Infinity, progress from Arasaka

What is your identity and what is my identity?

In South Africa, let alone your Johannesburg branch, even in Cape Town, the Arasaka office here can only be called a building, and cannot be named headquarters or Arasaka Tower.

There are only three Arasaka Towers in the world: Tokyo in Asia Pacific, Paris in Europe, and Night City in North America. It is an unwritten rule that employees from these three headquarters are naturally half a level higher than employees from other regions.

Not to mention that Vera's temporary position as special and plenipotentiary commissioner has not been officially removed. No matter how you argue, the terrorist attack broke out in his jurisdiction and he is the first person responsible.

Vera could even do it first and ask for permission later, and beat him in a rage.

But it is not necessary.

Vera has no grudges against anyone, and her identity and the nature of her job mean that she doesn't need to act too aggressively or put on an aggressive face like a hedgehog to show people around her that she is not someone to be trifled with.

Because she is really not easy to mess with.

Unless your last name is Arasaka, or you are one of the heads of key departments in the company's intercontinental region.

Just as Vera was chatting with the people in the branch office about random things and revealed that she could do whatever she wanted to do to lift the blockade of the city -

hum... hum...

The largest black dot, a thick and huge shadow, slowly approached, the engine roared, blowing on the landing area, causing violent airflow and making a noisy noise.

Boom!

The multi-functional armored gunship hovering near the landing zone turned on its belly detection system, and the laser light quickly printed out a red landing safety isolation zone, filling Vera's field of vision.

Oh open?

Vera looked at the steel behemoth with its ferocious claws and fangs.

It is huge, with thick armor, large anti-gravity modules, vector thrusters, floating stabilization devices, radar beam generators, as well as a large number of missile launch pods, multi-barreled Vulcan cannons, electromagnetic cannons, particle laser cannons, and large-caliber live ammunition cannons...

Tsk, even the most common weapons above can turn more than 95% of the world's population into a steaming, bloody mess with just one shot.

This cannot be compared with the "civilian goods" of Night City NCPD, the "Scorpion Tailed Lion" armored hovercraft of the Terrorist Squad, or the "Demon Lizard" armored vehicle that has drifted to the Badlands. Perhaps only a few cutting-edge military technology heavy vehicles sealed in the hands of the NUSA rebels in Dogtown can be compared. It is a genuine standard heavy main battle vehicle of the Arasaka Army.

One of the three major departments of Arasaka, in addition to banking and security, the manufacturing department is one of the proud products in the field of arms and heavy industry.

This type of heavy military products never have intensive advertising like service products and light industrial products, and rarely provide services to the public.

Because their main customers are, and can only be, large enterprises and a small number of powerful political parties and state apparatuses.

Completely contraband.

The kind of war machine that would immediately surprise friendly nations when it arrived in Night City, exacerbating the situation, intensifying conflicts, and even triggering conflicts.

This is also one of the rare consensuses reached by many large companies including Arasaka and Militech, to strictly control circulation and prohibit sales to any unstable individuals and groups.

Click.

Accompanied by the sound of heavy mechanical shafts turning.

The steel hatch of the floating gunship slowly opened to both sides.

Under Vera's curious gaze, several pairs of cool full-coverage scarlet eyepieces lit up, and a group of Arasaka soldiers wearing more sophisticated close-fitting exoskeleton armor walked down with guns.

"Director Russell."

Standing at the front of the waiting line at the junction of the landing area and the leisure terrace, Vera was like a striking light source, allowing them to instantly lock onto her target.

"it's me."

I'm so tired, so alone

Vera nodded, then ate the roujiamo in her hand in a few bites, waved her hand casually, handed the oil paper to the hotel receptionist, and signaled the Arasaka soldiers who followed her to the hotel to hand over her research results to them.

The Arasaka soldiers of the branch walked past Vera and handed over the metal boxes including the cooling cabinet containing the experimental infected bodies, the Sun Staircase Flower samples, and the Progenitor Virus extracts to the people from the headquarters one by one.

"Everything is ready. Let's hand it over now."

Vera crossed her arms and spoke naturally.

After checking the metal boxes and cooling cabinets with a multi-directional function scanner, the exoskeleton elite soldier from the Tokyo headquarters nodded to Vera and said indifferently: "Director Russell, according to the resolution of the Tokyo Operations Supervision Committee meeting, your special military authorization has been revoked."

...

Just as the main landing area on top of the hotel building was completely occupied by the special assault force of Arasaka Tokyo Headquarters.

Their colleagues followed and landed at the secondary landing area in an armored hovercraft that seemed very small in comparison. A group of investigators, counterintelligence, and interrogation personnel also arrived in Johannesburg.

"The guys from Tokyo actually arrived with us. What efficiency! And the specifications and security forces, V. With the level of attention from the higher-ups, I'm afraid it won't be long before Chief Russell becomes our boss."

Harry, a stocky black man with a kind and honest face, opened his eyes wide, carrying a briefcase for work, and whispered to V beside him.

"Harry... that's the business of the big guys, let's think about how to do it first. Many people are watching this matter, if we do it well, promotion and salary increase are not a dream."

V behaved very calmly.

Harry nodded and thought, "But speaking of missions... being so coveted, aren't you curious about what those metal boxes are?"

"The more you know, the faster you die, Harry. For people like us, curiosity is a good thing. It can help us discover different things and provide different ideas, but at the same time, curiosity can sometimes lead us to the grave." As he said this, V patted his friend Harry on the shoulder and looked towards the main landing area.

A beautiful blond figure surrounded by a large number of Arasaka operators, talking with the exoskeleton soldiers from Tokyo.

Vera Adelheid Russell.

Any Arasaka employee working in Night City will probably be familiar with this name. The rising star, the reserve of big shots and super big shots, the tough guy, the young lady who feels like coming home when she joins the Arasaka Security Department...

But thanks to her, with her coming to power, the status of Arasaka employees in Night City has improved a lot.

This increase is not due to a surge in Arasaka's market value, but rather an invisible and intangible deterrent force.

Big companies all have deterrent power, but in recent years, Arasaka's "deterrent power" has been realized particularly quickly and violently by Director Russell.

Many habitual criminals, gang members, fearless cyber maniacs, fringe mercenaries and teams who were accustomed to taking advantage of the company were hunted down and killed by the Arasaka security forces under his leadership.

The reward threshold for Arasaka-related commissions has been forced to rise sharply in the Night City underworld and among middlemen. This is a manifestation of the increase in invisible deterrence.

It may be limited to Night City at present, but the changing scraps of the cake are enough to feed a large number of vested interests.

V thought of an old friend of his who used to be in the Valentino gang.

A true friend you meet unexpectedly.

A big guy who values ​​friendship, loyalty and family above all else is very rare in Night City, a place full of material desires, betrayal and vendettas.

Oh, according to him, after leaving the Valentino Gang, he became a lone wolf mercenary and has been doing it for many years. He dreams of becoming a legend in Night City and a big shot among mercenaries?

V didn't like the idea, but she still managed to support it.

Using his status as a dog of Arasaka Company, he indirectly helped him with his advice and analysis, and took on several commissions with quite good rewards. According to his recent contact, he successfully entered the "Next Life" nightclub? Anyway, he was very happy.

Phew, a big shot.

Every move, even unintentional, can affect countless people... V hopes to be like this one day.

"Ding ding." The notification sound of new email brought V back to his senses.

[Notice: Director Vera Adelheid Russell's special military authorization has been officially lifted...]

"Are you leaving?" V raised his head.

The mysterious metal boxes had been loaded onto the gunship. After saying goodbye to the senior officials of the Johannesburg branch behind her, the tall blonde woman boarded the gunship.

hum…

The hatch closed, the gunship's anti-gravity suspension module was activated, and the blue tail flame of the vector thruster gradually grew stronger, pushing the huge iron-gray body slowly into the air, accelerating, and sweeping towards Cape Town.

V looked away.

"Let's go, Harry, let's get started. The first step is to screen the quick response security personnel who followed Director Russell when he was studying and exploring the ancient tribal ruins in Africa..."

...

after one day.

International flights from Cape Town to Tokyo.

AI: [Manager Russell, about to arrive at Tokyo Haneda International Airport.]

Inside the supersonic transport plane with the Arasaka Clover logo on the tail, Vera opened her sleepy eyes and rubbed her forehead. She took the ice water from the service robot, took a sip, and looked out the window at the evening sky and the bustling city skyline gradually expanding on the horizon.

Tokyo, I'm back.

Half an hour later, Vera's Arasaka private plane landed at Haneda International Airport.

Deng Deng~

Heavy footsteps on the deck, exoskeleton soldiers who were still fully armed even after changing to a special plane, walked down the gangway. They were concentrating on transporting the metal box containing the sample of the Stairway of the Sun, as if the mission of escorting Vera had been completed.

Before she got off the gangway, Vera saw a floating convoy approaching rapidly in the distance.

The first person to arrive at the bottom of the gangway was a Japanese man of medium build, with a beard and gray hair for some reason tied in a bun. His face, the area of ​​his neck where his collar was exposed, and his palms were all covered with traces of highly prosthetic implants.

"Huan Yin is back in Tokyo, Luo Shu is in charge."

Oh, this quite attractive uncle's voice and that damn weird accent.

Vera silently activated the correction and control function of the language plug-in.

"I'm Vera Adelheid." Vera, who already knew the identity of the visitor, walked down the gangway and smiled faintly on her pretty face and stretched out her hand.

"I've heard a lot about you. I'm Goro Takemura."

Saburo Arasaka's personal bodyguard, Goro Takemura, spoke in his signature awkward accent, and even politely squeezed Vera's fingertips, then let go at the first touch.

"Lord Saburo wants to see you, Director Russell, please follow me." He turned sideways and made a gesture of invitation. A high-end hovercraft, whose internal model, at least Vera could not recognize, had already stopped and was waiting.

"Excuse me." Vera nodded slightly without asking any questions.

I boarded the hovercraft very easily and comfortably.

Goro Takemura's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't say much. He raised his hand, got on the car, and the floating convoy then headed towards the Arasaka family compound on the outskirts of Tokyo.

"Director Russell, do you know what it means to be allowed inside the walls of the Arasaka family compound?"

When Vera could see the feudal-style mansion, surrounded by greenery, with shrines, cherry blossom forests, ponds and streams, which looked like the Shogun's castle tower in the cyber age, Goro Takemura suddenly spoke.

"It means trust. And you appear in front of me, I think I should be qualified." Turning her head, Vera's eyes flashed with a different kind of brilliance.

"I hope you won't disappoint Master Saburo. Director Russell."

"Please wait and see." Vera did not answer the question directly, but looked at Takemura Goro meaningfully, "Perhaps, we will see each other often in the future, and maybe we will develop a friendship?"

"I am Master Saburo's sharp sword, I don't need any extra emotions."

"Really?" Vera just smiled.

She has been holding back her evil intentions. One day, maybe you will come to beg me...

Arasaka Yorinobu, she has a big gift for him!

Soon, "We're here," said Goro Takemura.

hum…

After landing, the cabin door opened and Goro Takemura got off first.

The breeze blew across her face in the manor, and she could feel the rare chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers. Vera stretched out her fingers to tuck her slightly messy hair behind her ears. She could feel that in an instant, nearly a hundred cyber-transformed bodyguards turned their eyes to her.

"Please." Goro Takemura turned sideways and extended his hand.

Da da da……

Walking on the solid wood floor of the corridor, Vera turned around and passed through countless gates and checkpoints. After a long time, she followed Goro Takemura to a not-so-big pavilion.

"Stop." It was the voice of Shintaro Takayama, whom she had seen many times.

Vera stopped, still at least twenty steps away from the pavilion.

She could already see the old, hunched figure sitting in a wheelchair under the pavilion.

Saburo Arasaka.

It’s really not easy to meet an old man like you.

Vera knew that it was time for her to take the "big cake".