Johnny stomped his foot on the chair, his silver cybernetic arm gleaming with a cold, hard luster under the lights.
"Rules? Order?" He tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Isn't that just a collar the corporate dogs put on everyone? True freedom? It's street vendors not having to look at people's faces to set up their stalls, it's workers daring to bang on the Boss' desk, it's everyone being able to be their own master in their own territory!"
He scanned the conference room, his gaze finally settling on Yorinobu.
"You people, high up there, have no idea what kind of lives the people below lead. They don't need anyone to tell them what to do; they just need to take back what rightfully belongs to them—the confidence to speak, the room to choose, the dignity to live like a human being!"
Arasaka Kei calmly responded, "Disorderly freedom will ultimately lead to the law of the jungle. Japan's post-war reconstruction experience proves that a stable social structure is the cornerstone of development. Only when everyone understands their responsibilities can the entire society operate efficiently."
"Efficient?" Johnny slammed his hand on the table. "Just for your efficiency, you want to stifle every different voice? Force everyone into the same mold? What the hell is the difference between this and those Arasaka bastards?"
Yorinobu took a deep breath and interjected, "My week at the distribution point showed me a situation far more complex than either of you describe. The elderly certainly need stable rations, but young people yearn for more possibilities.
Perhaps… we can, while ensuring basic survival, leave different options open for different people?"
"Options?" Johnny sneered. "Under corporate rule, the poor never have options. Either be a good dog, or die. What I want is to completely rewrite this rule—to let the street sweepers and the office workers speak with their backs straight!"
Arasaka Kei shook his head slightly, "Idealism doesn't fill stomachs. Without a complete management system, the equality you pursue will only lead to chaos. Looking back at the history of Night City, every so-called 'liberation movement' has ultimately devolved into a new tyranny."
"That's because they only changed the surface, not the substance!" Johnny stood up excitedly. "What we want isn't a new master; it's to completely smash this system that divides people into different classes! To let the janitor and the CEO stand on equal footing, to let the street kid and the corporate executive have the same say!"
Yorinobu pondered, "Perhaps… we don't have to completely reject everything that exists. We can proceed gradually, starting with pilot programs at the community level. Let residents decide how public spaces are planned, let workers participate in the formulation of work systems. This maintains overall stability while leaving room for change."
Johnny was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "You know what? What I can't stand most is your kind of wishy-washy reform. But…" He took off his sunglasses, revealing sharp eyes, "if it can really let the people at the bottom make their voices heard, I'd like to see what kind of waves it can create."
Arasaka Kei nodded slightly, "Limited autonomy can be experimented with in non-core areas. But a comprehensive oversight mechanism must be established to ensure it does not affect the overall functioning of society."
Osiris' projection remained still, observing this clash of ideologies.
Three ideas, colliding, gradually outlined a possible future: perhaps a new path could indeed be found between order and freedom.
The conference room fell into a brief silence, like the calm before a storm.
Everyone was processing the sparks of thought that had erupted during the earlier exchange.
Yorinobu slowly raised his head, his gaze deepening. "Johnny, you advocate for janitors and CEOs to be on equal footing. But in my week at the grassroots, I saw not only oppression but also the heavy burden of responsibility.
When a person struggles with tomorrow's basic needs, his first thought isn't about the right to speak, but the right to survive."
He turned to Arasaka Kei, "Brother, your order indeed provides survival guarantees, but have you considered how long such an order can last when a person's channels for expressing dissatisfaction are blocked?
At the distribution point, I saw the unwillingness in the eyes of young people; it wasn't just a craving for food, but a yearning for dignity."
Johnny snorted, but this time he didn't immediately retort.
He rubbed his silver cybernetic arm, deep in thought, "You're right, a hungry person first thinks about filling his stomach. But the problem is that under the corporate system, the poor can only ever think about filling their stomachs, never getting a chance to consider higher-level needs. What I want to break is this damned cycle!"
"And after it's broken?" Arasaka Kei calmly retorted, "The nuclear bomb fifty years ago shattered the old order, and then what? Did a new order automatically descend? Or do you expect an ideal society to naturally grow out of the ruins?"
His voice remained calm, but with a deeper meaning, "Japan was able to recover rapidly after the war precisely because we understood that after destruction, a new order must be immediately established."
"But whose order was that?" Johnny suddenly looked up. "It was an order imposed from above! What I want is an order that grows from below! Let each community find its own way of life, let workers decide their own pace, let students participate in curriculum design…"
Yorinobu suddenly interjected, his eyes sparkling with new light, "Perhaps we've all been limited by thinking. Why can't we pursue both? Allow autonomy at the micro level within a macroscopic order that ensures basic survival?
Let different communities try different management models, and let time prove which approach is best suited for Night City?"
Arasaka Kei showed a thoughtful expression for the first time. "Your proposal reminds me of the Sankin-kōtai system during the Tokugawa era. Under a unified central government, various domains enjoyed considerable autonomy, which ensured overall stability while preserving local characteristics."
"Stop always looking for answers in history books!" Johnny interrupted impatiently. "We need to create something entirely new! Not old relics dug out of dusty archives!" But then he changed his tone, "However… letting different places try different approaches, that's not a bad idea.
Let the corporate district continue your order experiment, let Watson try true autonomy, and see who ultimately wins the hearts of the people."
Yorinobu continued, "The key lies in the transition mechanism. We cannot overthrow everything existing overnight, but we can design a gradual reform plan.
For example, starting with the use of community public budgets, allowing residents to directly participate in decisions; then piloting worker councils in workplaces, but initially granting only advisory power, not decision-making power…"
"Advisory power?" Johnny scoffed, "That's just giving slaves a chance to complain!"
"But this is a necessary first step!" Yorinobu insisted. "Let people first learn how to use their rights, and then gradually expand the scope of those rights. Otherwise, sudden freedom will only lead to chaos, and ultimately, a call for the return of strong authority. History has shown this lesson too many times."
Arasaka Kei nodded slightly, "This view aligns with the objective laws of development. We can design a tiered empowerment system, gradually devolving management authority based on the preparedness of each region. At the same time, establish a comprehensive supervision and evaluation mechanism."
Johnny was silent for a long time, finally speaking slowly, "I still feel this is too slow… But," he took off his sunglasses, revealing sharp, clear eyes, "perhaps this time I'm willing to see how far gentle reform can go. But I warn you—" his voice suddenly hardened, "if this turns into another corporate scam, my guitar is ready to play the anthem of rebellion again."
A wry smile appeared on Yorinobu's lips. "This is the system of checks and balances we need to establish. We need to give reform enough time to show its effects, and also preserve channels for oversight and correction.
Perhaps, true democracy isn't about choosing a specific system, but about always maintaining the possibility of changing the system."
Arasaka Kei's gaze moved between the two, finally settling on Yorinobu. "Your thinking is beginning to show surprising depth. Perhaps this is why Lord Magos arranged this meeting—to show us that beyond destruction and order, there indeed exists a third path."
From an unseen observation point, Lord Magos's record continued.
This clash of ideologies had already transcended a simple confrontation of ideas, beginning to outline a three-dimensional, multi-faceted vision of social governance.
Three different philosophies collided and merged here, giving birth to unprecedented possibilities.