chapter7:Edgerunners

Beihai didn't enter the private room. The high-society discussions held no interest for her. If Zhen Cheng were here, she would've perked up her fox ears, eager to eavesdrop and gather information for her own benefit. But Beihai had no such curiosity.

"Not interested is not interested," she thought, knowing she was just a fighter and had no head for big business deals. Eavesdropping wouldn't do her any good.

"When is Ye Corp planning to take over Kangtao's assets?"

Kangtao was one of the earliest "Eastern Alliance" companies to establish itself in Night City. Although the nuclear war and corporate plundering had long since destroyed the concept of "nations," the descendants of these corporate overlords still instinctively banded together, forming alliances that made this cutthroat era even more complex.

The Eastern Alliance—true to its name—was an alliance of Eastern corporations. It functioned like a large nation but operated under a feudal system where each company controlled its own A-tier, B-tier, or even lower-tier cities based on its power and resources.

Kangtao, once a prominent member of the Eastern Alliance, had been among the first to establish a foothold in Night City, thriving for a time. But as Arasaka shifted its strategic focus, with Militech rising to become the leader of the "American Federation," Kangtao's position quickly deteriorated. Its vast commercial empire in Night City began to crumble, desperately needing new blood to take over the mess, allowing Kangtao to withdraw.

Clearly, Ye Corp was the best candidate. After all, who wouldn't want to leverage Ye Corp to take control of Night City?

"Ye Corp will take over Kangtao's factories, assets, and network connections. However, we're not inheriting Kangtao's compromised network. We'll build our own."

"In that case, could Ye Corp sell Kangtao's old network to us?"

Ye Guolong clasped his hands together. "If you're hoping to dig up something from Kangtao's old network, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed—Kangtao has already scrubbed all corporate secrets from it. There's nothing left to find."

"Let's not be so sure," Nanshan said, sitting up straight. "Are you certain Kangtao didn't leave anything behind in their old network? Like, say, the 'Di Jiang Project'?"

Ye Guolong's expression flickered with disdain. "I didn't expect Miss Nanshan to be interested in fictional stories."

The "Di Jiang Project" was a rumor Nanshan had heard long ago from a friend. About twenty years ago, Kangtao had secretly launched a satellite into space. Many companies immediately began investigating the purpose of Kangtao's satellite, discovering that it was a surveillance satellite. Strangely, the satellite didn't monitor other corporations' facilities or the unrest in D-tier cities. Instead, it consistently focused on the wastelands outside the city, areas where the Beast Worship cult had lingered.

Kangtao's official explanation was that the satellite was used for selecting sites for new facilities. But when some curious souls compared the satellite's surveillance paths with maps of areas once occupied by the Beast Worship cult, they found an odd correlation. Despite Kangtao's claims, no new facilities were ever built in these areas; they only sent geological survey teams for cursory checks before moving on.

Given this, many young heirs speculated that Kangtao was also searching for the legendary Titans, just like the Beast Worship cult, hoping to harness their power.

Of course, most corporate executives scoffed at this idea. They didn't believe in the existence of Titans, and if Kangtao were really wasting resources on such a foolish pursuit, it was no wonder the company was on the verge of collapse.

"I know it sounds absurd," Nanshan admitted, uncomfortable with Ye Guolong's increasingly dismissive expression, as if mentioning the Beast Worship cult and Titans was a grave sin.

"But I also believe Kangtao wouldn't invest in such a seemingly pointless project without reason. We can discuss the new facilities later, but I still hope you'll consider selling me the old network."

Ye Guolong crossed his arms. "You can have it for free. My people have already combed through the old network and found nothing useful—nothing for us, and nothing for you."

"However, there's one thing I can tell you, Miss Nanshan."

A sly smile crept onto Ye Guolong's face.

"Kangtao did indeed conduct research on the existence of Titans."

Nanshan's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"The Di Jiang Project was real—until it was abruptly halted when Kangtao's third CEO, Xu Huang, was discovered to be married to a fanatic member of the Beast Worship cult. Xu's shares were immediately revoked by the family, and he was placed under house arrest. His cultist wife was quietly eliminated. The Di Jiang Project was also shut down, becoming a stain on Kangtao's history, a family scandal."

"How do you know all this?" Nanshan asked, astonished.

"Why else do you think Ye Corp is taking over Kangtao's assets?"

Nanshan walked out of the private room, looking somewhat dazed.

Beihai noticed her and quipped, "Didn't manage to charm him?"

Nanshan shot her a glare. "Crude."

"I am what I am," Beihai shrugged. "So, what's next?"

Ye Guolong and his two bodyguards also exited the private room, heading straight for the elevator.

Nanshan stood still, not wanting to share the elevator with them.

"Young Master, Old Master wants to know how things went with Miss Nanshan."

Ye Guolong frowned. "Did he install a backdoor program in my cyber eyes?"

Luo Hou scratched his head. "I think he might've put the backdoor in our eyes instead."

"Tch."

Ye Guolong snorted, annoyed. **"Find a reliable ripperdoc and have that backdoor closed off—"

The elevator doors slowly opened, and Ye Guolong almost walked straight into the man standing inside.

"Watch out, Young Master!"

Luo Hou quickly yanked Ye Guolong back, just as a loud bang echoed through the hall. Luo Hou and Qing Yun both screamed as their chests exploded, leaving gaping holes.

The man who stepped out of the elevator tore off his cloak, revealing a third cybernetic eye implanted in his forehead. His fiery red hair blazed like flames as he unleashed the explosive power of his arm cannon, blasting the two bodyguards away.

Panic erupted in the Golden Hall. The once dignified elites screamed and scattered, while the bartender ducked behind the bar.

"It's a cyberpsycho! Call in the MaxTac unit!"

"Take him down!"

The hall's security personnel immediately drew their weapons, ready to kill the threat.

The cyberpsycho wasn't having it. He retracted his arm cannon and unsheathed a pair of mantis blades, charging at the guards and slicing through them like butter. Blood and gore splattered everywhere as screams of agony filled the air. Bullets only grazed his skin.

"Stay down," Beihai ordered, pressing Nanshan's head down.

Nanshan trembled. "What's happening?"

"Cyberpsychosis," Beihai muttered, squinting at the rampaging figure. "I've dealt with a few factory workers who went cyberpsycho in C18. Their industrial-grade cyberware is tough... This guy's packing military-grade hardware. He's dangerous."

As the last guard was skewered by the cyberpsycho's mantis blades, Beihai turned to Nanshan. "Hide. Look for a chance to escape the building. I'll handle him until MaxTac arrives."

"Be careful!" Nanshan urged, her worry evident.

Beihai took off her cap and strode toward the cyberpsycho.

"Don't come any closer!"

Several terrified elites had been cornered against a wall, their screams echoing through the hall.

The cyberpsycho's mantis blades sparked menacingly as he approached his prey, his expression twisted in a manic grin.

"Hey!" Beihai's sharp voice cut through the chaos, drawing the cyberpsycho's attention.

As he turned to face her, Beihai broke into a sprint, firing her Black Cloud smart pistol at him.

The cyberpsycho quickly raised his arm cannon to fire back, but Beihai kicked a table into his path. He blasted it to pieces, but by then, Beihai was already upon him. She grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the floor with bone-shattering force, leaving cracks in the marble tiles.

Before he could recover, Beihai seized his ankle and swung him like a ragdoll, hurling him into the bar. The impact shattered the bar counter, sending shards of glass and a flood of liquor cascading over the cyberpsycho.

He staggered to his feet, only for Beihai to land a powerful kick to his chest, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into the bulletproof glass windows with enough force to crack them.

Beihai charged forward, slamming the cyberpsycho into the glass repeatedly, each blow resounding like thunder, until the back of his head was shattered, blood and circuits splattering everywhere.

"Roar!!!"

With a furious bellow, the cyberpsycho stabbed his mantis blades through Beihai's chest, the sharp edges piercing through her body. The force of the impact sent her flying backward, and she crashed into the ground, unmoving.

"Ahhhh!!!"

The cyberpsycho, eyes filled with madness, roared as he lifted his arm cannon and aimed it at Beihai.

But Beihai wasn't done yet.

With a guttural snarl, she rose to her feet, blood dripping from her wounds as she bared her fangs. Her eyes burned with a savage fury as she charged forward, undeterred by the pain. She leaped at the cyberpsycho, her claws slashing through the air.

The cyberpsycho met her charge with a wild swing of his mantis blades, but Beihai was faster. She dodged the strike and raked her claws across his face, tearing through his synthetic skin and exposing the cold metal beneath.

He howled in agony, but Beihai didn't let up. She grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground, her claws digging into his throat. With a mighty wrench, she tore his head from his shoulders, wires and circuitry snapping like thread.

"You... you found such a powerful bodyguard?"

Ye Guolong stared at Nanshan in disbelief.

Nanshan didn't answer, her gaze fixed on Beihai, who stood over the cyberpsycho's lifeless body, panting heavily.

"Roar, roar..." Beihai let out a deep breath, the fight's adrenaline slowly wearing off. "Now that's more like it... This is the kind of welcome Night City should give me."

Outside the building, a powerful spotlight cut through the darkness, the roaring engines of the MaxTac unit's VTOLs reverberating through the air. The delay was too late, though; the situation inside the Golden Hall was already under control.

Beihai lifted the cyberpsycho's severed head and held it up to the spotlight, showing it to the approaching MaxTac unit.

"The target is neutralized. All civilians are safe!"

MaxTac operatives quickly entered the Golden Hall, their advanced combat exoskeletons and military-grade cyberware gleaming under the lights. Beihai tossed the head aside and collapsed onto a nearby sofa, exhausted.

One of the operatives approached her, his rifle trained on her.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," he ordered.

Beihai slowly raised her hands, her face impassive. "Name, Beihai. From C18 City, a wolf beastwoman, and a mercenary."

"State your identity, purpose, and recount the events that transpired. Under the Cyberpsycho Legislation, Section 256, everything you say will be recorded. Choose your words carefully."

"Beihai, from C18 City, wolf beastwoman, mercenary."

Beihai gestured toward Nanshan with her chin. "Here to protect my employer."

"Please recount the incident."

Beihai watched the MaxTac operatives picking up the scattered pieces of the cyberpsycho's dismantled cyberware.

"This guy stepped out of the elevator and attacked Ye Corp's young master's two bodyguards, killing all the Golden Hall security personnel. Someone called MaxTac, but I took him down before you arrived. That's all."

"Thank you for your cooperation. We sincerely appreciate your contribution to the safety and stability of Night City. Even as a beastwoman, you deserve respect."

"Stability?"

"Safety?"

Beihai almost laughed. "Right... Sure."

Something cold touched her cheek.

"Here's your Troy Horse."

Nanshan sat beside Beihai, holding two glasses of Troy Horse.

"All the expensive liquor was destroyed... The only things left intact were the cans of beer and bottles of soda in the fridge."

Beihai took the glass from Nanshan, flashing a bitter smile.

"Cheers."