Chapter 106

The barrage of criticism left the negotiators at the Militech table looking displeased.

The people from Soshikah, on the other hand, had an attitude of "Come and fight me if you dare," as if to say, "You think you're so tough? Go to Eastern Europe or Moscow, and I'll definitely knock your head off."

The multilateral dialogue open expanded meeting ended smoothly after only half a day, or rather, without reaching any effective issues.

The multilateral dialogue reached Resolution No. [number missing], urging the military and technology sector and Washington to abide by the Alvin Peace Accord, allowing international friendly businesses and enterprises to send observers to investigate the human rights situation in the Western Independent State, and requiring the US to rectify and withdraw if necessary...

The Militech representative stormed out of the meeting in protest against the resolution, which was filled with malice towards the New America.

"This is a conspiracy against the New America and its Militech! The new Iron Curtain woven by Arasaka has already descended upon the North American continent. The Bald Eagle cannot cross this Iron Curtain, and our homeland has been divided into East and West by them."

Before leaving the conference hall, the Militech representative issued an angry declaration to the media present. "We will never yield."

Vera followed calmly, emerging from the scheming hall amidst the crowd.

She looked up at the sky.

As the lights of Austin began to twinkle and the moon and stars were few, Vera felt a sense of tranquility and clarity.

She could clearly foresee that the renewed localized hot wars in North America would become the norm in the future.

Moreover, she played a crucial role in advancing several of the most critical aspects of the process.

The Metal War of 2069-2070 has only been over for six years. The old guys from the independent states who experienced the war are not all dead yet, the teenagers who grew up in the hatred of the war are in their most impulsive years, and Washington's digestion policy towards the Western States has not yet yielded positive feedback and results. The longer it drags on, the better the situation will be for Militech as the hatred fades.

Therefore, Vera must seize this unprecedentedly favorable international environment to bring the Arasaka North America division back to its peak.

2076-2078: This is the rehearsal phase for Vera's planned Fifth Corporate War.

It may be earlier or later.

That's how plans are; they change in an instant and need to be adjusted constantly based on the actual situation.

But war...

What she's doing now is orchestrating a Fifth Corporate War that's no less than a world war.

Everyone feels a little nervous about their first time.

Being mentally prepared and actually arriving are two different things. A subtle dimming appeared in Vera's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

Her moral bottom line is very flexible.

On the one hand, they will offer small favors and hold back their pride, wanting their subordinates and those under their jurisdiction to live a better life, at least better than the 'rotten' world, and for this they are willing to give up some of their own interests.

On the other hand, if necessary, she would not hesitate to infringe upon the interests and even lives of countless people.

Two opposing ideas sometimes coexist within her.

Humans are not diodes, they are not black and white, they are too complex.

Based on psychological analysis, Vera clearly understands her own thoughts and essence: she only loves herself, and may not mind giving up benefits, but only if it is beneficial to herself. Love others, but love yourself first.

That's what capitalists are like.

Or perhaps those in power, the meat-eaters, the ruling class.

But would it interrupt the rise of the New America...?

Vera's eyes instantly became fiery and excited.

That's a really challenging task.

After expressing her approval to each of the companies that supported Arasaka, including Soshikah, the European Bank, and biotechnology companies, Vera stepped down the steps of the parliament building, her eyes beginning to glow with an orange-red light.

"The Austin Conference is over. Militech won't be intimidated by these diplomatic maneuvers; at most, they'll be embarrassed. Get the airport ready; we're returning to Night City. Get the escort fleet hidden along the US-Mexico border ready. Notify Night City to have Adam Smasher and the Cybernetic Tyrant Unit prepare for attack. Better safe than sorry; some gamblers might try to emulate the success of 2023 and take unnecessary risks..."

At the same time.

The US-Mexico border.

A branch of the Federal Intelligence Agency hidden in the Juarez City, Mexico.

Wartime safety house.

Beep beep—

Behind the flashing terminal console, several plainclothes agents raised their faces, which were covered in simulated leather.

"Bullshit, those bunch of useless office workers, they can't even beat them in a fight, let alone lose a verbal battle? Look at that smug face of that Arasaka bitch."

"Tch! In the end, we're the ones who have to solve this. Is there any explanation from above? Is there any explanation from above? The information we found shows she crossed the US-Mexico border. Boss, is there any way we can find a way to take her down? Even if we don't kill her, just blowing her off the coast of Miles would earn us medals from Miles himself, and we might just be able to retire and become rich old men."

They looked at the figure sitting in the corner, on an internal communication phone.

"Yes, um... okay, you don't need to emphasize it again. I know, I will manage my subordinates well..."

It was a somber and hoarse voice, as if suppressing anger.

Chapter 109 David is on duty in the Badlands, and the council member is assassinated on his way back (4.5K)

David.

"Wait a moment, we have not yet reached the designated location."

"Hurry up. We just received a verified message from the border checkpoint: there are Nightwraiths around. Those scoundrels will take any job. If they're hired by another company... be on high alert. If you encounter them, kill them without hesitation."

"Learn!"

North of Watson, deep in the Badlands, lies an abandoned motel.

A burly man with tattoos on his arm sat on the hood of a modified car.

"Keep watch, keep watch, keep watch like hell, those bastards are definitely cheating..." He muttered as he ate a greasy meat sauce pasta bun, the kind made of some unknown meat. When he was done cursing, he grabbed a dry powder inhaler and took a deep, blissful inhalation.

That blissful expression made it seem as if a gentle touch would bring the food to your mouth, making it easier to swallow.

"Ugh—" He had only taken half a drag and was still savoring it when a pair of large, dark hands suddenly reached out from behind, their taut muscles locking around his neck.

"Ugh!" The half-chewed paste sprayed out, choking his mouth and nose. Realizing it was an enemy attack, the man tried to warn his companions in the room, but... [Warning: Under attack. Communication plugin offline.]

The man looked behind him with his bulging eyes, at a pair of tactical goggles flashing orange-red light, and a signature winged helmet. "Ara... Saka..." Crack! His neck was snapped, and the canopy was pulled off.

Under the cover of night, David, a greenhorn in his probationary period, firmly remembered the rules and twisted the body a few more times before dragging it to the back of the car. Then, he curled up and ran quickly to the wall.

"Ready in position."

As he reported, he checked his personal status and weapon status one last time through the virtual screen built into the Kiroshi Tactical Eye. Aside from a slightly elevated heart rate, everything was fine. He tightened and loosened his grip on the gun, confirming it was the most suitable and comfortable position. His implant, a ballistic coprocessor, allowed him to constantly monitor ammunition and weapon models, much like in a game.

"Hoo..." David exhaled softly, and his irises flashed orange-red light.

Arasaka Security Department System, encrypted communication channel for field operations.

[Xiaofu: I'm in position.]

[Katsuo: Ready.]

[Haggai: In position.]

In less than five seconds, the message read, "Hacked! Target located, shared."

This is a signal from the team of cyber hackers.

In response, David lunged forward, raising his HJSH-18 rifle. The holographic sight aligned with the humanoid target, whose red 01 flashing numbers were garbled and shared on its prosthetic eye. A real, moving human target.

"The Maelstrom, outlaws driven from their Nomads tribes?" he thought to himself.

Kick the door, fully automatic, pull the trigger.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! The gun was firmly gripped, with almost no tremor. Implants in the web of the hand and wrist: recoil-damping pads. From David's perspective, the armor-piercing tungsten-tipped bullets, fired in a straight line, pierced the forehead of the Maelstrom closest to the door. He could see a pink mist dissipating in the air as the headless corpse fell heavily, overturning a chair.

After only about six shots were fired, a series of gunshots erupted around the motel.

The hotel door frame was torn apart by a burst of intense fire. Those inside roared and fought back, intermittent bullets whizzing aimlessly around them. As scraps of metal and rotten wood rained down from the broken door, bang!

Bolt-action. Kinetic energy sniper rifle. Large caliber.

A deafening gunshot rang out, and the mottled wall, along with the head of the member of the Maelstrom who was howling the loudest inside, exploded!

She is Katsuo.

David understood. While his teammates, including Xiaofu, continued to suppress the fire, he changed his magazine and sent a message to the internal channel. "I'm going in." Four seconds later, he pushed into the room. Teammates also entered through other entrances—kicking down doors, breaking through walls, and jumping through windows.

The space was filled with the smells of gunpowder and blood.

David stepped over the bleeding bodies beneath his feet—some of them were shattered.

The finishing shot came from Xiaofu; his rifle was smoking, and blood was gushing from the neck of a perfectly intact corpse at his feet.

After nodding in acknowledgment, David continued cleaning the first floor of the motel. He paused near the bathroom, then fired a burst through the door. A muffled groan escaped, followed by spurting blood. The instant David emptied his magazine, Xiaofu, perfectly timed, kicked open the bathroom door, revealing a black man covered in blood, armed with a gun. David reloaded and fired a final shot to the head.

Clear.

Ta-da! While David and Suneo were clearing out the first floor, another group of Arasaka soldiers had also cleared out the second floor and were coming downstairs.

"Katsuo, it's all done," David said.

"Receive."

On a small hill not far from the abandoned motel, Katsuo Tanaka, dressed in a full polycarbonate ballistic aramid combat suit, surveyed the surrounding area through the sniper rifle scope to make sure nothing was missed before turning over and dismounting his sniper rifle.

Beside him, his second-in-command, holding a genuine rifle and responsible for close-range vigilance, immediately stood up.

With the sound of car engines, two Emperor 620 Ragnar, having received the mission completion signal, drove over from a distance. The two men got into the cars and headed towards the motel.

Soon after, David, Xiaofu, and the other assault team members responsible for the attack, who had come out of the hotel, also got into the vehicle.

"Closing the car door was a piece of cake," Xiaofu said with a smile, first unactivating the gun.

"The Maelstrom is nothing more than a pack of stray dogs driven from their homes by Nomads tribes. It would be a miracle if they were to have a hard time fighting them." Katsuo had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them and said, "This is the most basic internal duty mission. Ensuring the smooth progress of the new district's construction."

"Uh... Katsuo, what exactly is the relationship between the Maelstrom, the Nightwraiths, and the Nomads?" David, a newbie who couldn't get a word in edgewise, raised his hand and asked.

Katsuo glanced at David eyes still held a hint of the clear innocence of a student.

"You..." He couldn't help but shake his head, "You really are a complete native of Night City."

In short, the Maelstrom of the wandering ghosts who were driven out of the Nomads tribes, and the Nightwraiths is the Maelstrom gang composed of the scum of this group.

"My father talked to me about them. All you need to know is that you can trust the Nomads appropriately, but the Maelstrom, the Nightwraiths, those scum are completely untrustworthy. They attack small villages, small groups of Nomads, and even small company transport teams. They often break agreements, detain the client's goods or people in exchange for ransom, for no reason at all, just for fun, for fun like they're courting death."

After listening to Katsuo's words, David nodded thoughtfully.

"No wonder the company specifically hires Nomads and even asked us to keep an eye out for the Maelstrom."

After the collapse of the Old USA, these migrant, Nomads, and physically strong men were a vital part of the workforce in the construction of cities and factories. Companies provided money and resources, and they provided labor, voluntarily migrating away after completing their work—excellent tools.

As for the non-recyclable waste of the Nightwraiths, no one will let them do any construction; they will only cause destruction.

"Alright, let's not talk about these small fry. David, how far along is the prosthetic body modification that the Cybernetic Doctor customized for you?" Katsuo changed the subject.

"The basic prosthetic body required for tactical functionality has been implanted." David said with a serious expression, "According to the doctor's plan, it will be implanted in batches. After fine-tuning the DNA for compatibility, subcutaneous armor, artificial muscles, bionic joints, wound cleaning and coagulation, and blood circulation pump will be implanted this week."

Unlike those mercenary-style makeshift operations, the company has strict, multi-layered standards for prosthetic implantation surgery. For David, an academically trained employee, the implantation surgery is performed to maximize adaptability, reduce the risk of the prosthetic eroding nerves and causing cybernetics, and extend the employee's service life to the maximum extent.

Unless you request it yourself, or you are the company's experiment, the kind of surgery that involves stuffing a whole bunch of Combat Cybernetics, which is almost equivalent to creating Cyberpsychosis, is rarely used on promising full-time employees.

Katsuo nodded.

"Perfect timing. By around April, you should be able to complete the full implantation and adaptation of the required Combat Cybernetics. By then, the internship period will be over, our team will have finished training together, and we can apply to carry out field security service missions." As he spoke, he reached out and slid the LCD screen in the back row.

"You'd better be prepared, David, and Xiaofu too." Katsuo pointed to the news footage being projected.

This time it wasn't WNS News, but News Channel 54, which focuses on Militech.

[Warning: War may be on the horizon again!]

An exaggerated headline, and the female host's somber voice.

"The Austin Multilateral Dialogue has concluded. Arasaka and Militech, the Western Free State Party and Washington, engaged in fierce confrontations and conflicts in various areas regarding their demands for revisions to the Alvin Peace Accord. According to informed sources, the dialogue failed to achieve any effective communication and may lead to a new Cold War or even a hot war."