Chapter 212: Transition Plus One
“Ladies, gentlemen, and friends of indeterminate gender, hello! This is your beloved Randall!”
A flamboyant man in a glittering, star-studded suit raised his microphone high and worked the crowd with practiced enthusiasm.
Thunderous applause erupted from below the stage—though whether it came from real people was still up for debate.
“Today, I’m here to introduce a brand-new piece of cyberware! Brought to you by PROJECT Corporation! The perfect fusion of violence and intelligence—the ultimate choice to keep you safe in these chaotic times!”
“Forged from an all-new Tamil alloy, its hardness far exceeds your imagination, capable of blocking the vast majority of bullets currently on the market!”
“This is the Romide Combat Arm, equipped with PROJECT technology’s latest weapon systems and offering full modular selection. If you want a whole new sense of slaughter, choose the electronic fist blades. If personal safety is your priority, go with the automatic arm cannon. And if you’re really afraid of dying, there’s also the fully foldable alloy shield.”
“Enough talk—everyone, watch the video!”
Beep!
Roland waved his hand, shutting off the screen, and nodded with clear satisfaction.
“Looks like our channel already has a decent-sized audience.”
“Yes. According to our surveys, public perception of our corporation is generally higher than that of other companies. This is mainly due to our different management structure, as well as our significant contributions to public security in Night City.”
Kiwi glanced over the data in her hands as she spoke. With no urgent assignments lately, she had been pulled in by Roland to act as his temporary secretary.
“By the way, how has Night Corp responded?”
“They haven’t reacted at all. It seems Mr. Blue Eyes has already made preparations on his end, leading them to believe it’s only a matter of time before PROJECT Corporation falls into their hands.”
Roland nodded. “I see. Still, tell Kelly to keep a closer watch on them. They’ve been entrenched in Night City for so many years—there’s no telling what they might have hidden away.”
“Understood. I’ll let her know.”
...
“Miss Valerie, we meet again.”
Haiger smiled warmly as he addressed V.
“Mr. Haiger, may I ask why you were looking for me?”
V studied the man with mild curiosity. The reason he said “again” was because Haiger had handled her enrollment when she first entered PROJECT’s academy. From what she knew, he was one of the supervisors within PROJECT Corporation.
“Our boss has been paying close attention to you lately. He greatly appreciates your aptitude and wants to nurture your potential.”
V stared at Haiger, momentarily dumbfounded, before recalling her online course grades… um… aptitude?
Catching the strange look in her eyes, Haiger cleared his throat softly and continued, “In short, our boss will provide you with funding. In return, you’ll need to complete a series of training programs. This tablet contains the general funding list, the training requirements, and the position you’ll take after graduation.”
V immediately accepted the tablet and began reviewing the terms.
Overall, the conditions were similar to those offered by other corporations—if anything, even better. However, one hidden clause caught her attention.
“What does this promotion mechanism mean?”
She raised an eyebrow and looked at Haiger as she asked.
“That involves internal corporate secrets. I’m afraid I can’t disclose that unless you sign the contract. The only thing I can tell you is that you’re not the only one, Miss Valerie, who’s being given special attention.”
V immediately understood what he meant and nodded. “I see. I’ll need some time to think it over.”
“Of course. Once you’ve made your decision, don’t forget to contact me.”
Haiger nodded, picked up his tablet, and left.
To be honest, V found the contract’s conditions extremely tempting. After completing the training, she could directly enter the counterintelligence operations team. If she met the promotion requirements, she could even join an even more elite unit.
In other words, she would be able to climb into the upper ranks of PROJECT Corporation at a much faster pace.
“Hmm… I should go home and discuss this with my family…”
“Hey, V, what are you spacing out about?”
“Sasha?”
V blinked, then briefly recounted what had just happened.
After listening, Sasha nodded. “Yeah, I know about that. I already signed the contract. I should be heading off soon to study more advanced netrunning techniques.”
“Then congratulations.”
V offered her sincere congratulations.
“You should join too. That way, we can look out for each other.”
Sasha hugged V’s arm as she spoke.
“Well, I still need to talk it over with my family. Besides, we’re probably not on the same track, are we?”
“Oh, right. I forgot your grades aren’t exactly great.”
“...I’m going to hit you!”
...
Lucy sat on the windowsill, turning her head to look at the moon outside. There was a trace of longing in her eyes, mixed with uncertainty.
After joining PROJECT Corporation and seeing the generous pay, she knew her dream of traveling the world was no longer far away. Yet perhaps because it was drawing closer, she found herself growing more uneasy instead.
Maybe she was afraid it wouldn’t match what she’d imagined…
Lucy laughed softly and shook her head. “Tch, I’m really overthinking this. Who knows how long it’ll take to save up anyway? I might end up spending it all on something stupid before that.”
She slowly climbed down from the windowsill, tied her hair back, and walked over to her computer, casually browsing through the latest news online.
Come to think of it, this was the first time in a long while that she’d felt this relaxed, with nothing pressing to worry about. Though deep down, she was still afraid of being hunted by Arasaka, it was far better than before.
...
“Lord Jamil, Night City is right ahead.”
Luke spoke with a smile as he addressed Jamil.
“Mm. How have PROJECT Corporation’s recent movements been?”
“They seem to have settled down. No further expansion for now. Instead, they’re focusing on promoting their products—various cyberware, weapons, and vehicles—while building up supporting facilities. It looks like they’re reinforcing their foundation.”
“Cyberware?”
Jamil’s eyes narrowed instantly.
“Yes. This one, in particular.”
Luke nodded and pulled up the advertisement for the Romide Combat Arm.
The moment Jamil saw the performance footage, his expression sharpened.
“This cyberware uses energy blades.”
At a glance, he could tell the technology wasn’t the electromagnetic chain blades commonly found on the market, but something entirely different.
“I’m getting more and more interested…”
Jamil murmured, stroking his chin. If he could replace all the weapons on his body with energy-based ones… he might even feel like taking a shot at the boss’s seat.
“Hm… maybe I should try making some private contact first…”
Jamil pondered silently.
Author's Note
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