Chapter 165

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Pacifica.

Batty Grand Hotel by the Seaside.

After V stepped out of the transit station, she headed straight for the hotel.

This was the location she received from Gloria, where she would complete her task for the day.

Her mission was to infiltrate the Batty Grand Hotel and steal data from the Voodoo Boys' server base.

But the data theft wasn't going to start immediately; she was to wait for a signal indicating an all-out brawl that would cause chaos.

Gloria had given very clear instructions about the job: V wasn't to act on her own and storm into the Voodoo Boys' stronghold.

Now, her priority was to avoid catching the attention of any Voodoo Boys' scouts, hide her presence, and wait for the right moment to sneak into the hotel.

The Batty Grand Hotel was now fully occupied by Haitian locals, with their faces everywhere. A stranger from out of town showing up here would surely raise suspicions.

To cover her tracks, she decided to find a nearby food stall to fill her stomach, so she'd have the energy to work later on.

Arriving at a convenience store window, she saw the owner inside, another Haitian.

V, calm and composed, ordered a casual meal, got her tray, sat under a street-side parasol, and started eating by herself.

When V recalled the mission she took from Lizzie's Bar, she thought the reward seemed disproportionate to the difficulty.

Gloria had offered her 20,000 eurodollars, more than the combined payout of her last several jobs, yet the task was just to infiltrate the Batty Grand Hotel and steal server data.

Moreover, to mask her actions, Gloria specifically emphasized waiting for the Voodoo Boys and Animals to start fighting to avoid detection.

V wasn't sure what kind of grievances existed between these two gangs, but being in Pacifica meant they certainly didn't get along. All she needed to do was follow Gloria's instructions and get the job done.

Thinking about it made V sigh with admiration. The owner of Lizzie's was not only beautiful and kind-hearted but also generous. It was no wonder she quickly established herself in the fixer business.

...

Cyberspace.

In this blue digital ocean world, endless streams of data and symbols formed a vast networked world.

The darkness before Lucy's eyes was gradually dispelled by the blue data ocean, her entire consciousness taking shape, looking just like a digital sprite.

She hadn't been in this cyber world for a long time. Facing the familiar data sea, she took a deep breath, even though breathing wasn't necessary here.

As her neuro-conscious data stabilized, Lucy could operate normally in cyberspace.

However, she still had to wait for some signals, prompts from NetWatch.

Soon, a faint blue virtual outfit appeared around Lucy, a stealth program provided by NetWatch to minimize the risk of being detected by the Voodoo Boys and to shield against some degree of malicious program attacks.

Raising her hand gently, the faint blue attire enveloped her body, blending her digital presence into the surrounding blue sea.

With the stealth protection program loaded, Lucy could start her operations, locating the range provided by NetWatch in this vast data matrix world and searching for the Voodoo Boys' presence.

Before long, a light appeared in front of Lucy, like a shining star, marking a network signal point set by NetWatch at the Arasaka Tower.

She raised her slender right hand, symbolically grasping at the flickering point, and her surroundings transformed rapidly like moving through a data stream tunnel.

It didn't take long for Lucy to arrive near the signal point. This cyberspace matrix was built from many block programs.

It felt like entering a world full of pillars, with no distinction between up and down, relying solely on consciousness to link, read, run, and invade programs.

Lucy casually broke open a pillar and hid inside, blending in with the running programs, and began quietly observing the surroundings and data flow changes.

She could easily hide inside the fixed programs because of the loaded NetWatch ICE. Without it, breaking the program walls would cause malfunction and trigger firewall attacks.

It was much harder for the Voodoo Boys to find the signal source in this program matrix compared to Lucy. Here, it was NetWatch's home ground.

Lucy watched her surroundings carefully; in cyberspace, every action must be cautious. If attacked by hostile programs, she could very likely lose.

After ensuring no immediate threats, Lucy began scanning patches of the matrix area, searching for clues.

The high-intensity work put her body under high-temperature stress, especially her neurons, so deep dives had to be as short and quick as possible.

She moved silently like a data sprite, flitting between solid programs, scanning the matrix programs.

Lucy's anxiety grew as her search yielded nothing so far.

Either the Voodoo Boys hadn't approached the signal source, or their methods were so advanced that they hid their actions perfectly.

This was not just a technical competition but also a race against time.

The Voodoo Boys had little time left too. Failing to breach the signal source and dismantle the NetWatch base's server meant their hideout's server would eventually be detected by network signal fluctuations.

Then, they would face direct force, not a cyber battle.

In the cyberspace realm, the Voodoo Boys had a natural advantage.

In the physical world, the Voodoo Boys were definitely no match for the Animals.

Finally, Lucy finished scanning most areas, leaving only a few tightly secured matrix zones, where NetWatch's firewall was most formidable.

Anyone trying to breach from there faced much higher difficulty.

Suddenly, while hidden in a solid program, Lucy noticed something unusual.

She saw small worm-like programs slipping into solid programs unnoticed.

These solid programs hadn't triggered the firewall, meaning they weren't destructive viruses.

More like parasitic programs, hiding inside and lying dormant, waiting for a chance.

Worm viruses.

What was the Voodoo Boys' plan?

Did they intend to crash the entire NetWatch server in one massive attack?

The more secure the firewalled areas, the greater the number of solid programs, increasing the potential number of parasitic viruses.

Once the Voodoo Boys made their move, most NetWatch solid programs would crash, causing hardware failures.

They would then gather forces, breach the firewall, withstand NetWatch ICE counterattacks, and destroy the signal source.

This would make forcing the Voodoo Boys' hideout out nearly impossible.

Lucy, realizing the gravity of the situation, halted and hid in a safer place, continuing to wait, waiting for the mastermind to reveal themselves before deploying NetWatch ICE in retaliation.

...

In the deep dive chamber,

Tang Yu monitored various elements on the electronic display to ensure Lucy's physical safety.

A deep dive was the most vulnerable time for a cyber-hacker, essentially exposing all their weaknesses and being completely unaware of the outside world.

Their life or death depended entirely on the person guarding outside.

Thus, Tang Yu rarely performed deep dives himself, even after becoming a top-tier hacker.

He checked the tank holding Lucy, seeing her steady breathing and the faint heat from her nose, indicating no abnormalities in cyberspace.

Hackers in cyberspace lacked external perception, but physical symptoms appeared if attacked, ranging from body pains to severe brain damage.

NetWatch special agent Mosley sent a message: "She's in cyberspace, has reached the signal source, and everything looks normal for now."

Tang Yu figured Lucy hadn't encountered danger yet, so he asked, "Did you detect any movement from the Voodoo Boys?"

Mosley checked the signal fluctuation monitoring display, seeing no abnormalities. The Voodoo Boys had hidden their activities well.

Still, using special techniques, he knew the Voodoo Boys were active but temporarily unable to precisely track them. Lucy had to continue the cyber search to find the target and trigger NetWatch ICE.

"Nothing so far."

"The Voodoo Boys rely on the Poseidon system, an entirely isolated and concealed subnet, usually executing 'hit-and-run' hacking missions, leaving no trace."

"Either our hackers spot them early, or we wait for their attack to devise a counter."

The former put NetWatch in control; the latter gave control to the Voodoo Boys.

Around the Arasaka Tower, Voodoo Boys scouts were already gathering, trying unsuccessfully to disrupt NetWatch's server with jammers.

Mosley added, "The Voodoo Boys are tough. If we don't use ICE to catch them immediately, our deep-diving hacker faces significant risks."

"Once Lucy finds clues, she can use ICE to retreat quickly."

"If the deep dive yields nothing soon, we should consider other approaches."

By other approaches, Mosley meant brute force, hoping to capture a few Voodoo Boys and extract their hideout location through interrogation.

Tang Yu agreed with Mosley's suggestion.

Deep dive durations couldn't be prolonged, and since the Voodoo Boys were already doomed, it wasn't worth risking Lucy's safety further.

Tang Yu glanced at the electronic screen, still not receiving Lucy's signal for extraction from cyberspace, indicating she was still engaged in her mission.

Suddenly. 

Lucy's brows slightly furrowed as she seemed to feel uncomfortable. Her neural network was overloaded, causing beads of cold sweat to drip from her forehead. 

Even soaking in the icy water couldn't fully dissipate the heat. 

Tang Yu quickly squatted by the tank, checking on Lucy. From her micro-expressions, he deduced that she had suffered an unknown attack. 

He immediately sprang into action, one hand supporting the nape of her slender neck and the other lifting her wrist from the icy water. Activating his 'Weak Electric Control' ability, a small arc of electricity flowed through the biowire on her wrist. 

Tang Yu closed his eyes, trying to direct the data flow generated in his mind into Lucy's storage core and transmit it into cyberspace. 

In such emergencies, either the deep-diving hacker relies on their own skills to escape, or external technical support is provided, just like when Kiwi dived last time. 

However, the trouble Lucy faced was evidently different from Kiwi's deep dive. Attacked by the Voodoo Boys, her brain could be fried in a second, leaving no room for maneuver. 

So Tang Yu could only take a gamble, trusting that the AI deity in cyberspace would come to their aid. 

In cyberspace. 

Lucy finally encountered the neural constructs of several Voodoo Boys, decisively running the ICE provided by network monitoring to help lock onto the hostile targets. 

Strands of red code shot toward the Voodoo Boys like data chains, binding them. 

As she successfully launched her attack, preparing to escape, an unknown program suddenly restrained her, pulling her out of her solid program, revealing her hidden protocol. 

Lucy was ambushed by Voodoo Boys' hackers. 

Soon, several deeply concealed Voodoo Boys deep divers emerged from the void of data fragments, led by a figure that appeared to be a woman. 

The leader quickly scanned Lucy's neural construct, their eyes traversing her every digital cell like an electric current. 

"You're not from network monitoring." 

Lucy, unable to break free, did not answer. 

In cyberspace, nothing can be hidden. This is a world of data where even the deepest secrets of the mind become code. 

The opponent's hacking skillfully bypassed Lucy's personal ICE, accessing her deepest memories to avoid causing her data to fragment, which would make retrieval nearly impossible. 

Killing a neural construct in cyberspace is no different from killing the person themselves. 

"So, you're an Arasaka runaway hacker..." 

Lucy felt her memory data being pulled out bit by bit, uncontrollably streaming out. 

She struggled to prevent the opponent from accessing more information because beyond lay memories involving Tang Yu's abilities. Once leaked, it would be disastrous. 

Suddenly. 

Lucy noticed a new program trying to enter her body, hearing Tang Yu's voice in her mind again. 

"I'll use the existing path to transport you near the Blackwall; there's support to save you there." 

Support outside the Blackwall? 

Without hesitation, Lucy stopped resisting the program, allowing it to run within her. 

All of a sudden. 

Lucy seemingly teleported to a vertically striped red and blue barrier, facing an endless black expanse. 

She knew this place all too well; the red-striped barrier was the Blackwall isolating the old Net. 

Young Lucy had worked at Arasaka, tasked with traversing beyond the Blackwall to excavate data. 

She remembered the pathway to the Blackwall and the method to traverse it. 

With Tang Yu's help, she reached the Blackwall's edge, but the Voodoo Boys' hackers followed closely, their programs still locking onto her. 

Suddenly. 

A stream of unknown data appeared in Lucy's memory database, flashing scenes and images. 

Lucy was momentarily stunned. 

Where did these sudden memories come from? 

They all featured a man with a silver arm, always wearing sunglasses and fond of sarcastic remarks. 

"Only two people willing to spread their legs for you, that's tragic..." 

"Can't you do it? Is it really that hard? C'mon, for me, just one stick!" 

"Don't joke around. I don't have time to be a guitar master; I'm busy changing the world." 

"Alt, why do you always have that temper?" 

"Alt, Alt, wake up, damn it, what did they do to you!" 

The Voodoo Boys' hackers, detecting the sudden surge of this data in Lucy's memory, couldn't believe what they were seeing. 

"How do you have these memories?!" 

As soon as the words were spoken. 

The entire cyberspace around them seemed to freeze, all data streams halted as if time itself stopped. 

Next. 

The environment within cyberspace underwent drastic changes. 

A giant data humanoid figure materialized, standing beyond the Blackwall like a towering red giant. 

"Johnny..." 

"You bear Johnny's mark..." 

The red giant seemed to look at Lucy, a mystical voice coming from beyond the Blackwall. 

"Alt Cunningham..." The Voodoo Boys' hackers were equally shocked, unprepared for what had just transpired. 

They had no idea how Lucy got to the Blackwall or how she summoned Alt Cunningham from beyond. 

Clearly. 

Alt, residing beyond the Blackwall, had her sensory and technical prowess infiltrating within. 

To her, the Blackwall wasn't an impenetrable barrier. 

Alt might not be able to dismantle the Blackwall, but subtly planting programs inside was a breeze. 

Before the Voodoo Boys' hackers could react, several streams of blue data lightning struck from above, hitting their heads. 

They collapsed in agony, clutching their heads, their neural constructs fading from cyberspace, freeing Lucy from their imprisoning programs. 

"Who brought you here..." Alt asked after dealing with the Voodoo Boys. 

Before Lucy could respond, she heard Tang Yu's voice in her mind once more, instructing her to relay a message to the red giant. 

"He asked me to tell you, Johnny was captured by Arasaka using Soulkiller, his soul locked in a prison." 

Alt's ethereal voice responded, "I recognized Johnny's code…" 

She already knew this outcome. 

Lucy, controlling her emotions, continued, "Johnny once broke into the Arasaka Tower to rescue you from their subnet." 

Alt: "I certainly don't want to be trapped in Arasaka's prison. If your goal was to clear out the Voodoo Boys' hackers, that's done..." 

Hearing Tang Yu in her mind again, Lucy hesitated, unsure whether to speak. 

"He... he asked me to relay a message from Johnny." 

Alt: "Go ahead." 

Lucy, momentarily uneasy, spoke, "Johnny says you were quite the team. Since he's now a digital ghost, could you two... rekindle your connection." 

Alt: "That's impossible. I'm not the same as before. You should leave..." 

With a wave of her hand, Lucy was sent back to the original location near the network monitoring signal. 

Seeing that the remaining Voodoo Boys hackers were already frozen by network monitoring ICE, she initiated the exit protocol. 

In the diving chamber. 

"Cough! Cough..." 

Lucy gasped for air, coughing violently, her body swaying from prolonged deep dive. 

She opened her eyes, finding Tang Yu beside her. Struggling to sit up, but weakened by the long dive. 

Tang Yu, seeing her awake, unplugged her neural jack and helped her out of the tank, water dripping off her smooth skin. 

A clean towel was offered, which she draped over her shoulders, softly expressing her gratitude. 

"Thank you..." 

Lucy knew that it was Tang Yu who saved her in cyberspace; without his help, she would have remained trapped like the Voodoo Boys' hackers. 

Tang Yu said straightforwardly, "No need to thank me. Leave the rest to me." 

Seeing that Lucy's dive was safely concluded, his next task was to assault the Voodoo Boys' stronghold. 

Tang Yu left to strategize with Mosley. 

Lucy, still standing in the tank, stared blankly at his departing figure. 

The memory Tang Yu transmitted still lingered in her mind. It was her first glimpse into his memories. 

The man named Johnny, always with sunglasses, pleading for a cigarette, and strumming a guitar must be the friend Tang Yu mentioned before. 

Lucy couldn't imagine how a rockstar like Johnny mixed with corporate elites. 

But from the memory, they seemed to get along quite well. 

Reflecting on this odd memory, she couldn't help but smile.