The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 50: New America! Loyalty!

"Lucy, it's fine. Maybe you're just overthinking it," Rebecca said as she walked over to Lucy, holding her hand to comfort her.

Dorio, too, reached out with her large hand to hug Lucy, saying, "Don't worry, Lucy. With Mr. Li Ang and everyone here, no matter what happens, we'll be safe."

Kiwi, standing to the side with her arms crossed, remained indifferent. Her expressionless face betrayed no emotions; she had long grown accustomed to dealing with sudden catastrophes. No matter how bad things got, to her, the worst was merely death.

"I hope so."

Lucy's eyes reflected deep unease.

Li Ang took in the scene silently, his gaze observing Lucy's apprehension. He knew that nothing happened without warning. If Lucy had a bad feeling, he needed to prepare in advance.

Whether it was for his own safety or for the security of the Mann team, Li Ang had to tread carefully.

"Starting today, everyone is to stay within the company headquarters. We won't venture out until this issue with Johnny is resolved," Li Ang instructed.

After speaking, Li Ang glanced at the system panel of the AI Red Queen. The time had come to summon his secret weapon and deliver a stunning AI spectacle to everyone!

---

Washington, D.C., New America, Military-Tech Headquarters.

"Damn Trauma Team! Damn Nadia Raa! Those treacherous Europeans deserve to die!"

Donald Lundy smashed a holographic screen into pieces in a fit of rage. Three minutes ago, he had received a message from Trauma Team headquarters:

[Starting today, Trauma Team will terminate its partnership with Military-Tech regarding the lease of aerial vehicles.]

As the CEO of Military-Tech, Donald was well aware of how significant the revenue from leasing aerial vehicles was to the company's finances. Losing this source of income would put the company in an even more precarious position.

Arasaka Corporation's persistent harassment and LA Corporation's aggressive rise had already dealt immeasurable damage to Military-Tech's weapons business.

Military-Tech's current financial situation was grim. Without swift adjustments, they would soon need to borrow money from the New American Congress just to keep the company running.

"Damn it! This is absolute bullshit!"

Donald knew the true reason behind Trauma Team's unilateral breach of contract—it had found a new partner.

That partner was none other than LA Corporation!

"Who is this Li Ang guy? Where did he come from? Their weapons, aerial vehicles, and cybernetic devices are selling like hotcakes in Night City, and even Nadia Raa answers to him!"

"And he's a Chinese national of all things. From that place? How the hell did such a massive weapons manufacturer emerge there? This is unbelievable!"

Donald clutched his head in frustration. After years of warring with Arasaka Corporation, Military-Tech was nearly drained, and now a formidable competitor had appeared. Continuing the fight seemed futile.

In essence, Military-Tech was more like a military-industrial complex conglomerate.

The company had a diverse portfolio, ranging from vehicles and mercenary firms to weapons manufacturing and cybernetic devices.

Because of this, Donald had to balance the interests of multiple shareholders, ensuring that Military-Tech sold massive arms orders annually to maintain profitability.

However, Military-Tech's poor performance in recent wars against Arasaka had led to numerous shareholders pulling out, with some even defecting to Arasaka.

Now, Military-Tech found itself in a quagmire, desperately needing a new project to reverse its fortunes. The AI Soulkiller project had become their chosen lifeline.

"LA Corporation has sent a message. Their president, Li Ang, has specifically demanded that Myers be taken as a hostage in exchange for Morgan Blackhand," said the composed voice of a white woman sitting opposite Donald. She was none other than New America's president, Elizabeth Kress.

"LA Corporation might be backed by the AI forces behind the Blackwall. Last time, the hackers we sent to steal data had their brains fried by their AI firewall."

Kress, cigarette between her fingers, frowned deeply. The pressure of being president weighed heavily on her.

Coming from a military family and serving as a senior executive in Military-Tech, Kress had closely tied the interests of New America and Military-Tech together.

New America (NUSA) wasn't so much an independent nation as it was a corporate property of Military-Tech. After all, New America's presidents were typically chosen from Military-Tech's top ranks.

The problem was that Military-Tech was now on a downward trajectory, threatening to destabilize New America and potentially lead to its collapse and fragmentation once again.

"An AI behind the Blackwall, huh? That complicates things," Donald muttered as he stroked his chin.

In the cyber world, many megacorporations had been capturing AI from beyond the Blackwall to exploit for their own use. This practice was an open secret in corporate circles.

However, when corporate hackers encountered particularly formidable AIs, they often found themselves helpless. At that point, companies either paid exorbitant fees to hire Netrunners or sought mutually beneficial collaborations with the AI.

For instance, Night Corp's partnership with AI Mr. Blue Eyes exemplified such symbiosis.

"We need to negotiate with LA Corporation. If we can secure licensing for their weapons production, we might stabilize our operations. Otherwise, they'll eventually undermine our core revenue streams."

Kress took a deep drag from her cigarette and exhaled a thick plume of smoke, her frustration evident. Smoking was her go-to relief during times of immense stress.

"If we could bring LA Corporation on board, that would be ideal. But with so many fair-weather shareholders fleeing, the company now relies solely on us and a few die-hard veterans," Donald said with a bitter smile.

Had he known Military-Tech would end up in such dire straits, he would never have gone toe-to-toe with Arasaka Corporation in a relentless war.

Arasaka Saburo's resources and global reach far exceeded Military-Tech's. A direct confrontation had always been a losing battle.

As Kress and Donald deliberated over their next steps, a confident and composed corporate executive entered the room. She was Rosalind Myers, Military-Tech's second-in-command.

"Myers, you've come at the right time."

Kress gestured for Myers to sit. Seeing her close friend, who shared her ideals, always lifted her spirits.

Rosalind Myers and Kress shared similar military family backgrounds and comparable educational experiences, fueling their shared ambition to rebuild New America.

"Madam President, Mr. Donald, I've been briefed on LA Corporation's demands. They intend to use me as a hostage to secure Morgan Blackhand. I'm willing to comply."

Myers' sharp and resolute gaze revealed her unwavering loyalty to both Military-Tech and NUSA.