“You’re late, Mr. Ken’ichiro.”

Standing on the rooftop, Karl watched as the hovercar slowly descended. He wiped the dried blood from his face and offered a faint smile as he greeted Ken’ichiro.

“Karl.”

Ken’ichiro stepped out of the vehicle, frowning the moment he got a good look at Karl.

“You were attacked on the way up?”

“More or less. I don’t need to tell you who it was—you can guess, Mr. Ken’ichiro.”

Karl checked himself over for any remaining bloodstains.

“They blew up the elevator. Whole building’s in chaos now. Before anyone came to investigate, I gave Mr. Johnson and the others a heads-up, then climbed the rest of the way up the shaft.”

He’d intended to take the stairs, but every accessible stairwell had been sealed. Rather than waste time clearing the barricades, Karl just relied on his arms to scale the shaft directly.

The weakness in his legs only confirmed it—he’d need cybernetic leg replacements sooner than later.

“Then it’s safe to say these people have been embedded for a while.”

Ken’ichiro’s expression darkened.

“I’ll initiate an internal audit—track their deployment and who moved them. Now, Karl. The item?”

“Just make sure the price is fair.”

Karl reached into his coat and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper, handing it over.

“This is all I got. Just this one sheet. Nothing else.”

“Paper?”

Ken’ichiro unfolded the note, examining it briefly. Something about it made his face tighten. He looked up sharply.

“Did you see any other markings?”

“Is that related?”

Karl didn’t fully understand, but he described the rhombus-shaped wooden block, the bird carved into it, and the claw marks and patterns he’d seen.

“It’s definitely related.”

Ken’ichiro’s face grew more severe. Then he explained:

“Do you know what that bird carving and those symbols represent?”

“The bird and the symbol…”

Karl thought for a moment, considering the three main factions within Arasaka. Then he remembered the blurry outline of that bird.

“Is it some kind of covert communication method for one of the factions?”

“If it were just a bird motif, maybe not,” Ken’ichiro said. “But that specific symbol—it’s commonly used by Tokyo street gangs. After someone formed a group called the Steel Dragons, over 70% of their members started tagging their bikes with it. It represents a dragon rising from the flames—rebellion through fire.”

“Steel Dragons…”

Karl instantly knew whose signature this was.

Seiji Arasaka.

The black sheep of the Arasaka family. Leader of the Hawk faction. Currently, the corporation’s only surviving male heir.

Which meant… the ones trying to steal this intel—and stop Karl from meeting with Ken’ichiro—must’ve been from his side.

He’d heard rumors about the friction between father and son, but he hadn’t realized the internal warfare ran this deep.

Still, one question remained:

What was written on that paper?

What kind of intel would make Seiji’s people risk open exposure?

Ken’ichiro noticed the curiosity in Karl’s expression. But even he didn’t know what the note truly meant.

I’ll probably need to consult with Michiko when I get back. And have this paper scanned—for hidden messages or coded overlays.

He folded the paper carefully. In Night City, no one dared to attack an Arasaka hovercar—especially not one operating openly. He could return to Arasaka Tower safely, and whatever this was, once it reached the tower, it would have to be confronted through formal channels.

“Alright. I’ll be heading back. If anything comes up—”

Before he could finish, Karl raised his hand like a student eager to speak.

“Actually, there is something, Mr. Ken’ichiro.”

“A request?”

Ken’ichiro paused, mid-turn.

“Compensation? Don’t worry, you’ll be paid properly.”

“It’s not something that small.”

Karl’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the vehicle.

“Mr. Ken’ichiro… is that a Rayfield?”

Ken’ichiro followed Karl’s gaze to the hovercar. He raised an eyebrow. Karl usually couldn’t care less about cars.

“It’s a Rayfield Durandal. Came out in 2070. Four-seater hovercar. Older model, really. They’re rolling out a new one soon called the Excalibur. Why? Interested?”

Under the late sun, the vehicle shimmered like glass crystal. Karl nodded slowly.

“If possible, I’d like to borrow it for a few days.”

“You want to borrow… my AV?”

Among close friends, lending a vehicle wasn’t unheard of. But Ken’ichiro found the request surprising. Karl could easily afford a decent hovercar. Had he suddenly developed a taste for luxury?

If so, maybe that interest could be used to subtly shape his decisions…

As he considered the implications, Karl explained:

“I’ve got a friend heading in from outside the city. Judging by how often his ride breaks down—plus stops for repairs and refueling—it’ll probably take ten days, maybe more. Rayfield makes top-of-the-line vehicles. I figured I’d take yours and go pick him up. He’s coming in from the Badlands.”

“Picking up a friend?”

Ken’ichiro mentally ran through Karl’s known network. One name stood out—plain and unremarkable.

“Vincent. Codename V. Just a drifting nomad, right? You really don’t discriminate, huh?”

Karl didn’t rise to the slight in Ken’ichiro’s voice. He just smiled, and asked again:

“So… can I borrow it, Mr. Ken’ichiro?”

“I’ll lend it to you for ten days. Just bring it back in one piece.”

“Much appreciated.”

Sure—any real friend wouldn’t care if you showed up in a beat-up ride.

But showing up in a luxury AV?

That gave your friend a little extra face in front of the world.

.

.

.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep