48: Chapter 48 Heartfelt Words

The smoke from Konpeki Plaza felt as if it were still clinging to their airways, but the three of them had successfully escaped and returned to a relatively safe area in Night City.

After eating, the group headed to V's apartment. The three of them sat in the living room, and the metal case containing the Relic was left casually on the cluttered coffee table, looking like an out-of-place tombstone.

"Next," Lin Yi rubbed his still-aching temples, breaking the silence, "we split up. V and I will go find that fat bastard Dexter, and Jackie, you'll have to handle finding that runaway Evelyn Parker. If we don't get to the bottom of this, we won't be able to sleep soundly. Neither of those two told the truth."

Jackie put his hands behind his head and said, "Fine. I'll dig up everything on that woman, even her dirty laundry. That's settled then. I'm heading out. We'll talk tomorrow."

V leaned against the sofa, her eyes unfocused, her fingers unconsciously picking at the already tattered leather of the couch.

"Lin Yi," her voice was raspy with exhaustion, carrying the fatigue of surviving a near-death experience, along with a deeper, indescribable sense of oppression.

Flashes raced through V's mind: the moment T-Bug was instantly vaporized, the blood seeping from Jackie's abdomen, and the moments she was mere inches away from death... These images swirled in her mind. She felt she couldn't hesitate any longer; she had to create her own opportunities and take the initiative.

She suddenly stood up, walked over to Lin Yi, and pulled his hand. "Let's go."

Lin Yi looked up, puzzled by the flicker of restlessness deep in her eyes that needed to be vented. "Where to?"

"To calm my nerves," V forced a smile that wasn't quite right. "We ate, and now... it's time for round two. Drinking. Your treat."

Lin Yi looked at her, understanding everything.

What V needed might not just be alcohol, but a reasonable excuse—an excuse that would allow her to temporarily break free from that urgent sense of tension.

He took her slightly cool fingers in his hand, stood up, and said in a relaxed tone, "Fine. Round two. Let's go."

They didn't drive, choosing instead to walk under the neon lights of Westbrook, as if the night breeze could wash away a bit of the scent of blood on them.

The clamor of Japantown rushed to meet them, with colorful holographic advertisements reflecting off the numb or fanatical faces of passersby. Behind some concrete pillars, people twitching while wearing braindance equipment displayed a twisted form of "performance art," which could be considered a local specialty in Night City.

"I remember there's... a nice bar around here with a great atmosphere," Lin Yi said, searching based on memory. Soon, they stopped in front of an inconspicuous building and checked the name—Dark Matter bar.

The elevator went straight to the 35th floor. As the doors opened, the noise was shut out, replaced by low-playing jazz and the lingering scent of high-end tobacco and alcohol.

Behind the bar, the bartender silently wiped glasses. Lin Yi ordered a crisp "Snow Mountain Sake," while V ordered a strong "Black Stallion Vodka." After downing it in one go, she ordered an "Iron Weight Whiskey."

She frowned as she swallowed the drink, unable to help complaining, "Johnny Silverhand... why would he like this stuff? It's so harsh and strong, like swallowing a piece of red-hot iron."

Lin Yi swirled the sake in his glass, just watching her without responding. He knew that all she needed right now was someone to listen, or rather, an anchor that made her feel her own "reality."

After a few strong drinks, V's eyes began to glaze over, and she became more talkative. Seeing that the liquid in Lin Yi's glass had barely gone down, she slapped his arm in dissatisfaction. "Seriously... are you raising fish in there? Drinking so slowly..." She paused, seemingly wanting to say something, but her tongue was tied. "Let me ask you..."

Lin Yi asked, confused, "Why is your head pointy?"

"What are you mumbling about?"

Before the words were out, V suddenly leaned in, holding a mouthful of the more mellow and complex "Bacchus" she had just poured into her glass, and pressed her lips against his.

The liquid, carrying the scent of fruit and strong alcohol, was passed over. Lin Yi was stunned for a moment, then tasted the alcohol on her lips and teeth, along with a faint, imperceptible tremor.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, accepting the kiss filled with alcohol and unease.

When the kiss ended, V's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were even more unfocused.

Lin Yi sighed helplessly, knowing she was truly drunk. He really had to hand it to V, this lightweight.

Remembering the disaster last time when she blacked out and vomited all over him and the car door, he immediately dismissed the idea of letting her drink any more.

"Be good. Let's leave this wine here and come back to drink it next time, okay?" He tried to take the bottle of Bacchus she had just opened.

"No!" V clutched the bottle to her chest, like a hissing cat. "Once it's in my hands... it's mine." She raised her hazy eyes, stared at Lin Yi, and added, "You... are the same."

Seeing her acting like a rascal, Lin Yi was torn between laughter and tears. He had no choice but to pay the bill, buying the expensive bottle of Bacchus as well.

He supported her as they walked to the elevator. Fortunately, although her steps were unsteady this time, she could still walk on her own, unlike last time when he had to carry her the whole way.

Downstairs, he hailed an iconic Delamain luxury taxi and gave the address of the villa in North Oak.

The vehicle slid smoothly into the traffic, leaving the glitz of Japantown behind.

The car was quiet, save for the sound of V's light breathing as she leaned on his shoulder.

The Delamain service AI thoughtfully turned on the seat heating, helping to alleviate some of the discomfort from V's intoxication.

Lin Yi watched the neon lights streaking past the window, feeling the warmth from the person beside him. The cold, murderous intent brought on by Konpeki Plaza seemed to be dissipating bit by bit.

However, he knew in his heart that the real storm was only just beginning.

The Relic was still a hot potato in his hands. Although he knew the Voodoo Boys wanted to use the Relic to stir up trouble, the only thing that puzzled him was Yorinobu's intentions. And at this moment, V by his side felt like the last bit of tranquility in his heart before the storm.

"That time I 'passed out' before, it always felt a bit strange, like something was watching me." Sitting in the car, Lin Yi couldn't help but recall the previous events, analyzing the strange parts one by one. He connected his thoughts to "Bai Ze." "Analyze the situation during my overload-induced coma."

[Behavioral data analysis: According to anomaly analysis, before the coma, a guiding code was directionally sent to the access pod via a European communication satellite, and then you were packed and transported into the Old Net via a protocol encapsulation.]

"Are you kidding me, buddy? A European satellite? Let me see." Saying this, Lin Yi directly checked the log analysis.

"What the hell, Paris? From over in Europe? Who's so badass that they used Old Net tech to drag me over there and then brought me back?" Lin Yi couldn't help but be puzzled and started thinking, 'Alt? Bartmoss? They're powerful, but they still can't directly bypass the Blackwall. What else could it be in Europe? Could it be...? Hiss, impossible, absolutely impossible!'

Lin Yi broke out in a cold sweat and decided to stop thinking for the time being. In a few days, after he finished cleaning up this mess with Evelyn, he would go and verify his theory. He hoped it wasn't what he suspected.

Meanwhile, at the top floor of Arasaka Tower.

Yorinobu first used thunderous means to stabilize the entire company, although he knew in his heart that while he had temporarily taken control of Arasaka with the support of the company's hawks.

But Yorinobu still didn't believe that the old man was really finished so easily. Even before he made his move, that old geezer Saburo Arasaka had voluntarily sent Goro Takemura away for him.

The Relic he had taken from the lab, which carried Johnny Silverhand's imprint, was missing. This meant that a group of people must have taken the Relic at that time.

"How surprising. Night City, this sinful thing called the Relic. If those mercenaries were only doing it for money..." Thinking of this, Yorinobu immediately arranged for his subordinates to keep a close watch on the black market to see if anyone was hawking the Relic or trading it with other corporations. Then he thought, 'But if it's really not for money or power, then I can test whether there's an intention for cooperation. If that's the case, perhaps there might be a lead on continuing the will of the [Steel Dragon].'