Chapter 4: Rufus

For now, the Cloud Enhancement Project is proceeding smoothly.

His title of "Tester" is just for show; the reality is having him grind through Battle Simulations with the primary goal of leveling up.

Regarding equipment, in a game, you'd have to procure everything yourself. But right now, I'm a person of power with a very high salary. Plus, since I'm in the Advanced Weaponry Division, I can legally funnel company funds into Cloud. I'm gathering whatever I can get my hands on through my connections, sparing no expense, and dumping it all into him.

It seems weapon upgrading—like in the Remake—is possible, too. Using Scarlet's original technology, the weapons look identical to standard SOLDIER gear, but their performance is leagues ahead. I could have left this to my subordinates, but getting to personally handle the weapons and items from the game really gets me hyped. Because I'm in a high position, I usually just delegate work down and manage it, but tweaking Cloud's equipment is my personal hobby because it's genuinely fun.

The other day, we held a mock battle in the Public Security Division and showed off his strength. That bastard Heidegger was frustrated, which serves him right. Watching his unreasonable power harassment from the sidelines brings back flashbacks of my own past experiences and really pisses me off. Thanks to that battle, Cloud made a name for himself. The guys who joined the company at the same time as him probably won't look down on him anymore.

To be blunt, Cloud's preferential treatment is absurd. Naturally, he becomes a target of jealousy, and since he has no peers on his level, people easily judge him based on speculation. My reason for isolating him from his peers is that I don't want anyone interfering from the sidelines.

Cloud seems to feel quite indebted to me, and we've firmly established our dynamic as boss and subordinate. From here on, we'll enter the stage of gradually letting the others realize just how competent he is.

I even accompanied him to Hojo's unavoidable experiments, so my face is well-known over in the Science Department now. Watching you ruthlessly scatter Hojo's experimental subjects was a real pleasure, Cloud!

Reeve is a moderate and should be easy to bring to our side, so I want to strengthen our pipeline with him now. Plus, there's probably no better place for Cloud's character development as a working adult. If we ensure mutual profit and follow protocol, Reeve's impression of us naturally improves, and he's already taking a liking to Cloud.

Well, I can't just make Cloud do all the work. I need to do what I can on my end while there's still time.

Right now, I'm in the Vice President's office. In front of me is Rufus, who recently assumed the role. As expected of the VP, he's surrounded by much nicer desks, chairs, and furnishings than a Director like me. He sits in a leather chair, elegantly crossing his legs while staring at me.

"What do you want? You are awfully late for a congratulatory visit regarding my promotion to Vice President, Scarlet."

"I've been quite tied up myself. In exchange, I've brought something that will please you, Vice President."

"Are you pitching weapons to me now instead of my old man?"

He opens the thick envelope I hand him and scans the documents inside. His initially annoyed expression instantly vanishes, replaced by intense focus as he reads. Well, obviously no one comes to pitch weapons as a VP promotion greeting.

Rufus puts the documents back into the envelope and sets it back on the desk. He crosses his legs again, faces me, and smiles fearlessly.

"What is the meaning of this? Why did you show this to me?"

"Naturally, I have only shown this to you, Vice President, and I intend to keep it that way. And strictly confidential from the President, of course."

What I showed him was a report on the treasonous activities of Lazard, Director of the SOLDIER Division, which I secretly investigated using my position as Head of Advanced Weaponry.

Lazard, the Director of SOLDIER, is the illegitimate child of the President and his mistress. He has sworn revenge on the President who abandoned him. He's undeniably a brilliant man, rocketing up the corporate ladder to his current position to take command of our special combat force. He was preparing to eventually revolt, and suddenly, the perfect opportunity arose a few years ago.

A scientist named Hollander lost to Hojo in the race to succeed the Head of the Science Department. The project he led was deemed a failure, but because he knew too many of Shinra's secrets, he wasn't allowed to leave and was kept on a tight leash. One day, he realized that Genesis—a man created from his supposedly failed project—possessed the ability to implant his cells into others, a power called "Copy." The more this power is used, the more the cells degrade, eventually leading to death. Hollander used the cure for this degradation as bait to manipulate Genesis for his own revenge against Shinra.

Hollander absconded with research data, and Genesis defected, turning a massive number of SOLDIERs into his copies. And behind all this was the shadow of Lazard, plotting his revenge against Shinra by using them. He used his position as Director of SOLDIER to back them up.

"I don't understand. Why show this to me? What exactly is it you want?"

"My goals cannot be fulfilled by the President. Therefore, I wish to borrow your power, Rufus. First and foremost, I want you to become President and change Shinra."

Basically, as long as the Shinra Company remains as it is, it will continue to suck up the Lifestream—the very lifeblood of the Planet—and consume it as Mako. If that happens, the Weapons, the guardians of the Planet, will awaken. They won't distinguish among the humans infesting this world; they'll judge us as pests harming the Planet and bare their fangs at humanity. As a result, Shinra will be destroyed in the aftermath.

For the sake of my own happy future, the Planet being destroyed is a problem, and the company going under is a problem. However, the current Shinra is a company built on Mako. The President's goal is to build a new city in the "Promised Land," a place supposedly abundant with Lifestream. I want the company to survive, but its current trajectory is an obstacle to my future.

In the game, Cloud and his friends clashed head-on with Shinra, but I'm on the corporate side, and I don't want to throw away this position. In that case, I figured I could cleverly change things from the inside. Fortunately, I have my gaming knowledge, and Scarlet's body possesses the authority to maneuver within the organization. I must use everything at my disposal...

"So you're saying the quickest way to change the company's reliance on Mako is for me to stand at the top as President?"

"The documents I just provided also outline the validity of my plan. It is difficult to prove every future event, but even as a hypothesis, surely you can find a use for it?"

No one would believe it if I said, "These things will happen in the future, so let's prepare now." Let alone use it to decide the fate of the company. However, if you provide a certain level of hypothesis, empirical data, and profit for the person involved, they will use it. For Rufus, whose goal is to surpass his father, these claims that conflict with the current regime are highly convenient. He needs a banner to rally against the President.

"If you navigate this situation skillfully, your stock will rise, solidifying your position. Furthermore, the Urban Development Department—currently receiving the cold shoulder due to the obsession with the Neo Midgar Project—will likely side with us. If that happens, you can become the President of this company."

"I won't deny that I harbor such ambitions. However, whether I can trust you is another matter entirely."

That's fair. Simply put, this is a proposal to replace the top brass through factional warfare. It happens in organizations, but if you don't surround yourself with reliable allies, you'll end up strangling yourself. Honestly, for the current Scarlet to bring this up to Rufus sounds too good to be true, so it's only natural he'd be suspicious.

"We both have goals, and I recognize our trajectories align. The reason I brought this to you, Vice President, is that I believed we could cooperate. Don't you think the success rate is much higher this way than trying to do it all on your own?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Avalanche."

At that single word, Rufus's face twisted slightly for the first time.

"The war with Wutai is finally seeing an end, and recently, an anti-Shinra organization birthed by the scholars of Planetology in Cosmo Canyon has emerged. It seems someone is providing them with financial backing from the shadows, complete with Shinra tech and intel."

FF7 is a massive franchise with a ton of spin-offs. Because of that, there are complex, intertwined plotlines and retcons, and Avalanche is one of them. Originally, they were just a terrorist group Cloud was with at the start of the story, but later, a massive amount of lore was added. Evolving from a study group of scholars who cared for the Planet, they rose up to oppose Shinra for chipping away at the Planet's life. In modern terms, you'd call them eco-terrorists. Shinra has many enemies, and Avalanche absorbed them to mount a resistance with considerable organizational strength.

And back in the flip-phone era, a spin-off game revealed a shocking truth: The one supporting Avalanche's early activities was none other than Rufus, sitting right in front of me. He secretly manipulated the anti-Shinra organization to criticize the President for his delayed responses, aiming to snatch the presidential seat. In the end, he was betrayed by the very Avalanche he funded and had to be rescued by the Turks. Despite that, he was placed under house arrest for several years and demoted from the head office to the Junon branch.

"Rather than using a ragtag, untrustworthy group of terrorists, I believe it would be much better to become President through a factional struggle where we can join hands over concrete mutual benefits."

"Hmph. I understand now that you are an exceedingly capable vixen."

"I am honored by your praise. Besides, wouldn't you rather defeat the President fair and square, head-on?"

Assassination was an option to take the President's seat, but if he can achieve it through legitimate tactics, he'd probably prefer that. Since I already knew Avalanche's locations and ideology, I could pinpoint their existence. When I investigated the flow of money and information authorized by Vice President Rufus, I easily traced the unnatural movements. I can't fight physically like Cloud, but as a former corporate warrior, I can manage this kind of battlefield.

Rufus crosses his arms, glaring at me as if evaluating my worth. Suddenly, he stands up, points the gun from his hip right at my face, and slowly opens his mouth. I focus all my nerves to not miss a single syllable.

"Very well. I will use the information you've brought me. In exchange, I will not forgive betrayal."

That's terrifying. The muzzle is at point-blank range; I feel like I can see down the barrel. Thanks to Scarlet's thick skin, I'm barely maintaining my composure. If I were still a guy, I guarantee I'd be screaming my head off. Thank God for heavy makeup and a brazen face.

"Then..."

"I understand. I am discarding the scheme using Avalanche. Instead, we will expose the scandals within the SOLDIER Division and swallow the entire department whole. If I can seize control of three divisions, I will have enough firepower to fight."

"Do not forget the Turks. It is highly likely they, too, are questioning the President's methods. What we need is not a massive number of incompetent pawns, but a select few elite pieces."

"We secure the SOLDIER Division and bring Sephiroth to our side. I'll also look into roping in the Turks."

Hell yes! With this, I've managed to preempt the events of the flip-phone game. Plus, since Rufus won't fall from grace, I can use him as a backer. If we can deal with the SOLDIER Division's defection early on, we might even be able to bring Sephiroth over to our side. Sephiroth is the final boss, but the true enemy beyond him is Jenova.

Alright, alright, I wrapped up this negotiation perfectly!

"Scarlet, huh... To think she wouldn't just see through my covert operations, but bring her own plan to the table."

The woman who just left this room, Scarlet, is one of the executives handpicked by my old man. To think she'd switch saddles to me. I thought it would be difficult to wedge myself in since all the executives were chosen by him, but if I can make her an ally, I can chip away at his power directly. Most likely, Reeve from Urban Development has a high chance of defecting to my side as well.

Fine. She probably thinks she's using me, but I don't care. I'll use her right back. I doubt she genuinely cares about the future of this Planet, but such noble causes are highly convenient as an antithesis to the current regime.

"Turks? Apologies, but there's a file I need you to compile immediately. Scarlet, Head of Advanced Weaponry... Bring me the information on the 'Tester' she's been so obsessed with lately."

I need to secure a pipeline with the Turks, too. Might as well test the waters with this opportunity. Having them gather intel on Scarlet directly would expose my intentions, which is bad. In that case, saying I've taken an interest in Scarlet's favorite Tester—who's been the talk of every department lately—will serve as the perfect smokescreen.

Shortly after, a man from the Turks named Tseng visited my office with the documents.

"This is the report on Cloud Strife."

"A report? I assumed there would only be basic registry data. You've already compiled a full report on a mere Tester?"

"Yes. It seems he doesn't fit neatly into the title of Tester and possesses outstanding combat capabilities. Being the direct subordinate of Director Scarlet also makes him a frequent subject of rumors, so we were gathering intel on him in advance."

Hmph, the Turks are more competent than I expected. It seems I need to raise their priority and bring them under my control.

Still, the data coming up is staggering. Does she intend to use him as a bodyguard or right-hand man when clashing with me—the soon-to-be Head of SOLDIER—Heidegger in Public Security, and Hojo managing biological weapons in Science? She's telling me not to rest on my laurels but to prepare genuinely trustworthy subordinates. I loathe to admit it, but her judgment is spot on.

"Do you think I can poach this man, Cloud?"

"It will be difficult. He is Director Scarlet's favorite. The SOLDIER Division and Public Security Division apparently made subtle approaches, but he rejected them all. We in the Turks also deemed him a valuable asset, and Chief Veld attempted to recruit him, but he clearly stated he has no intention of transferring out from under Director Scarlet."

I see, so his competence is undeniable. And he holds loyalty to Scarlet rather than the company. It's a shame he won't be mine, but I can respect that.

"His personal reputation isn't bad either. He doesn't flaunt his strength, which is rare for someone his age, and feedback from departments outside of Advanced Weaponry is generally favorable. The prevailing view is that he is a candidate for the next executive of the Advanced Weaponry Division... however."

"However, what?"

Being this exceptional inevitably draws attention. Moreover, it's impossible to discern this level of talent right at recruitment. To an outsider, this extreme monopolization makes it look like she's grooming a blood relative of the President or an executive as a future leader. Looking at the files, I don't see any particular trend indicating that, but hailing from the village where the first Mako Reactor was built is prime material for fueling wild imaginations.

"There are rumors circulating that he is Director Scarlet's young lover."

"Huh?"

"She likely has no intention of hiding that he is her favorite, but instead of delegating to subordinates, Director Scarlet herself handles his equipment inspections and his corporate education. Since Cloud—who has no connections—is receiving this extreme special treatment, we believe these rumors are spreading as malicious gossip."

"Hahaha! That woman's lover?"

Vulgar people really do have entertaining imaginations. If he really is her lover, I have no problem with that. In fact, if she ever demanded the title of "First Lady" after making me President, I'd absolutely refuse, no matter the profit. Even to become President, I am not foolish enough to marry such a cunning woman who might stab me in the back the moment I let my guard down. If this Cloud fellow acts as a breakwater, I welcome it. I might even bless their marriage as the President.

"You seem to be in a much better mood."

"Yeah. I was thinking too seriously about the future, but that absurd joke gave me a good laugh. Now then, Tseng. I am going to assign you a special mission."

Appendix: Upper Management's Impressions of Cloud

President Shinra: Naturally, Cloud is not of a high enough class for the President to take an interest in him.

Heidegger: He is less concerned about Cloud himself and more annoyed by the feeling that exceptional talent was snatched out from under him. Since many of his own subordinates are incompetent, he probably feels Cloud is the "big fish that got away."

Hojo: Has no intention of remembering his face or name. Just wants him on hand if he's an excellent sample. To him, the more experimental samples, the better. He doesn't remember the names of the samples, but he perfectly remembers the results they produced.

Reeve: Sees him as a promising young man. Since Cloud is receiving such preferential treatment despite being so young and a new Shinra employee, Reeve has high expectations for him and wants to teach him whatever he can.

Palmer: Zero interest. He is too busy getting excited about his dream of going to space in his department's rocket.

Rufus: Wants to eventually see him in person to measure his worth. He's the type to make judgments by seeing things with his own eyes rather than relying on documents or recommendations. However, since Cloud makes him want to see him, his interest is definitely piqued.