Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

But you know what, once you get used to it, it has a unique charm.

Vera activated the language plugin's correction and adjustment function, turning to the side. "Takemura-kun," she said, looking at Takemura Goro, the loyal bodyguard still dressed in black, who was walking towards her. Behind him stood Oda Santayu, dressed similarly and sporting a dashing, long, slanted fringe.

They are all acquaintances.

Oda Santau bowed slightly, "Director Russell."

"Lord Oda," Vera returned the greeting, displaying just the right amount of courtesy.

Compared to his familiarity with Takemura, he was undoubtedly much more rusty, but Oda Santao didn't seem to mind. He nodded indifferently and stepped aside, continuing his patrol and vigilance within the main residential area as was his habit.

Vera glanced at his departing figure out of the corner of her eye.

The cyber ninjas secretly trained by Arasaka are indeed quite professional.

Like Takemura Goro, Oda Santao is a loyal bodyguard. In his eyes, there is only his target, Arasaka Hanako. Even protecting Saburo is a priority for him, second only to Hanako. After more or less contact over the past six months, she has basically determined that he has no interest in the infighting and profit-driven strife among the management of Arasaka Company.

Soon, Shintaro Takayama and Vera entered the main house, where New Year decorations such as kadomatsu (pine trees) and shimenawa (sacred ropes) had already been arranged by the servants. The Japanese New Year was changed from the lunar calendar to the Gregorian calendar after the Meiji Restoration, which falls on January 1st each year.

It's clear that Saburo Arasaka is holding a small-scale New Year's celebration.

By 2076, few people will care about this kind of cultural program.

Whether you want to live together is one thing, whether you can live together is another.

In a cyberpunk world where working year-round and overtime are the norm, the 'wonderful' words like holidays, early rest, and leisure have become unattainable luxuries for the vast majority of people...

The banquet was small, and Vera was led away by the Arasaka family's 'hereditary' waiters as soon as she arrived.

After a quick wash, cleansing, and dressing to remove the weariness of her journey, Vera took off her shoes, put on silk socks, and stepped barefoot onto the tatami mat. Led by a waiter, she crossed the exquisite wooden door and entered the inner room where Saburo Arasaka was.

Expensive incense wafts through the air.

Hanako Arakawa was among them.

She remained dignified and elegant, kneeling on the prayer mat with her hands clasped together, head bowed, eyes closed, facing the ancestral tablet on the rectangular altar against the wall in the inner hall, muttering incantations as if she were praying for blessings or making a memorial service.

Sanlang sat kneeling in the center in front of the memorial tablet.

With her excellent eyesight, Vera could see clearly.

The offering table is divided into three tiers.

Above, there were two memorial tablets, but due to the angle, she could only see one. The tablet was carved in Japanese and read "Sanzhai".

In the middle, there are three memorial tablets, one of which is in the front center, for Michiko.

Below, a memorial tablet stands, offered in reverence.

Vera immediately understood.

The altar, from top to bottom, is dedicated to Saburo Arasaka's parents, his three wives, and, in the center and front, his beloved Michiko, as well as his only lost child, his eldest son Takashi Arasaka.

Oh, and also, Arasaka Yorinobu isn't here. Arasaka Michiko, who shares the same name as Saburo's third wife, isn't here either.

"Lord Sanlang." Vera bowed and performed a gesture of respect, her gaze shifting from the empty prayer mat near the memorial tablet to Sanlang's right hand.

"You came."

Upon hearing Vera's voice, Saburo slightly opened his closed eyes and stood up decisively.

Having recovered to his seventies or eighties, Old Deng was in high spirits and full of vigor. Without needing anyone's help, after placing three more incense sticks in the incense burner in front of his eldest son, Arasaka Kei's, memorial tablet, Saburo, who looked serious yet kind, turned to look at her.

He truly embodies the qualities of a wise, focused, determined, considerate, and passionate entrepreneur...

Without exchanging pleasantries, Saburo asked Vera questions about the "2075 Tokyo Arasaka Tower Year-End Training Staff Summary Meeting."

The two conversed warmly yet respectfully, maintaining a proper sense of hierarchy.

Saburo offered brief comments on Vera's performance, policy proposals, and vengeful tendencies in military technology, expressing his appreciation while also warning her not to be careless.

Vera naturally agreed, neither arguing back nor blindly following. Appropriately, she calmly and confidently recounted her plans and arrangements for returning to Night City.

A key to effective collaboration and trust between subordinates and superiors is to ensure that superiors are aware of your intentions, your progress, and your expected outcomes.

"...Dogtown, Pacific State, the Hounds...reorganized from the NUSA advance force that stormed Night City during the New American Metal Wars, a military gang that rebelled due to dissatisfaction with the Alvin Peace and Unity Agreement...You want to use them to stir up trouble in California and instigate a second rebellion in the former free states of the New American West?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Saburo's eyes.

He became interested.

The Metal War, also known as the Unification War, broke out in January 2069. The two sides were Niimi and the Free State, and each received support from Military Technology and Arasaka, respectively.

The two sides also use different names for this conflict. The Shin-American/military technology side calls it the "Unification War," while Arasaka and the Liberty State prefer the name "Metal War."

This battle severely hampered the momentum of military technology, allowing Arasaka to return to North America.

Although Saburo didn't want to admit it, he knew very well that he hated the company from the bottom of his heart when it came to military technology.

Not only because Arasaka Enterprises clashed with Military Technology during the Fourth Corporate War, causing him to lose his eldest son and suffer the humiliation of defeat, but also because of Military Technology's then-CEO—Donald Lundy.

This former general, who came from the Pentagon of the old U.S. military, saw a reflection of himself in Saburo's experience of transitioning from military to business, and it also reminded him of the American pilot who shot him down in the Pacific War.

Saburo said in a low voice:

"How can you be sure this isn't a mole planted by Rosalind Myers (former CEO of Military Technology, current President of New America) in Night City, entrenched there under the guise of rebels, as a backup plan to drive us out of California?"

Vera remained composed as she explained her reasoning: "I can't be sure if Washington has any connections there, but we can incite the Hounds' hatred. Betrayal is sometimes more shameful than an enemy."

A statement with a double entendre.

Sanlang lowered his eyes and moved slightly.

"continue."

"Washington might be able to issue the order to lie low down to the officer level, but it would never be able to do so to the rank and file. The feeling of being betrayed by one's own people on the eve of victory is so profound that it can destroy any loyalty."

Vera bowed again, placing her hand on her chest, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"A town cannot survive solely on the military. Dogtown's establishment and development were sustained by the 'humanitarian aid' from Su Petrochemical and Arasaka. The inherent characteristics of Night City naturally led Dogtown to provide shelter for various criminals, including black markets, intelligence trading, and bounty hunting..."

“All sorts of social dregs gather there, which is why they are able to survive and even grow stronger.”

"The rapid expansion without a stable channel for replenishing qualified personnel to ensure a minimum level of personnel means dilution. While the current Ghost Dogs still retain a considerable degree of military discipline, the influx of various thugs, ruffians, and scum will inevitably affect the 'purity' of the army."

"Six years of decadence and slackness, even if military skills do not decline, does not mean that ideological quality will not decline. Street kids, cyber mercenaries, those people who lick blood from the blade, indulgence is life, betrayal is commonplace. Such is the environment. As the saying goes, it takes a thousand days to learn good, but only one day to learn bad."

"When the bottom line is broken, loyalty is gone, and hatred is incited, how many of Washington's ghost dogs can be controlled?"

"Furthermore," Vera looked at Saburo Arasaka and said arrogantly, "would I let them reconnect?"

Every gesture she made exuded confidence and composure, and her beauty was beyond compare.

"Find and investigate any Ghosthound officers who may still be in contact with Washington. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. Night City has no shortage of mercenaries who want to get rich overnight and become famous overnight. Have a middleman pass on the message: things that can be solved with money are never a problem."

"Kurt Hansen (former NUSA military colonel, now the head of Dogtown), I don't know if he's a true traitor or a loyalist, but that doesn't stop us from putting him in a difficult position."

As one of the most powerful people in the world, the situation in Night City was no secret to Saburo Arasaka. However, due to the information asymmetry, Vera could not say that she had foreseen the future where Rosalind Miles would be betrayed by her own subordinates. She only emphasized that she would push for it.

"..."

After a long while, seemingly having digested and sorted out Vera's plan, Saburo nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his lips. "Vera, I like your adventurous spirit. However..."

"The New Year's Eve dinner is the most precious event of the year, so don't waste it as a company briefing. As for your detailed plan, submit a concrete implementation plan to me within two days."

"As ordered."

At this point, the waiters, whose skills in reading people were maxed out, had already begun preparing to serve the dishes and arrange the dinner.

The individual serving tables were set with extremely luxurious jade, silver, and ivory tableware, and various famous dishes were quickly served, almost piling up on the table. Compared to the kaiseki cuisine I had visited before, this time it was undoubtedly very meaty, eggy, and dairy-based, very German and very American.

"Sigh..." Vera looked slightly surprised.

Saburo seemed quite satisfied with Vera's statement and stance.

"Please take a seat. You're just a young man, after all, indulging in your appetite."

He stood with his hands behind his back and shook his head.

The conversation then turned to the main theme of the dinner.

As the order to take their seats and begin the banquet was given, Hanako Arasaka rose respectfully from her prayer mat, like a puppet completely subservient to Saburo's imposing presence. Shintaro Takayama, who had been hiding behind the screen, also emerged.

Saburo is in the center, to the left are Hanako and Shintaro Takayama, and to the right are empty seats, empty seats, and Vera.

Takemura and Oda were not eligible to attend.

Not long after, seemingly noticing Vera's puzzled expression, Saburo pointed to the empty seat on his right and said in a rather self-deprecating tone, "Occasionally, I hear other people talking in the shadows, Lai Xuan... It's a misfortune for the family. My unfilial son Lai Xuan hasn't attended the family gatherings that gave birth to him for decades."

"Michiko frequents outside, and her unhappy childhood of losing her father makes her always suspicious of such activities. As Michiko's friend, you should be able to empathize with her, having lost your parents in the metal wars."

Vera has lost her touch.

Her eyes seemed to dim instantly, and after a long while, she sighed and spoke with a low voice: "Yes, Lord Sanlang. I often think about how to take revenge, how to repay my father and mother's expectations of me... I'm sorry, Lord Sanlang, I don't want to talk about this topic anymore."

"I should be the one apologizing; no one wants to recall this topic."

Saburo's voice seemed to grow weary in an instant. He looked at the memorial tablet on the altar behind him, his body slightly hunched, and sighed, "Michiko is perhaps fortunate not to have seen the Arasaka family today, otherwise she would have been heartbroken by disappointment..."

His words were genuine; Vera couldn't detect any trace of rehearsal in them. When Saburo mentioned his beloved wife, Michiko, he did smile, though only for a fleeting moment.

"Family, responsibility, honor..."

This was the main point of Vera's speech at Arasaka Academy in Night City.

Saburo looked again at the blond, blue-eyed, exceptionally beautiful, and elegant young junior with a refined and aloof demeanor.

Undoubtedly, everything about her is excellent: outstanding abilities, a clean background, contributions to Arasaka, hostility towards military technology, and high scores in his multiple assessments over the course of a year... Apart from being a little too arrogant and having an unpredictable level of ambition, she is practically a successor bestowed upon Arasaka by heaven.

Lai Xuan was rebellious, Hua Zi lacked ability, and Michiko lacked prestige.

Even though Saburo is a guardian of traditional Japanese family values, culturally xenophobic, and looks down on the Western values ​​of freedom and democracy from the bottom of his heart, he simply cannot ignore Vera, a genius junior who emerged from within his company.

He must make good use of her!

We must completely bind her to Arasaka's chariot.

“You have passed my test. Vera, you are a smart woman, you know when to stop, and that too much of anything is bad. ‘The feeling of being betrayed by your own people on the eve of victory is unforgettable, enough to destroy any loyal heart.’ I would add that it is also enough to destroy any trust.”

Saburo said.

“Now, go, Michiko.” He pointed to the altar. “Fred, Mia.” He said Vera’s parents’ names. “They are like my Rei, and Arasaka will be their, your, eternal home.”

Remind Vera to be like her parents.