Chapter 37: Debate

"Doctor, what exactly is happening with that chip?!" Judy cried out, hugging V close again. Her voice was sharp, but the anxiety behind it was unmistakable.

Evelyn's gone… Now V too?

Viktor sighed. He understood Judy's emotions—he felt the same helplessness deep down.

"That chip originally belonged to Johnny Silverhand. V should've died instantly from the headshot, but Takemura inserted the chip without knowing what it really was."

"When it activated, it pulled V's fading consciousness back—barely. But it also triggered this whole nightmare."

"How can someone come back from the dead?" Judy asked in disbelief.

"Normally, they can't. But Arasaka developed a technology that made it possible," Viktor replied solemnly.

"Relic…" Misty spoke up quietly from the corner. "Isn't that what's happening now? The consciousness of the dead uploaded into the network beforehand, allowing them to continue 'living' as digital ghosts?"

"It's similar, but far more complex," Viktor said. "Honestly, I'm no engineer. I don't fully understand it myself. What I do know is that V's consciousness is being overwritten, and it's going to be a slow, painful process…"

"Can't V just talk to Johnny? Ask him not to take over?" Judy asked desperately.

Viktor shook his head. "No. The process is automated. Johnny can't stop it either. The best-case scenario is that they come to an agreement—coexist peacefully for a time."

"Can't you just remove the chip?"

"That's the worst idea. It's like yanking out a load-bearing wall in a skyscraper. The whole thing would collapse—and V would die. This chip is more invasive than anything ever advertised. It's likely a prototype—something never meant for public use. I don't even know how it got out."

"Is there really… no hope at all?" Judy's voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes.

V, lying in the bed, turned her head slightly and looked at her.

"At least… I don't have a way," Viktor said, standing up. "I'm sorry, V."

With that, he walked out of the room.

"Don't blame Viktor," Misty said softly, patting V's shoulder. "He's done all he could. You should rest now."

"It's okay, V. Everything's going to be alright," Judy said gently as she helped the weakened V lie back down. "Just like you told me Evelyn still had hope—there has to be hope for you too."

Evelyn…

The name jolted something inside V. That's right! Evelyn knew the biochip's value. Maybe she knows how to deal with it!

No— It wasn't just Evelyn. The Voodoo Boys. They were the ones who had Evelyn steal the chip. If anyone knew what it truly was, it would be them.

She tried to sit up, but dizziness overwhelmed her. Her body was simply too weak.

"Thank you, Judy," V murmured, forcing a small smile. "You're right… there's still hope."

With that, she drifted into a deep sleep, exhaustion finally overtaking her. Judy sat beside her, holding her hand and watching over her quietly.

---

As night fell, the streets of Night City came alive.

Corporate employees, arms linked with companions, made their way toward the city's entertainment zones. Call them corporate dogs all you like—when they flashed their cash, they were greeted with "Yes sir!" and "Right this way, boss!"

In Night City, money talked. No shame in making a living.

---

Beneath a secluded bridge, Takemura Goro ducked into a dim underpass, having carefully avoided several surveillance cameras. A man in an Arasaka uniform paced nervously nearby. As soon as he saw Takemura, he approached quickly.

"You're five minutes late."

"Sorry. I had to avoid the security eyes. Did you bring it?"

The man nodded and handed over a sealed envelope. "This is the information you requested. Everyone you wanted me to investigate—names, roles, photos. I'm heading out."

"Thank you, Kojiro," Takemura said, bowing respectfully.

Kojiro blinked in surprise, then smiled and patted his shoulder. "No need for all that between us. I want the truth about Mr. Saburo's death too."

"I promise I'll get to the bottom of it."

"Just be careful."

The two men parted quickly.

Takemura found another quiet spot under the bridge and opened the envelope, reading under the pale glow of a streetlamp.

"They're all in the same team?"

He'd only intended to investigate Leon Black and Lena Fox, but was surprised to find that the two individuals from earlier—Mike Taylor and Lily Cross—were in the same unit.

The intel was sparse: names, photos, and brief summaries. But that was expected. Combat personnel files were heavily guarded. Kojiro must've used considerable influence just to get these scraps.

Then one name caught his eye.

Arasaka Yuto.

He paused. Carrying the Arasaka name didn't guarantee blood ties to the family, but to see it show up in a small combat team like this... suspicious.

Was that why Leon Black got involved? For his teammates?

But Takemura didn't fully understand Leon.

If he cared so much, why wasn't he making a move? Why the delay?

Yet the evidence said otherwise—those rare-grade serums he'd given weren't fake. Even Takemura himself would've needed high-level clearance to request something like that.

Could a small-time security captain afford those on his own?

---

Across the city, Leon Black was eating ramen with Viktor and Nina at a small corner stall, completely unaware of Takemura's suspicions.

"Lena's doing well," Nina said between slurps. "We could push the surgery further and knock out more in one go."

"It's better to go slow," Viktor countered. "The more we push, the higher the risk of rejection. If her body turns on the implants, we might not get another chance to fix it."

Lena's operation was painstakingly complex. Over 20,000 optical skin fragments—each no larger than a thumbnail—were being implanted just beneath her existing synthetic skin. And all of it had to integrate perfectly without impairing her current systems.

Even with top-tier AI assistance, the legendary Ripperdocs were stretched thin. After half a day, they'd only finished one-twentieth of the work.

But none of them were rushing. The method they'd chosen was delicate and time-consuming.

Leon let the two doctors chat. He trusted them.

Viktor took a moment to check in with Misty over the phone—no changes in V's condition. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking over, he saw Leon relaxing on the couch, peeling an orange, his eyes on the TV.

---

"Good evening, Night City! Welcome to today's Intel Insights! I'm your host, Ruth Zheng!" announced the peppy Chinese-American host on-screen.

"Let's dive into tonight's hot topic—the Northside Interchange Incident!"

The broadcast showed shaky footage: a car being chased by bikers dressed in black, gunfire flashing. Suddenly, a figure leapt from the moving vehicle, diving off the bridge.

Even more shocking—his pursuers followed, launching off the overpass without hesitation.

Massive explosions lit up the night.

"After enhancing the footage," Ruth said, "our tech team confirms the jumper was none other than the man with the million-dollar bounty—Takemura Goro!"

"Well, that explains who was chasing him…"

The footage was brief and blurry, clearly recorded from a bystander's mobile device. There was no clear image of what happened after the fall.

"I just hope Takemura Goro lives long enough for tomorrow's headlines," Ruth said with a grin. "And that's it for tonight's Intel Insights. Sleep tight, Night City!"

The show cut to a commercial break: ads for cyberware, Braindance kits, firearms, apartments, and, of course, escort services.

"Such a wide selection," Leon commented as he bit into his orange.

Viktor chuckled. "Don't you think this city's rotten?"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "If you've seen Night City's annual economic report, you wouldn't say that. This place has one of the highest income rates in the world."

"That's just surface-level prosperity."

"But most places can't even manage that much," Leon replied.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

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