Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 178 37. Sakura Petals

"what?"

This was Carl's first reaction after hearing Haruko's proposal.

Personal bodyguard?

Wait a moment.

The brain has to understand the meaning of the word first.

Guard means to protect the guards, and close means to be close to, to be close to, to follow around, and together they mean.
The protection personnel following him.

Understood.

"I reject."

Without hesitation, after analyzing the meaning of the word, Carl rejected it cleanly.

This performance made Carl feel the burning and sharp gaze coming from behind even more intense, but Haruko Arasaka in front of him showed an unexpected expression.

"As expected, you will refuse."

Arasaka Haruko showed an expression that was either regretful or understanding: "You are just like what Mr. Kenichi Shiro said, an eagle that is difficult to restrain and hard to stop."

"Has Mr. Kenichi Shiro ever said that to me again?"

Carl turned his head to look at Kenichi Shiro and found that he had turned his head away, as if he had noticed his gaze and avoided it in advance.

"But if you call it a hawk, it's not a description that's particularly difficult to restrain."

Carl felt that this description was problematic: "There were many falconers in the past."

"So-called eagle training, right? I've seen relevant training."

Haruko didn't know why, but the topic was naturally led to the side by Carl. Just when she was feeling happy and was about to discuss something related to eagles with Carl, she heard Kenichi Shiro, who had been paying attention to this side, cough from the door.

"Cough cough."

The cough was like a reminder, bringing Haruko back to her senses from the topic that had deviated from her focus.

"excuse me."

After restraining the inappropriately happy expression on her face, Haruko regained her gentle expression and made a second suggestion to Carl: "So, Carl, are you willing to accept my funding as a cooperative mercenary and help me deal with some family affairs involving the company at a critical moment?"

It's so open and aboveboard, directly talking about the company's internal affairs. No, for Haruko Arasaka, the company's internal affairs might really be family affairs.

"Funding, what kind of term is that?"

Carl was somewhat interested in this suggestion, but he didn't know what form it would take.

It was obvious that Haruko Arasaka had already prepared for this. She just reported one person's name and Carl understood.

"Morgan Blackhand."

"I see."

Morgan Blackhand, the legend among legends, the king of mercenaries, is well known in the industry. Although he is a famous lone wolf mercenary, he also receives funding from military technology. In some key tasks, he often becomes the deciding factor in military technology. For example, during the Fourth Corporate War, the nuclear explosion of Arasaka Tower was the last straw that broke the camel's back for Arasaka. Morgan Blackhand was involved in that incident.

[The Fourth Corporate War]: It originated from the competition between CINO and OTEC, two offshore oil development giants, for the acquisition of the third company IHA. It was followed by a global war led by Militech and Arasaka Corporation. It ended with the nuclear explosion of Arasaka Tower in Night City, confirming the tragic victory of Militech.

[Arasaka Tower Nuclear Explosion]: An event marked by the nuclear explosion of Arasaka Tower, the only remaining stronghold of Arasaka in America, by a tactical team led by Militech. It is rumored that legendary lone wolf Morgan Blackhand, Shirazaka Takeno, legendary middleman Rogue, legendary rock kid Johnny Silverhand, legendary hacker Spider Murphy and many others participated in it with the support of Militech. Although Arasaka's security personnel led by Adam Hammer tried to stop the incident, the nuclear explosion was successful in the end and Militech won.

Recalling the lively event that took place on August 2023, 8 California time, Carl understood what Haruko meant.

"You want me to be a pawn at a critical moment?"

"That's it."

Haruko said this openly without any disguise or covering up.

"Working for Arasaka?"

"No, it's for me."

Haruko corrected Carl's words.

"It's for me. For Arasaka Haruko."

After a moment of silence, Carl spoke:
“What support can I get?”

"If you want, I can get you all the latest Arasaka gear you want."

“Who might the target be?”

"Military Technology, Kang Tao, Night Style, Biotech, it could be any company, including my family in Arasaka, of course."

Haruko chuckled, "I don't need to target ordinary people on the street."

"Reason?" After Carl asked this question, he heard the footsteps of Kenichi Shiro behind him, as if this question had triggered something and Carl could not ask any more questions.

But before Kenichi Shiro came over, Haruko answered without hesitation:

"Because I don't like either eagles or chicks."

Eagle, chick?
Feeling the footsteps that had stopped behind him, Carl asked, "Are you a pigeon?"

Dove is Haruko Arasaka's mother, the name of Michiko Arasaka's faction within Arasaka. Most of the members of this faction are Michiko Arasaka's subordinates inherited from her father Kei Arasaka in America. Their political demand within Arasaka is to deeply reform the company and integrate America into it by peaceful means.

"I'm not."

The words were still spoken without any hesitation.

"I'm not just any bird."

Haruko said.

"I'm Haruko, Arasaka Haruko."

Do political demands belong only to oneself?
He disobeys Saburo Arasaka, disagrees with Nobuo Arasaka, and even doesn't want to follow the path of his mother Michiko Arasaka.

This gesture.

As expected, he is a member of the Arasaka family.

"I now realize that your last name is Arasaka."

“That’s why I have such awareness.”

Haruko likes her first and last name very much.

“That’s why I want to change the world.”

It is because of this position that one can do so, and it is because of this thinking that one can have such awareness.

"What do you want to do?"

Karl’s attitude towards this girl with eyes like stars has become serious.

"I want to become the master of Arasaka first."

There is no concealed ambition.

Why.

Why do you?

Are you the only one who doesn't even have enough protection personnel when facing an assassination?

Do you think you need to recruit a street mercenary like me?
Why.

Why.
Carl knew why.

Just based on this surname.

It is because of this surname that I can be determined to do certain things. It is because of this surname that I can be determined to do certain things.

Carl thought of a story about Arasaka Nobuyuki, who once left Arasaka and formed his own organization, wanting to overthrow his family's absolute rule in Japan.

Are all members of the Arasaka family so rebellious and ambitious?

A chick imprisoned in a cage cannot fly, but a pigeon can push open the cage and fly, and an eagle soars in the sky.

It was a sunny day in the sky.

A child born on a sunny day is called Haruko.

Carl understood Haruko's ambition.

But he had one last question.

"Why, choose to believe me."

About this question.

There is nothing to hesitate about, and there is nothing to delay about.

Haruko just said something that Carl was very familiar with and had said before.

"Countless cherry blossom petals fell from the cherry tree, but this one petal happened to float into the arms of someone who saved her."

just
"He just happens to be here."

(End of this chapter)