Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 1051 - 823 Arrival in the East by Sea_2

Chapter 1051: Chapter 823 Arrival in the East by Sea_2

He turned over on the bed, selected that memory inside his Digital Mind, and was about to delete it but decided to keep it. If someone accuses him like this again, at least he’d have the experience to refute them.

"Master is still dwelling on yesterday’s events." Lila knew Xu Yang too well. She brought breakfast and laid it on the table—lime-flavored salmon, rice, miso soup, and radish.

"...Because in the past eight years, it’s been so long since anyone has lost their temper and yelled at me directly. I thought it would never happen in this lifetime, yet here we are." Xu Yang said.

"’Shuttle Machine folks’ are still just as they’ve always been." Lila chuckled.

The people aboard the Anonymous: Xu Yang, Farosa, Kojima Kanako, Asa Katsuragi, Cui Junyou, Nidelaide, Lila, Li Xiaomin, Rosya, and A40. Looking back at this precious roster, Xu Yang couldn’t help but feel that everything had changed.

"Asa Katsuragi is heading to the West Coast, isn’t she?" Xu Yang asked.

"Yes, and Rinne has scheduled a meeting with you there today, by Asa Katsuragi’s side." Lila replied.

"Then let’s have a look. Call A40 along." Xu Yang stood up. Thinking about the old days filled him with a sense of youthful vigor.

Back then, he was only in his twenties! But now, nearing thirty-five, he had helped turn Xu Cheng from a clumsy young child on the ground into something of a curious little adult.

Xu Cheng and Bubble were still sound asleep. Divine Radiance moved steadily, found A40, and brought them all to the port.

Inside a warehouse at Shangjing City Port, Asa Katsuragi sat on a pile of old ship parts, panting heavily.

Her entire right arm had undergone multiple modifications and upgrades, now a model example of a combat augment. It gleamed with a dark golden sheen, resembling a kinetic hammer capable of destroying an entire street with one punch. Just the mere sight of her massive mechanical arm was enough to send petty troublemakers fleeing—it was a level of Power Asa Katsuragi couldn’t even dream of in the past.

She was young back then, around twenty years old. After eight years, she was still much younger than Xu Yang, maintaining a vibrant and heroic aura.

Her new life softened the contours of her face, but her physical fitness remained impeccable. Her striking red formal suit was sharp and dignified, complemented by a black tie draped over her. Flanking her stood rows of fiercely loyal gang members.

Rinne leaned against a gray concrete pillar inside the warehouse, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Sporting sunglasses, her white hair spilled down the sides of her ears. She wore a brown jacket printed with an image of a bald eagle.

"You’ve arrived." Rinne turned her head to look at Xu Yang. Her eyes behind the sunglasses blinked. "How’s the Dragon Conference situation?"

"There are two timelines. In the past, we ventured into Kunxu and suffered a disastrous defeat. Now, we’ve got a second chance. We cannot afford to lose this time." Xu Yang nodded.

Rinne exhaled a smoke ring and pressed her forehead. "I feel like the story between me and Lu Jing exists in two versions, and the alternative seems far more intense than the one we have now."

"You can still go find her." Xu Yang suggested.

"Forget it. I’ve got too much going on right now." Rinne tucked both hands into her pockets, her gaze shifting toward Asa Katsuragi.

"I installed the Subjective Time-Slow Implant and just practiced under her guidance." Asa Katsuragi stood up, poised like a leopard, her sharp edges contained. Tactical boots wrapped around her feet, incongruous with her crimson formal attire. She threw off the coat, revealing only a sports shirt underneath, her back to Xu Yang, exposing the bold tattoos on her shoulders and the newly structured black spinal column.

Subjective Time-Slow Implant!

Xu Yang glanced at the sides, focusing on the gang members brimming with hostility. Over the years, their unwavering loyalty to Asa Katsuragi had transformed them into an elite unit—silent, disciplined, clad in uniform gear, their morale steadfast.

"Come, fight with me!" A40 swung from behind Xu Yang, raising the "Sakura Elapse."

"No need for a fight. Our contact could arrive at any moment." Asa Katsuragi returned to her formal attire, her dark eyes emanating an unfathomable strength.

"..." A40 touched his digital brain and felt Asa Katsuragi was a completely different person.

"I thought you’d fully invest yourself in the alcohol and tobacco trade." Xu Yang had speculated that her transformation of the Katsuragi Gang into a trade company would be complete, but reality was not so simple.

"That’s how it started, until I realized how incompatible we were with the order brought by Nestor Corporation." Asa Katsuragi replied.

"Aren’t you the one who champions orderly new systems?" Xu Yang struggled to understand.

"Of course I know. I support everything you stand for, but what about my brothers? Over the past five years, most of them have transitioned into Nestor Corporation’s combat soldiers—fighting life-and-death battles without complaint. The three thousand people we brought from Aizu City are, to this day, either dead or injured, diluted to insignificance within Nestor Corporation’s massive army. I’ve personally handled compensation payments, visited families, and resolved issues concerning disability benefits. I want to take responsibility for their lives and deaths directly—not busy myself with corporate procedures. I don’t expect anyone to understand, but if I have to stay true to my ideals, I have to lead the remaining members to a place more suited for people like us—I have to raise my own gang." Asa Katsuragi took a deep breath.

"The West Coast?" Xu Yang asked.

"Some Easterners formed a gang and sought help from us. They know Katsuragi Gang is the last major faction in the Northern Archipelago, so they’re hoping we can lend our support—help them combat the Domination Movement, Street Dragon, Andes Gang, and other groups. The West Coast is indeed far more interesting than here." Asa Katsuragi replied slowly.

"The Northern Archipelago finally achieved order, and now you’re heading back into chaos." Xu Yang sighed.

"Some people are born for freedom." Rinne said, looking up. "Isn’t that you, too? Haven’t you grown weary of a life that never changes? You were originally the freest among us, weren’t you?"

Xu Yang shook his head. He wasn’t sure.

"Exactly, Xu Yang. The Northern Archipelago became so tranquil—it feels like I’m dreaming, and that dream has gone on for too long... an unreal dream. I fought my whole life, yes, I’ve learned to give up, but I can’t let go. My brothers can’t either. They yearn for a place less bound by rules, a freer city. They want to carve out their own names, not be just another cog within Nestor Corporation. And the West Coast—it’s the freest, most opportunity-filled place in the world." Asa Katsuragi said.

"But the West Coast is far too dangerous. No one knows what could happen there." Xu Yang replied.

Asa Katsuragi walked up to Xu Yang and patted his shoulder.

"I’m going to become The Big Shot of Night City. Don’t I deserve to change the world?"