Hansen quickly figured out what to do, but first, he gave his verdict on the Militech rep. "Looks like a sneaky little rat managed to infilt
Hansen quickly figured out what to do, but first, he gave his verdict on the Militech rep.
"Looks like a sneaky little rat managed to infiltrate our ranks."
He glanced at the Militech operative's body and said something that left Kenichi Hoya in disbelief.
Hansen… actually agreed with Karl's "rat" comment—directly writing off the Militech woman as an infiltrator!
This meant Hansen had completely dismissed her presence and her role as a negotiation representative, effectively siding with Arasaka in this affair.
What was he doing? Was he really burning bridges and choosing to side with Arasaka?
Just as Kenichi thought this, Hansen looked over at Karl.
"I've long heard that the KK squad is one of the finest mercenary teams in the city. Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I can say—it lives up to the reputation."
Mercenary squad?
When Hansen suddenly referred to them that way, Karl immediately understood what was happening—but he didn't speak up.
Because some things needed to be said by Hansen himself.
Hansen looked around, resting his gaze on each member of Karl's squad before continuing, "Out of respect for you gentlemen, I've decided to accept the offer."
Whether intentionally or not—just as he'd ignored Karl's presence earlier when speaking with Kenichi—Hansen now ignored Kenichi entirely.
And Karl understood what Hansen was doing.
"Out of respect for you"… that sounds nice, Hansen.
Karl saw right through the act.
He was playing both sides. Everyone knew it, but they also understood what he wanted to do.
Yes, Karl was just a hired negotiator. The actual negotiator was Kenichi Hoya. Everyone involved in the talks understood that. But on paper, Karl was the official representative—the top dog at the table.
So, if that was the case, why bother talking to Kenichi? Business should be handled with the lead rep, right?
Talking to Kenichi would have openly shown bias toward Arasaka. Not talking to him might have looked like favoring Militech.
But Karl? Karl was known to be an outsider. A merc. A man for hire.
Even though Karl had just killed the Militech rep right there at the table—a move that was definitely extreme—it still fell within the accepted range of "normal" for Arasaka-Militech conflicts. Brutal, yes, but not unprecedented.
Now that she was dead, what mattered most wasn't how she died—it was who sat at the table.
Karl was a representative, yes, but his job had ended. He wasn't Arasaka personnel. So if Hansen wanted to save face with the megacorps, all he had to do was say:
"I made a deal with a hired merc, not Arasaka."
And how would he prove it?
With braindance footage.
All of Hansen's bodyguards were equipped with military-grade cyberware, including built-in braindance recorders, designed for after-action review. Today, those same recordings would help him out.
If Hansen broadcasted the negotiation's braindance—every corp would see that:
Hansen didn't choose Arasaka over Militech.
He made a deal with a mercenary who happened to be hired by Arasaka.
He never sat down with Arasaka corporate personnel.
The footage would show everything clearly: Karl's decisive attack, Hansen's responses, and every subtle nuance.
Karl understood Hansen's logic perfectly.
"So, you're using the slight difference in status between me and Kenichi to create a buffer—framing this as a deal with a freelance contractor, not Arasaka. Makes sense."
It was the same in Karl's world.
Full-time employee versus temp hire. If something went wrong? Blame the temp.
Now, in this high-pressure situation, Hansen had figured that out in seconds and acted on it.
"Now I get how you built Dogtown into what it is today, Mr. Hansen."
Karl smiled warmly. "You really do have a head for business."
"I'm honored by your praise," Hansen replied with equal charm. Then, deliberately, he added, "So… what's your take on this, Karl?"
"You're sticking with the original offer?"
"Of course. I keep my word. A deal's a deal."
"Right... never mind that you were literally trying to auction it off a minute ago," Karl thought, but said nothing. He stared at Hansen, eyes steady.
Ever since the Militech woman had fallen, Karl hadn't glanced at Kenichi even once.
At this point in the negotiation, Kenichi—a mere "company man" accompanying the lead rep—was irrelevant.
Now, there were only two people who mattered: Karl and Hansen.
Karl recalled the deal.
"Hawaii shipping routes?"
"And the prototype Kontau patch software."
Hansen slid the small box across the glass table. Karl casually picked it up without hesitation.
"The rest of the details—my people will handle that. And now…"
Before Karl even finished, Jack and the others released the subdued Phantom Dogs. A silent waiter, who hadn't dared speak all this time, brought out champagne at the perfect moment.
Hansen raised his glass, finishing Karl's sentence:
"Let's celebrate."
And with that, champagne flowed. Because champagne meant celebration.
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