The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 97: Everything Has a Stance—Even the Truth Is No Exception!

Both Li Ang and Arasaka Yorinobu are working to suppress any news about the Kanpeki Plaza incident as much as possible, aiming to quickly diminish its public attention. Yorinobu needs to quash external doubts and take control of the Arasaka Corporation smoothly, while Li Ang wants to provide cover for V. On this matter, the two align perfectly.

"Jackie? Are you saying Jackie Welles is still alive?" V's eyes lit up with excitement the moment he heard his brother's name.

"Yes, he's alive. Right now, he might be lying in bed, eating corn tamales made by Mama Welles, or holding Misty's hand while whispering sweet nothings."

"V, you and Jackie both walked through the gates of death, yet now you're alive and able to share a drink at the Afterlife. Do you believe this is fate's arrangement?"

Seeing V's overwhelming joy and tears of relief, Li Ang couldn't help but feel glad for these two mercenaries who had narrowly escaped death. It was fortunate that Misty gave that chip to Jackie. Otherwise, V and Jackie would truly have only been able to meet in the afterlife. Life comes only once, and living is always better than dying.

"Thank you, Mr. Li Ang."

V's voice trembled slightly with emotion. He knew that if the Trauma Team hadn't arrived that night, the only things left in Kanpeki Plaza would have been a life snuffed out and a shattered heart.

"Save your gratitude for later. Right now, you owe LA Corporation a massive debt—codex 6-grade cyberware and an AI system. Tsk, tsk... your life is exceedingly valuable now."

"Not even a full-body cybernetic Adam Smasher, let alone ten of him, could compare to your cybernetic enhancements."

Li Ang joked, "V, you're already the legendary mercenary of Night City!"

"Legendary mercenary..." V shook his head with a bitter smile. He could no longer view the term "legend" in the same way. If becoming a legend meant transforming into a schizophrenic monstrosity, he'd rather not have it.

But at this point, he no longer had the right to refuse.

"Mr. Li Ang, is there anything I can do for you right now?" V offered proactively.

Victor had told him that Li Ang strictly adhered to the principle of equivalent exchange. No one could take anything from him without giving something in return. To gain something, you had to pay a price.

"I don't need you for now."

Li Ang waved his hand and told V, "Once your matters are settled, I'll take my staff to the Crystal Palace for a week-long vacation. As for you, use this time to deal with your own troubles."

"When I need you, I don't want you to still be busy with something else. I have no intention of cleaning up after you again."

Li Ang's cold response didn't make V uncomfortable, as he had indeed caused LA Corporation to expend far too many resources on his behalf. In his heart, V fully agreed with the rule of "equivalent exchange." Without it, he'd suspect Li Ang had ulterior motives.

"Understood. I'll take care of my issues," V nodded.

"Also, during this time, try to adapt to living with Johnny Silverhand. I believe you'll get used to him soon enough."

Li Ang smiled mysteriously as he finished speaking. Just imagining the bickering between Johnny and V made him want to laugh. Unfortunately, Alt would have to endure a temporary period of loneliness.

"Uh, sure, Mr. Li Ang."

For some reason, V sensed a trace of schadenfreude in Li Ang's expression.

Before heading for his cyberware surgery, V suddenly turned to Li Ang and asked, "Mr. Li Ang, do you believe Yorinobu killed Saburo?"

As someone who had witnessed the entire process of Yorinobu assassinating his father, V still felt as if everything that happened that day was just a nightmare.

But the vivid fear and memories clung to his mind like tightly coiled vines. He couldn't forget the events in Kanpeki Plaza—

The arguments, the suffocation, the chaos!

"V, everything has a stance—even the truth is no exception."

Li Ang didn't shy away from answering but replied directly and patiently.

"Right now, Yorinobu is an ally of LA Corporation. So, regardless of the truth, I will say he did not kill Saburo Arasaka."

"Because I want him to control the Arasaka Corporation."

"But if, one day, he stands against me, I would not hesitate to accuse him of patricide and usurpation, even if he didn't kill Saburo."

"To me, who killed Saburo doesn't matter. What matters is which narrative benefits me more."

As V stared at him in shock, Li Ang pulled out the autopsy report on Saburo that Takemura Goro had privately sent him. The document clearly stated that Saburo's cause of death was: asphyxiation!

However, the media's reports to the public claimed Saburo had died of poisoning—not asphyxiation.

"V, the same answer from different people carries different levels of credibility. Right now, Takemura Goro is waving this document around, but no one listens to him."

"But if I were to use this to accuse Yorinobu, he'd be in utter turmoil, and the Arasaka board wouldn't let him off lightly."

Li Ang explained these truths to V to illustrate an undeniable reality: the truth is always in the hands of the elite.

If they say it's true, it's true, and questioning it is futile—because no one trusts the powerless.

After hearing this, V wanted to retort passionately, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't refute it.

V had to admit that Li Ang was right.

For the elite, crafting a believable lie requires only a few words. For ordinary people, exposing such lies often comes at the cost of their lives.

And even then, it might be useless. The masses would still unconditionally believe the elite.

"I understand." V's tone carried a hint of defeat. Changing such a reality seemed a task only LA Corporation could achieve.

Their conversation ended there. Li Ang then called in Lucy and arranged for V to undergo his codex 6 cyberware installation in the company's medical facility.

Only after seeing V leave the LA Corporation headquarters did Li Ang finally relax completely. This troublesome matter had finally been resolved.

The Kanpeki Plaza conflict was over. LA Corporation not only showcased its advanced weaponry, flexing its muscle to global arms dealers, but also received commendation from Night City Hall. Mayor Lucius Rhyne was even planning to build a landmark structure in the company plaza.

Arasaka Corporation had Arasaka Tower. LA Corporation deserved its own LA Tower!