2077: V really knows how awesome he is

She wanted to offer some advice, but she didn't have much experience in raising children herself, and she was struggling with this when Xu Zhong arrived.

"Sister V, your injury hasn't fully healed yet, don't run around."

Okay, take back what I said earlier, she now has a grown son.

"It's nothing, just some superficial injuries. Moving around will help them heal." V asked, "You came in such a hurry, is there something you need?"

“Sister Kochi asked me to come and take you to her place.” Xu Zhong winked meaningfully, “She made a new drug that will help with your injury.”

This injury is not an external injury, but rather nerve damage.

V understood: "Let's go, I think I'm going to hear some good news again."

Chapter 39 Let's go to Hangzhou together

Xu Zhong drove, V sat in the passenger seat, and Shi Zhongjian traveled from Watson District to Santo Domingo.

The young CEO was clearly nervous, so V joked, "Relax. The security personnel from Arasaka, Military Technology, and Kangtao are all lurking in the shadows. Even if Morgan Blackhand reappears, he can't do anything about it. If that guy had any brains, he wouldn't make a move at this time."

Xu Zhong hummed in agreement, but remained completely absorbed. Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, V gave up. To be honest, she didn't dislike the feeling of being cared for.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, and the Sword in the Stone arrived safely at Joanne Koch's residence.

The room's AI detected the registered face and automatically opened the door. As soon as V and Xu Zhonggang entered, the owner's voice sounded on the communicator on the wall.

"I'm in the lab downstairs. Please have a seat, I'll be right there."

V skillfully opened the refrigerator, took out a can of beer, glanced at Xu Zhong, who shook his head and refused, focusing on guarding the window.

Reluctantly, V started drinking by himself. He had only drunk half of his beer when Joanne Koch came up with a cooler.

“Stock told me about your plan. I was going to try to dissuade you, but I figured I wouldn’t be able to, so I did this.”

A silver syringe was taken out of the refrigerator.

"This is?"

“Second-generation nano-nerve repair fluid, a special edition exclusively for Vice President V,” Joanne Koch said. “I won’t go into the specific principles and details, since you wouldn’t understand anyway. Just know that this is a special medicine made specifically for your condition, combining the top technologies of Arasaka and Biotechnology companies.”

V was taken aback: "It can cure me?"

"can."

V's expression visibly brightened, but her excitement lasted only a second before Joanne Koch poured cold water on her.

"But the price is that you have a 37.44% chance of dying."

"No!" Before V could speak, Xu Zhong exclaimed, "This is too dangerous!"

V raised her hand to interrupt the young CEO. She took a deep breath to calm herself and slowly said, "Kochi, tell me everything."

“Alright, I wasn’t planning on hiding it anyway,” Joanne Koch said. “The second-generation nanogene repair can indeed cure you, but it also has a 37.44% chance of completely destroying your neural plexus. Of course, these are theoretical values, since I can’t inject this thing into your body for testing, so the actual mortality rate is likely to be even higher.”

"Furthermore, your recovery has a time limit. It's not a problem with the medicine, but with you. As I mentioned before, your nervous system will produce an immune-like response to attack the nanobots, so I added a protein shell to these little guys to delay the time of total annihilation as much as possible. But delaying is not stopping. Once the nanobots are reduced by more than 75%, they will no longer be able to provide enough repair power, your nerve plexus will atrophy again, and you will revert to your current form."

"This is absurd!" Xu Zhong shouted. "Not only can it not cure Sister V, but it also carries such a high risk of death. Sister Kochi, can't you improve it again?"

“Of course, I’ve been working on it, trying to figure out why the nervous system is attacking the nanobots. Everyone else is fine, but V is the only one having this strange rejection reaction. But all of this takes time.” Joanne Koch sighed softly. “I won’t give up, V, and you shouldn’t give up either.”

"Don't worry, I will never give up," V said solemnly.

“That’s good.” Joanne Koch handed the syringe to V. “Your plan is dangerous, which is why I’m giving this to you. But remember, never use it unless absolutely necessary. Give me some more time, and I’ll be able to make a new generation of syringes soon. While I can’t guarantee complete success, it will at least reduce the mortality rate.”

Looking at Joanne Koch's haggard face, V said "thank you" from the bottom of her heart.

"You can go now, I still have one more test to do."

Joanne Koch waved her hand and went back into the lab.

V knew that this Breaking Bad actress was filled with regret, regretting that she had taken it upon herself to save the super skyscraper H4. It was her demotion that led to a serious drop in security, which allowed Goro Takemura to take advantage of the situation and thus the assassination that night.

That's the logic, but if we only talk about logic, then what's the difference between humans and AI?

Chaos, contradictions, variability, complexity—human emotions are the most difficult things to calculate. V can easily crack enterprise-level servers, but he can never crack the human heart contained in a piece of music or an oil painting.

V and Xu Zhong got back into the car.

"Sister V, I will protect you." Xu Zhong suddenly blurted out this while driving.

V turned his head with slight surprise, only to hear Xu Zhong continue, "I was sent to the army when I was young. Although I didn't have much contact with the outside world, I knew that the world was not as wonderful as the Xu family told me. Oppression is everywhere, and exploitation is ever-present. Even if Kang Tao said that he was different, it was nothing more than a self-deceptive lie."

"A horrific chemical leak occurred at a refinery in Hangzhou, directly and indirectly causing the deaths of more than 5000 people. The incident was clearly caused by aging equipment, but Kangtao twisted the truth and blamed it on operational errors. The families of the victims received no compensation whatsoever, and countless families were torn apart in their grief. But what about Kangtao? Kangtao was popping champagne, celebrating their successful public relations campaign. The public relations costs far exceeded the compensation, but they preferred to spend more money bribing the government and the media rather than give anything to those they had harmed."

“I personally killed the Kangtao executive who handled this matter. Right at the banquet, I used a Miao knife to cut off his head and rip open his chest. I thought his heart was black, but it turned out to be as red as mine.”

"We are all human beings, so why are we so cruel to our own kind? I have tried and tried to think about it, but I still can't understand it."

"Later, I was arrested, discharged from the army, stripped of all the benefits of being the grandson of the Xu family, and thrown into the Kangtao branch of Night City as the head of the security department. My grandfather told me that as long as I could find evidence of Jiang Ping's embezzlement, he would let me return to the Xu family. I was really stupid at the time. Jiang Ping was incredibly powerful in Night City, and a mere department head was no match for her. Just when I was at my wit's end, I heard about your deeds, Sister V, and knew that you were an enemy of Jiang Ping, so I deliberately showed myself in front of you."

“Sister V is really amazing. Jiang Ping, who was completely invincible to me, was powerless against you. I found evidence of Jiang Ping’s embezzlement and successfully brought her to justice. Grandpa also kept his promise and let me return to Shenyang with him, but I refused because going back would only mean the same old thing. In Night City, I saw another choice, a choice brought by you, Sister V.”

"I don't know if I'm right, but they're definitely wrong. A company can offer more than just oppression and exploitation; people should cooperate, not hate each other. Right now it's a 30/70 split, but it will slowly become 40/60, then 50/50. I know it's difficult, but as long as you're here, Sister V, we can definitely make it happen. So I will protect you, Sister V, and all those who aspire to a better future, regardless of their social status. As long as they share the same aspirations as me, they are comrades I must protect!"

"This process will likely take a long time and involve many difficulties and obstacles, but I will not give up. If I can't do it in ten years, I'll do it in twenty; if I can't do it in twenty, I'll do it in fifty; if I can't do it in fifty, I'll do it in a hundred. I want to build a brand new Night City and use it to tell the world that there is another possibility for human society. When I die, I will ask my descendants to scatter my ashes in Hangzhou. I want to go to another world to tell those victims that their descendants will never suffer the same hardships as them!"

Xu Zhong was breathing heavily.

V offered neither encouragement nor advice.

She knew that a person with firm beliefs would keep moving forward even without encouragement, and no amount of persuasion could stop them.

“Take me to see the various projects,” V said.

Xu Zhong changed direction, moving between one project after another.

V pointed out the shortcomings and also highlighted the advantages. She shared her insights and knowledge with Xu Zhong without reservation, and Xu Zhong memorized every word.

Xu Zhong has managed things very well these past three days. Compared to V's obscurity, Xu Zhong's status as the Crown Prince of Kangtao carries more weight, making it easier and more convenient for him to handle certain matters than for V. The only thing he lacks now is experience.

V is very pleased.

She is not a saint, not only because she lacks kindness, but also because she is not perfect. There are things she doesn't understand, things she can't do, she gets tired, and she gets weary. Her ordinary background makes her walk on thin ice in the grand scheme of Night City, and simply balancing the interests of all parties requires her to rack her brains.

But Xu Zhong is different. His illustrious background makes him superior from the start. Ten of V's words are not as good as one of Xu Zhong's words. Joanne Koch is right. They cannot change the world, but Xu Zhong can.

Past experiences have made V focus only on the present, but now she's starting to dream about the future. Perhaps in a few years she can hand over the company alliance to Xu Zhong, and then decades later, the Night City that Xu Zhong envisioned will become a reality!

V wants to go and see.

When the two parted, V said to Xu Zhong, "Take me with you when you go to Hangzhou. I've never been to China before. Of course, not in my ashes state."

Xu Zhong paused for a moment, then flashed a 19-year-old smile: "Okay, it's a deal. I'll treat Sister V to West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce from Hangzhou!"

West Lake Vinegar Fish? What is that?

However, Chinese cuisine is world-renowned, so it can't be wrong!

V is starting to look forward to it.

Everything went as usual for the next few days.

V appeared on a News 54 interview program, where she thanked the citizens for their concern for her health and condemned the assassin's despicable act. She firmly believes that with the combined efforts of the NCPD and the Terrorist Response Unit, any criminal act will be brought to justice, and she will disregard any threats and continue to serve Night City in her post.

When the program aired, some people scoffed, some smiled knowingly, but most people were overjoyed.

V is different, and the people of Night City have long recognized this fact.

She doesn't need any promises; as long as she's alive, that's hope.

V and Xu Zhong continued to travel between various projects every day. Unlike before, Shi Zhongjian was now escorted by NCPD police cars in front and behind her, and the Terrorist Mobile Unit's hovercraft in the sky followed closely behind, doing its best to protect her.

"Damn, this is a huge operation." Inside the hovercar, the newly appointed heavy artillery operator of the Terrorist Mobile Squad said unhappily, "Even the mayor of Night City doesn't have as much of an attitude as her!"

"Nonsense, she's Arasaka's boss in Night City. The mayor is nothing compared to her; he'd still bow and scrape before her." Knowing that heavy artillery operators often have brain problems from too much steroid injections, the assault operator kindly offered an explanation.

Unfortunately, the heavy artillery operator didn't understand and was still grumbling: "She's putting on airs, fine, but what's with treating our Terrorist Mobile Squad like dogs? Are we supposed to follow her around like dirt forever until we catch that 'mastermind'?"

Seeing that the new recruit was getting more and more disgusting, the Mantis operator, as the squad leader, spoke up: "Alright, just bear with it for a few more days, it will be over soon."

"How do we end this, boss? With us protecting them, who would dare to carry out an assassination? If you ask me, we should pretend to relax the security level and lure the criminals into making the first move!"

The heavy artillery operator may be clumsy, but her professionalism is still quite high; she summed up the solution to the impasse in a single sentence.

The Mantis operator scoffed, "How do you know she didn't lure the enemy into attacking?"

"Huh? With so many of us watching, who would dare to come? How are we supposed to lure them in?"

"Yeah, we're watching from here, but what about Arasaka's men? You don't think they're all on holiday, do you?"

"Oh, right. Boss, you mean..."

“That’s right, we’re just a smokescreen, a signal that this path is blocked. Destroying someone isn’t just about killing them; you can also destroy what they rely on for survival, or expose their hidden secrets. V, a corporate dog, is definitely not clean. If I were the criminal, I would definitely attack her other vitals while she’s focused entirely on herself. And by then…”

“The prisoners will receive a warm welcome from the Arasaka Security Force,” the assault operative continued.

The hacker agent chuckled: "It's not just Arasaka's people. Don't forget that she has good relationships with military technology, Kangtao, and biotechnology. The criminal will be facing a security force comprised of multiple companies."

The sniper operator was taciturn, but when she spoke, she hit the nail on the head: "She created her own battlefield, and she turned passivity into initiative."

"Amazing!" The Mantis operator licked her lips. "I really want to slice open such a genius myself!"

The other operators immediately broke out in a cold sweat: "Calm down, boss, you really can't beat them."

Mantis Operator: "..."

V's intentions are not hard to guess; the Terrorist Mobile Unit can see them, and so can the mastermind behind the scenes.

She was going to use herself as bait, but as the Mantis operator said, destroying a person is not just about physical destruction.

Joanne Koch's computer contained not only clues about Saburo Arasaka, but also information about the underground factory, her health check reports, and an improved formula for the nano-nerve repair fluid. Goro Takemura was focused on finding his master and didn't care about these things, but the mastermind couldn't be indifferent. V had too many weaknesses; any one of them could destroy her.

This is the real bait.

He wasn't worried that the other party wouldn't take the bait. Since they were willing to assassinate him, it proved that the internal strife within the Arasaka family was about to be decided, or at least a clear winner had emerged. The losing side was already planning to retreat to Night City, which was why they sent someone to eliminate him.

So V can stall, but the mastermind behind it can't. It must seize control of Night City before it suffers a complete defeat, so even if it knows it's a trap, it must launch an attack.

V chose the underground factory and Joanne Koch's biological laboratory as her battlegrounds—these were her weak points and the places where she had the most control.

"Since he lost the battle, why didn't that person join forces with V to fight against Arasaka Headquarters?" Xu Zhong asked, voicing his doubts.

“It’s simple, it’s distrust,” V explained. “That person was already fleeing in disarray, both physically and mentally devastated. Like a frightened bird, he’s afraid of the slightest disturbance. What if I betray him if he joins forces with me? What if I sell him out? Tokyo can offer the same things as him, and even better ones. Since I can be bought off by him, I can certainly be bought off by Tokyo as well. So he’s not willing to take the risk. Even if I were genuinely willing to cooperate with him, he would never believe me.”

Xu Zhong was very clever and understood immediately. He was just a little disappointed: "Always assuming malice towards others, people's hearts are too dark."

"The human heart is dark, but it is also full of light. Don't burden yourself too much, and there's no need to change people's hearts; that's something only God can do. All you need to do is fight off the darkness and protect the light."

“I understand, Sister V.” Xu Zhong nodded. “I will not waver.”

“Very good,” V praised.

Five days later, in the dead of night, the enemy entered the battlefield.

"That guy's taken the bait, and we're already exchanging fire!" Meredith Stock shouted into the comms, with gunfire faintly audible.

"Where is it?" V asked immediately. "An underground factory or a biological laboratory?"

"At the same time, the enemy is attacking two places simultaneously!"

clever!

V gave a thumbs up.

They saw through my scheme, so they decided to use a two-pronged approach?

Impossible. Since they can lie in ambush, their forces must not be large. Dividing their forces is just a smokescreen. Only one of these two places is destined to be the main attack direction.

Xu Zhong had obviously thought of that too. He laughed in the communicator, "Two Anders Hermanns, huh? It's like we're back at the power plant outside the city. V, wanna take another gamble?"

"Alright, same old rules, the loser buys a drink."

“No problem, I choose the underground factory,” Xu Zhong said. “I feel like I can still win.”

“God won’t always be on your side, little CEO,” V chuckled. “I choose the biology lab.”

As she received the second-generation nano-nerve repair fluid, Xu Zhong seemed to sense something and said, "Sister V, I will protect you. Don't inject the drug unless absolutely necessary."

V never expected to have a comrade-in-arms he could rely on; that feeling made his heart beat even stronger.

"Yes, I'll remember your words. Now grab your guns, Section Chief, it's our turn!"

Chapter 40 Fall