It's the opposite, NetWatch wants the chip, not Johnny. Ronald Cheever, the NetWatch rep in contact with Yorinobu, outright asks him "Why Silverhand, though?" in their email correspondence.
NetWatch's MO is to never directly confront AIs if they can avoid it, they much prefer containment over conflict. So "baiting out" Alt makes little sense.
Either Ronald is not informed about true goal of this NetWatch operation, or plays Yorinobu.
NetWatch wants the chip tech, which is relic 2.0 - for what purpose? Re-selling it to highest bidder? Come on, not NetWatch's style. Creating their own Mikoshi 2.0 based on this Relic 2.0? Can see no signs this - or something alike - is what NetWatch is after.
Instead, i see this: NetWatch can't contain Alt A.I. It ain't just that sreenshot i made, it's also how easy and quick Alt sets up that BBS for V to contact Alt, and the place remains secure and functional - we have V using it much later to contact V, and it works like a charm from none other than Aldecaldos' camp, in the corresponding ending.
Means, "preferable" option - is not available for NetWatch. They keep failing keeping Alt at bay. Not only Alt is able to go through Black Wall whenever Alt desires to do things in Ghost City and in that orbital station - Alt also is able to go through, converse with V / Johnny, do things like that BBs, and none of this NetWatch is even able to detect happening!
That's why NetWatch wants to capture / control Alt, i think. It's a threat to NetWatch, and it's a big and long-standing one. Possibly the largest thorn in NetWatch's side for decades.
Now let's try to connect some more dots. In Pacifica, them vodoo boys were playing their netrunner games for great many years. And yet, NetWatch did not bother to go in, set up a field operation under heavy cover by completely unofficial muscle (animals) and capture vodoo boys' leaders. But they do it in 2077 - very shortly after the deal which NetWatch was trying to arrange with Yorinobu, and also with Evelyn - has failed to happen.
You think this is coincedence? I don't.
So what's the goal for NetWatch holding Brigitte "digital hostage"? NetWatch agent is quite doding explaining that part, if memory serves. Supposedly, Netwatch tried to gain control over Vodoo Boys network - that's what (rather dumb, mind you) Placide thinks. Thing is, NetWatch could do this years prior, or much after. Me, i think NetWatch has plenty access to Vodoo Boys networks for many years already, they just preferred to keep 'em Vodoo Boys doing their thing as it doesn't any much hurt NetWatch itself (nor any other big players any much).
And if so, then NetWatch could well know it's likely Vodoo Boys who are actually the "negotiating side" behind Evelyn's offer. Thus the corresponding question from NetWatch agent to Evelyn in their email exchange - about "who mastermind is".
This is how once relic slips outta their grasp, NetWatch set up a trap on vodoo turf, expecting some 3rd party to contact Brigitte about the relic. They get V trying to free Brigitte, and depending on player's actions, NetWatch either gets to plug into V and have their agent to walk away with all the data collected, or fail to get V connected to NetWatch systems and lose the agent (fried by vodoo boys). To this day, i suspect this is one of most important choices we do in the game, story-wise.
Next, let's try to connect another pair of dots.
Dot #1: per wiki, "
In 2077, Yorinobu saw an opportunity and stole the Relic prototype from one of his father's laboratories in Tokyo.[7] After retreating to Night City in a plan to sell the prototype to Netwatch, he was warned by Anders Hellman that he should consult his father". We hear the conversation with Hellman right in the BD Evelyn captured.
Dot #2: we know vodoo boys knew that it's exactly Johnny's engram which is on the relic even before they hired Evelyn to make the BD of Yorinobu's place, and they knew Yorinobu is the guy who has Johnny's engram on that relic.
Now, i don't think Yorinobu, during his passage from Tokyo to Night City with the Relic 2.0 in hand (ok, ok, in a case
) - would merrily inform every bystander: "hey folks i have one Johnny Silverhand engram right here! Wanna buy?"
So, _how_ vodoo boys learned about it?
In my opinion, vodoo boys' netrunning skills and equipment are fun insufficient to penetrate Arasaka corporate defenses. Means, vodoo boys couldn't just "discover" about Johnny's engram by their own intel. And since nobody else tries to snatch the relic from under Yorinobu's nose, it's quite likely that only vodoo boys knew about it (and thus hired Evelyn to BD the place, who then hires V and Jackie to klep the thing).
This means, some entity did all of the following:
- find out about Relic 2.0 existance (which was highly guarded secret internal project in Arasaka, under Saburo's personal supervision);
- find out Yorinobu stole the thing;
- inform vodoo boys about it.
Who, or what, this entity may be?
Perhaps one useful hint - is what Brigitte explains to V about why they want to contact Alt: when black wall falls and rogue A.I.s flood in, vodoo boys want to be on the right side. I assume this means "winning" side, and i assume vodoo boys count on A.I.s winning it. Further, this quite sounds like a deal, to me. A deal of this kind: "hey vodoo boys, you get me Alt, and i make sure rogue A.I.s will see vodoo boys as allies once the Black Wall falls".
And while i having but by gut's feeling - this sounds AWFUL LOT like what NetWatch would do. Exactly the kind of slippery rotten false "deal" they'd manage to have vodoo boys to believe in. Especially since NetWatch clearly wants the relic with Johnny Silverhand - we can discuss what exactly for, but it's clear they do want it, and they want it bad.
Oh, and aside from all the above - thank you a BIG time for finding something which seems to contradict my theory. Please, give me more of the sort if there is any. Much grateful for this - it helps!