Cyberpunk: Becoming a Legend from Dogtown

Incoming Call: V

"Boss, I'm in Dogtown… and I wound Hands up a bit."

V: "Nice. Hands' wife's got a hell of a body, huh? Bet sharing a car with that bombshell was a breeze."

Lin Yue: "…"

"What's the situation?"

"Nothing from Hands yet," Lin Yue replied. "I get it, though… when I'm pissed, I force myself to cool down. Bet the 'busy man' is doing the same—and figuring out how to take me out."

"Keep me posted on Dogtown. Call me when you need me."

"Just make sure you stay in Dogtown. Don't let Hansen put a bullet in you. I'm out."

Call ended, Lin Yue crouched by Dogtown Basketball Court, watching locals play streetball.

Funny. This was where V would later wait for Reed, and now Lin Yue, another "outsider," sat here figuring out how to survive.

He'd crashed in an abandoned building last night. No way he could return to his Longshore Stacks place—too risky. His new look helped, but with Hansen's Barghest hooked into the NCPD database, they could ID him through any disguise.

Unless—

Behavioral Signature Faceplate.

But that was still a dead end. Lin Yue even checked the stadium black market. All the ripperdocs shook their heads.

Nothing. Even if there was, it wasn't for sale.

Notification

Lin Yue's optics blinked. The "busy man" finally reached out.

Mr. Hands: Nice move, friend. A merc like you, with no limits, would make a perfect corpo lapdog.

Lin Yue: ?

What's this clown on about? Lin Yue frowned. No way Hands cracked Arasaka's database… right?

Mr. Hands: Let's be blunt. Your boss—I know everything. Rin, L-I-N. Ring a bell?

Lin Yue stared, baffled.

That's… me. What the hell did he dig up?

Or maybe V's fake profile is so good Hands actually thinks I'm a suit?

This world's one big circus…

Lin Yue: LOL.

Hands, irritated: Silent treatment won't erase the fact you're Arasaka's dog. Knew you had to be someone big to know all that. Tell your boss to back off.

Lin Yue: No.

A long pause.

Mr. Hands: Fine. Bring your boss to me. We'll talk. Money, fame, power—he wants it, I can share. But we need competition.

Lin Yue: Sorry. You're not worth my boss's time. Here's a smart move: split your biz with us 50/50.

Mr. Hands: Where are you? Let's talk face-to-face.

A face-to-face meeting?

Lin Yue knew this game. Online threats going offline? Next step: IRL showdown.

Hands must be livid. No way Lin Yue was going.

Lin Yue: You think I'm stupid? My boss takes the gigs. I'm just the muscle. Shooting me won't help you.

Mr. Hands: So your boss is in Pacifica, watching the biz up close, huh?

Heh. Not just Pacifica, buddy. I'm watching you from your own damn backyard. Lin Yue chuckled.

Mr. Hands: Merc work needs trusted hands. Does your boss have that?

Lin Yue: Yeah. Me. Got work? Pass it to Rin. Remember—I can always find your wife.

Mr. Hands: … You? Alone?

Lin Yue: That's my boss's problem, not yours.

Hands typed for ages… then stopped.

Lin Yue grinned. Not exactly humane, but fair's fair. You screw me, I screw your profits. Simple.

Then Hands called.

Lin Yue thought it over. Biz needs face-to-face talks. He answered.

"I don't see you lasting long here. Hansen won't let corpos into Dogtown. To make it here, you need a card."

"Sure," Lin Yue replied. "We call it a 'blood marker.' No criminal record, no corpo heat—Hansen won't trust you otherwise."

"Then why's your boss muscling into Dogtown?"

"Low salary. Wants to screw Hansen. Isn't it obvious? Hit Arasaka, Arasaka hits back. Normal. So, dear Mr. Hands, keep that mouth shut, eh?"

Hands exhaled loudly.

"Hard to do biz this way. Send someone. I'll share half my clients, but earning their trust is up to you."

"I'll send new clients your way too. Convincing them? Your boss's problem."

"Careful. If things get messy, I'll retire with my lovely wife. Your boss won't get off so easy."

Fair. Lin Yue thought. Piss him off too much and we all lose. If he really wanted out, he'd have left California already.

"Alright. I'll meet you. Boss approved."

Meeting set: tomorrow night at Heavy Hearts. Lin Yue just needed V's green light.

Before he could message her, another unknown call came through.

A distorted voice, barely audible: "You… Lin Yue?"

"Yeah. Who's asking?"

"Holy shit, you're alive!"

"Do you want me dead? Who the hell is this?"

Silence.

"…Rebecca. It's Rebecca."

Lin Yue blinked. "You guys are still in Dogtown? Damn."

"Listen… do you know another way out? Hansen's still hunting us."

Lin Yue hesitated. Helping a Barghest-hunted crew wasn't wise. But an idea sparked.

"I can ask my 'boss.' Maybe they need extra hands. You get out, come back anytime, and get paid."

Rebecca paused. "Just… come, okay?"

"Sure. But if I come, that means you're in. Call me if you change your mind."

...

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