The Konpeki Symphony Orchestra performed soothing, graceful classical music on the marble stage of the banquet hall.
Click... clack...
Under countless gazes—some overt, some discreet—Vela left her seat and walked toward the wall-adjacent booth at the edge of the dance floor.
Two plainclothes officers of Barghest stood on either side of the booth. When they saw one of the evening's central figures, Vela, approaching directly, they froze for a moment. Just as they reacted—swish!—
Several cyber-ninjas from the Arasaka Family Compound moved even faster. Their large, fully combat-modified cybernetic hands pressed down on the officers and forcibly dragged them aside.
A series of military-grade cyber-eyes, glowing dim red, suddenly zoomed in—nearly face-to-face—coldly scanning the officers' full-body implant parameters and bio-signals.
"Mr. Kurt Hansen."
Vela stepped over the small step down into the booth and looked at Hansen, who was seated upright, lost in thought.
Yes, a white man—brawny and bald with a classic American buzz cut, wearing a tactical harness under his arms, the empty sheath of a confiscated blade at his side, and dog tags around his neck. He leaned slightly forward, hands symmetrically placed on his thighs. His posture was upright, clearly still deeply influenced by his military past.
He fit the stereotype of the old-school American tough guy to a T.
"It's an honor to see you here."
The emphasis was on "here"—here at the Konpeki Plaza, not at your Dogtown's "Black Sapphire." The "Black Sapphire" being Dogtown's luxurious banquet venue, a high-end social site run by Barghest.
"An honor to meet you as well, Ms. Vela Adelheid Russell, Director."
Out of respect—and because his side clearly needed something—Hansen stood up, straightened the practically nonexistent wrinkles on his T-shirt, and spoke with a deep, resonant voice.
He had long heard of Vela.
The biggest force behind Saburo Arasaka's regained youth, the lead Director of Arasaka's almost mythical "Sonnentreppe Project," and a predicted future leader of Arasaka's North American division. A candidate for "national-level board member," according to various evaluation agencies and media.
A ceremonial handshake.
Hansen couldn't help but scrutinize the composed and commanding woman before him.
A crisp, dark Arasaka suit, a silver chrysanthemum pin with the circular clover emblem on the lapel. She appeared aloof and imposing. Yes, he could feel an inexplicable pressure radiating from her—and a faint killing intent. This woman, like him, had crawled through gunfire and battlefields.
"Congratulations, Mr. Hansen. You've broken free from the chains of your past."
Unbothered by the gathering attention around them, Vela opened with congratulations on Hansen's takedown of the 6th Street Gang.
"I dare not accept that. It was nothing more than an accidental conflict born of circumstances. Luckily, 6th Street and their backers weren't nearly as strong as they made themselves out to be. Their alliances weren't as unbreakable as claimed either."
"Sometimes, luck is also a form of strength."
"What kind of luck? Innate, or acquired?"
Hansen stressed the word "acquired" slightly.
Vela simply smiled.
"That depends on how you choose to understand it, Mr. Hansen."
"Director Russell, I don't suppose you came all this way just to discuss philosophy with a roughneck like me?"
"Thinking that wouldn't be entirely wrong either. You and your Dogtown are worth a chat. And making friends... well, anything can be talked about."
With a light smile, Vela pulled a black-to-red gradient business card from the inner breast pocket of her suit and handed it over.
Hansen's eyes narrowed, gaze locked onto Vela's faintly smiling face.
"You'll need this, Kurt."
Vela looked at Hansen with those deep, striking eyes. She had used his first name—adding a touch of sincerity and camaraderie.
After a brief pause, Hansen ultimately chose to accept the business card held out before him. "Perhaps... Your friendship is truly an honor."
Of course, he didn't want to get entangled in corporate politics. His instincts were sharp enough to suspect Arasaka's role in the recent Santo Domingo conflict.
But the stockpile of Militech supplies recovered from 6th Street, Washington's humiliating refusal to take a stance, and the mounting resentment among Dogtown's former NUSA vanguard veterans toward New America...
All of it pushed his hatred for his former employer in Washington to new heights.
If they won't take him in, someone else will. If no one will, then it's time to throw in with Arasaka!
Why hang from a single tree?
"More friends, more paths—wouldn't you agree, Mr. Hansen?"
Vela smiled.
It was a very gentle smile, appearing utterly harmless—
"Speaking with you is quite easy, Mr. Hansen. To friendship. Best wishes."
With a sideways glance at Hansen, Vela turned and walked away.
Released from the cyber-ninjas' grip, the two Barghest plainclothes officers, now somewhat shaken and ashamed, quickly moved to Hansen's side and bowed their heads.
"Colonel, we're sorry..."
"Those were cyber lone wolves raised by the Arasaka Family Compound..." Hansen didn't scold them. He waved for his aides to get back to their duties and sat back down, looking grim.
Without a doubt, the Arasaka Family Compound was one of the safest places in the world. And its cyber lone wolves were among the deadliest killing machines alive.
"The 'Hundred Lone Wolves.'"
It was said that even the servants attending to Saburo's daily life in the Arasaka Family Compound—the butlers, the gardeners trimming hedges, those watering flower beds—were all powerful cyber-ninjas.
It was no exaggeration to say that even an unremarkable house servant from the Arasaka Family Compound, say a gardener watering plants, could single-handedly breach the full security of most bars or nightclubs in Night City.
"I didn't expect Vela Adelheid to have personal protection at the level of an Arasaka family member... Her relationship with Michiko Arasaka clearly goes beyond a simple corporate hierarchy. Could Saburo really be grooming her as a successor?"
Muttering to himself, Hansen raised the business card for a closer look.
It featured a black-to-red gradient with a silky, cool texture—far more premium than a Platinum Trauma Team card. Clearly expensive.
As he moved it, the card's surface began to change. Dark red patterns faded to gray, twisting, weaving, transforming—until the delicate Arasaka clover logo emerged.
Finally, a name appeared: Vela Adelheid Russell.
Narrowing his eyes, Hansen activated his cyber-eye scanner. A highly encrypted video channel was detected—along with a data storage unit. A hidden layer, one he hadn't noticed until now...
Wait—what?!
Instinctively opening the data unit, Hansen jolted as if electrocuted, his entire body stiffening.
[Attachment]
[Subpages]
—"Chimera"—
—"Neural Matrix"—
—"Federal Intelligence Agency Embedded Agents - Leads"—
At that moment, Hansen felt a chill crawl across his skin, spreading icy tendrils through his entire body. He went numb.
Every line declared a simple truth: I am watching you.
That Arasaka knew about Chimera wasn't surprising.
It had been developed under the leadership of Militech armored division chief engineer Dr. Filippo Andrews, and was deployed during the Metal Wars. But the "Neural Matrix"—still being quietly unearthed in Dogtown's underground—and the embedded intelligence agents within Dogtown that even he didn't know about... How did Arasaka know?!
Especially the "Neural Matrix"—this was a top-secret project born in a clandestine bunker originally established by New America and Militech as part of the Project Cynosure initiative. The highest level of classified intel. Hansen had kept it tightly under wraps. Even SovOil, which had been consistently supplying them with military aid and resources, shouldn't know a single shred of it!
And now, Vela casually included a reference to the Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA) embedded agents. If Arasaka knew about those, how many spies did they have embedded in Dogtown?
How many of his trusted aides could he truly trust? Among the veterans he brought out during Operation Midnight Storm, how many had already been turned by Arasaka?
...
In truth, not that many.
Just a dozen or so Arasaka plants and opportunists seeded into Dogtown.
There was no overt espionage. Instead, they acted as net provocateurs and online agitators, sowing anti-NUSA and anti-Militech sentiment over the years—deeply embedding betrayal into the collective memory. Vela had begun arranging this operation even before her studies at Tokyo University.
Most of the Barghest members recruited as Arasaka assets didn't even know what they were involved in.
After all, Arasaka's intelligence agents never asked them for intel, never dragged them off to shady meetups—just chatted like close buddies, lending an ear to their frustrations. Over time, they simply came to believe it all: "You're right. Damn right!"
"It was damned Washington and Militech that betrayed us—raising a new 'sidepiece' right under our noses to use against us in the future. We gotta hit them first!"
As for the Chimera project being tinkered with and rebuilt in Dogtown, their attempts to restore manufacturing capacity, or the covert agents of FIA hidden in their ranks—Arasaka's intel division only knew bits and pieces. Key details were fragmented, lacking a complete picture.
Hansen had done a fine job of keeping it buried.
But that didn't stop Vela from speaking up.
What she wanted was to leave a strong impression—a warning blow.
If I know, then Arasaka knows.
If he had the nerve, he could go try verifying it with Arasaka Intelligence.
Still, Vela had her boundaries. She never revealed the full name or military designation of the Neural Matrix or Project Cynosure. Most of what she shared was partial—some even deliberately laced with misinformation.
Let Hansen puzzle over the rest.
Compared to some Night City "legends" who acted like deranged lunatics ready to go down in flames with everyone, Hansen was surprisingly stable—almost a conservative "honest man."
He wasn't a barefoot rebel—he had assets...
Assets meant constraints.
Soon after wrapping up polite yet meaningful exchanges with local elites—like WNS reporter Arif Iqbal, radio host and "old pal" Stanley, and especially with Night City Deputy Mayor Weldon Holt—Vela returned to the banquet center and sat beside Michiko Arasaka, who was lounging with her legs crossed.
Unlike the Arasaka internal banquet welcoming Vela, Michiko's event—as both founder and CEO of Danger Gal—had a much wider social network.
Her style leaned American, so the guest list was far more eclectic: media, corporate personnel, independent investors, NCPD, and even city government officials.
"What did you talk to Hansen about?"
"Nothing much. Made a friend. Made him a friend of Arasaka."
"Is he even qualified? What are you scheming again?"
"He is. Kurt Hansen managed to establish Dogtown in the chaos of Pacifica and raised Barghest's reputation there. He nurtured a black market with global influence from the hollow shell of abandoned buildings. I'd say he barely qualifies as a half-player on the board."
Vela shrugged.
Then snapped her fingers toward a nearby server.
Snap.
In response, a Konpeki Plaza waiter—polite, trained, and wearing a golden mask—stepped forward holding a tray.
He respectfully presented a glass of champagne.
Handing the flute of champagne to Michiko, Vela followed her gaze: on the stage at the center of the banquet, a troupe of dancers was gracefully moving to the rhythm of the music.
"Let's not talk about him. Tokyo HQ clearly favors you when it comes to military matters..."
Accepting the champagne, Michiko gestured with interest toward the center stage. "Your tastes are really old-fashioned. You're still young—don't be so stiff and antiquated."
The Konpeki Plaza organizers were well aware of Vela's preferences. The music and performance styles leaned classical. In 2076's Night City, that wasn't just old-fashioned—it was archaic.
Something a certain rocker boy would definitely mock, rage against, and try to blow up.
"I enjoy instrumental music."
Vela didn't deny it.
"Then how about something I like?"
With Michiko's words—clang!
"Now presenting Ms. Lizzy Wizzy for a live performance!"
Lizzy Wizzy?
Vela, who had no real interest in entertainment circles, showed a faintly puzzled expression.
Seeing this, Michiko looked a bit surprised herself. "Were you really raised in Night City? You don't know Lizzy Wizzy..." she shook her head. "Now I see why Saburo appreciates you..."
"Oh, you mean the singer who 'died' on stage?"
After thinking for a moment, Vela remembered.
Back in 2071, an actress had publicly committed suicide during a stage performance. She was immediately rushed into surgery. Technically dead for about an hour, she was revived and later completed the performance in a cyborg body.
It was hailed by the media as one of the greatest performance art pieces of all time.
The performer instantly became a global superstar.
At the time, Vela was still an intern at the Academy, focused on progress. She remembered the incident vaguely—just glanced at the headline. She hadn't remembered the name, but the signature chrome skin and detachable jaw... she had seen them in later coverage.
Lizzy Wizzy's performance began.
On stage, the holographic projection system followed her every move. In a flash, light exploded like pear blossoms in bloom—thousands of them—dazzling, with brilliant and shifting patterns.
Visually, it was stunning.
Yet watching Lizzy Wizzy's chrome-plated face and fully detachable limbs, Vela could only think: this art was still a bit too avant-garde for her.
Fortunately, Lizzy Wizzy was the final act of the evening. As the applause erupted, Vela walked half a step behind Michiko, nearly shoulder to shoulder, onto the main platform.
Following a formal thank-you speech from Michiko, delivered in her role as CEO of Arasaka's North America division, Deputy Mayor Weldon Holt took the stage. He stood in for Mayor Lucius Rhyne, who was absent due to health reasons, and held the land acquisition agreement recently approved by the city council for the joint development of the northern districts with Arasaka.
The hall's backdrop changed accordingly, displaying the Night City flag, the Free State of Northern California flag, and the Arasaka logo.
The agreement was placed on a rising signature platform at the center of the stage.
After Michiko signed, and then Vela, the land acquisition agreement took effect immediately.
With a solemn expression and casual poise, Vela held up the signed agreement. She stood on the left, Michiko in the center, and Weldon Holt on the right. Together, the three presented the signed document to the attending elites.
Clap clap clap—
A wave of enthusiastic applause rippled through the hall.