Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 712, Section 126: Wise Action.

"Field missions are a wise choice."

"Understood, instruction received."

At 11:30 a.m., just as Akechi had finished enjoying the real meat sushi specially served at the Arasaka Diner—a lunch that was indeed delicious and delivered by a special person—Oda Santayu's instructions arrived as expected.

This confidant of Hanako Arasaka, who had expressed his appreciation for him that morning, clearly shared the same personnel philosophy as other Arasaka executives: the more useful a tool is, the more its full value should be extracted.

When urgent intelligence about the plane crash of the new US president arrived, Oda Santao demonstrated the intelligence processing efficiency unique to the Arasaka elite.

He pinpointed the key information almost instantly: Rosalind Miles had mysteriously disappeared in the plane crash.

This discovery immediately reminded him of Mingzhi's outstanding performance that morning, and he promptly issued a seemingly simple but actually dangerous order—to lead his squad to Dogtown immediately and intervene in this political vortex.

The task briefing was unsettlingly concise, as casual as instructing a clerk to deliver a document:

"Proceed to Dogtown to confirm Rosalind Miles's condition."

Behind the seemingly simple literal meaning lies a complex power struggle. Dogtown has now become a dark forest where various forces vie for dominance, and ordinary agents who rashly step in would likely not even leave behind their remains.

Oda Santao's order was both an extreme exploitation of the 'tool' and a special test of the 'weapon'.

"You have access to all resources within my authorized scope and complete autonomy in decision-making during your time in Dogtown, should the mission be successfully completed."

The voice on the communicator paused subtly, "Tomorrow you will be qualified to stand behind me and Miss Hua Zi."

This authorization is truly exceptional.

Although Oda Santao's power in North America was indeed limited compared to the "masters" of the Arasaka main family, in the current North American layout of the Pheasant Faction, which is characterized by "few elites and many lower-ranking members," this temporary authority was enough to elevate Akechi to a power level second only to those with the name of Arasaka.

This level of trust is not only an affirmation of ability, but also a precise feeding of ambition.

The promised reward points directly to the core of power—standing behind Hanako Arasaka tomorrow means that Akechi will become the de facto third-ranking figure in North America during the Pheasant Faction's debut.

For this agent, who was originally included in the elite class simply because of his outstanding performance, successfully completing this mission would allow him to achieve a class leap that most Arasaka employees could never reach in their entire lives, and truly touch the temple of power shrouded in the 'Arasaka' surname.

The temptation was indeed ridiculously strong, so much so that the wise man took action the instant the communication ended, without even spending a second thinking about the risks and rewards.

His movements were swift and decisive, as if he had long anticipated that this task would fall on his shoulders, and he had rehearsed all the preparation plans countless times in his mind.

Oda Santao watched Akechi's reaction through a holographic projection.

The man in the video didn't even flinch, as if he had just received a routine task. His voice was as steady as if he were reporting the day's weather, showing neither hesitation due to the danger of the task nor excitement due to the promise that could change his destiny.

This almost ruthless professionalism only reinforced Oda Santao's belief that he had made the right choice. His wise performance was flawless.

He showed no sign of fear or reluctance, nor did he feign concern about the difficulty of the task; he simply accepted the order without hesitation.

What's even more remarkable is that, faced with the momentous promise of 'standing behind Hanako Arakawa and himself,' his expression remained as calm as a deep pool, showing neither fawning gratitude nor excessive ambition, as if it were merely a reward he deserved.

This perfect balance between ambition and restraint is precisely the quality that Oda Santao admires most.

At the same time the order was given, the intelligence department reported that other factions within Arasaka had also begun to move, and some of them may have already gone to Dogtown ahead of time.

But Oda Santao wasn't worried at all, because he had a capable assistant like Akechi.

Watching how wisely and efficiently he organized manpower and allocated equipment, Oda Santao even felt a long-lost sense of relief—in North America, a land filled with mediocre people, a truly capable talent had finally emerged.

Oda Santao had to admit that he did indeed have a very good impression of Akechi.

After enduring so many incompetent people in North America, it's truly heartwarming to find a subordinate who not only meets all the requirements but even exceeds expectations.

Wise is like a weapon that has finally been found—sharp, reliable, and ready to be drawn at any time. With such a subordinate, the Pheasant Faction has already won half the battle in Dogtown.

“Now that Akechi is in charge of matters in Dogtown, I can indeed put my mind at ease for the time being.” Oda Santayu’s fingertip lightly swiped across the control panel of the holographic projection, and Akechi’s monitoring screen immediately shrank to a blue dot in the corner. He then brought up the personnel positioning system of Arasaka’s North American branch, and dozens of flashing red markers were reflected in his pupils.

“The next thing to do,” he muttered to himself, his voice as cold as air seeping from beneath the ice, “is to find out who in Arasaka suddenly left their posts and how many forces have quietly infiltrated Dogtown.”

Oda Santao's gaze slowly swept over the files, like a viper assessing the vital parts of its prey.

He was certainly wary of the restless factions within Arasaka, but what alarmed him even more was the source of the incident—the plane crash of the new US president. This was no accident; there must be military technology and the shadow of the new US government behind it.

“We must find out,” he said, opening the encrypted channel and issuing new instructions to the intelligence team. “What exactly is New America and its military technology up to?”

Oda Santao's temple twitched slightly—if this were just a political conspiracy, that would be one thing, but what if their target wasn't just the president, but also a pretext to target Arasaka Hanako, who would be attending tomorrow's event?
“I can let other people get away with it,” he said sharply, “but if anyone dares to make a move on Miss Hua Zi…”

Oda Santayu will definitely show them what thunderous wrath is!
"Damn, working in Arasaka is amazing."

On the other side, Karl was already numb.

"Why are you taking field work out with you? It's one thing to work overtime, but to have to do field work too. I've already done so much work this morning. Let whoever wants to do this job do it."

He no longer wants to go to work.

(End of this chapter)