Chapter 238: Open Up, Open Up
“Whoa… that’s quite the show.”
V clicked her tongue as she watched the armored vehicles rolling down the street through her binoculars.
“But pulling out tanks this fast? The New United States is moving way too quickly, isn’t it…”
She continued observing the scene below, murmuring to herself.
“According to the intel the corporation provided, the New United States had been planning to make a move against Night City for a long time.”
Sasha’s voice suddenly came through the comms.
V nodded at Sasha’s words, her thoughts drifting to PROJECT’s own intentions. They already had this intelligence, yet hadn’t passed it on to the North California Government—clearly, they had plans of their own.
For her, that was good news. If it had been reported, it would have turned into a direct standoff between North California and the New United States, and people from PROJECT Corporation like them probably wouldn’t have gotten any credit at all.
“They’re probably going to make a move on the Voodoo Boys.”
V watched as the BARGHEST unit gradually advanced toward the Petrochem Stadium.
“Let’s see how much damage the Voodoo Boys can deal them.”
...
“What’s the situation?”
Hansen turned his head toward the BARGHEST netrunner unit beside him and asked.
“No anomalies detected for now, but we’ve picked up several netrunner communication lines in the surrounding area. We can’t pinpoint their exact locations yet.”
“Can we tap into their internal communications?”
“It’ll take some time.”
“Alright.”
Hansen nodded, then waved his hand to signal the unit to halt. As the armored vehicles came to a stop, the surrounding BARGHEST forces immediately spread out, forming a defensive formation and scanning their surroundings with vigilance.
“Lindell, Bennett. Each of you take a squad and check the perimeter. If you find any Voodoo Boys, don’t hesitate—kill them on sight.”
“Roger.”
After receiving their orders, Bennett and Lindell immediately gestured for their men to assemble, then split up and moved out in different directions. The remaining BARGHEST troops quickly stepped in to fill the gaps.
“Do we still need to wait?”
Placide asked, glancing at Bridget beside him.
“Yes. If they don’t enter this area, our virus won’t be able to inflict maximum damage. We have to wait until they’re inside the stadium.”
Bridget nodded. Inside the Petrochem Stadium, the situation had already changed drastically.
What had once been rows of shops was now completely deserted, nothing left but debris and wreckage scattered across the ground.
The entire outer area of the stadium was empty. The first level was completely vacant as well, with not a single defensive force left behind.
Soon, BARGHEST’s netrunner unit slipped into the surrounding communication channels through data stealth.
“Pull up the comms, Jett.”
“Roger, on it.”
Jett nodded and linked the signal to Hansen.
“You think those guys are going to be surprised when they walk in?”
“Surprised? Definitely. Hahahaha! In here—wait, something’s wrong!”
Bzzzt!
“Damn—”
Jett immediately cut the signal and looked at Hansen with a grim expression.
Hansen nodded. “That fast, huh… Looks like there’s something seriously wrong inside. Send a team in to investigate.”
“Yuri, you, Murphy, and Jett go inside and check it out. Jett, bring a few skilled netrunners with you. Be careful.”
“Roger.”
Jett nodded, picked two people, geared up, and went to rendezvous with Yuri and Murphy.
At the same time, Lindell and Bennett, who had gone out to scout the perimeter, also ran into trouble.
The sound of intense gunfire immediately caught Hansen’s attention.
“Bennett, Lindell, report your situation!”
“It’s the Voodoo Boys. They’ve got people holed up in nearby buildings and alleys, and there are a lot of residents fighting back too. We need backup!”
“Damn it!”
Hansen cursed and turned to another man.
“Levson, this is yours. Take a squad and support them.”
Levson nodded and immediately called a team over. As for the armored vehicles—street fighting and building combat weren’t exactly their strong suit. Unless, of course, there were no friendlies inside.
“Fuck! Is this really a gang?!”
Lindell dodged a missile and dropped to the ground, swearing loudly.
Bennett, equally battered and covered in dust, took shelter behind a wall and shook his head, brushing debris off himself.
“Someone’s definitely backing them. It’s fine—at the end of the day, they’re still just a bunch of thugs. You go that way!”
Bennett pointed in one direction, then raised his weapon and sprinted toward the other side.
Hansen didn’t have a clear picture of what was happening on Lindell’s end, so his focus shifted back to the situation inside the stadium.
At that moment, Yuri was leading his team cautiously into the stadium. After Jett’s scans confirmed there were no traps or mechanisms outside, they moved in.
“The east side is clear. Murphy, how’s it looking on your end?”
“Same here. Not a single person in sight, but it’s obvious they left in a hurry.”
Murphy stepped into a shop that still had goods on the shelves, glanced around, and replied.
“Something doesn’t feel right…”
Meanwhile, Jett was busy working on his specialized computer, amplifying data streams and signals to sweep the area. Still, he found nothing.
“What do you mean?”
Murphy lowered his head and looked at Jett.
“I’m not detecting anything at all…”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
Yuri’s voice came through the comms.
“That’s exactly the problem…”
Jett continued scanning, his expression tense. Suddenly, an extremely bizarre signal source appeared within the scan range—and began expanding at an alarming speed.
“Move! Get out of the stadium now! Hansen, pull your people back too!!”
The moment he heard Jett’s warning, Hansen snapped his head toward the stadium and immediately ordered a retreat.
Yuri and the others, upon receiving the message, rushed toward the stadium exit.
“What a shame. That person’s technique was impressive. Otherwise, they could’ve killed a lot more people.”
Bridget shook her head in regret.
Then, a strange wave swept across everyone in the area. Thanks to their pre-installed protective firewalls, the Voodoo Boys were completely unaffected.
But the BARGHEST members caught within the range weren’t so lucky. In an instant, blood poured from their noses and mouths, their eyes turned red, and they began attacking everything around them indiscriminately.
Jett, suffering through the intrusion, endured the agony as he deleted the virus from Yuri and Murphy’s bodies. Then he pulled the pistol from his waist.
“Jett!”
Bang!
Without leaving behind a single word, Jett pulled the trigger, ending his life on the spot.
Yuri and Murphy’s expressions turned grim. After wiping the blood from their faces, they looked toward the figures that had once been their comrades.
Whoosh—
“Let them rest in peace!”
At last, the silhouettes of the Voodoo Boys revealed themselves from the second floor.
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