Chapter 139

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At Arasaka Tower, Tang Yu had just finished attending a company executive meeting and was ready to return to the Counter-Intelligence Department on the thirty-third floor. Today, Arasaka called a middle and senior-level meeting, and Tang Yu represented the head of Counter-Intelligence. Such important meetings could not be delegated to Sasha, so Tang Yu had to make the trip to the office. The lengthy company meeting took up the entire morning, and once work deployment was complete and the meeting adjourned, Tang Yu left without looking back.

Meetings involving all middle and high-level managers at Arasaka Tower were uncommon, typically annual gatherings held either at the beginning or the end of the year to hear work reports from each department and plan for year-end work.

For the counterintelligence department's report, Tang Yu had Kate handle it while he attended in place of Arthur Jenkins. Michiko Arasaka chaired the meeting, where she, as a representative of the Arasaka Family, listened to reports and conveyed the intentions from the Kyoto headquarters, briefly discussing the development direction and annual achievements of Night City's Arasaka Tower.

After representatives from Counter-Intelligence and Special Operations reported their work, Michiko specifically had Tang Yu say a few words. As the acting head of Counter-Intelligence and deputy head of Special Operations, he was certainly one of the more representative executives present. Tang Yu briefly commented on the situations of the two departments, explicitly encouraging Kate to strive to change her work mindset, integrate into the Counter-Intelligence Department's overall work, and make more valuable contributions to Arasaka's intelligence efforts.

Kate's face stiffened upon hearing this, and she had no choice but to stand and express her commitment to working hard in the future. Despite knowing that Tang Yu was only a deputy head, in such large meetings, his seat was that of a department head, and it was normal for him to offer guidance to senior department members.

After the meeting, many executives chose to stay behind and chat in small groups, but Tang Yu, uninterested in these cliques, left the meeting room upon its conclusion.

In the elevator lobby, Tang Yu pressed the button for the thirty-third floor home to the Counter-Intelligence Department. As he waited, he recalled how, during the meeting, Michiko often glanced at him with a subtle smile. He wondered if she was thinking of inviting him for tea again. The task Michiko had entrusted him with had not progressed much yet, and he found Michiko, his immediate superior, rather difficult to serve. She always gave vague assignments that required a lot of guessing.

The last time, dealing with Militech countermeasures was a delicate issue—if the countermeasures were too strong, it could backfire, allowing Michiko to shirk responsibility. If they were too weak, she wouldn't be satisfied, and one couldn't count on her support. This time, while restructuring the Tiger Claws wasn't as dangerous as countering military tech, the principle was the same. To have the Tiger Claws listen to Michiko, the gang leaders needed to be truly convinced. If Yorinobu Arasaka was in charge of Night City's Arasaka Tower, Tang Yu believed that the Tiger Claws would pledge loyalty without hesitation, as Yorinobu represented the legitimate line of Kyoto's Arasaka and met both the gang's rules and expectations.

However, Michiko was different. Despite sharing the Arasaka name and leading Night City's Arasaka Tower, her lineage couldn't match Yorinobu's. Michiko's father, Michiko's father, the eldest son of Saburo Arasaka, had legitimate claim. If Michiko's father had been in charge, there would be no doubt about the Tiger Claws' compliance. But he had died in the tower's nuclear explosion decades ago, leaving nothing behind.

Now Michiko, Saburo's granddaughter, controlled Night City's Arasaka Tower, a cycle of fate. To secure the Tiger Claws for Michiko, Tang Yu first needed to subdue the gang's leaders. In the past, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate a few gang leaders, but now the goal was different and such drastic actions were not an option. Even assassinations wouldn't solve the fundamental issue, as the Tiger Claw headquarters in Kyoto could send new leaders to Night City at any moment.

So, the best course for Tang Yu was to subdue the current Tiger Claw leaders and, on Michiko's behalf, put a collar on them.

The elevator stopped smoothly at the thirty-third floor. The doors slid open, and Tang Yu exited, walking toward the head office. Encounterings staff along the way, they would halt their steps to greet him respectfully.

Passing the office area, Tang Yu recalled speaking with Gloria at their usual spot a few days prior, where she had inquired about David's situation during his internship with Arasaka's Counter-Intelligence. She wondered if David had caused any trouble for Tang Yu at work. At the time, Tang Yu couldn't recall the specifics of David's tasks and only remembered his tired appearance, indicating the work was somewhat hard. He had assured Gloria that David was doing quite well, showing diligence and enthusiasm. But to speak the truth, Tang Yu didn't know much about David or have the time to understand every employee's specifics in Counter-Intelligence. 

Slowing his pace, he scanned the open office area, looking for David. Suddenly, the bustling atmosphere subsided, and everyone paused their work to look at Tang Yu, wondering why he was inspecting the office like a lion surveying its territory—an action they hadn't seen before.

After a half-minute scan, Tang Yu finally found his target—David Martinez, who was seated towards the back of the office area among younger female colleagues, apparently fitting in well and engaged in gossip. The moment Tang Yu arrived, the gossip circle ceased, and David immediately straightened up, turning flustered when he became the focus of Tang Yu's attention. Confused and embarrassed, David pretended to work diligently. The whole office sensed Tang Yu's focus on David, and he became the center of attention, a situation that flustered him to the point that he blushed deeply.

Once Tang Yu moved on towards the head office, leaving David in relief, the atmosphere returned to normal, but the focus remained on David. The flirtatious colleague with the short skirt glided over to David, resting a hand on his shoulder, asking teasingly if he and Tang Yu were close, given his apparent interest. David, overwhelmed by the situation and his coworkers' teasing, was called to the head office.

Arriving outside the head office, passing through security checks, David entered the luxurious yet oppressive office. It was his first time there, and he approached Tang Yu in the meeting area with politeness. Tang Yu had called David in to understand his progress since it reflected on his recommendation.

David seated himself carefully on the sofa, aware of his surroundings and maintaining his work-place demeanor. Tang Yu initiated conversation to put him at ease, aware that David was still adjusting to the department and the company.

Sasha brought two cups of warm clear water, placing one in front of Tang Yu and handing the other to David.

David quickly lifted his head, took the cup with both hands, and thanked her.

He then sipped the water, covertly glancing at Tang Yu from the corner of his eye.

Noticing Tang Yu staring at him, his hands involuntarily shook.

Fortunately, the cup was only half full, and the water did not spill, but this still made David cough nervously.

Tang Yu thought to himself that the mother and son were indeed cut from the same cloth, even their way of drinking tea was similar.

"Do you not like drinking plain water? I have some flavored drinks too, you can try those," offered Tang Yu.

Sasha, holding a tray, placed several bottles of drinks in front of David, including the Dumb Dumb Monkey, especially positioning one directly in front of him with the green monkey head staring straight at him.

David quickly waved his hand in gratitude: "No, thank you...plain water is fine, I'm not used to drinking sweet beverages."

Tang Yu, seeing that David was nervous, took a closer look and noticed that David's features had become much more pronounced and he had an air of confidence. He casually asked, "How do you find your work these days?"

David quickly replied, "Mr. Tang, I feel pretty good, the work atmosphere in the department is quite harmonious."

Tang Yu was not surprised by this comment, knowing that the harmonious atmosphere in the counterintelligence department was because everyone was aware that David was his recommendation.

Furthermore, as an intern, David was not involved in issues of departmental disputes or competition for positions.

"It seems you're getting along well with them," Tang Yu noted.

David immediately realized what Tang Yu implied, hinting at his involvement in chatting with a few female colleagues about gossip.

His already nervous heart grew more flustered.

His mind raced to guess Tang Yu's intentions—was he being reprimanded for neglecting his work or for delving into matters he shouldn't pry into?

For a moment, David was at a loss for words and didn't know how to respond.

Tang Yu wasn't criticizing him but merely making idle conversation. To his surprise, it made David more anxious, and he couldn't help but smile wryly.

"If there's nothing else, you can go back to your work. Getting to know your colleagues and the department better is a good thing," Tang Yu suggested nonchalantly.

David, given permission by Tang Yu, didn't feel relieved; on the contrary, he panicked even more, nodded hastily to show he understood, and left the office.

Tang Yu watched as David left with a heavy expression, wondering if he should have initiated the conversation, which seemed to have depressed him even though his intentions were only to understand David's job status.

After leaving the director's office, David kept thinking about the few words he had with Tang Yu, almost bumping into a colleague in his distraction.

"I'm sorry, my apologies," David blurted out, snapping back to reality and apologizing profusely.

Instead of returning to his desk, he headed to the restroom, faced himself in the mirror, and pondered, "What did Mr. Tang mean by asking about my work? Does he have some purpose?"

David carefully reviewed his work, which he had completed on time.

"Could it be because I chat during work hours?" he wondered.

After thinking it over, it seemed the only possibility; perhaps his gossiping had reached Tang Yu.

David felt a hint of relief; luckily, he had only ever listened during the gossip and had never commented on anything related to Tang Yu.

He splashed water on his face, and droplets trickled down his chin.

After drying his face with a couple of tissue papers and tossing them into the trash can, he felt a bit more clear-headed and decided to leave the restroom and return to his desk.

Passing by the reception area, he noticed three tattooed individuals inquiring about something.

He slowed down, overhearing that they seemed to want to visit Tang Yu.

David recognized the men's dress style and tattoos, which seemed to belong to the Tiger Claw Gang.

Though curious, he understood it wasn't his business to meddle in, and he walked back to his desk.

The ladies at work saw David return so quickly and gathered around, trying to pry into what had been discussed in the director's office.

Faced with the pressure of his female colleagues, David staunchly kept his lips sealed, which only made them even more intrigued.

Meanwhile, in the director's office, Tang Yu sat on the couch, checked the time, and decided to head home as there was nothing requiring his attention today.

Before he could stand up, Sasha approached with a tablet and reported earnestly, "Mr. Tang, there are visitors waiting at the reception."

"The Tiger Claw Gang, they've requested appointments several times before."

"They came to visit the Arasaka Counterintelligence Department today, probably knowing about the meeting."

Tang Yu nodded slightly.

The meeting of senior executives at Arasaka Tower was not a secret and could be known with little investigation.

Each department head in Night City was required to attend the meeting, and Tang Yu was no exception.

Since Tang Yu wasn't always present in the director's office, it had been difficult for many to reach him, rendering such appointments mostly futile.

Smartly, the Tiger Claw Gang seized the opportunity to 'corner' him.

As for the reason for the visit—

At that time, it was likely about the incident at the basement server room of Lizzie's Bar.

Two Tiger Claw Gang enforcers had acted recklessly without recognizing Tang Yu's identity, leading to their punishment of having three fingers cut off.

This punishment followed gang rules and was lenient by Tang Yu's standards.

Had Tang Yu truly harbored killer intent, those Tiger Claw members would have no room for negotiation even if they ended up dead.

The Tiger Claw Gang practices a strict hierarchy, which establishes their authority.

Tang Yu, in fact, was curious to see the Tiger Claw Gang members in person as he had previously encountered their leader only in physical confrontations, never truly knowing him.

Following Tang Yu's cue, Sasha let the reception know to allow entry, and guided by the front desk, three Tiger Claw Gang members arrived at the director's office door.

During a security scan, they were found carrying a considerable number of advanced combat implants, and one of them, the leading member, possessed a katana.

Sasha didn't immediately open the door; she asked if she should confiscate the katana first and prepared to hack their implants to prevent any sudden hostility.

Tang Yu declined Sasha's precaution, stating with confidence that this was Arasaka Tower, and the Tiger Claw Gang wouldn't dare to make a move indiscriminately, instructing her to open the door.

The office gates slowly opened, and the three Tiger Claw members stepped inside, greeted Tang Yu respectfully upon seeing him in the lounge area, and moved closer to stand.

"Mr. Tang."

"My Lord."

Tang Yu recognized the three; two of them are the ones he had encountered in the basement server room, the thugs he had slapped, whose lower faces had been replaced with metal due to severe injuries necessitating surgery.

The leading Tiger Claw member, one of their faction's bosses, sported a samurai topknot, dressed in a wine-red suit, maintaining eye level with a leader's presence.

The two enforcers behind him bowed with utmost respect.

The Tiger Claw Gang's high-ranking officials in Night City are several, each administering different aspects of business without clear distinctions, typically deferring to the person centrally orchestrating the gang's affairs.

For instance, the bald, tattooed individual responsible for the gang's strength usually handles violent disputes, collects rent, and protection fees, and engages in turf wars with rival gangs.

The man in red attire before him presumably headed the Tiger Claw faction's operations within Night City.

Despite being nominally inferior to Tang Yu, he adhered to the Kyoto Tiger Claw headquarters rather than Night City's Arasaka Tower, thus simply addressing Tang Yu formally.

"Mr. Tang, greetings, I am here particularly to apologize on behalf of the two men and their reckless actions," the Tiger Claw leader stated as he presented a long box containing the katana.

Tang Yu nodded slightly, instructing him to place the sword on the table and motioning for him to take a seat.

The Tiger Claw leader set the sword box on the table, then sat across from Tang Yu, gesturing at the two members behind him.

The two Tiger Claw members apologized earnestly once more, expressing their sincere regret.

"Sir, we are sorry. Please forgive our rashness."

Tang Yu took a sip of tea, indifferent to their apologies.

In Kyoto, apologizing is commonplace, a mere ritual.

Even now, they might apologize earnestly, but once outside, they wouldn't hesitate to revert to their usual behavior.

Make no mistake, the Tiger Claw Gang's apparent subservience was only because of Tang Yu's position—if someone else dared to lay hands on their members, the gang would retaliate without hesitation.

Tang Yu inquired in a serious tone, "Lately, the Tiger Claw Gang has been quite active; I've even heard whispers about it. When conducting those matters, you should be more mindful of the implications."

The Tiger Claw leader nodded immediately, having come precisely for this reason.

Their conflict with the Moxes was intensifying, and they feared repeating past mistakes.

After their previous encounter in the server room and assuming Tang Yu had taken an interest in Lizzie's ladies, they considered this an opportunity to foster relations.

"Your point is well taken, Mr. Tang, and we will keep it close to heart," the leader affirmed.

After making his statement, he observed Tang Yu's expression, which bore no sign of impatience. Thus, he decided to continue, "Actually, I humbly request a favor from Mr. Tang, if you would lend me your ear."

Tang Yu anticipated his underlying motive; a lot of winding talk was typically a precursor to an ulterior agenda.

To hold his current position within the Tiger Claw Gang, one couldn't afford to be a pushover.

"Go ahead."

The Tiger Claw leader looked up earnestly, "We would like to ask for Mr. Tang's help in resolving an intelligence issue concerning the Moxes."

Tang Yu had a hunch about their intention—Tiger Claw was planning a major move against the Moxes, but fearful of triggering retaliatory campaigns like last time.

The Tiger Claw leader recognized the strength of resources in Tang Yu's hands; as long as Arasaka was willing to use their intelligence assets, discrediting the Moxes or crippling their operations could be easily achieved.

Even if the mainstream media narrative couldn't be controlled, the underground intelligence networks were domains where Arasaka held influence.

The Tiger Claw had long expressed interest in the cyberware from Lizzie's Bar and the bevy of quality ladies there.

Given that Lizzie's owner, Susie, was a weak leader, they were open to having her continue as a figurehead should she comply.

But before they could act on the Moxes, they had to navigate the moral landscape, creating several intelligence incidents unfavorable to the Moxes and spreading negative news through diverse channels.

Only then could the Tiger Claw openly overhaul Lizzie's Bar.

To succeed, they needed Arasaka's top-brass support and had already secured backing from departments like R&D and PR. Now, they only needed Tang Yu's nod.

With his approval, both the Counterintelligence and Special Operations departments would lend their support, significantly bolstering the Tiger Claw's chances of success.

The genuine crux of the Tiger Claw's fear of the Moxes was never about strength or manpower; the key factor was reputation.

Following the original Lizzie's incident, the Tiger Claw were vilified to the point that their enterprises suffered dramatically, with long-established businesses being looted and shut down, forcing the gang to shrink significantly.

Had Arasaka not reemerged in Night City, it's uncertain whether Tiger Claw would still have a foothold in the city, underscoring the notoriety of the Moxes' tenacity.

Ever since its inception, Kabuki has been under Tiger Claw's reign. Now, Lizzie's Bar stood as a thorn in their side, a discomfort they eagerly wished to remove.

The longer they dallied, the more arduous it became as the Moxes grew in strength and Lizzie's popularity soared.

Without an immediate answer from Tang Yu, it seemed he had ascertained the Tiger Claw's connection to the disappearing map.

Not only were the ladies around Lizzie's growing anxious, but even the Moxes felt danger looming, knowing that any day, they themselves could vanish.

"Your gang's affairs are not the company's concern," Tang Yu spoke.

"To utilize the company's resources for your endeavors, Ms. Michiko Arasaka must agree."

"And as I understand, you seem to be rather disobedient."

Hearing Michiko's name, the Tiger Claw leader rose, eagerly clarifying, "We have no such intentions, serving under Ms. Michiko is our honor."

Tang Yu nodded slightly, "As long as you abide by that sentiment, I'll take the initiative this time and provisionally accept on behalf of Ms. Michiko."

"But should you fail in your tasks, weigh the consequences."

The Tiger Claw leader bowed once more, promising thorough compliance.

Tang Yu waved them away, signaling that they could leave.

After the meeting, the Tiger Claw leader left with his enforcers, bowing out carefully from the office.

Tang Yu, now alone, contemplated that their proposition had possibly made things more interesting. The Tiger Claw had brought the opportunity right to his doorstep.

Upon the conclusion of the discussion, Sasha approached and pointed to the katana on the table, asking, "Mr. Tang, how should we deal with this sword?"

Tang Yu asked Sasha to bring the sword over for a closer look.

Unwrapping the cloth cover, Sasha removed the sword from its box and presented it to Tang Yu with both hands, the blade gleaming coldly.

Tang Yu glanced at the well-sharpened blade of decent quality.

"Hang it on the wall rack," he directed.

"Perhaps one day it might prove useful."