Cyberpunk: Becoming a Legend from Dogtown

[Calling: Viktor Vektor]

"V? What brings you to this old man's mind today?"

V chuckled softly. "C'mon, Vik. You're not old. Didn't I catch you watching a boxing replay the other day, mumbling about getting in the ring to teach the youngsters a lesson?"

"Alright, what's the deal this time? Work again?"

Vik's voice had that calming effect only a few in Night City possessed.

"Yeah," V glanced at the passenger seat where Lin Yue lay, his severed arm still bleeding profusely. Even after giving him a coagulant shot and a can of Black Lace, the bleeding wouldn't stop.

"I've got… someone related to my work. Lost an arm, massive blood loss, and his back's shredded…"

With one hand on the wheel, V pulled a soft wire from her wrist and plugged it into Lin Yue's neural interface.

"Vitals are crap. I'm about half an hour from your place. Can you handle surgery? Pull an all-nighter for me?"

She forwarded Lin Yue's data to Vik, unsure if the kid would even make it that far.

"Trauma Team client?"

Vik was always cautious. Working for Arasaka meant V often ran into clients protected by Trauma Team's aggressive insurance policies.

V was blunt. "Nah, broke as hell. No way he's got Trauma coverage."

Viktor sighed with a resigned smile. "Alright, bring him in. Make sure you keep the coagulant flowing if he starts fading."

"Relax, Vik. I've picked up a few tricks from you."

The call ended, and V's car—an Hera EC-D I360—shot through the Pacifica intersections at 150 km/h. Every NCPD radio channel lit up with reports of her vehicle.

Neon lights blurred past as the car zipped through the cityscape. The glowing "天下無雙" sign streaked across the windshield as V turned the streets into her personal racetrack.

[Watson District]

Little China.

Once a promising part of Night City, now just another rundown neighborhood.The flashing neon signs, distant food stalls from roaming carts, and cheap Asian street snacks filled the night air.

The cityscape was a contradiction—corporate offices towered above illegal DUBO dens, and office workers priced out of Corpo Plaza lived shoulder to shoulder with the homeless.

Cheap thrills were found at card tables and seedy strip clubs.

Other than the Tyger Claws, no major gangs dared to stake a permanent claim here.

Viktor's clinic was tucked behind a maze of storefronts, hidden in a basement down a narrow alley.

V parked the car. Misty, already briefed by Vik, stood outside yawning, her smoky eye makeup making her look even more tired.

"Viktor asked me to help out, V."

"Misty, I got it covered… okay, fine. Thanks."

It was midnight, and though the streets were quiet, a few homeless folks stared wide-eyed as two women carried a bloodied man into the alley.

Lin Yue's blood dripped onto Misty's sweater the entire way.

V winced. "Uh… sorry about that."

"Set him down, kid."

Viktor, his cybernetic hands already sterilized, lifted them in preparation. "Let's deal with the arm first."

Staring at the blood pooling on the chair, Viktor asked, "So, who is he to you? Need to know if I'm using premium parts."

"Vik, use the best. If he's broke, I'll make sure he pays you back!"

Vik shook his head. "You're the only one I let run a tab."

With that, he got to work, staunching the bleeding, pulling shrapnel from Lin Yue's back with surgical tweezers, while Misty rummaged for suitable implants.

The surgery began…

---

Lin Yue dreamed.

In his dream, the Corpo Plaza was pristine, towering skyscrapers pinning ordinary people to the bottom rung of the social ladder.

What am I? Why am I still alive?

No answers came.

"Hey! Spacing out, Lin Yue?"

Maine clapped him on the shoulder.

Rebecca stood with hands in her pockets, her oversized collar partially hiding an uncharacteristically serious expression.

Beside her stood the rest of the cyberpunk crew—Dorio, Kiwi, Lucy, David Martinez…

"Yo! Amigo, looking sharp today!"

Lin Yue turned. "Jackie… it's you."

The burly man with a samurai haircut and leather jacket stood with folded arms. Next to him—wait, was that the cyber girl from before?

But the mirror was still shattered.

They all lay broken on the ground, fragmented and incomplete.

Only one woman remained, covered in wounds, kneeling on one knee, staring fiercely at Arasaka Tower.

Behind her, a silver-haired man in a bulletproof vest leaned casually, murmuring, "This fucked-up world? Burn it all down to ashes for all I care."

[System Rebooting…][Data Syncing…//…]

The darkness faded as Lin Yue's vision brightened. Red status indicators blinked—he was alive.

Did I manage to call the ripperdoc?

At least he was still breathing.

Lin Yue opened his eyes, finding himself on a surgical chair. The corporate woman sat nearby, dozing off in another chair.

He cautiously moved his neck, taking in the small, cluttered space—faint blue light from a computer screen, trophies on a shelf, random junk scattered around.

It all felt oddly familiar.

My hand!

Instinctively, Lin Yue raised his arm. Both hands were intact—and felt even more responsive than before.

His palms, covered with realistic synthetic skin, now featured a black cybernetic mesh with a silver square embedded in the center. His grip felt stronger, more precise.

"Subdermal Armor. Ballistic Coprocessor."

The sudden voice startled him. The corporate woman was awake, her sharp eyes meeting his, exuding a weary yet commanding presence.

"Where am I?"

"Night City. Watson District," she replied, crossing her legs. "As payment for saving your sorry ass, you can cover your implant costs with Viktor Vektor over in Little China."

"And my price? You're going to tell me exactly what the fuck happened with Maelstrom's stolen shipment."

This place… Viktor's clinic?!

And this woman… Lin Yue swallowed hard.

[Character: Valerie (V)][Affiliation: Arasaka, Night City][Affinity: 0][Potential: ???][Stage Reward: Encountered Valerie (V). System maintenance completed. Implants upgraded—Ballistic Coprocessor (Rare), Subdermal Armor (Rare), Titanium Bones (Rare). Intelligence +3, Eddies…]

"Don't get smart with me," V warned. "I can fry your brain and wake you up just to do it again. Start talking about the Dogtown mess."

"Don't make me use methods to get it out of you."

The pressure from Corpo-hacker V was suffocating. Lin Yue stiffened.

Should I even explain all this? Militech, Arasaka… what the hell is going on?

No, I can't just spill everything.

"I need to know what's really going on first," he countered.

He had been burned too many times. Even with V, he couldn't afford to be careless.

V's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Lin Yue shivered. "N-no, I mean… I saw it in a braindance. You gotta tell me what the hell's happening so I know what you want from me. I swear! You tell me, I'll tell you."

V pulled a knife from her belt, flipping it in her hand effortlessly.

Lin Yue wasn't sure if that counted as a threat.

...

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