"We've been seeing each other a lot lately, haven't we, Hanako?" Sitting in the tea room of her residence, Karl looked at Hanako preparing m
"We've been seeing each other a lot lately, haven't we, Hanako?"
Sitting in the tea room of her residence, Karl looked at Hanako preparing matcha in front of him and asked casually, "Didn't I just stop by three days ago?"
"That's because I'm no longer the acting CEO," Hanako replied with a calm expression. "So in other words... I have a lot of free time."
"Your mother's back, so there's nothing left for you to handle, huh..."
Karl didn't dwell too much on that topic. What interested him more today was something else.
"Hanako, about that new monomolecular wire developed by the R&D department—what's the deal? I thought Arasaka never invested much in close-quarters weapons. Weren't mantis blades basically their only real product in that field?"
"This one exists because of you, Karl."
Hanako pushed the freshly whisked matcha toward Karl, placing the bamboo whisk neatly upside down. "Your performance during that tower-clearing operation made the person in charge of melee weapons rethink things. They figured monowires could be highly effective too. So they temporarily paused their obsession with mantis blades and 'borrowed' some inspiration from other corporations to create this new monowire."
"That's all there is to it?"
"Well... I may have told them to do it."
"I thought so."
Karl knew the score. Without higher-ups giving the word, no one at R&D would dare shift project focus on their own.
"So, what's special about this new monowire?" Karl flexed his arms slightly. His current monomolecular wire had been with him for a while now and was starting to fall behind. During the fight against Adam Smasher, for example, the wire had trouble piercing anything other than the guy's cyber-eyes. Most strikes didn't even break the surface—barely a centimeter or two in. If there was a chance to upgrade, Karl wasn't going to pass it up.
"I figured you'd still occasionally use hacking tactics, so I had them enhance its data transmission capabilities. Also, the wire itself is made from a rather... unique material."
"Unique how?"
Karl wasn't quite following.
"After it's fully charged, its penetration and destructive power are about double that of your current monowire."
"Double..."
That was a massive leap.
His current monowire was already considered top-tier on the market. Based on Karl's own comparisons, even the best commercial wires might only offer 1.3x more power than his current one. A flat 2x improvement?
It really did show the power of megacorp R&D—unmatched funding, cutting-edge tech, and the best equipment all kept under tight wraps. What trickled down to the black market were just cast-offs. Karl had always known there was a gap... just not how wide it was.
"Now I understand at least one of the reasons Adam Smasher was so damn powerful."
With that kind of support behind him—and his unmatched cyberware adaptability—it was no wonder the guy had become a living legend.
"We had a deal, didn't we?"
Hanako nudged Karl's tea cup closer again, smiling sweetly. "You were promised the same treatment as Morgan Blackhand."
"I somehow doubt Morgan Blackhand ever got this kind of treatment even from Militech."
Karl picked up the tea cup with both hands and finished it in one gulp. The bitterness spread through his mouth as he added, "I assume this monowire is a one-of-a-kind prototype, right? Does it even have a name yet? Hmm… not as bitter as usual today. You've improved."
"Really? That's good to hear."
Hanako looked genuinely pleased with the compliment. She turned to the silent figure nearby—Chidoya—who stood watching quietly.
"I've been having Chidoya taste my tea lately, but she always says it's good, so I had no idea if I was actually improving."
'Poor Chidoya…' Karl thought sympathetically.
Sure, Hanako's tea was improving, but let's just say it still had a ways to go. Credit to Chidoya for suffering through it every time.
After soaking in the compliment, Hanako returned to their conversation.
"From what I've read, Morgan Blackhand didn't have a custom-made cyberware unit developed for him by Militech. But Karl... you're not Morgan Blackhand."
"So we're calling it equal treatment, but you're still giving me special favors, huh?"
"Because you're Karl."
Now Karl was starting to understand Hanako's real intent.
Their collaboration was a tightly kept secret—only four people knew: Hanako, Karl, Ken Ichiro, and later, Chidoya. The support Hanako provided was technically just compensation for Karl's services. At least, that was the official cover. He was meant to act as a trump card or emergency bodyguard—not a public asset like Adam Smasher or a known ally like Morgan Blackhand.
Providing high-end cyberware to mercs and gangsters was standard business practice in Night City. Karl was worth the investment, sure—but appearances still mattered.
"So, do you have any jobs that need doing right now?" Karl asked.
"I'd actually prefer it if you and Maki just came to keep me company."
"Be serious. I can visit with Maki if we're free, but I still need a good excuse to pick up that cyberware, right?"
"Don't worry."
Hanako chuckled. "As much as I really do want you to visit, I've already thought of something. Remember I told you on the phone that I had another matter to discuss?"
"Something related to the company?"
"No. It's related to Dogtown."
Hanako's tone shifted ever so slightly.
"There's something I need you to do in Dogtown... under the identity of KK the mercenary hired by Arasaka."
'So, she wants me to go into Dogtown... openly, under Arasaka's name?'
Karl understood her message loud and clear.
She wanted him to walk into Dogtown in broad daylight.
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