57: Chapter 56 Undercurrent

Three days was enough time for Night City to chew up, digest, and excrete some new conspiracy theory regarding any headline.

The tranquility of the North Oak villa was broken by a few rumors from the "Afterlife".

The information was vague, yet all of it pointed to the same unsettling rumor: the ones who took out Saburo Arasaka were three audacious mercenaries. Their names were unknown, but the descriptions vaguely matched Lin Yi and his crew at the time.

"The wind is picking up." Lin Yi put down his terminal and looked out the window.

The city skyline appeared cold and distant in the morning light.

The excitement of the new cyberware had settled, transforming into a heavy sense of reality.

He realized that the leisurely adjustment period was over; it was time to move.

V had sent the Optical Camouflage protocol expansion pack to Jackie on the very day the test succeeded, and the feedback was that the "effect is fucking insane".

By now, everyone on the team had finished syncing with their "new partners".

He withdrew his gaze and looked beside him.

V was like a boneless cat, draped entirely over him, sleeping soundly. Her breathing was even and long, a few strands of hair sticking to her smooth forehead and cheeks, her sleeping expression holding a hint of defenseless innocence.

Lin Yi's lips curled slightly. He reached out and gave that pert curve a slap, neither too hard nor too soft, producing a crisp sound.

"Lily, the sun is already hitting your butt; it's time for us to get moving."

V, having her sweet dream disturbed, grumbled in dissatisfaction. Instead of getting up, she wrapped herself tighter around him like an octopus.

She lifted her head, eyes bleary with sleep, yet carrying a lazy allure. Her warm breath sprayed against his earlobe, her voice like a honey-coated hook: "Hmm~... I want a 'Latte'... otherwise I'm not getting up."

Lin Yi felt his nerve endings lightly teased by her words. He turned his head to meet her eyes, which held a mix of slyness and expectation, and chuckled helplessly: "Oi, you little brat... you're feeling extra hot today, aren't you."

However, the consequence of that impulse was that the originally scheduled departure time was pushed back by a full hour.

When the two finally broke free from the shackles of that seemingly magical soft bed, washed up, and simply supplemented with some high-energy food and synthetic protein drinks, it was nearly noon.

After packing the necessary equipment, Lin Yi and V drove to Watson.

The car still held a faint trace of the past few days' leisure, but now there was more of a tension, a sense of impending action.

"Jackie, pack up the 'fishing gear'," Lin Yi connected the encrypted communication, his tone returning to its usual calm. "We're going to Pacifica to 'go fishing'."

The excitement on the other end of the line was almost overflowing: "Hey! Mano! You finally sent word! Do you know how close I was to going crazy staring at the new toys in the garage these past few days? I've been waiting for you! The 'fishing gear' is all prepped and ready, don't worry, we definitely won't get 'skunked'!"

"Good, we're already on the way. We'll be at your garage in a few minutes," Lin Yi replied.

A few minutes later, Lin Yi drove Jackie's golden "mizutani shion" into the somewhat cluttered, yet lively garage at Jackie's place.

Jackie was already waiting there, with several heavy equipment cases at his feet. Inside were his beloved "La Chingona Dorada" and a Copperhead, a Nekomata tech sniper rifle, as well as the DB-2 Satara and ajax assault rifle that Lin Yi had prepared for him, all with plenty of ammunition.

He deftly pulled open the back door, stuffed the equipment cases in, and then squeezed his massive frame in as well. At a glance, he saw the inconspicuous metal case placed on the other side of the back seat—the container holding the Relic.

"As long as this thing is here," Jackie patted the metal case, making a dull thud, and grinned, revealing his bright white teeth. "Those Voodoo Boys hiding in the data sea, those bottom-feeders, will smell the bait and bite it themselves. Just waiting for us to wipe them all out in one go!"

The engine roared again, the vehicle merged into traffic, and they headed towards Pacifica.

The three in the car said no more. A natural, tacit understanding permeated the space as they each checked their gear and adjusted their states, like predators about to pounce on their prey.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, inside the towering Arasaka Tower, the game of power never ceased.

In an office decorated with ukiyo-e style holographic projections, Yorinobu had just finished a physically and mentally exhausting session of insincere pleasantries with the elders of the corporate factions.

He rubbed his brow, feeling his temples throbbing.

This pervasive scheming, hypocritical flattery, and back-channel obstruction made him feel an immense disgust for this golden cage he was nominally about to inherit.

An encrypted communication accessed his private line, interrupting his thoughts. "Yorinobu-sama, the targets have left North Oak and are moving towards Pacifica."

Yorinobu's eyes narrowed slightly. Although he couldn't be 100% sure that it was this group that took the Relic, after ruling out all other possibilities, this three-person team—with their secretive operations, exceptional abilities, and perfect disappearance after the Konpeki Plaza incident—was undoubtedly the highest-priority target on his suspect list.

They went to Pacifica... were they trying to use the chaos there to hide, or did they have other motives?

"Continue observing. Do not engage unless necessary. Report any developments immediately," he commanded, his voice devoid of emotion.

Cutting the connection, he leaned back against the cold chair, feeling the fatigue in his heart grow heavier.

Just then, another higher-priority communication request lit up. The caller ID read—Hanako.

Yorinobu's pupils contracted imperceptibly.

He took a deep breath and connected the call. "Hanako?" His voice was deliberately kept steady.

"Brother, it's me." Hanako's unique, soft, and beautiful voice, carrying a hint of otherworldly detachment, came from the other end of the line. But to Yorinobu's ears right now, it carried a cold undertone.

"I am preparing to depart for Night City. Father's... departure, makes it impossible for me to remain in Tokyo with peace of mind."

Yorinobu's lips pulled into an arc devoid of any smile, yet his tone maintained appropriate concern: "Hm. I will arrange for reliable people to pick you up. Be careful on the way."

The call ended.

Yorinobu looked at the darkened communication interface, his eyes turning completely cold.

Mourning Father? His younger sister, whom Father had personally cultivated into the most perfect, most obedient "work of art"—would she come personally to this "barren land" she had always disdained, just to mourn?

He didn't believe it.

As the child most thoroughly brainwashed by Saburo, and also the most favored, Hanako's arrival at this time was definitely not pure in motive.

She was the biggest variable in his plan, and the key link to whatever contingency the old monster might have left behind. Michiko, that woman, was ostensibly staying in her attic, unconcerned, while the doves under her were itching for action.

"Hanako, oh Hanako..." Yorinobu whispered to himself, looking out the window at the city that belonged to Arasaka, yet made him feel suffocated. "I hope your arrival won't be as bad as I anticipate."

The chaos in Pacifica, the Relic bait, the undercurrents within the corporation, and his sister about to arrive with unknown intentions... all the threads seemed to be converging toward the center of this massive whirlpool that was Night City.

And Yorinobu himself was stepping, step by step, into the center of this increasingly complex game of chess.