Chapter 116
Bang bang bang bang...
Just like the overlapping and elongated video frame interpolation view displayed in the background of editing software, the terrifying figure of the steel Cyborg has caught up, and is faster! More powerful! More persistent!
"[Sandevistan]. Is this rudimentary implant your last resort? You call this standoff a second meat grinder against the separatist forces in the Western States. But baby, you are the meat, and I am the meat grinder."
Holding a heavy metal hammer that writhed around some kind of steel block and emitted an ominous blood mist, Adam Smasher spoke with great patience, as if he had won the lottery.
Then, his patience wore off.
With a piercing roar that ripped through the air, Adam Smasher swung his Meat Grinder Mace, upon which lay layers of chainsaws that spun at high speed like wriggling teeth. Sizzle—!
The immense force nearly shattered the hard titanium frame with the heavy hammer, followed by the sound of a chainsaw tearing apart genuine leather, real meat, bionic leather, artificial muscles, cables, and electronic components.
The unlucky person who gets hit bursts open like a rotten watermelon, or explodes like a fruit with its skin torn open.
"Hahaha... Come on, come on! Baby, let's wrestle!"
Amidst the careless, crude, and coldly vicious laughter, one cybernetic body after another was mercilessly torn to pieces.
As the last 'street kid' jumped out of the window to escape, only to be smashed to pieces by a heavy hammer in front of a holographic billboard between the high-rise buildings, the fierce heat from the explosion finally engulfed the entire building. Boom!
Thick smoke and flames shot into the sky, and the windows of the surrounding buildings shattered.
Thump! The heavy object landed, and pink, wet entrails and blood splattered on the walls and Adam Smasher's exoskeleton.
He paced slowly, his right hand holding a long hammer that hummed and writhed after being used in killing, resembling the flowing blood vessels of a living creature.
Burning debris floated in the air, and blood, implant fragments, and blackened bits of flesh were everywhere.
"This is a really nice new product... the Bio-Components Quinque 'Dojima'."
Adam Smasher looked at the blood-red metal mace in his hand.
He swiped away the bits of flesh tangled on the massive hammerhead, examined the slightly cracked and missing teeth of the chainsaw, and weighed it in his hand. "Concealed and portable, but a bit light; the chainsaw's strength is far from sufficient..."
His crimson eyes gleamed with the light of data streams.
[Presenter: Adam Smasher]
[Reporting to: Vera Adelheid Russell]
[Report Content: In-game data for "Quinque" and personal improvement needs]
Although he was a notorious battlefield meat grinder and cyber executioner, he still had to write the briefing.
"Have they left?" After clearing out the group of NUSA agents who had carried out the assassination mission in the building, Adam Smasher gazed at the high-rise building across the street.
High-precision telescopic tactical optical prosthetic eye with pupil magnification and focusing.
He could see clearly that the "street thugs" were taking turns to retreat in twos and threes with extremely skillful tactical maneuvers. They retreated decisively and quickly, and were even being picked up by special vehicles. By the time he arrived, they would have already escaped. He could pursue and kill them, but he was on a security mission, not an annihilation mission.
Adam Smasher turned around and looked toward his target.
The recruitment office set up by Barghest in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
On stage, Kurt Hansen, who emerged from behind the Cybernetic Tyrant, remained calm. Facing his supporters and sympathizers who were clearly startled by the sudden explosion, he shrugged nonchalantly.
"Look, sometimes life is just that strange. After we broke up, she fell madly in love with me. She wanted to love me to death every single moment."
As Hansen made his sarcastic remark, the Cybernetic Tyrant standing on either side of him deactivated their magnetic field.
The bullets fell one after another onto the lectern, which was roughly constructed of steel plates, making a clanging sound.
Among the crowd below the stage, plainclothes agents from Arasaka, whose identities had been compromised, and guards from the Barghest were carrying out several bloodied and mangled corpses.
These were assassins intent on taking down Hansen at close range. But Arasaka's security personnel were clearly the most professional in this area; they were number one in the world in security, a fact that even Militech had to acknowledge.
Among them, several figures in Arasaka carrying silver boxes that transformed into samurai swords and metal umbrellas were particularly eye-catching.
Hansen couldn't help but glance out of the corner of his eye at Cybernetic Tyrant, the Arasaka carrier, who stood beside the cybernetic tyrant, constantly on guard.
Just now, when the gunshot rang out, Adam Smasher moved and, facing a second assassination attempt, he was the first to react, using the metal umbrella-like object that unfolded from the box to shield himself from close-range shots from below the stage.
Quinque.
Hansen silently recited this in his heart.
Was this also designed and manufactured by her? No wonder she is the first director of the "Solaris Staircase Project" valued by Emperor Saburo Arasaka.
Such talent...
Hansen was once again determined to continue his long-term partnership with Vera.
Therefore, he must deliver an even more perfect answer.
He raised his head and looked towards the hundreds of meters away from the podium.
That's where the New America. federal law enforcement agency is located in Santa Fe.
However, it seems that a fire broke out earlier due to the riots, and several sections of the fourth and fifth floors of the building have collapsed.
Outside the wall, rows of cratered bullet holes and charred remains from Molotov cocktails can still be seen.
On the ground, fresh bloodstains from the conflict had not yet been completely cleaned up.
The sirens wailed, and rows of ambulances were parked nearby. People were constantly carrying bodies out of the building and putting them into body bags.
Lazarus mercenaries and federal law enforcement officers are locked in a face-to-face, gun-to-gun standoff with the Barghest mercenaries, while the city police and SWAT teams controlled by the local party are standing by, their stance clearly biased towards the Barghest.
At first, Lazarus did indeed hold a firm advantage in the city.
Unfortunately, Hansen arrived.
Because he arrived, the Arasaka Security Service he had ordered— Adam Smasher and the Cybernetic Tyrant Unit— came with him. The situation instantly reversed; faced with the intimidation of Adam Smasher and the presence of the Cybernetic Tyrant, Lazarus halted his riot offensive.
Thinking of this, Hansen's eyes flashed with data.
Behind the podium, a large holographic projection screen magnified his image in sync with the broadcast, allowing his speech to be transmitted beyond visual range.
"Hey, Lazarus's friend. I suppose I don't need to introduce myself. Kurt Hansen. Like most of you, a veteran of NUSA, except not retired, but rather abandoned by the esteemed Ms. Rosalind Myers."
"Look around you. Has Miles sent any decent support? No, you've been abandoned, just like I was six years ago. Pathetic, pathetic, lamentable..."
"Look at him, that traitor is spouting nonsense again. He just opens his mouth and talks a good game. Isn't he just Arasaka's dog now? Or is it his skillful tongue that's making that little bitch Vera Adelheid feel good?"
As Hansen's speech was projected onto the screen, a Lazarus mercenary officer looked disdainful and muttered something under his breath.
"They're incredibly arrogant, recruiting right in front of us. Are we just going to stand there and do nothing?"
"Otherwise? You want to fight Adam Smasher? Alright, shut up."
Another Lazarus officer crossed his arms, a complex expression on his face.
"The reason we are in such a passive position now is that, in the end, the officials in Washington do owe Hansen an explanation for the Unification War six years ago."
He knew Hansen, or more precisely, he knew Colonel Hansen from six years ago.
Just as they are nominally employed by the Santa Fe City Hall with funding, while the Barghest Mercenary Group is employed by the local party, although everyone knows who the two sides are behind the scenes, and the two sides are almost fighting each other to the death in the riots, the two sides have not completely torn off their masks yet.
This is politics, the art of blatantly lying.
Even so, the development of the situation made Lazarus and the Federal Intelligence Agency insiders extremely uneasy.
The speed at which the Barghest has developed is too fast.
Having broken free from the shackles of Dogtown, the gangs were laundered and established a company in Night City. Backed by the humanitarian aid from Arasaka and Soshikah, and with Kurt Hansen's own influence, Barghest was able to continuously absorb veterans from the last war on the West Coast who opposed Washington and Miles. Moreover, with complete military equipment, they only needed a period of adjustment before they could be deployed to lead the front lines.
Lazarus's advantages are not obvious.
"The Federal Intelligence Agency has failed again. Arasaka has placed a huge bet on him, even sending Adam Smasher."
"Fuck! What are the officials in Washington waiting for? If local parties organize another mob to storm the base, will the firearms license be opened... bullshit!"
No sooner said than done, whoosh—
Here we go again. A piercing clamor arose from behind the Barghest mercenaries who were confronting them.
After resting, Santa Fe citizens, holding banners that read "Stop Miles" and "Independence and Sovereignty," surged forward again in dense rows.
This made the Lazarus officer's expression even more serious.
The opposition has grown larger, and the citizens who support Washington are simply no match for them.
Is Arasaka focusing his attention on New Mexico and Arizona?
He couldn't be sure.
After much deliberation, considering the urgency of his life and his mission to defend Santa Fe City, he ultimately decided to prioritize these tasks.
"Request assistance from headquarters in Washington."
Meanwhile, in Night City, Vera was still acting as if nothing had happened, accompanied by Deputy Mayor Wilton Holt, senior managers from the engineering and construction company, and shrewd investors, inspecting the construction of the new Arasaka Research Center.
Despite her fighting and arguing, Vera never relied on underhanded schemes to win. All her arrogance and swagger stemmed from a solid foundation. She believed that scheming against others was only half the battle; she needed to improve herself first.
Building and creating new growth is her fundamental strategy for establishing herself.
Everything else serves this purpose.
"'Pig,' has it finally been stirred up?" At the best observation point for the construction of the new district, Vera stood with her hands behind her back, her indigo eyes flashing with the data stream of the video playback, and a half-smile playing on her lips.
Chapter 118 Hansen on the front lines, Vera at the banquet
Late April.
The celebratory banquet for the investment promotion conference of the Night City Arasaka New District in the first quarter of 2076 was coming to an end, and it was already completely dark.
Ahead in New Mexico, passion is raging; behind, in Night City, alliances are quietly forming.
The elegant decor and the pale golden lighting illuminated the banquet hall, creating a luxurious atmosphere. As the host who facilitated the collaboration between Militech involving 'cold violence' and 'bullying', Vera, holding a wine glass, chatted warmly yet gracefully with her business partners.
Partners, at least they are now.
Before shattering the hegemonic dream of unifying the Old USA with the New America and Militech of the old.
Vera, dressed in her finest attire, moved among various companies and social circles of celebrities.
Her demeanor was upright and approachable, like a vibrant rose that had sheathed its thorns and sharp teeth, exuding elegance and nobility.
Finally, after walking through every corner of the banquet's spotlight, Vera mentally reviewed her performance and conversations with each of the company guests.
Persistence pays off. After half a month of negotiations, investment agreements were reached with a series of companies, including Soshikah, EBM (European Business Machines), Zeta Technologies, Kendachi, Shiva, Raven Micro Cybernetics, Body Mass, Kiroshi, Kenshi Logic Technology, Kenryu, Jinguji, Fujiwara, and many others. These companies were either Major Corporations whose main business was not located in the Pacific Rim region, or small and medium-sized companies with a single business that were carefully cultivating their own industry and leading in technology.
Other individuals include countless celebrities, dream experience stars, and investors.
It's important to know that the administrative area of Arasaka Research Center new district, which is still under construction, is quite large.
It may not be as good as Watson, but its land area is larger than the entire City Center.
Even after including the new garrison base belonging to the Arasaka army, several large automated intelligent control factories, and the highly protected research center required by Vera, there are still large areas of land.
It's one thing to take over Arasaka entirely to build a fortress, but the way they do it is just too ugly.
After protecting key buildings with Arasaka Waterfront walls and establishing security perimeters, Arasaka welcomed them to set up offices, showrooms, transit warehouses, and high-tech factories in the new district, much like the headquarters of the Barghest Mercenary Group.
Many hands make light work; a united front is essential, and it's necessary to cultivate as many friends as possible, even if they are only superficial or temporary. The costs involved are acceptable.
After confirming that there were no mistakes or offensive words, Vera's face lit up with a confident and radiant smile.
Stepping onto the protruding steps in the center of the banquet hall, Vera raised her champagne glass high and said in a steady, dignified, and magnetic voice, "My dear friends."
"Let us raise a glass to victory! To the future of Night City! To our true war heroes!"
The last sentence is clearly biased and contains hidden agendas.
Who are the true war heroes?
Kurt Hansen, who is currently mocking NUSA in New Mexico, and his Barghest Mercenary Group. Rumor has it that Vera Adelheid is also a founding Board Member of Barghest.
Those present were all social elites and shrewd business people; everyone could tell what was going on. But—
No one pointed it out.
They came here to support Arasaka, just to profit from Militech and its staunch allies!
"To victory!" ×N
The guests in the audience stood up, raised their glasses, and cheered at just the right moment.