In theory, Arasaka's Intelligence Division and Counterintelligence Division had clearly divided responsibilities—the former focused on external threats, the latter on internal ones. But in practice, both departments vied for dominance. Their functions overlapped so frequently that their relationship had devolved into a de facto rivalry.
Take the Night City branch, for example. Almost every Intelligence Director and Counterintelligence Director ended up becoming bitter enemies. Each hoped to eliminate the other. The bitter feud between Jenkins and Abernathy was merely the latest episode in a long-standing "glorious tradition" of internal conflict.
In this round of their power struggle, Jenkins had clearly gained the upper hand. He had found Abernathy's weak spot and was pressing on it mercilessly.
Arasaka Tower – Intelligence Division
Minister Abernathy was in a full-blown rage.
"You useless idiots! You can't even handle a simple assignment? I told you to capture the target, and you turned it into an all-out street war with Militech! Was I unclear, or are you just brain-dead?! 'Capture' and 'eliminate'—do those words sound the same to you!?"
Several section chiefs stood frozen, their heads bowed, receiving her wrath without a word.
"And as if picking a fight with Militech wasn't enough, you actually lost! Two senior operatives couldn't even handle a lone merc and got themselves killed. Not only that—you let the entire team get wiped out! If the security department hadn't arrived in time, we wouldn't even have bodies to recover. Oh, wait—I overestimated you. You only retrieved a third of the remains. The rest are now lying in Militech's morgue! Do you have any idea how much intel we've just lost?!"
All the section chiefs could do was keep bowing and mumbling, "Hontoni sumimasen."
"Enough! Instead of bowing, you should be thinking about how to distance us from this disaster. There's no way we're taking the fall for this mess..."
One of the section chiefs cautiously offered, "Our people spotted Jenkins' men in Crescent Street. Maybe we could..."
Abernathy shot him a glare. "Are you sleep-deprived, or am I? This entire impeachment was initiated by Jenkins. You think he wouldn't have left himself a safety net?"
"Then maybe we expose how Jenkins' team failed to support us during the operation. Drag him down with us..."
Originally, Abernathy had been prepared to survive the board's questioning. But she hadn't anticipated Jenkins acquiring footage from Crescent Street. What was supposed to be a manageable inquiry had become a noose around her neck.
"Minister Abernathy, you're requested to report to Conference Room 6 immediately."
She shot a venomous glare at her incompetent subordinates. For now, the priority was surviving the inquiry. There would be time for retribution later.
---
Inside Arasaka's Boardroom
Michiko Arasaka projected all the data from the Crescent Street operation onto the boardroom's holographic display.
"Esteemed board members, this is the complete report on the Crescent Street incident. Due to Minister Abernathy's poor leadership, the operation resulted in considerable losses for Arasaka. That is a fact."
One of the board members leaned on his hand and asked Abernathy, "Minister Abernathy, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Abernathy recognized him. He was a known supporter of Michiko Arasaka.
"Board members, this operation failed due to uncontrollable external factors. Before Militech intervened, our entire plan was structured strictly around a capture mission. The operation's details were tightly secured. That Militech could intervene suggests there was a leak. We in the Intelligence Division believe a spy may have..."
The board member tapped his desk impatiently. "Did the operation fail?"
"Yes."
"Did it result in major losses for Arasaka?"
"Yes."
"Did the street battle on Crescent Street damage Arasaka's public image?"
"Yes."
"And finally, was there any contingency for intervention by outside forces?"
"No, but—"
"Then what more is there to say? Arasaka values accountability. What we don't value is employees who pass the buck after major screw-ups."
Just as the atmosphere reached its boiling point, Jenkins slowly stood up to speak.
"Board members, as head of Counterintelligence, I would like to bring forward a new accusation. We have reason to believe that Minister Abernathy was involved in the intelligence leak behind this operation."
The board members erupted in hushed discussions. Even Michiko Arasaka frowned. Jenkins had not informed her of this beforehand. His decision to escalate at the last moment was entirely his own.
Another board member asked, "Minister Jenkins, you understand this is a very serious accusation?"
Jenkins nodded confidently. "Of course. I stand by my claim."
The board members tapped open the video file Jenkins had provided.
"I don't get it. I understand why we're staking out this area, but why are we also watching our own guys?"
"Minister Abernathy's orders. Shut up and do your job."
Abernathy's face turned ashen.
Jenkins continued, "Our operatives received a tip that the intermediary in Crescent Street held critical information about the leak. But on their way there, they were already being tailed by Intelligence Division operatives. When they reached the location, the intermediary was already dead—and Intelligence agents were searching the area."
Looking at the board members' expressions, Abernathy knew she was doomed.
The board discussed quietly for a moment.
Michiko Arasaka then said, "Board members, if there are no objections, I will—"
"Wait. I object."
Everyone in the room stood and bowed deeply to the new arrival.
"Lord Arasaka Raishō."
Raishō stepped into the conference room.
"Please be seated, everyone. I believe the board may not yet have the full picture."
He walked up beside Michiko Arasaka. The board member sitting beside her immediately gave up his seat. Michiko Arasaka was visibly surprised by his appearance.
"Uncle, why are you here?"
"I'm still a member of this board, am I not?"
She knew that was merely an excuse. Raishō had never shown much interest in company politics—until now.
Raishō addressed the board. "Everyone, just now, a contact inside Militech forwarded us a new report regarding the Crescent Street incident."
A document appeared in the holographic display. It was Militech's internal autopsy report.
"Please take a look. According to this report, the intermediary died no later than 1:30 p.m. But Arasaka records show that our operatives entered Crescent Street at 2:00 p.m. That's a 30-minute gap. Furthermore, the Intelligence Division claims they deployed their agents in response to a last-minute tip."
He continued, "Our informant also retrieved a partial audio file recovered from the bodies of the two operatives we lost."
The audio played.
"Picked up two signals. One's human. The other's just a heartbeat. Probably a decoy…"
Raishō waited for the board members to finish reviewing the evidence.
"This suggests that the intermediary was likely killed by a Militech operative before our people even arrived. The leak probably occurred because that operative remained on the scene long enough to ambush our agents. The strike against our people was carried out by Militech's backup team."
"But the report doesn't specify the identity of the attacker."
Raishō responded, "I have faith in our tech. Losing two elite agents in such a short span could only mean one thing—Militech sent one of their top operatives."
The skeptical board member nodded and sat down in agreement.
The board resumed discussions and quickly reached a consensus.
Raishō clapped his hands gently.
"Board members, if there are no objections, I will now announce our decision regarding Minister Abernathy."
"The losses were primarily due to Militech gaining the upper hand. Minister Abernathy deployed her agents in an effort to protect Arasaka's interests. Although time was short, she failed to coordinate with other departments and acted recklessly. Therefore, I propose canceling her bonus for this fiscal year and requiring her division to compensate for all technical equipment lost."
One of Raishō's supporters asked, "Isn't that too lenient?"
"If we start punishing employees for setbacks they had no real way of avoiding, it will only hurt the company's long-term development."
He glanced around the room.
"If there are no objections, then this inquiry hearing is adjourned."
---
Outside the Boardroom
Most of the board members had already left. Michiko Arasaka and Jenkins didn't linger. Only Abernathy and Raishō remained near the doorway.
Abernathy bowed. "Lord Raishō."
He said calmly, "You were lucky today. Someone bailed you out. But there won't be a next time."
Before Abernathy could reply, Raishō turned and walked away.
She straightened up and watched him disappear down the hallway. Then, she stormed off toward the Intelligence Division, her steps thunderous with anger. The hearing might be over, but now it was time for her to teach her subordinates a very painful lesson.