Free Web NovelChapter 307: 307 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 18
Lucy and I toured Night City like that and then returned home.
"I was happy to see a different side of Night City."
"I’m glad you enjoyed it."
After that, we occasionally took requests or crafted custom guns, spending time without anything special happening, when suddenly a call came from Maine’s shop.
– Jin, ’Yorinobu Arasaka’ has come to the shop right now. And he’s brought ’Adam Smasher’ with him, no less.
"Why did those guys come looking for me?"
– They said they have something to talk about with you.
"And they didn’t say what it was about?"
– No. Because of these guys, customers can’t even come in. They don’t seem to have any intention of leaving until you get here.
"Got it, I’ll be there soon."
I was curious why these guys had come, even interfering with someone else’s business.
I told Lucy to stay home and not go anywhere, then took the car and moved to Maine’s shop. When I arrived, Adam Smasher, whose entire body was packed with implants, was seen blocking the shop’s entrance. Adam Smasher is a giant cyborg over 2 meters tall, with his entire body covered in a metal exoskeleton, leaving almost no trace of humanity. He just looked like a hunk of metal. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Hey, why are you causing this shit at someone else’s shop?"
At my words, Adam Smasher, showing curiosity, said to me.
"So you’re the one? The guy who caught the Cyberskeleton and became a living legend."
His voice was a thick, gruff male voice, but mixed with mechanical sounds, making it quite grating to the ear.
"So what if I am? Did you come to have a go at me?"
"Ha! Cute! A mere piece of meat that’s just starting to make a name for itself thinks it can match me!"
Adam and I glared at each other, continuing a tense staring contest, both ready to attack at any moment.
Then Yorinobu, who had been behind Adam, stepped in between us and spoke.
"Whoa, whoa, everyone calm down. We didn’t come to fight. Let’s go for now."
Yorinobu, outwardly appearing to be in his late thirties, looked like an ordinary Japanese guy wearing glasses. His hairstyle was a neatly styled two‑block with an all‑back look, and he was dressed in a clean suit. From a distance, he gave the impression that you might mistake him for just an ordinary office worker.
"Why should I go with you? I have no reason to follow guys who interfered with someone else’s business."
At my words, Yorinobu handed me money that was over 30 times the average price of a custom gun.
"Is this enough? Actually, I’m a fan of yours. I’ve also purchased many of your custom guns, so you could say I’m a regular at this shop. It’s just a light drink — there’s no need to be so sharp."
"Really? Wait a moment."
I went into the shop and handed 25% of the money I had received to Maine.
"What’s this?"
"Think of it as compensation for your business being interfered with, from that guy. And I think it would be best to close the shop today and rest with Dorio."
Maine, also sensing that the atmosphere was not ordinary, just said he understood. I went back outside and said to Yorinobu.
"Done. Let’s go."
Yorinobu, Adam, and I rode in a Rayfield, a luxury AV limousine parked in the open space outside the shop, and moved to Embers, an upscale restaurant near City Hall.
When we arrived at Embers and entered, there was no one else — only Arasaka agents standing guard, a bartender, and people who seemed to be cooks in the back kitchen, though not visible. Yorinobu and I sat down, and Adam sat on a sofa near the entrance, waiting with the agents. Yorinobu had probably rented out the entire place.
"The food here is decent. Try it."
Yorinobu said that and signaled to the bartender, and various dishes came out in order. From what I could see with my naked eye, there was nothing tampered with in the food, so I just ate. It was decent, but seeing various seafoods that were very difficult to obtain in Night City coming out, it seemed quite expensive. Of course, they weren’t wild, all farmed, but still.
"Not bad, right?"
"It’s decent. But why did the crown prince of Arasaka come to see me personally?"
At my words, Yorinobu took out one of the custom guns he had bought and placed it on the table.
"Let’s not rush off too quickly. I have a few things to ask."
He pointed to the gun on the table and spoke.
"This gun, you see. The alloy used is really excellent. There are almost no impurities. How is that possible? And can it be mass‑produced?"
These guys had probably analyzed the guns I had customized. I spoke the words I had prepared for a day like this.
"That’s technical know‑how, so I’m reluctant to go into detail, but to summarize only the parts that are okay to be known — a certain company produces it for me. They compress the alloy under high pressure, then slowly cool and shape it, and then from the large block thus made, they select only the parts with the fewest impurities to make it. As a Japanese, you might know — by any chance, do you know how the highest‑quality Go boards are made?"
"I know. After cutting good quality wood to the thickness of a Go board, they cut out the parts with the best grain into a Go board shape, dry them well, and then make them into a Go board."
"The metal that goes into my gun is the same. That’s why it’s so expensive."
"Oh~ is that so! So that’s why. The company that trades that metal is obviously a secret, right?"
"Yes. As you can probably tell, it’s not produced in large quantities, and these days, with the shop open, I don’t even have enough for myself. Corporations like yours, which profit from mass production, would probably have a hard time making it."
"I suppose so. By the way, do you take personal custom orders?"
"Yes. Inquire at the shop. But it will be quite expensive."
"That won’t be a problem. The more I see, the more I like it. By any chance, do you have any intention of working under me? I promise you three times what you’re earning now."
Yorinobu began to get to the point. As expected, it was a recruitment offer.
"I have no such intention. If you need me, just put in a request. I don’t like belonging to any one place. And you... no, never mind. Pretend you didn’t hear that."
When I cut myself off mid‑sentence, Yorinobu frowned and spoke.
"What were you trying to say?"
I covered my ear once, then pointed to Adam and the agents at the entrance. In other words, there were too many listening ears. Then Yorinobu, catching my intention, stood up from his seat for a moment and gave some order to Adam. Then Adam, the agents, the bartender, and even the cooks took the elevator to another floor.
"All clear now, right? Now, speak."
When Yorinobu said that, this time I stood up and looked around the restaurant. Then I hacked and destroyed any visible cameras or security devices.
Puk! Pak! Sizzle!
"Was it really necessary to go that far?"
Yorinobu was incredulous at my actions.
"This might not even be enough. Because this concerns your father. You’re paying for the damages later."
"Wh-what??? Father???"
When Yorinobu spoke, surprised, I put my index finger to my lips, gesturing for silence. Then I handed him a shard.
"What is this?"
"A security device that allows only the two of us to talk. If you want to hear the story, plug it in. It’s nothing strange, so you can rest assured."
At those words, Yorinobu hesitated for a moment, then inserted the shard.
– From now on, we’ll talk only through communication, so know that.
– Fine. But if, after causing me this trouble, the content is something trivial, you’d better be prepared.
– That won’t happen, so rest assured. You know about Mikoshi, right? The resting place of digital souls in your company.
Mikoshi is a data fortress with the highest security in Arasaka, where the digitalized minds of clients who participated in the "Soulkiller" program are stored.
– I know. Quite a few famous people have applied and are digitalized and stored. But the technology to create bodies and transfer digital souls is still insufficient, so I know it’s still in research.
– Among netrunners, it’s called a Soul Prison.
At those words, Yorinobu did not particularly deny it.
– That’s right. We also use it as a soul prison to steal corporate secrets or obtain the memories of terrorists. But why are you telling me this?
– I know that the ’Relic’ — a special biochip for consciousness uploading, created to transfer those digitalized souls to other bodies — has been made. Of course, it’s still a prototype.
At those words, Yorinobu seemed surprised. freewēbnoveℓ.com
– How in the world do you know that!? It’s supposed to be top secret!?
– When a famous mercenary like me takes on high‑paying jobs, that kind of information comes in, whether knowingly or unknowingly. But that’s not the important thing now. You know that the Relic has already been made, but that it also has a fatal flaw, right?
– Yes. I heard that since it’s still a prototype, there have been no successful cases.
– There is a successful case. Between parent and child, where mutual DNA identity is very high. From the fact that you don’t know about it, it’s certain.
– What is certain?
– The fact that Chairman Saburo Arasaka is targeting your body. Probably, he intends to transfer into your body and achieve immortality.
– Wh-what!!!???
Yorinobu, seemingly extremely shocked by those words, quickly stood up from his seat. I calmed down that Yorinobu and explained step by step.
– First, calm down and think quietly. Why is your father investing such a huge amount of money in Mikoshi, which doesn’t even make money? And isn’t it strange that you, having committed such a big act, are still alive? Is Saburo that kind of man? Why are you the only one who doesn’t know about the Relic’s successful case? And why is Adam Smasher attached to your side? Putting all of that together, doesn’t it seem off? From my perspective, it looks like he’s placed the strongest bodyguard to protect the body he intends to transfer his own consciousness into in the future.
Saburo had told Yorinobu about the hidden side of Arasaka and his long‑cherished ambitions — the absolute monarchy of Japan and world conquest — and demanded that Yorinobu join him. But Yorinobu, horrified by his father’s mad plan, immediately ran away from home.
After running away, Yorinobu gathered Japanese biker‑gang‑origin Nomads and created a gang with a childish name, ’Steel Dragons’, and began waging war against Arasaka agents, shouting anti‑corporate slogans. Saburo felt great anger toward Yorinobu, who had openly revolted against the Arasaka family. Given Saburo’s personality, he might have even killed his son, but in the end, he forgave him and let him live.
I was digging into this and persuading Yorinobu.
– Th-that’s...
– As I gathered information bit by bit, I also became suspicious. Because Chairman Saburo was not that kind of man. In some ways, he is a figure more consumed by madness than anyone. Then, when I heard your story directly, I got a hunch. Of course, I have no solid evidence. It’s just speculation. But if you want to find evidence, you will be able to find far more than me.
At my words, Yorinobu, as if all the strength had left his body, slumped into his chair and began to think about various things.
– My father would really...
– Damn, a hacking is coming in. The conversation ends here. I don’t want to get involved in this. That’s why I refused your offer. So if you need anything, just make a request instead. And it would be best to destroy the shard I gave you.
Saying that, I ended the call. Then, suddenly, security agents began coming up on the elevator. Seeing that, Yorinobu quickly removed the shard I had given him from his socket, then quickly destroyed it, and, along with me, drank champagne, smiling as if nothing was wrong.
"Why did you come up without being called?"
"I came to check, just in case there was a problem with security."
"There’s no problem at all, so don’t worry."
Then the agents watched us for a while, then went back to the entrance and waited. Seeing Yorinobu act without a change in expression, he was no ordinary man.
"Today’s conversation was interesting. Well then, if you have a custom gun order or a request, I’ll see you again."
"Yes, I enjoyed it too."
At any rate, I had definitely planted the poison in Arasaka. I don’t know how Yorinobu will act, but the future seemed like it would become very interesting.
We ended the drinking session like that and left the restaurant. Then Adam, who had been waiting, spoke to me.
"Hey! Meatbag! I don’t know what conditions Yorinobu offered, but I’m hoping that the unfortunate event of working with you doesn’t happen. Because then we wouldn’t get to meet as enemies."
This guy seemed to be looking forward to a duel with me. Not knowing that that was the shortest route to hell.
"Don’t worry. I have absolutely no intention of working with a tin can either."
"That’s good to hear. I look forward to the day we meet as enemies."
