Vash sat on the sofa, eyes closed, resting. After a while, he opened them.
Across the room, Jackie's snoring rumbled like distant thunder.
"Jack. Go wash your face. Time to work." Vash said, walking over and giving his cheek a couple of light pats.
The snoring cut off instantly. Jackie sprang upright, "V — did I oversleep?"
"No. Timing's perfect."
A few hours of sleep had also burned off most of the booze on Jackie's breath.
While Jackie washed up, Vash set the Flathead against the room's vent access and powered it on. He'd already reset the little thing's parameters — and even rerouted its path.
The Flathead whirred to life and crawled into the ductwork.
"Friday." Vash added, "I want every smart robot and connected device in this hotel taking orders from me. And every thermal scanner, camera eye, and biometric reader on this floor — and the top floor — needs to go blind. Completely."
「My pleasure.」
Friday's voice sounded, and the Konpeki laptop on the coffee table lit up by itself — line after line of dense code racing across the screen.
「Connecting to Konpeki Plaza's smart central control system…」
「Assimilating network environment…」
「Modifying terminal instructions…」
「Data intrusion successful…」
In barely three seconds, Friday had punched through Konpeki Plaza's network. From blacking out one floor to owning the entire hotel — nothing was out of reach.
"Good work, Friday." Vash said, then noted calmly, 'It has split into two computation entities. This lets Friday crack Konpeki's data while still running other services in parallel.'
With Friday's computing power, as long as there was even a single machine in range, it could grind Arasaka's netrunners into dust.
"V, I'm ready." Jackie said, coming out of the bathroom, "Let's delta."
"Then let's move."
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Leaving the Obsidian Suite and heading toward Yorinobu's premium suite, they could see the floor's guest-service bots had already gone dead. The hallway surveillance eyes and the elevator cams were in full standby as well.
That let Vash and Jackie stroll straight into the Tavernier Suite on the 100th floor.
Once inside, Jackie started looting on instinct. His eyes locked onto three thermal katanas displayed on the wall — just sitting there, they looked viciously sharp. If they were hanging in Yorinobu's suite, then even as décor they had to be high-grade gear.
He didn't hesitate. He snatched two — one for himself, one for V.
When Jackie carried them over, he saw Vash had already found a concealed switch in a wooden floor panel by the window. The hollow lattice slid aside, and a platform rose up.
This was the anti-theft setup meant to keep the Relic from getting klepped. There were only two ways to unlock it: Yorinobu's iris… or the access shard on the bedside table.
"Jack — check the bedside table." Vash said, eyes already cutting to the skyline beyond the glass.
Not far out in the night, an aircraft's signal lights blinked through the dark.
Saburo Arasaka had arrived.
Jackie found the access shard fast and hurried back with it.
"V, catch — heads up!"
Vash caught it and slotted it in. One security layer after another disengaged, and the case containing the Relic rose into view.
"Jack — Yorinobu's coming in. Get in the maintenance shaft." Vash said suddenly.
"What? That fast, choom?!"
Jackie immediately spotted the maintenance shaft on the left side of the living room. It was empty — barely big enough to hide two people.
"V, hurry — move!"
Vash dropped the platform back down, then slipped into the shaft in a single stride.
At that moment, the suite door was shoved open — hard!
Yorinobu stormed in, pissed. He'd been partying at Clouds with a few playmates when he got the call: the old man was about to land in Night City. Panic had forced him to sprint back.
With him came the legend himself — Adam Smasher. Up close he was even more monstrous than in the BD test: a fully chromed body that made the floor thud with every step.
"Adam Smasher…!" Jackie whispered, shaken, "Madre mía…"
From inside the shaft, they could see the room clearly.
Yorinobu dropped onto the sofa and poured himself a drink.
Adam Smasher took his post to the side. Arasaka kept him stocked with the newest hardware and weaponry — and even granted him the privilege to kill on a whim — as long as he served as their attack dog and bodyguard.
A profitable arrangement.
Smasher didn't bother sweeping the room. To him, danger didn't exist. He was the danger.
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A short while later, two figures descended the stairs that led down from the rooftop.
Yorinobu hurried to his feet. Even if he was furious, he didn't dare show it now.
The one who'd arrived was the founder of Arasaka — the so-called Emperor — Saburo Arasaka.
The moment father and son faced each other, the air in the room turned razor-thin.
Takemura gave Yorinobu a curt nod, apologized for the intrusion, and began checking the suite. Meticulous, serious — he circled again and again. Several times he passed near the maintenance shaft, looking like he was about to come in for a closer look.
"Takemura. He is my son. There is no need." Saburo said, cutting off the search.
Takemura answered "Hai", and returned to his position behind Saburo.
Inside the shaft, Jackie's heart was hammering like it wanted out of his chest, "V… if that guy got any closer, he might've actually found us. Unbelievable… Saburo Arasaka came in person. And that big fat bastard DeShawn said this run was a sure thing. Sure my ass — just looking at Adam Smasher's got my heart going loco."
Most Night City legends ended up in the ground. Adam Smasher was the thing that put them there.
"Jack, soundproofing in here isn't great." Vash murmured, "Keep talking and we might have to fight Adam Smasher for real."
Jackie clapped a hand over his mouth.
Vash waited, silent, for the iconic scene to play out.
In the living room, the Arasaka father and son made a brutal contrast.
Saburo was old, yet he still looked sharp and energetic — his mind frighteningly clear. Meanwhile Yorinobu — young as he was — had already been hollowed out by wine, lust, greed, and indulgence.
Yorinobu: "Why are you here? Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere with my affairs?"
Saburo: "If I did not come, you would have already sold Arasaka to those barbaric hungry beasts. How could I not come?"
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
Take a look at the new book I'm translating on my profile, Umamusume Pretty Derb: I'm Just a Trainer! Its also on my website for $5 too!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)