Kurt Hansen survived—an undeniable medical miracle, considering that more than five kilograms of shrapnel and bullet fragments had been removed from his body.
The boss of Dogtown, however, believed it was simply because he was hard to kill. Though still physically weak, he had already begun bragging loudly.
"I've seen every kind of storm there is. Back during the Unification War, I took more than a dozen stab wounds and still walked it off! Eight years ago Arasaka couldn't kill me—now they still can't! Hahaha—cough cough…"
"Yeah, yeah, you're amazing. Just rest already." V handed him a freshly washed apple.
"Holy shit—an apple!" Kurt Hansen exclaimed. "This stuff is rare as hell. First time I've ever seen a real one. V, you really treat your old brother right!"
"Don't thank me. Xu Ling gave it to me." V crossed her legs.
"Xu Ling? Where'd that girl get an apple? Isn't she so broke she has to mooch drinks off you?"
"Air-shipped from China. Kang Tao has a subsidiary that specializes in growing fruits and vegetables, raising livestock. They don't sell any of it—executive-only supply. Some kind of special provision products."
"Fuck, Kang Tao really treats their people well. That little girl must've eaten plenty of real meat."
Hansen looked equal parts envious and resentful as he devoured the apple like it was his mortal enemy, crunching through it until even the core was gone.
"Good stuff. Sweet and sour—way purer than industrial flavoring." He sighed in satisfaction. "Damn… being alive is good."
V nodded. On that point, she agreed completely.
Then Kurt Hansen suddenly said, "V, I need money."
"Sure. I'll transfer fifty million first. If that's not enough, just ask."
He froze. "You're not even going to ask what I need it for?"
V shrugged. "What else could it be? Survivor compensation for the Hounds. I already paid my share—that's policy. Yours is personal. Might be generous, but the Hounds deserve it. And nobody ever complains about having too much money."
"Fuck… if I could get out of bed, I'd kneel right now. V, seriously—if I'd met you earlier…"
The man who hadn't flinched even after cheating death now had red eyes.
"V, I want to ask you for something." He took a breath.
"I'm going to rebuild the Hounds. I want you to officially absorb them into Arasaka 2077's armed forces. Uniforms. Salaries. The whole deal."
"Huh?" V was surprised. "You're not worried I'll take your power?"
Hansen grinned. "If you take it, I'm at ease."
Something stirred in V's chest. This was what recognition felt like.
"Alright. I'll be waiting for the pups to clock in. Maybe I should send you more funds—recruiting in Night City isn't easy these days."
That was the truth. Destruction brought grief, but reconstruction brought opportunity.
Rebuilding in Santo Domingo and Heywood was underway simultaneously. Massive projects were everywhere—three new megabuildings alone, not to mention commercial centers, sports complexes, schools, and hospitals.
Heywood's unique cultural atmosphere even prompted plans for two new churches. One statue of the Virgin Mary was originally modeled after V—until she shut that down hard.
Watson and Westbrook hadn't been badly damaged, but they used the chance to reorganize anyway—demolishing old districts, dredging waterways, installing automated sediment-clearing systems.
The biggest transformation was Pacifica.
Just as V had said, Pacifica was reborn as Night City's research hub. Massive research facilities—above and below ground—rose nonstop. Over three million people worked there daily, nearly half the city's population.
Employment stabilized society. Employers were forced to raise wages just to hire enough workers. Aside from the truly irredeemable scum, most gang members returned to legitimate labor. Crime dropped further—but that also made rebuilding the Hounds harder.
When you can survive, why strap your life to your belt?
V figured Hansen would need to pay a higher price to recruit enough people and was about to offer more funding.
Hansen refused.
"No need. Fifty million is enough."
"Isn't that for compensation?"
"Doesn't take that much. Most Hounds' families are in the New United States. Even if I had money, I can't get it to them. The ones I mean are the Night City recruits—about three hundred people. Fifty thousand each. Twenty million tops. The other thirty million is for recruitment."
V let it go and asked instead, "Your family's in the NUSA too?"
"Yeah. Wife and son. The kid was six when I went to war—he's fourteen now. If he were here, I'd take him straight to Clouds and book the most expensive doll to make him a man."
Hansen wore the sacred expression of a father "choosing the best school for his child."
V hadn't expected that. She said seriously, "I'll find a way to bring them back. Your family. All the Hounds' families."
"I heard about that." Hansen grew serious.
"V, you don't have to. Those people are already dead to me. And Night City just stabilized—it should recover, not stir up trouble again."
V shook her head.
"Sorry, Hansen. You misunderstood. I'm no saint. I'm not doing this just for you or the Hounds—it's to send a message."
"The last war proved Night City's hard power. Armed intervention won't work anymore, so they'll switch tactics. Night City will attract talent—and if everyone pulls a Myers and holds families hostage, how do we function?"
"Don't test human nature. It doesn't hold up under testing."
"This is another war—snatching your families back from Rosalind Myers. To tell the world: Night City isn't afraid of open conflict, and it's not afraid of dirty threats either."
"We protect our people. And their families."
Hansen laughed bitterly. "That's why you're Emperor of Night City—and I'm just Dogtown's boss."
He quickly shifted into strategist mode.
"If Myers plays soft, we can't go hard. Winning that way won't matter."
V nodded. "I plan to go diplomatic."
"Then use Militech," Hansen said. "You know their relationship with the NUSA?"
"Stock told me some. I want your take."
"Alright. Let's start eighty-one years ago…"
"Militech International Armaments was founded in 1996. In its early years, its core business revolved around weapons manufacturing and military contracting. During the Fourth Corporate War from 2021 to 2023, then–President of the New United States, Elizabeth Kress, nationalized Militech and redirected its assets to reinforce the collapsing U.S. Armed Forces. This move turned Militech into the New United States' armed fist, dramatically boosting its political legitimacy, while simultaneously allowing the NUSA to claw its way back from the brink and stabilize its domestic situation."
Kurt Hansen asked, "Do you know what Elizabeth Kress did before she became President?"
V replied, "CEO of Militech."
"Exactly." Hansen continued. "At the time, Militech's expansion had hit its limits. Kress made a decisive call—she resigned as CEO and ran for President. With Militech's financial backing, she won easily, nationalized the corporation, and used policy and legislation to clear the way, freeing Militech from its shackles and allowing it to expand again."
"And in return, Militech's overwhelming military power helped the New United States stabilize its shattered internal order. Through personnel exchange,利益绑定, and resource sharing, the two became deeply intertwined. On the legal and strategic level, the NUSA held nominal authority, directing Militech east and west, dominating the entire North American continent. Many within Militech regarded Elizabeth Kress as an idol and role model—she didn't just open a new chapter for Militech's growth, she also transitioned from corporate leadership into politics and elevated her own life to an entirely new level."
"Rosalind Myers was one of those people. In 2065, she followed Kress's example, stepping down as Militech's CEO to become President of the New United States. Militech contributed heavily during this transition. Corporate leadership believed Myers would usher in a second 'Elizabeth Era' and take Militech even higher—but they quickly realized Myers had ambitions of her own. She only wanted herself to rise higher. Militech's interests meant nothing to her."
"Sixty percent of Militech's contracts came from the New United States. Myers used that leverage to pass a series of laws tightening control over Militech. The most critical clause required Militech to fully cooperate with NUSA military operations. Not long after, Myers abruptly launched the Unification War, forcibly strapping Militech to her chariot."
"Militech was furious—but still chose to support her. After all, the stronger the New United States became, the greater Militech's benefits. By that point, the two were already bound together—prosper or fall together. With Militech's backing, Myers began annexing the Western Free States one by one, until Night City's city council appealed to Arasaka. Saburo Arasaka responded decisively, dispatching the White Whale to anchor in Del Coronado Bay, forcing the campaign to halt."
"Myers wanted to keep fighting—that's why she sent me," Hansen said calmly. "But Militech ran the numbers. A military operation to retake Night City had a high chance of clashing with Arasaka, potentially triggering a Fifth Corporate War, which went directly against Militech's interests. So they demanded a ceasefire."
"The New United States and Militech went back and forth. Myers thought she could control Militech like Elizabeth Kress once did—but she forgot one key difference. Kress devoted herself entirely to Militech, with the NUSA as a byproduct. Myers, on the other hand, only cared about herself. She planned to use both Militech and the New United States as stepping stones to pave her own path."
"So Militech refused the Night City offensive and, in an almost brutal show of force, compelled Myers to cease fire immediately—forcing her to sign the Treaty of Alvarado, ending that absurd Unification War."
This was the first time V had heard the full story. She nodded."So that's when the conflict between the NUSA and Militech started?"
Kurt Hansen grinned."The NUSA and Militech don't have a conflict. The conflict is between Myers and Militech. After that incident, Militech saw her for what she really was. She has ambition without planning, wants to leap straight to the top while chasing short-term gains. She'll use any means necessary—schemes, traps, backstabbing others. Narrow vision, tiny worldview. She thinks she's clever, but she's riddled with holes. One day, her own short-sighted scheming will bite her in the ass."
"After that, Militech began keeping its distance from Myers. If there was profit, they'd act. If not, they pretended she didn't exist. They even courted members of Congress behind the scenes, quietly eroding Myers' authority. From 2069 to now—eight years—Militech leveraged its massive military strength and economic weight to fully break free from control. Now it stands above Myers, holding the initiative."
"So," Hansen asked, "what do you see?"
"First," V crossed her arms, "Myers managed to completely ruin a perfect hand. Second, the New United States and Militech operate under a dual-head political structure—there's no fixed hierarchy. Whoever's stronger takes the lead."
"Exactly—like a two-headed dragon." Hansen nodded enthusiastically."The stronger one fucks. The weaker one gets fucked. V, that's a damn good metaphor!"
I said dual-head politics, not dual-head—ah, fuck it. Close enough.
"So right now Militech's in charge, yeah?"
"Correct. That's why you should contact Militech. Having them apply pressure on Myers is the most effective approach. Don't worry about them refusing—they want to screw that old hag even more than you do."
"I already did," Meredith Stout said as she pushed the door open, casually dropping a bombshell."And the results were even better than you'd expect. Militech is furious over Myers detaining military families. They're planning to use it as grounds to push for her impeachment."
"Holy shit!" Kurt Hansen laughed so hard he nearly cried."Militech's planning to replace the President!"
If the President isn't on our side—then replace her with one who is.
As always, Militech has no quarrel with the New United States. Their problem is Myers—and cutting ties with her is easy.
V smiled as well. In her previous life, that old witch had nearly destroyed her. Hearing this news, even her legendary Cool 20 couldn't suppress the curve of her lips.
"In that case, we might as well help set the stage."
"Help who?" someone asked.
"Help Myers, of course," V said cheerfully."Leaving her hanging halfway down is uncomfortable. Better she comes down early and rests easy. Don't you agree?"
"Absolutely!" Hansen nodded vigorously."So—what's the plan?"
"Simple. Dig up some dirt on Myers, toss it out there, and let Militech handle the rest."
"And where do we get dirt like that?" Hansen asked.
V smiled."Do you remember Alex and Reed?"