optimistic as ever.
V, Jack, and Luo Qi were mercenaries who had recently made a name for themselves. Regina had just recently contacted V, so her understanding of this "close friend of V" was limited, only knowing that he seemed to be a decent fighter.
"Tell me the location of a recent cyberpsycho, and I'll go there - either I come out alive, or you consider what I said today as nonsense from an arrogant fool seeking his own death." Luo Qi didn't want to waste time. Although he was anxious, his tone was calm as if he was somewhat drowsy.
No one would trust an "impatient, flustered, uncoordinated, unreliable" mercenary, especially the fixers in Watson District, who were all shrewd and calculating individuals.
"Alright, if you insist." Regina sighed, and Luo Qi's words moved her. After all, she didn't have to pay until the job was confirmed as done. If the job was successful, she'd have another useful person at her disposal. If it failed, the worst-case scenario was that her cleanup crew would have to move one more body.
"Just now, there was a cyberpsycho attack, with reliable information. Apparently, the terrorist response team went there too. But how could that be possible? Militech has already locked the area down. The psycho is probably one of their own, maybe Lieutenant Mohr. Anyway, the corporation will intervene soon." Regina said, "I have a study on cyberpsycho treatment here. Before the corporate people take action, make sure she is subdued and alive."
"Less money if she's dead, more money if she's alive. It's that simple. I've sent you the address; see the attachment for details."
If Luo Qi didn't know Regina well, he would definitely think that this lightning-fast woman had a problem with him. She seemed unwilling to say an extra word.
Opening the message and zooming in on the map – the location was near Creek Loop, not far from Regina's hideout.
Well, this information must have been obtained by looking down from her balcony.
Luo Qi silently complained and hailed a taxi: "Creek Loop intersection, hurry."
It wasn't a Delamain AI combat taxi but one driven by a human. The trip, less than a kilometer, ended quickly.
The scene was already surrounded by Militech personnel. Regina sent a message saying that it was originally the task of the terrorist response team, but the corporation had intercepted it.
"Cover me, initiate the attack!"
Not far away, a team of four or five elite soldiers wearing much better equipment than NCPD officers charged into the building in a well-trained manner. Then, they immediately screamed in a completely unresponsive speed.
After several brutal strikes, it became quiet inside again.
Luo Qi: ???
Was this the legendary instant failure (covering face)?
He tiptoed, planning to touch the wall and go down to investigate, but he kicked something under his foot.
Upon picking it up – it was a separation chip, which seemed to have been dropped in a hurry. It didn't seem like something that could be casually discarded.
He took out his PDA and scanned the readable documents.
[Code: Red Target: Lieutenant Mohr Threat Level: Dangerous The target exhibits symptoms of cyberpsychosis. After consulting with a physician over the phone, the prognosis is malignant and untreatable. The target is located at the coordinates in the attachment, awaiting medical personnel. A raid can be conducted. Warning: The target is equipped with military-grade combat implants. Extreme caution is advised during the operation. After the threat is neutralized, send a report through the encrypted channel.] Looking around, there were no Militech personnel in sight. Vehicles were parked in two groups. It seemed that the first group was wiped out when dealing with the emergency, and the second group entered the scene quickly, only to fail instantly. "Blood and cyberware!!!" "Splatter splatter splatter---!!!" As Luo Qi walked down two steps, intending to check the Militech agent lying in a pool of blood, he heard an almost maniacal scream, accompanied by the sound of blades entering bodies and tearing. "Damn..." He was startled and almost shivered. Reaching the end of the stairs, there was a courtyard filled with water. A black shadow with glowing green eyes instantly caught his movement and began to howl. "...I'm going to snap your spine waaaaagh!!!" WTF!! Luo Qi let out a cry, "Aiyo!", and subconsciously turned to run. His shoes stepped into the water, making a splashing sound. It was about ankle-deep, so it didn't impede his movements too much. He felt a chill down his spine, with goosebumps rising on his back. A black shadow used a blink ability, moving swiftly and changing positions in three quick steps. It swung its blade with a "crack," which was enough to give anyone a heart attack. If it weren't for the "Stanislaw" and "Krenzikov" combat implants installed, Luo Qi would have swallowed his PDA right then and there.