Chapter 240
Beep beep—
A few seconds later.
[Lucy: Hello?]
"I am V. I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, Lucy, or rather, Ms. Kushinada Lucina."
[Lucy: V? It's you, Mr. Jack Wells's...]
"It's me. I'm here to make a proposal that requires your connections, and it concerns all of us except you."
V took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "Miss Lucy, you don't want anything to happen to Maine and the others, do you?"
The next day.
Arasaka Tower, floor 118.
Morning light slanted into the hall through the adjustable polarized glass, leaving long, scattered patches of light.
Tower bedroom. Vera, who had stayed in the tower to work last night, was just waking up, yawning, stretching, and getting out of bed. She was about to wash up when suddenly, beep beep. The phone rang.
Vera blinked and looked closely.
[Caller: Kushinada Lucina]
235
Chapter 235 Vera: I will not keep this glory to myself.
Night City Arasaka Tower, Floor 118.
A dedicated suite for the company's senior leaders.
The kitchen at the island was filled with sizzling sounds as golden rice simmered in the pot. The private chef, born into the Arasaka family, held an iron wok in one hand and stirred the rice with the other, adding ingredients and broth as he did so. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the rice over the fire with practiced skill that was dazzling to the eye.
After washing up, Vera, dressed in a haute couture suit but without a coat, stepped onto the Persian carpet and entered the kitchen. Her long, pale gold hair was styled in a half-up bun, swaying gently with her steps, and her indigo eyes reflected the flashing orange-red signal lights.
[Kushinada Lucina:... The above, Valerie from the Counter-Intelligence Department has decided to confess to the Director.]
She said that while working in counterintelligence, she was promoted, and out of gratitude, she did the dirty work, for which she admitted to the mistakes she made. Now, the counterintelligence team has gained your trust, and the conflict with the Special Operations Department has been resolved. The debt of gratitude is immeasurable, yet Director Arthur Jenkins still chooses to conceal it...
She knew very well that the director was insightful and had a keen understanding of the changing situation, so she had been waiting anxiously for her superiors to take the initiative to explain the situation to the company after the incident.
A week passed, but Jenkins still hadn't taken any action, causing her great anxiety. Fearing that something might go wrong and cause losses to the company, or tarnish the board's reputation, and also wanting to ensure her thoughts were clear, she dared not delay any longer and sincerely apologized to Your Excellency.
Considering the gravity of the matter and the risk of intelligence leaks if reported up the chain of command, they sought another way, contacting me to relay the message.
At the end, Lucy also attached a detailed account of the robbery and murder.
Vera casually clicked on the attachment displayed on the iris visualization interface and browsed through the data units inside.
It's very comprehensive and detailed, almost a complete account. V and Lucy practically spilled the beans, revealing everything.
Including the Maine's crew.
Of course, there was some bias in the embellishment, with the speaker subtly absolving himself of responsibility and selectively shifting the blame to Jenkins, who was certainly not being honest.
It's clear that V and Lucy put a lot of thought into this 'confession and self-criticism' and did a lot of work in figuring out what their superiors wanted.
The entire letter of self-criticism was written with careful wording and the bias was just right.
The opening clearly states the main theme of making a mistake, cleverly avoiding shifting all the blame. Instead, it emphasizes the gratitude felt after being promoted. The reason for reporting the matter to a higher level is not disloyalty, but rather because the "mentor" has become increasingly obsessed. She was forced to report her superior out of fear of the board's authority and out of loyalty to Arasaka Corporation.
While flattering in moderation, they didn't fabricate too many accusations against their former boss, and their attacks were all spot-on... Their rhetoric likely drew upon their own personality structure model and an Excel spreadsheet calculating their preferences, which is quite impressive.
After a quick glance, Vera smiled and made up her mind.
Because of her unique position connecting the upper and lower levels, V's information on the Counter-Intelligence Department and the Cyber Mercenaries converges in her hands. She knows a great deal of details and has a much broader perspective than Jenkins, who was trapped by Abernathy before the incident, or Maine and his ilk, who had no access to information from higher levels.
While secretly gathering inside information, Vera keenly noticed that her acquaintance, Lucy, had transformed from Edgerunner into a second-generation Corporate Dog. After careful consideration, she took the initiative to contact the person in question. The two exchanged information, and after comprehensive analysis, Vera was not surprised that they could see something.
It should be said that V is currently the middle-level employee who knows the deepest secrets about the 'Abernathy assassination'.
It seems the time is ripe for an audience.
Vera had a sudden thought.
[Vera: She's quite quick-witted. Alright, I understand. It's rare for her to be so loyal. This won't happen again. Order her to handle the loose ends. If anything else happens, have her contact me directly.]
The tone was very calm, which could be interpreted as accepting V's defection to the fold, as he had betrayed his benefactor by reporting him.
[Kushinada Lucina: Yes.]
Beep, the call ended.
Valerie is now in my trap.
With a smile on her face, Vera straightened her collar and gracefully sat down in the dining area of the island counter.
With his right elbow resting on the black and gold slate dining table that extended outwards from the island counter, he turned sideways, his hand supporting his cheek, multitasking as he browsed through the attachments Lucy had provided and the company's official documents, his expression rather lighthearted. "Looks like it's time to let Jenkins retire due to illness..."
The servant standing beside the central island simply pulled out a chair, prepared drinks, and remained completely oblivious to what was happening around him.
Clang, clang, that's the sound of a spatula scraping against an iron wok.
"Miss, today's menu is Three-Fragrance Broken Gold Yangzhou Fried Rice. Please enjoy."
The private chef deftly lifted the wok, poured the fried rice into a plate, and handed it to the chef.
The broth is cooked through a process of vaporization, the rice grains are distinct and loose, and the flavors of dried scallops, sea cucumber, shrimp, ham, chicken legs, fresh bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, etc. are blended together to create a glossy and fragrant dish.
"Miss, this is persimmon honey punch."
The servant also brought out the prepared drink to the table. It was a warm, comforting drink made with dried persimmons and honey.
The versatile Cyber Ninja 'produced' by the Arasaka family are highly praised by all who have used them.
"Thanks."
Vera smiled back.
As the hot drink went down her throat, the gentle warmth soothed her, and she felt a surge of appetite, so she scooped up a spoonful of fried rice.
"Hmm."
The first bite is of perfectly cooked rice grains, soft yet firm, followed by a delicate and rich texture. With a gentle chew, the umami of the various ingredients and the fragrant, sticky fried rice complement each other, creating a tender, smooth, and unforgettable flavor.
Very authentic.
The dining experience is not much different from that in Vera's other extraterrestrial worlds, especially in worlds like [Jormungand + Black Lagoon] and [Jurassic Park + World] where the historical development is normal and unchanged.
In the Cyberpunk world of 2077, such a realistic experience is becoming increasingly rare.
The scarcity of raw materials is one aspect, while changes in social environment and customs are another. After the industrialization of food has been fully implemented, traditional foods have given way to various protein-synthetic foods. In addition, there are fewer and fewer professional chefs with skills, traditions, and techniques. These factors have combined to create today's cyber dining trend, such as insectivorism.
It is important to understand the principle of cherishing one's own possessions. Even if there were learning chips that could be used for mass cybernetic inheritance, chefs would not be willing to open source their knowledge. They would instead charge for teaching and strictly prohibit the sharing of their skills. Their best-kept recipes and related techniques would be kept tightly under wraps, serving as the biggest selling point and means of livelihood for each chef.
With strong AI capable of self-learning being strictly restricted, conventional cooking skill chips and recipe chips are worthless and contain little substance.
To reiterate, the world's perception of that bastard who bombed the internet has shifted from initial applause after the "The Great Network Collapse" to indifference, and even deep hatred.
In modern times, aside from a small number of protesters and old-school legends, the majority of people who mention Ratzu Bartmoss are probably more likely to ask about his family history.
Vera is able to enjoy these things thanks to the Arasaka Family.
Despite its poor reputation, it is still a super-company with a long history and profound heritage, being the world's longest-running corporation.
Yes, it's her inherent talent...
Just as Vera was letting her thoughts wander, reviewing the power grab and how to develop quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively to solidify her Arasaka.
A knocking sound, like a knocking on the door, came through.
"Please come in."
"Dry rice, "Vera said without looking up.
"Miss, Vice President James Thomas has arrived."
The Tang-style mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer door opened automatically, the attendant said.
Tap, tap.
The footsteps drew closer.
Vera looked up at the door.
A sharp-looking older white man with a well-tailored suit, a meticulously combed slicked-back white hair, a hooked nose, and sharp, falcon-like eyes appeared at the door.
Vera wiped her mouth, raised her glass, and stood up to greet her.
"Have you eaten yet, Uncle Thomas? Want to have a drink and a bite to eat?"
She asked in a manner reminiscent of the old Jicheng dialect of Kang Tao.
"Then I shall accept it without hesitation."
Thomas readily agreed and sat down with a smile.
Without needing to be called, the waiters and private chef prepared new tableware, and appetizers were quickly served.
Sizzle—
Cooking continues.
Between the chef's elaborate dishes, the assistants filled in the gaps. Some started the teppanyaki equipment and pan-fried French foie gras, sashimi platters, and Wagyu beef and fish roe rolls on the cast iron plate. Others used pre-prepared fruits and vegetables, pickled vegetables, and fillings to plate the dishes, along with refreshing seasonal vegetable salads and pear pickles.
As various ingredients collided and their aromas filled the air, Vera and Thomas clinked glasses.
After exchanging a few pleasantries about company routines to lighten the mood, Vera suddenly said, "I've decided to have Jenkins take sick leave, with the handover to be completed within a week, but the purge of the Counter-Intelligence Department will be postponed."
Thomas put the pan-fried foie gras into his mouth with his fork, pondered for a moment, and said, "Why?"
"Someone reported Jenkins."
With a playful smile, Vera picked up a roll of kimchi, opened it, and took a bite.
"It's someone from the Counter-Intelligence Department. Ever since he took down Abernathy, Jenkins has become increasingly mad in his pursuit of power, which has frightened his subordinates."
"Can you reveal anything?"
Thomas seemed to be deep in thought.
"V".
"V?"
Upon hearing this, Thomas's eyes flashed with an orange-red light. "Valerie... graduated from the Arasaka Academy's specialized academy, 23 years old, impressive resume... but isn't she Jenkins's trusted confidante? Rumor has it that if Jenkins really gets promoted, she'll take over as the head of counterintelligence. Is she trustworthy?"
As the vice president of the Americas branch headquarters, and not involved in confidential intelligence work, investigating internal personnel information within the Counter-Intelligence Department was not difficult for him.
"Believable".
Vera said it bluntly.
"Oh?"
Thomas was somewhat surprised.
When the topic came up, Vera didn't hide her delight, which made him a little curious about what kind of spell this red-haired woman, codenamed V, had cast on their Night City Americas headquarters' 'most dazzling gem'.
"You want her to take over Jenkins' job?"
"Um."
Vera fed herself a piece of Norwegian salmon dipped in wasabi, Vera said slowly, "I said we should minimize the negative impact."
"The conflict between Jenkins and Abernathy is not a big secret in the company. We must not reveal the truth about the internal strife and insubordination within Arasaka to the outside world. Therefore, it is most appropriate to characterize Jenkins's retirement due to illness as an inability to unite the team and to hold him accountable for departmental conflict caused by personal grudges."
"After all, we, the Arasaka, need to unite."
Vera tilted her head and smiled slightly as she shook the warm, smooth enamel conical cup.
Unity...
Thomas was speechless.
However, it is quite fitting.