Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 252 Arasaka Yorinobu (Fourth Update)
The destructive fire that Margaret and Maria ignited on the shores of Tokyo Bay was reflected on the main control screen of the abandoned laboratory in Night City, thousands of kilometers away.

Chen Yu's crimson optical lens watched the processed battlefield footage broadcast in real time by the "administrator," the data stream calmly assessing the combat effectiveness of the Knight mechs and the rate of collapse of the Arasaka defense system. Everything was within calculation, without any surprises.

Just then, a servo skull emitted a soft beep, projecting a communication request—from the highest liaison officer of military technology stationed in Night City.

"Speak," Chen Yu said, connecting the channel.

“Sage,” the liaison officer’s voice carried a hint of relief after completing a mission, as well as an imperceptible sense of awe, “following your instructions, we have made a ‘special gain’ during the search and rescue operation to clear the wreckage of the Arasaka Fleet.”

After identity verification, it has been confirmed that he is indeed Arasaka Yorinobu. He sustained some injuries, but his vital signs are stable. He has now been transported to the outer receiving area of ​​your laboratory.

Chen Yu's processor instantly retrieved all known data about Arasaka Yorinobu.

This nominal heir to the Arasaka Empire, however, has always been portrayed as a rebel and a traitor in past records.

In Chen Yu's view, the inner drive and mindset of a person dedicated to destroying the empire built by his own family are more worthy of study than those who are simply power seekers.

"Take him to the observation room," Chen Yu ordered, then temporarily put the monitoring of the Tokyo battlefield into the background.

The observation room, located on the edge of the laboratory complex, was minimalist in style, with smooth metal composite walls. Apart from an alloy chair fixed to the floor in the center and monitoring cameras in the corners of the ceiling, it was completely empty. A faint smell of disinfectant permeated the air.

Yoriyuki Arasaka was brought in on a hovering stretcher by two soldiers using military technology.

He looked quite disheveled, wearing standard wounded soldier's clothes, with multiple burns and stitches visible on his exposed skin, one arm in a cast, and abrasions from the explosion on his face.

But his eyes were unusually clear, even carrying an indescribable...relief.

The soldier carefully placed him in the alloy seat, then silently withdrew, the heavy airtight door sliding shut without a sound.

The indoor lighting was constant, and a slight ripple appeared in the air. A beam of pale blue light suddenly appeared and quickly condensed into a holographic image of a black-haired, black-eyed young man from the East.

His face was calm, his posture upright, and he was dressed in simple dark clothing. He did not have any extra gestures or expressions. He just stood quietly a few meters in front of Lai Xuan, his gaze focused on the seriously injured "prisoner".

Lai Xuan raised his head and looked at the suddenly appearing projection. There was no fear on his face. Instead, he twitched the corners of his mouth and revealed a smile that was a mixture of pain and mockery.

“Ha… It seems that my ‘great’ father, and everything he cherished, has finally come to an end.” His voice was a little hoarse, but his tone was tinged with pleasure. “You did it, didn’t you? That ‘magic’ that caused the fleet to self-destruct, and… the commotion in Tokyo.”

Chen Yu's synthesized voice rang out smoothly, without answering, but instead asking in return: "You don't seem to be angry about the destruction of Arasaka, Yoriyuki."

“Angry? No, why should I be angry?” Lai Xuan coughed twice, as if he had heard a joke, because the pain aggravated his wound. “I’ve been dreaming of this day!”
I long for this bloodsucking empire, this monster that alienates people into tools and drags the world into the abyss, to completely collapse! I only regret…” His eyes dimmed for a moment, “regret that it wasn’t the flames I lit that destroyed it, and even more regret…that only the Arasaka family fell.”

His gaze passed over Chen Yu, as if piercing through a wall, looking into the distance: "Military technology, Kangtao, biotechnology, Peizhuo Petrochemical... they still stand, continuing the same exploitation in a different way. This distorted system has not changed."

“So, your goal is to destroy all the giant corporations,” Chen Yu stated, slightly adjusting the focus of the optical lens to capture the most subtle muscle tremors and physiological signals on Lai Xuan’s face. “To this end, you have been lurking inside Arasaka for decades, even going so far as to instigate large-scale conflicts in an attempt to drag other companies into the vortex of war and perish together with them.”

“This is the fastest and most thorough method!” A hint of fanaticism flashed in Lai Xuan’s eyes. “Only by letting them tear each other apart and burn together in the flames of war can we clear the foundation for a new order!”
Otherwise, simply destroying one Arasaka will only lead to another 'Arasaka' being reborn from the ruins!

"So, what is the new order?" Chen Yu's question was direct and cold, cutting to the heart of the matter like a scalpel. "In your envisioned future world without corporations, how will the power structure be built? How will resources be allocated? How will society function? Who will formulate and maintain the new rules?"
Or are you simply planning to destroy everything and then expect some spontaneous, ideal 'beauty' to grow out of nothing?

A series of questions froze the excited expression on Lai Xuan's face.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat.

He frowned, fell into a brief silence, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

“I…I haven’t thought that far ahead.” After a long silence, he answered in a low voice, his tone no longer as certain as before. “Just thinking about how to take down this behemoth, Arasaka, how to find its weaknesses, how to ignite a war that could sweep everything away…has already exhausted all my energy.”

For fifty years, I have been constantly thinking about how to 'overthrow' and how to 'destroy'... As for what comes after..."

He shook his head, a bitter look on his face. "That's something for future generations to build. I believe that once we break these shackles, humanity will always find a better way out."

Chen Yu's projection remained still, a barely perceptible ripple seeming to flicker deep within his dark eyes.

He stared at Lai Xuan, and certain fragments of his memories were stirred.

Those "idealistic revolutionaries" who emerged throughout history, brimming with enthusiasm to change the world, often failed to translate their burning ideals into clear and feasible blueprints due to a lack of sufficient intellectual depth and vision that transcended the present. Ultimately, they found themselves powerless in the face of the complexities of reality.

Lai Xuan's expression and posture at this moment subtly overlapped with certain characteristics of those figures in his memory.

His gaze seemed to fall on Lai Xuan, yet it also seemed to penetrate him, scrutinizing those "idealistic revolutionaries" who transcend time and space.

A brief silence filled the observation room. Ultimately, Chen Yu drew a judgment based on these cross-dimensional observations and memory comparisons.

(End of this chapter)