Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 728, Section 142: Betrayal and Rivals

"Did you encounter people from Arasaka on the way?"

After the military technology agents withdrew, Rosalind Miles, upon hearing the report of Reed's ordeal, frowned as she located the temporary base where President Miles was based on the intelligence provided by the wanderers.

'It's not surprising that the people from Arakawa got involved in this matter as well.' She thought to herself, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the makeshift map.

'It would be strange if they did nothing after I experienced such a major incident as a plane crash. The key question now is—are they colluding with those traitors in Washington?'

The thought made her temples throb, and Rosalind Miles continued to sort through the clues: Agent Arasaka's modus operandi, the unusual reaction of Hansen's forces, and the deliberately concealed movements.

She initially suspected that the meeting itself was an elaborate trap, but the intelligence brought back by Li De made her rule out that possibility.

'If Arasaka really has joined forces with Hansen,' her gaze swept over the battle logs reflected on the holographic projection, 'they would never send just such a small team, nor would they allow the operation to be interfered with by a third party.'

As a former core executive in military technology, she was all too aware of the rules of the game between the two companies—an assassination attempt of this magnitude, if exposed, would inevitably trigger a full-scale war. Given Arasaka's style, she would either not do it at all, or if she did, she would ensure a fatal blow and prepare contingency plans to bear the consequences.

The holographic screen displayed encrypted surveillance footage. She noticed that Agent Arasaka was clearly avoiding Hansen's patrol during the firefight, a detail that eased her tense jawline slightly.

'It seems they really aren't working together.'

That confirms that the traitor is on our side.

'Radicals? No, even those factions that advocate for a military solution wouldn't use such a roundabout method.' She pulled up the security audit report for her personal terminal for the past six months, and some deliberately ignored abnormal access records were particularly glaring at this moment.

"President Myers, I also need to report to you about what happened to me recently."

While Miles was thinking, Li De interrupted her train of thought.

"I'm listening."

Under Miles's gaze, Reed's expression appeared particularly somber within the temporary stronghold. He subconsciously touched the old wound between his ribs—a souvenir from the last ambush. The blue light of the holographic projection cast a flickering shadow on his tired face, adding a touch of grimness to his next words.

“I hope you don’t think this is my dereliction of duty.” He paused, then took out his portable device.

"But ever since I discovered the traitors within the FIA, or rather, since I personally experienced their betrayal—I can no longer tell which encrypted channels are still secure and which colleagues I can still trust."

He pulled up a multi-encrypted operation log in his possession, with video footage labeled "White Noisy Eagle" flashing on the screen.

“I originally planned to communicate with you securely through private channels after you arrived safely in Night City, but those White Hawks have been tracking me.” Li De said, “At first, I thought that after I dealt with their operations on the outskirts of Night City, they would be more restrained.”

But they didn't care about being exposed. After discovering I survived the incident, they've been relentlessly pursuing me like hyenas smelling blood. I only managed to shake them off four days ago and find someone trustworthy to upgrade my cybernetic implant. But after the upgrade, they found me again.

The holographic footage of the operation suddenly switched to a gunfight recording. In the blurry image, some figures could be seen firing at Li De. Rosalind noticed that the timestamp showed that this happened 24 hours before the presidential plane crashed.

“That’s why I’m convinced there are more than just one or two traitors,” Li De’s voice was rough like sandpaper. “The fact that they dare to maintain and mobilize the White Hawk squad, which should have been abandoned long ago, right under your nose means the entire command chain is…”

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence and pulled up a biometric report. "Moreover, according to my investigation, these people have full access authorization; even their iris scans can pass system verification." Li De concluded by pushing an encrypted data packet to the president's terminal: "All the evidence points to one conclusion—this is not a simple defection, but a systematic infiltration that has lasted for years, and now, they have clearly decided to close the net."

“So,” Rosalind Miles’s voice was eerily calm, “that there are more people who have betrayed me than I thought, and that they are more deeply hidden than I thought, is that it?”

She wasn't surprised.

When the name "White Noisy Hawk," which should have been buried long ago, resurfaced, Rosalind realized that the infiltration around her was far more thorough than she had anticipated, but this was still within her expectations—or rather, she had long been accustomed to coexisting with betrayal.

It would be strange if someone in this position didn't have spies and traitors around them, something Rosalind was always well aware of, and was even once confident that she could control them.

Her meticulously crafted defense mechanisms, her carefully laid countermeasures, and her accurate understanding of human nature—all of these made her believe that even if betrayal came, she could handle it with ease.

Until today's plane crash.

No one can deny Rosalind Miles's ability.

From CEO of military technology to president of the new United States, and then to the iron-fisted leader who nearly unified the old United States—if even she is called "incompetent," then probably few people in this world would dare to call themselves "capable." But no matter how capable she is, she is ultimately just a human being, not a god.

She can be careless, negligent, and even make fatal mistakes.

Saburo Arasaka once proclaimed himself a god, firmly believing he could transcend human limitations and control life and death. But what was the result? That old monster, who had lived for over 150 years, ultimately died because of his own arrogance.

Compared to Saburo Arasaka, Rosalind's experience is negligible. Even someone like him fell because of his arrogance, so how can she guarantee that she will never make a mistake?

But this lesson has been etched into her very bones.

She vowed that she would find every one of the traitors.

Those rats hiding in the shadows, those fools who think they can escape unscathed, those ants who dare to challenge her authority.

She will make them understand that the price of betrayal is never death, but despair.

It is watching helplessly as everything you cherish is crushed, kneeling on the ground begging for an end but getting nothing, and gradually recognizing reality through long torment—they chose the wrong opponent.

Rosalind Miles never wastes her anger; she forges it into a weapon, driving it precisely, inch by inch, into the enemy's throat.

While Li De and Rosalind Miles, the two in charge, were talking, the KK team members who were allowed to listen in noticed something interesting.

"Wait a minute, Li De, you just said you met a very young Arasaka staff member who is very skilled. Could you show me the video footage you recorded?"

Jack, who already had some guesses in mind, said, "If they are really as powerful as you say, then we may encounter their obstacles again later. Can you tell us who our opponents are?"

He said so.

(End of this chapter)