Chapter 181: Expedition! Expedition!
Song Zhaomei hesitated for a moment, but when she saw the resolute gaze V cast her way, she slowly reached out her hand.
She didn't know whether boarding this aircraft would mean a fate like before—being treated like a caged bird by the company—or if she would finally attain true freedom.
Just as her hand was about to touch V's massive palm, he stepped forward and pulled her into the cabin of the Skyhawk shuttle.
Caught off balance, Song Zhaomei stumbled with V's broad chest.
"Be careful," V reminded her while firmly holding her wrist. "This aircraft moves fast—you don't want to fall."
"Alright."
She nodded and couldn't help but take a deep look at V. He still seemed the same as before—considerate and attentive to others.
Then, she turned to the viewing window of the cabin.
Through the thick, transparent material, she saw Night City, which had been transformed by LA Corporation into a metropolis dense with skyscrapers.
Layer upon layer of towering structures stacked so high that the city seemed bottomless. She could sense that the neon-lit city beneath her feet might stand thousands of meters tall.
The foundation of this new Night City could be tens of thousands of meters thick.
The once-abandoned districts—Santo Domingo, Pacifica, Heywood—had long since disappeared, replaced by neon towers stretching into the clouds and multi-level, winding highways.
Even the barren wastelands, where sandstorms frequently raged, had been converted into the bustling outskirts of the metropolitan area.
The sheer density of the massive buildings made her head buzz.
She felt like a primitive human who had accidentally traveled hundreds of years into the future.
This grand and awe-inspiring Night City was nothing like the one she remembered!
The old Night City was a place of duality—half prosperous, half decayed. Beneath its dazzling surface lay rotting slums, a stark contradiction of light and darkness.
But the new Night City, as described in LA Corporation's New Bible, was warm and orderly. The urban layout was as structured as a chessboard.
"Gogotown… Even Gogotown has become a giant commercial district? Are there still braindance clubs and casinos here?"
As the Skyhawk shuttle flew over Gogotown, Song Zhaomei saw massive neon signs for the Azure Gem Hotel standing tall among the skyscrapers.
It seemed the Azure Gem Hotel had been preserved.
In fact, with LA Corporation's renovations, the entire Pacifica area had been transformed into a true paradise of entertainment—a designated pleasure district of Night City.
Seeing Song Zhaomei's wide-eyed curiosity, V patiently explained,
"Zhaomei, what you're seeing now is only a small part of the Ideal City project. There are many cities like this all over the world."
"In reality, we're already in the fourth phase of our transformation plan."
"The remaining construction will be completed in about six years—a blink of an eye for the public, but an architectural miracle in its own right."
With that, V signaled the pilot to accelerate.
As intense gravitational forces pressed against her, Song Zhaomei felt as if she were being pinned to her seat.
Fortunately, V held her hand securely, preventing her from appearing flustered.
Soon, the shuttle stabilized, and Song Zhaomei was finally able to shake off the oppressive force.
"See those rockets and spacecraft heading into outer space?" V pointed out. "Those are LA Corporation's transport vessels, used for establishing new space routes and shipping essential resources."
"They travel back and forth between near-Earth orbit and the planet's surface around the clock, ensuring uninterrupted resource exchange across different planets."
Following V's gaze, Song Zhaomei saw streaks of rockets and ultra-speed vehicles shooting toward the deep expanse of space like meteors in reverse.
Beyond the pristine sky, she could see a colossal space station in near-Earth orbit, where millions of spacecraft carved out invisible trade routes—bridges in space.
"Did humanity really accomplish all this in just over three years?"
She murmured in disbelief, struggling to accept what she was seeing.
Reality had become more surreal than a dream!
"You don't need to be so shocked—we did achieve these unprecedented feats."
V could tell what she was thinking. He understood her turmoil.
To Song Zhaomei, the world had changed as if centuries had passed in mere years. It was natural for her to struggle with this transformation.
But it was real, and she had to adapt quickly.
"Look at the Pacific Ocean below," V continued. "Nearly all of Earth's oceans have been drained dry."
"Marine life has been relocated to specialized oceanic reserves. Even deep-sea trenches thousands of meters deep have been filled in and repurposed as solid ground."
"Mount Everest was leveled by millions of D-22 bulldozers. The sky itself is now controlled by precise climate systems, ensuring perpetual daylight."
"Anti-gravity engineering has reshaped our planet. We control the movement of the Earth's crust, silenced erupting volcanoes, and turned the frozen poles into temperate residential zones."
As he recounted these transformations, V spoke with the certainty of someone who had witnessed them firsthand.
From leveling mountains to filling oceans, from reshaping the sky to mastering the land— Li Ang had rebuilt the planet in his own image, like a true creator.
Natural disasters that once plagued humanity—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis—were now trivial problems.
And as a firsthand witness to the Ideal City project, V's own sense of astonishment was no less than Song Zhaomei's.
To work for a company that would go down in human history—V considered it an honor. He had seen humanity conquer nature.
"But with no forests, no oceans, no mountains, and no farmland… where do people get their basic resources?"
Looking at the suffocating steel jungle below, Song Zhaomei couldn't help but worry.
Had Earth, stripped of its ability to generate natural resources, truly remained a habitable home for humanity?
LA Corporation's actions seemed to completely disregard the old ideals of "protecting Mother Earth" and "preserving the human home."
In other words, the Ideal City plan was turning Earth into LA Corporation's private property!
Predictably, this would provoke fierce opposition from environmentalists.
A project of this scale would inevitably involve ideological conflicts—environmentalism, religious beliefs, extremist groups. They wouldn't just sit back and allow this to happen.
Sure enough, when she asked V if any human rebellions had occurred, he nodded without hesitation.
"Over the past three years, both environmentalist rebels and company Nexus replicants have staged minor uprisings."
"But those dissidents have all been swept into the dustbin of history—they no longer exist."
"In the face of the unstoppable tide of the new era, no one can defy LA Corporation's will!"
V's tone remained cold and impassive, as if the rebellions had been mere footnotes.
The wars had been one-sided massacres.
As commander of the Iron Hand Astartes Legion, V had led devastatingly efficient campaigns against the rebels and rogue Nexus units.
Against his overwhelming force, they had been nothing more than scattered leaves in an autumn breeze.
Through battlefield experience and guidance from military officers, V had evolved from a green soldier into a seasoned warlord.
Now, a hardened, ruthless aura radiated from him—so much so that Song Zhaomei felt a primal sense of danger, as though she were surrounded by beasts.
And yet, in his gentle gaze, she still found a familiar warmth—the comfort of an old friend.
The changes in him were so drastic, she struggled to process them.
"V… You've changed. So much."
Song Zhaomei couldn't help but reach out, gently caressing V's arm. She could tell that V had changed—not just in appearance, but in spirit as well.
The V of the past had always carried a bit of that rebellious, free-spirited nature, a deep-seated emotion that made him reluctant to truly align with the corporation.
Perhaps this was just the natural resistance that nomads had toward corporations.
But now, V had been forged by the corporation and the legion into a resolute and loyal warrior. Song Zhaomei could hardly tell if the person standing before her was still the V she once knew.
"Everything in this world is bound to change. We must learn to accept it."
V had already come to terms with all the transformations he had undergone.
Three years ago, on the day he was rescued from Dogtown by the Astartes warriors, he was sent to a secret facility, where he underwent genetic seed implantation surgery.
Now, his modifications had reached the 19th stage, with the "Black Carapace" organ already integrated into his body.
This special organ allowed V to seamlessly control the neural sensors of the carapace, perfectly maneuvering his powered armor.
Although LA Corporation had developed an axonal neural system to assist humans in controlling powered armor, that system was merely a tool.
It could never match the convenience and directness of an organ that was naturally part of the body.
"V, what about Reed and Alex? Are they doing well?"
At this moment, Song Zhaomei finally remembered her old friend and mentor, Reed, as well as her former Intelligence Bureau colleague, Alex.
Although they had once betrayed her, Song Zhaomei never truly resented them.
Otherwise, back when she lost control, she could have used her Blackwall abilities to kill them instantly.
The reason she hadn't done so was because of her lingering attachments—she never truly wanted to take the lives of her old friends.
"Reed is now my adjutant. We both serve in the Astartes Legion."
"As for Alex, she's now the head of the Intelligence Department aboard the Infinity—still working in her old field, in a way."
As V spoke about the lives of their old friends from Night City, a faint smile finally broke through his otherwise solemn demeanor.
Clearly, his friends were all doing well.
Old Vik had been assigned by the corporation to a massive medical center in Little China, where he now served as director.
It was even Vik himself who personally disassembled and installed Song Zhaomei's new body parts.
Johnny Silverhand, like V, had his consciousness transferred into a new clone body by the corporation's engineers. After waking up, he, too, chose to undergo genetic modification.
He now held the rank of Centurion, serving mainly as a military advisor, though he occasionally participated in combat operations.
Jackie, after settling down with Misty, followed V's path and joined the Astartes Legion.
However, since he was a newcomer and hadn't yet proven his worth to the corporation like V had, it took him three years just to attain the rank of vanguard squad leader.
But in this high-risk, high-reward position, Jackie had the best chance of climbing the ranks quickly.
As for the ever-loyal Morgan Blackhand, he did not join the Astartes Legion like V did. Instead, under Li Ang 's arrangement, he became the captain of the Infinity.
Most of the Aldecaldo nomads had also integrated into various LA Corporation departments.
Even Panam was among them.
Upon learning that everyone had moved on in their own directions under the corporation's guidance, Song Zhaomei felt a deep sense of loss washing over her.
Myers was dead. Hansen was dead. She had been reborn, achieving the freedom she had once longed for.
Yet in this new world, Song Zhaomei could no longer find her sense of purpose. She had no idea where to go next.
She felt like she didn't belong here.
As she stood there in silent contemplation, lost in her tangled thoughts, V suddenly spoke:
"Song Zhaomei, I didn't just come here to visit you. I also came to say goodbye."
His voice was low and steady as he carefully explained the mission he was about to undertake.
"LA Corporation's fleet is ready. In two weeks, we will initiate a space jump to Pandora, four light-years away."
"Humanity has been preparing for the Avatar Project for three years."
" Li Ang says this is a friendly interstellar trade expedition, but I have my doubts…"
V had been cautious with his words, but Song Zhaomei immediately understood what he meant.
And most likely, V's suspicions were correct.
From the way Li Ang had handled the extermination of human rebels and rogue replicants, it was clear— Li Ang was still the same ruthless executioner.
Once LA Corporation's forces landed on Pandora, there was little chance the natives would be met with peaceful trade negotiations.
A bloody and brutal military campaign was far more likely.
V had to prepare for a long and grueling war.
But… V had no sympathy for those alien creatures. As a Company Captain in the Iron Hands Astartes Legion, his mission was clear: to spread LA Corporation's nuclear doctrine and purge all xenos heresy.
"So… you're going to fight in an interstellar colonial war."
Song Zhaomei murmured, her expression somewhat blank—she was still struggling to shake off her confusion.
"Oh, right. I've already paid off your surgery fees. Your bank account and your private suite in the Crystal Palace are all intact."
With that, V took a small envelope from a nearby soldier. Inside was all of Song Zhaomei's assets and personal documents.
"Song Zhaomei, I kept my promise to you. You are reborn. You are free."
V smiled. Rescuing her from Dogtown had been his way of fulfilling this promise, and now that the promise was kept, he had no lingering regrets.
Song Zhaomei's hands trembled slightly as she accepted the envelope. A deep sadness welled up within her.
For some reason, this "freedom" felt no different from being abandoned by the entire world.
It was the same feeling she had when she left her home in Brooklyn to join the Intelligence Bureau.
And again, when she abandoned everything to leave the Bureau behind.
In the end, she had nothing left.
"Will you… ever come back?"
Clutching the envelope tightly, Song Zhaomei looked up at V, holding back tears.
To be honest, she didn't want to see her last remaining friend leave her.
"This is a colonial war. I can't say when—or if—I'll return."
With LA Corporation's rapid expansion, even after conquering Pandora, V might be sent to another battlefield.
As a soldier, he had no choice but to obey Li Ang 's will.
"I see… V, I wish you the best of luck."
Song Zhaomei knew she couldn't make V stay. All she could do was silently wish him success.
But as more and more of her old friends disappeared from her life, a torrential downpour seemed to begin in her heart.
A cold, relentless storm that might never end.
---
Fourteen days later.
LA Universal Daily: A fleet of two hundred Infinity-class warships has completed preparations and is about to leave the Solar System. The Astartes warriors will use the Mark X Macedonian Drive for high-precision space jumps to Pandora, 4.37 light-years away.
LA Alliance's message for the Avatar Project: "Onward! Onward!"
As the Infinity fleet officially set sail, the entire planet was watching.
It was a day that would go down in human history.
And at this moment, Li Ang , surrounded by V, Song Zhaomei, Lucy, and Johnny, stood on the bridge of the Infinity, gazing into the depths of space.
"Next stop: Pandora."
The countdown to the jump reached zero.
And in an instant, the fleet vanished into the abyss of space.
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