Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 146 The Hunt for Tanaka (Fifth Update)
About half an hour later, Falco, driving a modified, heavily armored off-road vehicle, suddenly braked and stopped next to Rebecca and the others' car.

Mann, Dorio, and Pila quickly got out of the car.

"What's the situation?" Mann asked succinctly, while examining the smart pistol in his hand.

“David has been inside for over forty minutes. Communication has been cut off, and the signal has disappeared.” Rebecca spoke quickly. “There are security guards at the clinic entrance. They don’t look like ordinary medical staff. We didn’t dare to force our way in, for fear of alerting them and making things worse for David.”

“Well done.” Mann nodded. “Kee, Sasha, did you find anything?”

Qiwei's voice came through the communicator: "Fifteen minutes ago, a black van without any markings left through the back door of the clinic, deliberately avoiding the cameras on the main roads."

I'm trying to track where it might go...it will take time.

Sasha added, "The flow of funds behind the foundation is very complicated, changing hands layer by layer, but ultimately pointing to several shell companies associated with Arasaka. Arasaka is highly suspected in this kidnapping."

“Arasaka…” Mann’s brows furrowed into a knot.

It was them again. Although the last conflict seemed to have ended without resolution, the company's shadow still loomed over them.

Just then, Lucy suddenly spoke, her voice sharp with the discovery of a target: "A fragment of encrypted communication has been captured, originating from the area near the departing truck."

The content was severely distorted, but one keyword was extracted... 'Technology Department'.

Technical Department! Arasaka Technical Department!

All the clues connected instantly.

A kidnapping operation targeting David, orchestrated by the Arasaka Technical Department.

What was the motive? What was it about David that made the Arasaka Technical Department go to such lengths?
Was it his recent experience learning from the "boss" that caught his attention?
Whatever the reason, David must be found as soon as possible! The tech lab is easy to get into, but hard to get out!
"Falco!" Mann immediately ordered, "Based on the possible route provided by Qiwei, we're in pursuit! Rebecca, Lucy, get in the car!"

Everyone quickly boarded the off-road vehicle.

Falco slammed on the gas, the engine roared, and the vehicle shot off like an arrow, speeding through the streets of Night City according to the constantly updated tracking information from Qiwei.

Rebecca and Lucy followed behind in their previous car.

The atmosphere inside the car was heavy.

Mann maintained contact with Qiwei and Sasha at the outpost via communicator, sharing intelligence.

Dorothy checked the status of everyone's weapons.

Pila moved her mechanical fingers, ready to engage in battle at any moment.

Rebecca gripped her shotgun tightly, her face filled with undisguised murderous intent.

Lucy kept monitoring the network while driving, looking for any clues she might have missed.

They drove through the neon-lit city center and into the relatively dimly lit industrial area.

Qiwei's tracking revealed that the truck eventually disappeared into a large logistics warehouse area near Arasaka Tower.

This area is completely controlled by Arasaka and is heavily guarded.

"They must have taken David into the Abandoned Tower!" Rebecca exclaimed urgently.

“Not necessarily,” Mann said relatively calmly. “Some of the Technology Department’s secret labs wouldn’t be located inside the main tower; it would be too conspicuous. There’s a good chance they have hidden facilities in that logistics area.”

The vehicle stopped a few blocks away from the logistics area and could not get any closer, otherwise it would alert the Arasaka security system.

“What do we do now?” Pila asked. “Should we force our way in? That’s Arasaka’s territory.” Mann pondered for a moment, then asked Lucy and Qiwei through the communication channel, “Can you find a way to get the surveillance footage or entry and exit records of that area? We need to confirm David’s exact location.”

Lucy and Qiwei immediately tried, but soon received bad news: the network defense level in the area was extremely high, almost on par with the main tower of Arasaka, and it would be difficult to break through in a short time.

For a time, the operation reached a stalemate.

They knew David was likely inside, but they couldn't pinpoint his exact location or force their way in.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Dorio, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Maybe... we don't need to look for it ourselves."

Everyone looked at her.

Dorothy explained, “Since the other party is the technical department and their goal is to kidnap David to do some kind of ‘test’ or ‘experiment,’ they must have relevant project plans and scheduling information internally.”

Perhaps we can start somewhere else, find information about the person in charge of this project, and then... 'ask' him.

“Tanaka is the head of the technology department,” Lucy suddenly interjected. She had seen the name in her previous investigation. “He is in charge of several cutting-edge prosthetic projects and has a high level of authority. If this kidnapping was orchestrated by the technology department, he is very likely aware of it, or even the mastermind.”

“Tanaka…” Mann repeated the name, a cold glint in his eyes, “Can you find his whereabouts?”

"I'll give it a try." Lucy closed her eyes again and connected to the network.

This time, her target was the schedules and internal communication records of the middle and senior management personnel within Arasaka Corporation.

This is slightly easier than breaching the defenses of the logistics zone, but it is still extremely risky.

Time ticked by, each second carrying the weight of the unknown danger David might be facing, and a tense atmosphere filled the car.

Suddenly, Lucy jolted awake, her eyes snapping open. Her voice urgent, "I found out! Tanaka has a private engagement tonight at the 'Kyushu' Japanese restaurant in the Haywood district. He's expected to leave in two hours."

Target locked!

Mann made a decision immediately: "Falco, go to the Haywood district! We'll wait for him near 'Kyushu.' Dorio, Pira, prepare to 'invite' Mr. Tanaka for a good talk. Rebecca, you're in charge of guarding and providing support."

"Finally, something to do!" Rebecca licked her lips excitedly and gripped the shotgun tightly.

The SUV started up again, turned around, and headed towards the Heywood district.

An interception operation targeting Arasaka's executives is about to unfold in the darkness of Night City. They must extract David's whereabouts from Tanaka.
-
The "Kyushu" Japanese restaurant is located on a relatively quiet street in the Heywood district, exuding an elegance that is out of place with its surroundings.

Mann's team parked their car in a dark, blind spot on the street corner and waited patiently.

Two hours later, just as Lucy had indicated, Tanaka, the head of the technical department, walked out of the Japanese restaurant, accompanied by a bodyguard and slightly drunk.

He was about to walk toward the company's bulletproof luxury car parked on the side of the road.

Just then, Mann and Dorio appeared out of the shadows like ghosts.

Dorothy moved swiftly, delivering a precise chop to the bodyguard's neck, causing him to collapse to the ground without a sound.

Mann then used his modified, incredibly strong arms to grab Tanaka's neck and drag him quickly toward the SUV on the street corner.

Tanaka struggled in terror, but against Mann's absolute strength, his resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

He was roughly shoved into the back seat of the SUV, and Pila and Rebecca immediately flanked him on either side, pressing the cold muzzle of a gun against his waist.

Falco quickly drove away from the scene, the whole process was clean and efficient, and did not cause any disturbance.

(End of this chapter)