Chapter 248
Song Zhaomei clearly remembers the scene at that time; the bone-chilling cold penetrated her nerves.
But isn't this a good thing? The culprits that are about to take her life, besides the Cyberpsychosis tendencies caused by excessive cybernetics, are also the backlash from the "Black Wall" that is eroding and taking over her mind and body.
The deeper Vera's expertise in this field, the more it proves that her defection was the right decision.
"Yes."
When asked, she took a deep breath and replied, "Because I want to live."
"The location of the 'Little Dipper Project' and the FIA's underground Federal Intelligence Agency station and transportation hub on the West Coast, as I know it, is my sincerity. You can conduct a preliminary, covert investigation to verify the authenticity of the intelligence, but as for how to eliminate the Federal Intelligence Agency's infiltration to the greatest extent possible, you are an expert and I believe you don't need me to remind you too much."
"Hmm, a good starting point."
Vera simply nodded, then asked pointedly, "As you say, how should my people rescue you?"
Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico.
She replied, "I can't give you a specific time right now, but you can keep an eye on the Voodoo Boys in Pacifica."
"When their leader heads toward Santa Fe, I will go to meet with them to discuss the offer of amnesty. This is what they requested because they are envious of me because I contacted them through the Black Wall agreement. As for my superiors, among the short ones, I am currently focusing on the Voodoo Boys, who can get on the Black Wall's good side."
"It seems you've already planned most of it out, and are just waiting for my approval."
Vera gazed calmly at Song Zhaomei, then suddenly smiled, "Then, Song Zhaomei, our agreement is established."
"If you keep your word, I will heal you and save your life."
The recollection is over.
The whole persuasion process was much easier than she had imagined.
Or perhaps, for some unknown reason, Vera quickly made her credible judgment.
Song Zhaomei didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
According to the intelligence files from Arasaka's side, is this the kind of person my Personality Model analysis indicates?
I sat or lay there basking in the sunlight for quite a while.
The light shone through the glass window onto my face, and my eyes felt a warm, slightly itchy sensation—it was soothing and comfortable.
A rare moment of sunbathing. She was either stuck in the dark, gloomy intelligence department or on guard against others in the White House every day; she'd almost forgotten what sunshine felt like.
She rubbed her temples vigorously and then got out of bed.
After quickly smoothing out the wrinkles on her distressed clothes, she put on her shoes, slung the holster containing her M-76e Omaha Song Zhaomei under her arm, stretched her back, and then unscrewed the can of coffee on the bedside table and gulped down half a cup.
Just as she was typing on her personal laptop's keypad, monitoring the car's status and summarizing intelligence emails from Santa Fe City, ding-dong~
In the visual interface of her prosthetic eye, the "Incoming Call" icon for her private number was flashing.
Caller: President Miles.
"..."
Song Zhaomei answered the phone.
"Your Excellency, President."
"I bet you just woke up, Akemi."
Miles' voice came immediately afterward.
"Yes."
Song Zhaomei nodded.
"Hey, don't be so formal, it's not like we're in Washington."
Miles said affectionately.
"Take advantage of this trip, Zhaomei, and get some rest. You've worked so hard these past few days. After your meeting with Maman Brigitte (the leader of the Voodoo Boys), I've granted you a special day off to get some fresh air and do some sightseeing. What's that word again? Get back to life. You must have been cooped up in the hacker cabin of the Deep Dive Division for too long."
"Thanks."
As always, Song Zhaomei said, "I will do my best to persuade the Voodoo Boys."
"Yes, I believe you."
Miles said on the other end of the phone.
"Don't forget to rest. Take a good look at the beautiful landscapes of our motherland for me. Trust me, I will urge CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) to speed up the new drug research. Things will get better, my friend."
"Thank you."
Song Zhaomei said.
Very polite and respectful.
After offering a final word of encouragement, Miles hung up the phone.
"..."
As Song Zhaomei watched the dynamic map on the computer screen, showing the city of Santa Fe getting closer and closer, her expression remained expressionless.
It's time to embark on a new path.
Thump, thump thump.
A knock on the door. Before Song Zhaomei could respond, an FIA agent dressed as a gang member pushed the door open and entered.
"Nightingale Agent".
He lowered his voice and said, "The train is about to enter Santa Fe City."
"To be on the safe side, we'll get off at the East City Station, take a detour to the West City, and meet our target."
He explained, "New Mexico is a key area for the infiltration of the Arasaka scum and the Green Dogs (a derogatory term for the Hounds of the Underworld). There are many supporters of the Western separatist forces. In early 2076, Lazarus and they fought for Santa Fe here, and almost destroyed half of the city."
"Understand."
Song Zhaomei closed the laptop lid, stuffed it and the [Incense LX] from the bedside table into her backpack, and nodded.
Donning an old trench coat, a windproof headscarf commonly seen in desert and Gobi regions, and carrying a backpack, she walked out of the private room with the special agent.
The corridor was filthy.
Several FIA agents disguised as desert cowboys and street thugs were waiting outside.
Of all the things that caught Song Zhaomei's eye, the two Secret Service agents were the most striking. They were purely flesh and blood, or rather, only had implanted Bio-Components.
It goes without saying who they're there to spy on.
There might even be others operating in secret.
A very simple question: How do you deal with a top-tier hacker who can burn down your network access module in a single glance?
The Federal Intelligence Agency has found a fundamental solution to this problem: use people, specifically unmodified, purely human special agents to eliminate them.
After all, no matter how skilled a hacker is, they can't break into flesh and blood.
Don't you remember how 'God of Hackers' Rachie Batmos was killed by Arasaka box opening?
Generally speaking, professional hackers who have undergone special modifications do have better physical abilities than ordinary people, but they still cannot withstand the insane full-power bullets and special warheads in a Cyberpunk world.
This is also why Song Zhaomei equipped herself with a handgun. One was a Militech Arasaka, both practical and sophisticated, which didn't attract much attention. Miles, on the other hand, particularly preferred a Tsunami Defense gun.
We still need to leave ourselves some means of resistance in the real world.
After a moment of silence, she nodded to the agents escorting her, then looked out the window as the train began to slow down.
[AI: The train is arriving at the next station, Santa Fe Railway Station...]
As the voice announcement played, the train slowly pulled into the station, and Song Zhaomei's gaze became increasingly serious and clear.
If she doesn't run away this time, Miles, who has taken an early vacation, will likely face further reformation or new drug experiments after she returns, even if her treason is not exposed, plus the inevitable continuous overtime.
Hopefully, Vera takes it seriously enough and doesn't treat it with arrogance and carelessness.
Night City, Corporate Plaza.
The boardroom of Arasaka Tower, with the address "Arasaka Russell".
"Has Maman Brigitte of the Voodoo Boys arrived in Santa Fe?"
"Oh, that's much faster than I expected."
"I understand your doubts and your caution. Such a pie falling from the sky is indeed suspicious, but my judgment remains unchanged: she is trustworthy."
Behind the large, luxurious stone desk, Vera buried herself deep in the leather back of her chair, a steaming cup of black tea in her left hand, while her other hand tapped the tabletop absently. As for her main basis for believing Song Zhaomei would betray them, that remained unsaid.
"Jimmy, how much of the information she provided has been verified?"
She countered with a question.
The person Vera spoke to was none other than Jimmy Warren, the current Director of Special Operations.
Vera's former adjutant, and former First Deputy Director of the General Security Bureau.
[Jimmy: Excluding abandoned sites, 32 areas have been identified as having human activity, and 21 areas are tentatively identified as having espionage activities. The sites vary in size, with a few located in urban areas and most scattered in the suburbs of major cities in the Western States.]
That shows sincerity.
Vera chuckled lightly, "I'm feeding you, what? You're afraid to eat?"
"Monitor, but don't make any rash moves or expose yourselves. This is a carefully prepared pledge of allegiance from a bird that has escaped its cage. Shouldn't we prepare a feast for it? If we still manage to let this cooked duck escape, you can forget about being the Director of Special Operations."
Jimmy: Yes! I'll make sure everything goes perfectly.
"Okay, wait for my command."
The communication cursor in her eyes dimmed, and Vera lowered her gaze, scanning back and forth across the holographic screen that filled her desk.
In the center is an enlarged map of New Mexico, with flashing markings indicating not only the stealth mobile squad belonging to the newly formed SAT elite, but also the ninja lone wolf squad she specially dispatched.
After two days of trekking along Badlands by Nomads, they have arrived in the western part of Santa Fe city.
She naturally knew that she had sent out David Martinez, a trusted confidant whom she had trained and mentored for many years.
This battle will involve a head-on clash with elite FIA agents and even Secret Service agents from the White House. It is inevitable that the Lazarus mercenaries, having learned of the betrayal by key figures in Washington, will be subject to strict orders from Washington, making it a highly dangerous situation.
But Vera still chose to send out her strikers.
No matter how elite an army is, it's meant for fighting. An army that's afraid of death and losses is worthless.
Now, it's time to test its quality. Let's refine it.
Setting down her teacup, she glanced at the large suitcase on the corner of the table. Its gleaming surface reflected her image—the [Battle Armor] still under development.
Her instincts told her that once she accepted the traitorous White House agent, Lark, she would soon be using it herself.
Meanwhile, in Santa Fe.
After taking a roundabout route to the bustling western part of the city, Song Zhaomei, escorted by a group of special agents, successfully arrived at the location she had arranged to meet with the leader of the Voodoo Boys.
A restaurant that secretly receives special subsidies from the Washington government. The restaurant has two floors and isn't very big, but because it's a long-established business, it has a good flow of customers. Inside, there are several very old-fashioned arcade machines and landline phones that are now almost completely obsolete and covered in dust.
"Boss, do you have a private room? My friend made a reservation, and the person leading the group is a very stylish Black girl. Judging by the time, we shouldn't be late."
The lead agent leaned against the bar and asked in a familiar manner.
"A very stylish Black girl?"
The Latino receptionist wiping the table raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, is that her?"
He pointed towards the stairs.
Following the direction of her gaze, Song Zhaomei saw a black woman with frizzy silver hair and obvious Haitian-style tattoos staring intently at her with her arms crossed.
Chapter 244 The Gunshots in Santa Fe (Happy New Year!)
The agreed meeting point was on the second floor of Garcia Restaurant.
"Let's get to know each other again, Maman Brigitte, the Voodoo Boys."
"Nightingale, Federal Intelligence Agency."