"From..." Luochi counted on his fingers, "Nearly two hundred years ago in China, written by the Zang Ke family."
"You really do like Chinese culture," T-Bug, who also liked to quote Aristotle in her spare time, laughed.
Luochi smiled faintly, not saying much.
"Hey, isn't it a bit rude to leave me hanging like this, while you guys have your fun?"
Johnny protested.
"Johnny Silverhand, the rock star from the early 21st century, the badass who blew up Arasaka Tower," Old Vic introduced.
"It's the most legendary rock musician of all time, Johnny Silverhand who took down Arasaka Tower."
Johnny bragged about himself.
Old Vic was amused by him and pushed his sunglasses up.
Standing next to Johnny, they looked like two gang bosses.
"The voice and appearance are exactly the same, with no trace of being synthesized. Ah... technology nowadays is getting more and more amazing every day."
Old Vic sighed.
Before Johnny could speak, Luochi slapped the speaker first, preventing this guy, who couldn't say anything nice, from saying any "good words."
"This is the real Johnny Silverhand."
Everyone: ?
Seeing that no one believed him, Luochi thought for a moment and continued.
"Let's put it this way, the relic we stole has Johnny Silverhand's personality on it. He didn't die in the Arasaka explosion back then but was digitized. Now, he has become a... digital soul?"
What did you say???
After Luochi explained the whole story in detail, various expressions occupied the faces of everyone present.
Jackie touched his forehead and exchanged a bewildered look with Misty standing behind him.
T-Bug stammered in the channel, too astonished to speak.
Old Vic furrowed his brow, pondering the principle behind it.
"So, you're saying your PDA contains a terrorist?" V's eyes widened like a bull's.
"It's the great Johnny Silverhand, the unyielding anti-corporate fighter," Johnny corrected.
Luochi was helpless but also amused by Johnny's appearance.
"This is why I need to find Anders Hellman," he revealed his thoughts, "He is the designer of the relic and must know some valuable information. Think about it, a chip that stores not just pure data without cognitive ability, but a digital soul that can be resurrected through some means. Then the relic will no longer be just a toy for the rich to communicate with their virtual deceased loved ones..."
"It would be the key to eternal life."
Eternal life.
Such a fascinating topic.
But was it something ordinary people like them could ever touch?
Throughout history, countless nobles went mad for it. Even now, if it were possible to achieve, it would only be a rare treasure enjoyed by a select few.
"Do you remember why Yorinobu Arasaka stole the relic from the lab in the first place?" Luochi asked V.
"To sell it to military technology? To rebel against his father?" V recalled the details he had collected from the braindance.
"Right, that should be part of the reason." Luochi was also trying to think hard, and then he opened his PDA, scrolled to the third letter and its reply that he had secretly recorded from Yorinobu Arasaka's suite.
[Relic
Sender: Ronald Chiver
Recipient: Yorinobu Arasaka
To continue our last cooperation... As long as the information provided by your side is sincere, we are certainly interested in cooperating. To ensure both parties' transaction can be carried out, we need a sample of the technology working properly.
The only question is... why?
—
Sender: Yorinobu Arasaka
Recipient: Ronald Chiver
Reply: Relic
Mr. Chiver, if you knew economics, I would tell you that the competition among top companies is no longer a zero-sum game. I just want to restore the natural order. However, you are merely a representative and not an economist, so my answer is: I do this out of civic duty... But I worry that saying so implies that I underestimate your intelligence. So, how about this: I have my reasons, and that's all you need to know.
Please don't test my patience, just send your most trusted agent to the Konpeki Plaza.
Yorinobu Arasaka]
This disjointed conversation revealed a lot of information.
"Could it be that Yorinobu Arasaka was serious about opposing the corporation?" Jackie couldn't believe it, "He gave up being the prince to do that... what was it called, Iron Dragon? Seriously? You're kidding, right? No lo creía! (Impossible!)"
Speaking of which, it seemed that Luochi had forgotten something. He had been wanting to complain about it since their time at Konpeki Plaza, and finally remembered it now.
"Damn, Jackie, Yorinobu Arasaka's gang is called Steel Dragon. What Iron Dragon? That sounds weak as hell."
Luochi covered his face, speechless.
"It's all the same, hehe."
"However, Jackie might not be entirely wrong," V shrugged, "At least the part where Yorinobu rebels against his father is true."
"How could it not be true? He choked his father to death," T-Bug scoffed, "Stop wasting time, can you figure out anything else?"
"His father once said that Yorinobu was handing over the results to the West." This term seemed to narrow down the scope, but in reality, it was not very useful, "Look at the reply from this Ronald Chiver. Yorinobu seems to have introduced the functionality of the relic to him, and its powerful effect made the other party quite concerned - even to the point of doubting Yorinobu's motives."
"Only a top-tier large company, not a small or medium-sized one, could handle relic technology. Military technology, biotechnology, Night Corp... there are too many possibilities. Even if the relic could only achieve a part of its intended purpose, it would still be enough for them to make a fortune," Luochi began analyzing, "Militech is Arasaka's old rival and the most likely - but it doesn't matter who it is."
"After all, in corporate warfare, it's all the same when they fight each other," Johnny interjected, "Tyrannical and brutal, the world is still in chaos, same old story."
"So what was Yorinobu's purpose in taking a relic? Resistance funds? Damaging the corporation?" T-Bug was puzzled, "Would such a small move really be effective for someone as powerful as Yorinobu?"
"Maybe he's just short on cash," Jackie, with a straightforward thought process, guessed, "His father froze all his bank accounts, and then a once-influential heir became a caged bird. Perhaps he really doesn't have much money left."
Luochi rubbed his head, puffing up his cheeks and resting his face on his hands: "Well, Yorinobu isn't short on money now. Half of Arasaka is his, great. He just needs to focus on fighting the opposition."
Was it really that simple?
This might be a ladder leading to eternal life.
He looked at the PDA's slot, not daring to unplug the relic.
Who knows if forcibly removing Johnny would turn him into an idiot? Better not to take that risk.
As for what Yorinobu Arasaka, a bizarre figure in such a massive corporation, was really thinking, he no longer cared to know.
"Understand the principles of the relic and find a new buyer?" V raised doubts about Luochi's idea, "What about him?"
He, of course, referred to Johnny Silverhand in the relic.
"This isn't a deal that we can handle alone. If we don't have the energy and capital of a mega-corporation, we'll be swallowed up without a trace," Luochi shook his finger, "I don't plan to sell the relic - on the contrary, keeping it with us might just be a ticking time bomb."
"I don't know why, but I've always had an uneasy feeling," he sighed, "Storing it in the PDA like this isn't a good choice, as there's no guarantee."
Luoqi laughed heartily.
He knew that someone like Johnny Silverhand couldn't possibly be content staying in such a confined space.
He had rebelled against corporations, fate, and even himself. For him, this state of "I am not myself" was exactly what he had to fight against.
"Besides, we don't know who's behind Evelyn Parker or what their goals are. If they find out that the relic is in our possession and try to take it by any means necessary..." He looked at each of his comrades in turn, "Something bad is bound to happen, and I can't allow such a risk to exist."
With that said, he leaned tiredly against the cold brick wall.
"Night City... Full of opportunities, but also full of danger."
"Don't be so pessimistic. Maybe they haven't thought that far ahead," Misty comforted, "If we run into trouble, we'll all figure out a solution together."
"Yeah, mano (brother)."
"...You're right."
Luoqi pondered for a moment, calming down and allowing the cool air to slowly enter his lungs, dispelling the heat and unease within his body.
"But preparing more plans can reduce the likelihood of us being forced into a passive position."
He understood this principle deeply, and it was the good habit that allowed him to survive in the treacherous land of Night City.
"Making more plans is always a good idea," Old Vic agreed with a smile, "But don't be too serious, young man."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Luoqi felt relieved, grinned, and gave Old Vic an OK sign.
"Should we start with Helman or Evelyn?" V asked everyone's opinion, "I think we can start with Evelyn."
"Yeah, she's a bit mysterious," Luoqi agreed, "Last night, she was talking to us about shaking off Dexter, but today she's vanished without a trace. V, any news from her?"
"No, no one's answering. It's been like this since earlier," V hung up yet another unanswered call.
"Those involved in this matter, either dead or fled, something's not right..." Jackie shivered, more scared of these unknowns than the sound of real gunfire.
"Before that, we need to solve... the money problem."
T-Bug brought up a shared reality they all faced: they were broke.
V still owed Old Vic a significant amount of money for all the medical services, cyberware costs, and modifications from long ago until now. Even though Old Vic didn't plan to ask V for the money, he couldn't just let it go.
People just don't do that.
T-Bug's plan to buy a mansion and live in seclusion was ruined, and she was now nothing more than a victim of an empty-handed scheme.
Jackie was even more frustrated, as his dreams of becoming a legend and a wealthy man were shattered. He had planned to surprise his mom and bring his wealthy buddies along to enjoy the life of a rich man in Night City.