To build a better Night City and turn tourism into a real pillar industry, V decided to visit industry leaders such as the Moon and the Crystal Palace to conduct inspections, exchange ideas, and learn from their experience.
When the boss moves her lips, the underlings run themselves ragged. Contracts were signed with NCX Night City Orbital Spaceport for a chartered shuttle, and accommodations were booked at both the Moon's Cloud Sea facilities and the Crystal Palace. V mentioned the trip in the morning—by noon, everything was already arranged.
President V had worked hard enough. It was time for her to enjoy herself.
This was the shared belief of Arasaka 2077—and of Night City as a whole.
"NCX has prepared their newest shuttle model," Sasha reported meticulously, dressed in a crisp suit. "The flight from Earth to the Moon takes only 2 days, 11 hours, and 55 minutes. All internal facilities are fully equipped to minimize turbulence and maintain passenger comfort. As for accompanying personnel, that depends on your requirements."
V felt an itch in her heart just watching her.
She pulled Sasha over and sat her on her lap, hugging the soft body of the Pink Cat.
"Of course you're coming with me. Otherwise I'd be bored for more than two days."
"We're at work—behave yourself," Sasha said, blushing as she pressed down on V's wandering hand. She then leaned in and kissed V on the cheek. "Wait until tonight…"
"Hehehehehe." V grinned.
Sasha rolled her eyes and continued, "Anyone else?"
"Bring Lucy and David too. That brat's been wanting to go to the Moon forever—if I don't take her, she'll curse me behind my back."
Once she started, V kept going. "River and Alex just got married—bring them as well. Oh, and Jackie and Misty. Consider it a honeymoon for both couples."
Sasha laughed. "You, me. David and Lucy. River and Alex. Jackie and Misty. You picked all couples. Planning a couples-only trip?"
"Nothing wrong with that." V smiled, then added suddenly, "Bring Hansen too."
Sasha looked puzzled. "Wasn't this a couples trip?"
"Exactly. That's why we need a single guy—to make our happiness stand out even more."
Sasha couldn't help but laugh. "Mr. Hansen's probably going to cry. You're just getting back at him for that nonsense he spouted on TV. So petty."
"What are you talking about? I'm magnanimous," V said solemnly. "I'm helping him heal from emotional trauma!"
She sounded convincing, but Sasha saw right through her. Being the kind Pink Cat she was, she simply nuzzled her lover's cheek indulgently.
Just as they were enjoying the moment, Sasha suddenly smacked her forehead.
"Oh! We should bring Michiko too."
"Ah—Michiko?" V's head instantly doubled in size at the name. "Why bring her? She's single too. Won't she feel awful stuck among couples?"
Sasha smiled faintly. "So Hansen being miserable is fine, but Michiko being miserable makes you feel bad?"
"No, no—haha." V avoided eye contact, feeling oddly guilty. "Fine, fine. Whoever you say. Michiko too, alright?"
"Hmph. That's more like it."
The notifications went out quickly. Lucy was reportedly so excited she nearly exploded. David showed up to work the next day holding his waist, with dark circles under both eyes.
River and Alex called personally to thank V. Jackie and Misty were overjoyed as well.
Only the Dogtown boss sent V a text full of profanity, firmly refusing to go.
As for Arasaka Michiko, she looked like an aggrieved young wife, saying that if V told her to go, she'd go—if not, she'd stay home and play games.
At that point, V couldn't bring herself to leave her out anymore. She was also worried Michiko might grow mushrooms from staying indoors too long, so she decided to take her to the Moon to get some sunlight.
The roster was finalized—then Johnny somehow heard about it and insisted on coming too.
"Aren't you busy having Samurai and the Refused go head-to-head?" V asked curiously. "How do you have time for the Moon?"
That question set Johnny off immediately.
"We got completely fucking crushed by those three bitches! Hung up and screwed, that kind of crushed! The public has no taste, fine—but the worst part? Kerry, thick brows and all, fucking betrayed us! One 'Kerry-san' from those sluts and the old bastard flipped sides. Now he's even collaborating on a new song with them! San my ass!"
V couldn't help laughing.
Seeing Johnny suffer made her happier than recovering from injury.
To be honest, Johnny's singing had always been mediocre—his second album had already flopped. Samurai's popularity came mostly from Johnny's anti-corporate, anti-hegemony spirit.
Back then, people were crushed under corporate pressure, so they loved that attitude. But now, thanks to V, that pressure had eased considerably.
With no external oppression, people stopped wanting to rebel against everything. Johnny's music lost its market. Instead, people sought family, love, and better lives. Refused's hedonistic, entertainment-first music naturally rose to the top.
Art reflects the human heart. What resonates survives; what doesn't becomes a joke.
Samurai became that joke.
"President V has made Night City run smoothly. Life keeps getting better—what the hell are you rebelling against?"
That was the public consensus.
Johnny had wanted a world where everyone could live happily. He never expected that once such a world arrived, he'd be the first to die.
His life taught V. V created the present world. In a way, Johnny had killed himself with his own hands.
Johnny must have realized this—otherwise he would've fought to the end instead of retreating to the Moon to lick his wounds.
V treated her friends well. She nodded.
"Fine. One more room."
Johnny was about to say thanks—rare for him—when V added:
"But this Moon trip is a couples-only train. You'll need to find a partner too."
Johnny froze.
"I've been dead for fifty years. Where the fuck am I supposed to find a partner? An autonomous ash-disposal unit?"
V shrugged. "Not my problem. Figure it out. Or try Rogue."
"Rogue?" Johnny scoffed. "If I go back to Rogue, I'm a dog."
The day before departure, Rogue's name appeared on the list.
V looked at Johnny. Johnny raised his middle finger.
"Woof woof."
That damn dog of a man.
V laughed and returned the gesture.
After sending Johnny away, V received a call from Meredith Stout.
The new President of the New United States got straight to the point.
"V, save me a batch of those nanobots. Name your price—I'll buy them."
The new nanobots were part of the Ecological Loop Project and weren't for sale yet. But V always treated friends well—especially comrades who had fought and bled together.
"Relax. Anyone else I might refuse—but not you," V said. "I've already had Nakamura Kayo prepare ten milliliters for you. Send someone to pick it up."
"Holy shit, you're way too thoughtful!"
"You just took office and need achievements. If I don't help you, who will? Don't fucking be polite with me."
"I'm so touched I'm fucking wet. Want me to let you sleep with me a few nights as thanks?"
"…Appreciate it, but we're too familiar. I can't bring myself to."
"Fair enough. Then I'll sign a few executive orders. From now on, all food and medicine shipped from the NUSA to Night City will be at the lowest price."
"Will Congress agree?"
"Easy. Use national subsidies as cover—state funds subsidize the corps. Three-seven split. Like grabbing meat from the fridge—once it passes through your hands, it's greasy. They won't say no."
"Impressive, Stout."
"Learned it from you."
"But can NUSA's finances handle that?"
"Relax. Militech's behind us. Other corps want to launder money through me too. The ones who least want the NUSA to fall are them. If the treasury runs dry, I'll just build roads and houses and ask those bastards for 'investment.'"
"Brilliant. You seem pretty happy as president. Who was it that said 'do it again and I'm a dog'?"
"That was fake! Now that it's real—even if I have to be a dog, I'll do it!"
She actually barked. "Woof woof!"
V laughed helplessly.
Great. First a dog man, now a dog woman.
"Have fun on the Moon, V."
"Thanks, Stout. I'll send photos."
"Fuck, you teasing me?"
"Hehehe."
V hung up and looked at Sasha, who had been waiting patiently.
"The True Water Corporation's president is here," the Pink Cat said.
"About time. Let him in."
For the third time, the president of True Water Corporation sat in V's office.
Compared to the previous two visits, he was still impeccably dressed—tailored suit, spotless shoes—but the anxiety between his brows hung there like an unbreakable storm cloud, impossible to conceal.
Since the debut of the new-generation nanobots, True Water Corporation had been hit with a devastating shock.
Every time Arasaka 2077 released a water quality test report, True Water's stock dropped once.
Five days of reports—five consecutive plunges.
On the sixth day, Arasaka 2077 happened to be on a scheduled rest day. True Water thought they might finally catch a break.
They didn't.
With no new water-quality data released, speculation ran wild. The stock fell even harder—like someone had taken a cleaver straight to its neck.
Under such pressure, True Water Corporation could no longer sit still.
Showing up without an appointment was considered extremely rude among corporate elites, but the president no longer cared. When death was knocking, who had the luxury of dignity?
"I heard President V is traveling to the Moon," he said quickly.
"What a coincidence. Years ago, I purchased a vacation estate in the Moon's Cloud Sea. I never had time to use it. Please accept it as a place to stay. It's not large, but it's been well maintained. I hope you won't find it beneath you."
As he spoke, the transfer documents were sent over.
Even V couldn't help but admire the scale of the gesture.
The Moon wasn't Earth—every inch of land there was worth a fortune. Even undeveloped plots sold for astronomical prices, let alone a fully built estate.
She glanced through the property details.
It wasn't small at all.
Twelve acres.
A four-story main building.
Two three-story annexes.
Artificial gravity as standard.
An outdoor ecological greenhouse cultivating multiple plant species long extinct on Earth.
The glass dome filtered radiation and harmful particles, allowing residents to walk freely amid greenery—watching the Sun by day, the sea of stars by night, facing the purest vacuum of space.
For ordinary people, this was a fantasy beyond dreams.
For capital elites, it was merely a dull daily luxury.
V sighed inwardly. One signature would make the property hers—but she suspended the document and shook her head.
"There's no need for this."
"No—there absolutely is!" the president said urgently, forcing out a strained smile.
"V, I admit I was arrogant before. I apologize. But True Water Corporation was left to me by my father. I can't just watch it collapse. I'm willing to pay any price—just ask you to show mercy."
V's expression didn't change.
"And what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Withdraw the new nanobots. Stop all future deployment."
"That's impossible," V replied calmly.
"You're part of the global elite. You know this technology is part of the Ecological Loop Project. Night City is only a pilot site. I don't have the authority to terminate it—and neither do you. Unless you plan to stand against every megacorp in the world."
"And if you do, True Water will die even faster. Much faster than a stock crash."
The president knew she was right.
He had even contributed funding to Night City's projects himself.
He just never imagined he'd personally dug his own grave—paid for it, then stepped inside.
Like a certain washed-up rock star.
"Is there really no other way?" he asked hollowly.
"Transform," V said seriously.
"It's cruel, but outdated industries are destined to be eliminated. That's not ideology—it's fate. True Water has capital, scale, and resources. You still have the ability to pivot. Turning early is better than anything else."
The president hesitated.
"I need to make a call."
V nodded.
"I'll wait."
About forty minutes later, True Water Corporation delivered its answer.
They would dissolve and divide the assets.
A regrettable decision—but an honest one.
Not everyone has the courage to start over. Sometimes, laying everything down and exiting quietly is the wiser choice.
V purchased all of True Water Corporation's water pipeline networks.
Not at the original price, of course.
In the future, rivers and lakes would all be drinkable. The era in which purified water flowed exclusively from True Water to the world would become history.
The next day, True Water Corporation issued an official statement, initiating liquidation and filing for bankruptcy protection.
No one was surprised—anyone could read the stock chart.
What shocked people was how fast it happened.
V felt deeply conflicted.
She had once fought through hell to bring down Arasaka.
Now, all she had done was release a new technology and nudge the market slightly—and a corporation collapsed with ease.
True Water's lack of diversification played a role, but it also proved something else:
V was becoming stronger.
" What about True Water's employees?" she asked.
"According to standard procedure, they'll be laid off after receiving this month's wages."
Cruel—but real.
V thought she had done well. Only now did she realize how much more remained undone.
Xu Zhong's offhand vision of the world was, indeed, demanding.
She smiled bitterly, then said to Sasha,
"Hire those workers into Arasaka 2077. The pipeline network still needs people who understand it."
"Yes!"
The Pink Cat grinned like she'd just gotten a whole plate of dried fish. This kind of V—this kindness—was exactly why she loved her.
"Alright," V said, looking around at everyone.
"Work's done. Now comes rest time."
She raised her fist.
"Moon—here we come!"
"OH!!!"
The couples cheered together, voices full of excitement.