Chapter 241

He knew Arthur Jenkins; he was capable, worked like a madman, and was very efficient, making him a valuable counterintelligence agent. However, his biggest problem was that he was too solitary, had a poor reputation, and was not popular, making him unable to unite the team.

On this point alone, Jenkins lacked the ability to keep up.

While being independent, having poor interpersonal skills, and being unable to coordinate are advantages in the intelligence field, higher-level leadership positions all require overall coordination and consideration, and these advantages will eventually become obstacles to advancement.

Unless you have a benefactor to help you break through the current situation, or seize the opportunity of a change in the company's core power, you can only rise to the middle or senior management level at best.

Thomas roughly understood Vera's plan—first, let Jenkins temporarily Director of Special Operations, then demote him on the grounds of unsatisfactory performance evaluation, marginalize him due to illness, and finally let him die naturally due to personal reasons, thus successfully completing the 'benign blood transfusion' of the intelligence system.

He had no objection to this.

Jenkins' methods of overthrowing his superiors were simply too crude and direct.

In his youth, he wasn't immune to subversion of superiors, given the company culture, but he mostly resorted to bypassing his superiors to submit his action plans to higher-ranking leaders or reporting his direct supervisor's illegal and embezzling activities.

Such direct assassinations, though seemingly tolerated, are actually extremely harmful, tantamount to mortgaging the future. After all, senior management are also human, and no one is willing to confide in such dangerous and uncontrollable employees; they are mostly used as rags.

"Who are you planning to appoint as the Director of Special Operations?"

Thomas took a sip of his honey tea and asked again.

"Jimmy (Vera's former assistant adjutant)."

"Who will succeed him First Deputy Director of the General Security Bureau?"

"Old Man Ram was reinstated and promoted (he voluntarily stepped down as Vera's former SAT supervisor due to genuine illness)."

"Ah?!"

Thomas was taken aback; he truly hadn't expected this choice. Then, as if struck by a thought, his pupils contracted slightly, he leaned forward, and asked, "You've overcome the challenges related to cybernetic prosthetics eroding personality networks?"

The tone was urgent.

Vera remained noncommittal.

"Almost. It's unrealistic to say that we can completely solve the mental and personality disorders caused by implanted hardware and various behavioral modules, including software, but it's not difficult to minimize the incidence of Cyberpsychosis."

A gift from Ghost in the Shell.

After several months of debugging and improvement, as a technical exchange officer from the German Border Guard 9th Brigade of GSG9, she took the opportunity to promote many aggressive cybernetic bodies while assisting the Japanese Section 9 in solving difficult cases. In particular, she promoted dangerous cybernetic bodies that could easily lead to Cyberpsychosis in the Cyberpunk world. She then collaborated on research, development, improvement and perfection.

Vera actually had quite a few plans in hand, but she didn't bring them out because she needed to maximize their effectiveness.

"Old Man Ram has been clamoring to return to the front lines, hasn't he? He's written to me many times, and I remember it."

Ram was a veteran of the company who voluntarily stepped down when Vera was promoted to head of the Special Rapid Response Unit. Due to his own neurasthenia, he could no longer withstand high-intensity combat and was forced to retire due to the dismantling of his Combat Cybernetics.

He was a comrade-in-arms of Vera's biological father, Fred. If it weren't for his recommendation and willingness to step down, Vera wouldn't have risen so quickly.

She remembers this kindness.

"I will personally perform the Rejuvenation Surgery and implant the Combat Cybernetics for Old Man Ram."

After chewing the vegetable salad, Vera said solemnly.

"That stepping down and recommendation will be the best investment that old man Ram ever made in his life."

Upon hearing this, Thomas sighed with emotion.

Vera smiled without saying a word.

He reached out, and the servant standing by handed him an exquisitely crafted square box.

Vera passed it to Thomas.

"This is?"

"The latest type of rejuvenating drug. I formulated it based on Uncle Thomas's bio-information. As I said before, this glory—"

Vera smiled and raised her glass. "I won't enjoy this all to myself. Whether before or after I've taken the throne. Uncle Thomas, you can't slack off or rest; I still need your assistance."

"Ha ha..."

Thomas chuckled three times with satisfaction, then reached out and took the gift, a sigh on his face. "A reward is not given for no merit. It seems this old man must keep up a good fight with our 'Night City Gold and Stone'."

After Fred and Mia died, he took care of Vera for almost ten years. Especially with their relationship being well maintained and him giving back more and more, it's certain that there were feelings involved.

Looking back at his own playboy, well, actually he's not a playboy, it just depends on who you compare him to. Comparing goods is like throwing them away, comparing people is like dying.

Let's clink glasses again.

Vera downed her glass of persimmon honey punch in one gulp and solemnly began, "Uncle Thomas, please inform Jimmy, Brian, Laurie, Matsumura Shuntaro, Philip, Shaw, Shinichi Tanaka... that there's a meeting in the conference room this afternoon. The company's 'rejuvenation period' is over; it's time for us to move forward."

Chapter 236 The undercurrents of the night city remain, and the undercurrents of Tokyo begin anew.

"Did Jenkins send you to spy on me?"

The towering buildings and dark alleyways cast scattered shadows of people.

Yet another heinous crime, commonplace in this 'city of dreams', is unfolding.

In the filthy, dark alley, thump, thump—a chaotic, hurried sound of footsteps, interspersed with the occasional blast of a silenced gun, echoed with the sounds of limbs colliding. During the chase, figures darted through muddy puddles, splashing up splatters of dirt.

A man and a woman, one in front and one behind, one fleeing and one chasing.

The fugitive, clutching his briefcase, fled in a panic, running for his life. The pursuer, holding a pistol in one hand and a dagger in the other, pressed forward relentlessly.

Only when he ran into a dead end, with nowhere to escape or avoid, did the man lean against the wall and let out a painful cry.

"Huff... hiss..."

The red-haired woman blocking the entrance to the dead end stared warily at the white man with black hair, brown eyes, dark skin, and a pompadour, who was breathing heavily like a trapped animal.

In terms of appearance and demeanor, the man resembles Corporate Dog, but his prosthetic modifications are minimal, with only a network enhancement implanted in his shaved right sideburn, suggesting he is likely an office worker.

His network enhancement device was currently sparking with electricity.

Undoubtedly, it was hacked, and the communication adapter and related software were most likely forcibly blocked and shut down.

His respectable white striped shirt and blue suit jacket were now stained red with blood from gunshot wounds.

"V... So you really were hiding something from Director Jenkins. He valued you so much, and as his confidant, you actually harbored ulterior motives?! Is this how you repay your patron?"

Whether it was the excruciating pain from the adrenaline rush or fear, the office Corporate Dog's shoulders trembled as he looked at the fierce-looking female Corporate Dog —his colleague, or rather, his boss, or perhaps "former"—who was approaching with a gun.

"Director Jenkins will not let a traitor get away with this. Don't think you can escape this by killing me!"

"Come on, Carter, don't try to provoke me with your tactics."

"Don't forget who mentored you in the first place."

Approaching slowly, still dressed in casual clothes—a lone wolf jacket and trousers—V indifferently raised his gun and aimed it at Carter, his irises flashing with a stream of orange-red data.

"What did Jenkins promise you? That you, a cowardly worm, would dare to spy on me? Is it to take my place? Don't tell me that's what you're after."

V sneered, "How long do you think Jenkins can remain Acting Director of Special Operations?"

"..."

Carter's expression froze for a moment.

Then, he instantly realized that V had most likely found a way out and, just to be on the safe side, would never let him go.

"I see. It seems that Director Jenkins' concerns were justified."

Clenching his teeth, Carter clutched his wounded abdomen and retorted defiantly, "You're just a fence-sitter, nothing more."

"I don't deny it."

V-shaped, flat shrug.

But the next instant, she pulled the trigger of her silenced M-76e Omaha pistol, the bullet striking Carter precisely in the right knee. Watching Carter kneel on the ground screaming in pain, V calmly said, "Continue."

Carter, equally defiant, spat out bloody saliva and raised his head, which was dripping with cold sweat from the excruciating pain. "Don't be so smug. You and Abernathy are cut from the same cloth and will both die in the ditch sooner or later!"

Even if you kill me, you won't take away my dignity and self-respect!

"Is that so..."

V looked up at the sky above the narrow alley, as if reminiscing about the past when Jenkins promoted him. "Did he have you spying on me with the intention of killing me later?"

Chance!!

Despite the excruciating pain of his convulsing body, Carter continued speaking, his eyes darting slightly as he subtly reached into his briefcase. "Hmph, no one will value an ingrate. Today's me is tomorrow's you... Go to hell!"

He suddenly drew his pistol—

Chirp! Chirp chirp!

V turned around, pressing down on the smoking muzzle of the gun.

How could a whiteboard office worker compare to a counterintelligence elite who works part-time in the field?

With a thud, Carter's blood-stained Tsunami pistol fell to the damp ground. He then knelt down, his body going limp as he slumped forward, his head hitting the ground. His left hand was still clutching the bullet wound in his abdomen, but new wounds had appeared on his chest and head, from which blood gushed.

Two shots to the chest and one to the head.

Goodbye, Carter Smith.

With a sigh tinged with relief, V fired a few more shots into his vitals to ensure his death before finally lowering his gun.

Goodbye, Jenkins.

She murmured the next sentence.

This marks a complete parting of ways.

V stared at the corpse of her overconfident subordinate at her feet, feeling a pang of regret, unaware that in some timelines she would be kicked out by Arasaka because of Carter's betrayal.

After all, it's now his turn to switch sides, while Carter remains 'loyal'.

Even though the other party was technically her subordinate in the third department, it was still unethical for him to be secretly assigned by Jenkins to monitor the movements of his direct superior. However, V could not remain indifferent. In any case, Jenkins had in fact been a benefactor to her.

This is also why she took on the hot potato of assassinating Abernathy.

To repay a debt of gratitude.

Unfortunately, Jenkins is becoming increasingly insane due to her lack of security. Today she's being made to silence the long-term black glove she's carefully cultivated, tomorrow she'll be made to abandon her best friend Jackie, and the day after tomorrow, won't it be her turn?

Sigh, it's really not easy to stay committed to one job in the workplace.

Today's me, tomorrow's you... Reflecting on Carter's dying curse, V sheathed his knife, switched to a pistol magazine, grabbed his bloodstained briefcase, and casually wiped it clean. "Perhaps."

She made fun of herself, but she had no regrets.

Because she had no right to choose, only the fate of being chosen.

Just as Carter did not have the right to refuse Jenkins.

As for what Jenkins specifically promised and what he was thinking, V neither wanted to know nor was interested in knowing, because Jenkins was already dead.

It was at this moment that, beep, beep.

Incoming call communication.

[Kushinada Lucina: Looks like you took him down. Why did it take so long? Was he your subordinate?]

V: I guess so.

[Kushinada Lucina: Anyway, you'd better hurry up, lest things get complicated.]

Well, good news. You've been ordered to deal with the loose ends and the conditions have been created for you. Your boss is probably still busy dealing with handover issues and backlogged work, and definitely won't have time to thoroughly investigate you, unless he wants to quit. This is your chance.

Also, Valerie, this is the phone. You are authorized to report any issues directly to your superiors.

In order to gain trust and obtain a secure channel for reporting to higher levels, V has already told Lucy his real name.

—— [Attachment - Encrypted Telephone Frequency Bands]——

V breathed a sigh of relief as he gazed at the attachments displayed on the iris visual interface.

The effort was not in vain.

Giving her direct orders means that her problem was simply glossed over.

"Thank you, Ms. Kushinada."