[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer":3,"chapter-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-408":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1151549,1495,"Chapter 408 - 380 Collision","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-408",408,"\u003Cp>Arasaka Seaside was also located in the Watson District; back when the Unified War reached California, the mayor Ryan invited them over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, this area had been practically occupied by Arasaka soldiers, becoming their base of operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buildings here were constructed following the standards of urban military architecture; the NCPD explicitly had no jurisdiction here. Once you crossed into the Watson District, you were surrounded by Arasaka’s unmanned mecha, drones, and fully armed soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille covertly assisted Kaneke in jamming the surveillance and tracking equipment on the floating car, but the area around Arasaka Seaside was a complete no-fly zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would Arasaka allow a trauma team’s floating car to pass?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might think someone needed rescue; that could be Kaneke’s plan, but the chances that Arasaka would just let him waltz in were slim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren’t many cars there, and Arasaka soldiers weren’t fools; they could see if there was something wrong with the floating car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once exposed, Lille didn’t think Kaneke could come and go freely in a place like Arasaka Seaside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to follow closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you even know how to drive?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small van sped through the gaps between cars, weaving like the wind!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the car was a piece of junk, David’s driving skills were excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A top speed of 120 km\u002Fh was laughably insufficient in the city, but David had the pedal to the floor; any harder and he’d be pressing on the fuel tank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screeching halts and abrupt accelerations made the rickety van a nightmare on the road. Luckily, in Night City, dangerous driving had a loose definition:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as you didn’t run anyone over or crash into the NCPD, it wasn’t considered dangerous driving!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even hitting other cars was just a minor clash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a sharp turn, the van’s outer wheels almost lifted off!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedestrians nearby scattered, but some thrill-seeking daredevil slammed on the gas in response—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sports car was overtaken, and the driver’s expression changed as he immediately switched to sport mode and gunned the engine!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A junky little van dared to overtake me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watch me overtake you hard and make you flip!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew where this young hothead came from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locals knew better than to expect anyone to street race in a Columbus Freight jalopy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you saw junkers like Columbus Freight, G240, or Viper tearing down the street, it was best to stay clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Idiot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sports car quickly pulled up beside Lille, and the driver flipped him off, gearing up for a humbling sideswipe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille just glanced at him: A road rage lover, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the next intersection, Man’s Mackinaw barreled through!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sports car looked like a toy compared to the massive Mackinaw; the driver, hearing the noise, turned and paled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mackinaw was nearly three times the height of his Mizutani!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without the legendary Mackinaw’s reputation, the model itself was a typical road tank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t stop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Executing a perfect tail-whip, the Mackinaw merely felt a light tap, but to the Mizutani, it was an unbearable impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car lost speed, got overtaken by the other two, and crashed into the central road pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Man sat in the Mackinaw’s driver’s seat, flashed a wide grin, and gave Lille a thumbs-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille ignored the flipped daredevil and looked towards the sky:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His worst fears were realized; Kaneke wasn’t hovering over the city center but was flying at high altitudes on the outskirts!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His destination was Arasaka Seaside!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his target was a mercenary; how could a mercenary infiltrate Arasaka’s facilities? Only if that mercenary was employed by Arasaka!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things were getting more complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The van and Mackinaw simultaneously ascended the highway ramp, and Lille decided to urge Regina again before making a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conveniently, Regina had just sent a message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sender: Regina]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Regina: All I found about this Woolly Crowley is that he’s a mercenary, but he was involved in an incident a week ago with the Valentinos.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Regina: Apart from mercenaries, the Valentinos were involved in the conflict with him; maybe you can find an intermediary in Haywood to ask about it.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Regina: Regarding Kaneke, I found his prosthetic model and software version, which might help you keep him alive.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Regina: This is a special order; my client is willing to pay more for him alive.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille immediately messaged Father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Recipient: Father]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Burger King: Father, I want to know what conflict the Valentinos had a week ago with a guy named Wooli Crowley.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: It’s a bit complicated.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Burger King: You’d better decide quickly if you want to tell me or not. A cyberpsycho is hunting Wooli Crowley and moving towards Arasaka Seaside; this mercenary’s employer is no ordinary person.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: Arasaka?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: Okay, here’s what happened—a week ago, a hacker contacted the Valentinos, asking them to cover for a few mercenaries to install some wiretap and surveillance equipment, but didn’t say who they were surveilling.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: They bungled it, and this Wooli Crowley found out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s a tough guy; he practically blew up a building, killed everyone, and supposedly went cyberpsycho, even taking down several trauma team members.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: I had a feeling something was off; why would a trauma team be there? Now it seems this mercenary’s employer isn’t ordinary.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: Since you’re involved, I have a job for you—find out who’s involved in this mess.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Burger King: Okay, but this job won’t be cheap.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Father: Don’t worry, I get it; hiring you guys isn’t cheap.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Arasaka Seaside, an Arasaka version of the Emperor Ragnar was parked on the street in front of the complex’s exterior. Behind it was a Gudela Turbo 740, a powerful city sports car with sleek lines revealing a cost beyond what most mercenaries could afford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arasaka soldiers and mecha were stationed on the other side of the road—if you were with Arasaka, it was an exceedingly safe meeting spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless a floating car dropped from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the car, Deputy Mayor Hot and Wooli Crowley had turned it into a mobile office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot, legs crossed, pulled out a cigarette box, \"You did well this time. Did you find out who’s been hindering me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot was bald, his on-screen persona always wore a kind smile; compared to Ryan’s poker face, he appeared more approachable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in a private setting like this, he perfectly embodied Arasaka’s ruthless image, behaving quite arrogantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooli sat across from him—a seemingly ordinary mercenary whose combat prosthetics were top-tier military grade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of his prosthetic eyes was a custom Arasaka combat eye, a fist-sized ocular structure equipped with several eyes sensitive to various signal layers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His arms used the latest artificial muscles and bionic structures, providing immense and flexible strength; paired with gunfire control chips in his brain, he could manage recoil from gunfire perfectly, maintaining balance even when his stance faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His legs supported super jumps and double jumps among other maneuvers, with an anchor device in the heels allowing him to stabilize on any surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Integrated bone structure and subdermal armor, military-grade electronic kidneys, and lungs...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many prosthetics crammed into an otherwise unremarkable frame, but his combat capabilities outmatched 99% of street thugs and were much tougher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear Hot invested heavily in him, and it paid off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooli chuckled, appearing somewhat deranged, clearly showing signs of being a former cyberpsycho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just two names, one is Chu Qiaoxi, the other James. Give me some time and I’ll take care of these little bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When’s the new batch of immunosuppressants coming?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the trunk.\" Hot pointed to the storage compartment at the back of the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many hackers, and many were almost successful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with Arasaka’s help, most were quietly eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time he handled it with his men, making a big scene, but that was a good thing; Arasaka viewing him as a waste was the last thing he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooli was about to get out and grab the meds but suddenly remembered something and turned back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh yeah, how much did the trauma team charge to save me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One hundred twenty thousand.\" Hot lit a cigarette, replying nonchalantly, \"It’s nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You guys make a fortune, considering one hundred twenty thousand is nothing? I remember I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doesn’t matter, just do your job.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Wooli hadn’t killed two trauma team members, the cost would have been lower—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty-five thousand per life, an amount neither small nor large, almost triple the annual average income of Night City residents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for someone like Hot, that amount was insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he remained Deputy Mayor, the money from Arasaka and his municipal corruption could fund many such mercenaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was finding competent individuals who could handle such a heavy load of prosthetics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man against dozens, killing over twenty...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Definitely impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Hot suddenly recalled something: He knew all of Wooli’s equipment and could control them, but the auto grenade launcher was unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, where’d you get that automatic grenade launcher?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This...\" Wooli pulled the launcher from his abdominal pocket, caressing it like a treasure, \"Black market, Night City’s black market has been bustling lately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Europeans brought it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot, eyeing the launcher, pondered: should I also seek European support?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were far wealthier than Arasaka.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, that’s it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay, I’ll kill those guys for you now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooli hopped out, the ground thudding from his weight, clearly, his seemingly slender frame was quite heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to retrieve the Arasaka internal immunosuppressants, he paused, looking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just him; the nearby Arasaka soldiers also raised their heads...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And their guns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trauma team? Or rich corpo dogs who can afford...\" Wooli laughed, seeing a floating vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his laughter faded quickly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floating car, upon spotting him, seemed to find its target; the vector engine instantly reoriented—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wasn’t mistaken, the floating car appeared to be heading right for him?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car’s altitude rapidly decreased without slowing down!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooli’s entire cyber-body entered combat mode, but Arasaka personnel reacted even quicker!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Open fire!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rain of bullets, like meteors rising from the ground, in varying calibers, even missiles, targeted the floating car!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floating car, unwavering under the barrage, aimed directly at Wooli, like a meteor streaking through a meteor shower!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaneke’s eyes were locked on Wooli’s face, his mind replaying memories with his girlfriend, these memories consumed by flames with the searing headache—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consciousness was burning!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1740,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.910Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.802Z",1,"novelbin.me","a1a7672aa6c9c6968c6aa57d0d636e9f297c8db0e42b2c2cdd966e2d4f3b33bd","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-409","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-407",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]