Chapter 125: Chapter 124
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Evening, North Oak district.
A black Delamain taxi was slowly driving on the asphalt road, heading towards the North Oak Gardens estate.
Inside the car.
Sasha was looking through the window at the night view outside, with the neon lights of the city glowing on the left, and the quiet, deep night sea waves on the right.
Stone mountains, palm trees, and seaside villas exhibited the tropical scenery that North Oak is known for.
Suddenly, a huge signboard caught her eye, with bright white letters settled on the hillside.
"Northern Oak"
Sasha was curious about what Tang Yu had brought her here for. He had mentioned wanting to hold a concert and was looking for a few friends to join the audience for support.
Sasha turned her gaze back inside and asked Tang Yu seriously, "Mr. Tang, do you have a friend who lives here?"
Tang Yu also saw the white signboard on the hill outside the window, another familiar place.
"Yes, a friend of mine lives here."
As he spoke, an image flashed through his mind.
Kerry Eurodyne.
The superstar rockstar of Night City, Johnny's once protégé.
Without the help of Kerry, Tang Yu's concert plans would not be successful.
Delamain chimed in to point out, "Mr. Tang, your destination is a luxurious villa; the property owner is the famous rockstar Kerry Eurodyne, who was once the lead singer and guitarist for the Samurai band. After the release of his fourth album, he bought this beachfront villa."
With Delamain's 'helpful' explanation, Sasha immediately realized who Tang Yu's friend was.
Although she had never met Kerry Eurodyne, the overwhelming entertainment publicity online had already established his status as a rockstar.
Sasha was quite surprised; she hadn't expected that a concert would involve inviting a superstar like Kerry and couldn't help but marvel at the extent of Tang Yu's 'social circle.'
Tang Yu then joked, "Old Del, quite a lively mind you've got. How many AI chips did you install in yourself?"
Delamain mechanically replied, "Mr. Tang, AI chips only increase Delamain's algorithm capacity. Surely you are concerned about your friend's current situation. According to entertainment news reports, the rockstar Kerry Eurodyne is suspected of suffering from depression and has exhibited suicidal behaviors."
Tang Yu knew the true stories behind these entertainment rumors. The so-called depression and suicide attempts were deliberate publicity stunts by Kerry.
On one hand, he aimed to maintain his popularity and not get displaced by rising entertainment stars vying for the spotlight.
On the other hand, Kerry wished for some peace. Since his four albums became hits, he made a fortune and had more trivial matters to deal with, causing him restlessness.
Soon the Delamain taxi arrived at the destination, stopping in front of Kerry's grand mansion.
A black steel fence blocked the entrance, with a golden samurai helmet insignia mounted above the gate.
After getting out of the car, Tang Yu, looking at the tightly closed gate, said to Sasha beside him, "The gate is blacked-out; let's go in."
Sasha heard Tang Yu's words and suddenly felt perplexed. Since they were visiting a friend, shouldn't they call first to see if he was home? Directly hacking the gate without a heads-up seemed somewhat improper. With her newly learned basics of social etiquette, Sasha analyzed the situation. Although slightly uncertain, she efficiently hacked the gate's security system.
Quickly, the black steel fence automatically slid open, and they stepped inside the villa's courtyard.
Curious, Sasha asked, "Mr. Tang, is it because you're such good friends with Kerry that you can just hack the gates without a greeting?"
Tang Yu knew Sasha was curious about everything, especially interpersonal relationships and emotions. He explained, "Kerry doesn't know me, but he was close to a friend of mine."
Indeed, Kerry did not know Tang Yu, as they had no previous dealings, but this did not prevent Tang Yu from seeking him out for 'fun.'
Sasha softly 'oh'-ed, nodding, half understanding.
Tang Yu continued, "The reason we didn't announce ourselves is that Kerry would likely mistake us for crazy fans and refuse to let us in."
"Of course, I could reveal my official position, but that won't intimidate a rockstar like Kerry. He's on good terms with executives from Arasaka, and there are not many in the company who would dare to cross him."
Tang Yu reflected on previous interactions with Kerry and realized the young man indeed had talent.
Kerry was signed to MSM Recordings but had managed to establish a connection with Arasaka. The two would occasionally dine and chat together.
Sometimes, Tang Yu felt Night City was vast, a place where all kinds of people could find their niche. Yet, other times, it seemed very small, revolving around the same large corporations' shadows and familiar faces.
He, V, Johnny, Kerry, Rogue, and even Arasaka's executives all unwittingly found themselves in the same circle at times.
After hearing this, Sasha became even more confused. If revealing their identity was ineffective, sneaking in and getting caught would hardly yield a warm welcome.
Her simple heart was now worried that Kerry might not take kindly to them, especially since she had hacked the gate. Sasha didn't want to leave a bad impression on Tang Yu's friend.
With the same easiness as when she first met V, Gloria, and Panam, she followed beside Tang Yu and quickly became acquainted with them.
Sasha looked concerned, muttering in self-reproach, "Will Kerry turn Sasha away?"
Observing Sasha's naive distressed look, Tang Yu chuckled and patted her on the head.
"Don't worry, Kerry will give me face. Or rather, he'll respect my friend enough."
"He might even be too happy to see his big brother return."
Big brother?
Sasha didn't understand who the new 'big brother' was, especially since she hadn't seen Tang Yu invite anyone else. She asked, "I'm a bit puzzled. Who is this big brother? Is he here too?"
Tang Yu replied casually, "Johnny Silverhand. If I say he's here, then he's here."
Johnny Silverhand?
Sasha was momentarily stunned.
The name was all too familiar. She had encountered it frequently while studying the history of Arasaka Tower in Night City.
Johnny Silverhand bombed the Night City Arasaka Towers with a thermonuclear device, incinerating half of the city and being labeled a nuclear terrorist by the Arasaka Family.
Explosions, heat waves, burning...
These words and images triggered a headache and seemed to evoke memories that were not her own.
Sensing something was wrong with Sasha, Tang Yu guessed her brain might have been stimulated somehow.
Sasha instantly grabbed a white pill from her pouch and swallowed it.
After a while, Sasha's complexion returned to normal. Fearful she had delayed Tang Yu's business, she apologized, "Sorry, Sasha..."
Tang Yu interrupted her with a soft voice, "Don't apologize, it's not your fault."
Relieved, Sasha smiled and continued following Tang Yu's steps towards the villa.
The courtyard was incredibly spacious, with a luxury villa clad in gold, perched on the edge of a mountain facing the limitless views of the sea and city outskirts.
Several armed smart security robots patrolled the vicinity, securing the safety of the estate.
Considering they had hacked their way in, Sasha quickly switched to combat mode and remotely hacked some of the robots upon seeing them.
With Tang Yu's permission, she swiftly reprogrammed the robots' patrol pathways, clearing the area around the villa gate.
She then reached the villa's front door and easily cracked the security system, clearing all obstacles by the time Tang Yu arrived.
Now Tang Yu understood Domeki Chikako's intention with Sasha on the team. With such a hacker at his side, things were indeed more convenient.
In the past, as a top-level hacker, he didn't need anyone's help to sort out annoyances in the blink of an eye.
However, dealing with smart electronics wasn't really possible without Sasha's assistance.
Tang Yu entered the luxurious villa and found the interior layout to be the same as he remembered.
The three-story duplex villa had an incredibly spacious first-floor hall, with 270-degree panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows offering unobstructed views.
Expensive pianos, fitness equipment, bottles and cans, blankets and pillows, used condoms, and more were carelessly discarded, making it look like a luxurious landfill.
Sasha curiously surveyed the inside of the villa, guessing that the resident, Kerry, was probably a carelessly sloppy man.
She didn't expect that behind the glamorous facade of celebrity life, he lived in such filth and chaos, inevitably comparing it to Tang Yu's home.
In terms of size and luxury, Kerry's villa was the clear winner.
In terms of cleanliness and comfort, Tang Yu's apartment was unbeatable.
After looking around, Sasha felt unimpressed; she didn't like big houses, and living with Tang Yu, the smaller the place, the better.
At that moment, Sasha saw Tang Yu heading towards a corner of the room that had been converted into a music area, and she quickly followed. There were drum sets, tuners, high-quality speakers, and other music-related items.
But she noticed Tang Yu's attention was fixed on several vintage guitars hanging on the wall, which seemed quite old.
Knowing that Tang Yu also enjoyed playing, she drew closer to get a good look, trying to pick up any details.
Tang Yu picked up one of the guitars and inspected it for a moment, explaining, "This axe must be decades old, Kerry's all-time favorite."
Sasha was surprised; the guitar was a lot older than her.
Tang Yu sat on the couch with the guitar in hand and checked it out, confirming there were no issues.
"It's well-maintained."
Sasha came over and stood obediently aside, knowing Tang Yu was about to play, so she remained silent.
Tang Yu gripped the neck of the guitar with his left hand and prepared to strum with his right, tapping his foot lightly to the beat.
Seconds later, as he hit the downbeat, a surge of electrifying guitar sound roared out, vibrant and resonant.
"Can you feel it..."
"Can you touch it..."
Tang Yu expertly switched chords, his strumming rhythmic and metered.
The tremendous rock melody filled the entire villa suite. Even if Kerry were still asleep, he would hear this sudden explosion of electric sound.
Suddenly, Sasha realized that she recognized the electric guitar tune Tang Yu was playing—it was the iconic song "Chippin' In" by the band Samurai, Johnny Silverhand's signature track.
Sure enough, the rousing electric sound hadn't echoed for long before a hurried figure came rushing down from the second floor, silver pistol in hand, pointing it at Tang Yu and demanding, "The hell are you, who are you?"
Sasha, seeing Tang Yu in danger, immediately tensed up, ready to intervene.
But Tang Yu stopped playing, signaling Sasha to relax and not to act.
He looked up at the figure with silver hair, a silver robe, and even a silver gun—none other than the legendary rocker boy, Kerry Eurodyne.
Tang Yu observed Kerry briefly and figured out his profound nostalgia for his brother, Johnny Silverhand—how else could everything be silver?
He was reminded of a humorous gossip rumor suggesting Kerry's breakup with his girlfriend was due to his inability to "Chippin' In."
Who made that joke was unclear to Tang Yu; it might've been Jackie, or perhaps Johnny.
Tang Yu wasn't bothered to delve into such nonsensical gossip; he just looked at Kerry indifferently and stayed silent.
Kerry, gun in hand, looked suspiciously at Tang Yu, seeing him with the guitar and his mannerisms while playing, felt eerily familiar.
He moved closer, perhaps wanting a clearer look, and lowered his tone a bit with the gun still in hand, saying, "Keep playing."
With no choice, Tang Yu laughed and resumed playing, adopting Johnny's voice and a touch of reluctance: "It seems you still want to test the waters, fine."
He began to play spontaneously and rapidly, his technique matching what Johnny had taught him.
Back in the day, he and Johnny were inseparable and would jam on the guitar during downtime.
Having a good foundation and Johnny's direct tutelage, Tang Yu quickly mastered Johnny's playing style.
They spent every day together, and he knew every grin when Johnny was pleased, every whimper when he was upset.
In short, Tang Yu didn't have to try to act like Johnny; his natural portrayal carried an authentic Johnny vibe.
He had come to Kerry convinced that Kerry would agree to a concert because of his special feelings for Johnny.
Becoming Johnny wasn't new to him, and it was only right to let Johnny settle his debts early, especially with the risk of extracting him from Arasaka later.
Tang Yu finished the impromptu performance and calmly looked at Kerry, who slowly lowered his gun, utterly stunned and in disbelief.
Kerry stood there in shock, a scruffy mess, as if his brain couldn't comprehend what was happening.
After a moment of silence, a twisted smile cracked on Kerry's lips; he muttered to himself, "No way, this has got to be a joke."
He thought he was hallucinating due to drugs or lack of sleep and started to pat his head, shaking it off, murmuring to himself, "Damn, am I seeing ghosts? No, but that technique, that music, it's definitely you. Wait a second..."
Kerry, trying to calm the turmoil inside him, raised his gun again, aiming at Tang Yu with a mix of doubt and suspicion, he asked, "Tell me, what were Johnny's last words to me?"
Tang Yu realized that Kerry would need time to accept the truth, but it wasn't exactly deceiving him. The following year, when Relic would arrive in Night City with Arasaka, they'd find a way to extract Johnny's engram from the chip, effectively reviving him.
Facing the gun, Tang Yu replied unfazed, "Kerry, you're still a coward, wanting to verify at this point."
"Clearly, I'm not wrong since I never am."
"Shall I play another one for you to hear?"
Sasha watched nervously, fearing Kerry would shoot and harm Tang Yu.
Judging by Kerry's disheveled look and bizarre behavior, she wondered if he was mentally unstable, risking a misfire. She couldn't bear the thought.
But Tang Yu signaled her not to intervene, leaving her nothing but anxious, almost bursting with urgency.
Moreover, Sasha didn't understand why Tang Yu suddenly seemed to change, having never heard him swear before, now brazenly confronting someone.
Sasha thought this would only aggravate Kerry's sensitive nerves and spark his rage, potentially leading to chaos.
Everything was in disarray.
Tang Yu was no longer like the old Tang Yu, Kerry acted like a madman, and Sasha was on the verge of jumping up in panic.
But Kerry, stunned by the blunt criticism, felt disturbingly familiar.
He grew increasingly incredulous, his twisted smile vanishing as he became serious.
Staring at Tang Yu, hope flickering in his eyes, he questioned in a whisper, "Are you... Johnny... Silverhand?"
After he spoke, even he couldn't believe what he had said.
"Damn, I must be seeing things. It can't be!"
Kerry began to sway, his mind seemingly crashing with the echoing name "Johnny Silverhand."
"Ha, I must've overdone it. No way, haha..."
Tang Yu anticipated this reaction from Kerry—just the same as before—and calmly said, "Surprised, Kerry?"
Kerry, cursing loudly, spun around to throw a punch but didn't expect it to be caught by Tang Yu.
Tang Yu firmly caught Kerry's fist, calmly asking, "I see, didn't expect it to be me, huh? You've been waiting almost fifty years for this punch."
With his pupils contracting in shock, Kerry stared at Tang Yu, utterly lost for words.
The 'stranger' before him, dressed neatly like a young noble, turned out to be Johnny Silverhand!
Kerry's worldview shattered, and he struggled to settle his emotions for a long time.
Eventually, with some resignation, he lowered his fist and cursed through gritted teeth, "Johnny, I'm so pissed!"
Weekly Power Status
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