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

Did he do something wrong with bad intentions and end up helping Arasaka?

His worries lasted for a few minutes before being interrupted by the sudden ringing of the doorbell.

Who's here so early?

V peeked out from the kitchen and asked curiously.

"I don't know, I haven't received any messages either."

Leo got up and walked to the elevator to check on the uninvited guest.

The access control screen showed a familiar face—V… no, it was Valerie disguised as V.

Ding--

After the security door opened, Valerie greeted him warmly, appearing to be in a good mood.

According to the universal law of conservation of smiles, if she's in a good mood, someone else will naturally be in a bad mood.

V had just put breakfast on the table when she turned around and saw the annoying imposter. Her smile vanished instantly: "What are you doing at my house so early in the morning?!"

Valerie ignored her harsh tone and continued to look at Leo with a questioning and curious gaze: "I'm here to report on work, and this is serious business!"

Leo, caught between the two V-shaped figures, acted as a peacemaker.

"We're all family here, so let's not start arguing as soon as we meet. Since you're already here, let's have breakfast together and talk while we eat."

Valerie nodded obediently and sat down gracefully.

V didn't really want to kick people out, so in a less-than-pleasant mood, she added another set of chopsticks and a bowl.

Once all three were seated, Valerie brought up the main topic: "So far, the stock market project is progressing very smoothly, with an expected return of over 40%. However, the exact figure will depend on the market opening tomorrow."

"Then why aren't you keeping an eye on things at the company?" V tried to nitpick.

Valerie deftly defused the situation: "I would like to, but yesterday's 'big bang' directly caused Arasaka's stock price to plummet, triggering a level three circuit breaker at 1 a.m. and halting trading for the entire day."

Don't be fooled by the fact that big companies are keeping quiet and claiming they're still investigating; they definitely already know about the attack on Arasaka Military Base. I never imagined you'd bring a nuclear bomb in there.

As she spoke, she continued to look at Leo with that inquisitive gaze, as if hoping he would reveal some information.

Leo put down his soup bowl and wiped his mouth with a reserved air: "This... uh?"

Before he could even speak, he received a "keep it a secret" look from V.

That seems...right, Valerie is a newcomer after all, it's good to keep her in suspense a little longer.

Leo changed his approach, resorting to mysticism and deliberately speaking vaguely.

Valerie's plan failed, and she immediately decided to launch a counterattack against V.

Suddenly, the sound coming from the television caught the attention of the three of them.

[...In light of the recent chaotic situation, Mr. Saburo Arasaka, CEO of Arasaka Corporation, will arrive in Night City tomorrow to meet with Mr. Shih-Ming Hsu, Chairman of Kangtao Corporation, and representatives from other companies. Reliable sources indicate that a groundbreaking invention currently under development by Arasaka Corporation will also be unveiled tomorrow. Let us look forward to a bright tomorrow!]

Arif Iqbal, the male host of WNS News, delivered this "good news" in a respectful yet slightly excited tone.

“Saburo Arasaka, the local tyrant of Arasaka, some even call him a god… Holy crap, this guy is here too!”

Since learning Leo's secret, V has rarely been surprised. But upon hearing this news, he couldn't help but swear.

That's Saburo Arasaka, and some even jokingly call him Japan's new "Emperor".

Now this super-important figure is about to arrive in Night City, but it was all triggered by Leo's nuclear bomb...

Leo clutched his chest with one hand, deeply moved: "It seems my efforts have not been in vain. Night City is finally going to become a grand stage for fierce competition!"

So that's how it is. The restrained public opinion just now doesn't mean that conflicts between large companies have decreased. On the contrary, it's very likely that everyone has realized the risk of a "hot war" has increased, so they have restrained themselves a bit.

Valerie's subsequent remarks confirmed his point.

"Do you know how the Fourth Corporate War broke out? I've seen detailed information in Arasaka's database, though of course, there are parts that glorify the Arasaka Corporation—"

The war began as a commercial competition between two marine technology companies. After a brutal financial war, one side hired military technology, while the other hired Arasaka. Thus, World War IV officially broke out.

The tactics used in the early stages were commonplace; the first wave of attacks unfolded covertly—mid-level corporate officials were assassinated, and sensitive information was stolen and made public. Both sides hired hackers to launch relentless attacks on each other's databases and stock holdings, triggering global economic turmoil.

After the European Bank finally managed to appease the two marine technology companies, the real conflict shifted to Military Science and Arasaka. The two companies started fighting fiercely, and the war entered its second phase.

They began assembling troops, hiring mercenaries and freelancers to conduct espionage and armed raids against enemy military and research facilities. Corporate hackers also deployed devastating viruses into enemy territory, some of which continue to wreak havoc in cyberspace to this day.

The escalating conflict eventually led to a full-scale war, the third phase—hot war.

At this point, Valerie paused for a moment and explained to the two of them her original intention in telling the story:

"Think about the current situation. From the perspective of other companies that don't know the truth, has the conflict between Arasaka and the anti-Arasaka alliance already progressed to the second stage?"

If neither side exercises restraint and they exchange blows, a fifth corporate war might break out. That's the real reason for the shift in the situation. I suspect other large companies have already intervened to mediate, fearing a real hot war might erupt.

Leo pondered for a moment and realized that this was indeed the case.

The fourth corporate war was at least a one-on-one battle between Arasaka and Military Science, but this time it involves Comto and Biotechnology, as well as the European Space Agency, whose attitude is unclear but also has motives and reasons for its involvement.

If this were to escalate into a war, it could very well turn into a world war.

This situation was created by a series of misunderstandings, fueled by forces from both sides stirring things up in the shadows.

No, this is too unfair. Leo absolutely cannot take the blame. Let's make things difficult for Ye's Company instead. How can we sell them out and draw attention away from them?

Just as Leo was plotting his mischief, he heard a series of good news on TV, claiming that the head of the American headquarters of the Internet Surveillance Agency, executives from Peizhuo Petrochemical and Su Petrochemical, and representatives from the European Space Agency would all come to Night City to participate in talks on the theme of a "Peace Summit".

Upon hearing the name of the meeting, Leo couldn't help but smile: As everyone knows, a "peace summit" will not bring peace at all.

That nuclear bomb was really worth it. Now everyone is calling for peace. So, will Arasaka Academy still be bombed...?

Watching the pre-recorded news broadcast on TV, where Saburo Arasaka called for restraint from all parties, Leo made a decision—

fry!

Not only do we want to bomb it, we also want to set fire to the Arasaka family's backyard!

【Pure White, help me find Arasaka Yorinobu's private phone number, and think of a way to bypass Arasaka Corporation's security measures and secretly contact him.】

With Deep Blue here, this is easy, just wait a moment...

During the Pure White operation, Leo revealed his plan to bomb Arasaka Academy that night to warmly welcome Saburo Arasaka's visit to Night City.

V sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Valerie's eyes lit up, and she moved her chair a little closer to him.

Chapter 430 Leo: "Arasaka's backyard is on fire! Wait, it's my backyard!?"

This was the first time Leo had a partner to discuss action plans with since he traveled through time, and he found it quite novel.

He didn't reveal his methods, but only stated his objective: to kidnap the AI ​​teachers at Arasaka Academy, obtain all the data in the teaching resource database, and then blow up Arasaka Academy.

To be honest, apart from the third point being relatively simple, Valerie really couldn't figure out how he would do the first two points.

Large companies' fear and restrictions on AI are directly proportional; in a real emergency, they would rather blow up the AI's servers than allow AI to leak out.

It's unlikely that the teaching materials database could be downloaded and taken away in a short time. The more important knowledge is stored online, with the data housed in Arasaka Tower's dedicated server room. An application must be submitted for each access.

Even if she were to do these two tasks, she wouldn't have a clue in a short time, but Leo claimed that she would get them all done in one night.

His confident demeanor didn't seem like he was lying, and he really did manage to blow up the Arasaka military base without anyone noticing...

Mysterious.

What trump card is he holding?

She tried to communicate with Leo using professional-level language skills and was surprised to find that the young billionaire, company founder and chairman was unexpectedly easy to talk to.

He's not pretentious, nor is he the kind of person who's particularly scheming. If you flatter him a couple of times, he'll beam with joy. He's like... like a rich young master from an ordinary upper-class family who doesn't have much life experience yet.

His unguarded attitude towards people was completely out of step with the rules of life in Night City.

how to say…

This kind of person is easy to get along with, but also... easy to fool!

Valerie's eyes narrowed like a fox's as she spotted a valuable and unsuspecting prey.

V's eyes narrowed as well; he could no longer bear to watch the two laughing and chatting over there!

Counterfeit!

Wearing her face, her hairstyle and makeup, in her own home, seducing her man!?

Why not kill them? Are we going to keep them alive for the New Year?

"Valerie, get your facts straight! Are you a newcomer to the team, or did you defect from a rival faction? Stop getting so close to Leo and asking about company secrets!"

V forcefully intervened, interrupting the two who were chatting and laughing.

Leo blinked, his train of thought interrupted, and couldn't think of what to say for a moment.

Valerie, being a player with maxed-out intelligence, naturally reacted much faster than him. She knew what was going on the moment she saw V's jealous expression.

Jealousy and rivalry—it's so easy to understand how young girls this age can get along.

Normally, she could easily resolve this issue by taking a step back.

but--

Giving in is not her style. Besides, the company is newly established and the CEO position is vacant. This is the best opportunity to rise to the top in one step. If she misses it, she may never have another chance in her life.

It's true that she disdains using her beauty to seduce others, but that doesn't mean she'll give up her own advantages.

The position of private secretary or advisor is very important to her, and she cannot distance herself from Leo just because she is unhappy with his "lack of common sense".

"The company is newly established and still an empty shell. Isn't it a bit too early to start ranking people by seniority? Besides, as far as I know, you only joined the team two months earlier than me, so you're hardly a 'senior'."

Valerie directly confronted him, making V furious.

"Looks like the lesson I gave you last time wasn't enough. This time, no one can save you!"

V started rolling up his sleeves, ready to resolve the dispute using the common street rule—whoever has the bigger fist is right!

Valerie, recalling her previous near-defeat, pursed her lips and said, "If there's a conflict, settle it with your fists. Are you part of the Animal Gang? You're a company employee now, after all. I hope you won't always cling to that street brawling mentality!"

V clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, but his intuition told him something was wrong: "Heh, you're just spouting platitudes because you can't beat me, aren't you? I seem to remember that Arasaka's methods are the crudest of all the companies; they'll use violence to solve anything, regardless of reason."

Now it's Valerie's turn to be red-hot.

In the past, she always used her super intuition to read other people's minds, but this time it was the other way around. It's outrageous!

But she wasn't worried at all, because the skills required for company employees and street mercenaries are different, and V was clearly only good at the latter.

"Yes, I admit that you are indeed better than me in close combat, but so what?"

Do you know how to build a highly collaborative team structure?

Do you know how to allocate tasks reasonably based on employee characteristics, stimulate the potential of different members, and make the whole team operate in an orderly manner like a precision instrument?

Do you know how to plan your company's long-term development strategy?

Or, to put it simply, can you generate revenue for the company and keep it in cash flow?

When the workplace PUA tactics, deeply influenced by Arasaka's corporate culture, were revealed, not only V but even Leo almost broke down, recalling the fear of being repeatedly asked for revisions by clients.

After successfully dampening V's momentum, Valerie immediately followed up with: "My first job at the company earned at least 24 billion euros. If we're talking about contributions, my contribution is much greater than yours, isn't it?"

V was so anxious he jumped up and down.

"If you ask me, your talents are all in individual combat, so you might as well become the boss's bodyguard. Big shots like Xu Shiming and Saburo Arasaka all have ace bodyguards, that's the kind of job you can handle. Or, you could join the combat department and become a general charging into battle. You can't do anything else, so don't meddle in other things."

V was quite angry with her, but deep down she had to admit that what she said seemed to make some sense.

She's only good at fighting and too lazy to manage subordinates or departments, so she might as well focus on being Leo's bodyguard and happily spend every day with him!

"Hmm—that's not quite right either!" V's super intuition kicked in. "What I mean is, stay away from Leo, don't get any funny ideas, and keep a two-meter distance from him from now on, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

The fist, as big as a casserole dish, dangled in the air, causing Valerie to let out an annoyed "tsk".

They're clearly brainless, so why are they so hard to fool?

After a brief moment of thought, she decided to play her hand outright: "I'm sorry to refuse, but feelings are a very private matter. If I ever find myself falling in love with my boss, then it would be perfectly natural for me to pursue him."

You and I were both born in Night City, so you should understand one thing—good things are always limited and scarce, and everyone wants them.

So if you really encounter someone or something you absolutely want, then fight for it, grab it, seize it, steal it—”

A smile appeared on her lips again, a smile full of aggression and attack.

"I only care about the result, not the process. The one who gets it in the end is the winner! That's the kind of person I am. If I want something, I will get it, no matter what it takes!"

Hearing her resounding words, V's face turned completely cold.