“Boss, I’ve sorted all the emails you wanted.”
“Mm, bring them in.
I’m just about finished with my work here.”
Rain spoke up to let Canris in.
Canris then handed over a tablet, which recorded some unread emails Rain had received during this time—personal account ones, not internal company accounts.
After skipping over the bills, Rain looked at some of the more important content.
“Another invitation from the Hawks?
How many times is this now, Canris?”
“Let me think…
This should be the third time, Boss.”
“The third time…
That’s a bit tricky…”
Rain frowned at this.
As the saying goes, things shouldn’t happen more than three times.
Moreover, this email was a personal invitation, and it happened to coincide with his promotion.
The intention of the Hawks couldn’t be more obvious.
So…
should he accept the recruitment from the Hawks?
Benefits?
Of course, there were.
Joining the Hawks, which was currently one of the larger factions within Arasaka—arguably the largest—would gain him the appreciation and help of the Board of Directors, and he would also attract the attention of Yorinobu Arasaka.
As for who Yorinobu Arasaka was…
there was no need to say much.
He was Saburo Arasaka’s only remaining son and the recognized Crown Prince of all Arasaka factions.
Actually, Yorinobu wasn’t originally the Crown Prince; he was the second son.
But his elder brother died.
Yes, died in a small nuclear explosion by Militech…
the one in Johnny Silverhand’s memories.
Of course, Johnny’s memories were beautified and enhanced.
In reality…
the one who contributed the most was actually Morgan Blackhand, that fierce man whose Body attribute likely reached the maximum…
someone who could go toe-to-toe with Adam Smasher with just a cybernetic arm modification.
Anyway, Yorinobu Arasaka was now the recognized Crown Prince by all factions within the Arasaka Corporation.
Saburo was old, and no one knew the development status of the Relic.
So, with the Emperor aging, the Crown Prince grown up, and no competitors in sight…
what would the ministers below do?
Naturally, they would support the Crown Prince’s ascension.
This was also the main reason why the Hawks were so powerful now.
Their leader was Yorinobu Arasaka.
Of course…
the actual leader was Saburo Arasaka; delegating power to Yorinobu was something Saburo tacitly allowed.
As for the downsides…
the downside was that it would provoke hostility from some faction members, and he would no longer be able to maintain the same level of independence as he did now.
However, risks often come with rewards.
The saying goes, “The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.” I’m sure everyone understands that.
“…Reply to them.
Once I’ve handled the matters regarding my promotion to Minister, I will attend the banquet as invited.”
“Understood, Boss.”
After a brief hesitation, Rain chose to agree.
After all, to refuse again…
would be ungrateful.
Besides, the banquet date on the invitation was still some time away, so there was no need to rush.
After settling the matter with the Hawks, Rain saw an invitation to the opening ceremony of Arasaka Academy.
This was his alma mater, and also the school David attended in the anime, as well as the school Corpo V attended.
In a sense…
he was their senior.
Attending the Arasaka Academy opening ceremony didn’t require as much deliberation as accepting the Hawks’ invitation, because it was a move with only benefits and no downsides for him.
He just needed to be a bit mindful of the optics, and he could also take the opportunity to see if there were any talents worth cultivating.
“Accept the invitation from Arasaka Academy.
I’ll be there.”
“Got it.”
“Alright, nothing else for now.
I’ll call you if I need anything.
For now, go and fetch Brandt for me.”
“Yes, sir!”
…
While Rain was gradually taking over the duties of the Minister of the Special Operations Department, an intern within the Arasaka Corporation was quietly becoming a full-time employee.
“V, your grades at Arasaka Academy were outstanding, and you’ve been very diligent during your internship.
My intuition tells me you’re a good fit for the Counter-Intelligence Department.
What do you think?”
Currently, in Jenkins’ office, the well-built Jenkins, dressed in a sharp suit and looking somewhat sinister, sat with his hands clasped over his crossed knees, looking at V.
The woman called V had very delicate features, short white hair, and wore a certain amount of makeup.
She looked very capable.
Her clothing was the standard Arasaka company uniform.
V seemed a bit excited at this moment; she clearly cared a lot about becoming a full-time employee.
“Thank you, Boss!
I also feel that I’m well-suited for the Counter-Intelligence Department.
I won’t let your mentorship go to waste!”
“Mm, well said.”
Jenkins nodded with satisfaction.
He indeed intended to focus on cultivating V and making her his second-in-command, as her talent and her physical examination results from Arasaka showed she was worth it.
And he…
as someone who had climbed up step by step from the bottom, truly lacked trustworthy and capable subordinates.
V was one of the people he had his eye on.
As for the others…
he was also watching them, but as things stood, V was the most outstanding.
“Now, V, I have a small matter I need your help with.”
With that, Jenkins handed a chip to V.
“This is…”
“Take a look.”
After nodding, V inserted the chip, and data on Rain appeared before her eyes.
“Is this the newly appointed Minister of the Special Operations Department?”
“Yes, it’s a small task from above.
Tail him for a few days, and then it’s over.
As for auditing or whatever, that’s not our concern.
Or rather…
he doesn’t have any problems to begin with; this is just following protocol.
Don’t take it too seriously.
I’ll give you temporary authorization; pick your own team.”
“Understood.”
A flash of realization crossed V’s eyes.
“By the way, he knows what you guys do, so you’d better be a bit careful.”
Hearing this, V felt a bit nervous, but she soon relaxed again.
To be honest, she was quite envious of Minister Rain.
With his parents’ legacy and sufficient ability, his promotion was like sitting on a rocket, soaring upward.
Unlike her…
having to struggle through Arasaka Academy and then struggle as an intern for a while before finally starting a struggling life as a corporate worker.
Sigh, sometimes the gap between people is truly greater than the gap between a human and a dog.
But she could pick her own people…
she might be able to use this opportunity to build closer relationships with some people.
After all, she was now a temporary squad leader.