Chapter 177

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"Good morning, and here is your morning news update."

"Today, Mayor Lucius Rhyne held a municipal press conference, focusing on announcing the new annual urban infrastructure development plan."

"It is reported that this round of municipal planning involves the basic project construction of Night City for the next ten years, including plans for network services, rail transit, signal transmission, and water and power supply."

"The most notable aspect of the new infrastructure plan is the city's intention to re-finance tenders, aiming for more companies to participate significantly in Night City's construction projects."

"Mayor Lucius Rhyne stated that the city's infrastructure projects were often awarded to one or a few companies in the past, which was not conducive to achieving economies of scale. More capable companies should participate in the construction of Night City."

"This resolution is currently being reviewed by the council."

"According to an interview with Councilor Jefferson Peralez, involving more companies in infrastructure projects may not benefit the city's rapid development. On the contrary, it could weaken the city's authority in infrastructure matters. The city government should hold the city's development firmly in its hands, rather than entrusting it to any company..."

Tang Yu noticed the morning news while having breakfast. He saw that Mayor Lucius Rhyne was making moves to use his power to put pressure on Night Corporation. Traditionally, Night City's infrastructure projects were monopolized by Night Corporation. Now, Rhyne aimed to induce competition among more companies, allowing him to reap the benefits.

The recent event hosted by Night Corporation was intended to connect major companies to the so-called Internet of Everything, using Matrix space network services. However, no company with common sense would build their database on someone else's turf unless they could claim a portion of the Matrix space as their own territory.

Night Corporation seemed to anticipate this, promising to provide relevant facilities and technical support for regional network services. Additionally, the vast network infrastructure required couldn't be completed by Night Corporation alone in a short span. Large-scale development was vital, necessitating municipal support and investment from other companies.

The slogan of Night Corporation was to transform Night City into a global urban pinnacle, an independent city in both real and cyber spaces. To Tang Yu, this was all a bunch of lies. He suspected that Night Corporation's grand plan was actually for the rogue AI lurking in the background. Once connected to the Matrix space, everything and everyone would undergo mechanical ascension in an instant.

The vision was indeed science fiction-like but equally dark. Moreover, Night Corporation's increasing restlessness, including revealing some of its secrets for support, showed it was getting desperate.

Tang Yu's primary concern was still V. On the same day, she suffered several targeted attacks, seemingly linked to her. If they were after the Synaptic Neuroinhibitor in V's mind, obtaining such data wouldn't be difficult. They could have copied her data directly during the Sandra Dorsett incident, but they didn't. The irregularity caught Tang Yu's attention.

After the event, Tang Yu and V had a deep conversation in the car. He proposed that she join the Anti-Terror Assault Unit. Surprisingly, V said her dream of becoming a peace officer was from when she was seven; now she was over seventeen. V was adamant; she loathed feeling trapped. She was used to the unrestrained street life, and being a cyberpunk suited her fine. Given how much she owed Tang Yu, she brushed it off, saying debtors were kings these days. She would repay it slowly and wasn't worried about taking anything to the grave.

Tang Yu couldn't force V to do anything, considering her sharp-tongued nature. The suggestion was mainly because of the unique role of the Anti-Terror Assault Unit, a team dedicated to dealing with rogue cyber psychos, recognized as completely neutral by all major corporations. Even Night Corporation would think twice before meddling with them. Before Tang Yu could solve the Night Corporation issue, V was at considerable risk.

After breakfast, Tang Yu put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and pulled up his contact list. He selected Lucy's contact, showing her role as Network Surveillance. He dialed her number and waited a moment before the call connected.

Lucy: "What is it?"

Tang Yu: "Are you free now?"

Lucy: "Come to the safe house. [Address]"

Receiving the address sent by Lucy, Tang Yu assumed she was still working. He quickly got ready and left, hailing a Delamain cab to the destination. The address was in an old commercial building in Westbrook, a suitable hiding spot with more reliable power supplies than apartment buildings, ideal for operating power-hungry hacker equipment.

The Network Inspection Team had chosen these locations to serve as safe houses for conducting covert network activities. 

Tang Yu walked into an old shopping mall, climbed to the fourth floor, passed through two security gates, and finally entered the Network Inspection Team's safe house, where he saw Lucy working.

She stood at her workstation, monitoring multiple data streams on various screens, her cybernetic eyes quickly analyzing and recording information. 

Upon hearing Tang Yu's arrival, she said indifferently, "You're here. Good timing. Help me with a deep dive into the net. I'm keeping an eye on a cyber hacker trying to communicate with a rogue AI beyond the Blackwall."

Tang Yu sensed something was off. Lucy seemed much colder than he remembered. He couldn't quite understand why. He had previously promised Lucy to help her join the Network Inspection Team, but various circumstances had caused delays. It hadn't been more than a couple of days, yet Lucy had already completed her induction. 

However, Tang Yu felt that Lucy wouldn't intentionally act so cold just because of that. The network inspection work might be making her uneasy since she hadn't done a deep dive in a long time. 

Lucy turned her attention away from the screens and walked towards the adjacent deep dive room. 

As Tang Yu followed her, he casually asked, "Where did Mosley go?" 

Lucy responded coldly, "Back to the European Network Inspection headquarters." 

This surprised Tang Yu. He didn't expect Mosley to leave Night City in Lucy's hands so soon. He wondered if Mosley had a lot of trust in her.

"Are you getting used to the job?" Tang Yu asked, changing the subject. 

Lucy stopped, looked back at Tang Yu with her cold, neon eyes, and both of them fell silent. The small safe house grew quiet, with only the hum of the computer fans in the background. 

Moments later.

Lucy unlocked the door to the deep dive room, walked in, and stood by a white bathtub filled with cold water and ice. She spoke softly, "We don't have a choice, do we?"

With that, Lucy began undressing, her snow-white shoulders exposed before Tang Yu. Her clothes slowly slid down her tall figure, revealing her back covered in metal panels and slots.

She lay down adeptly in the bathtub, the freezing water enveloping her instantly. 

Lucy tore off the bandage covering the deep dive interface on the back of her head, rested her neck on the tub's edge, and the water rippled gently. 

Tang Yu stepped forward, picked up a cable connector, and with a click, securely plugged it into her interface. 

Lucy, her face calm, said, "I'm ready." 

She then closed her eyes and dove deep into cyberspace. 

Tang Yu stood at the workstation, closely monitoring Lucy's deep dive. The process seemed smooth this time. Just over ten minutes later, Lucy emerged from her dive.

Unplugging the cable from the back of her head, she stepped out of the tub and took a clean towel, thanking Tang Yu. 

"How was the dive? Did you catch the target?" Tang Yu asked. 

"Some trouble, but it's resolved. What about you?" Lucy answered, drying her silver hair and looking at Tang Yu.

"Same as you, ran into some issues," Tang Yu explained.

"Oh? Issues? Let's hear about them," Lucy said.

After a while, they both exited the deep dive room and returned to the workstation. 

Lucy, focusing on the screens, said seriously, "This sounds significant. If there's really a matrix space beneath the company plaza, Network Inspection's oversight would be quite alarming."

Tang Yu replied, "It might be that Mosley was overwhelmed. Just dealing with the Voodoo Boys is more than enough for him."

"Now that someone has taken over, he was eager to report back to headquarters," Tang Yu added.

"That's why we need to use Network Inspection's signal fluctuation detection technology to investigate the matrix space," Tang Yu said.

Lucy glanced at him, a hint of teasing in her smile, "Worried? That doesn't seem like you."

Perhaps due to the success of the deep dive mission, Lucy's tone was no longer as cold.

Tang Yu, somewhat helplessly, said, "I'm not worried, but someone higher up is."

As she adjusted the program, Lucy calmly said, "AI problems are becoming more rampant. Just in the few days since I took over, there have already been several related incidents."

"A matrix space outside Network Inspection's control is a ticking time bomb for everyone."

Tang Yu nodded slightly, agreeing with her assessment. 

Lucy might not have joined Network Inspection wholeheartedly, but at least her competence wasn't an issue.

As the network signal fluctuation program started, focusing on the company plaza, moments later, Lucy stared at the screen's display and said seriously, "No detection results. To further investigate, we'll need to get closer to the site."

"It seems it's well-hidden."

Tang Yu fell into deep thought.