She curled her lips in disdain. That smug look of borrowed power, like a monkey relying on a tiger, was laughable.
Her pitiful act didn't even measure up to a monkey—at least monkeys act openly, while she skulked behind tricks. Grotesque.
Did they really think waving Abernathy and that Smasher around would intimidate her?
Such was the tragedy of the underclass—just like their enemies, they were nothing but targets for deception.
Even easier to fool.
V had studied the data on that so-called Cyberware Titan in detail. Bulky and rigid—they claimed it used "high-tech" gravity generators, but in truth, it was clumsy and crude.
Besides, the floors beneath the Crystal Palace were practically filled with this so-called "high-tech." Would those Highriders ever dare set foot above ground?
It was more an industrial cyberware than a combat one.
Drive an digger, and you could crush a group of ordinary people with ease. But no one would be foolish enough to assign it to a tank division.
The so-called Cyberware Titan was nothing more than a pre-written merit report. Whether those two appeared, whether David was involved—it didn't matter.
"Where is the person now?"
V asked evenly, her tone unchanged.
"Well... you know, Minister Abernathy specifically said this matter is highly classified."
The voice was timid, trembling, the speaker's head bowed as his shoulders shook along with his words.
Looked like she was already picturing herself victorious in her own mind.
"All personnel of the Arasaka Counterintelligence Division must record every single operation...
That's the rule...
You can submit the files to Abernathy, consider it an action of the Operations Department."
After giving the other party a brief, assessing glance, V said no more. She left those words behind and walked toward her modest office on the second floor.
The Arasaka Operations Department—though sharing a name with a Militech division—was nothing of the sort.
This Operations Department had no authority to conduct real operations.
Watching V's figure retreat, Amy finally lifted her head and glared after her with venomous eyes.
But the silence didn't last.
Behind her, the male subordinate who had been quiet until now spoke in a low voice.
"Are we really going to file this operation as a report and send it to her?"
"Of course..."
Her mood was foul, her answer careless.
"Got it... I'll draft a fake one and send it."
Brown nodded and turned toward his desk, but the woman snapped at him.
"Damn fool! Do you have any idea how serious that crime is?"
It was obvious—every violent organization kept strict, high-pressure control over its intelligence systems.
This wasn't like faking company accounts and buying yourself a sewing machine.
"Besides, if we don't give her the information, how can she make mistakes?"
In the darkness, the woman's voice was low and eerie, like a curse.
Inside Arasaka Tower, the gloom was the same as ever. V was heading to her office.
Her long black hair was swallowed by shadow, only a few stray strands clinging to her cheek like cracks in porcelain.
She brushed them back behind her ear.
V could already see it—this might be a plot aimed at her, at Jenkins.
For a former teammate, she would lend a hand, but this leverage didn't seem fatal.
Or maybe... it really was just coincidence?
As an intelligence operative, she refused to believe in coincidences. Quietly, she raised her guard.
This time, V reached out to Arthur first.
"It is indeed Arasaka's doing, but not our people.
Here's the intel—take it. But...
you know I'm Arasaka. I can't get directly involved."
On the other end, Arthur received the intel but didn't open it right away.
"Are you... sure you're okay on your end?"
Arthur asked, hesitant.
He'd tasted betrayal before. Even with someone reaching out now, it still felt uneasy.
Not that he doubted V's actions—he was simply worried about her situation.
Back then, there had been that young man who betrayed his gang to join Arthur's side—a shy, timid kid.
He had saved Arthur's life, but when his old gang captured and tortured him, Arthur had been too busy planning heists...
"You..."
V's usually clear voice carried an unusual hesitation.
"You still have that chip, right?"
"What should I do with it?"
Arthur asked, his voice hoarse.
"You... can slot it in...
If necessary, I'll activate it."
Before a few seconds passed, V quickly added,
"Remember? I once told you its name."
Arthur frowned, muttering with uncertainty.
"Blackwall... something bug, what was it again?"
He'd been drunk that time and barely remembered.
Hearing the confusion in his tone, V shook her head in exasperation.
"Anything linked to the Blackwall is dangerous by nature.
That chip uses a fragment of Blackwall's algorithms, borrowing its resources to establish communication—that's why it can't be traced.
But... that also means risk."
Listening, Arthur almost asked—what the hell was this Blackwall anyway?
Why was it so dangerous? Was it something that could collapse?
Of course, those questions stayed in his head.
"Danger... you'll have to be more specific."
Arthur stayed cautious. Anything you put in your skull deserved caution.
In his mind, bullets were no bigger than fingernails, but once lodged in a head, no one survived.
This chip was about the same size as a bullet... better to be careful.
"Compared to Blackwall's processing power, this tiny usage is like scooping a cup of water from the ocean."
V explained, her gaze fixed on the terminal screen in front of her.
"So, a few uses won't be a problem.
But nothing is ever absolute. From what I know, Blackwall is far more complex than most realize.
At the very least... our NetWatch can't keep this weapon under control."
Hearing her out, Arthur didn't hesitate any longer. He slotted the chip into the recess at the back of his neck.
He barely understood half of what she said,
but he boiled it down in his own way:
"If the odds are like getting hit by a car while walking down the street, then it's hardly a risk."
In Night City, that probability wasn't even low, but Arthur could live with it.
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser