"Welcome to N54 News. I'm Gillian Jordan. It's been one month since the shocking battle at Konpeki Plaza. Let's take a look at all the good things that have happened since then."
"The second phase of the City Renovation Project has begun—larger in scale, stronger in force. Viewers no longer need to worry about trembling walls or leaking roofs… assuming you have a roof."
"Night City has raised its minimum living standards across the board. Bad news for beggars and homeless folks—they're about to face the city's first 'unemployment crisis' since its founding in 1994."
"The Child Stipend Program is now active. All children aged fourteen and below will receive a daily subsidy of 3.6 eurodollars. No more getting up at dawn to deliver newspapers or rob convenience stores. They can finally enjoy a happy childhood."
"Apologies—that last line was inaccurate. That 'happy childhood' is a misunderstanding, because the Compulsory Education Program has also launched. Funded by the Corporate Alliance, dozens of new schools will be built in every district. School-age kids will be forced into classrooms to be tortured by educational AIs in sunless rooms… What? There's PE class? Every day? Basketball and soccer? Fine, never mind then. Best of luck to those unbelievably blessed little gremlins."
"All major corporations have raised minimum wages and revised work hours and overtime rules. Rumor says these ideas came from a fantasy novel written sixty years ago called The Labor Code, discovered when a Corporate Alliance exec visited a landfill."
"With the new work rules, jobs that originally needed only one person now require two or more. To counter labor shortages, corporations have launched massive recruitment drives. Local gangs are suffering heavy casualties because too many members skip turf wars to attend job interviews. On the bright side, clothing stores are booming—this month's suit sales have already surpassed last year's total."
"Speaking of gangs—our next headline. The Corporate Alliance has formed the Public Security Guard Corps, aimed at protecting civilians and reducing crime. Any veteran, merc, gang member, or NCPD officer able to handle firearms and possessing a sense of justice may apply. Yes, you heard right—NCPD officers. And who doesn't know they— Okay okay, the director's telling me to stop. He looks like he's about to piss himself."
"Let's talk about something cheerful. Night City's universal medical insurance has completed its preliminary survey and will officially launch next week. Residents can upload their info through any city terminal to enroll. Just 30–60 eurodollars per month grants up to 80% reimbursement for common illnesses and cyberware maintenance."
"As you can see, Night City has undergone drastic reform in education, healthcare, working conditions, and public safety—all centered around improving employment. I just want to say: we're living in the best of times. V did not lie—she really is changing Night City. And I'm sure everyone is curious about the 'friend' she mentioned. Rumor has it this involves another megacorp giant, but we don't yet have confirmation. Either way, let's silently wish that friend well—if only because they may have inspired V to transform this city."
"And next, our usual news roundup—but today, it'll be delivered by my new colleague. What am I going to do? I'm clocking out, of course! Long live the 10-hour workday!"
"Hello everyone, I'm Max Jones. Gillian's off to Lizzie's Bar for a drink, so I'll handle today's newsflash. Night City's new waste-recycling program is underway, promising cleaner streets. The Highway Act has passed, the city now has a Road Maintenance Division—"
Beep.
V turned off the TV.
Joanne Koch inserted a needle into V's chest, slowly drawing a tube of crimson blood.
She pulled it out, casually wiped V's skin with an alcohol pad, and carefully placed the syringe into a refrigerated case.
Sasha stepped forward to button V's shirt and fix her tie.
Since the underground lab moved above ground, Pink Cat left her post and officially became V's personal secretary.
V glanced at Joanne's overly cautious movements.
"I told you, I'm fine. You draw one tube from me every day—keep this up and you'll drain a healthy person dry."
"Fine?" Joanne snapped. "Your albumin and globulin levels are below normal, and your endorphins, dopamine, and opioids are all elevated. You and Sasha literally screwed yourselves into malnutrition, and you call that 'fine'?!"
"Cough—!"
V choked on her own saliva, and Sasha's face turned bright red.
"I'll… I'll get coffee!" she squeaked, fleeing like a startled cat.
"Doctors are terrifying," V muttered, wiping sweat.
Joanne rolled her eyes. "At least doctors worry about you."
"Yes yes, I swear I'll be more restrained."
"I hope you're not lying."
"Of course not. Maybe you should check on Stout instead—her face still looks scary."
"No need. I kept it on purpose. It'll remind me to never forget that failure."
Meredith Stout stepped away from the window, cigarette between her lips.
Her entire left face had been replaced with metal—no synthetic skin—making her look like a T-800 from an ancient braindance.
"It's over, Stout. You don't need to dwell on it," V said.
"Over?" Stout growled. "Xu Zhong is frozen like a goddamn fish and you're not dwelling on it?"
"Of course I am. I've already avenged him. The killer's body is packed and shipped to Shenyang."
"Bullshit!" Stout barked. "If you'd let it go, you wouldn't be screwing Sasha into malnutrition!"
"I…"
"Admit it, V. You're under too much pressure," Joanne said.
"You don't have to force yourself. Even if you accomplish nothing, Xu Zhong wouldn't blame you."
V fell silent for a moment. Then she shook her head.
"Koch, Stout… thank you. But I have to do this."
The two women exchanged a look and sighed.
"Fine. Before you crack your skull open, we'll walk with you."
Before leaving, Joanne pulled out a silver syringe.
V's eyes lit up. "Third-gen Nano Neuro-Repair fluid?"
"It's protein supplement. I'm not watching you and Sasha die from sex-related exhaustion! Pants off, ass up! Stout, hold her from the front, I'm going in from the back!"
V: "…"
Over the next few weeks, V made several calls to Shenyang.
No one knew what deal she struck, but the result was this:
Xu Zhong was allowed to remain in Night City—
in exchange for Kang-Tao deploying 1,200 armed personnel into the city.
Anyone with eyes could see these weren't security guards—they were soldiers.
As Night City's top dog, Arasaka should never have allowed this.
But V was in charge of Arasaka's Night City branch.
If she said yes, then it was yes.
Militech grumbled, but only lightly.
The one who threw a tantrum was President Myers of the New United States.
She called V multiple times—sounding like she'd just been kicked in the crotch.
V ignored her.
So did the corps.
Everyone knew Arasaka's bodyguard had nearly killed Kang-Tao's crown prince.
No one wanted to provoke an enraged lion.
Myers raged for a while, but when no one responded, she deflated and retreated.
Night City was small.
The fight at Konpeki Plaza was just a spark.
Now the whole world focused on the two megacorp titans—Kang-Tao and Arasaka.
Xu Zhong's near-death gave Kang-Tao the perfect justification.
Shenyang struck Tokyo mercilessly:
consumer cars, smart weapons, high-end materials, security robots—
Kang-Tao devoured Arasaka's market share like a dragon,
halving their stock price overnight.
If Saburo Arasaka were alive, maybe he could've held the line.
But the one in charge was Arasaka Yorinobu—and he folded instantly.
Kang-Tao had merely been testing the waters.
Seeing Arasaka's weakness, they unleashed a killing blow.
At the Frankfurt International Summit, Kang-Tao publicly revealed their lunar surveillance data—
exposing Arasaka's secret construction of a mass accelerator at the Cloud Sea Base on the moon.
A direct violation of international accords.
The world erupted.
Dozens of nations—China, the Soviet-EU, the UK, France, Germany—issued joint condemnation.
The ESA held emergency meetings, printing millions of documents as they discussed sanctions.
Arasaka was hit with both economic and diplomatic annihilation.
The latter struck straight at the heart.
Earth was failing—humanity's future was in space.
Everyone knew that.
The rich had already moved the Louvre into orbit.
Whoever owned space owned the future.
After the United States collapsed and the Soviet Union joined the EU,
Europe became humanity's political and economic center.
The euro became the global currency.
The ESA built the first lunar base in the Cloud Sea on the far side of the moon,
gaining absolute authority over space development.
Every corporation needed ESA approval to join lunar projects.
And the authorization agreements were up for renewal.
If Arasaka failed to renew, they would be kicked off the moon,
losing their cosmic foothold—and their future.
This catastrophic crisis, later known as The Frankfurt Incident, spread worldwide.
Hearing the name, V realized it was already late January.
Already 2077.
But was this the same 2077?
V looked down at the sleeping pink cat in her arms and smiled.
No.
This 2077 was different.
She rolled over, pressing into Sasha's soft body.
"Mmm… what is it…?" Sasha murmured.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep."
"You're impossible… how am I supposed to sleep like this…"
The two pressed closer, hearts warming together.
The Frankfurt Incident continued to escalate.
Tokyo Arasaka was in chaos—
while Arasaka Night City stood untouched.
Everyone knew there were two Arasakas:
one East, one West.
Same name, different worlds.
Publicly, V was reorganizing North America—
renegotiating corporate markets, forming new trade treaties,
openly severing ties with Tokyo.
Privately, she was accepting defectors from Tokyo Arasaka—engineers, managers, talent.
Under Kang-Tao's assault, Tokyo Arasaka had become a sinking ship.
Everyone but the core family sought escape.
A company that didn't treat them as humans—why die with it?
Night City Arasaka, on the other hand, offered a thread of hope.
V cast her net—transfer agreements, safe corridors, legal cover, armed escort.
She cut Tokyo's foundations with a smile.
The first wave arrived anxious—Night City's infamy preceded it.
But what they found was something else entirely.
Holographic smart roads guiding traffic.
Maglev buses gliding through three-dimensional transit grids.
Ecological light-screens displaying environmental data.
Autonomous cleaners sliding down nano-coated streets.
Steel and light forming order—
with warmth beneath.
Every 500 meters, a solar-roofed micro-park.
Under transparent domes, convenience stores and interactive gyms.
In the commercial core, holographic windows created mixed-reality shopping.
Five-story transit hubs linked metro lines, vacuum trains, and drone ports—
turning Night City into a living, breathing organism.
To protect all this—security was everywhere.
A million surveillance nodes, patrol robots, biometric gates, armored drones,
police service booths glowing blue at every corner—
white-collars typing on laptops in outdoor cafés at midnight,
children gliding on hoverboards across fountain plazas—
all powered by bottomless public-security budgets and a dedicated Guard Corps.
The tech had always existed—
but only for the rich.
Night City gave it to everyone—
and created a miracle.
And if that wasn't enough—
The policies sealed the deal.
10-hour workday.
Universal healthcare.
Compulsory education.
Child subsidies.
After this combo, Tokyo's corporate workers went insane.
There was nothing left to consider.
Night City was where they would live and die.
They called their old coworkers, sent real footage, and repeated the same message:
"Bro, Tokyo news is bullshit.
'Worst place in North America'? My ass.
Night City is amazing.
Everything is within reach.
It's a living dream.
This is the true City of Dreams."