Watson District, Arasaka Waterfront.
Konpeki Plaza.
Rocky rolls the Deluxo to a smooth stop at the main gate. In the front passenger seat, Lucy links her tablet, pings both of their chips, and checks the live feed.
"The connection is green. You can go in."
"Then let's move. Jackie, hand me your gear. Lucy, the car will auto-navigate to the underground garage. Link with us from there."
Rocky takes Jackie's weapons, palms them into storage, then nods to Lucy and steps out.
"Man, this place is seriously luxurious."
They walk up to Konpeki's front doors. Jackie can't help the reaction.
"Night City's top hotel. What did you expect, Balsatar?" Rocky says, smiling.
He has come to Konpeki before under V's name. This time, he comes for himself.
"Hey, time we experience how a company dog lives. Let's go, Fabien."
At the security checkpoint, scanners sweep them from head to toe. No alarms. No flags.
"Please come in, gentlemen."
With security and concierge in sync, they enter without a hitch. Both wear tailored suits; the staff mirrors the tone with polished etiquette.
"We'd like to check in," Rocky tells the lobby desk.
Konpeki's décor exists to sell luxury. Gold on gold. Even the concierge and reception wear gold-toned dermal accents.
Rocky doesn't find it tasteful. He doubts the staff chose it willingly.
"Hello, do you have a reservation?" the gilt-skinned receptionist asks.
"Yes. Fabien."
"Thank you, Mr. Fabien. I'm pulling up your booking now. One moment, please."
Her terminal blinks and surfaces the file.
"Mr. Fabien, you booked the Silver Suite on the 40th floor, correct?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Rocky spots the extra sentence she wants to say and prompts it.
"Not a problem, sir. For elite guests like you, we offer higher-tier suites. For example, our Lapis Suite on the 42nd floor is more spacious and includes daily meal delivery and an occupancy insurance package for added security and premium service. It fits your status. Would you like to consider an upgrade?"
The pitch is smooth; the price difference is not slight.
Rocky already expected the upsell. No surprise.
"So you're saying my room is too low-grade, or that I am?"
"N-no, sir. I only thought you might want better service. I didn't mean anything else. I'm very sorry. Please forgive me."
His sudden push rattles her. The look in his eyes lands like a manager's reprimand.
She guessed from his dress and bearing that he wasn't small-time, maybe management from a big corp, and decided the standard package didn't fit. Smart on paper; not in front of the guest. Lesson learned.
"I'm kidding. You've got a sweet mouth and a good eye. Just remember, do your job and don't overreach."
Seeing her apology land, Rocky eases off. She's a worker, just like anyone.
"Understood, sir. I appreciate your understanding. I'll complete your check-in now. Please verify your ID."
Once the verification and room number are issued, Rocky and Jackie step past the desk into the lobby.
"Damn, Fabien, that aura of yours had the poor girl shaking."
"Sometimes you have to put on a face, or they think they're the clever one."
"True. What do you think, Lucy? You sound quiet."
On the comm, Lucy pauses, then smiles into her mic. "L's right. For Arasaka's suit crowd, there's no need to give face."
They reach the elevator and tap 40.
The floor has only a handful of rooms. They find theirs quickly; the target room sits two doors down.
"Not bad. No wonder it's Konpeki. This sofa is soft."
Jackie drops onto the cushions, loosens his tie, and sighs.
Rocky takes stock. It's a smaller package than V's previous stay, and has simpler décor.
"This is just an entry suite. There are higher levels. Have you seen the top floor? That's true luxury. Ordinary people can't get in. Even the Night City mayor can forget it."
Jackie bristles. "Don't act like you've seen it. Then tell me who gets the top floor."
"At least someone like Yorinobu Arasaka."
"You mean Arasaka Yorinobu? Heavyweight, yeah. Is he in Night City?"
"Not sure."
Rocky shakes his head. Since Yorinobu came to Night City, the Konpeki penthouse has been his exclusive space. Rocky doesn't know whether he's here or back in Japan now. He hasn't had eyes on that tier of intel.
Their talk runs a minute more. Then Lucy's voice cuts in over comms.
"Should I remind you to hurry up?"
"Sorry, Lucy. What's our next step?" Rocky answers at once.
He and Jackie are comfortable. Lucy is still in the garage. The faster they finish, the better.
"There should be a smart room terminal in your suite. L, plug in your personal link. I'll use it to enter the subnet. It connects to other devices and makes the best intrusion point," Lucy says.
"No problem."
Rocky finds the terminal and jacks his personal link.
He waits. Nothing happens.
"Lucy?" he calls softly into the channel.