These days, Li Pan was forcing the handkerchief-transform with a silver key each time, unlocking just one of Master Xian's seals per use—already enough in this plane to run roughshod over anything, flattening monsters and smiting heaven and earth alike.
He himself was curious: if he could undo the remaining seals, just how absurd would the handkerchief form become?
Since his personal cultivation had plateaued, why not try a side route—pick the brain of an otherworld linguistics expert like 01044? Maybe he'd squeeze out something new.
After all, the talisman script from the Supreme True Temple was endless. If one glyph could fetch one key, he'd never need to grind missions again.
They struck a deal and hashed out a detailed plan, agreeing to coordinate their daily reports. Li Pan even sprinted back to the city overnight so they could jointly file to HQ.
The gist: the 0791 locals were rude and honorless; after plotting a coup against the local branch and attempting to steal company property, they'd kept escalating—ambushing reps, extorting, endangering lives—now even teaming with the Collector to build a Station, jacking prices with malicious procurement, seizing company goods, fining the company, demanding an apology…
Such arrogance! Intolerable! Requesting HQ's strong backing to administer discipline.
"A-Qi, how's the phrasing?"
A-Qi:
"Boss, you write great little essays…"
"Heh—practice. All those self-criticisms add up."
Overnight, back at the office, Li Pan faxed the report, the talisman rubbings, the war-readiness request, and the op plan.
His plan: draw Bee Venom and a war budget from the company; hire Panlong Construction with company money—skim a cut—then run spec ops: infiltration, assassinations, kidnappings, poisonings. Smack both Tokugawa and Fabius. Pin the black pot wherever convenient—werewolves, ninja, Akainu—who cares.
01044 was decisive—contracted over three keys at once. HQ, for its part, hemmed and hawed: they wanted an online review meeting before approving war-readiness.
Li Pan specifically requested 0113 (General Manager) on the review.
0113 agreed.
Lights down, conference room booted—Li Pan saw the silhouette of 01 and 0113, plus the Board's symbolic radio.
0113 spoke: "0791, the company in principle approves."
Oh? But—
"However," 0113 continued, "just using Bee Venom won't achieve strategic deterrence.
"To maintain public order we've been restrained. But as your report notes, 0791's natives are so technically backward that the last op failed as a warning; they still don't respect us.
"Repeat the trick and Takamagahara and the Ye will only keep suspecting each other. Your PLANA and PLANB won't deliver the lesson."
Li Pan scratched his head. "Then what do you suggest?"
"Conveniently," 0113 said, "I've dispatched a dreadnought for pickups. Let's be clear: fire a few shots at Night City.
"With natives, you can't be too clever. A threat should be simple, or they won't get it."
"Uh… using a dreadnought's guns on Night City? What's left after a volley?" Li Pan asked.
0113 chuckled.
"No need for the main battery. A saturation ripple from the SMS auto point-defense will do. Better yet—slice open the sea wall and flood Night City as a warning."
Li Pan sat speechless, searching for words to nudge them toward a tiny bit of humanity—when 01 rapped his knuckles on the round table—twice—then pointed at the report.
"They want the company to apologize? Apologize for what?"
Li Pan blinked at his own summary.
"Oh—we bought into their onsen sanatorium. Ruffled feathers. They want refunds and damages. Local custom: tea, bows, kneeling, maybe a pinky—plus ¥150 million for 'emotional distress'…"
01 tossed the report aside.
"Exterminate these bugs."
He stood and killed the lights on his way out.
Li Pan stared. "What… does that mean?"
0113 sighed, spreading his hands.
"You heard 01. Approved. It's a pest-control op. We move the fleet."
"Move… how far? Wiping Tokugawa alone isn't enough?" Li Pan asked.
0113's low laugh.
"Those lives aren't worth much. 01 cares about respect. If they dare front us, we don't stop until they're bankrupt. That's 'respect.'
"Don't worry. Since 01 ordered it, I'll assign a Navigator to chain in and help command.
"Also—don't stay on Earth. Transfer to Callisto ASAP. 0791 never saw full-scale planetfall ops last war; Earth's defenses likely intact. To spare fleet losses, we'll lead with a Sanction Protocol 6. Put the company on pause."
Li Pan sucked in a breath.
"Damn—opening with Sanction Six? You're not kidding—this is for real?"
"No rush. Sanction needs process. I'll handle it. You have one day. We can fire when your shift starts—08:00 tomorrow."
He gathered the paperwork.
Li Pan almost jumped up. "W-wait! On Earth? Will the Security Committee even approve?!"
0113's silhouette, one hand in his pocket, seemed to side-eye him.
"0791—we are the Security Committee."
Snap. Darkness.
Li Pan sat there.
…Oh. Crap.
This… got big.
Numb, he sat five minutes before shuffling back to his desk, propping his face with a palm, brain blank.
Why such a big reaction from 01? Natives demand an apology—and you start a war? Thin-skinned, much?
Okay—what now?
Really start a corporate war and drag all of 0791 in?
Riiing…
"…Hello."
A low male voice:
"General Manager 0791, this is 0113012, Director of Logistics. Our Horus-class Dreadnought has gated in and is now in 0791—Callisto space. Requesting dock clearance.
"Also, 0113001 has designated me as your fleet operations advisor. Please authorize local fleet integration."
"…Authorized. Travel time from Callisto to Earth?"
"Status confirmed. Full squadron present: 74 Zhu-Yan-class battleships; four special-duty support squadrons; total 220 escorts—destroyers, cruisers, replenishment ships. All green. We can rearm and stage in two hours, integrate into the dreadnought C2, then jump to LEO in one hop.
"My recommendation: split battle line into First and Second Fleets, each with a support squadron, jump to KBO belt holding.
"Set First Fleet firing solution: Stargate. Second Fleet: Mars.
"Form a Third Fleet of cruisers/destroyers/escorts to defend Callisto Base.
"Form a Fourth Fleet of stealth strike/special recon ships, jump to the lunar Mare Orientale shadow—use the mass-concentration gravity field for cloaked staging.
"Upon Sanction approval, Fourth Fleet executes Near-Earth strike and orbital delivery."
"Uh… our local space forces?"
"No Committee clearance, they cannot sortie. Violators are mutineers; we shoot them down."
"…Alright. You're the pro. Handle it—but no one fires without my order."
"Confirmed."
He'd barely hung up when someone knocked. Li Pan rubbed his face.
"Come in."
Shiranui Wuzi stepped in. A day of indulgence and rest had steadied her; she looked composed. Draped over her arm was his dress uniform; in her hands, a brocade wooden box. Swaying her hips, she set both on the desk.
"Boss, your suit's mended. The craft you requested is finished."
"Thanks."
He stood to change; Wuzi slid close, helping him into the suit with a soft murmur:
"Asaji's already gone to the village to meet the elders. We'll have an answer tonight. But rest assured, even if the nineteen houses refuse, the two of us will leave the village and serve under you in our personal capacity."
"Oh… honestly, it's whatever at this point. Your call."
He opened the brocade box. Inside: a gold-mounted goblet. Nothing too ghoulish—just a neat cut of the calvarium, like a shallow saucer…
"Wuzi."
"Yes?"
"Do you think… this thing can save the world?"
"Eh?"
"If it's just one, the apology might not feel sincere enough… Respect, you know…"
He kneaded his brow.
"Screw it—dead horse, living doctor. Pull together everything on the Tokugawa family. Don't miss anyone.
"A-Qi—notify all-hands: morning stand-up! Everyone who can get here, get here!
"Eighteen—spin up a group; patch 01044 in; also give me a secure channel to Takamagahara."
Booting Wuzi out with a pat, Li Pan took to the roof to ping Tōdō Uemon. No more coyness.
"President Tōdō, can you connect me directly to the Hashiba Patriarch?"
Tōdō hesitated. "One moment."
A dozen links joined.
Eighteen: "Boss—hackers on their side, sweeping for comms hygiene."
Li Pan waited. One by one, the hackers dropped, leaving a single encrypted account:
"I am Ishida Sanya, CFO of Hashiba Financial. You may speak with me directly, or link through my synth to meet His Highness in person."
Fair. Heads of conglomerates don't just open a direct line. A CFO‐cum‐private‐secretary was already serious attention.
"No need. Relay this: today, our company will flatten Tokugawa. This notice is out of respect."
Silence. Then: "Understood."
Good. Takamagahara—informed.
Next, Li Pan pinged Emiliya.
She seemed to be in a meeting; instead of a call she sent a selfie. Hm… likely meaning she was eager.
He saved it, then messaged:
"Ahem—just FYI: I'm flattening Tokugawa today. Notice given, out of respect."
Emiliya: "...???"
Done. Both sides noticed. Time for the morning meeting.
No. 18 pulled the whole company into the Tech Department channel.
"Everyone: for various reasons, HQ will discipline certain local factions who've shown disrespect.
"We have 24 hours to wipe out Takamagahara's Tokugawa line—every last one—make their skulls into teacups and present them to 01 as an apology. Otherwise, the fleet will come glass 0791.
"So, yes, this op is saving the world. Speak freely—questions, suggestions."
Silence.
Yamazaki Ayato raised a hand. "Boss, I think I misheard. Did you say… glass?"
The desk phone rang. Li Pan took it, mm-hm'd twice, hung up.
"Right. Military slang. Sanction Protocol — Mode 6. Ship-mounted fusion-induction radiation cannons rake strategic targets inside the atmosphere; trigger fusion; indiscriminate strikes; sever enemy war potential; annihilate living forces.
"One sweep and the flesh-and-blood battlefield becomes melted, leaving glass shards. Mars Marines pick up pretty pieces as souvenirs—fetch a price—ahem, not the point. Next question?"
Yamazaki blinked. "What about the Security Bureau…"
"They've been notified by the Committee," Li Pan said. "They're evacuating, opening customs and space lanes to my fleet. The call just now—also they cursed me out. Tch."
"…"
Ashiya Shigui: "Then what are we discussing? Let's evacuate too. Shuttle to the spaceport. Is Luna in the strike basket?"
Li Pan rubbed his brow.
"I don't want to carry the black pot for starting a corporate war. Anyone who wants out, go—jump to Jupiter. The inner ring is within battery range—not safe.
"If you stay, help me try something: kill Tokugawa first. Maybe we cool corporate wrath, save the world—or at least pin the war on them."
No one logged off. Maybe the reality of "the GM just told you the company will start a world war" hadn't sunk in at 9 a.m..
Li Pan clapped. "Good. No dawdling. Twenty-four—no—twenty-three and a half hours starts now. Shigui! Where's Kotaro?"
Ashiya pushed an Edo-District map, icons marked.
"Divinations and shikigami confirm. Iga ninja are on him—Hattori Hanzō himself, head of the Three Great Houses, watches overnight. Could be interrogation—or a trap."
"Alive? Fine. Demand he be released! Get NCHK to blast it: Tokugawa releases him immediately, or face the consequences! You have been warned!
"Wuzi! Where do the Tokugawa live?"
Wuzi shared the map.
"Besides Edo, Sunpu houses the main line. Three shinpans (cadet branches) too. If the main line lacks an heir, successors are adopted from them…"
"Damn, that's a lot of babies. Tell the Kōga: Anyone who bags me a Tokugawa becomes a company dog. Now or never!
"And you—head to Mount Hakone. Retrieve the company property. Yamazaki, go with her—bring the Eclogite & Gabbro Prayer Beads. If Tokugawa blocks you, go underground. If we don't secure the Taisui, 0113 won't let this go!
"01044, prep time?"
"Five days," she said.
"No five days. Five hours. Once we finish here, we hit there. Can you do it?"
A beat. "Yes."
Li Pan nodded. Full-timers—reliable.
"Eighteen, ping Lin at TSC Tianhan. Lease two fleets as reserve. She's got toys—buy anything you want; expense it. By nightfall, I want Takamagahara's ICE down!"
Eighteen: "On it!"
"A-Qi, with me."
"Going for Bee Venom, boss?" A-Qi panted, hurrying to keep up.
"No. Not using Bee Venom. HQ wants respect. If these punks die too fast, HQ won't feel respected. We're going to the Red Zone to see what else we can pull—"
Riiing!
"Tch—go ahead, I'll catch up. Hello? What now?"
"CSI Security here. Unscheduled visitors requesting entry. Will you see them?"
"Visitors?"
He glanced out the glass. Oh my. Not a few—surrounding the park gates.
Outside, thousands had gathered: flashy bikers dragging chains and bats; thugs with tachi and popped collars; a lot of kimonoed middle-aged folks. A whole crowd was squaring off with CSI—"Ora ora!" "Kora kora!" "Nandā nandā!"—stare-downs in progress.
East Castle Society, full muster.
Li Pan was… stunned.
Uh—what? Isn't Downtown Ye turf? During talks and curfew? With tensions this high—how'd you all get here? Subway? And the NCPA won't do anything?
His cyber-eye swept them. Of course. The NCPA couldn't touch them—because they hadn't brought a single gun. Just "citizens" out for a group stroll—coming to "support your business," officer.
It looked like a high-school brawl scene. Exasperated, amused, Li Pan said:
"For hell's sake—what is this, a period drama… Let them in."
CSI stepped aside. The mob stormed the campus, thundered up the plaza and straight for the tower.
The bosses took elevators; the underlings the stairs. They formed up in the corridor outside the company doors…
Li Pan stood in the lobby entrance, hands in his pockets, facing the East Castle goons—curious what trick they'd play.
Ding. The elevator opened. A white-haired, white-bearded old man in a white kimono strode out, flanked by tattooed brutes. On either side the lackeys bowed ninety degrees, bellowing:
"SŌ-KAI-CHŌ!"
Li Pan: "…"
The old man halted at the threshold, squinted at Li Pan for a long moment.
"So it is A-Dog's eye…"
His eyes snapped wide; cane cracked on the floor; the pupils flashed with a terrifying glint.
"Yagyū Tajima! I'm here to demand justice!"
"…Justice, huh."
Li Pan lifted a hand, raised a middle finger, and rubbed his cyber-eye.
"Charge—!"
A lackey behind the old man ripped his shirt open—left arm inked Loyalty, right arm Righteousness—and shrieked forward, launching a Superman punch at Li Pan—
—only to thwack into the light-wall at the lobby threshold like a fly on a pane of glass—and bounce back exactly where he started.
Li Pan could only heave a long sigh.
"Bunch of bugs…"
.
.
.
⚠️ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD — I'm Not a Cyberpsycho ⚠️
The system says: Kill.Mercs obey. Corporates obey. Monsters obey.One man didn't.
🧠💀 "I'm not a cyberpsycho. I just think... differently."
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