Chapter 52 - Chapter 52

"Mr. Johnny Silverhand, now you have three places to go."

Rogue counted on his fingers.

"Anders Hellman, the chief designer of the relic, has fled to Kang Tao. He might have a way to get you out."

"Voodoo Boys, they want to use the relic to find Alt in the Pacific. They must know something we don't."

"Rogue, the most powerful fixer in Night City, the owner of the Afterlife, and so on..."

Rogue asked with a shocked tone, raising his eyebrows.

"Rogue really took part in the Arasaka Tower attack in 2023? She was your teammate?"

He recalled the widely known legend about Rogue's deeds from fifty years ago.

Legendary mercenary, cyberpunk idol, king of the underworld, world fixer...

Her titles were countless, and it was one of the reasons why Jackie admired the Afterlife.

"Can you hear it? The heartbeat of Night City is right here—non-stop."

"Can you imagine? Susan Forrest, Old Snake, and even Morgan Blackhand... they've all sat on these stools and slept on this bar."

That's how Jackie introduced the Afterlife to V back then.

Endless yearning and excitement were the sounds of steps towards the future.

Rogue had the opportunity to read materials related to the Arasaka Tower explosion from years ago, involving a club called "Atlantis", which was once the center of illegal activities in Night City and a stronghold of the resistance.

Thanks to the part of the media that didn't die at the hands of corporate persecution, some history was not forgotten.

Atlantis' members included Rogue, who had become an urban legend, legendary mercenary Morgan Blackhand, and Johnny Silverhand.

"In short, go find Rogue first."

Johnny didn't want to deal with the Voodoo Boys right now, nor was he in a hurry to get out of the PDA.

He knew very well that only Rogue could provide the greatest help to everyone.

"I have no objections. What about you guys?"

Rogue asked, looking at Muir who had been sitting silently by his side.

She nodded, with no objections to this cautious plan.

"Let's go talk to Rogue first, as things have been chaotic lately."

V thought the same and let out a deep yawn.

"Where did we leave off about the Voodoo Boys and Evelyn?"

Rogue furrowed his brow, feeling like he had missed something.

"The Voodoo Boys asked Evelyn to film the Braindance of Yorinobu's penthouse to survey the layout and security measures. But unexpectedly, Evelyn decided to do the job herself."

V's voice came through the earpiece, accompanied by the sound of a vehicle whizzing past.

"Dexter was contacted by Evelyn, who not only dodged her own employer but also planned to cut out the middleman and split the profits with us fifty-fifty."

"Wait... where did the Voodoo Boys get so much money?" At this point, Rogue realized the problem, "No, they never intended to pay in the first place!"

"That's right."

V sighed, feeling frustrated at being played like a puppet.

"She must have found a new buyer, but no one knows who."

Damn.

Even Rogue, who had calmed down by now, couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

From the beginning, their prize was nothing but an illusion, never real.

On the other hand, Evelyn somehow managed to get in touch with a company or organization willing to pay the price.

Unfortunately, her skills were mediocre, and her ambitions were sky-high.

But was Evelyn really to blame?

If the Arasaka Tower mission had failed, with death and injury everywhere, Rogue would not be sitting here so calmly thinking about the problem, because anger would have set him on the path of revenge.

Evelyn was not well-off, even somewhat struggling. As a sex doll, regardless of her high-end status, she was ultimately just a toy. She wanted to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn her life around. T-bug wanted to use the money from this job to retire, buy a beachside mansion, and live out her days in seclusion. Dexter wanted to use this opportunity to make a comeback, restoring everything he lost during his two-year absence. Jackie and V wanted to use this job to make a name for themselves, becoming legends in Night City.

Rogue, however, had no interest in becoming a legend. He only wanted to save his brother and secure a future where he could afford the rent.

Muehler's goal was even simpler: she just wanted to repay her life-saving favor.

The previous outcome was a bloody mess, but now, they could still enjoy the sunlight as the sun set.

Not bad at all...

Not bad, my ass!

Once they find those Voodoo Boys, they'll string them up and flick their balls until they die!

Rogue's stomach ached with anger just thinking about it.

But those two little hands touched him again, and he turned to see Muehler leaning quietly against his shoulder, her silky blue hair framing her face.

She seemed to have a magical power that could calm Rogue's restless heart and make his world tranquil.

"Let's go, it's getting late. Let's have dinner."

Rogue stood up, feeling strangely happy for some reason.

Days without fighting and killing, strolling leisurely on the streets, were a nice experience.

Crossing from Japan Street through Kabuki District and back to Little Chinatown was a familiar route for Rogue. Although he had completely lost his home here, memories couldn't be forgotten at will.

Rogue and Muehler found a relatively clean fried noodle stall and sat at the bar, chatting casually.

But mostly, Rogue was talking and Muehler was listening, occasionally chiming in.

There wasn't much to say about her life over the past few years.

The fragrant fried noodles were placed in front of them, and Muehler handed Rogue a pair of disposable chopsticks.

"I have nothing on me!"

Rogue had just picked up a mouthful of noodles and was about to put it in his mouth when someone nearby started making a fuss.

"We didn't say you did."

"When the Tiger Claw gang came, why didn't you come and search!?"

The man raised his voice, shouting indignantly.

Tiger Claw gang? Search?

Rogue turned his head and saw a man and a woman being cornered by two NCPD officers.

"Shut your dog mouth, you little brat."

The cop threatened fiercely.

Oh, NCPD, no problem then.

Rogue didn't want to get involved with this law enforcement agency that was good at catching third-rate criminals and bad at catching first-rate ones.

As long as no stray bullets flew into his bowl while eating, everything was fine.

"Wow! Look at you, garbage police! Saving the world, saving bystanders, amazing, huh!?"

The furious, irrational guy was still yelling.

It seemed to be getting a bit distracting for Rogue's meal.

Rogue picked up the pepper and shook some into his noodles, signaling to Muehler.

She took it, added a bit as well, and then put it back in its place.

Shoulder to shoulder, they listened to the bustling background noise, eating and watching the drama unfold together.

"Yao, for God's sake, shut up!"

The woman with him urgently called out.

"You'd better listen to your friend."

The nearby police officer's face showed no emotion, and his tone was very calm, apparently used to such situations.

This feeling seemed... somewhat familiar?

Rogue turned his head, slightly pulling back to distance their nearly touching faces, and then looked at her expression more clearly.

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That was the expression Muehler wore for the longest time.

Even when she shot someone and their brains splattered on the wall, she maintained the same demeanor.

"That's from the counter-terrorism unit."

Rogue licked his lips, and Muehler had already handed him an open soda can, speaking faintly.

"You're saying, that's from the counter-terrorism unit?"

He took the can, drank a sip, and placed it beside his bowl.

Weren't members of the counter-terrorism unit a bunch of psychopaths who liked to fight ten-to-one?

With an external cyber-eye like a Sword Saint and outrageously expensive tech-charged or high-caliber kinetic weapons in hand, they crushed threats like stepping on cockroaches in a corner.

If the enemies facing the counter-terrorism unit were like fruits waiting to be chopped, then the scene they left behind looked like a fruit salad—nothing intact.

These two, dressed in NCPD uniforms and heavy bulletproof vests, looked more like elite members of the regular police force.

"These are ordinary members of the counter-terrorism unit, not the main combat force. They are generally responsible for investigation, aftermath, and maintenance tasks."

"Oh! So that's how it is."

Rogue showed an enlightened expression, having learned something new.

Before this, he indeed didn't know much about this mysterious force, one of the highest combat powers in Night City.

But as a member of the special forces dealing with military technology, Muehler definitely knew a lot of information.

So, the lowest combat power of the counter-terrorism unit was equivalent to the high-level combat power of the NCPD regular force. Interesting indeed.