Cyberpunk Patriarch-Chapter 124: Joanne!

"Look what you said—biotechnology is next."

Arthur tossed out the line as casually as someone tossing their car keys onto a poker table. There was an audible smirk in his voice, the kind that made you think he wasn't bluffing—he had the cards, the confidence, and the chaos to back it up.

On the other end of the line, Rogge paused. Hard.

"...What?" Her voice sounded like it had frozen mid-sentence, somewhere between disbelief and a facepalm. "You're really planning to die in Night City, aren't you?"

"That's the idea," Arthur said cheerfully.

"Tch. Alright, what happened this time?"

"Same as always. The company decided guinea pigs were expendable. A test run gone wrong. Some new antibiotics with a side of deadly side effects."

"And you've decided to go full Night City justice? You wanna play Batman now?"

"You know it." Arthur's grin widened. "Some poor wanderer tribe outside the city got caught in the crossfire. Biotech tricked them into taking this 'miracle drug.' Turned out the only miracle was how many of them died. And now? The company's trying to sweep it under the rug with hush money."

Rogge snorted. "Classic. These things never end quietly."

"Exactly. The survivors want blood, not compensation. So here I am. Their avenger. The masked knight of vengeance. You ever read Batman?"

There was a beat of silence, followed by an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, I've read Bat—Wait, Zhuo! You know that ancient comic? No wonder we get along!"

"See? I'm not just a pretty face."

"You're barely a face I tolerate."

Arthur laughed. "Come on, I'm bored running a company. Help me out. I need a name. A target."

"You're going to owe me big for this," she muttered, then clicked a few keys. "Alright. There's only one biotech exec handling this division. Name's Joanne Kochi. She's the one behind the whole operation. If you're lucky, she's still in Night City."

Arthur turned toward the survivor standing nearby. "Joanne. That the name?"

The man's bloodied face tensed, eyes narrowing at the sound of her name. "Yes," he growled. "That's her. She's the one."

"Got it." Arthur turned back to the call. "You heard the man."

"Alright," Rogge said. "She's holed up in the Biotech Company Hotel on Republic Road. You can guess by the name—corporate-owned fortress. They've got the place under full martial law."

"So she's nesting?"

"Yeah. Think of her like Saburo Arasaka, brooding in a high-rise with drones guarding every bathroom break. Don't expect her to come out any time soon."

Arthur scratched his head. "Well, I've seen what happens to nesting birds. Yorinobu strangled one."

"I'm sending you a full dossier. Coordinates, layout, defenses. Do not make me regret this."

"Never," Arthur replied with mock solemnity. "And hey—drinks soon. Next life or this one."

He hung up before Rogge could retort, then lit a cigarette and turned to the survivor. "You coming with, or should I deliver her head gift-wrapped?"

The man hesitated—again.

Arthur's eye twitched. "Now's not the time for second thoughts."

Thor stepped forward. "I'm going too. People like her shouldn't be allowed to walk free."

Arthur nodded. "Good. Two's company. Three's a proper assassination team."

Without wasting more time, they got into the car and headed back to Night City. David stayed behind with the nomads, left to keep an eye on things.

As they approached the city center, Arthur navigated smoothly through side roads, eventually pulling into the alley behind the Biotech Company Hotel. The towering building was a pristine fortress of chrome and glass. Every corner gleamed under the harsh lights of corporate superiority.

"Lucy," Arthur muttered, tapping his neural link.

"I'm already in," came her voice. "All security cameras are disabled. Internal bots are blind. Elevators are on your side."

"Perfect. You're the best."

"I know."

With Lucy's help, they slipped through the underground parking lot and rode the elevator in near silence. Sol glanced around in disbelief, watching the blank surveillance cameras and inert security droids.

"This... this is too easy," he whispered.

"Welcome to working with me," Arthur grinned. "But don't think I'm cheap. Rogge charged me a fortune for this intel. And if Lucy weren't cutting the feed, we'd already be dead."

"Still feels wrong."

"That's Night City for you."

The elevator dinged as it reached the top floor. Arthur stepped out, glancing at the sleek hallway lined with shimmering floor lights and muted chrome walls. There was a quiet, polished tension in the air. Like the kind of silence that settles before a gunshot.

"Alright," Arthur said. "Room 471. Let's pay our dear Joanne a visit."

They reached the door. Arthur didn't knock.

With a swipe of Lucy's override code, the lock hissed open. Inside, the suite was minimalist and cold—just like its occupant.

Joanne sat at the far end of the room, facing the city skyline, a drink in one hand and a datapad in the other.

"Ms. Kochi," Arthur said casually, stepping inside. "Do you believe in karma?"

She didn't flinch. Didn't turn. Just sipped her drink and said, "If you're here to negotiate, I'm not in the mood."

"I'm not here to talk."

At that, she finally turned. Her expression flickered for the briefest moment—recognition, then disdain.

"You're the one who's been making trouble."

"Me? I'm just here for justice. Classic Night City tale: greedy exec poisons a bunch of wanderers for profit. No consequences. You know the story."

Joanne's voice hardened. "You can't touch me. You know how many licenses I have? The board will bury this."

"Yeah. Maybe they will." Arthur nodded. "But I'm not the law. I'm the sword."

From the corner, the survivor stepped forward, eyes full of something between hate and despair.

Joanne's eyes widened.

"You..."

Arthur didn't speak again. freewebnøvel.coɱ

He simply stepped back, letting the man do what needed to be done.

By the time they walked out, the survivor was silent. His hands were shaking, but his eyes... his eyes were steady.

Arthur patted him on the back.

"You're hired. Report to the umbrella factory next week. And don't be late."

They left the hotel just as quietly as they came.

No alarms. No mess.

Just one more missing exec in a city ful

l of shadows.

And one more worker under Arthur's umbrella.

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