2077: V really knows how awesome he is

Time continues its relentless march forward, like a dreamer lost in its own world.

Meanwhile, another dreamer is also taking action.

On the ninth day after arriving in Night City, Arasaka Yorinobu came to visit Arasaka Michiko, but the meeting between the uncle and niece was not pleasant.

At first, the two were able to maintain a facade of politeness, but later they had a big fight and parted on bad terms.

the reason is simple.

Yoriyuki Arasaka wanted Michiko to help him, but Michiko said no.

In the original storyline, V didn't know why, but now Arasaka Yorinobu has come to Night City after hearing about V's deeds.

He didn't believe anyone could single-handedly storm Arasaka Tower. V's success was definitely due to Arasaka Michiko's tacit approval and indulgence. And the reason Arasaka Michiko did this was because she also hated the company and hoped it would collapse.

So Arakawa Yoriyuki came, because he felt that Arakawa Michiko was his comrade.

Unfortunately, he guessed the beginning but not the end, and even the beginning wasn't entirely correct.

Michiko Arasaka doesn't hate the company at all. She admits that the company has problems, but she has never hoped that the company would collapse.

“Uncle, the collapse of the company will not benefit us.” Michiko Arasaka did not give Yoriyuki Arasaka any face: “The most direct change will be that your financial situation will plummet, and you will no longer be able to party all night with top-tier sex dolls in double digits.”

Arasaka Yoriyuki's lips twitched, and he said forcefully, "I have double degrees in international finance and biotechnology. I can create wealth with my own hands!"

“I have hundreds of people with double degrees under my command. I can make them lose everything with just one word.”

Arasaka Yorinobu's lips twitched again: "Michiko, I'm different, we're different!"

“That’s right, but all of this is based on the premise that the company exists.” Michiko Arasaka looked at Yoriyuki Arasaka as if he were an idiot: “And now you want to destroy your own reliance.”

Unable to argue with his niece, the uncle became impatient and resorted to using his status to intimidate her: "Michiko, put away your condescending attitude. I am your uncle, and you must be humble to your elders!"

Michiko Arakawa said expressionlessly, "Private Marseille."

Arasaka Yorinobu: ...

“Uncle.” Michiko Arasaka had a bit of a headache; she was usually playing video games at this time. “I know you want to defeat Grandpa; it’s no secret in the family. I don’t care what your purpose is, but if you want me to help you, please convince me with a logically sound plan.”

Yoriyuki Arasaka sat down again, took a deep breath, and said seriously, "Only a company can defeat a company, Michiko. My plan is to provoke a conflict between the major companies and let them perish together in their infighting."

Michiko Arakawa blinked.

Yoriyuki Arasaka also blinked.

After a long pause, Arasaka Yorinobu asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Michiko Arakawa paused, then said, "I'm waiting for you to continue."

Arasaka Yorinobu was also taken aback: "But I've already finished speaking."

Michiko Arasaka:......

If the headache before was a mental one, then this is a real headache in a physical sense.

The anime girl rubbed her temples in pain, her cat ears drooping, looking like she wanted to curse.

But Arasaka Yorinobu was her uncle, and out of courtesy she couldn't scold him, so she simply let others scold him.

"V, you tell us."

Ah I?

V, who was serving tea and acting as a waiter, was speechless for a moment. She looked at Adam Shigehammer, the bodyguard of Arasaka Yoriyuki, who was expressionless; then she looked at Kenichi Saburo, the bodyguard of Arasaka Michiko, who was gloating.

Damn it, we're all just working-class people, but I'm destined to be a laborer!

The boss had spoken, so V had no choice but to comply.

"Mr. Lai Xuan, how do you intend to instigate conflict among the major companies?"

Arakasaka Yoriyuki sat up straight, arms crossed: "This is classified!"

"Okay, then how do you guarantee that the major companies can maintain a balance while fighting each other, and ultimately destroy each other perfectly?"

Arakasaka Yoriyuki declared with unwavering confidence: "This is classified!"

"Uh, so how do you plan to restore order after the corporate world war?"

Arasaka Yorinobu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting anything from the restoration of order, but knowing he couldn't show weakness, he still spoke loudly:

"It's a secret!"

V also started to have a headache.

But through these encounters, she gradually came to understand Arasaka Yorinobu.

Yoriyuki Arasaka chose to betray the Arasaka family after seeing the dark nature of the company. Perhaps it was because of the failure of Steel Dragon, or perhaps it was because he witnessed the Arasaka Tower still standing after the nuclear explosion. He realized that external violence could not shake the foundation of the company, so he chose to return to Arasaka and achieve his goals through internal disintegration.

This shift from "radical revolution" to "strategic infiltration" reflects both his clear understanding of reality and exposes the compromise inherent in his idealism.

He has a strong drive to act, but lacks practical skills.

He can see reality clearly, yet he is overly idealistic.

Born into a wealthy family, he took it upon himself to destroy his family.

He was a valiant fighter challenging the company's authoritarianism, but also a coward trapped by family ethics.

Arasaka Yorinobu was a man full of contradictions, which doomed him to failure.

but.

Even the most futile and fearless resistance is better than apathetic acceptance of the status quo.

In this respect, V felt that Arasaka Yorinobu was better than herself; at least she never thought of changing the system. The reason she fought was always for herself—in the past, it was to survive, and now it was to heal her body. If Arasaka Yorinobu's defining characteristic was contradiction, then V's defining characteristic would definitely be selfishness.

In any case, Arasaka Yorinobu's three sentences about "secrets" completely killed the conversation, which is why the uncle and nephew parted on bad terms.

After seeing Arasaka Yoriyuki off, V returned to his office.

Lucy texted: The blackfish has been put in the refrigerator.

V curled the corners of her mouth; the last piece of the puzzle was in her hands.

Meredith Stock in military technology, Joanne Koch in biotechnology, and Xu Zhong in Kangtao all received a message simultaneously, their eyes glowing blue:

Whaling begins!

[The number of readers suddenly increased a lot, it startled me.]

Chapter 28 Restlessness

Thank you all for your love and support. I don't have much to give you, so I'll just post one more chapter.

The underground factory office.

“The Voodoo Gang has learned that Arasaka Yoriyuki possesses the Relic chip, and that it contains Johnny Silverhand’s consciousness. For some reason, they are determined to obtain this Relic chip and have begun searching for partners among middlemen and mercenaries throughout the city,” V explained the current situation.

Xu Zhong asked curiously, "The Voodoo Gang dares to steal things from Arasaka?"

“They certainly wouldn’t dare steal from Arasaka, but now they’re stealing from Crown Prince Arasaka. I’ve also spread the news that Arasaka Yoriyuki and Arasaka Saburo are at odds. He doesn’t have much security, just Adam Hammer.”

"Even one Adam Hammer is quite powerful!"

“Yes, so the Voodoo Gang has to steal, not rob.” V continued, “I warned all the middlemen in Night City not to lay a hand on Arasaka Yoriyuki. As an Arasaka employee, my actions were perfectly reasonable.”

"Does that mean no one can take on the Voodoo Gang's commission?"

“This is the time for me to make my move,” Meredith Stock said, a cigarette dangling from his lips. “No one dares disobey Arasaka’s warning, except for military technology. I have a middleman named Faraday who has been working for military technology, and I have already ordered him to make contact with the Voodoo Gang.”

"Faraday? Never heard of that name before. Is there any way to reach an agreement?"

“Don’t worry.” Meredith Stock was full of confidence: “I gave him a hologram of the penthouse suite in the Azure Tower. Not to mention the Relic chip, even the location of Arasaka Yorinobu’s aphrodisiac pills is clearly marked. This is exclusive information, and the Voodoo Gang has no choice.”

How did you get this information?

“Of course, it’s from me.” V chuckled. “The Azure Mansion is Arasaka’s property, and to me it’s like my backyard. On the day of the operation, I will reduce the network security to one person to maximize the Voodoo Gang’s infiltration. Of course, to ensure that the protagonist arrives at the right place at the right time, I will personally set up a temporary ICE to control the timing.”

Xu Zhong still found it hard to believe: "Would Arasaka Yoriyuki really kill Arasaka Saburo? That's his own father."

"I created a data model based on Arasaka Yorinobu's personality. The probability of him taking action is as high as 88.3%. This is the result of 6 million simulations. The electricity cost me more than 7."

"What if it's wrong? After all, it's not 100% certain."

“Then I’ll take care of it,” Joanne Koch said. “I’ve already prepared the drug. It’s colorless and odorless, and it spreads through the air. Anyone who inhales it will become irritable and prone to violence, the kind of person who can’t stand not killing someone.”

Xu Zhong was shocked: "There's such a medicine?!"

“It was quite difficult,” Joanne Koch remarked. “I have more than two hundred similar drugs on hand. I have a hard time making choices, and it took me a long time to decide on this one.”

Xu Zhong: ...The difficulty you described seems to be different from the difficulty I was thinking of.

“Don’t be surprised, that’s how doctors in Night City are.” V shrugged and continued, “The staff at the Azure Tower are all my people. They’ll put this drug into the air circulation system of the top-floor suites. Don’t worry about accidentally harming anyone else; the system operates independently. If Arasaka Yoriyuki isn’t filial enough, then we’ll be filial for him. Of course, doing so will inevitably leave some traces, so it’s just a backup plan.”

Xu Zhong swallowed hard. He couldn't believe that in such a dilapidated office, a few people could decide the fate of the world's most important figures with just a few words.

After a brief period of unease, he began to feel excited.

Xu Zhong followed the rules for 19 years, yet rebellion remained ingrained in his very being. Challenging authority, defeating authority, and personally plunging authority into the abyss—this is the pinnacle of Chinese romance!

"Willing to risk everything, daring enough to bring down the emperor, come on!" The young section chief was practically glowing: "What do you need me for?"

“The most crucial link,” V said. “All our planning is for nothing if Saburo Arasaka never comes to Night City. So, to lure the whale, we must first lay down the bait.”

"Bait?"

Who is Saburo Arasaka's most valued opponent?

Xu Zhong looked at Meredith Stock: "Military technology?"

"That was before, now it's definitely Kangtao." The blonde, slicked-back, mature woman said resentfully, "Don't even mention Saburo Arasaka, ever since I learned about that 'three-in-one' strategy, I've been on edge about Kangtao!"

"Huh?" Xu Zhong scratched his head and asked in surprise, "We didn't do anything special. Everyone just worked overtime and put in extra effort. The company leaders said that Kangtao is still far behind advanced companies like Araban and Military Technology. Your products have strong technology and high profits, so your employees have good benefits and high salaries. If we want to live like you, we have to roll up our sleeves and work hard. We can't slack off for a moment."

"Damn, what the hell is this all about?" Meredith Stock complained. "We're the ones who envy you guys. Signing a 50-year employment contract gets you free access to the trauma group's gold membership. My guys are always thinking about how to jump ship to Contour!"

The 19-year-old section chief and the blonde, slicked-back-haired mature woman stared at each other, and finally let out a long sigh in unison.

They're not stupid; they're just living in an information cocoon. They understand everything, but they can't say it.

“Fuck the company!” Joanne Koch suddenly exclaimed.

She dares to say what others wouldn't, and her loyalty to the company has always been consistently zero.

The four people in the office looked at each other and laughed.

This little incident may not have brought them closer, but it hasn't made them that far apart either.

"Alright, let's get back to business." V tapped the table, and the other three immediately got into the zone.

“As I just said, Saburo Arasaka is wary of Kangtao, so he will definitely not let the Relic technology fall into Kangtao’s hands. If we want to lure him in, we need to create the illusion that Kangtao is about to obtain Relic.”

Xu Zhong understood somewhat: "That Anders Herman?"

“That’s right.” V waved his hand and released a holographic image and data of Anders Herman: “This guy is the chief engineer of Relic and has access to all the data on Relic from manufacturing to production. It was also because of his secret cooperation that Arasaka Yorinobu was able to steal the Relic prototype chip from the laboratory.”

Meredith Stock nodded: "Looks like you've got something on him."

"Of course, my counterintelligence department is not to be trifled with. I sent his embezzlement records to his email, and the guy immediately contacted me, asking how much money I wanted. Of course, I didn't reply, after all, the unknown is the greatest terror."

"So Anders Herman decided to defect?"

"No, he first confessed his crimes to Saburo Arasaka, selling out Yorihiro Arasaka until he had nothing left, before deciding to defect."

The other three: ...

“Since he has already surrendered and Saburo Arasaka didn’t kill him, why did he still try to escape?” asked Xu Zhong, the youngest and least experienced of the three.

“Because he understands Saburo Arasaka.” Joanne Koch sneered. “You think Saburo Arasaka didn’t kill him because he forgave him? No, it’s possible that Saburo Arasaka just had a good cup of tea and saw a beautiful view, so he was in a good mood. By the same token, Saburo Arasaka could kill him again without any reason if he was in a bad mood one day. Little Section Chief, don’t look at these truly important people with the same eyes you would use to look at your own kind. Although they may look similar to us, they have completely different values, a special social structure, and a completely independent cultural system. They don’t intermarry with us ordinary people; there’s an artificially created reproductive barrier. From a biological point of view, they are a species distinct from humans. They see us like we see cattle and sheep, and the company is the livestock pen they built. The company feeds us and eats us. That’s why I’m never loyal to the company.”

Xu Zhong shuddered and clenched his fists, saying, "At least... Kang Tao isn't like that."

Joanne Koch glanced at him: "Are you sure?"

Xu Zhong did not answer, probably because he could not answer.

“We’ve gone off-topic,” V reminded everyone. “Social structures are irrelevant to us; we just need to do our own thing.”

Joanne Koch smiled and said, "Sorry, it was my fault."

V didn't mean to blame him, and continued, "Anders Herman decided to defect, but he was torn between going to the Military Academy or to Contau, so I asked Stock to help him out."

Meredith Stock nodded: "I conducted a purge within Military Technology, and many of Arasaka's spies were exposed. They're all now sunk in the bay. If Anders Herman were any sane, he would never have defected to Military Technology at such a sensitive time."