"Corporations—places that chew people up and spit out the bones. Those fresh graduates from Arasaka Academy? Just expendables, disposable tools.
My friend, a big name in counterintelligence, pulled off plenty of major jobs.
Didn't matter—the higher-ups still treated him like a rag. Use him when they need him, toss him aside when they don't."
Despite the doubt written across David's face, Jackie's expression remained unusually serious.
"My friend, V.
A year or two ago, she led the crackdown on the Rio de Janeiro riots. Officially, more than a thousand rioters were killed—you can look it up in the news."
When the others fell silent, Jackie added,
"If you want to survive in the company, either settle for being a lowly clerk and work yourself into the grave, or climb the ladder while dodging an endless barrage of backstabs.
Inside, it's darker than anything out here."
Arthur listened as Jackie spoke, his eyes drifting to the quiet girl at the table.
Her head hung low, as if his words had unearthed memories she couldn't escape. That alone told him Jackie wasn't exaggerating.
"Young lady, what about you? Care to introduce yourself?"
Arthur's voice cut through the silence just as everyone was processing the heavy news.
Lucy jolted upright, her head snapping up.
"Back off!"
She looked like a cornered cat, fur bristling, ready to claw at anyone who came too close.
The outburst startled everyone but Arthur. David in particular stared at her, worry spilling from his eyes.
Regaining control, Lucy cast Arthur a conflicted glance, then lowered her head, taking a slow sip of her drink before speaking again.
"It's fine. I just… don't feel comfortable in this place."
She dropped her head once more, shutting herself away, avoiding every gaze around the table.
"Then I'll tell you about myself."
Arthur let the girl be. He hadn't meant harm—if anything, his intent had been kind.
He believed that even an unwilling release was better than eternal confinement.
"I never knew my mother. As for my father… all I remember is alcohol, broken bottles, and my own blood.
Later, I was sold to Scavengers—nearly skinned alive.
Eventually, I killed one of them and escaped, built a life of my own.
When suffering comes, it doesn't pass just because time does. Hiding won't save you.
If you want to live, you have to carve out your own way."
Arthur's words were blunt, almost dismissive, but his eyes stayed fixed on the bowed girl.
"To really escape suffering, your heart has to step out first."
He said it like an idle remark, but he caught the faint tremor of her smooth shoulders.
Time passed. Their drinks stayed nearly untouched. They laughed and chatted like nothing was wrong, but kept their eyes carefully hidden from any outsiders.
Inside their minds, a cool, sweet voice delivered intel.
"I can bypass the elevator encryption easily.
Also, I've found another way down—the ventilation system here is extensive. Through one of the ducts, we can reach sublevel three."
Lucy's voice faded, and right on cue David's loud voice cut in, full of energy.
"Alright, alright! So the plan is—we sneak into the enemy hideout through the air ducts and hit 'em where it hurts!"
Clearly, as the newbie, David was still the comic relief.
"Here's how it goes: Lucy, you stay at the bar and handle the elevator. After that, you take David with you and leave. Jackie and I will deal with the rest."
"Hey, hey, hey! I can help too! Why can't I come down?"
"Two per team. No one goes alone. Do I really need to spell out something that simple?"
With Arthur's sharp reply, David muttered a faint "Oh," too meek to argue further.
By now it was deep into the night. The dance floor below seethed with bodies, like a pot of boiling water.
Arthur and Jackie slipped away from their table, heading toward the elevator.
Lucy's voice came through again.
"The elevator's clear. Go straight in."
The doors slid open. Arthur and Jackie stepped inside without hesitation.
The space was narrow but spotless, the walls polished enough to throw back Arthur's reflection like a mirror.
Only two buttons waited beside the door: basement level one and basement level two—the only floors open for access.
"Chica, girl, what now? No button for sublevel three."
Jackie leaned over the panel, his voice carrying over the link.
"Pop the cover off the panel. The comm line's underneath. If you can't connect it, then there's nothing I can do either."
Before her words even faded, Arthur had already slipped his knife into the panel lock. With a quick twist, it popped loose.
He pulled out the data cable from his wrist, yanked the exposed wiring free from the panel, and linked the two together.
A red progress bar appeared before his eyes, climbing fast.
"Quick. About ten seconds." Lucy's cold voice rang out, then fell silent.
The elevator rumbled to life. Three floors passed in a blink.
When the doors opened, the scene outside was nothing like the bustling upper levels.
A lone guard stood at the entrance, his back turned to the wide-open doors, years of easy living having dulled his vigilance.
"Who's there? What are you—"
Too late. A black blade plunged into his throat.
Blood frothed at the wound as the Tyger Claws grunt was eased silently to the ground.
The two pressed forward.
Rounding a corner, they spotted a windowless door with a hulking Tyger Claws guard slumped before it, gripping a massive knife like a cane as he nodded off.
Jackie shot Arthur a look and signaled for him to sneak up and finish the guard quietly.
Arthur shook his head, signaling him to stay put instead.
He drew the dagger he'd picked up earlier, flipping it lightly in his hand.
The motion reminded him of a marksman he once knew, deadly accurate with a throwing knife.
Arthur didn't hesitate.
The knife left his hand like a falcon diving, burying itself in the guard's throat.
Jackie moved instantly, his big frame gliding silent as a cat. He lunged forward and caught the collapsing guard before the body hit the floor.
From behind the door, voices carried out. Arthur and Jackie froze.
"That idiot Tanaka couldn't even watch his own car. Lost us a ton of men."
The speaker's voice was arrogant, tinged with static distortion.
"Boss, it's those mercs. Can't believe they dared stir up trouble on our turf. Should we rally a crew and hit back?"
"Hit back? Bullshit! The Huangban delivery comes first. I told you to reorganize a team. What's the status?"
"Tomorrow morning, on time. I've reassigned over thirty men—enough to get the goods to Huangban."
"Good. Then we move tomorrow. Get the shipment to Huangban fast—no need to invite trouble by waiting."
Arthur and Jackie exchanged a glance. The cargo they were after hadn't left yet, and the timing couldn't be better—the place was practically unguarded.
They checked their weapons, took a steadying breath, and kicked the door open with a crash.
Inside, chaos erupted. The men barely had time to reach for their guns before Arthur and Jackie cut them down.
Only one remained: a strangely built man standing in the center. Clearly the boss.
The thick, cold barrel of Arthur's Power Revolver pressed against his temple.
"You the boss here?"
"No! I'm not! Please, don't kill me—I'm not the boss!"
Arthur's patience snapped. Such a simple question, and he wouldn't give a straight answer? Fine.
He shifted the muzzle, aimed at the man's knee, and pulled the trigger.
The deafening crack rang out, followed by a scream of agony.
"Talk. Are you the boss here?"
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser