Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 720, Section 134: Li De of the Joint Intelligence Bureau
"The Joint Intelligence Agency, Li De?"

When he suddenly heard the person in the intercom identify himself, Yarman's first reaction was surprise, because he had not heard from his superior Blanca that their mission involved the assistance of the FIA. However, after a moment's thought, he understood.

Blanca—his direct superior—never mentioned FIA assistance in the mission briefing. However, this encrypted, high-privilege channel was virtually impossible to hack from the outside, and given the severity of the presidential plane crash, FIA involvement in the investigation was to be expected.

Perhaps Blanca simply felt there was no need to inform them in advance, or perhaps the FIA ​​decided to intervene at the last minute.

Friendly forces?

This possibility caused Yarman's tightly clenched lips to loosen slightly.

They are currently in an unprecedented predicament—the combat skills displayed by the five Arasaka agents far exceeded his expectations, their interception has been breached in several places, they are losing men every minute, and they could collapse every second. They desperately need support.

Although Yarman never had the opportunity to work with FIA elites during his service in the new U.S. Army, legends about them circulated among every Secret Service agent.

It is said that each of them has undergone rigorous training that is unimaginable to ordinary people and has mastered special skills that ordinary agents can only dream of. Encountering such reinforcements in a desperate situation is like grabbing a lifeline when drowning.

“Agent Reed,” Yarman’s voice was slightly hoarse with tension, and he had to clear his throat, “I am honored to have the assistance of your FBI, but how many men can you commit right now?” His gaze unconsciously swept over the increasingly distant red markers on the reconnaissance map, his fingertips idly rubbing the safety of his sidearm.

"To be honest, our interception has likely failed, and the Ghost Hounds will soon hear the commotion and come to investigate. The information that President Miles survived the crash and is under protection will likely be leaked soon, and the Arasakas may already know this. We need enough manpower to deal with this group of Arasakas, and we hope you can provide sufficient support."

To be honest, Yarman still doesn't understand why Military Technology is going to sit down at the negotiating table with Arasaka tomorrow.

At least on the surface, the two giants have indeed maintained a subtle tacit understanding recently—no public conflict, and even restraint in some areas. However, before the smoke of the presidential plane crash had cleared, Arasaka couldn't wait to send elite troops to intervene in the investigation. This almost opportunistic move makes people wonder about their true intentions.

Could this so-called negotiation be a carefully designed trap? Did Arasaka deliberately leak information to lure President Miles to this area? If so, then all the unusual signs would make sense—the sudden meeting invitation, the seemingly friendly negotiations, and the strange behavior of Arasaka's agents.
But the truth is far beyond what someone like Yarman can grasp.

As an operative in the military technology security department, even if he had reached the level of captain, it was still too low. He could neither see the full picture of the high-level power struggles nor was he qualified to inquire about the inside story of the decision-making process.

At this moment, the only thing he was clear about was that he had to keep a close eye on the five Arasaka agents who were trying to leave, and make sure that none of them could escape and that they all had to stay behind.

"In no more than twenty minutes, Hansen's bastards will catch a whiff of your scent. Agent Reed, for President Miles' safety, please act as soon as possible!"

As Yarman grew increasingly anxious as he watched the red marker recede into the distance, Li De's response remained remarkably calm.

"I'm the only one here."

"What?! The FBI only has one person as backup? That's just too much!"
Just as Yarman was in astonishment, Li De spoke again: "But I am enough on my own."

"That's enough"—these words struck Yarman like a hammer blow. He was shocked that the FIA ​​had only sent one person to provide support, and even more puzzled by the deeper meaning behind Reed's words.

Just then, a rapidly moving figure suddenly appeared on the bio-scanning interface, approaching the Arasaka agents who were trying to evacuate at an astonishing speed.

When Yarman saw what the figure would do next, he finally understood the weight of Li De's words.

Facing five Arasaka agents who had rendered Yarman's three times elite force helpless, Li De demonstrated the true strength of an FBI ace agent.

This man, who was considered by the FBI to be on par with the legendary Morgan Blackhand, remained completely at ease even when surrounded by five Arasaka agents who simultaneously activated S.A.W.S ...

Yarman watched helplessly as Li De moved freely amidst the attacks of five silver afterimages. Those mantis knives, capable of tearing through steel, were like children's toys in front of him. Only when the neck of the first Arasaka agent twisted at an eerie angle did Yarman realize that he was witnessing a one-sided suppression.

The five Arasaka agents, whom even fifteen of Yarman's handpicked military technology elites couldn't defeat, were as laughable as children waving toys in front of Li De.

These agents are indeed elites carefully trained by Arasaka. If they were to encounter each other in a narrow alley, coupled with Li De's old-model prosthetic body that he hadn't upgraded in order to hide his identity, he might really repeat the same mistake he made when he faced White Hawk—at least he would get some injuries.

But Li De is no longer the same person he used to be.

After upgrading his cybernetic body by finding an old acquaintance in Dogtown, he regained his peak skills through hellish training. Although his injuries have not fully healed, dealing with these five Arasaka agents is a piece of cake for him.

The speed advantage brought by Sianwistan was useless in front of him. Every swing of those gleaming mantis knives was like a slow-motion replay. Li De could even calmly turn to the side and twist the wrist of the opponent holding the knife at the moment the blade was about to touch the skin.

Half a minute after Li De encountered the five Arasaka agents, only three of the five military technology elites who had been unable to subdue them remained.

Faced with this overwhelming disparity in strength, the remaining three Arasaka agents were filled with fear. They had no idea who this person who had suddenly appeared was, but they reacted quickly.

"Your Excellency, please guide us."

They need support.

(End of this chapter)