Chapter 136

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Lizzie's Bar. 

Invited by Evelyn, Tang Yu was on his way to the basement server room at Lizzie's Bar, ready to experience the "Crystal Palace" Braindance.

Evelyn, with a small black leather bag slung over her left shoulder, kept Tang Yu company with a faint smile, gently dispersing the subtle scent of rose perfume around them.

Seemingly in an attempt to appear more affectionate and gentle, Evelyn leaned in close enough that her arm would brush against Tang Yu's elbow occasionally.

Her docile and affectionate demeanor was a world away from their first encounter.

Back then, Tang Yu had just been fired from Arasaka and had met Evelyn Parker to search for information related to the Relic biochip.

Evelyn had been utterly aloof, keeping them at arm's length, and appeared somewhat disdainful of mercenaries like them.

To her, cyberpunk mercenaries were just hired guns not privy to higher-level intelligence affairs.

And now, with Tang Yu still seen as a top executive of Arasaka, meeting Evelyn again revealed this other, more dependent side of her.

It was indeed true that you tailored your approach based on who you were dealing with.

Evelyn, experienced in the ways of the world, knew exactly how to handle different situations and people of various statuses.

For a corporate executive like Tang Yu, naturally, she brought her A-game – a welcoming smile and gentle treatment.

Tang Yu was all too aware of Evelyn's antics; after all, it was all driven by self-interest and hardly genuine.

If Michiko Arasaka hadn't been naïve enough to trust this woman and fall into her trap back then, the plan wouldn't have been ruined.

Leaving the bar's main hall, they arrived at the corridor of private booths, with doors lining the right-hand side.

They continued through the dimly-lit ambiance of the booth corridor, their footsteps silent on the plush carpet.

Tang Yu noticed that some of the private booths' doors were ajar, showcasing holographic dancers that entranced the centers of the rooms, with either couples or groups engaged in various forms of revelry.

Evelyn, exuding charm with catlike grace, walked beside Tang Yu, leading the way and said:

"Mr. Tang, this way."

"Is this your first time at Lizzie's Bar?"

"For someone of your stature, I'm afraid our girls here won't quite meet your standards."

Tang Yu remained silent; Evelyn was always gathering intelligence and could become a valuable informant for counterintelligence – yet she had a habit of betraying her previous contacts for promises of higher pay, making her too risky to trust.

As for Lizzie's girls, Tang Yu recalled that aside from Judy, there were actually a few others who weren't bad.

Noticing Tang Yu's indifference, Evelyn didn't give up the chance that she might get something useful out of him.

"Be careful, the stairs are just around the corner."

They passed the dressing room of Lizzie's and opened a gate leading to the basement server room, descending the stairs.

Their passing figures caught the attention of the girls getting ready backstage.

"Look, look, who's that behind her?"

"Don't turn around; just use the mirror."

"Who's that guy with Evelyn? Which wealthy young master has she latched onto now?"

"I'm not sure; I haven't seen him around Lizzie's before, but he's totally my type."

"You notice? Completely pure. Now, that's a rarity."

Once Tang Yu turned and descended the staircase, the girls finally dared to look back at the retreating figures.

Evelyn, stepping down the stairs ahead of Tang Yu, turned with a light laugh and said, "Mr. Tang, you won't ever need to pay at Lizzie's Bar in the future – the girls seem to like you a lot."

Tang Yu used not to pay whenever he visited Lizzie's and likely wouldn't have to pay in the future either.

Evelyn continued, "The Braindance experience of the Crystal Palace I wanted to invite you to try today – Judy can assist with that. She's one of Lizzie's Braindance editors."

"We have a good relationship, she's always willing to help me out. But I should warn you beforehand, she's a Mox, and she might not warm up to you."

Tang Yu was aware of the previous relationship between Evelyn and Judy – the two had worked together and had a fling at one point.

Yet, in his view, Evelyn really didn't understand who Judy was or what Judy truly sought after in her heart.

In essence, the two women were from entirely different worlds.

Evelyn was ambitious, dreaming of climbing the social ladder, wooing diplomats and nobility, and striking it rich.

Her departure from Lizzie's and The Clouds wasn't to make a little more per job but to seize the opportunity to network with the powerful, paving her way up the social ranks.

Judy was a simple girl lost in the world of Braindance, a sincere believer in love, always taking relationships seriously.

Their vastly different personalities meant they could never have a future together.

Even without outside interference, Evelyn was inevitably going to be caught up in turmoil, eventually becoming just another victim in the power struggles of the elite.

Clearly.

Evelyn was now caught up in the game, and when she mentioned the Crystal Palace Braindance, Tang Yu sensed something was up.

The origin of this Braindance wasn't simple.

Crystal Palace, being an orbital space station funded solely by Arasaka, was highly secure, and its hidden secrets weren't something outsiders could easily learn about.

Evelyn's acquisition of this Braindance must be backed by other corporate giants.

Asking him to watch the Braindance at this juncture was probably linked to Michiko Arasaka.

Tang Yu didn't believe that what Evelyn prepared was merely a high-quality flick.

If that was the case, it only showed how poorly prepared Evelyn was. 

Arriving at a metallic gate leading into the server room, Tang Yu confronted Evelyn directly, "Impressive to get a hold of a Crystal Palace Braindance."

"The content is related to Michiko Arasaka, isn't it? It's not too late to back out now."

"I'll take the Braindance, but tell me your source – we can pretend this never happened."

Caught off guard, Evelyn froze, her previously easy smile stiffening. She wore a helpless look as Tang Yu's insight left her nowhere to hide. The content was indeed connected to Michiko Arasaka.

Initially, Evelyn had been full of trepidation when approaching Tang Yu, unlike the confidence she displayed.

Facing an old hand at counterintelligence from Arasaka's high echelons and well-accomplished in significant operations, you could pick up Tang Yu's reputation within Arasaka easily – a tough customer indeed.

This dangerous move for Evelyn had no room for error, but she had no choice; her intent was to establish connections with Michiko Arasaka via Tang Yu.

But the powers behind her would not allow retreat.

The nostalgia rock concert at the company plaza that burned the biotech building to the ground was very much in Michiko Arasaka's rebellious style.

She had a hunch that Michiko Arasaka was involved somehow, and rumors of Tang Yu pushing for the concert had spread among Arasaka's top brass.

The connection between Tang Yu and Michiko Arasaka was beginning to surface.

Having pieced together some information through various channels, Evelyn was paying special attention to Tang Yu.

She clung to the slightest possibility, unwilling to let go of any chance.

After a moment of silence, Evelyn regained her composure, though her tone was notably weaker.

"Mr. Tang, I didn't expect you to see through me so quickly. You truly are a hard man to deceive."

"The Crystal Palace Braindance is indeed related to old acquaintances of Michiko Arasaka, former members of the Tyger Claws – exactly who it is, I'm not sure."

"My only aim is to have you, Mr. Tang, to help me build connections for a business deal with Michiko Arasaka."

Upon finishing, Evelyn seemed somewhat deflated but perked up to continue her plea.

"Mr. Tang, I've learned of your past deeds from your Arasaka colleagues. If you agree to this, I believe it could be a success."

To get close to Michiko Arasaka.

This motive did line up with Evelyn's agenda, though it was certainly not her ultimate goal.

But that was okay.

Tang Yu was just testing the waters to see what else Evelyn was hiding.

Tang Yu, had he not known that Judy's editing suite lay beyond the gate, might have prepared to draw his gun and deal with Evelyn then and there.

The act of tricking a high-ranking Arasaka executive into watching a questionable Braindance was enough for her to pay the price.

Without further ado, Tang Yu stated coldly, 

"This is your last chance to come clean – state your real intentions."

Evelyn paused, surprised by Tang Yu's persistence.

She knew the internal struggles within Arasaka Tower were ongoing, with Arasaka executives eagerly seeking information on the Arasaka Family to secure their position in the imminent power shifts.

Similarly affected by this internal storm, Tang Yu maintained his composure upon discovering intel related to Michiko Arasaka – indeed a chilling demeanor.

Defeated, Evelyn confessed, "The Braindance comes from an old friend of Michiko Arasaka, a former Tyger Claws associate – I don't know exactly who."

"What I want is for Mr. Tang to connect me with Michiko Arasaka's dealings."

After that, Evelyn carried a mix of resignation and hope, locking eyes with Tang Yu as if pleading for his understanding.

Tang Yu didn't buy her story for a second.

One of the things Evelyn was best at was ditching one employer to work independently – even this defense seemed likely prepared in advance.

Making excuses to a high-ranking Arasaka anti-counterintelligence executive about an enigmatic Braindance? That was practically suicide.

If it weren't for his knowledge that Judy's editing suite lay behind the gate, Tang Yu might have been ready to dispose of Evelyn right there.

Tricking an Arasaka executive into watching an obscure Braindance was enough to make her pay the price.

Tang Yu didn't waste any more words with Evelyn, stating bluntly,

"Last chance to consider – tell me your true purpose." 

Evelyn hesitated before finally admitting defeat, revealing, "This Braindance originates from an acquaintance of Michiko Arasaka's, a former member of the Tyger Claws. I'm not sure who it is exactly."

"My purpose is to persuade Mr. Tang to connect me with Michiko Arasaka's business."

After her admission, Evelyn seemed filled with a mix of defeat and determination to explain further.

"Mr. Tang, I obtained this information about you from other Arasaka employees; if you would agree to this matter, I have faith it can be successful."

Evelyn's disclosure aligned with her motive, yet it was not her ultimate end.

But it didn't matter to Tang Yu.

He had merely been probing her, gauging what other secrets Evelyn might still be concealing.

She indeed knows something, but clearly not much.

As for the powers behind her, there might be more than one, after all, many are eyeing Arasaka Corporation.

Most notably is the military tech, which has long been coveting Arasaka's soulkiller technology.

As well as the Night Corp, which is controlled by blue-eyed individuals, and has long aimed at the development of the relic biochip, dreaming of obtaining personality replication technology and the immense digital souls space known as the Engram.

Additionally, companies like Kang Tao, Zetatech, and Militech are all looking to get a piece of Arasaka's lucrative business.

With Evelyn's social reach, she dares to connect even with Arasaka executives; other company executives are also her targets.

Tang Yu decided to check out the Braindance first; as for Evelyn playing with fire, that was her own business, so he spoke gravely.

"Let's meet Judy first, then talk."

A flicker of surprise passed through Evelyn's eyes; she hadn't expected Tang Yu to concede to see a Braindance.

This indicated that her request might very well succeed.

Her cybernetic eye lenses whirled, activating the basement's control room door, which slowly slid open from the middle.

The two set off into the control room.

Tang Yu didn't even need to lift an eyelid; he was completely familiar with the layout.

The Braindance editing station, office desks, the transformed Braindance experience chair from a surgical table, and the built-in wall servers.

Judy was seen sitting in her office chair, a Braindance headset around her neck, blue cybernetic eyes rotating, speaking with someone else in a tone that was somewhat sad and tinged with a hint of anger.

"Are we just going to leave them alone? Lizzie's has plenty of space for them!"

Evidently, the person on the other end of the call rebutted Judy's opinion, which frustrated her to the point of helplessly covering her forehead, looking extremely disheartened.

Evelyn called out softly.

"Judy."

It was then that Judy lifted her head from her interlaced fingers and looked towards Evelyn, managing to muster a weak smile.

"Hey, Ev, you're here."

Evelyn nodded lightly; she had always trusted Judy's work and introduced her straight away.

"Judy, this is Mr. Tang, here for a Braindance experience."

"Mr. Tang, this is Judy, the best Braindance technician in Night City."

Judy quickly raised her hand to interrupt Evelyn, with an embarrassed smile.

"Ev, stop it, okay? You're too kind."

"The Braindance you requested is already compiled."

"Other than some issues with the audio, decoding the rest wasn't too difficult."

Judy seemed to have cheered up with Evelyn's presence, as the frustration had already vanished.

She brushed her fringed hair with her right hand, then confidently looked at Tang Yu, saying,

"Before the experience, though, we'll need to do a parameter calibration."

"This way, we can ensure your best experience. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast—it's not a problem to spare these few minutes."

Tang Yu locked eyes with Judy, trying to find some potential in her gaze; perhaps something familiar lay hidden deep within her mind.

Judy remained in her gray-white t-shirt adorned with the tattoos of four red roses on her arms and neck, paired with one-shoulder denim overalls, exuding a striking presence.

She wore a Braindance coding glove on her right hand, and when discussing Braindance experiences, she appeared confident and professional like a queen of Braindance.

Noticing Tang Yu's prolonged gaze, Judy felt a bit curious; his look seemed earnest.

"Is this your first genuine Braindance experience?"

Tang Yu replied plainly.

"My sensorium profile."

"Visual sensory signal divided into seven frequencies, auditory sensory signal into six frequencies..."

"Emotional response parameter at 59.4, with a perception model based on a dual-layer neural network..."

Hearing Tang Yu reel off sensorium profile details, Judy was a bit surprised; it seemed he knew something about Braindance.

"Your sensorium profile is quite detailed, but I need to check it first."

"After all, as an organic brain, if there's any discrepancy in the calibration, it could negatively affect you."

She stood up from her chair and approached the Braindance chair, signaling to Tang Yu to take a seat.

As Tang Yu saw the slightly worn Braindance chair, memories of wild times shared with someone in this place inevitably resurfaced briefly.

Without hesitation, he confidently settled into the Braindance chair, leaning against it as he tilted his head to look at Judy.

Judy, noticing Tang Yu's smooth movements and the lingering intensity in his eyes, took off the Braindance headset from around her neck, asking,

"It seems you've had quite a few Braindance experiences before, but trust me, this one will be different."

She leaned in, placing the Braindance headset on Tang Yu and making sure it was secure, then asked,

"How does it feel, too tight or too loose?"

"If there are no issues, we're ready to start."

After making a final adjustment, Judy sat back down at her workstation and began tweaking settings on her office computer.

"Hey, keep an eye on this."

"Not on me, focus on the strobe."

"It might be a bit dazzling, but I'm verifying your sensory signals."

Judy entered the parameters of Tang Yu's sensorium profile as he had previously stated, item by item.

Noticing that the sensorium profile precisely matched his biological neural signal, there would be no issues during the Braindance experience.

"Hey, your sensorium profile is exact. Did an expert help you with the calibration?"

Tang Yu thought to himself, 'Wasn't it you who helped me calibrate it?'

He simply replied, "Yep, she's the best Braindance technician in Night City."

With a chuckle, Judy responded while typing on the keyboard, "Ha, introduce me sometime; we might hit it off."

"Compiling a Braindance is no easy task—nowadays, many companies use AI to compile Braindance."

"But I feel an AI-compiled Braindance lacks soul and emotion; it can't create the most moving experiences..."

Evelyn: "Ahem, ahem, ahem..."

She stood behind Judy, with one hand on her hip, deliberately coughing a few times.

Seeing Judy talk endlessly about Braindance, critical given the fact that the person wasn't just anybody—she was high up in the Arasaka Corporation—it wasn't appropriate to let Judy expose herself too much.

Evelyn realized that since Tang Yu had entered the room, his gaze had not left Judy.

Moreover, she knew that Tang Yu hadn't looked her directly in the eye from the beginning; now he was staring so intently at Judy, there might be other motives.

Evelyn felt a twinge of jealousy internally. Despite her ability to control numerous influential executives, making them comply, it seemed ineffective with Tang Yu.

Surely, Judy was younger and more attractive, filled with a youthful energy.

Yet she lacked a certain womanly charm; she was nothing but a tech nerd engrossed in the world of Braindance.

Could it be that Tang Yu had such a preference?

Evelyn regretted bringing Tang Yu to the basement control room, as she assessed the situation.

Judy, ever friendly to Evelyn's acquaintances, didn't carry a mindset to be wary.

Interrupted by the coughing, Judy said with a shy smile, "Okay, okay, I'll stop talking. The sensorium profile is established and saved us a few minutes."

Evelyn spoke up gravely, "Let's put Mr. Tang into the Braindance, take a look at the Crystal Palace, and it'll be over quickly, okay?"

Judy glanced at Tang Yu, "Ready to enter the Braindance."

"Countdown..."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

As Judy finished counting, the Braindance headset in front of Tang Yu flickered a blinding white flash.

After a wave of intense vertigo, he felt as if he woke up in another world.

He stood upon a high platform, a colossal transparent dome covering half the platform.

Outside the dome, lay the vast, silent deep space.

What he gazed upon was the azure planet.

This was the top observation deck of the Crystal Palace space station.

Tang Yu was currently in a first-person perspective, unable to perform any operations unless Judy switched to editing mode.

However, this Crystal Palace Braindance experience clearly need not be overcomplicated.

Because the protagonist, Yorinobu, was standing not far from him, communicating.

He wore round glasses, donned in an opulent golden suit, appearing to be 'on holiday' in the Crystal Palace.

As he communicated, he spoke in what appeared to be Kyoto dialect, but the Braindance had an integrated translator for interpretation, without missing any meaning for Tang Yu.

Yorinobu was pleading about something, with a tone frantic and fanatical.

"I've made myself very clear, our father only wants to live his splendid dreams, never once considering our feelings."

"He imprisons you in the mansion, thinking he can protect you like a canary, not realizing that this cage has already destroyed the life you should have had."

"We can't keep being pushed towards the edge; when the cage is big enough, you and I can settle in."

"But when the cage becomes too small, even the canary would be crushed against its bars."

It seemed someone on the other end of the call was earnestly explaining something, which led to Yorinobu becoming even more agitated.

"In this rotten family, you're the only one I can trust. Help me this once; I must obtain that thing."

"As for what comes after, leave it to me."

"Please."

"Michi."

Yorinobu paid no heed to the person standing next to him, revealing the name of the person on the other end of the call, Michiko.

After getting agreement from the other side, Yorinobu showed a relieved smile for the first time.

Ending the call.

Yorinobu walked to 'Tang Yu's' side, where they both looked towards the blue planet, murmuring,

"Will this plan really succeed?"

"My father, no, that obstinate old man, is unlikely to give in so easily."

The voice of 'Tang Yu' sounded a bit mechanical, with no indication of its true tone, it stated directly,

"Go to Night City."

"That's where the power to resist Arasaka lies."