"The above are the demands of our PROJECT Corporation. As for the specific figures, my team will follow up with yours for further negotiations."
Roland glanced over the list he had drawn up, then smiled and nodded at Ryuichi Arasaka.
Ryuichi Arasaka returned the nod, his face expressionless. He showed little reaction to Roland's near-extortionate list—he was used to it by now.
He had already confirmed that the other party was nothing short of a bandit. There was nothing more to say. This would do.
"If there's nothing else, Mr. Roland, then our discussion ends here."
"Hold on. There's one more matter I'd like to discuss. Nothing major."
A vein throbbed on Ryuichi Arasaka's forehead, but he restrained himself. He had endured this long—another moment wouldn't matter.
"Speak."
Roland clearly heard the gritted teeth in his voice but didn't care. After all, easy targets like this were rare.
"Some of the netrunners your corporation has been tracking have joined our company. I hope you'll cease your pursuit. If any unnecessary losses occur, I won't be responsible."
Ryuichi Arasaka waved dismissively, already losing patience. He had expected something serious—only for it to be such a trivial issue.
He had already agreed to far more outrageous demands. Compared to those, this was insignificant. The people in question didn't possess anything particularly vital.
At most, they held fragments of intelligence about the Blackwall—probably less than what PROJECT itself had already obtained. He didn't believe a corporation of PROJECT's scale would obediently follow NetWatch's directives.
Most likely, they were just like Arasaka—coveting the power beyond the Blackwall.
"Don't bother reporting such things to me. I'll pass down the order. Satisfied?"
"Of course. As you wish."
Roland gave a slight nod and made a polite gesture.
Ryuichi Arasaka immediately cut the connection, eager to end the call. Communicating with Roland felt like torture—every second dragged on endlessly.
"So disgusted with me? That's a bit harsh…"
Roland touched his face and let out a helpless smile.
"What's the situation on the Pacifica front?"
While speaking with Ryuichi Arasaka, he hadn't had the attention to monitor Pacifica. He turned to Lissandra for an update.
Without a word, Lissandra pulled up a live feed.
"Oh? It's already over…"
Roland stroked his chin. There was no surprise in his eyes—he had anticipated this outcome.
The New United States forces that had entered Pacifica were tightly trapped in a siege formed by PROJECT's mechanized units. Like prey caught in a spider's web, the more they struggled, the tighter the net became. They lacked the overwhelming force needed to break through.
"What about the upper ranks of BARGHEST?"
Roland suddenly remembered Hansen's group and asked.
"Two escaped, but Shadow Stream has already dispatched pursuers. It shouldn't take long to see results. The rest have all been captured."
"Mm. How many New United States troops remain outside?"
"Close to ten thousand. Most of them are heavy-firepower units. If we deploy forces for a direct engagement, we'll likely suffer significant losses."
"Don't worry. I'm not that reckless. Our troop numbers in Night City are limited. I'm already satisfied with what we've achieved. Besides, we need to leave something behind for Myers—otherwise she won't be willing to leave."
Roland had no objection to Lissandra's subtle and not-so-subtle advice. It was ultimately for his benefit.
After understanding his stance, Lissandra nodded and stepped aside.
...
"The BARGHEST unit and the reinforcements that entered afterward have been surrounded and wiped out by PROJECT and Night City forces inside Pacifica. The main force has collapsed. The remnants have been split into small scattered units throughout Pacifica—they'll likely be cleaned up soon. This operation has failed."
Huey looked at the battle report in his hand and spoke to Myers.
Myers took a deep breath. After frowning in thought for a moment, her expression eased. From the very beginning, this force had been considered expendable. The attempt midway through the operation to preserve part of it had been more of a gamble.
Now that it couldn't be saved, she could accept it.
"What's Arasaka doing?"
"Their carrier group concealed offshore has begun moving. It should approach Night City soon."
Huey reported based on prior intelligence.
"Good. Since Arasaka has made its move, let them and PROJECT tear into each other. Withdraw our remaining forces. And what about BARGHEST? Any survivors?"
"According to radar data, two individuals—Bennett and Lindell—managed to escape. The rest of BARGHEST's leadership remained in Pacifica and failed to withdraw."
"I see…"
Myers frowned and pulled up their profiles. After a brief glance, she lost interest. At the end of the day, they were just two moderately capable non-commissioned officers—nothing worth her concern.
"Then there's nothing special to address. Withdraw immediately. Abandon the remaining units. Take this force to Idaho and rendezvous with the troops there. Prepare to resist PROJECT's advance."
"Understood. I'll issue the orders right away."
Huey nodded. After ending the call, he promptly ordered the retreat. As for whether this failed campaign would hinder his promotion—
He wasn't worried. He belonged to Myers' faction. He trusted the President would reward his loyalty appropriately.
Meanwhile, in the waters surrounding Night City, a small Arasaka fleet had arrived.
This was part of the agreement between Arasaka and PROJECT. If Arasaka wanted to establish a foothold in Night City at this stage, it had to rely on naval power.
After being squeezed once more by Roland, Arasaka finally brought a small fleet to Night City as it had hoped—though docking rights came with time restrictions.
"Phew… Headquarters finally made it."
Inside Night City, Kuroda exhaled in relief at the sight of the familiar Arasaka emblem. Only he knew how he had endured these past days—especially with Yorinobu Arasaka dropping by from time to time.
For him, it had been pure torment.