Chapter 35: Undercurrents (Part 3)

Kuroda swirled the wine in his glass with satisfaction, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The intel about hiring the Maelstrom gang had been deliberately leaked to Militech by him. While a sudden assault could certainly catch Militech off guard and amplify their losses, such a temporary strike wouldn’t make them dispatch troops—it would only draw more of their attention toward Fiers. After all... on a day like this, there’s no such thing as coincidence.

By putting everything out in the open, Militech would be forced to make preparations. As for which resources they’d commit... that wasn’t Kuroda’s concern. All he wanted was to limit the resources Militech could bring to bear.

“I hope Jhin doesn’t let me down... This operation is too important.”

...

At that very moment, deep beneath Little China in Watson District, inside the underground bar “Afterlife,” Rogue narrowed her eyes at the man standing before her.

“You just said you want someone to capture an Arasaka R&D Director who’s only recently arrived in Night City?”

“Yes, that’s my request.”

The man, dressed in a sharp suit, smiled with calm assurance. His tone left no room for doubt or hesitation.

Rogue immediately understood—this was a clash between two megacorps, and she was just the middlewoman caught in between. Still, she had no reason to refuse. After all, she was a fixer, not a player, and Arasaka wasn’t likely to trouble her over this.

“Alright, got it. Send me the deposit. I’ll find you a reliable crew within a couple of days.”

“No problem. Just... please make it quick. Preferably before this date.”

The man pointed at the date on his phone before tipping his hat and walking out of Afterlife.

Rogue’s eyes narrowed at the date he’d indicated—it was the very same day Fiers was scheduled to meet with Biotechnica. Neither side had tried to hide the arrangement; there was nothing secret about it.

Anyone with the right connections could’ve found out.

“So this Arasaka R&D Director isn’t just some ordinary engineer... Something big might go down that day. I just wonder who’s after him—Militech, or...”

She paused, running through possibilities in her head, then decided it was best not to get involved. That kind of mess could only bring trouble.

Still, Rogue figured it probably wasn’t Militech. With their current foothold in Night City, they’d handle their own affairs directly—and keep things quiet.

More likely, it was another megacorp trying to stir the pot: Night Corp, Petrochem, Biotechnica, Kang Tao... any of them could be behind it. The real question was, which one?

Not that Rogue intended to find out. Digging too deep into something like this was a guaranteed way to lose sleep.

Meanwhile, Kuroda—still sipping his wine—had no idea someone had already set their sights on him. After all, he was just a low-ranking R&D supervisor. His promotion to Night City’s Head of R&D was still dependent on the success of future plans.

That decision was still strictly internal, known only to the company’s upper management. If someone made a move on him now... Kuroda would start questioning reality itself.

“Ryuzaki, when the day comes, cause a little commotion. I’ll send you some dirt on Fiers. Get a group together and make some noise—but don’t start a fight.”

“Understood.”

Ryuzaki Ichiro nodded and took the data Kuroda handed him.

Kuroda’s reasoning was simple—he was preparing for both success and failure. If Roland failed, he could use the dirt to attack the opposition’s political standing and weaken their influence. If Roland succeeded, the scandal would force that faction to offer Fiers up as a scapegoat, followed by public condemnation.

A win-win strategy—and Kuroda was quite pleased with it.

...

As the days passed, the meeting between Fiers and Biotechnica finally approached.

That morning, Fiers was awakened by his household AI. After washing up and dressing neatly, he headed to the dining room for breakfast.

“Mr. Fiers, you have a meeting with Biotechnica today. Please keep track of the time.”

“Mhm, I know. By the way, I heard Arasaka’s been acting up again?”

“Yes, sir. They’ve been stirring lately, as if eager to reclaim control of Night City.”

“Hmph... Keep an eye on them. If there’s an opportunity, suppress their influence within our corporation.”

“Understood. Also, Mr. Finkes is currently en route to your residence. Please refrain from leaving until he arrives.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. You handle the preparations at the venue—I don’t need you here for now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ending the call with his secretary, Fiers moved to the most secure spot in his home, turned on the TV, and waited quietly for Finkes to arrive.

Finkes was ranked seventh among Europe’s top bodyguards. His cybernetic augmentations were of the highest grade, and he excelled in close-quarters combat and personal protection. In Europe, he was known as the “Silverwing Knight.”

Fiers had spent a fortune to hire him. In terms of combat capability, Finkes was no weaker than Smasher—just different. Their enhancements and philosophies diverged sharply: Smasher had abandoned all traces of humanity, while Finkes incorporated Bioware and nanotech augmentations, enhanced further by SteelTech-grade cybernetics and his own custom exosuit.

Fully equipped, he was every bit a steel monster himself.

Soon, an AV descended onto the platform of Fiers’ residence. Clad in silver-white exoskeleton armor, Finkes stepped out, scanned the surroundings, and approached Fiers.

“Mr. Fiers, we can depart now. Please stand to my left.”

Fiers nodded. He wasn’t about to argue—his life depended on it.

“Finkes, seems like quite a few people want me dead lately.”

He eyed the gleaming armor as he spoke.

“Rest assured, sir. As your knight, I’ll fall before you do.”

“Your dedication is appreciated. I’ll be sure to commend you to your employer.”

Fiers smiled and nodded.

“Thank you for your trust, sir.”