While Luo Qi was busy arguing with Johnny about all the rotten pieces of history, the others seated around the table weren't just sitting there sighing.
They had far too many real problems to deal with.
Arasaka assassins had been sent to silence them.
The deal had collapsed because the Relic was now unusable.
Dexter Deshawn's death, at the hands of someone once considered a legend among fixers, was bound to shake Night City's underworld.
And Luo Qi had now caught the attention of MaxTac.
All of those were problems they had no choice but to face.
T-Bug joined the meeting remotely.
At first, after Luo Qi killed Dexter, she had been in a complicated mood. But the moment she heard that the black blob of lard—now more accurately the dead blob of lard—had intended to throw V out as a scapegoat and then shoot him in the back without hesitation, that lingering discomfort was swept away by a sharp sense of there but for the grace of fate go I.
V, Jackie, Luo Qi, and T-Bug—the four of them were the direct participants in the Konpeki Plaza heist, and in theory the direct beneficiaries as well.
But after everything that had happened, they hadn't gotten a single damn thing out of it.
Instead, they were now in extremely deep trouble.
"Lucky, about what happened at Konpeki… thanks," T-Bug said first, offering Luo Qi her gratitude. "A few minutes after I lost the connection, Arasaka's netrunner support team arrived. If you'd been even a little slower, you never would've seen me again."
Luo Qi answered with a calm sound of acknowledgment. He didn't show much emotion.
In the original timeline, both T-Bug and Jackie would have died. Only V would be left to face the whole rotten city alone.
But now, there were four of them sitting here.
At this point, Luo Qi had no idea what would happen next.
On top of that, Viktor and Misty no longer had to grieve over life-and-death partings. They could sit here now as quiet listeners, helping calm everyone down.
The only one who still looked somewhat out of place was Takemura.
"First, we need to find Evelyn Parker," Takemura said, fingers interlaced, brow furrowed, laying out his idea in a grave tone.
"Evelyn… why are you looking for her?" V asked, puzzled.
"She was close to Yorinobu Arasaka. Very close." Takemura made a small gesture with his fingers. "She knows how to get near him."
"And then?"
"She must have had some plan of her own. I need to question her in person."
Luo Qi shook his head. "Evelyn… that woman's a mystery. If anyone says she's just some ordinary doll from Clouds, they're joking. Unless she's got ambition higher than the sky and the ability to back it up, there's no way she could've orchestrated all this."
"And the Relic…" Luo Qi glanced at the PDA, then at Takemura's solemn face, but didn't reveal the full truth. "That transaction can't be completed anymore, either."
"When Evelyn told me to cut Dex out and offered me fifty percent," V said, raising one hand and spreading all five fingers, "that meant she had a buyer behind her. Definitely."
"I don't think that's likely," Takemura disagreed. "She's probably already… flown the nest. Very far away."
He had tried to find her and failed. He suspected she had intentionally erased her trail.
"That woman is extremely elusive."
"Could be she's backed by some megacorp," Jackie said with a dismissive wave. "Today one steals from another, tomorrow the other steals back. In the end, corpos aren't that different from gangs."
Of everyone in the room, including Takemura—who had investigated her—none of them truly understood what kind of person Evelyn Parker was.
Except that V, at least, had met her personally.
"I don't know," V admitted. "But she knew a lot about the Relic. And a lot of classified shit, too."
"To be exact, she felt mysterious. Like the kind of mystery you get when someone's backed by corporate operatives, all sneaky and hidden. You get what I mean."
Takemura, however, seemed offended by that and set a hand on the table.
"Are you implying that I am 'sneaky and hidden' as well?"
Ah, help me… that godawful accent, Luo Qi thought, already imagining Johnny rolling his eyes at the ceiling.
"Yorinobu Arasaka already sent people to silence you, and you still want to defend the company?" V shot back, clearly annoyed.
In his eyes, corporations were the evil side. There was nothing more to discuss.
"Yorinobu Arasaka must answer for the crimes he has committed," Takemura said after a pause, the conviction in his voice still rock-solid.
V gave a helpless shake of the head. "Hah. In Night City, and you still want justice?"
"What I want is revenge. That is far more achievable." Takemura tapped the table. "I have allies. We intend to make Yorinobu confess and face judgment. What we lack now is evidence."
My God… Johnny exhaled the words in a long, pained sigh.
If you can't stand it, mute yourself. Luo Qi mentally shot back. Go listen to your rock music.
"So what do we get out of helping you?" Luo Qi asked, cutting Takemura off. He raised one finger.
Now that V wasn't dying from the Relic, there was no compelling reason for him to involve himself with Arasaka at all.
They hadn't made the kind of money that would let them walk away forever, sure. But in Night City, if you were still breathing, there would always be more chances.
"If Yorinobu Arasaka is brought down, your names will be cleared. Arasaka will no longer hunt you," Takemura said. "And if you assist Arasaka, Arasaka can reward you generously."
"Work as Arasaka's dog? No thanks," V rejected the proposal outright.
Takemura's expression darkened. Clearly displeased, he rose as if to leave.
"Wait. I'm interested."
Everyone froze.
At once, all eyes swung toward Luo Qi—surprised, confused, even Viktor looked like he wanted to hear where on earth this was going.
"Let me put it this way." Luo Qi sat down again. "I need to find Anders Hellman. And Evelyn Parker."
"How do you know his name?" Takemura looked at him with suspicion.
"We did our homework before taking this job," V supplied before Luo Qi could answer. "Hellman designed the Relic. It's his project."
Luo Qi met Takemura's gaze one word at a time.
"I need to see him."
When Takemura realized Luo Qi was serious, he thought for a while before sitting back down again.
"Anders Hellman has already betrayed Arasaka and disappeared. I searched for him for many days. He suddenly… what is the phrase… ah, yes. Vanished off the face of the earth."
"Then you want us to help you turn things around when you can't even find the man you need?" V was completely unimpressed by Takemura's promises. "That's not cooperation. That's desperation."
"As for Arasaka hunting us—this wouldn't be the first time. If we have to fight them again, then we fight."
"Then I suppose there is nothing more for us to discuss," Takemura said with a sigh.
"No. The one who needs something here isn't us." Luo Qi smiled. "How many contacts inside Arasaka do you still have? You're a wanted fugitive now. Your implants have been remotely disabled. How exactly do you intend to carry out your great revenge?"
"Planning. Preparation. These things take time. Help me, and you will be rewarded," Takemura insisted, still somehow brimming with confidence in Arasaka.
Luo Qi rubbed his chin. "How many direct heirs are left in the Arasaka family now? Yorinobu Arasaka, Hanako Arasaka…"
"There is also Michiko Arasaka—Saburo-sama's granddaughter," Takemura said, then shook his head. "But she has no standing to intervene in this matter. It is not her place."
"So your plan is to help Hanako Arasaka defeat Yorinobu, then. On what basis?"
"We need evidence. A neutral venue. A hearing before rational people. We will also use… certain procedural methods to reveal the truth."
"The board of directors?" Luo Qi sounded almost exasperated. "Do you really think that kind of thing means anything when guns are involved?"
"I know. But at present, there is no other way." Takemura frowned. "Help Hanako Arasaka defeat Yorinobu, and she will be grateful to you. That is politics."
Luo Qi took the canned drink Misty silently handed him and gave her a grateful nod. That girl was thoughtful to an almost absurd degree—she had quietly prepared drinks for everyone.
The more he looked at her, the more perfect she seemed for Jackie.
"This is the politics of capital struggle, not politics in the broader sense. Too narrow." Luo Qi felt a headache coming on just from thinking about all the theory this touched on. "How are you going to make Hanako trust you? Are you one of her people? I thought you were Saburo Arasaka's bodyguard."
"Hanako-sama and Saburo-sama stood firmly on the same side. She is not like that bastard Yorinobu."
Takemura's voice tightened with anger. Then, with impeccable manners, he gave Misty a polite nod of thanks as well.
"Someone's been very busy, huh," V said, giving the corporate loyalist no kindness whatsoever.
"If information exists, if it can help prepare the plan, then I will not sit idly by," Takemura said steadily. "As for Evelyn Parker, that woman cannot help you."
"You don't even know why we want to find her, so why are you so sure?" Jackie challenged him.
Truth be told, Jackie didn't understand why Luo Qi wanted either of those two people.
"Because she is only the front line. A pawn. The real important figure is not someone like her."
On that point, Takemura was absolutely certain.
He had spent years as Saburo Arasaka's personal guard. He had seen all kinds of powerful people.
Evelyn Parker—at best she was a capable operative. An impressive spy, perhaps. But no more than that.
Takemura trusted his own judgment.
"She is only a doll, and I checked her records. They are not forged. She truly was a doll," Takemura continued, laying out his findings. "I do not know why exactly you wish to find her, but the one behind her is what matters. That party may have their own designs on Arasaka."
"For us, Evelyn is a secondary target. What I really want to know is what the people behind her wanted the Relic for," Luo Qi said, accepting Takemura's reasoning. "But we can't rush this. The world is full of Arasaka pursuers right now. We need to move quietly."
There were still things he didn't say out loud.
Takemura was still here. Some cards had to remain in his sleeve.
"Dexter was a fixer. He tried to kill us and sell us out as scapegoats. He broke the rules of the street, so I tore him apart."
Luo Qi set his drink down on the table.
"Evelyn Parker was the client. No matter whether the Relic is good or broken, she can't just vanish into thin air…"
"I need to find her. Or the people behind her. I want answers."
V nodded. "Even thieves have a code. Haven't you ever heard that?"
"I have. And it is deeply ironic." Takemura met their eyes without backing down. "Honor is a code. Loyalty is a code. And you, thieves who steal things, think you deserve a code as well?"
"Yorinobu Arasaka would absolutely agree with that statement," V said dryly.
After all, wasn't the Relic itself something that old man's son had stolen right out of his father's lab?
"How was the wealth wrung from the people by corporations ever offered willingly?" Luo Qi found Takemura's logic laughable. "Ah, but I nearly forgot. It isn't theft. It's robbery, plain and simple."
"Call it whatever you like." Takemura had no interest in dragging the discussion further.
Their worldviews were too different. On questions of that scale, there was no real argument to be had.
"This is Night City," Luo Qi said evenly. "There's no justice here. Only interests. You and I simply stand on different sides. That's all."
"Different sides…?"
In the end, Takemura left.
He left behind a number. If anything changed, they were to contact him at once.
No sooner had he gone than Jackie hurried over to the heavy metal door to make absolutely sure he was really gone. Once satisfied, he crept back.
"Lucky, I've got a question. Why exactly are we looking for that Her… Hellman guy?"
Luo Qi looked around at everyone, then set the PDA down on the table.
"Johnny?"
…This is dumb as hell. You want me to show up so they can stare at me like I'm some zoo exhibit? Johnny rolled his eyes. And who even are these people? Can they be trusted?
You trusted me, and we've known each other less than an hour. Relax. They're family. They're reliable. Luo Qi replied helplessly.
"Well then," Luo Qi said aloud, clearing his throat, "I guess I'll have to do this another way."
He spread both hands dramatically toward the PDA.
"Ta-dah! Here comes the… JOHNNY!"
Luo Qi beamed like a proud game show host.
The room fell into a short, painful silence.
"Fuck… that was unbelievably stupid."
After much coaxing, Johnny finally appeared on the PDA screen.
Shoulder-length messy rocker hair. Cool aviator sunglasses. Thick sideburns and a stylish moustache. And in the lines of his face, a kind of fierce, untamed love of freedom.
"Your friend?" V asked curiously, staring at the rocker on the screen.
Viktor's expression changed slightly. Then he smiled.
"What are you smiling at, Vik?" Luo Qi asked.
"I was just thinking…" Viktor adjusted his glasses. "Even in 2077, the people worth remembering are still remembered. And the people who aren't—hell, by the next morning nobody even recalls they existed."
"I get what you mean." Luo Qi nodded. "Some people are alive, but they're already dead. Some people are dead, but they're still alive."
"That's good," Jackie said, clearly taking a liking to these philosophical lines. "Who said that one?"
"It comes from…" Luo Qi counted it out on his fingers. "Almost two hundred years ago, in Huaxia. It was written by Zang Kejia."
"You really do love Huaxia culture," T-Bug said with an amused laugh. Coming from a woman who loved dropping Aristotle quotes, that meant something.
Luo Qi only smiled faintly and said nothing.
"I say," Johnny cut in, "isn't this all a little rude? Standing around talking among yourselves while leaving me hanging?"
Johnny had had enough.
"Johnny Silverhand," Viktor said, introducing him. "A rocker from the early twenty-first century. The man who blew up Arasaka Tower."
"No," Johnny corrected immediately, full of swagger, "the greatest legend in rock history—the one and only Johnny Silverhand, the man who took down Arasaka Tower."
Viktor laughed and nudged his glasses up.
Standing side by side, the two of them looked like crime bosses from different generations.
"The voice and the face are both identical. There's no trace of synthesis at all. Amazing… technology really gets more ridiculous every day."
Before Johnny could say anything too sharp, Luo Qi slapped a hand over the PDA's speaker.
"This is the real Johnny Silverhand."
Everyone: ?
Seeing that no one believed him, Luo Qi thought for a moment, then continued.
"Let me put it like this. The Relic we stole contained Johnny Silverhand's personality. He didn't completely die in the Arasaka Tower explosion. He was digitized. Now he's become… a digital soul?"
Everyone:
…What?
What the hell did you just say?
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 126)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter134)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 87
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 79
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 73
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 49
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 45
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 45
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