Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

These scenes, invaluable to journalism scholars, are naturally a global media spectacle.

夜之城时间6月6日晚上11点。（南非时区UTC+2，加利福尼亚UTC-7，南非时间比夜之城时间快9小时）

Night City remains the same Night City, unchanged despite anyone's departure.

As far as the eye can see, conflicts between conglomerates and giant corporations continue, gang warfare rages on, the Dead Man's Lottery keeps updating, and late at night, the crimes of outlaws and the hedonistic lifestyle of cyber mercenaries in bars continue as usual.

Watson District, Next Life Nightclub.

Colorful light pollution danced on the ceiling, images of strippers and sex dolls intertwined, and the air was filled with a mixture of various smells: the spiciness of alcohol, the intensity of tobacco, the stimulation of drugs, and the mingling of perfume and hormones. All these smells blended together to create the unique atmosphere of a dissolute and even decadent nightlife.

Around the bustling bar, mercenaries who had completed their missions and borderline travelers who were planning what jobs they would take on the next day gathered in twos and threes. After ordering a drink left behind by the legends of the past, they chatted and joked about their day's achievements and the future.

Frenetic music, and Stanley, a close friend whose songs you've heard so many times you're practically tired of them, are essential for creating the atmosphere.

Good evening, Night City!

"I'm your old friend Stanley. Another wonderful day has come to an end in our City of Dreams. Of course, I'm not here to chat and sell things this time; let's talk about serious matters."

"Speaking of Night City, our place has a renowned reputation throughout the world. People always flock to Night City. We're not afraid to compare, but today, we have to admit that someone is even more awesome. Although it's only temporary."

"Everyone knows about South Africa, right? Yes, a place called Johannesburg, the industrial park on the hillside got bombed!!"

When the broadcast of 'Arasaka has been bombed' echoed through the nightclub along with Stanley's impassioned broadcast, all the older guys, except for those who were actually drunk, high, or engaged in some kind of indescribable piston-like activity in the private rooms, squinted their eyes.

The decadent atmosphere inside the nightclub seemed to have become slightly more serious.

"Holy crap, that's awesome! Bombing Aragaka?"

At the bar, a burly man with a bun hairstyle, a gentle face, and wearing a jacket exclaimed in surprise.

"Alright, stop bragging. Didn't you see Arasaka went crazy? Those guys who committed crimes are legendary enough, but they're probably legendary to the point of death."

The female bartender, whose arms were thick but showed no signs of prosthetics, glanced at the news. Although she was equally surprised, she didn't react as strongly as the burly man in front of her. Wiping her cocktail glass, she said, "So, Arasaka Tower exploded. We'll get back to what we were doing. Hmm, big guy, what would you like?"

"It wouldn't do for Arasaka Tower to blow up. My best friend is still desperately climbing out of that snake pit. Hmm, let me think... Vodka, on the rocks, lime juice, ginger beer... I haven't decided yet, so I'll leave it at that for now."

"Hmm, you want to keep a portion of the wine for yourself? Quite ambitious. Wait a moment."

On the other side, in a booth against the wall, a tall, burly man with brown skin downed a shot of strong liquor in one gulp. His sunglasses slipped down slightly, revealing a pair of eyes that conveyed shock.

“Mann, this kind of thing is obviously none of our business. It’s just backstabbing between big companies. As it turns out, their actions have successfully angered Arasaka. Soldiers in exoskeletons, mechs, armored vehicles... even tanks have been deployed.”

As she spoke, the blonde-haired girl named Qiwei, wearing a perforated mask, with phoenix eyes, yellow sclera, and red pupils, held a cigarette in her mouth. She glanced at the part of the battle scene revealed on the holographic screen and asked, "Do you want to be one of them?"

"How could that be? Do you think I'm such a reckless person?"

"I'm just reminding you. You're the head of the team; everyone depends on you for their livelihood."

"Hahaha... This doesn't sound like what you said, Qiwei. I'm really under a lot of pressure."

The burly, brown-skinned man, Mann, laughed heartily.

It was Mann's team. He had just completed a commission and made some money, and he was bringing his team to 'Later Life' to broaden their horizons.

"...corpses everywhere, devastation all around... I wonder if they achieved their objective. Lucy, what do you think?"

Dorothy, a muscular woman with golden bangs, suddenly took Kivi's arm from the side. Watching the scene on the screen of Arasaka soldiers cleaning up the battlefield and the corpse collection team separating the bodies, she casually chimed in and asked the person next to her, appearing as a carefree person who didn't care about anything.

"I actually hope they succeed. Only big companies can go to this extent. Big companies fighting each other, Arasaka is doomed, isn't that good?"

Lucy, the white-haired punk girl huddled in the corner of the sofa, silently smoking a cigarette, simply stated her consistent anti-Arasaka stance.

"Hey, don't look so bitter and resentful."

Dorothy, who was even more robust than a man, laughed heartily. Without thinking much, she cheerfully picked up a bottle of beer from the coffee table, shoved it into Lucy's arms, and gave her a thumbs-up, saying:

“That kind of thing is too far removed from us. If they’re dangerous, then we should stay away from them. Once we’ve saved enough money, Mann and we might be able to transform into a middleman team. By then, once we’ve made enough money, you can go to the moon too. Although I don’t understand what’s going on in your head about going to the moon. Right now, don’t think about those unpleasant things, just have fun.”

"You're quite right," Lucy chuckled, uncapping the bottle and lightly clinking it against Dorio's. "Glug..."

After gulping down half a glass, feeling the refreshing coolness flow down her throat, Lucy slowly shifted her gaze away from the Arasaka Clover logo on the holographic screen...

Let bygones be bygones.

Mann's team made her feel warmth again after a long time. Her mentor, Qiwei, her older brother-like Mann, and her team leader and atmosphere mediator, Dorio, were all ordinary people who were pleasant to be around.

"Alright, enough of this nonsense. Let them fight it out. Let's think about what to do next." Mann rubbed his big, heavy hands together, then grabbed a beer. "Hacker girl, this is for you. With your skills, you deserve to be here—woof!"

Bang! An elbow strike nearly made Mann vomit stomach acid. It was Dorio.

She said with a displeased look, "What nonsense are you talking about now? You're being so formal, treating Lucy like an outsider." As she spoke, she raised her beer and then laughed, "Come on, toast to the team, let's have a drink."

"To the team." Lucy smiled and raised her beer bottle, while Qiwei next to her also took out a cigarette from a hole in her mask and picked up a beer.

Just as everyone was about to clink glasses, "What's going on? They didn't even wait for us!" Pila, a skinny bamboo pole whose arms were almost as long as her body, and Rebecca, a short, rampaging loli who had been persuaded to come in, entered the booth carrying several dozen drinks.

"Hey, Rebecca, didn't you say you were going to meet the 'Queen of the Afterlife' to broaden your horizons? Didn't you get to see her?"

"How would I know? Anyway, after the news of Arasaka's bombing broke on the radio, those old bastards suddenly fell silent, and many left their seats. I saw that things weren't going well, so I didn't go and cause trouble..."

...

Private rooms on the second floor of Laisheng Nightclub.

An elderly woman wearing a yellow cropped long-sleeved top, black leather pants, and with trendy gray hair shaved on one side sat quietly in the center of the sofa.

If a young cyberpunk who aspires to be a big shot or a legend saw her, most of them would gasp in amazement.

Because her name is Roger, the most powerful underground intelligence exchange platform operator in Night City, the king of middlemen, the owner of the Afterlife nightclub, and the last surviving legend in Night City.

"Now for an international news segment."

"A major terrorist attack occurred at the Arasaka Industrial Park in Johannesburg in the early hours of June 7, South African time. It is suspected that important experimental materials were stolen from Arasaka, but the matter has been successfully resolved."

"According to on-site reporters, Vera Adelhaid Russell, who is currently residing here as a student, has been appointed as Special Operations Commissioner and will be fully responsible for the investigation of this terrorist attack..."

Rogge sat there with his legs crossed, watching the South African terrorist attack being reported by numerous media outlets on the round-table screen with a complicated expression.

Bombing Aragaka? She's familiar with that.

But that was over half a century ago. Rock kid Johnny Silverhand and the strongest lone wolf mercenary Morgan Blackhand led a bunch of legends to take down Arasaka Tower. How heroic! Those were the real legendary deeds.

Unfortunately, Arasaka has now returned and become the de facto ruler of Night City once again.

In Night City, no new powerful figures dare to provoke Arasaka. Forget about blowing up Arasaka Tower; there aren't many left who would even dare to protest, attack Arasaka's convoys, or spy on the Arasaka Industrial Park.

The Fourth Corporate War and the Great Internet Crash did not destroy the companies; instead, they made them stronger.

“Johnny… I never thought that you, this lazy, despicable bastard, would become the last vestige of courage in Night City. After you died, this world became even worse, even more disgusting…” Roger murmured.

"But Vera Adelheid...that name sounds familiar, is it her?"

The next moment, Roger's eyes began to redden, and he said to the person on the other end of the communication channel with an unquestionable tone: "Find a way to help me find out the whole story of the South African incident. Money is no object. I have a feeling that anything related to Vera Adelheid, even the most obscure fragments about Mewtwo, will be bought by countless people for a high price."

"We need to do it as soon as possible," she emphasized.

From a former mercenary to the king of middlemen in Night City, Rogge possesses an intelligence-gathering instinct far beyond that of ordinary people.

After this, Vera Adelheid, who will be making her first appearance on stage in front of the whole world, will definitely not be the only one interested.

After issuing the order out of professional habit, Roger leaned back on the sofa, the orange glint in his eyes fading. "Heh, if Johnny were still alive, I'd really like to see how he views me now..."

...

Night City, Aragaka Tower.

The floor of the security department.

"Holy crap! Captain Jimmy, it's Supervisor Vera! Wasn't she studying at the University of Tokyo? How did she end up in South Africa, and even become a Special Envoy for Plenipotentiary Operations? My God, with that position, the entire security department in South Africa would probably have to take orders from our boss!"

"That's right, martial law at the border, city-wide lockdown, city-wide search... We made a fortune after the supervisor came back."

At the special assault force training base, after seeing the announcement on the big screen, more than a dozen squad leaders from Arasaka immediately found Jimmy, who had just finished reporting to Deputy Director James Thomas, and started talking all at once.

"Okay, everyone, shut up."

Adjutant Jimmy clapped his hands to interrupt his subordinates, "Keep training, look how excited you guys are." Although he said that, the barely suppressed smile on Jimmy's face showed that he was very happy.

"Alright, stop gathering here. Go tell the brothers down below that they all need to perform well until Commander Vera returns!"

“We’re, after all, the commander’s trusted subordinates. Don’t you dare cause trouble or act arrogantly outside. If we perform well, it might even help the commander get promoted. Would Commander Vera treat us unfairly?”

...

Counterintelligence Department.

Company employee NC770416's indoor workstation.

beep.

At the desk, a striking woman with a dark red, shaved-side hairstyle frowned, looked up, and answered the call, "This is V."

"V, we have a mission."

It's Arthur Jenkins. The head of the counterintelligence department, and also V's mentor and superior.

V asked in a deep voice, "What mission? Location, time, nature?"

Jenkins: "Counterintelligence, find spies. Pack your things now and leave immediately with your men. Our destinations are Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Do you know about Vera Adelheid? Your senior at Arasaka Academy, her University of Tokyo study trip was ruined by terrorists. Have you seen the internal reports and news from Tokyo headquarters?"

V nodded.

Jenkins: "Her research was mostly destroyed, she must have been furious. She killed at least a hundred people in one night. After obtaining military authorization, she immediately deployed troops to seal off the entire Johannesburg, and the manhunt is still ongoing..."

"She's really trusted. No wonder she's an elite second-generation." Jenkins couldn't help but sigh at this point. "She suspects there are military technology informants within the company. Tokyo is taking this very seriously, and it's a good opportunity for you. I'll send you the attached document later."

"Alright, that's it. Now hurry up and get on with it. Don't let me down."

beep.

Harry, the Black man, peeked out from the other side at the opportune moment and asked, "So, what's our mission this time?"

V smiled slightly, then stood up decisively and began packing his backpack, saying, "South African counter-espionage, Harry, is a big job. If we do it well, we'll be rich."

...

One day later, on the afternoon of June 8th, South African time.

Johannesburg