Cyberpunk: I'm Not a Scavenger - Chapter 72: The Talk Show (Patreon)

"Good evening, Night City! Our special guest tonight is Ms. Veronica from Biotechnica!"

"Hello, Ziggy. It's a pleasure to be here."

On the holographic screen, host Ziggy Q, his teal hair sculpted into its unmistakable garlic-bulb shape, was putting on a show.

Across from him sat Veronica, dressed in a spotless white suit with Biotechnica's green leaf emblem pinned to her lapel.

She was, in fact, the head of external relations for Biotechnica's Night City branch.

"Ms. Veronica, thank you for joining us tonight! It's an honor to have you here!"

Ziggy Q sat remarkably straight. For once, he wasn't making outrageous remarks or pulling attention-seeking stunts like he did on his usual programs.

As the interview began, he adopted a serious expression and brought up the rumors circulating online.

"A recently leaked document about the side effects of 'Securicine' has caused quite a stir among Night City's residents. Everyone wants to know whether this is a malicious smear campaign or a genuine scandal."

Veronica sighed, looking deeply troubled.

"Ziggy, I completely understand how you feel. Believe me, when our senior management learned about this, we were just as furious as anyone else."

She looked directly into the camera, her voice full of sincerity. With an angelic face like hers, she had already won over plenty of viewers before she'd even begun explaining.

"Today, on behalf of Biotechnica, I want to acknowledge something to everyone concerned about this incident. 'Securicine' does indeed have serious side effects."

The live comment section exploded. Night City's residents showered both Veronica and Biotechnica with the sort of colorful greetings the city was famous for.

Under the moderators' careful supervision, however, those comments quickly disappeared, leaving nothing but praise.

"At least they're willing to admit it!"

"Now that's a responsible company!"

"See? That's the advantage of our system!"

"However, there's an important fact I need to clarify."

Veronica changed tack, her voice becoming stern.

"This was absolutely not a corporate decision. It was the work of a tiny number of individuals acting on their own!

"Our investigation established that the person responsible was the director of our pharmaceutical laboratory. He secretly colluded with Walker, who was director of Night City's Drug Administration at the time and is now a member of the city council.

"They falsified experimental data and approved the drug for sale in violation of regulations. That's what caused this entire tragedy! Both have now been handed over to the NCPD."

Ziggy gave an exaggerated gasp, playing his part perfectly.

"My goodness! What a betrayal of the public's trust! Such a flagrant violation of the law!"

"Exactly. That's why this has been so painful for us."

Veronica nodded and continued.

"But Biotechnica has always been a responsible corporation. We won't shirk our responsibilities or leave innocent people to bear a burden that was never theirs to carry. We're establishing a dedicated compensation fund for the victims of the 'Securicine' incident!"

"Now that's the kind of responsibility you'd expect from a major corporation!"

Ziggy launched into such enthusiastic praise that anyone watching might have assumed Biotechnica had paid him.

"This is the sort of corporation we should support! We can't condemn the whole company over a few mistakes made in the past. Let's look forward to an even brighter future for Biotechnica!"

By the time the broadcast ended, Sasha was staring at the holographic screen in disbelief.

Had Biotechnica actually admitted its mistake? Then what had all her efforts been for?

Pantheon shook his head at her expression. He opened Biotechnica's official website and began explaining the legal language in its compensation terms, language an ordinary person would have no chance of deciphering.

"A leopard can't change its spots, and corporations don't change either. Sasha, look at this clause."

He pointed to the section defining who qualified for compensation.

"Victims must appear in person and provide direct evidence proving that their medical condition was caused by 'Securicine.'

"How many of those victims do you think are even alive now? And even if they are, they still have to prove that the drug caused their condition.

"Now look at this one. The 'Securicine' they took must have come from an officially authorized seller. Medication purchased elsewhere doesn't qualify as evidence.

"I checked the company's website. It says a recent cyberattack destroyed its official sales records, so the victims have to provide proof of purchase themselves."

Even the Aldecaldos who'd never spent a day in school could see what Biotechnica was really doing.

Those bastards didn't intend to pay a single eddie!

Everything they'd said on television was bullshit!

Pantheon sighed. If he hadn't previously acquired the [Ace Attorney] trait from the famous lawyer Phoenix Wright, even he would have struggled to make sense of legal clauses that read like an ancient, indecipherable script.

What chance did Night City's largely illiterate population have?

Biotechnica had no way of knowing when Pantheon and the others, armed with its darkest secrets, might make their move.

So the corporation had decided to detonate that particular mine itself, on its own terms.

With the help of friendly media outlets, it had successfully defused the danger.

If netrunners released the evidence later, Biotechnica could dismiss it as malicious fabrications or manipulation by corporate rivals.

It was an impressive maneuver.

Not only had Biotechnica disrupted Pantheon's plans, it had also managed to present itself as an honest, conscientious corporation.

Its share price, which had fallen after the attack on its tower, was already rising against the wider trend.

And what had it cost? A few expendable laboratory directors, temporary employees, and a city council member who could be replaced whenever convenient.

Sasha bit her lip, overwhelmed by helplessness.

In the face of so much money and power, the evidence they'd risked their lives to obtain seemed almost like a joke.

"Silly girl. This is Night City!"

Pantheon pulled her into his arms and gently ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry. They won't have much time to celebrate. I'm still planning to short their stock and make myself a little capital."

Pantheon watched Biotechnica's share price climb on the screen with the same look a farmer might give a pig being fattened for slaughter.

His confidence came from a reward he'd just drawn.

[Minovsky Physics Theory] (Purple)

Description: So much for the laws of physics.

Abilities: A complete set of blueprints for Minovsky nuclear fusion reactors, basic MS mobile suits, Mega Particle Cannons, and beam rifles.

Minovsky Physics was a special theoretical framework from the Gundam universe.

Its most important discovery was the Minovsky particle.

When released in large quantities, these particles created a field capable of disrupting radar and electromagnetic-wave transmission. Laser communications and optical targeting were among the few reliable ways to operate within it.

At high concentrations, the particles could even interfere with delicate electronic systems such as very-large-scale integrated circuits.

If Pantheon could build even the most rudimentary Minovsky particle generator, he would hold an overwhelming advantage against Biotechnica.