Cyberpunk: XYZ

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Chapter 32: Wakako Okada III

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Wakako relaxed her posture, leaning back and closing her eyes for a few seconds, "I must admit... I am impressed."

"I'm glad," X smiled.

"This is why you wanted me as your fixer... For operations like this," Said Wakako.

"If we cooperate, you can take your share of Eddies from the operation," X nodded.

What he just showed her was the outline of his Site Takedown Operation which consists of about thirty gigs.

Fixers typically take from 15% to 30% depending on the gig in question and the stature of the fixer.

Therefore, X not only provided her with work that could increase her reputation, but he also gave her so much Eddies on a silver platter.

Of course, X needs her, needs a fixer to clean the money and redirect his traces to her.

Not only do Fixers finalize transactions. They also can accomplish something nigh impossible.

Makin' sure the buyer, supplier, and ever-neglected intermediary not only keep their heads in their games but keep their heads.

Wakako clasped her hands together in contemplation, her eyes never leaving X's, eyeing him with a glint of wisdom.

She let the tension settle in, gauging X's expression for any change or even a sliver of weakness.

Wakako saw none. It almost felt to her as if she was looking at a cold emotionless machine.

"File 0653489," Wakako stated, and Netrunner by her side understood the assignment as she slotted in a new shard for a few seconds before sliding it out and placing it before X.

"Mind lending me your tablet to have a look?" X politely asked.

The Netrunner first looked at Wakako who nodded, so she handed X the tablet.

X slid in the shard and looked through its data. He must admit, Wakako was very generous.

The reason why he killed those Maelstroms was to create an enmity with them and to give Wakako something compromising she could use to keep him in line.

Most importantly, it would give him the right to ask for something in return, something compromising for her.

X understands Wakako, so he knows this is the only way to keep her in line, and she must've also understood him and realized how she can keep him in line.

When either of them wants to betray the other, they'll have to question themselves. Is it worth it? Can I handle the consequences?

"Very well," X nodded as he kept the shard and handed her back the tablet. He then made a phone call with one simple instruction, "Bring the Box."

The shards aren't in X's hands. Wakako must've realized that. It's the logical thing to do.

He left them in a locked container with someone who brought them to Wakako's Huscle, the latter bringing the box inside.

"All of the Data, evidence, and everything else we agreed upon is there," X remarked.

"I wish us a happy cooperation," After having her Netrunner check the validity of his words, Wakako reclined back to her chair and calmly said, "I'll be in contact."

"It has been a pleasure, Lady Wakako," X respectfully nodded after standing up, fixing his suit before excusing himself out.

The whole meeting was a battle of wits with Wakako probing X's confidence and the latter hinting on what assurances he has.

If X had shown weakness, then his end would be clear. Wakako at first considered his move to be extremely risky.

However, X stated that he considered it to be only somewhat risky. That told her of his confidence.

Wakako leaned forward, watching him leave with her eyes narrowed, soon shining blue as she started communicating with her people, "Send me his file."

"Hm?" Wakako frowned once she received the file, a bit confused, "What is this? Why does it start from only a few months ago?"

"Wakako-sama, that's all we've found," The Netrunner by her side responded.

"Look deeper. He must've been a corpo, someone of very high rank. He has the air of one... Alternatively, he must've been the leader of some kind of organization," Wakako seemed certain.

"He talks to himself a lot, likely has multiple personalities, and he switched between them in the meeting," Wakako was intrigued.

X was right. Wakako's office is a fortress. The outer room may look unassuming, with traditional screens and minimalist decor, but it's brimming with concealed defenses.

Hidden cameras with advanced facial recognition are embedded in the walls, tracking every visitor's movement, while low-profile sensors check for concealed weapons, cyberweapons, or hacking implants.

Her room is lined with soundproofing tech, blocking any attempts to eavesdrop, and her custom holo displays are encrypted and controlled through a secured neural interface, visible only to her.

X's expression, speech, and each and every single twitch of his face were precisely recorded and analyzed.

"He works in Vik's clinic and is starting to be known to be very good at his line of work. It's unlikely that he has just been introduced to that field of work, so look for his past traces in similar fields," Wakako instructed.

"Charismatic and charming, he moved to Japantown just recently and he's already made friends with a lot of people," Wakako narrowed her eyes in deep thought.

"He seemed to have done so on purpose. Every day, he eats out at different places around, making conversations," The Netrunner added.

"His interests are... Reading and Netrunning? No interest in sex or any other form of entertainment?" Wakako questioned.

"No, he may take a look at some ads a second longer than others, but so far, he hasn't shown interest in anything else." The Netrunner shook her head.

"Send some of our boys to ask around. Tell them to figure out what kinds of conversations he's had." Wakako instructed.

"Also, look into how he had infiltrated the Tygers' Database in Old Japantown. The Data he gave us is too complete," Wakako added, "You can go."

After the Netrunner left, Wakako spent a lot of time looking through the endless Data, halting her usual biz for the day.

Soon, a faint smile emerged on Wakako's face, "Old Japantown, handed to me on a silver platter."

It's of course not so easy to take over the combat zone. Moreover, the area includes having to fight the annoyance that's the Maelstroms.

However, it's too precious of a place not to be taken, especially after considering all the things she now has on Hamada.

Therefore, she made some calls, preparing her sons for the operation. Having the knowledge of what will happen before it happens should give them a massive advantage.

Moreover, all of that Data gave them even more advantage, information on the faction Hamada belonged to.

Wakako underestimated Hamada. The guy was very dirty, having some dirt on many in his faction for the sake of power.

He was also very intelligent, noticing the shadows of Wakako's sons starting to act, targetting him.

He has been looking out for any suspicious activity for a while now, not trusting the AI one bit.

Thus why he was prepared and why he was quickly able to flee the city, leaving Old Japantown for the taking.

Whatever conflict happened afterward, X wasn't aware of as he focused on his second home, his new Clinic.