"Master Saburo, the integrity experiment of the Relic technology was a success!"
On the Moon, in Arasaka Base, in a private underground convalescence room, Arasaka Saburo slowly opened his eyes.
The high-ranking Agent Arasaka in an Arasaka suit looked at Saburo, unable to hide his joy.
Even with such good news, the wrinkled face of Arasaka Saburo remained calm. He nodded lightly, his voice slightly hoarse, "Understood, let me know when the results of the repetitive tests are out."
"Miss Hanako also sent new information to you." Agent Arasaka bowed slightly, then said, "Recently, there have been multiple network fluctuations on the Moon. Over in New America, Miles is still in Night City and hasn't left. No concrete intelligence has come in yet."
Arasaka Saburo slowly sat up from his sleep pod. The high-tech sleep pod not only ensured the quality of his sleep but also slowed the aging of his frail body as much as possible.
Agent Arasaka respectfully placed the daily medication and water next to him, and as Saburo leisurely got up, the agent instinctively helped him into his kimono.
"Understood."
Arasaka Saburo swallowed all the necessary daily medications with warm water, feeling a constant sense of disgust with his current life.
To extend his life, the now over-a-century-old Arasaka Saburo had to spend most of his year in various convalescent facilities. Among them, the Arasaka Moon Base was one of the longest stays each year.
Daily medication, regular check-ups, and even injections of various drugs and replacement of artificial organs to maintain vital signs—this lifestyle barely possessed any quality of life.
Yet, surprisingly, Arasaka Saburo was in a good mood today. After taking his medication, he had a rare breakfast and then sat on the sofa, picked up the tablet, and dialed a familiar number.
"Hanako."
"Father."
On the phone, Arasaka Hanako's voice was filled with respect.
"How are things on Yoshinobu's side?"
"Everything is normal, and none of the anticipated incidents have occurred." Arasaka Hanako spoke cautiously, "Our spies in Internet Supervision have not provided any valuable intelligence."
"Cautious, hesitant, foolishly naive, that's what's most disappointing about Yoshinobu." Arasaka Saburo harshly criticized Arasaka Yoshinobu, then curiously asked, "Is Miles still in Dog Town?"
"Yes." Arasaka Hanako's tone had a trace of guilt, "Our agents have repeatedly tried to infiltrate, or use other means to monitor Dog Town, but ever since Mercer took over, that place has been extremely hard to penetrate..."
"Takemura can't do anything either?" Arasaka Saburo raised the teacup and took a small sip.
"Yes, currently Dog Town is almost filled with various unmanned devices, likely defended dynamically by a high-intelligence AI, leaving virtually no surveillance blind spots..."
After Hanako finished speaking, Arasaka Saburo just shook his head and then said, "Never mind that for now... You heard about the success in Tokyo regarding the Relic experiments, right?"
"Yes, Father, I've already urged them to proceed with repetitive tests. As long as the integrity of this technology can be verified and there's no adverse condition observed in the recipients afterwards, your rebirth can be scheduled."
After Arasaka Hanako finished, she paused and asked, "How are you feeling today? When can you come home?"
"Alright, focus on your work; there's no need to worry about me." Arasaka Saburo avoided discussing it further, only stating, "Today is the memory synchronization day. As per usual, you'll have to personally oversee it."
"Yes, Father." With those words, Arasaka Hanako bowed slightly in the video, "I will be waiting for your instructions at the Divine Chariot."
After saying only a few words, Arasaka Saburo already felt tired. He ended the video call, sipped some tea, then leaned back against the chair and began reviewing Arasaka Group's various business briefs and intelligence reports.
Unlike companies such as Military Science and Biotech, Arasaka, though termed as a company, was essentially structured more like a feudal empire where Arasaka acted as the patriarch, the emperor, while others were merely ministers and aides.
Everyday, Arasaka Saburo, like an emperor reviewing memorials, checked, approved, and audited all business operations and progress. Even handling basic public affairs every time took him an entire morning.
He had become accustomed to this high-intensity work life over nearly a century.
After completing the fundamental tasks, Arasaka Saburo wearily pressed the button beside his desk.
Soon, a professional team of medical staff and agents arrived to prepare for his afternoon nap, providing lunch and medical check-ups.
"Prepare the rocket for me. I've spent enough time on the Moon; it's time to return for a look."
After issuing his command, everyone nodded immediately, saying, "Yes!"
"Oh, by the way, there's also the memory backup today, so schedule it appropriately," Arasaka Saburo added. The others immediately started following his instructions.
The Arasaka Moon Base appeared as calm and unchanged as always today.
However, amidst this seemingly peaceful ambiance, the silent terror wrought by the Black Light Virus was stealthily spreading.
...
"Hey, Izumi, what the hell is going on? Why was today's equipment inspection delayed by ten minutes compared to usual?"