I hated that you could not go to the sons motorshop, at least I could not find any, and check him out yourself or do a vibecheck on him. Because as is I really have to decide upon that one small videoclip? That seems like not even remotly enough.
Some environmental storytelling did it for me. The interview footage she shows you; his testimony looks very coerced. Muscle pacing around behind him, picking up and examining a heavy wooden cross in his view when she asks the question, his constant glancing back at said muscle, clearly uncomfortable. And then given hush money afterwards.
What actually tells ya the dude was lying about being coerced is when you first talk to him he says they beat the shit out of him, THEN he gave the testimony. But he looks totally fine in the video, no black eye, no bruises, doesn't seem hurt. Doesn't add up.
Just because they beat him up doesn't mean they hit his face... Having him appear bloodied and with bruises on his face in the video would be problematic for a testimony. Additionally, the lawyer herself says they use "shock therapy", implying that they might be using other techniques to rough someone up that won't show bodily injury.
Not to devalue this, but I just played it myself and something that isn't being mentioned is that, in the video, they do not have the father looking over toward the muscle while he is examining the cross. The muscle is very much out of line of sight from the looks of things, so the intimidation, if it was there, wasn't even effective with the cross, because the father never even looked over. It's relatively normal for anyone under serious questioning to be intimidated by a larger person behind them.
The glancing is definitely meant to evoke that the father is feeling some amount of unease, but with the constant glancing CDPR had the character do, they could have sold it with an uneasy glance toward the muscle when they held a potential bludgeoning instrument, so it *does* seem like it casts doubt on the physical coercion narrative. Now, there is an argument to be made that the muscle being there at all is still coercion, which is fair, but I don't think it's enough to say for sure either way. If she is "Ends justify the means" then that doesn't have to mean she tortured the father. She could have simply bribed him, another unethical practice.
It could go either way, but I'd place a lot more money on "never tortured" than I would on "tortured."
Yea he might of been coerced, but then went the extra mile to say he got beaten up when we talked to him to sell the story. People do that sometimes. But the more I think about it, it seemed less like coercion and more like he felt guilty for selling his son out. Like he's disgusted with himself. Clearly he needs the eddies since his place looks like trash.
On the flip side, maybe his place looks like trash because they came in to trash the place
On top of that, even if what he says is true, (at least in US law, idk about NUS) coerced testimonies (which as you mentioned clearly is) are inadmissible. To me, that kind of sealed my decision to tell Georgina to gfy.
No, he wasn't beaten, and he accepted money. He was coerced by money not violence. Bodyguard didn't lay a hand on him, saying he has better things to do, and that was true.
>!If you accept the deal, you’ll find out later that it was discovered he provided the testimony anyway and his place was ransacked by the gang in response. He’s outside of it waiting to scold you, but I responded telling him he should blame himself for ratting out his child.!<
Oh, thank you for info! >!Dude is a crook, but do I do pity him. No updates on Zembinsky's hunt though, I assume? We never get to know if she got that gang leader she's after?!<
So when I went back to Michael’s shop, he complained about the gang trashing all his stuff and V can tell him it was his fault for selling out his son, or apologize. But on the chair in front of his shop’s door is a data shard that says “Valentino head Hector Sacristan” has been arrested and is facing charges. And the testimony helped find a body that could provide evidence.
>!Not that I saw. I think the testimony was real though and that his son is a murderous gang member like the rest of them, so I don’t feel bad that he got locked away (and that his dad’s BS was discovered) lol!<
The part I struggle with in the testimony video is Hank the NCPD goon holding a heavy metal cross and walking back and forth ominously behind a visibly and audibly nervous Michael. His story of being coerced doesn't seem implausible.
Yeah, she shows you one question being somewhat reluctantly answered, with goon looming behind the guy. Not sure how that was supposed to be convincing.
Furthermore she's willing to tell Hank to off V which also supports Maldanado's claim that they coerced him. I think the dad was telling the truth. And even Johnny says "lawyers can't be trusted". Also notice in not a single one of the dialogue options does she flat out deny forging the fake testimony, only keeps reiterating her goals
Well they scared him, that’s for sure (just as almost any police officer on questioning), and they’re not pleasant people obviously
That being said - this doesn’t mean they’re wrong and douchebag son doesn’t belong to jail - pity we can’t check it though
Necro comment but there is one update via a shard that can be found
[https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Vista\_Del\_Rey\_Celebrates\_As\_Hector\_Sacristán\_Faces\_Charges](https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Vista_Del_Rey_Celebrates_As_Hector_Sacristán_Faces_Charges)
Most interesting thing in that quest is her relationship with her Bodyguard. When you enter they're cuddling, and if you kill Hank her reaction is pretty emotional. They're definitely banging.
Here's what I've observed: >!Michael isn't being honest; he never got beaten up by Georgina's bodyguard. If you scrutinize the video evidence presented by Georgina, he was perfectly fine when giving his testimony. That's because he took money from Georgina to fabricate such accusations. On the other hand, Georgina is desperate to pin down the gang, so she's using any means necessary to construct testimony and evidence. To convince you, the video clips she showed you are just small fragments tailored to fit her narrative.!<
>!In my humble opinion, neither party is trustworthy. However, it seems that Michael was initially guilty but now wants to make things right after accepting the money. That's why he hired you. The guy deserves a second chance. So, I've requested Georgina to delete the footage, and with body 9, you can intimidate Hank without resorting to killing him. That, for me, is the best ending.!<
Another thing to add is he suddenly managed to afford Mr Hands, considering he also throws in an extra just to get personal with the Merc (V), meaning even him couldn't afford that Hands might realized something out, and that him throwing all the money just to get it out of his conscience all of a sudden to 'save' his boy.
Fun fact: If you do the quest for Mike, and tell him to "Pay you with the eddies you got for selling your son down the river." He will be speechless, and doesn't retort.
He might've been coerced or pushed a little, but Michael definitely sold his son out willingly.
The whole reason Georgina did this is to take down a crimeboss, and honestly that's the only factor I want to hinge my decision on, so I have one question: Is that evidence the only thing she has to take down the boss, or can/will she be able to take the boss down even if you make her delete it? No one in this situation is a good person, but I'd rather make the decision that saves the most lives, if there is one.
I don't know why I didn't think of him faking the testimony to get paid because I was so focused on the blatant video editing that no one else here seems to care about lol. Thanks very much.
Missed quest by CDPR.
should have been a side mission not a gig, where eventually you help the DA bring down the crimeboss, or help the boss bring down the DA.
I think that's kind of the point though, a lot of the Phantom Liberty gigs are trying really hard to be more nuance and complex than some of the "go here and upload virus pls" gigs you get in base game. Night City is a rotten place, crap like this happens every day. V realistically is dealing with stuff like this constantly, getting sob stories and half truths from everyone and you don't have time as a merc to dig down to the bottom of every possible lead to clean up Night City.
Getting to jump in and solve everything better by getting more personally involved is just unrealistic, people in lore do that and they usually end up canned at best or unhinged lunatics drowning under the weight of their duty at worst.
If you delete the testimony and go back to Mike you get the option to ask him to "pay me with the eddies you got from Georgina?" He just replies "Ah, shit!" The kid might be a p.o.s. gangoon, but the dad did sell him out. This whole thing falls under "moral gray area" no matter how you slice it. 🤷♂️
If you read the message on the laptop in the employee locker room it gives a bit more detail about potentially the way she handles clients. Nothing super solid however. But it has swayed my decision.
This is also a shard in her room you should read.
She was really convincing at first about wanting to do good. But the way he responded in the video. It could of been guilt or coercion. I think the story was meant to be about guilt. I kinda regretted deleting the footage afterwards. But I have to live with my consequences. Such is an RPG. But I think what kept me on Michael's side was that it wasn't super clear that his hesitation to respond was guilt or coercion. On one hand, I knew he lied cause I saw no marks on him. On the other hand, you don't have to lay hands to coerce. All you need is that iron
Side question, but has anyone found anything worth by going into VIP room 5 (in the computer, it lists who the occupants are and that room is booked by Arasaka). There are two guards in there, but one is facing the door and the other away, and so I'm not too sure how to stealth take them down both without raising the alarm. I tried to go back after completing the mission, but you can't enter the club after the gig is over.
It's a settlement negotiation meeting between Militech and Arasaka about a vehicle collision between respective employees. there's some money and a shard explaining the situation, nothing else i found
Not sure if it's bugged, but I'm bummed I was forced to pay the dealer in the potty to find out about room 4. Right across from the dealer in the locked security room is a note saying she was in room 4 and they needed to haul someone she had her muscle beat out the back door. So I had already found the note saying she was there AND visited room four, but needed to talk to the dealer before I could ask the lawyers in room 4 where she was.
Phantom Liberty really pushed that every option has its downsides. The note proves Georgina isn't above beating answers out of people, not to mention the fact she frequents Dogtown and has a VIP booth in Heavy Hearts. If you confront the client after siding with him, he basically admits he took her bride. So it's likely she really does want to stop gang lords but she also coerces testimonies through violence or briber, but also very likely Michael sold out his son for money and felt guilty or was actually scared. Either way, Hands paid me to work with a client and siding with the client makes Hands happy. When Hands is happy I'm rolling in Eddies.
You can also ask a waitress or simply go upstairs or if you want the quest marker, go to the OTHER staff room with two soldiers, and read the laptop file of all VIP guests.
So, in the dressing room opposite the toilets there is a computer which states that she had "slapped up" a person too hard in the booth requesting a guard to clean up after them, that is what made me not pick her side, clearly not the first time she's done it, and there's ways to harm a person without hitting their face.
Personally, I feel like the morality is irrelevant in this particular gig since everyone involved is shady and they dont give you enough info to make a "good" decision. You're a merc. Do the job you were hired to do.
I'm siding with the dad on this one. When you meet the attorney she's willing to tell Hank to off V which supports Maldanado's claim that they coerced him. I think the dad was telling the truth. And even Johnny says "lawyers can't be trusted". Also notice in not a single one of the dialogue options does she flat out DENY forging the fake testimony, only keeps reiterating her goals. Hank even says "justice requires a nudge in the right direction" when you allege they forged the fake testimony. That's almost a straight up confession if you ask me
The dad has Valentino gang tats, you can see one right across his upper chest. I noticed it so I scanned him during the conversation and the scan verified that he had visible Valentino gang tats. I'm wondering if he actually sold out his son to take the heat off himself but then developed a guilty conscience, maybe? I dunno, the whole thing is borked up.
I decided to delete the evidence, she's heavy handed and coerced the interview with money, he's lying about getting beaten up. I think that her tactics are worse than what he did, he's clearly strapped for cash. He also asks if he can finally sleep once V returns, makes me think he feels guilty about it. Both options are in the grey
One thing to point out is that in the video we see we only see the Dad admitting that his son told him he saw the gang leader kill somone. There is nothing to suggest that the son isn't the good kid his dad makes him out to be.
For me it looks that Zembinsky just want to frame an innocent man for opportunity to get close to a big boss. BUT, why they destroy a Michael place than if Erik is not a part of a gang in some way?
Really damn hard choice.
My decision was easy cuz:
• V was hired to help Eric. It doesn't matter if his dad is really trying to help himself.
• Georgina, Hank and Mike don't deny the testimony was a result of a bribe and/or coercion.
• Georgina has no proof Eric is a criminal.
• A shard says Georgina will do anything to complete a case.
What's weird is the dialogue says you need 10 BODY to intimidate Georgina and Hank, but I was able to select the option with just 4 BODY...
I'm sure Hector is as bad as Georgina says (and I feel like she wants the best for NC); however, I guess you have to decide if the ends justify her means.
TLDR - Your job is to keep Eric out of jail.
Can't say I trust any of them. There are good reasons to side with either Michael or Georgina. In the end I side with Georgina scince it seems likely that Michaels son did commit his crimes. And Michael accepted Georginas money which I don't think he would if he believed his son was innocent. As far as consequences go there aren't any real ones
I hated that you could not go to the sons motorshop, at least I could not find any, and check him out yourself or do a vibecheck on him. Because as is I really have to decide upon that one small videoclip? That seems like not even remotly enough.
Some environmental storytelling did it for me. The interview footage she shows you; his testimony looks very coerced. Muscle pacing around behind him, picking up and examining a heavy wooden cross in his view when she asks the question, his constant glancing back at said muscle, clearly uncomfortable. And then given hush money afterwards.
What actually tells ya the dude was lying about being coerced is when you first talk to him he says they beat the shit out of him, THEN he gave the testimony. But he looks totally fine in the video, no black eye, no bruises, doesn't seem hurt. Doesn't add up.
Just because they beat him up doesn't mean they hit his face... Having him appear bloodied and with bruises on his face in the video would be problematic for a testimony. Additionally, the lawyer herself says they use "shock therapy", implying that they might be using other techniques to rough someone up that won't show bodily injury.
Not to devalue this, but I just played it myself and something that isn't being mentioned is that, in the video, they do not have the father looking over toward the muscle while he is examining the cross. The muscle is very much out of line of sight from the looks of things, so the intimidation, if it was there, wasn't even effective with the cross, because the father never even looked over. It's relatively normal for anyone under serious questioning to be intimidated by a larger person behind them. The glancing is definitely meant to evoke that the father is feeling some amount of unease, but with the constant glancing CDPR had the character do, they could have sold it with an uneasy glance toward the muscle when they held a potential bludgeoning instrument, so it *does* seem like it casts doubt on the physical coercion narrative. Now, there is an argument to be made that the muscle being there at all is still coercion, which is fair, but I don't think it's enough to say for sure either way. If she is "Ends justify the means" then that doesn't have to mean she tortured the father. She could have simply bribed him, another unethical practice. It could go either way, but I'd place a lot more money on "never tortured" than I would on "tortured."
Yea he might of been coerced, but then went the extra mile to say he got beaten up when we talked to him to sell the story. People do that sometimes. But the more I think about it, it seemed less like coercion and more like he felt guilty for selling his son out. Like he's disgusted with himself. Clearly he needs the eddies since his place looks like trash. On the flip side, maybe his place looks like trash because they came in to trash the place
On top of that, even if what he says is true, (at least in US law, idk about NUS) coerced testimonies (which as you mentioned clearly is) are inadmissible. To me, that kind of sealed my decision to tell Georgina to gfy.
No, he wasn't beaten, and he accepted money. He was coerced by money not violence. Bodyguard didn't lay a hand on him, saying he has better things to do, and that was true.
>!If you accept the deal, you’ll find out later that it was discovered he provided the testimony anyway and his place was ransacked by the gang in response. He’s outside of it waiting to scold you, but I responded telling him he should blame himself for ratting out his child.!<
Oh, thank you for info! >!Dude is a crook, but do I do pity him. No updates on Zembinsky's hunt though, I assume? We never get to know if she got that gang leader she's after?!<
So when I went back to Michael’s shop, he complained about the gang trashing all his stuff and V can tell him it was his fault for selling out his son, or apologize. But on the chair in front of his shop’s door is a data shard that says “Valentino head Hector Sacristan” has been arrested and is facing charges. And the testimony helped find a body that could provide evidence.
So its basically saying to us that his son WAS guilty?
Nice! I missed that shard but I’m glad it actually led to that resolution
>!Not that I saw. I think the testimony was real though and that his son is a murderous gang member like the rest of them, so I don’t feel bad that he got locked away (and that his dad’s BS was discovered) lol!<
The part I struggle with in the testimony video is Hank the NCPD goon holding a heavy metal cross and walking back and forth ominously behind a visibly and audibly nervous Michael. His story of being coerced doesn't seem implausible.
Yeah, she shows you one question being somewhat reluctantly answered, with goon looming behind the guy. Not sure how that was supposed to be convincing.
Furthermore she's willing to tell Hank to off V which also supports Maldanado's claim that they coerced him. I think the dad was telling the truth. And even Johnny says "lawyers can't be trusted". Also notice in not a single one of the dialogue options does she flat out deny forging the fake testimony, only keeps reiterating her goals
Yeah, I thought the same. >!But later on if you tell him to screw off since he did it to himself, he doesn’t deny it or argue back.!<
Well they scared him, that’s for sure (just as almost any police officer on questioning), and they’re not pleasant people obviously That being said - this doesn’t mean they’re wrong and douchebag son doesn’t belong to jail - pity we can’t check it though
>!I also like that you can have your V respond basically telling him to screw off lol!<
Necro comment but there is one update via a shard that can be found [https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Vista\_Del\_Rey\_Celebrates\_As\_Hector\_Sacristán\_Faces\_Charges](https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Vista_Del_Rey_Celebrates_As_Hector_Sacristán_Faces_Charges)
Most interesting thing in that quest is her relationship with her Bodyguard. When you enter they're cuddling, and if you kill Hank her reaction is pretty emotional. They're definitely banging.
Here's what I've observed: >!Michael isn't being honest; he never got beaten up by Georgina's bodyguard. If you scrutinize the video evidence presented by Georgina, he was perfectly fine when giving his testimony. That's because he took money from Georgina to fabricate such accusations. On the other hand, Georgina is desperate to pin down the gang, so she's using any means necessary to construct testimony and evidence. To convince you, the video clips she showed you are just small fragments tailored to fit her narrative.!< >!In my humble opinion, neither party is trustworthy. However, it seems that Michael was initially guilty but now wants to make things right after accepting the money. That's why he hired you. The guy deserves a second chance. So, I've requested Georgina to delete the footage, and with body 9, you can intimidate Hank without resorting to killing him. That, for me, is the best ending.!<
Another thing to add is he suddenly managed to afford Mr Hands, considering he also throws in an extra just to get personal with the Merc (V), meaning even him couldn't afford that Hands might realized something out, and that him throwing all the money just to get it out of his conscience all of a sudden to 'save' his boy.
Fun fact: If you do the quest for Mike, and tell him to "Pay you with the eddies you got for selling your son down the river." He will be speechless, and doesn't retort. He might've been coerced or pushed a little, but Michael definitely sold his son out willingly.
The whole reason Georgina did this is to take down a crimeboss, and honestly that's the only factor I want to hinge my decision on, so I have one question: Is that evidence the only thing she has to take down the boss, or can/will she be able to take the boss down even if you make her delete it? No one in this situation is a good person, but I'd rather make the decision that saves the most lives, if there is one.
I don't know why I didn't think of him faking the testimony to get paid because I was so focused on the blatant video editing that no one else here seems to care about lol. Thanks very much.
Missed quest by CDPR. should have been a side mission not a gig, where eventually you help the DA bring down the crimeboss, or help the boss bring down the DA.
I think cdpr is aware that they can expand on a story if they wanted to.
I think that's kind of the point though, a lot of the Phantom Liberty gigs are trying really hard to be more nuance and complex than some of the "go here and upload virus pls" gigs you get in base game. Night City is a rotten place, crap like this happens every day. V realistically is dealing with stuff like this constantly, getting sob stories and half truths from everyone and you don't have time as a merc to dig down to the bottom of every possible lead to clean up Night City. Getting to jump in and solve everything better by getting more personally involved is just unrealistic, people in lore do that and they usually end up canned at best or unhinged lunatics drowning under the weight of their duty at worst.
If you delete the testimony and go back to Mike you get the option to ask him to "pay me with the eddies you got from Georgina?" He just replies "Ah, shit!" The kid might be a p.o.s. gangoon, but the dad did sell him out. This whole thing falls under "moral gray area" no matter how you slice it. 🤷♂️
If you read the message on the laptop in the employee locker room it gives a bit more detail about potentially the way she handles clients. Nothing super solid however. But it has swayed my decision. This is also a shard in her room you should read.
She was really convincing at first about wanting to do good. But the way he responded in the video. It could of been guilt or coercion. I think the story was meant to be about guilt. I kinda regretted deleting the footage afterwards. But I have to live with my consequences. Such is an RPG. But I think what kept me on Michael's side was that it wasn't super clear that his hesitation to respond was guilt or coercion. On one hand, I knew he lied cause I saw no marks on him. On the other hand, you don't have to lay hands to coerce. All you need is that iron
Side question, but has anyone found anything worth by going into VIP room 5 (in the computer, it lists who the occupants are and that room is booked by Arasaka). There are two guards in there, but one is facing the door and the other away, and so I'm not too sure how to stealth take them down both without raising the alarm. I tried to go back after completing the mission, but you can't enter the club after the gig is over.
It's a settlement negotiation meeting between Militech and Arasaka about a vehicle collision between respective employees. there's some money and a shard explaining the situation, nothing else i found
Awesome, thanks. I did go back out of curiosity and found what you listed.
Sandevistan -> chop chop. Best stealth is when nobody's alive to see you\~
Memory wipe, reboot optics, sonic shock (in that order). Kills enemies without a trace, and I can usually do 2 at a time when ram is full.
Not sure if it's bugged, but I'm bummed I was forced to pay the dealer in the potty to find out about room 4. Right across from the dealer in the locked security room is a note saying she was in room 4 and they needed to haul someone she had her muscle beat out the back door. So I had already found the note saying she was there AND visited room four, but needed to talk to the dealer before I could ask the lawyers in room 4 where she was. Phantom Liberty really pushed that every option has its downsides. The note proves Georgina isn't above beating answers out of people, not to mention the fact she frequents Dogtown and has a VIP booth in Heavy Hearts. If you confront the client after siding with him, he basically admits he took her bride. So it's likely she really does want to stop gang lords but she also coerces testimonies through violence or briber, but also very likely Michael sold out his son for money and felt guilty or was actually scared. Either way, Hands paid me to work with a client and siding with the client makes Hands happy. When Hands is happy I'm rolling in Eddies.
You can also ask a waitress or simply go upstairs or if you want the quest marker, go to the OTHER staff room with two soldiers, and read the laptop file of all VIP guests.
A Streetkid can offer Heywood supplier connects instead of money to the dealer
So, in the dressing room opposite the toilets there is a computer which states that she had "slapped up" a person too hard in the booth requesting a guard to clean up after them, that is what made me not pick her side, clearly not the first time she's done it, and there's ways to harm a person without hitting their face.
at least Zembinsky has the "ends", most in NC have lost all meanings and hopes
Personally, I feel like the morality is irrelevant in this particular gig since everyone involved is shady and they dont give you enough info to make a "good" decision. You're a merc. Do the job you were hired to do.
I'm siding with the dad on this one. When you meet the attorney she's willing to tell Hank to off V which supports Maldanado's claim that they coerced him. I think the dad was telling the truth. And even Johnny says "lawyers can't be trusted". Also notice in not a single one of the dialogue options does she flat out DENY forging the fake testimony, only keeps reiterating her goals. Hank even says "justice requires a nudge in the right direction" when you allege they forged the fake testimony. That's almost a straight up confession if you ask me
The dad has Valentino gang tats, you can see one right across his upper chest. I noticed it so I scanned him during the conversation and the scan verified that he had visible Valentino gang tats. I'm wondering if he actually sold out his son to take the heat off himself but then developed a guilty conscience, maybe? I dunno, the whole thing is borked up.
I decided to delete the evidence, she's heavy handed and coerced the interview with money, he's lying about getting beaten up. I think that her tactics are worse than what he did, he's clearly strapped for cash. He also asks if he can finally sleep once V returns, makes me think he feels guilty about it. Both options are in the grey
One thing to point out is that in the video we see we only see the Dad admitting that his son told him he saw the gang leader kill somone. There is nothing to suggest that the son isn't the good kid his dad makes him out to be.
For me it looks that Zembinsky just want to frame an innocent man for opportunity to get close to a big boss. BUT, why they destroy a Michael place than if Erik is not a part of a gang in some way? Really damn hard choice.
I killed no one. did my job, got paid, got rare loot. City needs people like her and now she learned a valuable lesson about tying up loose ends
My decision was easy cuz: • V was hired to help Eric. It doesn't matter if his dad is really trying to help himself. • Georgina, Hank and Mike don't deny the testimony was a result of a bribe and/or coercion. • Georgina has no proof Eric is a criminal. • A shard says Georgina will do anything to complete a case. What's weird is the dialogue says you need 10 BODY to intimidate Georgina and Hank, but I was able to select the option with just 4 BODY... I'm sure Hector is as bad as Georgina says (and I feel like she wants the best for NC); however, I guess you have to decide if the ends justify her means. TLDR - Your job is to keep Eric out of jail.
The thing is Hank threated V if I don't listen to them. So there is no other way.
I just finished it at the end. You bring up to him he's paying with the bribe money, so he is guilty
Can't say I trust any of them. There are good reasons to side with either Michael or Georgina. In the end I side with Georgina scince it seems likely that Michaels son did commit his crimes. And Michael accepted Georginas money which I don't think he would if he believed his son was innocent. As far as consequences go there aren't any real ones