Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

Chapter 095 Freshly Baked Plastic Sisters

The video signal was transmitted to Vera's prosthetic eye.

Data is received and converted, and suddenly, a stylish and fashionable young woman appears on her retinal virtual screen.

She had a mohawk, shaved sides, and her hair was dyed an unconventional blue. She had an Asian face with good looks and well-maintained skin. She had no tattoos, was very clean, wore gold lip gloss, large gold earrings, and a deep V-neck gold dress with fur straps that revealed her midriff.

In 2076, people with such "empty board numbers" are either monks who are extremely poor or people of very high status.

The woman in front of them was clearly the latter.

Michiko Arasaka.

Saburo's eldest granddaughter.

The only daughter of the late Crown Prince Arasaka Takashi.

With Lai Xuan and Hanako remaining unmarried and childless, he is currently the only surviving third-generation descendant of the Arasaka family. He is the founder and CEO of Dangerous Girls Company.

Well, this 68-year-old woman, whose biological mother is of Japanese American descent, was born and raised in the United States in the 2000s. Her makeup and taste are hard to describe.

It's rebellious, American, and technologically advanced.

The makeup was the kind that would make Old Man Sanlang frown.

The phone light flashed on her iris. Vera took a sip of hot coffee, and after indicating to her uncle James Thomas that the caller was Michiko Arasaka, she straightened her posture and said, "It's been a long time, Ms. Michiko."

She spoke, not choosing to mute herself despite Thomas's presence.

“Vera Adelheed, tell me, how should I address our relationship? Should I call you Director, Chief Director, or should I affectionately call you my sister?” Michiko said.

Beneath the calm yet slightly sarcastic tone, an inexplicable undercurrent seemed to be surging.

Vera just smiled.

"Not for now. Perhaps it's just a whim of yours, Lord Saburo... It's not that bad yet."

"Not yet? That's nonsense."

Michiko laughed too, "Vera, my grandfather, the 'God of Enterprise,' never does anything unnecessary." Her tone was clearly that of someone on the same level.

On the virtual screen, she looked at Vera with a complex and wistful gaze.

Just as Vera was scrutinizing her, Michiko, having learned the whole story of Tokyo and knowing she could no longer remain uninvolved, was also carefully examining the 'business partner' displayed on the holographic screen.

During the video call, the elegant woman, dressed in a high-end custom-made suit, remained as noble as a rose. Despite her tall and dignified appearance, with her sharp eyebrows and unsmiling demeanor, her beauty was undeniable.

A style completely different from his own.

Her style, aesthetics, and habits should get along well with the older generation in Japan.

Michiko thought with malice towards the old-fashioned people of Tokyo.

She was always well aware that her grandfather, Saburo Arasaka, disapproved of many of the ways and habits she had developed in America.

No wonder Saburo wanted to train Vera...

To be honest, Michiko was initially quite baffled by the rumors circulating among the higher-ups that she had suddenly woken up to find herself with a stepsister who was nearly half a century older than her.

But then I thought about it.

The object of his affections is Vera, a high-ranking military commander from the Night City Security Department, who is at the forefront of military technology and is exceptionally talented. He helps Saburo win back the young Vera.

Saburo is serious.

A nearly 160-year-old grandfather wants to recognize his daughter on behalf of his father, who passed away more than 50 years ago!

Saburo has not yet officially announced the bestowal of his surname and inheritance rights, but the courtesy and privileges Vera received in Tokyo are undeniable.

She frequently visited the Arasaka family compound, participated in the Arasaka family's New Year's Eve dinner and offered incense to her father, Arasaka, and even on New Year's Day, Saburo took her to attend the highest-level meeting of the Arasaka Global Regional Presidents and 'National Directors'...

"Perhaps, in the near future, you will call Lai Xuan 'Uncle' and Hua Zi 'Aunt,' just like I do..."

"But we can discuss our own opinions privately."

Vera did not deny that she had her own understanding of surnames and inheritance rights.

"What's done is done. It's not my intention to be seen as a sycophant by others. I don't like it, and I won't force everyone to like me. At the very least, I will prove that these are the rewards I deserve for my achievements."

As she spoke, she looked at James Thomas, who had stood up in front of her.

drop.

Additional text messages inserted.

Thomas: Vera, you're a promising young woman. I know your ideals. You truly are the most outstanding among our faction's generation... I look forward to the day you actually reach the top of Arasaka Tower... You and Lady Michiko talk first; I won't disturb you any longer.

Vera: Thank you, Uncle Thomas. Thank you for your help. Sometime, I'd like to invite you to relax at the Kita-Oak fishing grounds or the Hokkaido hunting grounds.

Thomas: Haha, I'm even more excited now...

Seeing that Michiko Arakasaka's encounter with Vera seemed far from over, Thomas wisely excused himself. Even considering privacy and minimizing disruption, he didn't speak, but instead sent a text message.

Vera rose to see him off, and only after Thomas's figure had disappeared from the living room did she turn her attention back to him.

"Military achievements." Michiko carefully considered Vera's words from a few seconds ago.

He's a real fighter.

She raised her head and said, "You should say this to Lai Xuan."

"I have no interest in currying favor with someone who doesn't reciprocate my feelings. Just as Lai Xuanjun disliked Lord Jing, I don't have a good impression of him either."

Vera tapped the sofa armrest lightly with her fingers.

"Undeniably, he is both insightful and skillful, a qualified manager, and even an outstanding one. You know, Miss Michiko, Lord Rai Xuan's hostility toward military technology and his slogan of waging war on military technology once fascinated me."

As she said this, she glanced discreetly at the cyber ninjas of the Arasaka compound standing outside the living room.

Feeling of being watched.

Surveillance, huh?

Vera didn't care.

Appropriate surveillance is unnecessary; special protection suffices. This group of elite bodyguards, well-versed in the "Three Monkeys and Four Don'ts"—that is, don't look at, don't listen to, don't speak of, don't move—are very discreet and understand the importance of maintaining proper distance. As for the surveillance reports being relayed back to Tokyo, well, watch me handle that—

"pity."

"What a pity?" Michiko's interest was piqued.

"People always grow up. I have hatred and anger, but when I awoke from my confused hostility, I realized it was unreliable. The spark of ambition must be ignited by myself, and what truly propels me to greater heights is never the shoulders of others. Besides—"

Vera looked at Michiko on the retinal virtual screen, and her smile became much more meaningful.

His shoulder was 'crooked'.

Lai Xuan betrayed him.

Michiko understood instantly.

For some reason, being stared at by Vera through the video screen gave her a chill. Those deep eyes, even though they were prosthetic, were so intense and bright...

Suppressing the vague unease in her heart, Michiko said indifferently, "You... your ambition is even greater than I thought." Only after she said it did she realize that her voice was a little hoarse.

Vera curled the corners of her lips again, as if she didn't care at all whether Michiko was there to question her or not. Stroking her chin, she chuckled and said, "Not at all. Would I have gotten this far?"

“Ms. Michiko, do you want real revenge?” she said.

"call..."

A deep breath.

“Sometimes I think about how I should handle things to satisfy the voices in my father’s organization who are eager for revenge and leave behind an inheritance for him.” Instead of answering the question directly, Michiko changed her perspective, “Now it seems that I will definitely gain a younger sister.”

I support you.

"It's my pleasure."

Vera didn't care what Michiko was thinking. As long as Saburo was still around, she would never openly oppose her. Moreover, this reason—to avenge Arasaka Kei—would naturally win the favor of a large portion of Michiko's forces.

Especially the old-school forces that have been left over from the time of Arasaka Kei.

Given that Michiko Arasaka also had a history of "going astray," it doesn't seem like it would be particularly difficult for her to join Vera's ranks as a new reserve "grandson" who hasn't "gone astray."

Without mentioning Michiko's past actions of apologizing to the new America in a speech in Washington to retain her USA citizenship.

At that time, she was just a naive 17-year-old high school student who had just lost her father, and the explanation could be that she was coerced.

In the 2040s, Michiko did something significant: she married a detective named Mark Sanderson and changed her surname, abandoning her original Arasaka surname and becoming Michiko Sanderson.

It wasn't just adding a surname, it was completely changed!

Although he later changed his surname back to his original one and successfully returned to Arasaka Company, becoming a member of the highest board of directors, this was a stain on his record. It may not seem like much under normal circumstances, but at crucial moments, it can be as heavy as a thousand pounds, enough to influence the decisions of many people.

"Looking forward to meeting you in person, Vera."

"Me too, Michiko-neechan."

As the call ended, Vera and Michiko looked at each other before hanging up.

"Compared to being a high-ranking leader in the Arasaka district, a bloodthirsty executioner with filth on your hands, I think being a pure researcher suits you better. If you didn't choose to carry on your father's legacy... it's too late to say anything now. We... are all bound by our families, unable to control our own lives..."

After a long silence, she suddenly managed to squeeze out these words.

Vera was taken aback, but quickly understood what she meant.

It's because of a shared experience between them.

Both belonged to the Arasaka camp, both had busy childhoods with both parents, and both lost their parents when they were sixteen or seventeen. The only difference was that Arasaka was expelled from North America when Michiko was born, while Arasaka returned to North America when Vera was born...

"maybe."

Vera also sighed, "Isn't growing up all about the unpredictability of life? Perhaps we'll never know where we'll end up, what we'll encounter, or what kind of person we'll become..."

Dudu-

Communication hang up.