Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 773, Section 187: The Man from the Cloud Peak
Nighttime, Arasaka Tower.

"Miss Hua, this is a detailed briefing on this operation. Please review it."

Oda Santao bowed slightly and handed the file marked "Interview" to Arasaka Hanako behind the desk with both hands.

The file cover gleamed with a cold blue light under the overhead lamp, and the tamper-evident seals on the edges were intact, clearly indicating that they had not been tampered with.

Hanako's slender fingers brushed across the surface of the file, which looked like a mechanical lock commonly used half a century ago. It looked old-fashioned, but it was actually a lock with cutting-edge technology. As Hanako's fingers brushed across it, the biometric system immediately emitted a soft authentication beep.

With a buzzing sound, the file unfolded, revealing a holographic projection, and then a series of images began to play on the holographic projection.

The combat footage recorded by the hackers jumped across her iris—the concrete debris kicked up by the explosions, the black tactical uniforms of the combatants weaving through the gunfire, and finally, the negotiation between Mingzhi and Hansen on the Gemstone Blue Building.

Hanako Arakawa's gaze slowly swept over the report, which had been streamlined to the point of being almost harsh.

Her fingertips occasionally tapped lightly on the floating light screen, magnifying a holographic image of a certain battle record—the moment when the Wise Squad encountered the enemy in the narrow alleys of Dogtown, the bullet trajectories flashed like a rainstorm in the data stream, only to be covered by a precise counterattack route in the next second.

She nodded slightly, not out of approval, but more like to confirm some expectation.

"It seems that Mr. Mingzhi's written report is much more modest than I imagined." She suddenly chuckled, and with an elegant flick of her finger, the holographic projection shut down, the light screen folded into a silver line, and dissipated into the air.

Oda's Adam's apple swayed almost imperceptibly.

He noticed that Hua Zi's fingertips were unconsciously stroking a corner of the file—where the number of team members killed in action was recorded: the bright red "three" stood out starkly against the pale background, like three uncongealed beads of blood.

Even as Arasaka Hanako's personal bodyguard, Oda Santao often found it difficult to fathom her true thoughts.

Or rather, for a family member who was truly taught by Saburo Arasaka, allowing those around him to pry into his heart was an unforgivable mistake.

Those in positions of power do not need to show their subordinates any so-called 'sincerity' or equality.

They only need to look down on all living beings like gods, and make everyone unconditionally believe, like gods, that their judgments are always correct and their will is beyond question.

Clearly, Hanako Arasaka's training in this area had not slackened due to Saburo's death. Her light laughter, like a mountain shrouded in mist, seemed ethereal, yet weighed heavily on the gaps in their conversation.

"Indeed, as you said." Oda maintained a respectful 45-degree angle, his voice as steady as a calibrated machine.

He couldn't be sure whether Hua Zi's word "caution" was a compliment or a veiled criticism, so he chose the safest response—no guessing, no overstepping, just a simple reply.

Hua Zi suddenly pushed the file back onto the edge of the table, the sandalwood grain precisely aligning with the edge of the file. This subtle movement brought Xiao Tian's report to an abrupt halt.

In the few silent seconds, the end of the file was gently pressed under Hanako Arasaka's golden prosthetic finger, as if her next words were hanging in the balance at the very end of the decision.

"This time, headquarters has placed a useful pawn on the chessboard," she finally spoke, her voice as light as a feather falling, yet carrying an undeniable weight. Hearing Arasaka Hanako's words, Oda suddenly felt a great sense of relief for some reason.

He felt as if he had heard a verdict that brought him peace of mind, and his nerves relaxed.

As he relaxed, he felt some of the thoughts he had been suppressing resurface.

As expected, it's Miss Hua Zi.
The thought automatically completed in his mind, like a prayer repeated countless times—she was so wise, so insightful, and always able to make the most accurate judgments.

Mingzhi is indeed a rare talent, and Miss Hua's comments only reaffirm this undeniable fact.

What Oda didn't realize was that if Hanako's lips were curled into a dissatisfied smile at that moment, his heart would be clenching violently at Wise's 'incompetence'.

He would immediately feel dissatisfied with someone he had previously admired: for example, their hesitation in action, or their unnecessary mercy towards the incompetent. He might even eventually come to believe from the bottom of his heart that Akechi was completely unworthy to serve Miss Hanako, that his previous decision was wrong, and that he himself was indeed not qualified.
The longer he stayed by Hua Zi's side, the more he resembled a carefully manipulated puppet.

When Hua Zi chuckled, his gears spun merrily; when Hua Zi frowned, his spring immediately tightened. Those judgments and likes and dislikes that should have belonged to him had long since vanished without a trace, like formatted data.

But isn't this situation a choice that Oda willingly made?

"Then what about the guard arrangements for tomorrow?" Oda lowered his head slightly, his voice maintaining a perfect balance between respect and request.

“Except for the core aspects that you need to personally confirm, leave everything else to Akechi.” Arakasa Hanako’s prosthetic fingers tapped rhythmically on the sandalwood table, her golden nails reflecting a cold light. “Tell him that he will have ministerial-level authority from this moment on. If his performance tomorrow is as outstanding as the briefing report,” she paused for a moment, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips, “this temporary authority will be converted into a formal appointment.”

Minister – In the colossal Arakawa, what weight does this title represent?
That's a height that most corporate warriors can never reach in their entire lives.

Within each towering Arasaka Tower, the power structure is as rigid as a pyramid: the top is always occupied by family members with Arasaka blood flowing through their veins; below them are board members who control the fate of the city and even the nation; and the minister is the second most powerful figure after these true rulers.

In some remote, arid-saka-tatami areas, a minister can even act as a director.

If we compare Arasaka's power system to a game of climbing the Tower of Babel, obtaining the title of minister means that you have touched the last few steps—aside from the highest point that is always reserved for the Arasaka bloodline, this is almost the limit that ordinary people can reach.

If Akechi demonstrates sufficient loyalty and devotion to the Arasaka family, then a seat at the board meetings could be reserved for him. At that point, he would be able to look down upon 99.99% of the world's population and become a true leader.

"The people of Cloud Peak?"

Half-reclining in an uncomfortable chair, Carl listened as Maki Takemura, acting as his liaison, explained the new level of authority he had gained. His inner thoughts were actually a bit strange.

Wouldn't that make them a couple with a sexual relationship?

(End of this chapter)