Chapter 166: Crash!
[Damn it... V, don't trust that agent. You can tell she's no good just by looking at her. Be careful, or you'll end up being used like a pawn.]
Although V had muted Johnny Silverhand in the Relic chip before communicating with Song Zhaomei, Johnny still overheard the entire conversation between them.
When Johnny realized that V seemed interested in Song Zhaomei's terms, he grew anxious, as if his heart were on fire. This was an obvious trap, and V couldn't just walk into it so recklessly!
'Johnny, I know I can't fully trust Song Zhaomei, but I had to feign interest in her offer just now. Otherwise, she might have ambushed us.'
Learning that Song Zhaomei was aboard the sky-high Aether One airship several kilometers above ground left V somewhat stunned.
After all, under normal circumstances, the effective hacking range of a netrunner was only tens of meters, at most 500 meters. Hacking from several kilometers above? That was unheard of for V.
What's more, Song Zhaomei had bypassed the defenses of the AI White Queen. This meant that if she wanted to, she could end V's life at any moment.
Given the vast difference in their capabilities, V had no choice but to keep Song Zhaomei placated. If he angered her, she could fry his brain in an instant.
[Alright… you've got a point. So, what's the plan? Are you going to the open-pit mine to help her, or are you walking away now?]
Johnny realized that his earlier outburst might have been reckless and could have jeopardized V's safety. Still, the thought of V getting involved with Song Zhaomei made him uneasy.
If it were up to Johnny, he would track Song Zhaomei down and put a bullet in her head.
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, only disasters waiting to happen.
A disaster magnet like Song Zhaomei, an agent of the NIA (New Intelligence Agency), was trouble personified. Anyone who helped her was bound to regret it.
'Let's report this to Mr. Li Ang first.' After a moment of thought, V replied.
He had gotten into the habit of reporting tricky situations to Li Ang . It wasn't about currying favor to climb the ranks at LA Corporation.
Rather, with LA Corporation's immense reach and Li Ang 's connections with countless influential individuals and organizations, V knew he could make grave mistakes if he acted without guidance.
In a world where so many forces were intricately intertwined, the cost of a wrong move could be more than V could bear. Seeking help from the all-knowing Li Ang was the best way to avoid catastrophic choices.
[Tch! You've really changed, kid. Back then, you didn't want anything to do with LA Corporation's tasks.]
[Now, whenever you're in trouble, the first thing you do is report to Li Ang . Looks like you're getting used to being a company operative.]
Johnny Silverhand chuckled mockingly. The environment's power to transform a person was even greater than he'd imagined.
It hadn't been that long, but V had already gone from a rebellious drifter to a dutiful corporate operative. As always, the "true fragrance" principle applied to everything.
'What's the point in dwelling on trivialities now that most of Night City is practically LA Corporation's property?' V retorted, annoyed.
Humans could not defy destiny.
If resistance against corporate dominance was futile, then joining the strongest corporation wasn't such a bad idea.
V wasted no time and called Li Ang , reporting everything that had transpired, including Song Zhaomei's ability to infiltrate his system.
Upon learning that Song Zhaomei had approached V, offering to trade the AI Neural Matrix in exchange for his cooperation, Li Ang quickly deduced that she had struck a deal with Kurt Hansen.
'That clever bird, Song Zhaomei, thinks she can escape the NIA's clutches by teaming up with a warlord like Kurt Hansen. That won't work.'
Li Ang mused.
Although V's report didn't contain much detail, Li Ang quickly pieced together Song Zhaomei's true intentions: she needed the AI Neural Matrix to treat her illness.
But Song Zhaomei, wary of LA Corporation's alliance with New America, had targeted another company's Neural Matrix.
The only other organization capable of producing such devices was Europe's leading megacorporation.
If Li Ang 's hunch was correct, the faction orchestrating Song Zhaomei's betrayal of President Myers likely hailed from Europe. Kurt Hansen was merely their pawn.
Their goal? To eliminate or capture Myers Rosalind, preventing New America's forces from advancing westward.
However, Song Zhaomei's decision to involve V in her schemes indicated her reluctance to let Myers fall into Hansen's hands. V's role was to muddy the waters, allowing Song Zhaomei to secure the AI Neural Matrix amidst the chaos.
'She's trying to play everyone!'
Li Ang 's gaze sharpened. While Song Zhaomei's ambition was unsurprising, Myers had to remain trapped in Dogtown.
This was an opportunity to influence the presidential power dynamics and install a puppet president loyal to LA Corporation.
With his plan taking shape, Li Ang finally spoke to V:
[Go along with Song Zhaomei for now. If you encounter any dilemmas, report to me immediately.]
Li Ang 's response caught V off guard. Like Johnny, he believed there was no reason to get involved in such a dangerous game.
Yet Li Ang wanted him to follow Song Zhaomei and engage in uncertain tasks.
"Alright, I'll head to the open-pit mine and meet her," V replied.
If Li Ang wasn't revealing everything, it meant the situation was complicated. As a mere pawn, the less V knew, the better.
[I've upgraded the AI White Queen system remotely. Next time Song Zhaomei contacts you, you won't feel any pain.]
[You can also use the White Queen to send me encrypted messages.]
Li Ang understood how Song Zhaomei had infiltrated V's system—she had leveraged the Blackwall Protocol, a high-level AI tool, to project herself into V's mind.
The Blackwall's capabilities far exceeded those of the AI White Queen, which explained how Song Zhaomei had bypassed the latter's defenses.
Still, Song Zhaomei was gambling with her life. If she failed to secure the Neural Matrix, the Blackwall's data surge would fry her neural implants, leaving her brain irreparably damaged.
Her desperation to escape the NIA's grip spoke volumes about Myers ' control over her.
"Understood. I'll proceed accordingly," V said before heading to the open-pit mine.
The mine resembled a massive scrapyard, littered with electronic waste. Amid the debris, a broken nuclear-powered submarine protruded from the ground—a remnant repurposed to power Dogtown.
As V surveyed the area, Johnny Silverhand's hologram appeared.
[This place isn't half bad. At least you can see the sky here. The stench in Dogtown's black markets is unbearable, even from inside your head.]
Before Johnny could continue his musings, a flurry of newspapers began falling from the sky.
"What the hell is this?"
Curious, V picked up one of the papers, only to find it announcing that New America's army would soon sweep through Night City to purge the rebels.
The surrounding civilians discarded the papers indifferently, but V froze in shock. If the army invaded Night City, half its population would likely flee!
"What would Li Ang think of this? Would he let Myers march his tanks into Night City?"
V found himself increasingly perplexed by the unfolding situation. Song Zhaomei had told him to wait here, but surely not just to see these newspapers?
Johnny, however, wasn't worried.
[ Li Ang 's the real winner here. Myers has poured so much money into LA Corporation's weapons orders. Whether this war is won or lost, LA Corporation won't lose a dime.]
Just as V was pondering, he heard a rumbling noise from the sky, followed by Song Zhaomei's hurried voice:
"V, I appreciate you trusting me enough to come here, but the situation is urgent—I have to…"
Before she could finish, the communication abruptly cut off. The rumbling grew louder, and V looked up to see the Aether One airship descending rapidly.
A streak of light—the trail of a heat-seeking missile—suddenly arced toward the airship.
Boom!
The missile struck the already descending airship, causing it to spiral out of control. Flames erupted as the massive vessel plummeted toward V's position.
[Move, V! That airship's going to crash!] Johnny shouted.
V scrambled for cover just as the Aether One roared past him, crashing into a nearby abandoned building. The impact reduced the structure to rubble, leaving the airship's remains smoldering amidst the debris.
"Damn… Song Zhaomei, are you still alive?" V muttered as he rushed toward the wreckage.
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