Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

A bald man with sharp eyes, gray hair and beard, and conspicuous prosthetic lines covering his body looked at her. Vera's built-in communication chip rang in response, and the man's voice came through immediately after the call was connected.

"Commander Russell, congratulations."

He looked quite old, probably the oldest person present, but Vera dared not underestimate him.

"Grandpa Ram." Alright. Another acquaintance, one of my father's acquaintances.

So, privately, many corporate employees grumbled that Commander Adelhead's work and promotions in Night City's security department were like going home and retrieving something.

The person Vera replaced in this promotion was probably him.

The position of commander of a special assault force.

Vera looked at Ram's thinner upper limbs. Clearly, his combat prosthetics had been dismantled, for no other reason than that he had reached his limit.

His neurasthenia made him unable to withstand high-intensity combat. If he continued to push through, he would develop cybernetic psychosis. Before any signs of this appeared, the company's security and maintenance personnel forcibly dismantled his combat prosthetic body to 'reduce his load'.

Mr. Ram has served the company for over twenty years.

"Want to comfort me? Vera, haha... Instead of comforting me, why don't you focus your energy on the biotechnology research you're interested in? Fred has a good daughter... I haven't thanked you yet, Vera, for the improved inhibitor you developed to repair the Old Web that saved my life."

Ram stared intently at Vera.

Vera simply smiled in response, remaining silent.

Let them continue to misunderstand.

There is a misunderstanding that Vera joined the security department to take over her parents' job, and that biotechnology research is just a personal hobby.

"All right."

Finally, James Thomas, the deputy director of security, interrupted the whispers.

"I won't repeat the commendations for the Brasilia operation. Vera Adelheid Russell, the deputy garrison commander, was promoted one rank and appointed as the head of the Special Assault Force, participating in the internal management of the Garrison Command with the rank of garrison commander."

"Arasaka Group Tokyo Global Headquarters: Order issued, effective immediately."

……

The meeting ended quickly.

After all, each has their own tasks and areas under their jurisdiction. Announcing a promotion order is not like parachuting in a new commander; it won't take long.

Vera smiled as she looked at her updated personal profile and access level on the office terminal.

drip-

A new unread message popped up.

From: Arasaka Traffic Management Bureau - Night City

Dear Vera Adelheid Russell, please come to our office during your free time to pay the management fees and collect the 'Holy Sword'.

Here comes the dedicated hovercar.

But before that...

Vera left the office, carrying a bottle of champagne, and led two bodyguards to the reception hall on the first floor of Arasaka Tower, heading towards the Arasaka Memorial Monument located outside the reception hall.

In addition to commemorating the nuclear explosion in 2023, there is also a monument here commemorating Arasaka's return to Night City in 2069, and the names of Vera's biological parents are also inscribed on it.

Regardless of the high price of Paradise Champagne, after finding the monument bearing the names of her biological parents, Vera silently poured the wine in her hand. When only half of the bottle remained, Vera paused, drank it all in one gulp, placed the empty bottle in front of the monument, stood up straight, and then silently bowed her head.

Two bodyguards stood guard nearby.

Under the setting sun, shadows silently watched this scene from within the towering, insulated glass curtain wall of Arasaka Tower.

------

P.S.: I went back to my hometown for Qingming Festival.

Regarding updates, because the new book requires a longer update schedule and many recommendations, I can't update too frequently. How about 2K a day, 4K a day, and 6K every two days?

I still need votes (○｀ 3′○).

Chapter 007 Vera's 'Life' and 'Hobbies'

I desire a carefully crafted persona; I also desire gratitude.

This time, Vera stood up straight, her spine taut, and bowed her head in a standard bow to the Arasaka Memorial in front of her, or more accurately, to express her gratitude for the names of her biological parents inscribed on it.

……

In Night City, are there still people who believe in this stuff?

Some city dwellers passing by the monument were surprised; some drunkards slumped in the grass, smelling alcohol, staggered and looked in the direction they were looking; and some pedestrians on the outskirts of the city, busy making a living, cast their gazes in the direction they were looking…

Upon seeing the two company bodyguards, one in black and one in white, both heavily modified with combat cybernetic bodies and as strong as bears, most people immediately snapped out of their daze, either quickly leaving or muttering disdainful curses under their breath.

Security personnel patrolling the company plaza recognized Vera's senior management rank and reflexively moved closer to her. The people patrolling, with their embedded composite prosthetic eyes making no attempt to conceal it, dispersed the incoherent drunks.

Vera remained motionless, bowing her head in respect for five minutes.

They died in the line of duty in 2069.

In 2074, Vera, at the age of 21, was promoted to head of the Special Assault Force of the Security Department's General Security Bureau.

Although she is still a whole rank away from her cheap father's position: First Deputy Commissioner of the Security Bureau, according to the unspoken rule of the company that resources diminish with each generation, it means that Vera is about to exhaust her father's 'legacy'.

By slowly building up seniority, you might be able to get promoted again.

But even if Vera is confident in breaking through her father's ceiling, it means she will need to rely more on herself. Beyond that point, the influence of her parents' legacy begins to diminish.

"Your wishes will come true, I promise."

Vivi stretched out her hand to touch the cold marble surface of the monument and whispered.

You died to climb to the top of Arasaka Tower, and perhaps you didn't even have time to tell me about your expectations of that too. Fine, I will do it. I will truly climb to the top of Arasaka Tower.

The true pinnacle.

Vera looked up at the top of the Arasaka Tower, where only the clover logo was faintly visible, and squinted.

'The time is ripe, isn't it? 2077, a great upheaval, the stairway to chaos...'

After a moment, Vera turned around and straightened the high-end crystal bottle of Paradise Champagne one last time. "Clean it again in 5 days," she emphasized to the Arasaka patrol personnel in the company square, before walking towards the main entrance of Arasaka Tower.

"what?"

As she stepped onto the stairs, Vera suddenly paused the moment she entered the main gate of the Arasaka Tower.

Turn around.

Who is watching her? And it is a gaze filled with malice and hatred.

From Vera's perspective, on the overpass not far from the company square, a white shadow that seemed somewhat out of place among the surrounding pedestrians flashed by.

With haste and evasion...

Vera remembered that out of the corner of her eye, she seemed to catch something shining for a moment.

White, very translucent hair with a light rainbow gradient?

"Sir?" Vera's unusual behavior immediately caught the attention of the bodyguard who was always focused. He stood in the direction Vera was looking and asked in confusion.

“Hehe…” Vera raised her eyebrows slightly, smiled faintly, shook her head, and then turned around. “Nothing, I just saw a very interesting person.”

...

"Huh...huh..."

Heavy breathing.

In a corner of the overpass, a white-haired woman with eyeshadow, wearing a white off-shoulder jacket and a tight-fitting outfit with a cropped top leaned against the wall, panting heavily. Her white, light rainbow-colored, asymmetrical side-parted sideburns hung down, obscuring her still-shaken eyes.

"Is that woman at the company...so sensitive?"

The pretty white-haired woman looked up with lingering fear, cold sweat dripping down her forehead.

Because of the other person's act of bowing to the monument of Arakasa, she, who had no good feelings towards Arakasa due to past experiences, was very unhappy. She stared at him for a while, and when he left, she muttered a few sarcastic remarks behind his back. That Arakasa company dog ​​actually looked directly in her direction!

They were staring straight at me, clearly looking for her!

"Araka..."

This is a heinous corporation that evokes both hatred and fear.

"She didn't chase after me, so she probably doesn't know who I am... No, I can't take any chances... Just to be safe, I should stop making extra money for now..." Just as the woman was about to take out a cigarette to calm her nerves, the phone rang—

The woman's violet pupils flashed with red data light.

"Hello, this is Lucy...Keevy?"

......

Arasaka Tower, the floor where the biotechnology research department is located.

Old network technical repair course.

A pristine white metal corridor, a symmetrical red and white umbrella-shaped logo, and personal laboratories marked with the word 'Russell' on their doors.

Click.

Pushing open the door, the newly appointed head of the Biotechnology Department, who had just left the 'home'-like security department, arrived at the Biotechnology Department, where her personal laboratory was located.

Security work is a job, but biotechnology research is a hobby that's part of my "persona".

Carrying her coffee, Vera arrived at the lab she hadn't been to for over half a month. She casually pulled out a document from her desk drawer, glanced at the desktop (it had been cleaned), then sat down in her swivel chair, approached the office computer, and expertly activated the lab equipment.

The message pinned to the top of the terminal interface was a business document sent by 'Dangerous Girl,' a partner company of Arasaka.

Rehabilitation and convalescence services.

Well, the client is pressing us again.

Vera couldn't refuse.

Earning Euros through collaboration is one aspect, while spreading one's reputation as a genius is another.

More importantly—