Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 690, Section 104: Oda Santao's Prosthetic Body Maintenance
On his first night at Arasaka, the wise Carl had to get to work.

Looking out the window at the night sky, which should have been pitch black but was now as bright as day under the lights of various advertisements and buildings, Carl turned his head and looked at the computer on his workstation.

If Karl had to describe his first impression of Arasaka, he would say that the chair at his workstation was really uncomfortable, giving him a stiff feeling, and that sitting on it for too long might cause a herniated disc.

Even if he had a herniated disc, a trip to the prosthetic doctor would be enough to cure it without needing any prosthetics. A little bit of forceful correction would be enough. Besides, Karl's current body is not the kind of disease that only employees who sit for long periods of time without any assistive devices would get.

It was 8 p.m., and for most of the employees at Arasaka Tower, the work was just beginning.

Karl had seen Arasaka's stipulated working hours, and in fact, if you only look at the officially stipulated working hours, Arasaka's working hours are not actually that long.

Of course, this is not considered long compared to many small and medium-sized enterprises. As a large company, Arasaka is much more lenient in terms of the time limit than other small companies. However, the fact is that rules are rules, and no one really follows the rules on the surface.

Do people really take the rules seriously? Of course they do. Only the most foolish people, and those who are already prepared to be eliminated in the company environment, would so firmly believe in what is written in the rules.
In the competitive environment of Arasaka, where you're either intensifying your efforts or facing elimination, if you don't voluntarily work overtime or extend your working hours, there will only be one outcome for you as an employee: being trampled underfoot by colleagues who constantly extend their overtime hours and are prepared to die of overwork at their desks.

Only those who work the hardest, contribute the most to the company, and bring the most value to Arasaka are qualified for promotion, and only such people are qualified to step on others.

In Arasaka, this is a consensus that is taken for granted.

If you don't strive, you'll be trampled underfoot; if you don't compete fiercely, you'll be eliminated; if you don't contribute to the company until you die of exhaustion, then you're of no value to the company.

No wonder when I texted Mr. Kenichi Shiro and Blanca, they always said they had been working for more than 30 hours straight. It seems that no matter which company it is, they are all the same.

As an elite who had just arrived from headquarters, Mingzhi Jun would naturally not give up his time for 'struggle' and 'loyalty' because of the fatigue from the journey. And because he was Mingzhi, Karl naturally had to fulfill his role and continue to struggle and be loyal at night.

However, to get Carl to work
Carl touched the keypad under his workstation and entered it into a hidden program on the workstation computer. Then, a series of messages about smart work popped up on the screen.

Carl actually didn't know exactly what the Counterintelligence Department did.

Oh, I should say that he knows what the counterintelligence department of Arasaka in Night City does, but he doesn't know what the duties of the counterintelligence department at headquarters are after they come to Night City.

In Karl's mind, the Counterintelligence Department really was somewhat like the Imperial Guard, but even if they were the Imperial Guard, the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot were not of one mind. Now that he, according to location, should be a member of the Western Depot, has come to the Eastern Depot, can he really get access to the core secrets and continue to complete the previous missions?

As Karl scanned through the series of work-related information, he found that the intelligence gathering was a bit easier than he had imagined.

He was indeed viewed with suspicion because of his identity, but similarly, the Pheasant Faction, who were openly backed by him in the factional struggle, hadn't been idle either. They had actually planted their own people throughout Night City, allowing the headquarters personnel who had been transferred there to expand their sphere of influence. No wonder Seigen compromised and allowed personnel transfers at such a critical juncture. Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily; the legacy left behind by that old bastard Arasaka Saburo was indeed extraordinary, and even so, it could still struggle.

Karl was reading through the relevant information when his gaze suddenly fell on a rather interesting piece of intelligence.

"Miss Hanako's bodyguard, Oda Santao, has requested prosthetic maintenance. To ensure Miss Hanako's safety, this request is a priority, and all relevant personnel must fully cooperate, regardless of the cost."

Oda Santao wanted the prosthetic body to be maintained?

Carl's eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing this message.

Because Oda Santayu didn't trust Arasaka of Night City, she hadn't maintained her cybernetic body since arriving in Night City. Carl knew this, or rather, he personally infiltrated Oda Santayu's network and looked through the relevant records.

'They were worried about Night City Arasaka before, but now that the Pheasant Faction has arrived, they're suddenly rushing to protect it?'

This loyal guard never let his guard down for a moment, ensuring he was in top condition to protect his master.

But isn't that really a coincidence?

He thought it was one of his own people who wanted to perform maintenance, but it just so happened that this message was seen by him, who was known as "Mingzhijun". And he had just done some "trickery" on his memory before. Now that he was asking for maintenance, wasn't this just walking right into his doorstep?

The information I'm seeing now is all that 'former' Akechi-kun knew, along with the tasks and priorities that the Pheasant Faction assigned to my personnel.
As an elite member of the Pheasant Faction who is "utterly loyal" to Miss Hanako, I have an unshirkable duty to do this. For Miss Hanako's "safety," the prosthetic body of her bodyguard, Oda Santao, must be maintained.

Carl used the pheasant faction's communication channels, which he knew, to express his request for assistance to the higher-ups, and his request was naturally approved.

The Pheasant Faction doesn't have many members in Night City. According to the upper echelons, the wise man who has always performed well is the kind of person who will take the initiative to strive and assist. If he knew the relevant inside information, it would be strange if he didn't seek 'promotion'.

but
Karl watched the almost instantaneous response and a slight smile played on his lips.

Is it really that easy?

If Mr. Kenichi Shiro had planted a spy like Akechi among the Pheasant Faction members, how could the Pheasant Faction not have noticed at all?

There's a classic joke that the most capable and hardworking person in a department might actually be the spy.
Is this also a test for Mr. Mingzhi and the others?
(End of this chapter)