Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

Oh, according to him, after leaving the Valentino gang, he became a lone wolf mercenary and has been doing it for many years, dreaming of becoming a legend in Night City and a big shot among mercenaries.

V didn't approve of his idea, but she still managed to support it.

Leveraging his rising status as a corporate employee at Arasaka, he indirectly advised and analyzed for him, securing several well-paid assignments. According to his recent contact, he had successfully entered that 'Afterlife' nightclub? Anyway, he was extremely happy.

Wow, what a big shot.

Every action, even unintentional, can affect countless people... V hopes that one day she can become like that.

The beeping sound of a new email brought V back to reality.

[Announcement: The special military authorization under Vera Adelheid Russell has been officially revoked...]

"Are you leaving?" V looked up.

The mysterious metal boxes had already been loaded onto the gunship. After bidding farewell to the high-ranking officials from the Johannesburg branch behind her, the tall blonde woman boarded the gunship.

hum…

The hatch closed, the gunship's anti-gravity levitation module activated, and the blue exhaust flames of the vector thrusters gradually intensified, propelling the massive iron-gray fuselage slowly into the air, accelerating, and skimming towards Cape Town.

V withdrew his gaze.

"Let's go, Harry, let's get started. First step: screen the rapid response policing personnel who accompanied Supervisor Russell during his exploration of ancient African tribal sites..."

...

after one day.

International routes from Cape Town to Tokyo.

AI: [Director Russell is about to arrive at Tokyo Haneda International Airport.]

Inside the supersonic transport plane with the Arasaka Clover logo on its tail, Vera opened her dozing eyes, rubbed her temples, took a sip of ice water from the service robot, and looked out the porthole at the evening night and the gradually expanding skyline of the bustling city.

Tokyo is back.

Half an hour later, Vera's private plane, Arakasaka, landed at Haneda International Airport.

Ta-da!

The heavy footsteps echoed on the deck as exoskeleton soldiers, still fully armed even after transferring to a special plane, descended the gangway. They were intently transferring metal crates containing samples of the Sun Step Flower, as if their mission to escort Vera was already over.

Before she even stepped off the gangway, Vera saw a floating convoy rapidly approaching in the distance.

The first person to reach the bottom of the gangway was a Japanese man of medium build with a full beard and hair that was inexplicably grayish-white, tied in a bun. His face, the exposed area of ​​his neck, and his hands were covered with the marks of highly modified prosthetic implants.

"Huan Yin has returned to Tokyo, Director Luo."

Oh, that rather magnetic middle-aged voice and that damn awkward accent.

Vera silently activated the language plugin's correction and adjustment functions.

"I am Vera Adelheid." Stepping down the gangway, Vera, already aware of the visitor's identity, smiled faintly and extended her hand.

"I have long admired your name. I am Goro Takemura."

"Arasaka Saburo's personal bodyguard," Takemura Goro said in his signature awkward accent, even politely grasping Vera's fingertips before letting go.

“Lord Sanlang wants to see you, Director Russell. Please come with me.” He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. A high-end hovercraft, whose internal model was something Vera couldn’t recognize, was already parked and waiting.

"Thank you." Vera nodded gently, without asking any questions.

I boarded the hovercar with ease and comfort.

Goro Takemura's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't say anything more. He raised his hand, boarded the vehicle, and the floating convoy headed towards the Arasaka family compound on the outskirts of Tokyo.

"Director Russell, do you know what it means to be allowed to enter the walls of the Arasaka family compound?"

When Vera took in the feudal-style mansion, surrounded by greenery, complete with a shrine, cherry blossom grove, pond, and stream, which resembled the castle tower of the Shogunate in the cyber era, Goro Takemura suddenly spoke.

“It means trust. And you've appeared before me, so I think I deserve that trust.” Turning her head, Vera's eyes shone with a unique light.

"I hope you won't disappoint Lord Saburo. Manager Russell."

"Just wait and see." Vera didn't answer the question directly, but looked at Goro Takemura meaningfully. "Perhaps we'll see each other often in the future, and it might even forge a friendship?"

"I am Lord Sanlang's sharp sword, and I have no need for superfluous emotions."

"Is that so?" Vera simply smiled.

She's been holding back her mischief for a while now. One day, perhaps you'll come begging to me...

Arakasaka Yoriyuki, she has a big gift to give him!

Soon, "We've arrived," Goro Takemura said.

hum…

Upon landing, the cabin door opened, and Goro Takemura was the first to disembark.

A gentle breeze caressed her face within the manor, and she enjoyed the rare sight of birdsong and fragrant flowers. Wei stretched out her fingers to tuck a slightly messy strand of hair behind her ear. She could feel that in an instant, nearly a hundred cybernetically modified bodyguards turned their gazes to her.

"Please." Goro Takemura stepped aside and extended his hand.

Da da da……

Stepping onto the solid wood corridor floor, having passed through countless gates and checks, Vera finally followed Goro Takemura to a pavilion that wasn't very large.

"Stop." It was the voice of Shintaro Takayama, whom she had seen many times before.

Vera stopped in her tracks; there were still at least twenty paces between her and the pavilion.

She could already see the old, hunched figure sitting in a wheelchair under the pavilion.

Saburo Arasaka.

It's really not easy to see an old man like you.

Vera knew that it was time for her to take the lead.

------

PS: Sigh, it's really hard to write 6K double chapters without staying up late after get off work.

Come again tomorrow.

Chapter 061 Vera and Saburo – 'A Two-Way Journey'

"Commander Shintaro Takayama, it's been a long time."

Naturally, Vera bowed with her right hand, placed her hand on her left chest, slightly bent her upper body, looked directly at him, and raised her head slightly, without any intention of feeling guilty or dodging.

crunch.

Stepping down the low wooden steps of the pavilion, his gray hair tied in a ponytail, Shintaro Takayama was broad and strong for a Japanese man, just like his thick, dark, silver-streaked round beard. His face was healthy, though it also revealed the roughness left by the years.

Vera met her gaze with neither humility nor arrogance with her nominal superior in the Arasaka Security Department, silently comparing him to Saburo Arasaka.

Speaking of which, he was also a centenarian, but compared to Saburo, the old man in the wheelchair whom she glanced at when she came in, Shintaro Takayama's face at least did not have piled-up wrinkles and patches of age spots.

That makes sense, though. Saburo fought in the Pacific War when he was young and was an ace pilot. He was seriously injured and almost committed seppuku, so his body was already severely depleted.

Having finally survived the old night (the days Saburo believed to be under the control of the Allied forces after the defeat) and brought Arasaka to the level of a world superpower, by the time various technological achievements were invented and promoted, he was too old, too frail, and his physical functions had long since missed the best golden period for implanting cybernetic bodies and undergoing various biological maintenance surgeries.

Even the transplantation of the most basic cyber components or organs requires extreme caution.

Under these unfavorable conditions, Saburo, backed by his strong will to survive and Arasaka's financial resources and technology, continued to prolong his life, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, and forcibly extended his life for more than half a century in this way.

Only a giant corporation like Arasaka, with its strong family-run characteristics, could build something like this.

“Vera Adelheid, you are doing a great job in Johannesburg, South Africa.”

Shintaro Takayama stopped in front of Vera.

“Even during the most relaxing moments of the school trip, you never forgot your responsibilities as a senior security commander. Sharp, steady, responsible, rising to challenges, finding and solving problems – in less than three days of overseeing the counterterrorism response, you demonstrated the qualities a security commander should have. I think Fred Russell would be proud of you.”

Yes, very fatherly. A classic didactic speech.

Vera thought to herself.

Although he constantly mentions her father, he is not as approachable or friendly as James Thomas of Night City. Even when he is pretending, he doesn't bother to pretend, emphasizing his condescending admiration.

What could she say?

"It's my pleasure."

With a gentle smile, Vera shifted her gaze to the Arasaka family crest beside the cobblestone path. "I am very grateful for the company's trust in granting me temporary military authorization during my anger at that time."

"You deserve this, and I hope your future performance will continue to earn this trust."

Without intending to probe further, Shintaro Takayama ignored the overly formulaic nature of Vera's attitude and language.

It's a trivial matter. After all, the fact that you were allowed to come to the Arasaka family compound means that your background and everything about you have been thoroughly investigated by Arasaka agents, which implies that you have gained their trust and are a core member of the Arasaka family.

It doesn't necessarily have to be the kind of loyal dog who immediately kneels down and is moved to tears upon meeting you. Are all the people in the Arasaka board and the senior management of all branches around the world truly completely loyal to Arasaka?

Not necessarily. They probably need Arasaka as a platform to realize their ambitions.

Most people have desires.

Wheel—

As Shintaro Takayama turned to the side, the wheels made a slight sound as they rubbed against the wooden floor. Goro Takemura pushed the elderly man in the wheelchair to turn, and the frail figure stopped at the edge of the pavilion steps.

"Sir Saburo."

Vera bowed again, this time at a 30-45 degree angle, compared to her usual greeting to Shintaro Takayama. This gesture conveyed a greater sense of respect and obedience.

Yes, respect and obedience.

There's nothing to be ashamed of admitting. Being a corporate dog in Arasaka means obeying Saburo Arasaka, right?

Vera sees things very clearly. What the future holds is the future. No matter how big her ambition is or how many times she explains it, she is, in fact, just a corporate dog of Arasaka Corporation striving to climb the corporate ladder.

As for respect?