New book.
Title : The Corporate God of the Multiverse / Cyberpunk 2077
Synopsis
It tells the story of a corporate employee from a cyberpunk world who climbs the corporate ladder by joining giant companies across different worlds, using the methods and mindset of a ruthless trader.
Many years later—
"Cybernetics are exclusive; flesh and blood are inclusive."
Within the Arasaka Corporation Security Division of Night City, Director Vera proposed solutions to the issues of cybernetic erosion, exclusivity, and safety-threshold limitations. This eventually led to the discovery of the T-Virus and the possibility of a large-scale human enhancement program.
"Flesh is weak; machinery ascends."
At Umbrella Corporation, Dr. Vera from the Manufacturing Department opposed the White Umbrella Project (the corporation's biological research division), advocating instead for the economic future and mass promotion of the cybernetics industry.
"Quinques are outdated; cybernetics are the future."
Within the Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau R&D Department, Vera and others published an analysis report on mechanized organic technology.
…
"Artificial Star God."
Vera Adelheid, Supreme Director, officially announces the company's reorganization plan:
Interstellar Peace Corporation
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Mirajane clenched her fist and delivered a solid punch straight to Riyao's chest. The force was so great that Riyao let out a muffled groan. Riyao froze for a second, then immediately fell backward, rolling across the grass while wailing like a stuck pig as he clutched his waist: "Oh, my kidneys! You've broken me!"
Lisanna hurried over to help him up, while Mirajane gave Riyao's backside a light kick, looking utterly speechless. "What are you screaming about! I hit you in the chest! Since when are kidneys located in the chest!"
Riyao lay on the ground moaning with a straight face, retorting righteously, "Everyone's constitution is different, a girl like you wouldn't understand. You've broken me, so you have to 'take care' of me! I'm hungry~"
"Pah! You're faking it on purpose! You're just being a rogue!" Mirajane laughed despite her anger.
"Sister, Brother Riyao is sweating so much, he really looks like he's in pain..." Lisanna pulled on Mirajane's sleeve, her heart softening completely.
"He's just faking it. This guy is clearly a habitual freeloader!" Mirajane wasn't falling for it.
Riyao remained lying where he was and slowly cast out his bait, groaning with perfect timing: "Oh... if only someone would make me something delicious to fill my stomach, this injury of mine... maybe I'll be able to stand up after eating."
His little scheme was written all over his face; it was plain as day that he was shamelessly trying to score a meal. Mirajane gritted her teeth, and seeing his stubborn refusal to leave, she ultimately led him back to her home. She couldn't very well leave this fellow at the door for people to laugh at.
Once home, she served a simple meal of barley rice with a pot of wild vegetable soup. There were hardly any drops of oil; calling it meager would be an understatement. But Riyao wasn't picky at all. He sat down and wolfed it down more enthusiastically than anyone. One bowl wasn't enough; he reached out and snatched the bowl Mirajane was halfway through, dumping it into his own and devouring it in a few bites.
Mirajane was so angry her knuckles turned white as she gripped her chopsticks. If Lisanna hadn't been holding her back, she would have beaten this shameless fellow out of the house on the spot. Riyao slowly pulled out a toothpick to pick his teeth, waving his hand grandly as he said, "Calm down, calm down. I, Riyao, never take petty advantage of people. I'll pay for this meal."
With that, he pulled a heavy bag of gold coins from his backpack and dropped it onto the wooden table with a "clatter." Several gold coins rolled out, their glint making Lisanna's eyes widen.
"This... this is too much! It was just a simple meal, we can't take this much!" Lisanna hurriedly tried to push the gold coins back.
Elfman also nodded quickly, stuttering along, "Right, right, it was just a meal, no ne... need..."
Mirajane frowned and pushed the bag back toward Riyao. The proud young girl refused to take money from a stranger for nothing. "Who wants your money! Though our family isn't rich, we won't take advantage of people like this!"
Riyao raised an eyebrow and didn't argue with her. He reached into the bag, grabbed more than half of the gold coins to put back into his backpack, and left the remaining half steadily on the table. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he pointed out the window and shouted, "Hey! Someone's pooping outside!"
The three Strauss siblings instinctively turned their heads to look where he was pointing, but there wasn't a soul in sight. By the time they realized something was wrong and snapped their heads back, Riyao was long gone from the house, leaving only the small bag of gold coins sitting securely in the center of the table.
From the woods outside the village in the distance, Riyao's laughter-filled shout drifted back, landing in the courtyard from afar: "Keep it in mind! If you have time to come to Magnolia, remember to come find me at Fairy Tail!"
The three Strauss siblings stared at the pile of glittering gold coins on the table, no one speaking for a long time. Mirajane crossed her arms and pondered for two seconds before being the first to offer a precise summary: "So, this guy is just the foolish son of a landlord who snuck out to wander around?"
Lisanna held the fruit candy she was clutching up to her face, its colorful wrapper shining brightly in the sunlight, and immediately spoke up for him softly: "Brother Riyao is a good person!"
As soon as these words drifted out of the courtyard, Riyao—who had already slipped half a mile out of the village and was currently scrambling up a grassy slope—suddenly let out an earth-shattering sneeze. His hand slipped, and he nearly rolled right back to the bottom of the slope. He rubbed his nose and scowled, muttering, "That little girl Mirajane must be cursing me behind my back! What a stingy person, I only snatched half a bowl of rice from you!"
Back in the village, Elfman picked at the hem of his shirt, his face flushed red. After hesitating for a long time, he finally managed to bring up the main point: "So... so what do we do about this money? Are we... are we really keeping it?"
Mirajane rubbed her chin and contemplated for exactly another two and a half seconds before slapping the table to make a decision, her tone crisp and decisive: "Hmph, since he shamelessly forced it on us, then we'll spend it! It's no big deal. At worst, when we go to Magnolia in the future, we'll just go to Fairy Tail and return it to him. Since he left his name and guild, it's not like he can run away."
On this side, Riyao spent the afternoon wandering around, scouting out every valley and stream around Magnolia. His original plan to pick up a stray Dragon Slayer as a subordinate had completely fallen through. Forget any sign of Natsu and the others, he hadn't even touched a single scaled dragon hair. He curled his lip; since he was idle anyway, he turned around and strolled back toward the guild, intending to go back and find some fun in the excitement.
After wandering for most of the day, Riyao reached a stream. He crouched down, cupped the cool stream water, and gulped down two large mouthfuls. Looking up, he saw a reflection in the water and immediately began to indulge in self-admiration, his ego soaring. He even whispered in a pinched voice: "My, isn't this the standard mold of a handsome guy? Look at these emerald green eyes, so full of spirit! This long golden hair tied in a high ponytail, so elegant! These features, so exquisite."
As he looked, he suddenly paused, sucked in a breath, and pulled his neck back. "Hiss... why does he look more and more like that Archbishop Otto? My old problem of being face-blind to foreigners is acting up again; I'm relying entirely on the hairstyle to identify people."
After finishing his vanity session, he wiped the water droplets off his face and strolled into Magnolia. Just as he turned a street corner, a women's clothing store with lace curtains caught his eye. In the display window sat a sky-blue Western-style dress with floral trim. As the wind blew, the hem of the skirt swayed gently, making Riyao's eyes widen.
He rubbed his chin as he stood at the shop entrance, and a bold idea suddenly popped into his head. He rubbed his hands together on the spot and chuckled wickedly: "I say, I lived for over twenty years in my last life being too shy to even touch the hem of a little skirt. Now that I've entered a place of hidden talents like Fairy Tail in this life, what's there to be held back by? I've got to go in and try one on to see how it feels! With this face of mine, I'll definitely look good in women's clothes, hehe..."
He was bubbling with joy and had just lifted his foot to step into the shop when his back collar suddenly tightened. His entire body was hoisted up by the back of his neck by a hard, ruthless hand, looking exactly like the staff-wielding monkey caught in the palm of the Buddha, unable to even struggle. That familiar smell of tobacco mixed with a low-pressure aura drifted down his neck. Without even looking back, Riyao could guess who had caught him even with the dirt under his toenails.
Makarov puffed on his pipe, blowing a smoke ring directly onto Riyao's forehead. His white beard curled with anger as a heavy snort of fury descended from above: "Riyao, you brat, what do you think you're doing?"
Riyao dangled with his feet off the ground, swaying three times. He immediately transformed into a good boy, turning his head to squeeze out a standard sweet smile with eight teeth showing, his voice as soft as pulled sugar: "Gramps~ It's a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding! I was just going in with a research-oriented attitude to have a look, I really wasn't thinking of anything else!"
Makarov shouted into Riyao's ear: "I heard everything!!"