"The Corporation, a place that devours people whole. Those young graduates from Arasaka Academy are just expendable materials, consumables.
My friend, a rising star in the Counterintelligence Department, pulled off many big operations.
He was still treated like a rag by those above him, used whenever things got dirty, then kicked aside when no longer needed."
Seeing the skepticism on David's face, Jackie, uncharacteristically, maintained a serious expression.
"My friend, V.
A year or two ago, she led the suppression of a riot in Rio de Janeiro, openly killing over a thousand rioters. You can find this in the news."
Seeing that the others were no longer questioning him, Jackie added another sentence.
"To make it in the Corporation, you either quietly work as a low-level employee and eventually die from exhaustion, or you climb the ranks, avoiding the endless backstabbing.
It's even darker in there than it is outside."
Arthur listened to Jackie's story, observing the quiet girl sitting there.
Her head was bowed low, as if a painful memory had been triggered, which also indirectly confirmed that Jackie's words were true.
"Little girl, why don't you introduce yourself?"
As everyone quietly processed the recent information, Arthur's voice suddenly broke the silence.
Lucy's reaction also surprised everyone; she instantly flinched, abruptly lifting her head.
"Get lost!"
She looked like a cat that had encountered danger, fur bristling, trying to protect herself.
This startled the two others besides Arthur. David looked at her with such intense worry that it seemed to overflow.
Coming back to her senses, Lucy gave Arthur a complicated look, then took a sip of her drink, as if to calm herself.
"It's nothing, I just… I'm not used to the environment here."
Lucy lowered her head again, avoiding everyone's gaze, retreating into her solitary prison.
"Then I'll talk about myself."
Arthur let the girl off the hook; he hadn't meant any harm, in fact, he was being kind.
He always believed that even an unwilling release was far better than eternal confinement.
"I never met my mother. As for my father, *huff*... I only remember the smell of alcohol, broken glass bottles, and the blood on my own body.
After that, I was sold to the Scavengers and almost skinned alive.
Later, I set something on fire, escaped, and started a new life.
If hardship comes knocking, it won't spare you because of time; hiding is useless.
So, if you want to survive, you have to find your own way out."
Arthur spoke simply, even dismissively, because he was speaking specifically for the girl with her head down.
"To truly escape hardship, you have to let your heart come out."
He remarked seemingly casually, watching the girl's smooth shoulders tremble slightly.
As time passed, the drinks in front of them remained mostly untouched. They chatted and laughed, their eyes naturally hidden from outsiders' view.
In their minds, a cool, sweet female voice was relaying the intelligence she had gathered.
"I can bypass the elevator's encryption without much effort.
Additionally, I've found another way to get downstairs—the entire building has an excellent ventilation system, and we can reach the third basement level through an air duct."
After Lucy finished speaking, David's boisterous voice came through, accompanied by a crisp sound.
"Alright, alright, the plan is to infiltrate the enemy's lair through the ventilation shaft and hit them where it hurts."
Evidently, as a newbie, David was still the comic relief for now.
"Alright, Lucy, you stay at the bar and help us with the elevator. Afterward, you can take David and leave; Jackie and I will handle everything from then on."
"Hey, hey, hey, I can help you guys too! Why can't I go down?"
"Two by two, no one left alone. Do I really need to teach you such a simple rule?"
Hearing the information Arthur conveyed, David mumbled an "Oh," in response.
By then, it was late at night, and the dance floor was a swirling mass of people, like a boiling pot.
Arthur and Jackie left their seats and headed towards the elevator.
At that moment, Lucy's voice sounded in their minds.
"The elevator is empty, go straight in."
In front of Arthur and Jackie, the elevator doors slowly opened.
Without a word, the two stepped inside.
Although narrow, it was extremely clean, the walls even reflecting Arthur's figure like a mirror.
Next to the entrance, only two buttons lay silently, representing the first and second basement levels, the only publicly accessible floors.
"Chica, girl, what now? There's no third basement button here."
Jackie had already leaned his head towards the control panel, asking on the internal network.
"You'll have to pry open the panel's casing. The communication line is beneath the panel; if you can't connect, then I can't help either."
Before the voice in his mind had finished, Arthur's small knife was already inserted into the cursed door lock. With a slight push, the panel was pried open.
He pulled out the data communication cable from his wrist and simultaneously retrieved the wire ends from beneath the panel. Arthur immediately connected the two.
At the same time, a red loading bar appeared before Arthur, its progress rapidly increasing.
"It'll be quick, about ten seconds."
Lucy's voice sounded coldly, then fell silent again.
The elevator began its descent. The mere three-story height passed in an instant. When the large door opened, the scene outside no longer boasted the prosperity of the upper floors.
A person was guarding the entrance, but perhaps long-term comfort had eroded his vigilance, as he was even facing away from the wide-open elevator door.
"Who is it? What are you doing here?"
By the time he turned to look, it was too late. A dark small knife plunged directly into his neck.
Gurgling blood bubbles emerged from the wound, and this Tyger Claws henchman was gently laid on the ground.
The two moved silently forward.
After a corner, they saw a door without windows. In front of it, an even larger Tyger Claws member stood guard.
He was using his knife as a cane, both hands resting on the hilt, his head nodding as he dozed off.
Jackie looked at Arthur, making a gesture to indicate that Arthur should silently sneak over and eliminate the target quietly.
But Arthur shook his head, simultaneously signaling Jackie to stay put.
He took out the small dagger that had already proven effective, tossing it in his hand.
As he made this movement, Arthur couldn't help but recall the dark-faced Native American and his unerring throwing knives.
Without much hesitation, the small knife flew from his hand, soaring like a falcon through the corridor, embedding itself in the guard's neck.
Jackie, the big man, was now as silent as a cat. He rushed over in a few steps, catching the guard who was about to crash to the ground.
From inside that door, sounds of conversation emerged, and Arthur and Jackie both fell silent.
"That idiot Tanaka couldn't even keep an eye on his own car, causing us to lose so many people."
The speaker's voice was imperious, with a crackling static sound in his syllables.
"Boss, it's mainly those mercenaries who dared to cause trouble here. Should we gather our men and go back for revenge?"
"Revenge my ass! Arasaka's business is paramount. What about reassigning a new batch of people?"
The man with the strange voice asked.
"They'll arrive on time tomorrow morning. This time, we've directly brought in over thirty people, enough to deliver the goods to Arasaka."
"Good. Then we'll leave tomorrow and deliver the goods to Arasaka, to avoid any further complications."
Arthur and Jackie exchanged glances. Clearly, the item they were looking for hadn't been sent away yet, and this place was conveniently empty, making their operation easier.
Checking their guns, the two took a deep breath, then kicked open the door in front of them.
The people in the room had no time to react. As they frantically drew their weapons, Arthur and Jackie ended the fight.
They only left the strangely-styled man in the center of the room.
He clearly looked like the boss.
The cold, thick barrel of a kinetic revolver was pressed firmly against his temple.
"Are you the boss here?"
"No, I'm not, spare my life, I'm not the boss."
Arthur immediately grew impatient. He wouldn't even cooperate with such a simple question; it seemed he needed a stronger approach.
He shifted the barrel of his prelude, aimed it at the man's knee, and pulled the trigger directly.
The characteristic bang rang out, accompanied by the other man's wailing.
"Tell me, are you the head here?"