Chapter 158: The Locator Program! The Portal!
As V pulled out the chip and was about to leave, he suddenly heard cautious footsteps outside the hidden room.
With the aid of his cyberware, V's heightened senses immediately allowed him to discern the number of people approaching.
Someone's coming!
Frowning, V realized he wouldn't have enough time to escape the basement. His only option was to find a place to hide temporarily. Once the intruders left, he could figure out his escape plan.
[There's a storage cabinet to your upper left. Hide there for now. If it comes down to it, take them out before they get to you!]
[Damn it... your grim predictions are really starting to hit too often. Bad news happens as soon as you say it.]
Johnny grumbled as he guided V, irritated by the situation. They could only hope whoever was coming wasn't sharp enough to notice them.
Just as V concealed himself near the cabinet, a mysterious figure slipped into the room. Judging from the intruder's attire, V quickly deduced they were likely a corporate agent.
No way! Another professional in the same spot?
Watching the agent pull out some sort of chip device and attempt to connect it to the Voodoo Boys' Netwatch, V silently cursed.
What are the odds two people would target the same place? This is just too suspicious!
Could it be that Li Ang didn't trust V's professional skills and sent another agent as backup?
The thought made V's blood boil. Aside from the Relic chip mission at Cantao GroupPlaza, he had never failed a single job.
[Li Ang isn't dumb enough to do something like that. This is either a coincidence, or someone's already on to us and set this up.]
Johnny leaned toward the latter explanation. If they were being tracked, their only option would be to eliminate the threat.
Enough thinking. Time to take control of the situation!
V activated his Sianvistan implant and swiftly closed in on the intruder. Pressing his Burya pistol against the back of their head, V growled in a low voice:
"Listen up, pal. I've already scouted this place. Pack up your little toy and stop meddling where you don't belong."
"And who the hell are you?"
The sudden confrontation startled the agent, who nearly stumbled. Judging by their reaction, V could tell they weren't highly skilled.
A professional assassin or seasoned corporate operative wouldn't tremble even with a gun to their head. This one was clearly a rookie, panicking under pressure.
"Don't shoot! My name is Bryce Mosley, a hacker agent from the Network Watchdog Corporation. I'm just here on company orders.
"If I've interrupted your mission, I'll leave now. You won't even need to waste a bullet!"
Bryce stammered nervously, glancing back to confirm his captor wasn't a Voodoo Boys hacker. This realization brought a hint of relief; V was likely just another corporate operative.
"Network Watchdog, huh? What's your business here? Explain yourself!"
V pressed the gun more firmly against Bryce's head, making him break out in cold sweat.
"Whoa, take it easy, buddy! No need for accidents. Maybe we can talk face-to-face without making things so tense, yeah?
"Could you lower the gun a bit? My heart's not great, and I might just drop dead if I get too stressed."
Bryce raised his hands, slowly turning to face V. The sight of a fellow corporate operative reassured him somewhat.
"Once again, why are you here? Be specific."
V wasn't buying into the coincidence of two agents from different corporations converging on the same target. He needed answers.
Faced with V's unrelenting demeanor, Bryce finally caved.
"Alright, fine. I'm here to install a locator program and steal some information from the Voodoo Boys' subnet."
"That's all? Just a simple task? I swear to God, I'm telling the truth!" Bryce said, nearly trembling as he raised his hand in a solemn vow.
After hearing Bryce's explanation, V was skeptical but somewhat convinced. The man seemed too green to fabricate a story under pressure.
Perhaps Bryce was indeed just an ordinary hacker sent by Network Watchdog on a standard assignment, accidentally running into V in the process.
"What's the purpose of this locator program? Opening a backdoor for your company's hackers?"
V pressed on. He hadn't been briefed on the details of the Matrix chip's function, only instructed by Li Ang on what to do. To him, this seemed like a straightforward data theft operation.
"Well... sort of? I've installed these programs on servers in other regions too, but I've never actually used them. I don't even know who they're for," Bryce said with a shrug, his expression innocent.
In truth, hacker agents like Bryce were numerous, constantly embedding these programs worldwide.
Unbeknownst to most, these locators were designed to grant access to Europa, the transcendent AI. Once a locator was installed, Europa could bypass regional restrictions and link directly to the targeted server.
This allowed the AI to gather vast amounts of data and grow into the largest transcendent AI ever conceived.
Bryce's task of planting the program in the Voodoo Boys' network was meant to grant Europa a foothold in Night City, enabling it to gather local data and investigate LA Corp in secret.
However, only three people in the world knew the true purpose of these programs: the core executives of Network Watchdog.
Even Bryce, carrying out the task, remained blissfully unaware of the true implications.
After confirming Bryce's intent, V nodded thoughtfully. He sensed no deception in the hacker's explanation.
Still, this unexpected encounter needed to be reported to Li Ang. Depending on Li Ang's orders, V would decide whether to let Bryce walk free—or eliminate him to protect the mission.
"Stay here and don't move. If you try anything funny, I'll scatter your brains all over the floor," V warned.
"Don't think I'm afraid of the Voodoo Boys barging in here. I've got plenty of backup, and wiping them out is just another day's work for me."
V brandished his Burya pistol, forcing the terrified Bryce into a corner. Satisfied the hacker wouldn't try anything reckless, V contacted Li Ang to report everything.
Upon hearing about the locator program, Li Ang immediately recognized Europa's intent to enter Night City via the Voodoo Boys' subnet.
If Europa was truly coming, Li Ang was determined not to let the opportunity slip. After some consideration, Li Ang instructed V to take Bryce out of the area and wait for further orders.
If Europa entered Night City, it would likely be within the next day or two—plenty of time to prepare.
Even if Europa detected something amiss and chose to back off, Li Ang had backup plans to lure it into the Matrix.
[Take Bryce out of there and lay low near Pacifica. Await further instructions and report any updates.]
After receiving Li Ang's orders, V turned to Bryce.
"You're lucky, kid. My boss happens to know someone high up in your company. Guess that makes us almost colleagues."
Holstering his pistol, V helped Bryce to his feet. Seeing the hacker still shaken, V softened slightly.
"I'm V, also a corporate operative. Which company I work for, though, is none of your concern for now."
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