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"A mere thief, what do you know?"
Goro Takemura glared at Alex Carter angrily.
His words had struck a nerve.
Alex shrugged, choosing not to argue, and continued: "As a loyal guardian of Saburo Arasaka..."
"I am the protector of Lord Saburo!"
"Cough, sorry, yes, protector."
Alex awkwardly touched his nose.
Having spent a lot of time on forums in his previous life, the term "loyal dog" had slipped out reflexively.
"As Saburo Arasaka's bodyguard, you must be aware of the oracle's function and existence, right?"
"Given Saburo Arasaka's cautious and ambitious nature, don't you think he would do exactly as I said?"
"..."
This time, Goro Takemura didn't reply.
Alex looked at him with a knowing smile: "I bet he didn't tell you about this beforehand, did he?"
Goro Takemura frowned, saying, "It was for security reasons."
"Yes, for his own security, but at what cost to you?"
"Slander Lord Saburo again, and I'll show you no mercy!" Goro Takemura's patience was wearing thin.
However, Alex pressed on confidently: "How ruthless is Saburo Arasaka?"
"How could he not realize that after his death, his loyal protector might be endangered because of him?"
"Yet he still gave you no warning."
"Tsk tsk tsk, quite the betrayal for a loyal heart."
"Enough! Don't say any more!" Goro Takemura shouted, angered. "It was Lord Saburo who gave me a new life."
"It's my duty to give my life for him!"
Alex's eyes twitched: "Even if you sacrifice everything for Arasaka, does it not matter that Arasaka is now hunting you?"
"Yes." Goro Takemura responded resolutely.
Alex wiped his face helplessly.
It seemed he had underestimated Goro Takemura's loyalty to Saburo Arasaka.
In that case, he had to play his trump card.
"Takemura, have you heard of the paradox of the Ship of Theseus?"
"What ship? What paradox?" Goro Takemura looked at Alex in confusion.
It wasn't just him.
Even V and Jackie seemed puzzled.
"I'm really defeated by your ignorance..." Alex shook his head, sighing.
It seemed that in this grand and pitiful era, the allure of material pleasures had blinded those at society's lower rungs.
These were the tools the elite used to maintain their status.
"Imagine a ship's wood being gradually replaced until none of the original wood remains; is it still the same ship?"
Alex posed a crucial question.
"This..." Goro Takemura was momentarily at a loss.
V and Jackie also frowned in thought.
Alex continued: "The basic principle of the oracle is to digitally upload human consciousness."
"So, is this string of numbers truly the person, or is it a new digital consciousness, written by a computer but possessing all the person's memories?"
Goro Takemura opened his mouth but ultimately didn't voice the words on the tip of his tongue.
His fists clenched tightly.
But V and Jackie didn't have such reservations.
V spoke softly: "I think Saburo is truly dead, and what's in the oracle is just a digital backup of him."
"That's not really him."
Alex sighed, stepping forward to pat Goro Takemura on the shoulder: "Takemura, I've said all I can. The rest is for you to ponder."
"Oh, by the way, only Hanako Arasaka should be able to enter the oracle and speak with Saburo."
"If you're still determined, you could try finding a way to reach Hanako Arasaka."
"Until then, whether Saburo Arasaka is still the man you were loyal to, you might want to discuss this with someone more knowledgeable."
"For example, Relic's developer, Anders Hellman."
With that, Alex took V and Jackie back to the jeep.
"By the way, here's my contact information. If you need help, give me a call. Bye~"
"Roar!"
With the engine's roar, the jeep carried the three of them back to Night City.
Only Goro Takemura remained, standing by the roadside, deep in thought.
"Is he still Lord Saburo..."
"Miss Hanako..."
After a moment's struggle, Goro Takemura came to no conclusion.
Remembering Alex's parting words, he frowned.
"Anders Hellman, that guy defected from Arasaka. It's really complicated..."
"Do I really need to seek his help?"
Looking at the contact information Alex left, Goro Takemura fell silent once more.
...
"Alex, why did we save that corporate dog? Wouldn't it be better to let him fend for himself?" Jackie asked, frowning as he drove.
It was clear he had no sympathy for Arasaka employees.
Alex smiled and said, "This is my own business. Why, can't I just consider it a favor for a friend?"
"Of course, that's fine. Where to now?" Jackie asked with a smile.
"I need to get some rest; I'm a bit tired," V said, rubbing her temples.
They hadn't had much rest since entering the Arasaka Building the previous day.
And after the recent battle, they were undeniably exhausted.
Jackie nodded: "Okay, then I'll drop you off at the next intersection and head back to the Afterlife Bar. What about you?"
Alex paused: "Uh... I... I don't have a place to stay in Night City."
"Or..." He glanced at V sheepishly.
"Why don't I crash at your place for a couple of days?"