From Gotham to Night City, my infamy is known to all.

"Don't be so pessimistic~ This is just the worst-case scenario, and it's just a speculation by the Arasaka think tank. What if it's not that bad, and it's actually a trick by the military science and biotechnology companies? They blew up the Kangtao power plant and then staged it to drag Kangtao into dealing with Arasaka."

Who made it possible that Kangtao's hometown was right next to Araban's hometown, and that the two countries also had historical conflicts?

She spoke casually, but Jenkins felt immense pressure: "You said it yourself, Kangtao didn't actually suffer any loss; on the contrary, they got rid of a burden. As long as the Military Science and Biotechnology companies reach a compensation agreement with them privately, Kangtao would actually be happy to see Arasaka suffer..."

"It seems you've finally come to your senses. Yes, this is probably the second time. Kang Tao has been dragged into this mess and willingly sided with the military science and biotechnology sectors."

See, the think tank and the super AI teamed up and predicted so many terrible possibilities, which is why they chose this plan—to admit to the incident, choose a scapegoat, and then at most pay a hundred or two hundred million in compensation to bury such a huge matter. They're not giving the Anti-Arasaka Alliance a legitimate reason to declare war.

That's similar to your thinking—always choosing the path of least resistance, regardless of the details. Do you agree with me, Director Jenkins?

Jenkins laughed, a bitter laugh. He really had been completely seen through...

Chapter 318 Valerie: "My turn—underdog overthrows the superior!"

"So... I'm... doomed?"

Jenkins spoke with a wry smile, his voice hoarse like never before.

“If you continue to carry out missions according to the instructions of the Arasaka Board of Directors, yes, you are dead. The people who framed you know better than you how wronged you are, but there’s no other way. Someone of enough importance has to die to quell this matter.”

Valerie casually crossed her legs, as if the person across the table was a subordinate of even lower status.

"Why... does it have to be me?"

Jenkins looked at her with reddened eyes.

"You're so smart, can't you help me think of a way? We... find a name, submit it, and have someone else die instead, as long as it's not me..."

“It’s too late,” Valerie said decisively. “The real game was over long before we even sat down at the negotiating table. That emergency meeting was just announcing one result—the core leadership has decided to sacrifice you!”

A cruel smile played on her lips as she continued:

"It's a very simple principle. For a traitor to do this, they need manpower and intelligence. There are only two departments in the Night City branch that can meet both of these requirements: the Counterintelligence Department and the Special Operations Department."

If we can't sacrifice a truly high-level executive like the vice president, but we also want the public to have confidence, then the only suitable candidates are you and Abernathy.

But...she's lucky, she happens to be helping your crush with a highly classified mission, so even the 50% chance is gone, and you're the only candidate left, how pathetic~

Jenkins' expression was ferocious, as if he wanted to devour someone, but it was precisely in this situation that he became more lucid: "You can still laugh, which means you must have a way! Otherwise, if I die, none of you lower-level leaders will survive either. Just give me the answer, stop playing coy!"

“Hmm, that makes sense. You are, after all, the director of the counterintelligence department. You should show some courage in a life-or-death situation.” Valerie nodded. “Before I tell you the answer, I need to confirm one thing.”

She leaned forward, staring at him like a wolf about to pounce.

"Jenkins, have you heard of the trolley problem?"

"Of course, so what?"

"So... this is the situation now. Arakawa needs to maintain stability with minimal sacrifice. If you die, Arakawa can suppress this matter, the potential fifth corporate war will be averted, and countless people and families will be spared. If you die—"

"..."

Jenkins remained silent.

“Jenkins, you are loyal to Arakawa, so would you be willing to add a second half to your epitaph—until death do us part?”

If you die, a terrible war can be avoided. If you die, countless lives can be saved. If you die, even Hanako Arasaka might mutter to herself before bed, "Jenkins was such a good man."

See? All the problems will be solved if you die, and everyone's happy! So… are you willing to die for the well-being of more people?

As long as you die...

As long as you die…

As long as you…

These words lingered in my ears, suppressing all my thoughts.

Jenkins trembled, realizing for the first time that his death was a momentous event that could benefit all living beings and change the course of the world…

This is really——

"Fuck you! I'm not going to die!!"

He clutched his head and roared.

"I shed blood for Arakawa! I served Arakawa! I dedicated the entire first half of my life to Arakawa! They... they betrayed me! They sold me out! I won't accept it! I absolutely won't—!"

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Valerie laughed heartily and leaned back in her chair.

"Don't get so agitated. I knew you'd make this choice. Ever since I arrived at the Night City branch, I've been observing everyone around me. I understand you all; I've seen right through you!"

If you were truly the kind of person who would sacrifice yourself for the greater good, I wouldn't be talking to you in the first place. Now, calm down, let me show you the way out.

"A way out..."

Jenkins bit his tongue hard, and a sharp pain surged through him.

The salty, metallic taste of blood spread through his mouth, pulling him out of his rage and freeing him from his madness.

"...Tell me, what should I do?"

“It’s simple. Arasaka is accusing us of being traitors, so let’s betray them! I’ve thought it over. Staying in Arasaka means we have little chance of survival. If we want to live, we have to leave!”

Jenkins hissed, drawing in the cold air to ease the pain in his tongue: "Wouldn't that just do Arasaka's wish? It'll put the blame on us..."

"They're dreaming! Let's jump straight to the camp of the instigators targeting Arasaka and pin the blame for this attempt to start a corporate war on Arasaka!"

"Then we'll say that it was Hanako Arasaka and Abernathy who planned this operation, and that our counterintelligence department couldn't bear to see the bloodshed and didn't want to start a war, so we risked our lives to expose Arasaka's atrocities!"

"Is it...can it work?"

"It will work! What the Anti-Arasaka Alliance needs right now is a legitimate reason to attack Arasaka. We are the best witnesses, and they will spare no effort to protect us so that Arasaka can be permanently condemned to the pillar of shame!"

Of course, this is just the general plan; I don't want to become a tainted witness under house arrest after jumping ship. Since it's a job change, even if I don't get a promotion, I have to stay at the same level! That's why I came to you!

Jenkins vaguely understood what she was going to do.

"You...you want me to really betray Arasaka and take the classified information with me?"

"Take what you can, and for what you can't, let's stage a massive intelligence leak! The more chaotic Arasaka becomes, the greater our chances of escaping. And don't forget, that bitch Abernathy tricked us; are we just going to let it go?"

No, once the information leaks and Arasaka suffers heavy losses, then it will be her turn to commit seppuku to atone for her sins!

He's ruthless, insane, and incredibly intelligent.

Jenkins was in a daze: What kind of genius did he bring back from the European branch...?

Valerie stood up without warning, looking around the luxurious director's office, which had once been one of her goals, but sadly, every day she saw it was one less she could have.

"My goal used to be to work diligently, gradually showcasing my talents as I rose through the ranks, until I reached the position of director and began to truly shine. I wanted to one day lead this large company. Unfortunately, Arasaka's incompetent brain trust robbed me of the opportunity to be a good employee."

She walked to the window and looked at the bustling company square with a resentful gaze.

"I also want to stand atop Arasaka Tower and overlook the scenery. Now it seems that conventional methods are out of the question, so I'll just have to blow up Arasaka Tower and climb to the top over the ruins. But that's actually much simpler..."

Jenkins didn't dare to speak.

This is no longer just ordinary terrorist rhetoric...

Valerie lamented the hardships of life, but when she looked back, a sharp glint appeared in her eyes:

"Since we've decided to rebel, let's devise a concrete strategy. Arasaka is ruthless, so don't blame us for being unjust. Isn't there an interesting tradition in Japanese culture called 'gekokujo' (overthrowing one's superior)?"

Since they like this, let's play to their tastes. Arasaka… ha, they've chosen the wrong opponent to fight me!

Chapter 319 Valerie: "Back in the day, I could tell L had a problem at a glance!"

The Anti-Arakasa Alliance Branch was established in the director's office of the Arakasa Counterintelligence Department.

Two men, both unwilling to accept their fate, decided to teach their former employer a lesson.

"If we want to succeed, we need to solve the manpower problem first. The two of us are probably not enough. Fortunately, Arasaka has already prepared potential allies for us—those counterintelligence members who are prepared to be your accomplices are our ready-made teammates."

Hearing Valerie's words, Jenkins thought of his subordinates, his brow furrowing slightly:

"Are they...trustworthy? If even a whisper of this gets out, it's a death sentence. There are plenty of spineless cowards and opportunists among them. In a crisis, they might turn to Arasaka and betray us because of empty promises."

“Yes, I’ve thought of that, so the first thing to do is to prepare countermeasures, starting with you…” Valerie strode over and held out her hand, “Give me your personal data chip.”

Jenkins pursed his lips: "You don't even trust me?"

Valerie didn't say anything, but waved her outstretched hand up and down.

"Arasaka is going to kill me, I can't possibly betray him at a time like this..."

Left with no other option, Jenkins reached for the nerve slot behind his ear with his right hand.

His movements were slow, clearly he was still hesitating.

In 2077, a personal data chip is a very important thing, as it records all kinds of personal information, including but not limited to important data such as electronic car keys, access cards, and bank accounts.

While losing the box won't immediately lead to account theft, it's almost certain that the box will be opened.

In other words, losing your personal data chip is equivalent to losing your wallet.

Valerie was annoyed by his dawdling:

"Hurry up! Just now, you betrayed me once. If you don't want to make things difficult for me in the future, you better not cause me any trouble right now!"

I don't doubt your determination to live, but I doubt your intelligence. What if Hua Zi gives you some mind-altering drug and you end up back on Arasaka's side?

"Damn it—I'm not stupid!"

Despite the criticism, Jenkins still handed over the data chip.

Valerie took it, then inserted it into her neural slot, and her prosthetic eye lit up, beginning data extraction and transmission.

Thirty seconds later, she blinked and took the chip out and returned it to him.

"Alright, I've taken some of the necessary data, the hovercraft key, your intranet access permissions, and left two mini-programs."

The first feature can distinguish friend from foe, preventing you from being accidentally harmed by the puppets I've injected into the Arasaka intranet. The second is a lethal program with two active triggering methods: one is that I activate it myself, and the other is that it triggers automatically if my encrypted signals are not received within 24 hours.

There's also a passive triggering method, which takes effect immediately when you remove the chip. Be careful, though, having your chip stolen could be fatal.

"Damn...we're on the same side, I understand you're being a little wary of me, but isn't this going a bit too far?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Whether we live or die depends entirely on me. I can't tolerate any potential threats. If I die, none of you will survive! Plug it in!"

"grass……"

Arakazama is deadly, and the living devil in front of me is deadly too; it's truly like walking a tightrope.

After hesitating for a moment, seeing Valerie's increasingly dangerous gaze, Jenkins gritted his teeth and inserted the chip back in.

The brain-computer interface immediately recognized the new program disguised as a firmware upgrade and asked him if he wanted to grant administrator privileges.

Jenkins closed his eyes and agreed.

The chill that had been piercing my back disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, Valerie had regained her calm demeanor, concealing all her sharpness within.

"That's fine. I'll contact the others privately and bring a few of the better ones into our team."

"What do we do then?" Jenkins resigned himself to his fate.

"It's very simple, just investigate according to that ridiculous idea you had before."

"Didn't you say... oh, I see, I'm the bait in plain sight?"

"That's right. In your current situation, you're too big a target. Countless people are watching your every move. If you rashly change your strategy and behavior, your think tank will see through your disguise."

I'm different. I'm just a newly promoted operations manager, not even a "senior" one yet, so far fewer people will pay attention to me. I'll carry out my plans privately, avoiding the eyes of those with ulterior motives.

Sounds feasible…

Jenkins nodded: "Then I'll continue searching for the convoy outside the Night City border. If there's anything important, we can try to discuss it in person."

"Yes, I also have some plans for you, but to prevent information leaks, I'll inform you when it's about to be carried out."

Valerie's lips curled into a pleased smile.

To make the act more convincing, and perhaps also to compensate loyal subordinates, the Arasaka board granted Jenkins a limited-time "senior director" privilege for half a month before his death.

With Abernathy avoiding involvement to avoid suspicion, his temporary position subtly stepped into the power core of the Night City branch.

This is a knife handed to us by the board of directors of Arasaka. Wouldn't it be a waste not to stab them a few times and stir things up a bit?

Ten minutes had passed since the private conversation began.

Valerie stretched her wrists in a good mood and turned her toes toward the door: "I'm leaving now. Can I borrow your hovercar? That little girl has been following me for a while now. Let me fulfill her wish before I die."

"Take it and use it. I'll be working with the special forces for the next few days."