Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 412 No Destruction, No Construction [1.1 words]

The rain that had lasted for five days in Night City finally stopped.

When the hovercar landed smoothly at the top of the tower, V resisted the urge to touch the rare sunlight... Her excellent company training allowed her to maintain a graceful posture at all times. The wind from the engine made her suit rustle slightly. She squinted slightly, waiting for the outcome of Lai Xuan's trip to Europe.

It must be said that Lai Xuan's security probably surpassed that of Arasaka Saburo at any time...

When the aircraft carrier attacked the Night City beach, or when Lai Xuan became the true president of Arasaka, too many people wanted him dead.

Even V was blocked by the heavily armored soldiers whose exoskeletons exuded a chilling aura—

"V?"

Lai Xuan forced a smile onto his otherwise unpleasant expression.

Valerie nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought, "Lai Xuan..."

Arasaka Yorinobu didn't seem to care about the issue of address and directly interrupted V's greeting.

"You can address him as 'Mr.,' there's no need to use his title."

V: "Mr. Lai Xuan, the counterintelligence department has been fully integrated."

Lai Xuan nodded.

“Very good, Miss V.”

"Let me handle this problem for a moment, come with me."

Despite his setback in Europe, Lai Xuan was still capable and energetic, striding forward with a large group of people following him from the hangar all the way to Arasaka Tower. Along the way, Arasaka Lai Xuan skillfully processed documents handed to him by his subordinates, as well as the approval and authorization of tablet devices—

This is actually a very obvious signal:

Power is being consolidated.

Since the Battle of Konbi, Lai Xuan has defied the opinions of the heads of various regional branches, bloodily dealt with a large number of people, and used various means to seize the approval power for important actions into his own hands.

In any chaotic situation, centralizing power seems to be a measure that leaders have to consider.

Lai Xuan not only thought this way, but he also did it.

"I need to review this action report again."

Lai Xuan held the operation report in his hand. One of the security supervisors looked stiff and could only stand there and watch the large group of people hurry towards the courtyard of Arasaka.

"Hmm... It seems that guy used some tricks or something during the operation. Perhaps you shouldn't bother with things like that."

Counterintelligence is all about intelligence and manipulating people's hearts. The guy's expression showed obvious panic. V, who was well-versed in the internal workings of Arasaka, knew that the guy probably didn't expect that the global president in charge of the Night City branch would intercept his flawed report.

"You have to understand, if I perform like this even once, the people below will be more obedient; I know Arasaka's methods very well, V."

"Making money through petty tricks is fine, but not right now."

Arasaka Yorinobu smiled slightly. V was slightly taken aback, but by the time he realized what was happening, Yorinobu had already taken several steps forward.

So she quickly chased after him, asking, "What's the situation in Europe?"

Lai Xuan had a mysterious expression on his face. "There is still a fierce battle in the Central Court. These white scoundrels have no reason to spit out the flesh they have swallowed, not to mention that my clever sister is willing to offer her flesh up for them to eat."

“They’d love for Arasaka to be broken up. There’s no room for negotiation. You should know what the outcome will be—so you shouldn’t ask.”

V breathed a sigh of relief.

The situation was indeed worse than expected.

Lai Xuan stopped, and V followed suit, standing outside the courtyard door.

"Have all shareholders from the Arasaka headquarters attend the meeting."

V knew that this step was no longer of much concern to him, since he was just the head of the counterintelligence department of the Night City branch, and the rank of head of the special operations department that he had taken from Jenkins had long been taken back by Tokyo.

"besides--"

Lai Xuan said with a sneer, "I hope to see the resignation of the absent person on my desk tomorrow. Arasaka will provide them with excellent retirement facilities and environment after they have worked so hard."

As they spoke, the Arasaka ninjas clad in heavy armor departed, as if they had received some kind of order. The Night City's management exchanged bewildered glances, not daring to utter a sound...

The AI ​​accurately recognized the words of the highest authority in Arakasa.

"Your schedule has been rearranged, the agreement has been issued, and all responses have been completed with no one absent."

Lai Xuan nodded.

At least they weren't all idiots running headlong into the line of fire, thinking their headquarters was going to emulate those European warlords...

"V?"

When V heard someone call her name, she was suddenly brought back to her senses, having been lost in thought about how the Europeans were causing trouble for Arasaka.

"You come too."

Arakasaka Yoriyuki casually left a sentence and walked into the courtyard.

The elite soldiers from Arasaka at the entrance raised their guns in a gesture of respect, inviting V to enter.

V glanced around instinctively, only to realize that everyone was standing half a step behind her, including the shareholders from Night City who had made things difficult for her countless times…

There was fear, envy, jealousy, and dissatisfaction...

Seeing Xu Zhi smile at him with a calm and composed expression, V tugged at the hem of his suit jacket and strode into the courtyard.

"If your hands are stained with blood, you'll rise faster."

Aside from wearing expensive clothes, these people are no different from ordinary, petty people; in fact, they are even more narrow-minded in their actions and behavior.

"V is so young, but he's really good at climbing..."

In addition, whispers began to circulate.

Xu Zhi listened to those words and shook his head with a smile.

Just as everyone was whispering and talking nonsense, even indulging in wild speculation, Xu Zhi's cheerful voice rang out from ahead.

"I really don't want to say that you've all lived your lives like dogs—"

"Without a special operations department, how dare you openly discuss the head of the counterintelligence department? Do you really think you're clean?"

The faces of the shareholders and management who had assumed Xu Zhihui would stand with them instantly darkened.

Xu Zhi couldn't be bothered to listen to such an obvious counter-espionage plot... It was nothing more than someone whispering in his ear that V was going to kick him out...

"Want to come in?"

Xu Zhi smiled and turned his head to look at these creatures that were neither human nor ghost.

“Then we can eliminate all the remaining rebels for Lord Lai Xuan in Ganbi, or… you can also go to Europe to gain experience.”

As expected, these good-for-nothings looked like they wanted to avoid him at all costs, and Xu Zhi gave a cold laugh.

He turned his head and looked at the courtyard with some concern.

Lai Xuan has always valued ability, and as for the situation in Europe... he probably needs a ruthless approach like V to resolve it.

After all, looking at it all, V's entire career in Arasaka has been marked by radical measures, with many of his on-the-spot reactions being extremely drastic, simple, and effective—using force and an absolute sense of opportunity to suppress others…

Counterintelligence agencies need people like this, and Lai Xuan also needs people like this.

If it weren't for V, the variables surrounding Aoi would be infinitely greater...

……

"This way, please."

The soldier led V forward, conducting a standard weapons search and disabling the prosthetic body.

V took a deep breath and strode to the conference table. He stopped at the far end and watched Lai Xuan pacing back and forth, making a phone call.

"Sit anywhere, V."

V nodded and sat down a little closer to Lai Xuan, but not to Lai Xuan's side.

“The European Space Agency has done this more than once or twice, and now the Human Rights Council is joining these slugs in biting people... Since they say Arasaka has no human rights, then we will see it through to the end.”

"Is the Space Council still holding the same attitude?"

Lai Xuan rubbed his temples.

His chest heaved noticeably, and V was even prepared to hear him curse loudly. However, Lai Xuan displayed a calm demeanor completely different from the rumors circulating within Arasaka.

"uh-huh…"

“The head of the counterintelligence department is right in front of me. She was supposed to be in charge of this meeting, but I decided to attend in person.”

V-shaped eyes reveal the nose, the nose reveals the heart...

She guessed that Lai Xuan was probably saying on the other end of the phone that this was too insulting to Arasaka, since having Lai Xuan, as the global president of Arasaka, attend such a meeting would only embolden those Europeans. However, Lai Xuan still went in person and kept himself behind...

V couldn't imagine how he was going to get any benefits from the European Space Council.

"That's it!"

Lai Xuan hung up the phone and paced back and forth with his hands on his hips.

It took about four or five minutes.

Having calmed himself down, he slowly asked, "V, how is Rin?"

V suddenly felt nervous for no reason.

Why did Lai Hsuan ask himself this question?
Even though V considered himself an employee of Arasaka, he helped Rin acquire the basic foundation of the Respectable Logistics Company at the behest of Lai Xuan…

However, if Lai Xuan were to follow his wishes, he would treat Rin as a hidden backup, making her step in at a crucial moment through a near-verbal agreement.

But in reality, V didn't have the courage to give up the company's business and instead plunge into the quagmire of Night City, yet she inadvertently harmed the interests of the Arasaka group and helped Rin.

Lai Xuan smiled slightly, "This question isn't difficult to answer. Even if it's called a bond tied by power or transactions, Rin has helped me so much..."

After saying this, Lai Xuan already had a vague idea that what Rin was pursuing was not a huge amount of personal wealth or company expansion.

Using Arasaka as a weapon or undermining him from within is a secret that Yorinobu dares not tell anyone…

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe him as a benefactor."

"You two seem to have a good relationship... He hasn't responded to my attempts to contact him, so I have no choice but to ask this..."

V paused for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle that was hard to tell if it was a hint of doubt...

"Ah."

What a strange thing... The most eccentric prince of Arakasaka is a polite person?

A bitter smile crept onto V's lips. "Recently... a girl from his company is barely clinging to life. The doctors can't guarantee she'll survive."

"Of course, this is the girl who had the Relic sample core inserted into her brain."

Lai Xuan's expression became noticeably more puzzled.

It wasn't because Relic had been used; he was just wondering why Rin seemed to have put everything aside because her subordinates weren't doing anything...

He also guessed that V and Rin's relationship was very unusual.

So he pointed to V, then gestured to the side in the distance...

With her amazing comprehension, V knew that Lai Xuan was asking about her relationship with Rin.

“Yes, we are… uh.”

The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.

Lai Xuan could only change the subject, saying, "If you need anything, Arasaka will do his best to support you... just say the word."

"That chip is connected to my cybersecurity experts who are tracking it down online. I suspect there are still many of Hua Zi's and my father's men remaining on the ground..."

The conversation about their feelings ended in an awkward atmosphere.

Lai Xuan's expression suddenly turned serious, and V immediately became serious as well...

"There's a rumor circulating in the company lately, and as the head of the counterintelligence department, you certainly know as much as the higher-ups about Arasaka—"

After listening to Lai Xuan's words, V nodded slightly. "To be precise, it's a split, right?"

Yorihiro walked slowly, talking as he went. This was a habit of his, as it helped him relax and sort things out.

"I don't know what Hua Zi promised the European Space Agency, but those Europeans are now legally acknowledging that there is an extraterrestrial Aragaki. The space station and extraterrestrial satellites that we have worked so hard to build... as well as the most important asset, the entrance to the Divine Vehicle, are all under Hua Zi's control."

As they spoke, the holographic screen behind Lai Xuan displayed news from media outlets around the world, all of which, without exception, were about Arasaka's power struggle.

"Here is an important brief:"

"Following the scandals surrounding the internal strife within the Arasaka family and the human rights violations experimentation controversy, the current Arasaka heir, Yoriyuki Arasaka, delivered a speech. Upon assuming office, this new heir adopted the rash tactic of besieging the independent Night City with warships, which undoubtedly increased the negative publicity surrounding the Arasaka family."

"Night City, New America, and parts of the Free States have all condemned Arasaka's hegemonic behavior."

Lai Xuan moved his hand.

At that moment, a message was scrolling through V's eyes. The screen showed the scene of a press conference, with the logo of the European Space Agency's Space Council behind the bald, bespectacled, and somewhat dazed-looking spokesperson.

"Given the current internal divisions within Arasaka, it is legally inevitable that Arasaka will have two heirs. Judging from the shareholding ratio and the relevant will documents submitted by Hanako Arasaka, Ms. Hanako Arasaka, who is currently located at the Space Tenki Gravity Space Station, has reasonable demands."

"We will continue to recognize Arasaka's legitimate rights in outer space in accordance with the relevant contracts for joint development of outer space."

The cameras below were flashing incessantly, and there was an uproar all around.

The Arasaka message in the V brain-computer interface read: [Arasaka Corporation's latest assessment has dropped it from the world's third-largest entity to the world's tenth-largest. Arasaka's stock has already triggered a circuit breaker, and Arasaka is facing its first serious crisis in fifty years.]

[Arasaka-Pharmaceuticals/Qiante/... This project's stock is recommended for reduction; the possibility of a circuit breaker is extremely high...//]

V's hand clenched tightly...

Lai Xuan used some external information to make V clearly understand the current situation.

"Europeans are really good at calculating."

V felt a surge of irritation and kept rubbing the lighter that belonged to Rin in his hand.

"Europeans are eager for Arakawa to be divided; it's something they've always dreamed of... But even the best-laid plans can go wrong. I didn't keep an eye on Frankfurt, and they left on the European Space Agency's space shuttle."

After hearing Lai Xuan's explanation, V sneered.

"I don't believe it at all that the European Space Agency didn't contribute to this."

She then lowered her voice and cursed fiercely, "Damn it, Rin clearly said to keep a close eye on Frankfurt..."

Although Rin was saying that she was trying to prevent the Cloud Sea Project from being used by Hanako and Michiko, V thought that if he had paid more attention in Frankfurt, he might have been able to prevent Arasaka from ending up in such a split.

Lai Xuan was stunned for a moment, but the smile on his face seemed to have anticipated Rin's move.

"I don't think many people expected Michiko's disguise... She's really good at playing the fool."

"Okay, V, I don't need self-pitying colleagues."

This seems to be the first time Lai Xuan has used the term "colleague" here. V instantly felt a pressure on his shoulders, which proved that Lai Xuan wanted him to step up and contribute.

The current concern is that Hua Zi cannot continue to maintain the initiative and allow forces like the European Space Agency to further divide Arasaka. When Arasaka falls to a certain point, Night City, surrounded by wolves, will be the first stop where Arasaka is buried.

Many of the European branches, having been purged by Lai Xuan, will need time to recover…

However, from V's perspective, if Lai Xuan didn't do this, the trouble would only be greater. Those fence-sitters are the biggest threat after the power transition in Arasaka.

As for the European Space Agency's ambiguous stance of acknowledging Hanako Arasaka's status within the Arasaka Space Facility while refusing to refute Lai Xuan's actions, this is exactly the kind of thing only Western politicians would do...

They dare not speak of Lai Xuan because Lai Xuan really does have an aircraft carrier.

Every company experiences a situation where the board of directors can challenge the CEO, but this is not the case in a highly centralized company like Arasaka's. Saburo is dead, and now, on the surface, the most powerful person on this planet is Arasaka Yorinobu…

"Let's enter the meeting room. I'll show you what Arakasa looks like now."

Lai Xuan, with his arms crossed, said meaningfully, "The connection is permitted."

The screen displayed a series of Arasaka headquarters shareholders, who looked at Yoriyuki on the other end, along with the additional woman, without a trace of contempt on their expressions…

V glanced at the high-ranking officials, most of whom were assumed to be hawks, and felt a surge of nervousness.

"Lord Yorinobu."

"This... must be Ms. V? All of you colleagues here have heard about your exploits in the Battle of Azure, and your decisive actions against rival companies like Military Technology and Dreamers..."

"Young and promising."

The speaker was Kato Tamako, the female executive who had accompanied Lai Xuan throughout the entire meeting at headquarters.

V was surprised that the meeting didn't start with the expected questioning and disdain. On the contrary, the shareholders were unusually united, partly due to Lai Xuan's tough stance and the fact that everyone present was a loyal hawk.

The counterintelligence minister sensed the core reason.

She glanced subtly at Lai Xuan, who had his arms crossed and was stroking his chin with one hand…

"President Lai Xuan, I would like to raise this matter again. Regarding the attack on our Arasaka and the large-scale damage caused, we should launch a retaliatory action against military technology and the dreamers of Taipingzhou."

"Arasaka is not someone anyone can ride roughshod over. Only through a complete war can we gain more benefits, salvage the current situation, and incidentally teach other guys who have designs on us to sit back and behave themselves."

Beside Kato Tamako, the person who replaced the executed Koizumi Shigeru was a Japanese man who looked very old-fashioned. His sharp eyes and aggressive, deep voice made him look exactly like a stereotypical warmonger.

The moment V and Lai Xuan locked eyes—

She finally understood the significance of her being there…

Is Lai Hsuan trying to put himself in opposition to these shareholders?

Without a doubt, these shareholders remained absolutely loyal to Lai Xuan, while Lai Xuan was always well aware that those he had raised were vicious dogs, willing to stop at nothing to achieve their goals…

In other words.

These people are all fanatics, and if Yorihiro shows a conservative attitude, it will only provoke a fierce reaction... They will not rebel, nor will they go against Arasaka's goal of continuous expansion. On the contrary, they will never give up trying to convey their ideas to Yorihiro, just like loyal subjects who would die for their country.

Lai Xuan was able to take control of Arasaka in such a short time, and even make these people work so hard that they offended people from other regions... all thanks to the methods his father excelled at:
External enemies.

This means that…

The military technology and dreamers that guy was talking about are the hypothetical enemies that Lai Xuan has created for these guys.

Compared to the dreamers who stole Arasaka's assets in the past, they now hate military technology more... After all, Lai Xuan went with the flow and used his father's move for his own purposes.

That is, most of the factors that caused the bad things were attributed to the dead Jenkins.

This huge burden, which no branch president could bear, was thus placed on their shoulders. External conflicts, coupled with the extremely dire situation in Arasaka, exacerbated the internal desire for war within the company…

Crazy and bizarre, V was momentarily stunned by these people.

She even felt a little admiration that Lai Xuan's subordinates were all like this...

The noise grew louder and louder, but Arasaka Yorinobu simply paced back and forth, showing no intention of speaking.

"Lord Yorinobu!"

"If the lunar accelerator in the Cloud Sea Project is successfully completed, our important facilities in Arasaka could be attacked at any time, a consequence we cannot afford!"

Lai Xuan suddenly stopped walking.

His gaze was fixed directly on these fanatical warmongers—

However, Kato Tamako looked directly at the young, up-and-coming leader without any fear.

"Lord Yoriyuki! The situation is critical! Arasaka needs to expand, otherwise... we will be toyed with to death by those extraterrestrial traitors!!!"

"Please make up your mind!"

Lai Xuan silently shook his head as he faced the beasts that were helping him clear the desolate slope. Of course, he was also a little anxious, waiting for V to speak for him.

"Everyone, this is not a war that can be won easily. Arakasaka does not need such a high-risk opportunity."

V's voice sounded out of place amidst the frenzied shouts. The expressions of the excited hawks gradually darkened, and this time they looked at V with an almost hostile gaze...

The counterintelligence chief of this small division swallowed imperceptibly, but still slowly stood up.

"Where do you gentlemen intend to wage war?" V possessed a peculiar trait: the more tense the situation, the less psychological pressure she felt…

Given Arasaka's current situation, war is the quagmire and the fastest way to hand over this base to the enemy.

This is like gambling. Arasaka is already dealt a terrible hand, and now he's betting that his opponents have an even worse hand, and that there's more than one of them...

It's just a difference between slow death and rapid death.

"V, you are a soldier and an excellent counterintelligence officer, but do you think you had any say in Arasaka's decision?"

"We and Lord Lai Xuan both greatly admire you, so don't be ungrateful."

V's expression remained calm. She had long anticipated that these people would use their theories—that they had eaten more salt than she had eaten rice—and Arasaka's strict hierarchical system to suppress her.

But V's strength lies in making people sober.

Most of the people who entered Arasaka's counterintelligence department were not very clear-headed, but V and her subordinates were able to make these people sit still and speak calmly.

"That doesn't seem to be the answer to the question I just asked you. I'd like to know where you all want to start the war?"

Kato Tamako glanced at the silent Lai Xuan and probably knew his attitude.

No one is stupid.

Nobody's crazy.

In their minds, this was the only way Arasaka could do it.

"North America, Europe, and even Asia..."

The man next to Kato replied in a strong voice, "If we need you as a warrior, you can continue to shine for Arasaka in the field of intelligence."

V gave a cold laugh.

"I want to know, no matter where the war breaks out, do you think the rebels in space will allow Arasaka to gain the upper hand on the battlefield?"

Kato Tamako coldly replied, "Then we'll let those guys in space take the initiative without them knowing."

V's pressing question followed: "In Asia, they took the initiative first, thanks to Comtau; in Europe, they took the initiative from the European Space Agency and cyber surveillance... As for Africa, what can a base that can only launch space shuttles bring to Arasaka?"

A sharp sound came from behind.

"There is no such thing as a 100% sure plan in this world. God bless Arasaka. Hasn't Arasaka been finding new opportunities in the cracks all along?"

It's far-fetched, like an enraged child trying to find a plausible reason to steal someone else's toy.

V let out a deep sigh.

"If you all still want to sit comfortably in Tokyo, then I suggest you give up the idea of ​​war... The information collected by Night City's counterintelligence department has now been submitted to you."

"These are the results of fifteen meetings and the sacrifices of our intelligence personnel, right before you."

"Arasaka needs to consider how to defend... They want to join forces to strangle us and divide us up!"

Lai Xuan's brow twitched.

This V…

V only revealed his trump card at this time, but Yorinobu greatly admired V's keen insight in recognizing that Arasaka was about to wage war against external forces.

This woman is also extremely intelligent.

"Damn it, these white pigs."

"Fuck you!"

As Lai Xuan listened to his subordinates' complaints and curses, he gestured for V to sit down and said slowly, "Using war to exchange for Arasaka's further expansion is not impossible; at least I agree with this idea."

Those who had just seen the intelligence were initially looking like they had lost their parents... but after hearing Lai Xuan's words, everyone seemed to have a renewed sense of hope.

Lai Xuan reached out and stopped V from speaking up to dissuade him.

"But I need someone to provide a complete plan so that Arasaka can start the war at the right location. Is there anyone who can provide that?"

No one spoke…

Lai Xuan walked slowly back and forth with his hands on his hips.

"Let me put it another way. Does anyone know why I'm still alive, and why you all are sitting safely in Tokyo headquarters?"

a long time.

Kato Tamako stood up and bowed slightly.

"It was Lord Lai Xuan's strategy that gained the upper hand, Lord Sanlang was deceived by Hua Zi, and you... did your best to mitigate the losses."

Although Lai Xuan really wanted to say here that this was all thanks to Rin...

"If Arakasa were to start a war now, he would be falling into Hua Zi's trap. My father often said a famous saying from an ancient Eastern country: 'To resist external aggression, one must first pacify the internal.'"

"If Hanako doesn't pose a threat in the short term, Arakasa will start a war."

Kato Tamako glanced at V sideways.

Lord Raigen is still the same Lord; his vision of making Arakaza the strongest on this planet has never changed…

V's brows furrowed slightly.

Lai Xuan didn't not want to go to war; he just felt it wasn't the right time.

At this moment, a deep worry suddenly arose in her heart, especially regarding Rin. The reason Rin helped Lai Xuan was because of Lai Xuan's pursuit of power and his ruthless methods...

V didn't want Rin to get involved in all of this.

"what do you mean…"

Lai Xuan didn't speak, but waved his hand.

V keenly sensed that the system was attempting to connect to the regional network in Europe…

Does this mean Lai Xuan plans to attend the European Space Council meeting without any preparation?
It's important to understand that the meeting was specifically about dividing Arasaka, and Yorihiro's attendance could very well have allowed the existing animosity within Arasaka to continue to spread...

V couldn't figure out what Lai Xuan was thinking at this moment.

Kato Tamako and the others' attitudes were not as intense as they had been at the beginning, due to V's red face and Lai Xuan's white face.

However, the core contradiction has not yet been resolved...

So how should we respond to the tactics employed by Europe?
It's important to understand that while a behemoth like the European Space Agency may be wary of Arasaka, it would never stop its efforts to split Arasaka just because Arasaka Yorinobu personally appeared.

With Hanako Arasaka's influence behind the scenes, it was inevitable that Arasaka would become two separate entities.

V pondered carefully, but still couldn't figure out how to make the game work.

However, V overlooked an important issue.

That is, her thinking is stuck at the level of only being able to profit and not suffer losses, completely lacking the ability to think strategically by retreating...

Talk about it.

Lai Xuan, who was patiently waiting for the AI ​​to connect with the European Space Council, had a faint smile on his lips.

He learned this trick from Rin.

It must be said that Rin was the person who inspired him the most, making the meticulous Yoriyuki understand one thing: moving forward does not necessarily mean victory.

Use a counter-strategy, retreat as a means of advancement...

These seemingly passive approaches to dealing with the enemy are actually for the purpose of winning a bigger game...

Lai Xuan had clearly figured out how to retreat in order to gain breathing space.

"We're about to connect to the European Space Agency's parliament..."

“I personally authorized it.”

Lai Xuan looked at the faces of each of his hawkish colleagues, who seemed to have heard an even more tragic ending than the Arakasaka hawks losing the entire game.

In Arakawa's history, there has never been a president appearing at a meeting that was clearly meant to be humiliating.

Making history?
"We cannot blame Lord Xuan!"

Kato Tamako's face turned deathly pale.

They would rather have nothing than break ties with the Europeans!

However, Lai Xuan's face was serious.

Under V's incredulous gaze, he continued to stimulate the genes of these warmongers—

"I will make you all remember this day, and repay the enemy a hundredfold for what they have done to us!"

"For the sake of final success, I'm willing to let Arakaza suffer this humiliation..."

The European Parliament is reviewing its authority.

The AI's indifferent voice made a certain hawkish figure in Arakawa suddenly stand up.

"Damn white pig!"

The table made a loud buzzing sound as he slammed his hand on it. "Damn it!"

Although Lai Xuan's words were highly inflammatory, his eyes were full of endless sarcasm and indifference.

The world has always been in the hands of madmen.

There are madmen like his own father who cling to power; there are madmen like the hawks who see war, which tramples on life, as a path to redemption; and there are madmen like himself who will use anything…

Lai Xuan regarded all of this as the necessary spirit required for a thorough self-revolution.

"So I would like to ask you all a favor... No matter what humiliation Arasaka suffers next, please cooperate."

This moment.

The entire headquarters venue and the Night City atrium were quiet.

V's eyes scanned the subtle movements of these hawks. She sensed that the hatred fostered by Lai Xuan was gradually blackening the hearts of these people, eventually twisting them completely.

"you…"

Even the newly appointed confidant of the belligerent Lai Xuan, who had been so eager to fight, was now speechless, as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

However, they still wanted to know how Lai Xuan would handle this matter.

"If it doesn't break, it won't stand."

Lai Xuan said this in Japanese.

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, except for V, who obtained the explanation of the ancient saying from Lin Yue's hometown from the subtitles read in conjunction with the prosthetic eye on the Ara-saka website.

V, with his typical Western mindset, completely fails to understand one thing: how can destruction bring about new life?

This is clearly a paradox...

"The reason Ms. V is here today is because I need to destroy one of the fruits of Ms. V's hard work."

"Minister V has put in tremendous effort to maintain Arasaka's image in Night City, Europe, Jakarta, and other places, but..."

Hearing Lai Xuan's words, V murmured softly, "Could it be..."

Lai Xuan's voice suddenly rose several decibels.

"Everyone!"

"Arasaka is currently suffering from internal and external collapse. We need to discard some cumbersome elements and use all our resources wisely..."

The AI ​​system's collaborative content is projected into everyone's prosthetic eyes.

V was struck by lightning.

[Project Cloud Sea?!]

Arasaka had painstakingly negotiated the lunar development rights between the European Space Agency and the emerging human species on the moon, the High Knights…

Why did Lai Hsuan abandon this?!

Even if V loses the main satellite of the Divine Carriage today, it will still find a way to firmly grasp the right to develop the Cloud Sea.

The mass accelerator secretly built inside is Lai Xuan's only extraterrestrial weapon he can rely on...

Like many others, V completely failed to understand the brilliance of this strategy that ultimately weakened Arasaka.

V was the first to get up.

"President Lai Xuan, please reconsider."

"Arasaka currently has sufficient independent funding to support the Cloud Sea Project, this is—"

Lai Xuan interrupted, "I know this is a plan my father, who dreams of immortality every day, made a long time ago... but do you really think my sister will let us get her so easily?"

V swallowed.

"Hua Zi...she will definitely find a way, but she will never easily reveal this to the world. We still have a chance!"

Even Kato Tamako chimed in, agreeing.

“Ms. V is right…would you like to reconsider?”

Lai Xuan felt there was no need for further explanation.

He wanted V, the person in charge, to tell the Europeans the details of the Cloud Sea Project, and President Lai Xuan was there to bolster the credibility of the news.

The reason for completely exposing the Cloud Sea Project was not only to prevent Hua Zi from obtaining the mass accelerator, but also because Lai Xuan intentionally cut off his own arm in exchange for Hua Zi's passivity in space.

What he needs most right now is time…

As long as Europeans begin to doubt Hua Zi, Lai Xuan will win.

This is the same trick Rin used.

Lai Hsuan is still quite moved, as a young man has become his teacher and savior from afar.

Such a person...

Do they share the same ideals as me?

V knew perfectly well that the guy in front of him wasn't a domineering fool; those stereotypes were just a disguise this young eagle had put on for himself.

Within a few rounds of jumping between thoughts…

The doubt on V's brow began to dissipate, and she even began to have a glimmer of understanding.

The losses from cutting off the most important projects are undoubtedly enormous…

However, in the long run, this will leave China without staunch allies in space, and Europeans will only become more wary...

Do not break or stand.

So that's what it means?

Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; even if Arasaka loses its space program, no company dares to confidently claim it will definitely beat Arasaka…

If they attack Arasaka, the other companies will patiently wait in the rear.

The company excels at playing the "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" game.

As long as the foundation is there, Arasaka's rise to prominence will only take a few years.

Under Lai Xuan's gaze, V took a deep breath and, ignoring the unfriendly looks from the Arasaka shareholders, extracted all the authorized and protected data of Yunhai from Arasaka's subnet.

"terribly sorry."

Lai Xuan's tone was very soft.

"I hope that guy can forgive me."

Of all those present, only V knew that Lai Xuan was talking about Rin.

Upon entering the meeting.

All that could be seen were the ESA Council members with thick pipes attached to the back of their heads; everyone in Arasaka could only share one perspective…

These Europeans knew that the current president of Arakawa was going to participate in this meeting, the purpose of which was to complete the split of Arakawa, yet they still adopted such an insulting attitude.

However, Lai Xuan suppressed the discordant voices of these shareholders.

Lai Xuan remained silent from behind, while everyone else watched from above as V argued his case with reason…

The contemptuous tone and attitude of those people from the European Space Agency left a lasting impression on every shareholder…

"V-Miss Arasaka".

"I believe that President Yoriyuki Arasaka is also paying close attention to this meeting, which is being conducted from a legal and rights-based perspective..."

"According to the European Space Agency's practice, Ms. Hanako Arakawa does indeed have the right to inherit the Arakawa extraterrestrial facility."

As he finished speaking, the fat European man, whose face bore the strange smile of a mass-produced robot, leaned back in his chair.

V's eyes and brows were cold and sharp.

"Would you mind if President Yoriyuki Arasaka said a few words?"

The Europeans seemed quite shocked, exclaiming, "This is probably..."

“These are facts that are established in law, and Mr. Lai Xuan cannot change anything.”

V, a cold smile playing on his lips, instructed his cybersecurity experts to hand over all the detailed information about Project Cloud Sea.

at the same time.

Lai Xuan's voice reached the ears of every council member.

"Under Saburo Arasaka's management, the mass accelerator experiment was conducted without authorization within the Unkai Project, which is aimed at developing the moon. The data has been submitted to you ladies and gentlemen."

"what?!"

The fat man almost slid off the chair with his limp body.

“My sister, Hanako Arakawa, was highly involved in this, and I believe the European Space Council will definitely reward and punish those who obey the contract and those who betray it.”

Lai Xuan smiled as he said this, while the hawks gritted their teeth.

"I also want to say..."

"I acknowledge that the extraterrestrial assets of Arakasaka belong to Ms. Hanako Arakasaka."

Lai Xuan abruptly cut off his voice after saying this.

At that very moment, V, who had simultaneously cut off the sound, gave orders to Arasaka's intelligence agents in Europe and his own hacker, Harry.

"Do it!"

"Let Hua Zi keep this shit on his head."

Those European Space Council members who had just openly or subtly mocked Arakawa felt a surge of heat at the back of their necks…

on the screen.

One by one, sparks flew from the back of the council members' heads as they slumped onto the table amidst wails and screams in the stark white light…

In the grand scheme of things, fate expressed its stubbornness by having everyone die in the same way, yet the outcomes and causes of these events were vastly different…

V turned around.

Lai Xuan spoke again: "From now on, the Night City branch's special operations department will be reorganized—V will henceforth be the director of the special operations department."

At this point, news about Arakasako's website had exploded.

……

……

(End of this chapter)