Chapter 217

Katsuo leisurely looked around. The last time she came here to meet David, there were still a lot of messy graffiti on the walls of this old mid-range Apartment building. Now they have all been painted clean, the old floor tiles have been replaced, and even a scanner and a light machine gun turret have been installed.

Although it's still a cheap, low-end product, it's better than nothing for those on the Edgerunner of the underground mercenary world like 'Afterlife,' but it's still enough to protect against street thugs who break into homes and homeless people who wander around randomly.

"Um."

David, the tallest, strongest, and thickest-armored man, carrying a shopping bag with the 'Dangerous Girl' logo, nodded upon hearing this.

"Before August last year, the property developer responded to the policy call of the municipal government and our Arasaka Corporation and renovated the front desk of the Apartment building and the community's public facilities. Even the exterior facade of the tower was renovated and cleaned."

"It's about the appearance of the city."

With his food box slung over his shoulder, Xiaofu shrugged.

"At least it's a political achievement for that fat Wilton Holt in his pursuit of the Night City mayoralty this year. Putting everything else aside, those shrewd investors won't let go of this lucrative area; the renovation is to sell it for a better price. I bet, David, your property has definitely appreciated in value."

"It's almost doubled. Katsuo, thanks to you for reminding me back then, I was able to convince my mom to change from renting to buying, at the price when the Six Street Gang ruled the Lijing area."

David smiled as he said this.

Buy at the bottom of the market, get on board immediately, and the price will rise right after you buy. Try it and you'll see how awesome it is!

With the backing of Arasaka, the chip purchase agreement is in black and white, so the developer dares not breach the contract, and dares not do bad work on Martinez's house during the renovation.

Those present all smiled silently.

Beep, waiting for the elevator.

Katsuo patted David on the shoulder, everything was understood without words.

David Martinez is a man worth associating with, no matter what, and he's quite certain of that now.

There's no need to act all high and mighty.

During our short year of service in the Security Department, we carried guns together, stood guard together, shared loot, and shed blood together. We slept on heated brick beds together in the field, and our friendship deepened from our time at the Arasaka Academy, where we were classmates. In battle, we entrusted our backs to each other—a bond forged in life-or-death situations.

Aside from never going to Twist Street together, we did call the same masseuse... cough cough.

The elevator doors opened.

"1919 was a significant turning point in our company's history. It marked the beginning of Prohibition in the United States, the end of World War I, and the birth of Lord Saburo Arasaka..."

Inside the elevator, a documentary about Saburo Arasaka was playing on a loop.

Noticing his companions' gazes, David pressed the button for the 18th floor, checking that his firearm was safe and off as he said, "It's been there since the renovation. You know, there are quite a few company employees in this building."

"Awesome, David."

Xiaofu nudged David with his elbow, "This place smells even more like a corporate building than my Japan Street. It makes me feel like I'm in Arasaka Tower, all scratchy."

"It seems you've adapted to life in Arasaka, David. Now that you've established yourself, it's time to pursue a more respectable life."

Katsuo joked from the side.

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.

Perhaps their friendship wasn't entirely pure, but in Night City, where it's best not to trust anyone completely, in the Major Corporations workplace rife with office politics, backstabbing, and deceit, even in the military and violent departments where their relationship was more purely platonic and they had to fight side-by-side and risk their lives, such a friendly, homely friendship was truly rare.

It is important to know.

Following the Frankfurt Incident, the internal power struggle within Night City Arasaka Tower intensified. The sharp conflict between Arthur Jenkins, the Director of the Counter-Intelligence Department, and Susan Abernathy, the Director of Special Operations, was so acute that even the Security Department could sense it.

Two months ago, in Night City, facing pressure from higher-ups, the Vera directors managed to suppress the massacre by the European Space Council (ESA) in order to save their jobs and avoid being completely dismissed.

Unfortunately, with the full implementation of the offensive strategy led by the board:

The North American Free State Alliance, with its capital in Sacramento, immediately engaged in fierce political and diplomatic confrontations with the New America in Washington.

The Barghest Mercenary Group and the Lazarus Mercenary Group also engage in a small-scale but highly frequent alternative mercenary war along the border between the Western States and Eastern States, especially the section where New Mexico, Oklahoma, and the Republic of Texas meet.

He and David's special assault team repeatedly disguised themselves and went to provide support.

Baka!

Those new rice-lover were indeed up to no good; Federal Intelligence Agency agents had infiltrated... The two sides encountered each other more than once.

He had certainly experienced life-or-death situations; he had saved David, and David had saved him—it was impossible to say for sure.

The 2076 graduating class of the Arasaka Academy has already suffered considerable losses in battle.

Overall, Arasaka holds the advantage, and this advantage is growing, while Shinmi and Militech are on the defensive.

This point was also acknowledged by the pro-New York News Channel 54 during its inquiry.

Similarly, every cloud has a silver lining, and Arasaka is increasingly feeling the change in attitude from his peers and competitors—that they are holding him back.

Or rather, North America is in a state of equilibrium; they help whoever is weak and target whoever is strong.

Regardless of combat strength and cybernetic compatibility, because she has a father who is a director of the Arasaka Academy, a senior mid-level manager in the R&D department, and in charge of the weapons project that the top boss is specifically focused on, Katsuo's understanding of the undercurrents within the company is far deeper than David's.

In response to the changing external environment of Arasaka, Director Vera now focuses more on military affairs and the primary strategy of confronting Shinmi, Militech and its allies.

After the Frankfurt Incident was suppressed, his trips to Sacramento, Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco increased significantly.

Sacramento's allies, Seattle's ongoing drought... all require continued attention.

Meanwhile, within Arasaka Corporation, the mess they made has been cleaned up, and the conflicts that Director Vera had suppressed for two months have been released again. The two directors of the Counter-Intelligence Department and the Special Operations Office are likely to have a fierce battle of wits.

Wolf-like mentality and fierce competition are the philosophies advocated by Arasaka.

According to a guess his father made to him at home: one of the two intelligence system directors is likely to be laid off, or even both of them will be laid off!

The company's internal attitude on this matter is subtle; as long as the line isn't crossed, they won't interfere.

Deputy Security Director James Thomas was fueling the office politics between the two men.

Vera, the board member, wants to replace her with someone from her own side to completely take control of North American Arasaka's military, intelligence, and internal security systems...

Thinking of this, Katsuo's eyes narrowed beneath her mask.

This matter cannot be discussed casually, and absolutely not a single detail can be revealed to outsiders.

During this period, you must behave yourself and stay within your bounds.

Soon, we arrived at the 18th floor.

At David's call, Katsuo snapped out of her daze and stepped out of the elevator.

The corridor has a shimono (stamped rope) and a kadomatsu (pine) decoration. The latter is made of plastic.

Number H913, at the entrance.

As soon as David and his two companions entered the apartment building, Mrs. Martinez, who had learned from AI that her son had returned, had been waiting at the door for quite some time.

"Mom."

Watching his mother finally take off her yellow jacket uniform from Night City Medical Center and put on a decent new outfit, David's voice was light and relaxed. Click, David took off his helmet, revealing a face that still looked young, but much more resolute and cold.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Martinez. I am Katsuo Tanaka, David's classmate and comrade-in-arms."

Removing her helmet, revealing a light blue bob, Katsuo bowed deeply to Gloria Martinez. Her manners were impeccable.

"Auntie, just call me Xiaofu. This is our New Year's gift, please accept it as a small token of our appreciation."

Suneo also took off his helmet, revealing a tuft of blond hair sprayed with hairspray.

As he spoke, he handed over a food box containing buckwheat noodles and rice cakes.

"You're too kind, welcome to my humble abode... Tanaka-kun, little... Suneo."

Gloria quickly returned the greeting with a Japanese bow, which she had learned.

"Please come in. You must be hungry. The food is ready."

Then, after taking the food box, Gloria smiled and gestured for the three of them to enter the room.

Enter.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

David placed the helmet and 'Dangerous Girl' brand health products on the entryway counter, sniffed around, and immediately spotted the New Year's Eve dinner on the dining table.

Andalusian gazpacho, Spanish paella, potato omelet, tacos, Spanish fish soup.

There's also fruit, specifically grapes, which Spaniards used to eat during the New Year.

It's both ordinary and luxurious.

It doesn't matter whether the ingredients are authentic or not. Obviously, in Night City, even a middle-class Corporate Dog would have to spend a lot of money to enjoy such a sumptuous meal, and probably only eat it once or twice a year.

"You've gone to so much trouble."

Katsuo looked at Gloria.

"Of course."

Gloria shook her head gently, "The conditions are simple, I hope you won't mind."

Then, she kindly pulled out a chair, patted the back of the chair and said, "Please sit down. Meals should be eaten quickly, otherwise hot food won't taste good when it gets cold. You are busier than me, and you still have work to do this afternoon, so you probably don't have much time for lunch."

Without Gloria's prompting, David warmly ushered Katsuo and Suneo, who were still bowing in gratitude in a Japanese style, into chairs and said with a smile, "Wait a moment, I'll go get my treasured drinks... You can't get drunk while on duty, but two bottles of beer shouldn't be a problem."

He went to the refrigerator and came back with a basket of chilled beer, just as Gloria had finished distributing the bowls, chopsticks, knives, forks, and other cutlery.

The mother and son exchanged a knowing glance.

[Gloria: Don't forget Maine's medicine. He paid for it.]

David: I understand.

Not long after.

Dinner is served.

"Unfortunately, Fat Tiger can't come because of the nature of his job (bodyguard)."

With a regretful sigh and a shake of her head, Katsuo raised the chilled beer David had handed her, stood up, and said, "Let's raise a glass together to congratulate Mr. David Martinez and Ms. Gloria Martinez on getting their lives back on track. Hopefully, this is just the first step. To victory, to Director Vera, and to Arasaka!"

"To Victory, to Director Vera, to Arasaka! Cheers!" ×3.

Today, New Year's Day in 2077, is especially lively at the Martinez family's home.

Although there were only four people.

Some are happy, some are sad.

Both in the Night City.

Watson District, Chinatown.

The street was noisy with people.

'Misty's Secrets' fortune-telling shop continues to pursue dreams: Jackie Welles, a neighborhood middleman who dreams of becoming a big shot, has just begun to enjoy a romantic holiday with his girlfriend when a phone call from his best friend, Big Sister, sends him to the back alley.

"Hey, V, what's up? Porfavor (Spanish: please), girl, you almost ruined my plans. New Year's Day, doesn't Arasaka even get a day off? Damn, Maine's Arasaka Michiko, we're both Corporate Dog, but why do you seem so tired?"

[V: Damn! How can that be the same? That guy's from the Security Department, a close associate of Vera Adelheid Russell, a candidate for the North American board! You know that? Their boss got promoted! As for me, you know what happened in Frankfurt last October, my superiors... humph, they're currently engaged in a power struggle.]

A red-haired, single-edged, wildly sexy corporate woman appeared in Jackie's retinal communication frame.

The girl looked exhausted; clearly, the endless arguments and scheming had drained her energy.

[Jackie: I understand. Office politics. Hermana (girl), is there anything I can do for you?]

V: I need your help, Jackie. I need to take care of something.

[Jackie: Oh, looks like you've gotten yourself into some serious trouble.]

V: Not yet. I just need to find someone I can trust.

[Jackie: That means we're in trouble. You decide the time and place, or should we wait?]

[V: Tonight, please. Location...you always talk about how legendary 'the Afterlife' is, right? Then let's go with 'the Afterlife.' Surely they won't be unwelcoming to Corporate Dog there, will they?]

[Jackie: 'The Afterlife'? Hard to say.]

V: Okay, stop joking around, see you tonight.

Didi.

With a forced smile and a nod, V hung up the phone.

Jackie plopped down on the rickety sofa. His eyelids twitched, a bad feeling creeping over him. Thinking of V's anxious state over the past two months, he muttered to himself, "UnPacto Con El Diablo (A deal with the devil)."