V didn't mind letting Kang Tao take the Seaview District, and she even appreciated Jiang Ping's boldness in fighting for it.
But she did not appreciate Jiang Ping's tone.
She accepted deals.
She accepted cooperation.
But she never accepted threats.
When she was a lone wolf, she didn't accept them; now, sitting high in the hierarchy, she still didn't.
It wasn't that V was hot-headed or couldn't swallow her pride—she was simply used to keeping every advantage in her own hands.
Jiang Ping trying to threaten her, to control her, was stepping right on V's bottom line.
V didn't bother clarifying whether she had ever made promises to Kang Tao. Instead she simply followed Jiang Ping's train of thought and said,
"And what if I don't honor it?"
Jiang Ping froze—clearly not expecting V to give her no face at all.
But she was a seasoned veteran; she steadied herself quickly and said in a half-mocking, half-snide tone:
"Then the murderer might start rambling nonsense. Once the truth is out… Arasaka's reputation will suffer a tiny bit."
Arasaka's reputation suffers—what the hell does that have to do with me, V?
V leaned back in her chair, half-smiling.
"You think anyone would believe it? You think anyone would care?"
The first "anyone" meant ordinary people: the majority, but poorly informed and easily swayed. With just a little guided pressure, their opinions were simple enough to herd.
The second "anyone" meant corpos: better educated, more informed, accustomed to thinking for themselves—much harder to sway with public opinion.
Most of them already suspected there was more to the Konpeki Plaza incident than what the news said.
Arasaka Saburo killed by two random Voodoo Boys punks? The hell with that. Why not say Deputy Director V got possessed by a rogue AI behind the Blackwall?
Even idiots could see it was Arasaka Yorinobu's doing—straight-up patricide.
They kept quiet not because they didn't know, but because there was simply no reason to say anything.
From a corporate standpoint, internal Arasaka bloodshed was a blessing.
From a personal standpoint, saying it out loud brought no benefit—only danger.
Paternal filicide was ugly, sure.
It would damage Arasaka's prestige, sure.
But that was all.
Only ordinary people clung to ethics and family affection.
Corporate dynasties cared nothing for such things.
In fact, "ethics" and "family bonds" were chains the powerful tossed down to control the masses—once you cared, you grew soft; once you grew soft, you became easier to control.
V was alone; she dared storm Arasaka Tower by herself.
If she had parents, a spouse, children—would she still dare?
The more ordinary people valued something, the more the powerful discarded it like trash.
Jiang Ping threatening V with the murderer was indeed dirty and shameless.
But so what?
If she got what she wanted, she could stay above everyone else.
Face? Reputation? Worthless.
Arasaka thought the same way.
Their reputation was already rotten—what was one more stain? Even if someone stirred trouble, the Voodoo Boys couldn't withstand twenty-seven air-to-surface missiles; nor could anyone else.
Trying to shake Arasaka by attacking their reputation was pure fantasy.
Jiang Ping's real aim was to strangle a worker's lifeline.
She knew V didn't care about Arasaka's image—but to get promoted, to keep climbing, a corpo worker still had to finish the assignments the higher-ups dumped on her.
Except—V actually didn't have to.
Because the higher-ups were already in total chaos and didn't give a damn who the murderer was.
But letting Brigitte float around freely was a future hazard.
V still decided to give Jiang Ping some face.
"Hand her over, and I'll owe you one." V said.
Everyone looked at Jiang Ping.
She shook her head.
"I just want the Seaview District."
"That territory was taken by the Alliance. I have no authority to decide its ownership."
Jiang Ping shouted,
"You're the Alliance's coordinator!"
V replied coldly:
"Exactly why I need to stay impartial."
"Impartial? You think there's impartiality in fucking Night City?! V, you think you're some saint?!"
"I'm obviously not. I just know that if I'm not impartial, this freshly assembled Alliance will fall apart, my authority will crumble, and my interests will suffer."
People nodded.
V was blunt—but correct.
Everyone in the room was a seasoned corpo shark. Talk feelings and you were wasting your breath; talk profits, and they'd take every word seriously.
"Minister Jiang, you're pushing it," said the Zetatech representative.
"We all work under others, and now we're sharing the same pot. No need to make things hard for each other. You have what Deputy Director V wants—hand it over. She'll remember the favor. Kang Tao didn't get Seaview this time; next time they'll get something else. Deputy Director V is young but loyal—she won't shortchange you."
This man was Abernathy's husband.
Jiang Ping was Abernathy's lover.
There was no universe where they had no grudges.
He smiled warmly while digging pits under Jiang Ping's feet—"pushing it," "making things difficult"—classic kicking-her-while-she's-down.
Jiang Ping disliked him, but he wasn't wrong.
The issue was, Kang Tao could wait—she couldn't.
Friends had already warned her she was under investigation. More recently, she could feel an invisible hand tightening around her. All her inquiries to Shenyang vanished into the void; her former superiors no longer responded.
She knew the upper echelon was about to strike.
She had to protect herself.
She had to prove she still had value.
She could not lose.
She could not lose power.
She had to win.
"V…"
The always-arrogant Jiang Ping now lowered her head, desperate to keep her position.
"I really need the Seaview District. I'm begging you."
V answered calmly:
"I have no objections, and neither does anyone else. Now it depends on Stout."
Jiang Ping jerked her gaze toward Meredith Stout—her sole competitor.
The blonde, slick-backed Militech enforcer gave a loud laugh, unleashing the full barbaric dominance of Militech.
"You want me to back off? Fuck you, dumb bitch!"
"You—!"
Jiang Ping seethed.
But with danger already closing in, she didn't want to provoke new enemies. She cast a pleading look at V.
She knew—if V opened her mouth, Stout would obey.
V did speak.
She looked at Stout and said:
"Stout, we're in a meeting. Watch your tone."
And that was it.
The scolding ended.
Jiang Ping realized she was done.
Maybe she could claw out a victory after endless bickering,
…but distant water couldn't put out the fire right in front of her.
The older woman swept everything off the table in a frenzy and screamed at V:
"If I can't have it, neither can you! Tomorrow the whole of Night City will know it was Arasaka Yorinobu who killed Arasaka Saburo!!!"
V's expression shifted.
Everyone thought Jiang Ping had hit her sore spot—
But in truth, V was fighting the urge to laugh.
Holy shit—Auntie just landed a divine assist.
V couldn't wait for her to go spread the "truth."
So touching—V almost wanted to break character and give her the damn district.
But joy was joy; the performance still had to be done.
So V barked:
"Jiang Ping, stop spewing bullshit!"
"You forced me! V—just wait, you'll die with me! Hahahahaha!"
V frowned and prepared to deal with Jiang Ping's foul mouth.
Her eyes even lit up halfway—
Then she stopped.
Because the meeting room door swung open.
It was Xu Zhong.
V knew she didn't need to lift a finger anymore.
All eyes turned to the young section chief—including Jiang Ping's.
She snapped:
"Get out! This is no place for a measly section chief. Whatever it is, wait outside!"
Xu Zhong ignored her.
Back straight, gaze firm, cyberoptics flashing blue—
He sent a file directly to Jiang Ping.
"Jiang Ping, you've been exposed. The Organization is deeply disappointed in you. Effective immediately, you are relieved of all duties in Kang Tao's Night City branch. You will return to Shenyang at once for further investigation."
"What—impossible!"
Jiang Ping panicked and looked at V.
"He's your man, isn't he?! Your mole inside Kang Tao?!"
V said nothing—
which was suggestive enough on its own.
Xu Zhong snorted.
"Stop wasting time. The AV is waiting outside."
Jiang Ping stepped back and suddenly reached for her gun.
But the two operatives behind Xu Zhong surged forward.
Their leg-mounted compartments snapped open, ejecting Black Rods.
The rods unfolded, revealing monoblades.
With a swift twist—
They chopped off both her arms.
"AAAHH!!"
The old woman screamed and collapsed.
Her arms were cyberware; the pain wasn't physical—it was psychological.
"Minister Jiang, the Disciplinary Correction Committee never fails to take in who it wants."
The two operatives lifted Jiang Ping and saluted Xu Zhong.
"Sir, target secured. Requesting permission to withdraw!"
"Permission granted."
"Yes, sir!"
Jiang Ping was dragged away.
The moment she heard the words Disciplinary Correction Committee, she went limp like a boned fish.
V had heard of that name—Kang Tao's secret internal enforcement unit.
Similar to Arasaka's Troy division, except Troy erased witnesses, while the DCC eliminated internal rebels and corrupt elements.
With Jiang Ping gone, the meeting room fell silent.
Everyone glanced at Xu Zhong, then at V, trying to decipher their relationship.
Xu Zhong spoke first:
"Thanks to Deputy Director V's support, we were able to arrest this traitor so quickly. Colonel Xu of Shenyang sends his regards."
Colonel Xu?
Xu Shiming?
The CEO of Kang Tao?!
Everyone was stunned.
No one expected V to have such a connection.
V herself hadn't expected it.
And Xu Zhong was too young—by saying Xu Shiming personally praised V, he was trying to give her face.
But to outsiders?
It looked like a reverse-psychology setup.
An Arasaka deputy director getting all buddy-buddy with Kang Tao's CEO? That's how you get stabbed in a corpo alley.
If Arasaka Michiko weren't in Tokyo, V would've been Jiang Ping 2.0 in minutes.
This young section chief still needed more polish.
V smiled politely.
"Colonel Xu is too kind. Please send him my regards. And what will you be doing next, Section Chief Xu?"
"Understood—I'll pass your message on. As for myself…"
He took a breath.
"By the trust of my superiors, I have been appointed Acting President of Kang Tao's Night City branch until a permanent successor is selected. From now on, I'll be overseeing all Kang Tao operations here. I hope Deputy Director V and all seniors will guide me."
The room buzzed.
Nineteen years old—
Even as a branch president, that was monstrous potential.
Joanne Koch took it well enough.
But Meredith Stout was furious, grumbling over the hidden channel:
"Holy shit, that promotion's too fucking fast. Kid, don't tell me you're Xu Shiming's illegitimate son!"
Xu Zhong replied:
"Impossible. Xu Shiming is just my biological grandfather."
Fuck fuck fuck fuck!!
They thought he was some washed-up back-alley noble—
Turns out he was royal bloodline.
Even Joanne Koch felt the sting.
"Kang Tao's crown prince… If I had that background, I'd stay in the lab all day. Whoever wants this job can take it."
V was surprised too. She thought Xu Zhong was just a special envoy—not someone on par with Arasaka Yorinobu.
A nineteen-year-old heir personally doing undercover audits, while Arasaka's prince spent his nights partying at eighty-plus years old…
Comparisons hurt.
Arasaka's decline was well-deserved.
Xu Zhong was someone V had "raised" in a sense, and they worked well together.
Naturally, she wouldn't make things difficult for him.
Knowing he was young, V decided to help him establish authority.
She addressed the representatives:
"Kang Tao has purged a traitor and welcomed a new president—double good news. As always, our Corporate Alliance stands united. I'll take the lead and host a gathering tonight at Konpeki Plaza: strengthen our bonds, and let President Xu get to know everyone."
These were veteran corpos.
Regardless of their private thoughts, they would never refuse face—especially V's face.
Xu Zhong glanced at her with gratitude in the hidden channel, thanking her nonstop.
The room filled with cheerful chatter, harmonious on the surface.
As for Jiang Ping—
Who?
Lose power, lose everything.
That was why people kept climbing.
Well, someone remembered her—Abernathy's husband, the Zetatech delegate.
Xu Zhong toppling Jiang Ping avenged him, and he now looked at the young man more fondly than at his own sons.
Seeing the mess Jiang Ping left in the Kang Tao seat, he shouted:
"Someone! Bring President Xu a new table. A good one!"
That night, Konpeki Plaza overflowed with lights and luxury.
It was the first major event there since Arasaka Saburo's murder.
People assumed this was Arasaka signaling its emergence from the shadows.
But V just wanted to experience the joy of dancing on a grave.
More importantly—
Konpeki Plaza was an Arasaka property.
Events held here went straight to corporate expenses.
V opened the festivities, then let everyone mingle freely.
She slipped onto the balcony for a breath of night air.
From there, she saw Xu Zhong in the crowd, speaking boldly and confidently among the heavyweights.
V felt once again the kid's potential.
Joanne Koch approached, handed V a tequila, and leaned beside her.
"What are you watching?"
"Looking at our little section chief.
Oh—little president now."
V sipped her drink.
Joanne sighed.
"Xu Zhong is incredible. Not just talented—he's got drive. Watching him reminds me I'm getting old. Back then, I wanted to make a difference too… but reality crushed that idea. I started killing for money and position. At first I had nightmares. Six months later, they stopped. A year later, I felt justified."
V asked,
"And now? Do you still think you were right?"
Joanne burst out laughing.
"Of course I was. Otherwise I'd have died in a gutter long ago. Wouldn't be here chatting about sentimental bullshit with you."
"You had no choice."
"Yeah. I had no choice. But now that you're here, I'm starting to have choices again."
She nodded toward Xu Zhong.
"And that kid—he was born with choices."
V took another sip.
"This world was his to begin with. We're just parasites living in his house. When the master is happy, he throws us crumbs. When he's not, he steps on us."
"You're right.
But now the master's son has wandered into the parasite nest."
V stared at her, puzzled.
Joanne spoke calmly but with a mad gleam:
"This is our only chance to change the world."
Only corporations could beat corporations.
Only the system could change the system.
Only gods could kill gods.
Only those who owned the world could reshape it.
Everyone else lacked qualification—and possibility.
"Xu Shiming won't let anyone control his grandson," V said firmly.
"I'm not doing anything. I'm not some saint."
Joanne smiled.
"Right. You don't need to do anything.
Just be yourself."
V:"?"
Before she could ask, Joanne finished her drink, turned, and left.
"You've got a guest. I won't bother you.
The new drug is almost ready—I'll contact you in a few days."
A towering bald man approached, nodding politely to Joanne before holding out a hand to V.
"An honor to finally meet you, Deputy Director V. Your name is known even in Dogtown. I'm Kurt Hansen. Sorry for the intrusion."
V raised an eyebrow and shook his hand.
"The boss of Dogtown gracing my event—it's an honor. But leaving Dogtown so abruptly is risky. I've got plenty of Militech people here."
Hansen laughed.
"I'd bet good money no one would dare cause trouble on your turf."
"Bet what?"
"My head."
V laughed.
"Bold."
"No choice. My boys are starving. If they follow me, I owe them something."
"Loyal. I'll give you that."
V asked,
"What do you want?"
Hansen lowered his posture.
"A business deal."
"Let's hear it."
"Brigitte is in my hands."
V glanced at him, surprised.
"After Jiang Ping fell and Kang Tao went into turmoil, Brigitte fled to Dogtown seeking my protection. But since she's someone you want, I've come to ask how you want this handled."
V understood immediately.
Brigitte slipped Jiang Ping's control during the chaos and escaped to Dogtown, thinking Hansen would protect her—
only for Hansen to sell her out again.
Three times.
She'd been used as a doormat three times.
Brigitte was the unluckiest woman alive.
Why?
Probably karma.
V felt no pity.
She simply asked:
"What do you want for her?"
Hansen grinned.
"Electricity."