Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

Vera immediately stated that it was impossible for Sanlang to use the same medicine as those elderly volunteers; that would be extremely disrespectful. The medicine should be specially prepared for each individual.

Shintaro nodded. "Come with me. I need you to demonstrate it again in front of Lord Saburo."

"No problem, who is the subject?"

As they spoke, the two entered the front yard of the residential area. Saburo Arasaka was sitting in a wheelchair, this time being pushed by Hanako Arasaka, while Takemura and that non-mainstream Oda stood to one side.

"Lord Sanlang, Miss Huazi." Vera bowed slightly.

"let's start."

Saburo spoke briefly, revealing no emotion. On the contrary, Arasaka Hanako's gaze was somewhat strange. Vera could sense that since she entered, the woman's eyes had been fixed on her without much movement.

Without time to think further, Vera turned her gaze to the two elderly men, also in wheelchairs, in the courtyard.

Seemingly noticing Vera's confusion, Shintaro Takayama said, "They are all veterans who followed and protected Lord Saburo back then, and retainers of the Arasaka family. However, they are old now, and Lord Saburo cherishes the past and hopes that they can still stay by his side."

Oh, Saburo's former bodyguard.

That old bastard Deng is too long-lived. His retainers and guards from previous generations have either died or are too old to walk. They don't have the status and resources of Saburo and Shintaro to do such high-quality hard work.

When asked their ages, some were younger than Hua Zi, but looked older than San Lang...

"R-618 Regenerative Agent, this research result is only a very superficial part of the Solar Staircase Project. Lord Saburo and Commander Shintaro should know that the effects of the Progenitor Virus are far more than this. The 'Tyrant Zero' test subject was a failed product. Due to the toxicity and instability of the Progenitor Virus, I must minimize the enhancement effect to maintain stability."

"Every medicine has its side effects. Through multiple adjustments and calculations, I found a stable threshold to maintain the efficacy of this medicine."

As the person in charge of the Stairway to the Sun project, Vera explained, taking the briefcase from Agent Arasaka behind her as she began to prepare. These two old men had clearly been prepared beforehand; they were both ready.

She quickly performed various calculations on the R-618 neonatal agent and the genetic matching of the subjects. These two old men were each three or four times her age, and because they were frail and weak, most of their combat prosthetics had been removed. The dosage had to be used with caution to avoid them dying on the spot.

That wouldn't look good.

An old man's R-618 neonatal injection was successful.

Afterwards, he remained in a wheelchair, somewhat demented.

About ten minutes later, just as Vera finished preparing the second old man's potion and was about to inject it, "Lord Sanlang...Lord Sanlang, it really is you!"

It was that old guy who got the injection.

His eyes cleared from their cloudiness, his slightly crooked mouth straightened, and his speech became clearer. He leaned forward, looking at Saburo Arasaka on the wooden steps, and made as if to kneel down to perform the vassal's salute. But he was quickly pulled back by the other Arasaka agents.

Saburo's dozing old eyes suddenly gleamed with a sharp light.

Although it's not outwardly apparent, his old retainer's mental state is undoubtedly much better; he's almost ten years younger than before, having recovered from dementia.

“Good, very good, Vera Adelheid, you have not disappointed me. Come closer!”

After injecting the medicine into Sanlang's second veteran guard, Vera nimbly ascended the steps.

"Lord Sanlang, it will take about a week for the medicine to take full effect."

Ignoring these minor issues, Saburo went straight to the point, "Prepare for final debugging."

Vera was taken aback. He trusts me that much?

If you value your life so much, shouldn't you observe for a year or two before making a decision?

Without a second thought, she maintained her attitude, as if to say, "If you want me to do it, I'll do it," and replied, "Yes."

Before Vera could even prepare her introduction, Saburo Arasaka stood up shakily. He refused Hanako's help and slowly walked to Vera, reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder as she stood on the steps.

"Disobedient young people, don't think that you're the only one with the drive to take risks."

At that moment, Vera had to admit that Saburo did indeed possess a certain charismatic leadership quality.

......

A month later.

The press conference was held at Arasaka Tower in Tokyo.

Reporters flocked to the area, and a large number of media professionals and writers crowded around, with all sorts of camera equipment set up.

"Hey, have you heard? Arasaka announced the release of a new biotechnology product with such fanfare... What do you think it could be?"

"Arasaka? Aren't they giants in the arms and security industries? Why are they getting involved in bioengineering? Can their products compete with similar products from Europe and other biotechnology companies?"

Just as the reporters were whispering among themselves, a buzzing sound arose.

One after another, stiff, cold-blooded Arasaka agents flooded into the venue. Accompanying them, on the podium, surrounded by Arasaka's management and bodyguards, an elderly man dressed in a long, black-gray kimono with wide sleeves and an outer haori bearing the Arasaka family crest slowly walked out.

"Holy crap, Ara...Arasaka Saburo?!"

Upon seeing the newcomer, a reporter exclaimed in surprise.

In an instant, a clamor arose.

"It's Saburo Arasaka!"

"How could it be him? Isn't he dying? Everyone says Lai Xuan is going to take power, and he hasn't shown his face in public for over a decade."

"How come he looks so young? No, he's gotten younger!"

------

Chapter 064: Let Arasaka Be Great Again.jpg (5.2K)

a month ago.

Inside the Arasaka family shrine, after the demonstration of the preliminary results of the project known as the Stairway to the Sun.

"Lord Sanlang, please reconsider... The R-618 'Rebirth' drug has only been in clinical trials for less than a month. Current feedback and reports on side effects may be incomplete. You really shouldn't risk your life like this..."

"No need for further words, Shintaro. When did you become so timid and cowardly?"

A slow, firm, and undeniably resonant voice from an elderly person.

"Danger? What danger is there to speak of?"

"What danger am I in? Does she want to kill me? What good would it do her to kill me? If even Vera Adelhead is unreliable, then the terrifying number of people who have lost their loyalty to Arasaka could flood Tokyo Bay in a single day. She's a genius, and a smart one at that. Before you even met her, did you believe that Otto Cunningham (Johnny Silverhand's lover) could have written the source code for Soul Killer before 2013?"

"Shintaro, don't treat Vera as just a military commander. Her talents are multifaceted. If you nurture her well, she will become a solid pillar in helping Arasaka regain his former glory and even reach new heights."

"And I have been waiting for this moment for far too long, inside this decaying body... How many years has it been since I was confined to this wheelchair? I haven't left here for half a century. So many compromises have robbed Arasaka of his former sharpness."

"I could only watch helplessly as my son, my eldest son Kei, died. I was exhausted and powerless in the face of Yorihiro's rebellion, and even my control over Japan and Arasaka was becoming increasingly weak and I was barely holding on... They all thought that I was no different from being dead, just barely clinging to life, my end was near..."

No. I will not do as they wish.

"To simply sit and wait for death, to grow old and die, ultimately having one's personality imprinted and uploaded according to a predetermined program—that's not the spirit of a martial artist. I'd rather drag this crippled body into battle. Either way, I'll burn out, or I'll be buried a few years earlier, or..."

"I will lead Arasaka once again with this body."

……

Click, click, click—

When Saburo Arasaka, dressed in a long, black-gray kimono with wide sleeves and an outer haori bearing the Arasaka family crest, appeared at the Tokyo Arasaka Tower press conference, after a brief moment of shock and silence, the countless media personnel and reporters present were completely excited, their fingers frantically pressing the shutter button, the flashes from the cameras almost forming a continuous barrage.

Holy crap, that's Saburo Arasaka!

The Shogun of the new era, the true supreme ruler of Japan, and the old emperor of the Arasaka Business Empire!

With a snap of his fingers, a nuclear bomb could level half the Earth (and Arasaka would also perish as a result), making him undoubtedly one of the most powerful people in the world.

He is also the longest-serving veteran player on the world's power rankings.

Especially considering Saburo's nearly half-century of seclusion, he is perhaps the CEO of a major corporation with the fewest directly related news reports in recent decades. How could his appearance not elicit excited shouts from reporters?

Saburo's rejuvenation and the impact of his successful life extension are matters for the bigwigs to worry about. They are just reporters, and for them, this is a feast. It would be a disservice to their profession not to report it to the fullest and ride the wave of popularity.

"Lord Saburo Arasaka, please look here..."

"Lord Saburo, please allow me, on behalf of all the staff of TV Tokyo, to extend our sincerest greetings for your health!"

"Mr. Arakawa, I am a reporter from OMBC (European Union Broadcasting Corporation). Please allow me to ask, is your presence necessary to connect with the launch of your new product in bioengineering..."

The chaotic and disorderly discussions and questions that erupted, along with the varied reactions and attitudes of the visitors, made the press conference extremely chaotic.

"Ara-Arasaka-sama!"

Not to mention outside visitors, many staff members inside Arasaka were also extremely surprised that Saburo would step out of his family compound, where he had lived for half a century, and return to the spotlight. This was beyond the expectations of most people.

Are all the Tokyo urban legends circulating around Arasaka Tower true? The so-called Saburo, in his quest for immortality, supposedly initiated numerous high-tech research and development projects as early as the beginning of the 21st century…

Could it be that they've actually achieved something?!

The mid-level administrative officials from Arasaka, who were considered 'hawks' at the scene, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Is it possible for Lord Lai Xuan to succeed to the throne?

Ignoring the doubts and speculations of the crowd and the rumors from the outside world, Saburo Arasaka walked slowly and steadily across the silky red carpet.

His face, marked by the deep wrinkles of the past 156 years, has been filled and supported by increasingly plump facial muscles and collagen. The large age spots on it are fading away, and his sallow and dull skin seems to have become more lustrous. Even his thinning and withered hair is beginning to grow thick again.

Yes, he's already a young and energetic old man.

He didn't look like a monster over 150 years old at all.

Some people wanted to question whether it was a stand-in, but as Arasaka Hanako, Takayama Shintaro, and other direct members and elders of the Arasaka family appeared one after another, with formulaic smiles on their faces, or standing with a dignified and elegant posture, or standing proudly with their arms crossed...

That supportive attitude immediately silenced any doubters.

As for why Arasaka Yorinobu didn't come, no one would use that as a reason to question it.

That's ancient history—the conflict between Lai Xuan and his 'emperor' father.

The Little Prince gave up wealth and luxury to start a yakuza gang. He donned a few fake leather items and became the gang leader for several years. He even went so far as to cause trouble for his own father. His actions were a major scandal involving the world's second richest family, and no one in Tokyo would forget or be unfamiliar with it.

"Lord Saburo is recovering very well, but in my opinion, the R-618 regeneration agent will gradually lose its effectiveness. After all, it has eliminated most of the characteristics of the progenitor virus. The byproducts of the virus activating cells are still foreign substances without directly changing human DNA. The drug will eliminate them as soon as it is used, and it cannot achieve a permanent effect."

Following Sanlang's large security team into the press conference venue, Vera, dressed in a black suit, gently touched her forehead, her eyes red and shimmering, and she let out a sigh that seemed to indicate exhaustion.

She desperately wanted to discreetly hide herself behind the massive black natural marble wall engraved with the Arasaka Clover logo, but unfortunately, Shintaro Takayama was right beside her, making it impossible to keep a low profile.

Amidst a flurry of camera flashes, Shintaro Takayama squinted slightly. "As long as you know your limits. Since Lord Saburo has chosen to trust you, I naturally trust you unconditionally. You're an expert in this area. By the way, take care and get some rest. You've worked hard these past few days."

"Thank you for your concern. I will be careful." Vera smiled and nodded.