"Then transfer your shares in Arasaka to me. I'll take good care of Arasaka Corporation."
Roland folded his hands together and spoke with an easy smile.
The moment Saburo Arasaka heard this, his expression snapped. His face turned cold as he said, "Roland Vimers, I acknowledge that you now stand on the same level as me, but that doesn't mean I will tolerate you without limits."
"Haha, you must be joking. I've never considered us equals. I've always had the upper hand."
Roland chuckled, then pointed at Saburo Arasaka and let out a cold sneer.
Saburo Arasaka's expression grew even darker.
"It seems New United States' victory has made you arrogant. A mere upstart of the new generation dares to speak to me like this."
"Arrogant? Only the weak are arrogant. I'm just stating facts. And the fact is, you're no match for me right now. Relics of a bygone era should stay in their graves."
Roland stood up and spoke bluntly, without the slightest courtesy.
Saburo Arasaka took a sharp breath, then forced himself to calm down. He began to think carefully about what gave PROJECT such confidence.
If Arasaka declared war on PROJECT now, Myers would never miss the opportunity.
Yet the other side showed no concern at all.
Which meant… something major had gone wrong inside the New United States…
Recalling the intelligence he had received earlier, a hypothesis formed in Saburo Arasaka's mind. At the same time, he began reassessing the balance of power between Arasaka and PROJECT.
The enemy's individual combat strength was terrifying.
To repel PROJECT, they would have to launch a landing operation. But the regions PROJECT controlled in Nevada and Idaho were filled with missile silos. Arasaka's forces in those areas were limited, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
And if those PROJECT squads managed to board their fleet, it would essentially be over...
Thinking it through, he realized he had no effective way to deal with PROJECT within New United States territory.
It brought back unpleasant memories. Their past conflicts with the New United States had been exactly the same.
If this were happening on Arasaka's own turf instead...
Saburo Arasaka clenched his fist, then quickly composed himself and looked at Roland with a blank expression.
"Say it. What exactly do you want? You're not seriously planning to start a war with Arasaka, are you?"
"I can allow you to operate within my territory. But I want all the information on your Relic Chip."
"That's impossible!"
The moment he heard "Relic Chip," Saburo Arasaka rejected it without hesitation. That was his lifeline. There was no way he would hand it over for others to study.
"Then name another condition. Anything except the shares and the Relic Chip."
"Fine. Then I want Yorinobu Arasaka."
Swish—
Saburo Arasaka's expression changed instantly. He stared at Roland, a thought flashing through his mind.
The other party likely already knew everything.
Otherwise, how could every demand strike precisely at his weakest point?
"What? That's not acceptable either?"
Roland looked at him with a cheerful smile. Teasing this old man was unexpectedly entertaining.
"Pick something else."
Saburo Arasaka narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"Seems Mr. Arasaka isn't very sincere…"
Roland shook his head with feigned disappointment.
"Roland Vimers!"
"Alright, let's talk seriously. First, money…"
Saburo Arasaka listened as Roland listed his demands one after another. With each added condition, his expression grew darker.
"Enough!"
Only then did Roland stop, still looking somewhat unsatisfied.
Saburo Arasaka took another deep breath, then said through clenched teeth, "I can agree to these terms. On the condition that you honor the agreement."
"Of course. I always keep my word."
Roland replied with a serious expression.
But Saburo Arasaka didn't believe him at all. The last time, he had said the exact same thing.
And yet, he still took action.
It seemed he needed to recall Yorinobu Arasaka as soon as possible. That place was far too dangerous. He couldn't leave Yorinobu Arasaka there any longer…
Saburo Arasaka narrowed his eyes.
He would also need to conduct an internal investigation. Roland's demands were too precise—it was hard not to suspect a spy within their ranks, and likely someone high up.
Otherwise, how could the other side target his weaknesses so accurately?
...
After ending the communication with Saburo Arasaka, Roland instructed his subordinates to temporarily halt their suppression of Arasaka's forces.
As for why only temporarily…
Because the money from Arasaka hadn't come through yet.
Once it arrived, then they'd talk.
He wasn't counting on anything else, but the money had to arrive. Without money, where would he get the motivation to work?
What? You think the money is meant to make him stop, not act?
That won't do.
As someone with strong professional ethics, how could he take the money and not act?
Trust and integrity between corporations?
Heh…
Since when did he ever have that with Arasaka or Militech?
That kind of thing can be left to Kang Tao. As for those two, forget it.
The real reason Roland dared to act like this was simple—he had nothing to fear.
After all, Arasaka couldn't do anything to him.
If they dared to send people over, even better.
Out on the open sea, he'd treat them to an annihilation bomb.
No radiation, just pure destructive power.
Consider it a bit of environmental "cleanup" courtesy of Arasaka.
This temporary halt was partly to secure funds, and partly to deal with Yorinobu Arasaka first.
After all, Yorinobu Arasaka was still in Arasaka's temporary tower in Night City.
Better to get him out first.
Otherwise, if Saburo Arasaka lost his temper and recalled him, he might just seize Yorinobu Arasaka's body directly…