Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 785, Section 199: Sei Nobukazu and Hanako

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin."

Arakasaka Seiyuki's voice was soft, yet it pierced the silence of the venue like a sharp dagger.

His gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally settling on Rosalind Miles. There was no probing in his eyes as if they were meeting for the first time; instead, there was an almost dangerous certainty.

"Everything is proceeding as agreed, there shouldn't be any problems, President Miles?"

As agreed?
These words were like a muffled thunderclap, exploding in the building and freezing the air for a moment.

Several new American representatives hovered their fingers over the data tablets in their hands, the document logging program flashing, but no one noticed that in the corner, the president's aide unconsciously clenched his fists.

How is this going?

Wasn't this meeting arranged precisely to facilitate the first contact between the two sides?
Why did Arakasaka Seigen's tone sound like he was confirming a secret agreement that had already been signed?

The attendees exchanged puzzled glances, some instinctively looking at Miles, trying to find the answer in her face, while the president merely raised his chin slightly, a gesture that seemed both a response and a confirmation.

“Of course, Mr. Sei-nobu.”

Her response was so fluent, as if she had rehearsed it a thousand times.

The moment the syllable fell to the ground, the electronic pen that a certain new American representative was using to take notes dropped from his hand and rolled onto the table.

Everyone present understood at that moment.

This is not the pace of a first meeting; it's more like two chess players finishing the game.

A chilling realization crept up everyone's spines—while they were preparing briefings and tasks for today's 'first meeting,' the two had already completed their real negotiations in a shadowy room.

So, this grand and solemn meeting, these carefully arranged seats, these guards patrolling the area—all these elements suggest a complex and sophisticated atmosphere.
A sudden metallic scraping sound interrupted my thoughts.
The drones hovering in the sky above the four corners of the conference room simultaneously activated their scanning mode, and the scarlet dots began to flash regularly. Only then did people notice that special agents in black uniforms were standing at all the exits.

It turned out to be the case.

This grand performance was nothing more than an elaborate cage prepared to trap a turtle in a jar.

The meeting was real, but Arasaka Seigen and Rosalind Miles had already completed the real deal behind the scenes. The so-called "meeting" was nothing more than a trap carefully set by the two, waiting for their prey to walk into it.

No one expected them to act this way—not that they questioned their courage, but rather that it was hard to imagine that they could reach a consensus with their mortal enemy so quickly and decisively.

Even the most pessimistic prediction would be that the two sides colluded temporarily during the talks, giving them some time to deal with the situation. But to launch an attack directly on the spot is like a surprise attack on Okehazama.

The arrogance that Arasaka Hanako had been displaying finally crumbled. She hadn't expected Sei-nobu to take this step, or rather, she was already falling behind in the overall game.

The intelligence she had clearly indicated that the president had just escaped death from the plane crash yesterday and was lucky to have escaped Dogtown. How could she have imagined that Miles would immediately meet with Sei-sen after escaping danger and finalize everything before the conference room door even opened this morning?
While her subordinates were still preparing for the post-meeting power struggle, a blade was already pressed against her throat.

She did not underestimate Nobuyuki Arasaka, and she was prepared to deal with the situation after the meeting. However, she ultimately underestimated Rosalind Miles—this young lady who grew up in a secluded Japanese mansion ultimately failed to grasp the madness of the new US president. This gap in experience was now causing her to lose everything.

Since CEO Arasaka and the new US president have joined forces, why hold such a high-profile meeting? The answer is obvious: to use this meeting to clean house.

So, who is the lamb to the slaughter sitting in the hall right now?

Needless to say.

Hua Zi was not a fool; he immediately realized that he was the lamb to the slaughter in this hunt.

Inside the venue, there weren't many fools either.

When Hanako Arasaka realized she had become Sei-nobu's target for elimination, how could the members of the new American delegation not understand? Whose head was Rosalind Miles's hand hovering over at that moment?

"you--!"

The middle-aged politician next to Blanca suddenly stood up, glaring at Rosalind, his obese body causing the chair to slide backward.

As a civilian official, he had neither bodyguards nor agility. This man, who was eloquent in parliament, was now ridiculously slow in his movements—before his knees were even fully straight, Blanca had already darted over like lightning.

"Please sit down, sir."

A flash of silver light appeared, and a small, carved knife was precisely pressed against his carotid artery, the blade leaving a pale indentation next to his Adam's apple.

Although the security regulations for the conference prohibited carrying firearms, basic self-defense weapons were allowed. Blanca wasn't particularly skilled, but he was more than capable of controlling an obese politician.

"you!"

The middle-aged politician's Adam's apple bobbed laboriously under the blade. He glared at Blanca, the bulging veins on his forehead clearly visible beneath his pale skin. But as the cold metal pressed against his carotid artery, all the angry curses that were about to escape his lips turned into a muffled murmur in his throat.

In the end, he could only turn his bloodshot gaze to Rosalind Miles, his eyes filled with shock and betrayal.

“Miles!” His voice trembled with suppressed rage. “You actually made a deal with Arasaka behind my back? Do you know how much opposition I suppressed in Washington for you during this meeting? Those damned newspaper headlines, those congressional inquiries—”

"Of course I know."

Miles's gaze swept lightly over Blanca, a hint of approval appearing at the corner of her mouth. But when her gaze returned to the middle-aged politician, that warmth instantly froze into the ice of Alaska.

“But I also know,” she tapped her fingers lightly on the table, each tap like a gavel in court, “who has been maintaining some kind of overly close relationship with our ‘friends’.”

Upon hearing Rosalind Miles's words, the middle-aged politician's face instantly drained of color, like a wax figure drained of all its life force.

Even the most obtuse person should realize by now that his trick has been seen through.

Under Blanca's razor-sharp pressure, he slumped back into his chair, the expensive suit fabric scraping against the seat with a hoarse, mournful sound.

Without bodyguards or contingency plans, this politician, who usually wields immense power, is now like a tiger with its claws removed, only the light in his eyes rapidly dimming.

He knew that his political life—and perhaps even his biological life—would end here.

In stark contrast to the politicians who are still struggling, Hanako Arakawa's almost cold calmness is striking.

She offered no futile resistance, no hysterical questioning, but simply raised her deep, ancient eyes and looked directly at Sei-nobu on the high seat.

“Brother,” her voice was as soft as if she were reciting a waka poem, “are you finally going to carry out that dictatorial ambition? Even I—your blood relative—have become an obstacle that needs to be eliminated?” Hanako’s fingers on the table clenched slightly, revealing her nervousness. This deliberately slowed movement was not only to buy time to think, but also to express her nervousness and fear to Sei-nobu.

She knew all too well Sei-nobu's weakness: when it came to the balance between power and family, she chose to bet everything on the latter.

"Hua Zi."

Sei-nobu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. His sister's vulnerable state at this moment was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting open the seal on his memories.

In a daze, he seemed to see again the little girl who was eavesdropping behind the paper door of the Japanese-style room—she was the only one in the steel jungle of the Arasaka family who would show him a genuine smile.

On rainy nights, young Hua Zi would always curl up beside him, pleading with his wet eyes to tell him about the outside world.

In that gilded cage-like mansion, only he could bring a breath of fresh air to Hanako. His stories about the streets and alleys and the lives of ordinary people captivated the little girl, who was trapped by the rules of the Arasaka family.

He was Hua Zi's most relied-upon older brother, and the only person in this cold mansion who would ruffle her hair.

Sei-nobu unconsciously dug her fingertips into her palm, a subtle gesture mirroring that of Arasaka Hanako at that moment.

As the most unconventional member of the Arasaka family, he should have severed all his weaknesses and attachments as his father had hoped. His teachers, who taught him political maneuvering, had said that emotions are the most fatal weakness, and that a true ruler must be as ruthless as a knife.

But it was this younger sister who, during his years of self-imposed exile, clumsily used her naive, self-taught hacking skills to penetrate layers of firewalls and maintain contact with him.

Those brief greetings in encrypted communications, interspersed with care despite spelling errors, were more precious to him than all his wealth or achievements. Whenever that particular signal lit up on the terminal, he would put aside everything else, as if he were back on that rainy night, with a warm little body nestled beside him.

Arakasaka Seigen felt his cold heart tremble slightly at Hanako's words. He was clearly aware of his hesitation, but he also understood that this hesitation should not exist. He could not hesitate at a time like this.

The myriad words swirling in my mind lingered between my lips and teeth, ultimately transforming into restrained syllables.

“I have no intention of doing anything to you, Hua Zi.” His voice was like tempered steel, but a barely perceptible tremor was revealed at the end of the sentence.

Sei-nobu's face gradually hardened into the unwavering determination that Hanako was familiar with.

“The situation in Night City is more dangerous than you think.” He raised his hand to cut off his sister’s possible rebuttal, his palm open. “I cherish you, Hua Zi. In this city where even the air is filled with betrayal, I cannot tolerate you, my sister, being harmed in any way.”

Arosaka Seigen's face was cold: "Once you leave here, you'll be under my men's supervision for the time being." He paused for a moment, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing his suit cufflinks. "My men will ensure your safety—until this storm passes."

"Is my brother going to imprison me?" Hua Zi's voice suddenly pierced through his carefully constructed defenses. Se Xuan saw his reflection in her pupils, an image that gradually overlapped with the figure of his father in his memory.

"No."

His figure never overlapped with the cold shadow in my memory; not even a trace of similarity could be found.

Because he is Arakasaka Seigen, not Arakasaka Saburo.

It has never been, not in the past, not now, and not even in the present!

Arakasaka Seiichi gazed at Hanako silently, his eyes sharp as a tempered blade, yet softening subtly when they met her. His voice was soft, but carried an unwavering firmness: "I will not imprison my own sister."

Just as Hanako Arasaka's eyes flickered slightly, Sei-nobu Arasaka uttered his next sentence.

“But I won’t stand by and watch you be deceived by people with ulterior motives and do things you’ll regret in the future.” He took a step forward, the sound of his leather shoes clicking on the marble floor particularly clear in the empty room. “Hua Zi, the situation is complicated right now, and all the forces are waiting for Arasaka to show a weakness.”

Arakasaka Seigen's face gradually calmed down. He slowly raised his hand, but stopped just before touching his sister's shoulder, and in the end just placed an encrypted chip in her palm.

“We need unity, not mutual suspicion,” he said in a low voice. “This chip can connect me directly—anytime.”

"elder brother."

Arakawa Hanako gazed at Sei-nobu, her eyes, which shared his lineage, swirling with a complex light.

Finally, she nodded slightly, her hair slipping down her shoulders with the movement.

“I understand.” Her voice was soft, but it carried a certain determination. “I will follow your arrangements. Because I know that my brother is genuinely worried about my safety.”

Sei-nobu's tense brows relaxed slightly, but furrowed again when he heard the next sentence.

“However,” Hua Zi’s slender fingers caressed the encryption chip, “I need a few people who can help with the trivial matters.”

"Trivial matters?" Sei-nobu's voice trembled with wariness.

“For example,” she tilted her head, a gesture that made her seem even more familiar with her younger sister, “I like daifuku made with fresh strawberries, and I’m worried that the people my brother sends might not know how to choose the right level of sweetness.”

The ambient light cast shifting shadows on her porcelain-white face, and Sei-nobu understood the subtext of her tone—she accepted protection, but refused to become a caged bird.

"Who do you need?" His voice was low, carrying a hint of compromise that he would never have shown when facing Saburo Arasaka.

The influence that Saburo Arasaka left to Hanako remains the largest faction within the Arasaka organization to this day.

Although Sei-nobu has the upper hand for the time being, before he can completely control the situation, he must leave a gap for the fish that are about to be frozen to breathe—this is a political compromise.

Hua Zi's gaze lingered briefly on Oda Santau, the loyal captain of the guard, who should have been her most reasonable choice.

But in the end, her gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Mingzhi in the distance, the figure who had failed to play a timely role in this raid but had provided crucial intelligence beforehand.

“I need some outstanding talent,” she said softly.

This choice not only gave his brother a way out but also left himself room to maneuver—Michika had already proven his reliability and loyalty in his previous actions, and his current ministerial position wouldn't touch Sei-nobu's most sensitive nerve. Until he could think of another way, this was the best option.

"Some outstanding talents?"

Arakasaka Seigen didn't look in the direction Hanako was looking. He appeared nonchalant and indifferent in front of Hanako, but in reality, he knew who was in that direction.

"If you need it."

As Arasaka Seigen said this, a quiet sense of pleasure flashed through his heart.

(End of this chapter)