Chapter 121

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In the dilapidated apartment, room 1238.

The faint, yellowish light barely illuminated the cluttered small room, with a vacant table placed between two rows of old, peeling sofas.

Tang Yu and Maine sat across the table from each other, looking at each other. There was no one else present, creating a quiet atmosphere.

Not long ago.

Kiwi had successfully completed the deep dive and provided the intelligence she had gathered.

However, to Maine's discomfort, she had not excavated any information about Sasha.

Moreover, the matter he had intended to share with Tang Yu had already been mostly explained by Kiwi.

Maine had invited Tang Yu to this room for a meeting to hear what Tang Yu had to say.

Knowing Maine's personality, Tang Yu spoke first to break the silence: "Ask whatever you want to ask."

Seeing Tang Yu's candid demeanor, Maine felt slightly more at ease and took the initiative to speak.

"Mr. Tang, you must have noticed that we know Sasha."

"Actually, two years ago, Sasha was a hacker in our team, and both Dorio and Rebecca were very familiar with her."

"But later, during a mission, an accident occurred, and at the time, we all thought that Sasha had..."

"Unexpectedly, some time ago, after completing a job in Badlands, we saw Sasha again!"

"What surprised us, though, was that she seemed to have absolutely no memory of us."

"I inquired with Gloria and learned that Sasha is now your company's assistant."

"I would like to understand why Sasha has become what she is now, and I would appreciate it if Mr. Tang could inform me."

Tang Yu nodded slightly, having anticipated this; it seemed the Maine team was indeed very familiar with Sasha, and he began to speak.

"Sasha is indeed my company's assistant now, and before becoming my assistant, I had no knowledge of her real identity."

Maine stayed silent, just looking intently at Tang Yu, waiting for him to continue.

"Believe it or not, Sasha is not the Sasha that she used to be. Although I don't know what happened two years ago, I can assure you she has suffered severe injuries."

Under his sunglasses, Maine's pupils shrank, as if recalling some heavy memory, and he seemed somewhat despondent.

Tang Yu could not tell Maine the whole truth, especially regarding Sasha's pseudo-cerebral death, which involved Arasaka's research secrets. He could only hint at the truth.

Even if Maine knew the real situation regarding Sasha now, it wouldn't change anything.

"Maine, in the accident two years ago, Sasha did indeed come back from the brink of death, but to some extent, this life was given by Arasaka."

"All I can tell you is, the Sasha you knew is still alive, but she probably will never recognize you again."

"The only truth you must accept is that Sasha has become what she is today, and trying to make her remember and return to the past is not in her best interest."

"For now, as an Arasaka company's assistant and by my side, you can rest assured about her."

Maine's expression was somber throughout and felt a sense of loss after hearing all this.

He knew from Sasha's behavior that what Tang Yu said was true and right.

The Sasha they once knew was no longer returnable, and now branded by Arasaka and by the side of Tang Yu, a high-ranking company official, she might indeed get better protection.

Maine only hated himself for not being able to save Sasha back then, letting her go on that dangerous task alone.

He was sinking into deep self-reproach, clenching his fists tightly, unable to meet Tang Yu's gaze.

After a long while,

Maine lifted his head from the silence, decided to tell Tang Yu all of Sasha's past, and spoke again.

"In fact, if I have to say, I bear an inescapable responsibility for this matter."

"Two years ago, we received a job to steal some data from the Biotechnica building..."

As Maine described the situation, Tang Yu began to understand that the explosion at the Biotechnica building two years ago was closely related to Sasha's backstory.

At that time.

After receiving the job, the Maine team agreed to meet at the Afterlife Bar.

They sat in the private room and discussed the action plan on how to complete the job with minimal cost and secure the full payment for it.

Since the job was to steal data, they had to infiltrate the Biotechnica building, so the operation had to be secretive and not draw the company's attention.

At the time, the team members, apart from the boss Maine, included Dorio, Rebecca, and Sasha.

The security of the Biotechnica building was outsourced to Kang Tao, equipped with an intelligent security system, doubtlessly making a hacker the best choice for infiltration.

Among the team, Maine was in charge of external support, and both Dorio and Rebecca were not hackers, leaving Sasha as the most suitable candidate for the job.

Plus, Sasha had installed combat cyberware, the Mantis Blades, allowing her to act without noise.

After discussing, the Maine team ultimately decided that Sasha would carry out the job alone, infiltrating the Biotechnica building to steal the data.

Sasha was always confident in herself, and after bidding farewell to Rebecca and others, she left the Afterlife Bar and headed toward the Biotechnica building.

Through the neon streets, she arrived at the Biotechnica building, which was late at night by then.

In the Biotechnica building, some floors were still lit, and a few employees were working overtime, but it was obviously quieter than during the day.

Initially, Sasha's infiltration went smoothly; she cracked the door access control, hacked into the front desk terminal to disable surveillance.

Maine helped from the outside, using a jammer to temporarily block the company alarm, assisting Sasha in taking the elevator to the target floor.

Once in the target office, Sasha immediately hacked into the office system and retrieved the required intelligence.

Quickly.

Data collection was completed, and it was time to retreat.

But, waiting outside, Maine saw no sign of Sasha coming out.

The jammer was running out of time.

Eventually, the unexpected happened.

As the jammer ceased working, the Kang Tao security system detected the anomaly in the office, rapidly dispatching its smart combat robot troops.

Maine waited anxiously downstairs, continually urging Sasha to come back.

Seconds and minutes passed by.

Bang!

With a loud explosion, a terrifying blast occurred in the high floors of the Biotechnica building.

Maine looked up to see the explosion shattering the glass, a figure tumbling out of the window.

It was Sasha, hit by the blast, who had been blown out of the window and was now falling face-up from hundreds of meters above the ground.

By the time Maine got there, it was too late.

Sasha had crashed heavily onto the top of a car, showing no signs of life.

Maine didn't have time to retrieve Sasha's body, as Biotechnica's AVs were already approaching from the air, and Kang Tao's smart combat robot troops rapidly surrounded the scene.

Faced with such an attack, even in great sorrow, he had no choice but to retreat, and from that moment on, there was no word from Sasha.

After painfully recounting everything, Maine finally exposed his inner secrets to the light, scenes he had never mentioned to anyone.

The more time passed, the more painful it became.

This was his responsibility as team leader, to bring Sasha back alive.

To this day, he still didn't understand why Sasha stayed in the office after completing the job, leading to being discovered by the security system.

Even being discovered, Sasha could have escaped using her agility and hacking skills and wouldn't have had to be trapped on a high floor, ultimately detonating a bomb and falling to her death.

There were too many unanswered questions, too many improbabilities.

The reason Maine wanted to reveal these buried truths was to ask for Tang Yu's help to investigate the true events of that night.

He knew that apart from Tang Yu, no one else could help him.

That's why Maine had never shared these details and truths with Rebecca and the others, as telling them would have been fruitless.

He looked at Tang Yu again, pleadingly, "Mr. Tang, if you can investigate the true story behind Sasha's fall, I personally promise to carry out any job you propose without charging a single penny."

Maine understood there wasn't much that could move Tang Yu. If a real exchange was needed, he could only rely on his own abilities to procure it.

Tang Yu did not immediately answer Maine's request. As for Sasha's case, he had to wait for some intelligence.

He needed to clarify what exactly happened to Sasha that night when she was stealing the data, and what made her forcibly stay in the office.

The cabin fell silent once again.

Believing that Tang Yu had declined his request after a long silence, Maine looked crestfallen.

He had already resigned himself to investigate on his own if Tang Yu was unwilling to help; after all, there was still hope with enough effort.

Finally, Maine said with a tone revealing his disappointment, "If Mr. Tang is unwilling..."

Tang Yu interrupted Maine, having just received a report from the Counter-Intelligence Division's surveillance scientist, Kahir.

First, the report concerned the disappearance of Joanne Koch from a Biotechnica hotel. Biotechnica was still investigating, but evidence gathering was complicated because the hotel's surveillance system had been tampered with.

Second, the Biotechnica building explosion from two years ago was a cold case now. What was certain was that someone had breached the upper management offices on the night of the explosion and stolen some project data.

Significantly, agents discovered that data had been sent from that office to News 54 just before the explosion, transmitting for six to eight minutes.

Maine was puzzled, unsure of what Tang Yu meant. Could there be a new lead in the case?

He looked expectantly at Tang Yu, hoping for a definite answer.

Maine knew that having Sasha work as Tang Yu's assistant was in Tang Yu's best interest.

Even if the truth about that night was uncovered, there was little he could do.

Perhaps, he just wanted to resolve the ache in his heart, even if it was just his own wish.

Since Sasha had once been part of Maine's team, he had to fulfill his responsibility as the team leader and prevent her from changing her identity without any clarity.

Having reviewed the report, Tang Yu had some ideas.

The data that Sasha had risked her life to send to News 54 could be the key to unraveling the mysteries.

Although Tang Yu did not know the exact content of the data, he could sense its importance to Sasha; it was so vital it was worth laying down her life for.

He reassured Maine, saying, "You don't need to investigate the Biotechnica explosion from two years ago; it was Sasha's last effort."

"She stayed behind in the office because she needed to get some data out."

"As for the details of the data, I will figure out a way to get it. Wait for my word."

Upon hearing that Tang Yu was willing to take action, Maine was overwhelmed with mixed emotions and could only respond with a deep sigh.

"Thank you, Mr. Tang."

His gratitude carried his true feelings, knowing he owed Tang Yu a favor, one difficult to repay.

Tang Yu didn't dwell on this; the clearer he knew Sasha's background, the better.

And if Sasha's original consciousness ever awoke from her neural repair, at least he'd be prepared.

With their business concluded, Tang Yu didn't plan to linger and was ready to meet someone else.

Aunt May.

Though News 54 was an independent media organization, its actual controller was Militech.

Many people, ignorant of the facts, perceived News 54 as objective and authoritative news broadcasters.

This perception was due to journalists and editors like Regina Jones, daring to report the truth.

However, the real story depends on which corporation's dirt was being aired. News 54 would report fiercely on scandals involving Arasaka, but tread lightly when it came to Biotechnica.

The cooperation between Militech and Biotechnica involved various projects, such as the new antibiotics; funded by Militech, developed by Biotechnica, shielded by Kang-Tao, and headed by Joanne Koch.

If anyone dared to kill her, it would mean crossing all three powerhouse companies.

So Tang Yu rushed over to stop Maine from handing Joanne over to the Aldecaldos.

A vagabond tribe of a thousand couldn't withstand corporate scrutiny. Better to leave it to scavengers than to have a body turn up in some gutter.

Standing up, Tang Yu straightened his suit and said, "Make sure Joanne Koch is safe. Gloria will contact you. Follow her instructions."

Surprised but understanding, Maine agreed.

After exiting room "1238," Tang Yu headed towards the public elevator.

Kiwi, leaning at the hallway entrance and smoking, couldn't hide her emotions when she saw Tang Yu.

"Thanks for today. I didn't expect you to know hacking," she casually remarked.

Tang Yu passed by her, replying indifferently, "I know a little," before continuing on.

Kiwi murmured to herself after watching Tang Yu leave, "No, you know a lot."

Meanwhile, Maine returned to room "1236" where Dorio awaited news.

"Did you find out about Sasha?" Dorio asked anxiously.

Maine, less grave than before, nodded and reported that Sasha was now working as Mr. Tang's corporate assistant and that Tang Yu had agreed to investigate the Biotechnica explosion.

Relieved that Tang Yu had agreed to look into it, Dorio felt confident the truth would emerge, though she still had questions.

"How did Sasha suddenly become Mr. Tang's corporate assistant, and why doesn't she recognize us?"

Maine explained everything to Dorio, though the deeper reasons remained unknown.

For now, their task was to watch over Joanne and wait for Gloria's instructions.

As they settled the matter, they returned their gaze to Joanne Koch.

Elsewhere, Tang Yu descended the elevator, left the dilapidated apartment, and entered a Delamain cab.

"Mr. Tang, where to next?" Delamain inquired.

Tang Yu asked Delamain to hold on before arranging the destination.

He called the "Mum's the Word" Motor Inn for a suite reservation.

Despite the inn's battered history, its strict security and confidentiality kept it a favorite among many in Night City.

After all, deals of all sorts took place there without fear of eavesdropping or leaks.

Tang Yu then responded to a message from earlier that day from Meredith Stout.

"I have a gift for you at Mum's the Word Motor Inn."

Delivering Joanne Koch to Meredith would undoubtedly boost Meredith's performance metrics and possibly even help her advance to a directorial role sooner.

After all, Joanne had deceived Militech into investing in the fake antibiotics project for her gain.

Tang Yu was confident that Meredith would appreciate the 'gift,' as she was generous to those who pleased her.

Tang Yu's reply prompted an instant response from Meredith.

Meredith Stout: "Oh, really? I also have a gift for you."

Tang Yu: "..."