Chapter 68
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Chapter 68
The next day, Tang Yu got up early as usual. The smart home system commenced its daily routine: curtains opened, hot water readied, and a voice broadcast began, initiating the automation process. Tang Yu then brushed his teeth and washed his face.
After the smart home system finished updating him on the weather and traffic, it continued to report unread work messages.
"You have received an unread text message from Meredith Stout of Militech."
"You have received three bank transfer notifications from Arasaka Corporation's finance department."
"You have a message left by the reception of Arasaka Corporation's special operations department."
"Your subscription to Night City Perspective has updated with a new issue..."
After freshening up, Tang Yu returned to the living room and put on his 'Dragon Fist' glasses.
"I didn't expect to wake up to so many messages," he mused as he skimmed through them. Aunt May sent a congratulatory text with a little smiling emoji at the end. Tang Yu promptly replied, "Looking forward to our next cooperation."
Originally planning to rest at home today, the unexpected transfer alerts caught his attention— all from the finance department of Arasaka. Upon closer inspection, the funds were already deposited into his personal electronic account. One was a task allowance for completing the Militech Sandevistan's human performance data collection. Another was a reimbursement for medical expenses—12,000 Eurodollars—for Gloria and her son's hospitalization following a car accident. The last was a six-month extra bonus for the entire staff of the counter-intelligence department, calculated based on the department's basic monthly salary. Together, the payments nearly totaled 120,000 Eurodollars, a substantial sum.
A thought struck him— as the deputy director of two different departments, shouldn't he be receiving double the salary? At Arasaka, it was customary to pay according to the highest position held in instances of dual roles. However, he wasn't holding a high position and a low one concurrently but rather had the same rank in two different departments, essentially working two jobs. Receiving a single deputy director's salary didn't add up; he'd need to consult with HR and the finance department on this matter.
As his thoughts on salary began to diverge, he suddenly remembered Jenkins mentioning a surprise planned for today. The message from the special operations department's reception was informing him that his deputy director's office had been set up.
"I guess I have to show up for work today, no matter what," he decided.
After a simple breakfast dressed in a well-tailored suit uniform paired with Dragon Fist black-framed glasses, Tang Yu set out from his home. Some fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the Arasaka Tower, on the thirty-third floor of the counter-intelligence department. As he stepped out of the public elevator, colleagues warmly greeted him with congratulations and good mornings. Some, including a female subordinate in a uniform skirt, sought an opportunity to report to him in person, but Tang Yu declined all offers.
His return to Arasaka Tower had already attracted considerable attention; now more so with the board's promotion. Many saw this as an opportunity to forge connections, while others harbored ulterior motives. The office politics of the Arasaka Tower were like monkeys climbing a tree—smiling faces belied the competitiveness beneath.
Instead of proceeding to his office, Tang Yu went to the department's reception desk.
"Is Mr. Jenkins in his office?"
The receptionist promptly rose and politely replied, "Good morning, Mr. Tang. Yes, Mr. Jenkins is in his office, but he has a meeting in ten minutes. If you need to see him, please do so soon."
Tang Yu nodded in acknowledgment and headed straight for the office of Director Jenkins.He arrived at the office's glass door and entered the corridor, where two scanners emitted blue light waves to check his identity. After confirmation, the mechanical gates slid open from the middle to both sides.
Arthur Jenkins was busy sorting out files in the office when he saw that it was Tang Yu who was visiting. After copying the meeting materials onto a chip, he stood up and said, "Tang, you've come at the perfect time. The surprise I've prepared for you has already arrived."
Tang Yu was also curious. What kind of surprise could a wealthy bachelor in his forties have thought up for him?
Jenkins picked up the data chip, then inserted it into the biometric data slot on his neck, and continued. "For your dual role as deputy head of two departments, I am truly happy for you. Your achievements under my watch are there for all to see. I've been wanting to give you a gift, but couldn't decide on what would be appropriate. You often take public transport to and from work, and you're single. So, take this."
With that, Jenkins reached into his suit lining and pulled out a metallic chip card, roughly the size of an identity card and gleaming with a deep golden luster. Most conspicuous was a capital 'R' in the middle of the card. Rayfield?
Almost instantly, Tang Yu recognized this chip as the exclusive authentication chip for Rayfield vehicles. Having once collected various luxury cars and stored them in his garage, he had a rather strong impression of them. Rayfield, a globally renowned car manufacturer, only produces high-end supercars for the wealthy.
Seeing that Tang Yu was unimpressed, Jenkins laughed and explained his intentions. "With this blue beast, flirting with girls will be a lot easier. Luxury cars and beautiful women – that's what suits your current status. Don't be shy. If you really want to thank me, just keep bringing me such pleasant surprises."
Tang Yu could see Jenkins was in high spirits, seemingly in a very good mood lately. It seemed that stomping down Abernathy had restored Jenkins' confidence, and his generosity had increased accordingly. Not wanting to snub his former boss, Tang Yu accepted the Rayfield vehicle authentication chip.
As they walked to the office door, Jenkins shared the car's history. "The previous owner was the CEO of Yorinobu's company. He gave me a friendly price, considering he owed me a favor. I'm in a hurry for a meeting now, the car is parked in the Arasaka's underground garage. You can go validate it and take the car whenever you're free."
This was a surprise to Tang Yu, not expecting that Jenkins' surprise would be a luxury car. However, in his past life as a top hacker, making money was never a problem. He also had vehicles like the Rayfield Aegis among other luxury supercars.
Having tired of them, he had chosen to commute by train, to experience life in Night City. Perhaps this was what they mean by 'simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.'
So, facing the luxury car Jenkins offered to win him over, Tang Yu could only consider it a surprise, but not particularly exciting. However, on his current dual director's salary, buying a Rayfield would still be difficult, beyond full purchase.
The value of a dual director was never in the salary—it was the power held that was key. With a word of agreement from him, the line of people wanting to gift luxury cars and precious items would stretch from the Arasaka tower lobby to the office at level thirty-three.
As a world-class leading corporation, Arasaka's business spans the globe with profits unimaginable. Holding power in Arasaka meant holding wealth and all resources at one's disposal. A Rayfield was merely a toy for someone in power.