Infinity, progress from Arasaka

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PS: Oh, it’s really hard to get 6K double update without staying up late after get off work.

Come again tomorrow.

Chapter 061 Vera and Saburo——'Running in Both Directions'

"Commander Takayama Shintaro, long time no see."

Very naturally, Vera saluted with her right hand, touching her left chest, slightly bowed her upper body, looked straight ahead, and raised her head slightly straight, without any intention of evading guilt.

crunch.

Walking down the low wooden steps of the pavilion, with his graying hair tied into a ponytail, Takayama Shintaro's body is considered broad and powerful among Japanese people, just like his thick black round beard full of silver threads. His face is healthy, although it also reveals the roughness left by the years.

Vera looked at her nominal superior in the Arasaka Security Department with neither arrogance nor servility, and silently compared him with Saburo Arasaka.

After all, he is also a century old, but compared to Saburo, the old man in the wheelchair whom she glanced at when she came in, Shintaro Takayama at least does not have piled-up wrinkles and age spots on his face.

But that's true. Old man Saburo fought in the Pacific War when he was young and was an ace pilot. He was seriously injured and almost committed seppuku. His physical strength was already seriously depleted.

After finally getting through the old nights (the days Saburo considered himself to be under the control of the American Allied Forces after the defeat) and bringing Arasaka to the level of being the world's hegemon, when various scientific and technological achievements were invented and promoted, he was too old and frail, and his body functions had long missed the best golden period for implanting cyberprosthetics and performing various biological maintenance operations.

Even the transplantation of the most basic cyber components or organs requires extreme caution.

It was under such unfavorable conditions that Saburo, with his strong will to survive and the financial and technological support of Arasaka, continued to extend his life. This was only a temporary solution and he managed to extend his life for more than half a century by using this "symptomatic treatment" method.

Only a giant company like Arasaka, which is heavily run by a single family, could do this.

“Vera Adelheid, you are doing great in Johannesburg, South Africa.”

Shintaro Takayama stopped in front of Vera.

"Even during the most relaxing moments of the school trip, you did not forget your duties as a senior security commander. You were sharp, steady, responsible, and able to face challenges head-on and find and solve problems. In the counter-terrorism response of less than three days, you demonstrated the qualities that a security commander should have. I think Fred Russell would be proud of you."

Well, it sounds very daddy-like. A standard didactic speech.

Vera said to herself.

Although he always mentioned her father, he was not as friendly and approachable as James Thomas in Night City. Even if he was pretending, he didn't bother to pretend and emphasized his condescending admiration.

What could she say?

"It's my pleasure."

With a smile, Vera shifted her gaze and set her eyes on the Arasaka family crest beside the cobblestone path. "I am very grateful to the company for trusting me and granting me temporary military authorization when I was angry at that time."

"This is what you deserve. I hope your performance in the future will continue to maintain this trust."

Without any intention of probing further, Shintaro Takayama ignored the suspicion that Vera's attitude and language were too formulaic.

It was an insignificant question. After all, the fact that you were allowed to come to the Arasaka family compound meant that your background and everything about you had been turned upside down by the Arasaka agents, which meant that you had gained trust and were a core member of the Arasaka family.

It doesn't necessarily have to be the kind of loyal dog who kneels down and sheds tears of gratitude the moment they meet. Are all the people on the Arasaka board of directors and the top management of branches around the world really completely loyal to Arasaka?

Not necessarily. They probably need Arasaka as a platform to realize their ambitions.

The majority have something to ask for.

Wheels--

The moment Takayama Shintaro turned sideways, the wheels made a slight sound as they rubbed against the wooden floor. Takemura Goro pushed the old man in the wheelchair to turn, and the old figure paused at the edge of the steps of the pavilion.

"Master Saburo."

Vera bowed again and touched her chest. Compared with the usual greeting etiquette for Takayama Shintaro, this time she tilted her head 30°-45°, which showed more respect and obedience.

Yes, respect and obedience.

There is nothing to be embarrassed about admitting. Being a company dog ​​in Arasaka means obeying Saburo Arasaka, right?

Vera sees things very clearly. What the future will be is the future. No matter how big her ambitions are, no matter how many times she explains it, she is actually just a dog of Arasaka Company struggling to climb up.

As for respect?

Because Saburo is worth it.

Respect does not equal loyalty.

No matter how much you curse him, this old idiot, arrogant lamp pendant, Showa remnant, capitalist who gained enlightenment before committing seppuku, and the local tyrant who brought Arasaka to its current status is indeed a man of means, talent, shrewdness, decisiveness, and courage to fight. He is far from being comparable to his Showa idiot contemporaries.

Vera's greatest respect for him was that she would use any means necessary to take away the Arasaka company to which she had invested her entire life.

"A sly young man."

Saburo Arasaka spoke with his aged vocal cords, speaking only in Japanese.

He looked at Vera, his brows, like a dry riverbed, relaxed slightly, and a bright gleam appeared in his deep eye sockets and cold gray irises.

"You said that "Sun Stairway Project" was prepared for Michiko's pretend business, but it's better to say that you want to show your talent. Young man, you are very smart. After arriving in Tokyo, you took every step carefully and discovered my biggest pain point now. At the same time, you are also lucky. You attracted me with your discovery and results. Tell me, what do you want to see me?"

"Master Saburo is wise."

Vera looked at Sanlang calmly but with a hint of excitement.

"As expected, I can't hide anything from you. I just dream of meeting you."

"Oh, meet me?" Sanlang was interested and said, "Go on."

"In Arasaka, not everyone is qualified to see you, and those who are lucky enough to meet you are all important figures that I need to look up to..." This was her answer.

What I most want to see is you and Lai Xuan alone in a room.

Vera added in her heart.

Of course, it's not possible now. She needs time to develop and needs to borrow the power of Sanlang...

"That was once upon a time. Now, you have become the big shot you claim to be."

Seemingly satisfied with Vera's answer, Arasaka Saburo refused Takemura Goro's help, held the armrest and stood up shakily from the wheelchair, "Come closer, Vera Adelheid."

Vera had no objection. She wanted to see what Sanlang was up to, so she was about to go forward.

"But, Master Saburo, this...she..."

The loyal bodyguard, Goro Takemura was a little hesitant.

"This is the backbone of our Arasaka company's future. Her parents died heroically for the revival of Arasaka. She has been fighting against our old rival military technology for a long time at the forefront of Night City North America. You don't need to question her loyalty. Goro."

Saburo just spoke lightly.

"Yes!" Goro Takemura paused, then bowed 90 degrees to Vera without hesitation and apologized solemnly: "Director Russell, I apologize for my words." Then he stepped back.

Vera took it all in.

Combining kindness and severity, old-fashioned, but effective.

So, are you going to play the red face?

She walked over, stood at the steps of the pavilion, raised her head, and looked up at Saburo Arasaka who was standing nearby with his hands behind his back.

With her keen perception and mysterious sense of smell, she seemed to smell a strange odor.

Saburo Arasaka's body was like a piece of old meat that was infinitely close to the edge of decay, preserved for a long time by various cutting-edge and high-cost precision preservation technologies, struggling to carry the decadent soul full of ambitions.

At this distance, if she really wanted to kill Saburo...

"Master Sanlang." Vera bowed slightly.

Not knowing what Vera was thinking at the moment, Saburo was looking up and down at the younger generation of the Arasaka elite in front of him.

This is something that cannot be felt from video images alone.

She was beautiful, tall and well-proportioned, with her brilliant golden and silver hair freely scattered behind her head. Especially, her abundant energy and vitality made Saburo amazed and even jealous.

His aging...

The sun rises and the sun sets.

The strong contrast made Saburo unconsciously clench his hands behind his back.

The old strategy was abandoned and a new idea gradually took shape in Saburo's mind.

He was not afraid of Vera's ambition. Except for the only position, Arasaka, it was a place where the capable were promoted and the poor were demoted.

Putting aside the importance of Vera Adelheid's "Stairway to the Sun" to himself, as Shintaro said, she is truly a genius, a versatile person. Judging from her background and experience, she is undoubtedly a piece of unpolished gem bestowed by Amaterasu to Arasaka.

Sanlang suddenly said with emotion: "Talented people emerge in every generation..."

Vera, who was trying her best to appear harmless and counting the wrinkles on Saburo's forehead, was stunned by the half-flowered and half-dressed words.

Ok?

I came here to paint a rosy picture for you, but you are painting a rosy picture for me first?

"Excuse me, Master Sanlang, may I ask what the ancient Chinese sentence just now is..."

Vera asked politely. It didn't matter whether she didn't understand or not, it would open up a conversation anyway.

"You can't keep your cool. Even the best jade still needs polishing." Arasaka Saburo was not annoyed. "Shintaro admires you very much and has recommended you to me many times."

Corporate dogs have a keen sense of conspiracy and intrigue, but they should know that too much is as bad as too little. Sanlang went straight to the point and did not draw a picture, but directly threw out his big pie: "Can you shoulder the burden of facing the pressure of military technology?"

"Yes." Vera answered bluntly: "Night City and the West Coast can only belong to Arasaka. America is definitely not exclusive to military technology!"

Just tell me if you ask me.

Working in military science is considered semi-politically correct in Arasaka.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that as long as Arasaka wants to move to a higher level and Militech wants to represent NUSA (New America) to return to the top of the world, the two sides will fight sooner or later.

"Very good. This is the spirit that young people should have." Arasaka Saburo nodded with satisfaction: "Vera Adelheid, come forward again."

Dengdeng.

Vera walked up the wooden steps and came to within three steps of Arasaka Saburo under the red and extremely vigilant gaze of Takemura Goro.

"Walk with me, young man."

Saburo is in the middle, Takayama Shintaro is on the left (the left is respected in Japan), and Vera is on the right, three and two steps behind the first two respectively.

Walking in the cherry blossom forest, perhaps the atmosphere was finally brewing, and Saburo Arasaka commented on Vera's plan for her study trip to Africa and the subsequent attack.

"Your inference is correct. Military technology. Humph, it was just an accident. They paid extra attention to your past deeds and thought that we in Arasaka were carrying out some key project. In fact, it was just your personal project... If they can't get it, they will destroy it. They are a group of barbarians who have never changed. They are vulgar and ugly... Fifty-two years ago, the nuclear explosion in Night City, one day we will settle the account with her."

"And this requires time. Vera, how confident are you about your 'Stairway to the Sun Project'?" Saburo Arasaka spoke with a very intimate address.

finally come!

You painted the pie for me, now it’s my turn to paint the pie for you!

Vera's eyes lit up.

"Master Saburo, based on my preliminary experimental speculation, the characteristics of the Sun Staircase Flower and the Progenitor Virus are beyond doubt. It does have the effect of greatly improving the body functions of the subjects and renewing old cells, giving them strong vitality."

She said: "In the Johannesburg June 6.7th Terror Attack, I collected data from two unexpected experimental subjects..."

The only way to gain real power is to make yourself indispensable.

Vera knew very well that she had to make the pie bigger!

She wants to take advantage of Arasaka's desire to cherish his life and not to die and prescribe the right medicine!

Maybe it's impossible to rejuvenate you and live a hundred years longer with just one injection, but using the by-product of T virus research, it's easy to get rid of your wrinkles and age spots, beautify you, and prolong your life and boost your spirits like squeezing toothpaste.

A key sign of leadership is exaggerating one's own power.

At this moment, Vera started to deceive people.

...

After one hour.

Under a pavilion somewhere in the cherry blossom forest, next to a huge holographic screen.

"Cough cough..."