Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 109 Valerie's Vacation (First Update)
Jenkins, the director of the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department, stood in his office on a high floor of the Arasaka Tower, overlooking Night City through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

The city unfolds beneath your feet, neon lights flashing, traffic flowing like a never-ending giant machine.

He had just finished an encrypted communication meeting to report to headquarters, the content of which was naturally about the recent conflict with that mysterious force and its aftermath.

The moment the communication screen went dark, the office fell into a deathly silence.

Jenkins didn't move immediately; he needed those few seconds to fully process the exchange he had just had.

Although both the North American branch and the Japanese headquarters clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with the trouble caused by the counterintelligence department's alleged unauthorized actions, the cold skepticism on the other end of the communication noticeably softened when Jenkins presented the specific terms of the ceasefire agreement negotiated by Valerie.

The company only values ​​results and profits, a rule that Jenkins kept firmly in mind during his ascent of Arakawa.

Now that the crisis has been quelled at the lowest possible cost, without the leakage of core secrets, the impact on board members, or the triggering of a wider armed conflict, it is less urgent and cost-effective to hold any specific department accountable.

Headquarters is more concerned with the potential for technology acquisition and how to avoid provoking the mysterious entity lurking deep in the badlands once again.

Jenkins slowly walked behind his large, cold metal desk and sat down in his large office chair.

This chair is very comfortable to sit in, but it's not so easy to sit still.

He let out a soft breath, feeling his nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally begin to relax.

Knuckles tapped unconsciously on the smooth tabletop, producing a rhythmic, soft sound.

For him, the outcome of this incident was perfect.

In terms of public relations, he successfully turned a potential disaster that could have plunged Arasaka into a deeper and more costly conflict into a crisis that, while damaging to his reputation, effectively mitigated the damage.

On his own, he seized the opportunity presented by Abernathy's reckless actions to completely remove this long-time rival from the core of the counterintelligence department's power structure.

While it wouldn't have been possible to physically eliminate her completely—it wouldn't have been difficult to have a former company executive in Night City commit suicide or die accidentally—that would have left behind unnecessary hidden dangers and topics of discussion.

A former manager with a failing resume who has been transferred to an insignificant position is like a snake whose fangs have been removed; he can no longer pose any real threat to the manager.

This outcome might be better now; her very existence serves as a stark warning to other potential challengers.

Thinking of this, Jenkins' usually expressionless face couldn't help but show a slight, cold, and brief upward curve at the corner of his mouth.

He reached for the intercom and dialed Valerie's number.

It's time to reward this hero and assign tasks for the next phase.

He pressed the internal communication button and connected to the office of Deputy Director Valerie.

“Valerie, you did a great job this time.” Jenkins’ voice regained its usual composure. “You’ve worked hard. I’ll give you two days off so you can relax.”

Valerie's calm reply came from the other end of the communicator: "Thank you, Director. It's my duty."

“Hmm,” Jenkins paused, his tone becoming slightly more serious, “A vacation is a vacation, but don’t lose contact with Mann’s team. Stay in touch and see if there’s an opportunity to establish some…trade channels, like in military technology. Since the hard approach isn’t working, we’ll try the soft approach. Keep a close eye on this.”

“Understood, Director. I will follow up.” Valerie’s reply was without the slightest hesitation, as if she had already anticipated this arrangement.

After hanging up, Valerie stared at the disappeared call screen, her face expressionless.

She was already used to being assigned work during holidays.

In Arasaka, especially in the Counterintelligence Department, a real rest is a luxury.

She stood up, walked to the full-length mirror, and began to deftly take off the well-tailored Arasaka uniform that symbolized her identity and constraints.

She changed into a more street-style outfit—a dark motorcycle jacket, a simple cotton T-shirt underneath, slim-fit jeans, and a pair of sturdy ankle boots.

She let her long, coiled hair down, messing it up a bit, to make herself look less like a "corporate dog".

Looking at her drastically different reflection in the mirror, Valerie took a deep breath, trying to expel the tense atmosphere from the office.
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Half an hour later, Valerie's car stopped in front of a bar called "Wild Wolf" in the Haywood district.

The bar's exterior is unremarkable, with somewhat mottled red brick walls, but the wooden signboard is outlined by a ring of constantly flashing pink neon tubes, making the old wolf head pattern particularly eye-catching in the night.

This is a popular spot for many local residents and street mercenaries in the Heywood district, filled with a blend of old and new street atmosphere.

Pushing open the slightly heavy wooden door, a familiar smell, a mixture of tequila, tortilla chips, engine oil, and overheated circuit boards, wafted out.

The bar's interior is illuminated by a complex interplay of light and shadow, with colorful Mexican lanterns hanging from the ceiling and blue neon tubes wrapped around the beams.

Besides the huge Mexican wide-brimmed hats and brightly colored shawls hanging on the walls, there were also several slightly glowing holographic advertisements promoting the latest synthetic tequila.

The old-fashioned jukebox in the corner has been modified, with pulsed LED light strips added to its casing. It is playing upbeat Mexican folk songs, and although it is a bit noisy, it, together with the roar of the hovercar coming from outside the door, fills the whole space with a unique vitality.

It was afternoon, and there weren't too many people in the bar.

Several former Valentino gang members, dressed in loose shirts with visible data interfaces around their necks, were playing poker, with smart weapons and chilled bottled beer on the table beside them.

A relaxed, even somewhat languid atmosphere permeated the air, as if this were a deliberately preserved old corner in a cyber city.

Valerie's gaze quickly settled on a burly figure sitting in a booth on the inner side.

Jack Wells saw her too, and immediately flashed a bright smile, waving vigorously at her.

“Hey! Valerie! Over here!” Jack’s voice boomed, carrying the distinctive enthusiasm of the Heywood District.

Valerie walked over and sat down in the booth opposite Jack.

There were already two empty beer bottles in front of Jack, and he was holding a third one when he saw Valerie. He immediately pushed another unopened bottle of beer on the table in front of her.

(End of this chapter)