Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

Mann looked at Jack.

"Thanks, Jack. I'll consider laying low for now. If you come up with any new jobs, remember to let me know..." The voice was weak and listless, like a deflated doll. "Come on, Dorio, let's go find Faraday."

Faraday?

Jack, who was comforting his girlfriend, immediately became alert.

Speaking of which, according to the gossip of his 'afterlife' friend, this Faraday works for military technology and is his adversary. Because, in a way, he works for Arasaka.

After all, his younger sister is in Arasaka, and his connections are Arasaka's connections.

For middlemen with higher-level connections, these things can be guessed with a little investigation and verification of the source of the information.

If it's for working for Arasaka... we'll see if the girl has any needs.

“Mann brothers, if you really need the money, I have a suggestion that's not entirely certain. I don't know if it will work out, but would you like to hear it?”

......

Meanwhile, in the Japanese archipelago, at Yokosuka Port.

Arakasaka Navy Second Fleet.

The catamaran, the supercarrier INS Kujira.

Vera stood by the railing outside the towering command tower, gazing into the distance.

Huff... huff...

Her long, light golden hair fluttered in the sea breeze.

"New shipbuilding plan, Adelheid..."

Vera put down the thick paper plan in her hand, a playful smile playing on her lips.

"interesting..."

Even she felt immense pressure from Lao Deng's heavy bet; she wondered if Lai Xuan would be driven mad.

Saburo set up phased rewards for her.

Do you want to own your own supercarrier for the Night City fleet?

If you want it, then work even harder on military technology!

Vera would have to pry open the independence of the former West Coast free states, including Southern and Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

drip.

It was an internal communication notification tone. Vera glanced at the virtual screen grid built into her prosthetic eye.

It was Jimmy, her adjutant in Night City.

[Jimmy: Director, the first phase of the operation against the Sixth Street gang is complete. Using gang violence and disruption of public order as a pretext, even if military technology detects anything amiss, the media and diplomacy won't be able to find any major problems with our operation.]

Vera nodded, her expression serious. "Then let's move on to the second stage."

"Use the pawns we planted in Dogtown years ago. Incite a territorial battle between the Netherhound Gang and the Sixth Street Gang."

The former military technology and the new American rebels, the current military technology supporting gangs, and their territories are adjacent, there are many points of conflict. What Vera needs to do at this stage is to intensify the conflict.

To fan the flames.

------

P.S.: Ahem, as long-time readers know, updates are before midnight (around 2 AM).

I'm so tired of changing these sensitive words!

Damn it, I don't believe it. Why are there so many things preventing me from having an early menstruation before midnight?

Chapter 091 Vera is about to arrive in her loyal Night City

The bridge of the Khujira.

Central command center.

Vera placed the paper plan for the new supercarrier Adelheid from the Arasaka Manufacturing Department on the command table, and sat quietly behind the carrier dispatch and command control simulation platform, watching a group of Arasaka Navy commanders and operators busy in front of the central display console.

Since we're already here, how can we not experience firsthand what it's like to remotely control a war from a supercarrier?

Authorized by Saburo Arasaka.

Although no explicit order was issued to place the fleet under Vera's command, it was still perfectly acceptable for her to board the ship without any hindrance or restriction to observe and experience it.

It's all just empty promises. The new shipbuilding plan for the Admirald even uses Vera's middle name, which carries auspicious connotations...

Vera can only say that this pie is big and delicious!

Anyway, she ate it.

She'd been eyeing that multi-hundred-thousand-ton supercarrier for ages. It was way more impressive than any airship or the new Air Force One.

As for returning to Night City on this fleet... cough, Vera hasn't floated away yet.

The current situation in North America is neither appropriate nor mature.

Saburo Arasaka isn't dead yet. In the original timeline, Hanako Arasaka was able to sail directly to Night City on the Cugira without facing significant diplomatic or public criticism, and even received subtle support from other factions, because her father had died.

Saburo died in Night City. Before others knew the truth about Arasaka Yorinobu's patricide, the prime suspect was Military Technology.

After all, military technology has a history of such practices.

More than half a century ago, military technology used nuclear weapons to destroy Arasaka Tower, and then, by falsely accusing them of being unwitting victims, they pinned the blame on Arasaka. Arasaka's eldest son, Arasaka Kei, was also assassinated by cyber mercenaries hired by military technology.

Arakasa thus had a legitimate reason to attack and completely gained the upper hand in diplomacy and public opinion.

Now, in 2076, the "Alvin Peace and Unification Agreement" signed during the Metal Wars is still in effect.

If Arasaka were to send the Kujira to the west coast without any basis, it would be far more serious than wrangling over increasing troop numbers or establishing new military facilities. To outsiders, it would be a signal of war, a trampling of peace, and a violation of international law.

Treaties are meant to be torn up.

This statement is true for cyber giants; violating international law is easy, but the timing is crucial. It depends on whether the potential gains outweigh the negative impacts and losses from violating international law.

Starting with a powerful move is a bad idea.

"Sixth Street Gang".

Vera lightly traced the tabletop with her fingers, muttering the name of the victim she was about to harm.

On the large screen in the command center, there was a high-resolution aerial view of the southern part of Night City, Liberty State, Northern California.

After the fleet commander introduced the basic parameters of the Kujira and the Second Fleet, Vera signaled them to bring up a global map of Night City.

As Vera clarified her target, the scope quickly narrowed down, eventually settling on the border area between Dog Town in Taipingzhou and the Santo Domingo Valley.

The secondary control screen next to it also lit up, outlining the territories controlled by the Sixth Street Gang and the Hound of the Underworld on the Night City map.

The Sixth Street Gang is one of the major gangs in Night City.

The general distribution of influence is in the Lijiang scenic area, the Santo Domingo valley, and the Coronado farm.

Originally formed by a group of veterans who participated in the Fourth Corporate War, the Sixth Street Gang decided to form to protect themselves and their community due to their dissatisfaction with the NCPD's inaction.

They claim to be a group of old-school American patriots, but their actions are no different from those of gangs that bully the weak in the community.

After the Metal Wars ended in 2069, Military Technology seemed to have established a good cooperative relationship with them, continuously supplying them with weapons and supplies. The Sixth Street Gang undoubtedly acted as Military Technology's black glove in Night City.

Their personnel composition and the historical background of their establishment determine that their stance is naturally inclined towards military technology and the new United States.

Needless to say, Vera had no interest in spending a lot of money to win them over. It would be better to eliminate them and support the NUSA rebels, who were the most hostile to military technology and New America among the Ghost Hounds, to take power.

Capitalizing on Kurt Hansen's (former NUSA military colonel, now the leader of the Ghosthounds in Dogtown) growing ambition and his hatred for the betrayal of former CEO of Military Technology and President of New America, Rosalind Miles, he secretly guides the Ghosthounds to expand into the valley region of Santo Domingo.

As the two gangs happen to be adjacent, Santo Domingo can be said to be the only viable direction for Kurt Hansen to expand his power.

Other directions include deserts, suburban technology farms for biotechnology, the less lucrative territory of the Taipingzhou Voodoo Gang and Animal Gang, or Heywood, a place across the river filled with company buildings and a powerful NCPD force.

Vera didn't believe that Kurt Hansen had no desire to expand his territory.

The target of his beating was the Sixth Street Gang, and his ex-girlfriend's new mistress.

If he showed even the slightest inclination or wavering, she had a hundred ways to tear the flesh of the Sixth Street Gang apart, mash it, shred it, and stuff it into his mouth.

Military technology will inevitably lead to suspicions about Arasaka, but Vera isn't afraid of their suspicions. Let's play the game.

Ideally, we should attract them to transfer elite agents from other regions.

Vera needs to leverage the international influence brought about by Saburo's return to power in 2076 to infiltrate key cities in the Free States on the west coast of North America, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and San Diego, and to restore the influence within the former sphere of influence of Arasaka's power.

In addition, following Saburo's instructions, we continued to iterate on the phased byproducts of the "Stairway to Heaven Project" in Night City, and directly delivered them to the North American market to obtain clinical data.

Just as Vera was pondering how to better sabotage military technology and eliminate New America's influence in the western free states, Didi... A communication marked with the highest priority...

Vera then put on a perfect and appropriate faint smile.

【Lord Saburo. 】

"Vera, your leisurely sightseeing is over. Your stage shouldn't be limited to academic research. Night City is where you truly shine. Now, unleash your imagination and don't disappoint me."

Thank you for your support.

Vera knew perfectly well what this so-called 'brilliant idea' meant.

For example, she verbally mentioned to Saburo the experiment of fusing a tyrant with a cybernetic body and equipping it with a new 'King Kong' exoskeleton. This is just one example. Saburo, who hates military technology, clearly wants Vera to have no worries and to first put any ideas she has into the forefront of the competition with military technology.

beep.

Communication hang up.

Vera smiled at first, then a hint of wistfulness flashed in her eyes. She stood up and walked out of the command room surrounded by a group of Aragaka Lone Wolf agents.

Standing by the railing outside the towering command tower, Vera looked at the super-large airships docked on the aircraft carrier's flight deck, as well as the high-speed escort airship formation.

Although it's called a hovercar, it's actually more like a spaceship. While it can't compare to President Miles' Air Force One, it's still a high-speed flying vehicle capable of entering the stratosphere.

She will return to Night City in this vehicle, escorted by a squadron of naval fighter jets from Arasaka.

...