Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 204 Morbidity and Malice (12)

AI: "Visitor Authentication, Director of Special Operations, Arthur Jenkins".

Jenkins always seemed to have a tense look between his brows, and no one in the company had ever seen the former head of counterintelligence smile.

This man, who used direct methods and boldly employed unconventional tactics to salvage losses for Arasaka in several counterintelligence defense or offensive operations, was the most frequently seen high-ranking member of the entire Arasaka Tower.

However, doing a lot does not necessarily mean that Jenkins is capable. On the contrary, some of his methods were once rated as "dangerous" by the personnel department. According to the calculation of the large model data, Jenkins will take risks again in a certain operation, increasing the risk of Arasaka's involvement.

The moment Jenkins looked at Nitta Heya, the seriousness in his eyes deepened, and he pulled at his face.

"President Nitta."

A senior company employee who follows rules, knows etiquette, and uses job titles throughout the process.

Nitta He also looked much more "amiable," and said, "Sit in Jenkins."

Jenkins straightened his tie and sat down opposite him expressionlessly. His long-standing habits from working in counterintelligence meant he had mentally reviewed everything from Nitta Kazuya's desk to the president's facial expressions…

He went through it carefully but still couldn't figure it out, so he could only wait for the other party to speak.

"Whiskey? I remember you loved that..."

Nitta Kazuya beckoned, and a woman carefully selected by Arasaka swayed in, carrying a bottle of wine.

"For Mr. Jenkins."

Throughout the entire process, Jenkins remained composed and dignified, quietly watching the woman pour the wine.

However, just as the wine was poured, the woman suddenly lay down on the ground and began to crawl on all fours—Xintian kicked her in the face with his leather shoe before finally letting her "crawl out" with satisfaction.

Jenkins' eyelids kept twitching.

Nitta He could also sense the other person's confusion, bewilderment, and slight fear towards him.

But that's what he appreciates most.

"Subordinates should be like this, more obedient—but I'm not talking about you. This world is divided into nobles and commoners, and this is what commoners do."

"Try this bar, my personal stash...it's priceless."

Jenkins smiled.

It's not unusual for company employees to buy weird Mewtwo movies, let alone someone like Nitta.

His ability to accept things is much higher than Nitta imagined.

Now, we need to consider what Nitta should do.

What is this—pouring out wine and making a pointed protest—...?
He usually poured himself a glass of wine when he needed something from someone, so he didn't show any flattery or surprise. Only after the woman disappeared behind the automatic door did he pick up the glass.

"Respect Aragaka!"

He drank it all in one gulp, without any hesitation, which is exactly in line with his style.

When Jenkins placed the empty glass on the luxurious marble table, he noticed that He, sitting opposite him, was also holding a glass and staring at him with a smile, as if he were looking at an innocent child.

Jenkins frowned slightly.

He knew exactly what kind of person this newly appointed president was. He was a technical staff member under Michiko, someone who had worked his way up through the ranks, with a rich background, and had designed many products for Arasaka. He had no scandals—except for having a few mistresses, including the husbands of his mistresses.

Jenkins hates this kind of liberal scientist; he's sentimental and lacks intelligence. If it weren't for Sanlang pointing him out, Lai Xuan would probably be the one calling the shots on the board now.

He clearly remembered that when Rin crushed Abernathy's neck, the blood splattered on He Ye's clothes was probably no tougher than a piece of cooked spaghetti—

However, passive defense has never been Jenkins' first choice.

"President Nitta, I think we can get down to business now. No matter what it is, the Special Operations Department will do as you say."

The attitude is clear.

Nitta shook his head slightly. "Abnersey... the former director was right. You are decisive, rational, and know how to stop bleeding quickly—but I didn't come here to have you worry about my affairs... Take a look at this. After you see it, you might want a drink even more."

The conversation between Hanako Arasaka and Rin was replayed in the holographic image.

Of course, He also cleverly removed his own voice from the entire film, leaving only a short, abridged version of his dialogue. In short, it's about seeing how rebellious Rin is, how he roasts Hua Zi until he's completely defeated... and how he calmly says things like "the Special Operations Department is useless."

Throughout the entire process, Nitta kept a close eye on Jenkins' expression.

To his disappointment, Jenkins remained calm, without even the slightest facial twitch.

snap…

The holographic image was turned off, and Nitta didn't rush to speak, giving Jenkins time to react.

"President Nitta, when did this happen?"

After a long while, Jenkins lit a cigarette he didn't smoke often, and as he exhaled his first puff of smoke, he asked casually.

Nitta laughed and said, "You're the director, you've already joined the board of directors, don't be so modest—call me Mr. Nitta or something... As you can see, this happened just a dozen minutes ago, and I think I have to tell you."

"But your reaction is somewhat disappointing. Or is it that the ambitious Jenkins disappeared after the [loss in Osaka]?"

There are only two rules for surviving in this company: know how to kill, and know how to read the situation.

Jenkins followed the first rule to the end, and as for the second rule, Jenkins was more than capable of dealing with He.

Such low-level attempts at sowing discord are completely obvious to Jenkins, a guy who's been sitting in the "spy and assassination" department for so long and still wants to climb the ranks. He can see right through what Nitta He is up to.

only…

Jenkins couldn't understand why Rin would say such a thing. Apart from cutting off the beginning and end and piecing things together, the director couldn't think of any other reasonable explanation.

Unexpectedly, He Ye tossed the separation chip over, saying, "Let's verify your voiceprint. I'm not stupid enough to waste my time making fake videos to have a heart-to-heart talk with you."

Jenkins didn't refuse; instead, he casually picked up the chip to verify it. Although there were signs of editing, the chip itself didn't show any signs of splicing; only some key information was missing.

"Um…"

Being without desires or wants is not necessarily a good thing. For example, the security minister of Dogtown, who almost caused a major incident, has his eye on him.

Jenkins is a man who doesn't hold grudges. After all, Rin was someone he once wanted to use. His first instinct was right. By relying on Lai Xuan's big ship, he had risen in rank, although it was illegitimate and few dared to say anything...

He was mentally prepared for Rin to become the deputy director of the special operations department, but he wasn't prepared to be kicked out.

The first thing this special operations director, who hadn't made any major moves since taking office, wanted to contact his subordinate V…

However, V's rank is now approaching his own, and Jenkins is weighing the relationship between so-called friendship, interests, and position. In fact, he has dug a big hole for himself.

This is the effect you want!

Nitta Heya seemed confident of victory.

“Mr. Jenkins… in Arasaka Tower, you have to make sure you don’t cause any problems, but look, your men are about to break down, so what do you think?”

Jenkins hadn't made a choice yet, because he absolutely couldn't make a decision now. As the director of the special operations department, he was well aware of Lai Xuan's current situation; he had attended the meeting in Japan, and it was common knowledge that Lai Xuan was being temporarily confined by his father.

At this critical juncture, Rin is going to make a move against herself?
A complete mess...

Seeing that Jenkins remained silent, He continued, "I know you didn't react when you watched that video... You just think that you, and the two people under you, are Lai Xuan's men—don't try to fob me off with platitudes, but is that really the case?"

"Lai Xuan hasn't put much effort into you. To be honest, even I can't tell who you're working for."

Even though He had told him not to say anything polite, Jenkins still nodded silently.

"I work for Arasaka, and Arasaka's values ​​and interests are the principles I must follow."

Nitta Heya closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

He sat up straight. "Can't you see the situation? Jenkins! You're going to be crippled. You're not working for Lai Xuan. How many times have you opened back doors for them right under my nose? I just can't be bothered to care."

Well said.

Jenkins felt that it would be more reasonable to say in the last sentence that he was afraid Lai Xuan would target him.

But at this point, Jenkins felt a sense of helplessness; no matter what he did, these troubles would still come knocking...

"Please continue, I'm listening."

Jenkins raised his hand and rubbed his temples. At the beginning of the conversation, he wanted to bring up Lai Xuan's banner and give Nitta the illusion that his divisive tactics were ineffective.

But as the conversation deepened, Jenkins, who hadn't met V beforehand, became somewhat confused—soils of doubt began to sprout in his mind.

However, the most important thing right now is to satisfy Nitta and avoid shifting the conflict onto oneself.

Jenkins' brain was working frantically.

He was also preoccupied with the sore point that Lai Xuan didn't value him, and if his bias was too obvious—

"However... this guy has been sidelined and is now working at a subsidiary. His prosthetic body is said to be constantly malfunctioning; I need to hear your thoughts on what to do next."

He also had a somewhat arrogant expression, which made Jenkins think that he was drunk.

How can it be? !
Rin was kicked out?
Is it... Lord Arasaka?

This completely threw Jenkins off balance.

He stared at Jenkins, not intending to let the topic drop. His idea was to get Jenkins to decide whether or not to get on board.

Damn it…

The muscles around Jenkins' face twitched as he clenched his teeth.

Time passed slowly, and He Ye's eyes gradually narrowed...

Are they stubborn and unyielding?
Just as the atmosphere was about to reach freezing point, Jenkins cleared his throat. "Mr. Nitta said, I'll do it."

Nitta's face, which was about to fall, instantly brightened.

He liked Jenkins; he was direct, to the point, and his attitude was very clear, which He appreciated.

At least the special operations director respected himself more than those two rebellious subordinates.

“Jenkins, I was right about you.”

Jenkins forced a smile. “If we’re going to do it, we should do it cleanly… We can’t deal with the Blackwall Receptors, but we can’t let their people get away… You mean that, Mr. Nitta?”

Mr. Nitta clapped his hands in praise.

"Perfect for my taste... Jenkins, make sure the Special Operations Department doesn't rust. Make good use of your people, and get rid of those lowlife scum who participated in the operations in Dogtown, make sure it's clean—"

"Also, that Black Wall receptor is said to not last much longer without a replacement prosthetic body, but I don't think Lai Xuan and his cronies will let her remove the prosthetic body so easily..."

"Find a way to get the prosthetic data from this girl, and with the data from Honshu, our research and development progress will definitely crush the headquarters."

Each of those three sentences gave Jenkins a headache.

This is the kind of order he least wants to take. Will Rin just let it go?
However, He also mentioned that there were some problems with that guy's prosthetic body...

Jenkins felt like he'd been doused with cold water. Damn it, he'd almost been led astray by this Nitta.

The prosthetic body with the blackened walls is the property of this state. If Lai Xuan were to settle scores later, these things would be on his head. Jenkins needs to come up with the most brilliant solution.

It has to be said that Jenkins is very good at playing dirty tricks.

“No problem, Mr. Kazuya.”

Nitta was pleased with Jenkins's straightforwardness, but at the same time, he still caught a glimpse of Jenkins's feigned embarrassment.

“Speak up, Jenkins. I’ll help you with whatever you ask—provided you’re smart and stand on my side.”

Jenkins sighed and lit another cigarette.

“Mr. Nitta, Lai Xuan didn’t actually promote me… The merger of the counterintelligence and security departments is enough to replace the special operations department. We don’t get any cases, and headquarters is also vertically delegating matters to them…”

"The special operations department must be clean when doing this."

Since Abernathy's death, the Special Operations Department has been in a state of panic. In addition, Jenkins was considering his future while he was in charge of the situation in his state, so there was no thorough purge.

Kill someone with a borrowed knife?
It seems there's a philosophical saying in Rin's hometown.

Jenkins has no shortage of methods, but he lacks a "pledge of allegiance" like Rin; therefore, he must make use of Nitta.

Nitta looked somewhat suspicious.

“Rin has planted a lot of spies in my department, Mr. Nitta. If this continues, the probability of leaks is extremely high.”

At this point, Nitta actually pointed at Jenkins.

Jenkins broke out in a cold sweat.

However, the person in charge's next remarks made the mockery in Jenkins' eyes even more obvious.

"Dealing with that woman named V certainly requires a clean sweep by the Special Operations Department, but are the company's mercenaries even worth getting involved with some low-level trash, street hustlers, and potential cyber lunatics?"

"Go find the Tiger Claw Gang. They still have a few people in Night City. Before Rin is ready, let's get rid of these troublesome guys... We can also infiltrate the company's people, just to teach those disobedient subordinates a lesson!"

If Jenkins made excuses, Nitta could accept these requests.

But to Nitta's surprise, Jenkins slowly stood up...

He stated firmly in a very calm voice:
"Yes, Mr. Nitta."

……

……

(End of this chapter)