It was repeated over and over; Johnny didn't know how many times he had relived the experience of being smashed to pieces by Hammersmith. The pain didn't feel like false memories; it felt as if he was truly returning to Arasaka Tower repeatedly, being beaten beyond recognition, blow after blow, hurting enough to curse his mother.
After enduring this painful ordeal four times, Johnny finally snapped, and he began to curse violently.
Watching the virtual holographic miniature Johnny still yelling and cursing on the set-top box-like output device, Berry shook her head helplessly.
He was too agitated to listen to anything.
So, just like always, Berry reached for the "set-top box's" mute button.
"Hey, how dare you!? Don't you dare mu
—"
Before Johnny could finish speaking, Berry had already pressed the button, and the world finally fell silent.
Berry finally exhaled in relief.
Silverhand's Wonderland Journey
"Are you calm now?"
Berry, sitting down, patiently blew on her nails, rocked her chair for a moment, and then restarted the set-top box.
"Fuck..."
With a long, dispirited curse, Johnny Silverhand was finally able to speak again.
However, this time, he managed to calm down; after cursing, he was no longer agitated, acting as if he had resigned himself to fate.
In Berry's eyes, the chibi Silverhand figure on the set-top box sat down cross-legged, dejectedly, head bowed.
Seeing that Silverhand was a little more compliant, Berry hummed the "Widow's Tune" and got back to her work, monitoring data, adjusting parameters, and so on. Although not a single note of the song was in tune, one could still feel Berry's relaxed ease.
After all, without the Carrot of Damocles hanging over her head, slacking off and taking things slow was normal.
Now this was life.
As for Johnny Silverhand, after feeling emo for a while, seeing that the woman in front of him was no longer paying attention, he started looking around, shaking his head and finding his own entertainment.
He also knew that his current state was very unstable; he might crash again at any moment.
"Hey, woman."
The chibi Silverhand turned his head around, finding the place still the same
—just a cluttered workshop with nothing remarkable about it. Finally, Silverhand had no choice but to look at the busy woman in front of him.
"I have a name. It's Berry."
Hearing Johnny speak so carelessly again, Berry replied speechlessly.
This guy, in the game, was a stubborn trouble-maker. This kind of person has a certain maverick charm, but Berry guaranteed that in reality, few people would want to be friends with a guy like him.
He was truly too arrogant; he had just managed to be quiet for a moment, and the moment he opened his mouth, he could make you explode with anger.
However, Johnny completely ignored the feelings of the woman named Berry, and questioned her regardless.
"Which corporation do you work for? Call your manager to come see me."
Johnny Silverhand wasn't the type of guy who liked to trust people, and right now, he didn't believe Berry's nonsense about wanting to save him one bit.
Using his usual line of thinking, he guessed that Berry must be an Agent for some major corporation, who stole him from Arasaka and intended to use him to achieve some dirty goal.
Major corporations were always like this.
Johnny could guess their tricky schemes with his butt.
"Is it Militech, or Bio-Corporation, or Kang Tao..."
Johnny squinted, listing the corporations he knew that had the power to oppose Arasaka. As he spoke, he observed Berry's reaction, hoping to spot a flaw.
But unfortunately.
Berry was completely unmoved, still humming her song and busy with her own work, treating Johnny's nonsense as if she hadn't heard it.
"Hey, are you deaf? Didn't you hear me talking?"
Seeing Berry ignore him, Johnny frowned and cursed again.
"Hurry up and tell me which corporation you work for!"
Honestly, if Johnny wasn't currently sporting that chibi appearance
—big head, small body
—one might think it was Berry being interrogated inside the box.
"I'm telling you, Johnny, can't there be a little more trust between people?"
Hearing Johnny's incessant nagging, Berry sighed helplessly. She didn't know how many times she had sighed already.
This Silverhand, he's relentless, isn't he?
"Didn't I tell you? I'm just being kind and want to save your life..."
"Yeah, right, yeah, right..." But before Berry could finish, Johnny cut in mockingly.
"It's the year 2077, and you 'kindly' snatched me from the Arasaka Corporation just for the sake of 'reviving' me."
"Listen to that. Do you think I'd fucking believe it?"
Johnny sarcastically repeated what Berry had told him before, then looked at her as if she were an idiot, leaving her speechless.
Hearing Johnny's words, Berry felt a lump in her throat and couldn't speak.
Although it sounded strange, and in Night City, it was practically a fairy tale, the truth was, Berry just wanted to do a good deed; she just wanted to save Silverhand.
But after Silverhand put it that way, Berry herself felt it was preposterous.
After all, from Johnny's perspective, they weren't related, so why would she be so kind as to help him? Following Night City's usual logic, there must be some ulterior motive.
If something bizarre happens, it must be a conspiracy, a conspiracy, and still a conspiracy.
This is Night City.
It was no wonder Johnny was so cautious.
Berry only felt pity for Johnny, who had been thoroughly CPU'd by Night City's "noble and virtuous" atmosphere.
Now it was completely ingrained in his mind; everything made him think of major corporations.
Seeing Berry remain silent, Johnny thought he had refuted her, and he let out a mocking chuckle.
Next, he put on a serious expression and continued.
"Listen, no matter which corporation you belong to, I know you must be opposed to Arasaka, and I can help you."
After figuring out the current situation, Johnny wanted to make a deal with the power behind the woman in front of him.
Johnny's high-profile and reckless style often made people overlook that he was actually a man with brains.
After all, a brainless person wouldn't formulate such meticulous plans, twice infiltrating Arasaka Tower and causing such massive trouble for an all-powerful corporation. This wasn't something achievable through brute force.
If it were as simple as relying on a few guns, those corporations hostile to the Arasaka Corporation wouldn't bother; they'd just send troops straight into Arasaka Tower.
But Johnny was also incredibly stubborn, just as he didn't hesitate to risk everything to fight the Arasaka Corporation. Now, he was convinced that his revival wasn't that simple, and he wanted to use it as leverage.
"You definitely want to fight the Arasaka Corporation, right? Then help me. Give me a body, take me out of this relic chip. I can help you. Those Arasaka bastards are terrified of me. If you want to fight the Arasaka Corporation, you absolutely need my help."
To be honest, seeing Johnny's confident demeanor, Berry momentarily suspected that she really did have some major power backing her, but that thought lasted only an instant before she dismissed the unrealistic fantasy.
How could she have any major power backing her? Just a "Hive," maybe a dozen people, a few dozen guns
—they couldn't even make a splash in Night City.
If she really had a major corporation backing her, why would she be stuck in this basement? She would have long ago taken up arms, swept the world clean, and given Night City a peaceful, bright future.
Unfortunately, now was not the time to loudly proclaim the sentiment of Hu Tutu: "Heaven gives birth to all things to nourish man; man has nothing to repay Heaven."
She could only remain holed up in this basement, keeping company with this dense Silverhand.
"Sigh, it seems you won't believe anything I say, huh?"
Seeing Johnny's stubborn, unyielding appearance, Berry had no choice but to rack her brain, trying to figure out how to build a relationship with him. After all, she was counting on him to help her overthrow the major corporations.
"Let me think. You don't believe my words, but you'd believe someone you know, right?"
Berry thought of Rogue, Johnny's old flame. Surely Johnny would listen to her.
"Hey, Johnny, want to see your ex-girlfriend, Rogue?"
Thinking it might work, Berry spoke to Johnny.
"Rogue?"
Hearing that name, Johnny frowned, sensing that things were not simple.
"You're saying Rogue is still alive?"
Johnny asked back incredulously.
Honestly, Johnny was genuinely surprised this time.
Although the woman in front of him was full of lies, Johnny did believe some things, such as the fact that it was now the year 2077. After all, the pile of news he was shown didn't seem fabricated.
But now, he heard the name Rogue.
He believed that Rogue had survived Arasaka Tower back then; after all, that was Rogue
—she always found a way.
But it was fifty years later now. If Rogue were still alive, she would have to be eighty or ninety years old.
This fact momentarily left him in disbelief.
Seeing Johnny fall silent, Berry figured she had a chance, so she kept fanning the flames.
"Yes, that's right, Rogue, your ex-girlfriend. She's living a splendid life now. Do you want me to take you to see her?"
Watching Silverhand look thoughtful after hearing Rogue's name, Berry encouraged him.
If Rogue could dispel Johnny's doubts, that would be perfect.
"No. At least, not right now."
However, after hesitating for a moment, Johnny rejected Berry's suggestion.
Although tempted, Johnny ultimately gritted his teeth and refused.
He was a proud man; how could he meet her looking like this
—neither man nor ghost?
Hmm, it looks like it will work.
Unfortunately, looking at Johnny's demeanor, Berry made a decision on her own.
Guiding people's hearts should be left to Rogue, whom Johnny cares about.
As for Johnny's opinion, Berry felt that tsundere people are just like that.
So she didn't take it to heart at all.
I don't want your opinion, I want mine.
That's settled. Berry planned to find a time for the two of them to meet properly.
"Hey, what the hell is that expression!"
Johnny looked up, only to catch sight of Berry's look of having already decided something, and a bad feeling immediately arose in his heart.
"I'm telling you, no means no. Don't you dare act on your own if you don't want to get beaten..."
"Mhm, mhm, no problem."
Berry nodded cheerfully and decisively, but it made Johnny's head burn with fury.
This guy didn't listen at all.
"I'll go to your... Wait, no, I'm going to log off..."
Before Johnny could finish the word, his holographic image flashed for a moment and then disconnected.
The time must have been up.
Berry knew what was going on and simply shut down the "set-top box" terminal.
The situation was good now; Johnny's periods of lucidity were increasing. Soon, Berry would be able to ensure he was fully conscious. At that time, Berry would build him a body, and Johnny Silverhand could announce his grand resurrection.
However, before that, she still needed to make this awkward Johnny open up.
Berry certainly didn't want Johnny to twist her head off the moment he resurrected.
Thinking this, Berry dialed the number for the owner of the Afterlife—Rogue.
---------------------------------
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