Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 690 - 222: Whose Cake Did I Touch? Capital, You Win. (For Real)

"Good evening, friends of Night City. This is Night Talks, and I'm your favorite host, Zig Q."

Still sporting that wild look with green hair and gold attire, though today, the expression of this famous Night City host looked slightly more serious than usual.

He emphasized 'favorite' a bit too much, probably because he heard that some high-profile crazies on underground radio are saying and doing whatever they want.

"Today's topic and our guest's identity are quite special. Before we start, I suggest putting down your pizza or sausage, and if you're eating, it's best to set aside your fork too; after all, you wouldn't want an extra shirt to wash, right?"

"So, let's welcome our first guest today. Many of you may already know her, the newly appointed CEO of ERO, Gloria Martinez!"

Gloria's identity as an emergency worker is both a blemish and an advantage.

Don't forget that Night City is promoted as the city of dreams, where everyone has a chance to become a legend.

Before you succeed, it doesn't matter much, but once you do, everything from your past becomes headline news, either to praise you to the heavens or to trample you into the dirt, depending on whether you're still rising.

Napoleon's Corsican joke plays out daily in the news circle.

There are numerous examples of this.

And Gloria is undoubtedly on the rise. In many people's eyes, she seized the opportunity to board a big ship but didn't abandon her poor relatives. After all, players are conducting free clinics under ERO's banner.

Be it hypocrisy or genuine kindness, her reputation is undoubtedly much stronger than others.

It perfectly aligns with the journalistic tradition of idol-making.

But stepping from behind the scenes, she still wore that emergency worker's coat, looking out of place compared to the formally dressed past guests.

This was the suggestion from the military tech's PR department, to appear relatable and to show she hasn't forgotten her roots as an emergency worker saving people on the streets.

As for the messes ERO created, the ones who ran or died took all the blame, while the surviving 'white lotuses' were kept in the dark or oppressed to silence, and that competitive dispute was spun into a fairy tale of a hero slaying an evil dragon, circulated among the populace.

Who spread it?

It certainly wasn't the players.

Gloria didn't say much, just nodded at the camera and sat on the sofa.

"And our second guest is a physician from Curran Pharmaceuticals, who has signed multiple food safety certificates for Full Foods Corporation, Lafei."

In walked a middle-aged man, a blue suit, bright blonde hair, exuding the appearance of a successful person.

Clearly, Lafei put in a lot of effort in makeup for today's show, looking at least the part of a high-society member.

It's just hard to associate him with the title of 'physician.'

After the guests were seated, Zig Q quickly jumped into the topic, putting on a friendly attitude to ask the first question.

"So, I want to talk with you two about a hot topic in Night City recently—water and food safety. I'm sure viewers in front of the screen are also concerned, after all, who doesn't want a sip of clean water."

Saying this, the director intentionally zoomed in on the bottle of 'Horizon' purified water on Zig Q's table.

It is well known that

Night Talks is a popular segment on N94.

And N94's largest shareholder is military tech.

"So, I want to ask Gloria, is your company's newly launched purified water really as clean as your ads claim? Or is it just advertising?"

"If it's really that clean, why are you selling it for only 1.5 Orokin? You know, True Water Corporation's real water is '99~' Orokin per gallon!"

"Don't lie; our staff will buy a whole case of mineral water from the street for on-site testing, and the physician beside you will also participate in the testing."

"Feel free to test."

Gloria showed no fear, her expression calm.

"Water pollution has been an issue extending from the last century to today, directly linking the current mass extinction event and the unsuitability of water for animals and plants."

"There's nearly a century's worth of industrial pollutants stored, from chemical to smelting to nuclear waste, all complex and variable, keeping purification technology costs persistently high, making purified water a luxury for the rich. I understand the high pricing strategy of True Water Corporation, as pricing in the medical industry is vastly different. I know this well, since costs are what they are."

"However, thousands die each year from drinking unclean water. Whether it's ERO's doctors and nurses or Horizon Corporation's researchers, they're tirelessly developing new purification technologies to change this situation. All I can say is, God bless everyone, as an unnamed visitor kindly reminded us, we succeeded."

Is True Water Corporation's cost really that high?

It's just technological monopoly.

According to Lin Miao, the company's revenue is four times the cost, profiting off water bottles lying down.

Of course, that's the figure they disclosed externally. In reality, it's likely higher, as whether the standards are followed is known only to heaven.

"Alright, I understand, it's your company's trade secret."