Hearing this, Jack silently took out his pistol, loaded it, and pulled the bolt, preparing to step out and eliminate Dexter and his bodyguards.
However, the whispering between Dexter and his men outside had suddenly ceased. A tense silence filled the air, making Jack hesitate for a moment.
"Hey! Jack, why are you so slow?"
Jack turned his gaze toward Peter, who sat casually on the sofa. For a moment, he was in a daze.
Peter was now dressed in a pristine suit, though Jack had no idea where he had gotten it. His previous attire, damaged from the brutal battle with Adam Heavy Hammer, had been replaced with something much more casual. Around the room, scattered pieces of mechanical prosthetics lay in disarray.
Dexter swallowed hard. The sight before him was too familiar—prosthetic parts discarded carelessly, expensive cyberware that couldn't be bought on the black market no matter how much money one had. Among them, a five-stage Sienweistan violent model lay prominently on the table. This was top-tier technology from Araba, something only the wealthiest or most powerful individuals could ever possess.
Despite having seen Peter's victory over Adam Heavy Hammer on the news just moments ago, Dexter still believed in one undeniable truth: power belonged to corporations, not individuals.
No matter how strong a person was, no matter how legendary their combat skills, they were nothing compared to the might of a megacorporation. Adam Heavy Hammer had been one of the strongest cyber-enhanced warriors, and even he had fallen. A single person could never defy an empire.
Even if Peter had managed to crush Adam, what could he do against a nuclear bomb? Against a dozen of them? The corporations would always have a way to eliminate him.
That was why Dexter had already decided—he needed to betray Jack and turn himself over to Military Tech or Kang Tao. With the protection of those corporate giants, even Peter would have to think twice before coming after him.
Still, something about Peter unsettled him.
There was no logical explanation for how Peter had gotten stronger. The idea that he could absorb sunlight to enhance his abilities sounded like utter nonsense.
But the sight of Adam Heavy Hammer's dismantled prosthetics lying all around made that nonsense very real.
Dexter forced a smile.
"Heh… Mr. Peter, I didn't expect you to actually kill Adam Heavy Hammer. That's… impressive! You'll be the new legend of Night City from now on!"
Despite his outward confidence, fear gripped Dexter's heart.
He glanced around nervously, taking in the cyberware parts scattered around the room. Even if he had brought a hundred bodyguards, it wouldn't have mattered. Adam Heavy Hammer had been a walking fortress, and Peter had still annihilated him.
Peter's voice broke the tense silence.
"Mr. Dexter, I have a question for you. Why is it that I couldn't find certain itinerary records in Delamain's program? Why were the logs altered?"
Peter's tone was calm, almost casual, but that made it even more terrifying.
Dexter's face paled.
"N-No! Mr. Peter, there must be a misunderstanding! Maybe it was because of a program modification… You know how these AI systems can be unpredictable…"
Dexter was sweating now. His hands trembled, and he didn't even notice that his ever-present cigar had fallen to the floor.
Peter shook his head slowly.
"Actually, that's not the main issue."
He turned on the television, and a news broadcast filled the screen.
"My father! He died in this terrorist attack! This was a premeditated operation! If I hadn't evacuated in time, I would've been killed in the Cyan Bi Building as well!"
"I will find the murderer!"
The man on the screen, Lai Xuan, was overcome with emotion. His expressions shifted from fear to regret, from anger to vengeance.
Dexter's blood ran cold.
"What?! Saburo Arasaka is dead?! Are you all insane?! I only told you to steal the chip—and you actually went and killed Saburo Arasaka?!"
He lost his composure completely. Saburo Arasaka—the most powerful man in Night City—was dead.
This was beyond catastrophic.
Even if Peter hadn't personally killed him, there was no way he could talk his way out of this.
As long as no clear video evidence proved otherwise, everyone would assume Peter was the one responsible.
"Peter, do you have any idea what you've done?! This is insane!"
Peter ignored Dexter's panic and remained perfectly composed.
"What if I told you that the one who killed Saburo Arasaka was his own son, Arasaka Yorinobu?"
With a flick of his hand, Peter manipulated the TV feed, displaying a recording.
The footage showed Yorinobu Arasaka standing over his father, eyes burning with hatred.
"Your mother would be ashamed to see you like this!"
"Shut up! You don't deserve to mention my mother! You don't deserve to!"
Then, in crystal-clear detail, Yorinobu strangled Saburo Arasaka to death. Every movement, every emotion on his face was captured perfectly.
The broadcast ended. Peter calmly deleted the video from the screen.
Dexter's hands trembled.
"Mr. Peter… this video—this is our ticket to survival! We can use it to blackmail Yorinobu! If we force him into an alliance, surpassing Rogue will just be a matter of time!"
Dexter spoke with renewed excitement, as if he had suddenly become Peter's most trusted ally.
Peter merely smirked.
"Dexter… who's 'we'?"
Dexter froze.
"You're the one who orchestrated the terrorist attack on the Cyan Bi Building, remember? What does that have to do with me?"
Peter's voice was mocking, but his words sealed Dexter's fate.
The TV screen flickered again—this time, displaying Yorinobu Arasaka's reaction in real-time.
"Thank you, Mr. Peter. You helped me find the true culprit behind my father's death."
Yorinobu sat in a luxurious lounge, deep in thought.
For a moment, he had worried that Peter might expose him. But somehow, the helicopter footage from earlier had failed to capture Peter's face. Even Arasaka's best technicians couldn't decode the mosaic blur.
Now, Peter had given him the perfect scapegoat.
Back to the present moment—
Dexter's face turned deathly pale as realization set in.
"You bastard, Peter! You're setting me up!"
Because Peter had played Yorinobu's voice over the speakers, Dexter had heard every word.
Peter was going to use him as the scapegoat.
Yes, many people knew that Peter had accepted Dexter's commission. But who could prove that Dexter didn't have other plans in motion?
What would the public believe?
A video of Peter defeating Adam Heavy Hammer? That only proved he was strong—not that he was a terrorist.
But Dexter? A shady fixer with corporate ties?
He was the perfect fall guy.
Dexter trembled.
"I'm just one guy! How the hell could I have attacked an entire skyscraper?!"
Nobody would believe Peter had killed hundreds of people alone.
But Dexter?
A corrupt fixer in league with Military Tech?
That story made perfect sense.
Dexter let out a hoarse scream, but it was too late.
The trap had already been set—and Dexter Deshawn was the perfect scapegoat.
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