Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 820, Section 30: The Ara-Saka Villa
"Are these your subordinates, Mr. Akechi?"

One of the Pheasant Faction commanders squinted, carefully examining the silent team behind Mingzhi.

Each of them was wrapped up tightly, their heavy combat uniforms obscuring their body outlines, and even their faces were completely covered by tactical masks and goggles, leaving only a few cold breathing holes.

However, with his extensive experience, he could still discern the differences from the subtle details—the man on the far left had broad shoulders and a thick back, like a moving city wall, and his muscular arms were almost bursting at the cuffs of his combat uniform.

Beside him was a well-proportioned samurai, whose long sword slung across his waist swayed slightly as he walked, and the scabbard made a regular, soft sound as it collided with his tactical belt.
A little further away, a sniper was quietly adjusting his weapon, his fingers sliding nimbly across the gun as if enjoying the feel of it. The last team member was wearing standard assault gear, every tactical attachment point filled with magazines, his steps revealing a rhythm that was not precise, but skillful enough.

Judging from appearances, Akechi only brought four people with him. Including himself and the 100 ninjas who were to participate in the operation, the total number of people was no more than 15.

These mere fifteen people were tasked with raiding the heavily guarded Arasaka villa and rescuing the imprisoned Hanako Arasaka from its impenetrable walls.
The commander couldn't help but think to himself: although such covert operations should not involve too many people, fifteen people were far too few. He had thought that Mingzhi would at least bring a full-strength combat team, but he did not expect that the other side had only selected a few of the most core and loyal subordinates to participate in the operation.

"It's about quality, not quantity, in getting things done."

Mingzhi seemed to see through the doubt in his eyes, and his deep voice came from under the mask: "Excess manpower will only increase the risk of leaks. Even if it comes to the point where sacrifices are absolutely necessary, the fewer traces left behind, the better."

He paused for a moment: "Besides, this number is already enough, and there will be other support troops to pick us up later."

“I understand, Mr. Wise.”

Faced with this man who was his equal in rank but had won everyone's trust with his meticulous planning and intelligence, the Pheasant Faction's commander ultimately chose to trust his judgment. He straightened his back and gave a solemn salute.

“Then we will begin the perimeter security work. Please be sure to,” his voice unconsciously lowered a few decibels, “to ensure that Miss Hua is rescued safely.”

"This is our common goal and aspiration."

Mingzhi didn't say anything more. After scanning the command personnel present, he said, "Let's begin."

At 9:55, outside the mansion where Arasaka Hanako was imprisoned, a vehicle belonging to Arasaka, which had been certified by the system, slowly drove into the restricted area.

“I always thought a four-seater car would be enough.” Sandwiched between V and David in the back seat, Carl stretched his numb shoulders, his gaze sweeping over Oliver in the driver’s seat and Jack in the passenger seat, finally settling on Johnny, who was curled up on the center armrest. “Now I realize that even Johnny’s seat is more comfortable than mine.”

"Stop complaining." Oliver stared at the pop-up camera, slowly opening the scanning electronic gate, his fingers unconsciously tapping the steering wheel. "We're about to move out. You're the key person responsible for negotiating with Hua Zi." The scanning beam swept back and forth across their car roof, emitting a slight buzzing sound.

Through the bulletproof glass, Oliver could see out of the corner of his eye that the 100 ninjas, their optical camouflage activated, had vanished like ghosts into the blind spots of the surveillance.

Oliver clicked his tongue in amazement: "No wonder he's Saburo Arasaka's personal bodyguard; this level of security system is practically useless against them."

“They’re in charge of guarding the Arasaka family in Tokyo.” V adjusted his posture to make Karl more comfortable. “The people who know the castle’s weaknesses best are often the craftsmen who built it. With so many guards, they can spot any loopholes in the usual security at a glance.”

V paused for a moment before continuing, "If we really go up against these guys, even we'll be in serious trouble. I hope everything goes well for Sei-nobu."

Johnny Silverhand straightened up from the armrest: "That old dog Saburo is the most timid of all, and his guard dogs are all incredibly fierce." He gave a cold laugh, but his tone softened when he mentioned Sei-nobu, "But even the fiercest dog is still a dog. That kid can handle it." "Heh, a kid, but judging from his age, Sei-nobu is indeed a junior to you."

Carl recalled that Sei-nobu was born in 1995, while Johnny was born in 1988. Johnny was seven years older than Sei-nobu. If you compare them in school, one was just in fifth grade, while the other was already in college. However, compared to this age difference, Carl was actually more concerned about something else.

However, just as he was about to speak, he let V speak first.

"Hey, when did you become so familiar with Sei-nobu that you're calling him by his first name?" V raised an eyebrow at Johnny, a smile playing on his lips.

Johnny lazily lay down again: "I haven't met him many times, but it's all thanks to you guys—" He deliberately dragged out the words, "you guys told that kid all my secrets, even what brand of whiskey I drank at the Rebirth Bar back then."

Johnny stuck out his tongue and made an exaggerated expression: "We've been seen naked, it wouldn't make sense if we weren't familiar with each other, right?" He chuckled and tried to manipulate his body to reach for a cigarette, but stopped when he noticed the scan. "That kid chats with me every day now, saying he's my fan, tsk, acting like a fanboy. But his taste in music is indeed quite good."

“I thought you two would talk more about how to ruin the company.” Carl raised an eyebrow, his tone clearly surprised. “Given your personalities, shouldn’t you two be like Mars colliding with Earth?”

Johnny noticed the scan had been done: "Why chat about all that nonsense?" He squinted. "Just keep things in mind. Saying more is just bullshit. Instead of wasting your breath—" He thought of alcohol, "I might as well have a couple more drinks and smoke a few more cigarettes."

"That's the truth."

As the door slowly opened after the scan, Karl signaled for the others to quiet down and stop chatting. With permission granted, a short communication connection was established with Karl.

"I already know your thoughts, go ahead and do it."

Karl chuckled as he listened to the voice of Hanako Arasaka on the other end of the communication.

"Did you hear that? Let's just go for it."

"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

V looked at the security guards surrounding him and slowly exhaled: "Are there any of our own people here?"

“Sai-nobu’s people aren’t here. Forty percent of them here think they’re trusted spies because they haven’t been exposed, and the remaining sixty percent are security robots.”

"Then I understand."

V gripped the knife leaning against the car door.

Since Mingzhi has no combat ability, it is up to him, the captain of the second action team, to take action.

(End of this chapter)