V's loyalty to Arasaka is about climbing to a higher seat and getting better treatment. He is not dumb enough to put himself in Arasaka's shoes.
Even if Rocky's people really infiltrated Arasaka, V has no reason to expose spies. Rocky has helped him more than once; V's present position owes a great deal to Rocky's influence, starting from the Jenkins job to the soldier-serum incident that earned him serious recognition. V is not the kind who forgets roots or betrays brothers. He has not spent much time with Rocky, but he recognizes him as a friend and treats him like one of his own.
He even thinks: if he had not already made a name in Arasaka Counterintel, he might consider joining Ascension Technology. Jackie is there, and working with Rocky beats taking orders from Arasaka's smug capitalists.
When V asks his question, Rocky hands him a datachip. V suppresses curiosity, meets Rocky's eyes, then connects the chip without fuss. Inside is the experimental data for the Cybertron that Arasaka "lost."
"This…" V realizes the moment the data loads: that loss was not Militech's handiwork at all, but this not-so-flashy Arasaka partner—Ascension Technology. The part that shocks him most is how they managed to pull it off.
"Unexpected, right?" Rocky smiles at V's expression. "V, Ascension Technology is not as simple as you think. What you are seeing is proof. We are not yet at Arasaka's level, but one day we will be. You are Jackie's brother and my friend, so I am putting this on the table. With this data, you can go further inside Arasaka."
"What are the conditions?" V understands the message: Rocky is giving him the data. With it, V can indeed climb. Kate botched the matter, and Arasaka blamed Militech for tampering with it. If V moves smartly, he can claim the merit of recovering the data from Militech. But nothing in the adult world comes free; the value here is obvious, so Rocky must want something.
"Do not overthink it," Rocky says. "This data does not mean much to Ascension Technology. Consider it my investment in you. I will need your help, but not at this time. The shadow games between Ascension and Arasaka are not one-offs. I need you to climb as fast as you can, so when it matters, you can actually help us." From Arasaka's full view, V's voice is still small and his clearance thin; he cannot help much yet.
"Got it. Thanks, brother." V accepts the chip without pretense. It is another favor owed, but the data is worth it.
"You are welcome," Rocky says, pouring a glass of good liquor.
"Come on. We do not meet often. To friendship."
"To friendship."
"By the way, V," Rocky adds after a sip.
"Jackie told me you joined Arasaka and keep pushing to the top. I know you are on a good track and do not plan to drop it. But if one day you get tired of it, look through Arasaka, and understand that the top will always be Saburo Arasaka and the Arasaka family. Ascension Technology will then open its doors. Maybe here you find a different ideal and fight with us."
"I will remember."
…
The talk goes well. Afterward, V carries Rocky's idea to Arasaka's higher-ups. After a lengthy tug-of-war, Arasaka agrees to Rocky's terms and pays Ascension Technology a substantial monopoly compensation sum. The soldier-serum monopoly matters too much. Without it, Arasaka is one of the world's strongest companies; with it, monopolized, Arasaka has a chance to be the only one. Faced with Rocky's sky-high ask, they accept.
Rocky is satisfied. Even if they sold primary soldier serum publicly, revenue would take time to build; the thing he lacks most is time. The Arasaka payout is akin to trading long-term revenue for upfront capital; in a normal company, this might look short-sighted. At Ascension Technology, it is different: the sooner the money arrives, the better. With it, Rocky can immediately exchange for more module items, scale the company, and compound growth.
…
The war that broke out around the Cybertron incident was not small, but it occurred in the Badlands, not in Night City proper, so it did not create a significant stir. Its impact remained mostly within major corporations. Night City media did not have the blessing of either company and therefore did not report on it. Instead, eyes turned to another event: the latest press conference from Ascension Technology, a rising Night City firm.
Ascension Technology is no longer the outfit that needed Arasaka's halo to get noticed. The moment the company announced a new press conference, Night City's outlets took interest.
"N54 News reporting. Today, Ascension Technology, a closely watched tech-pharma company in Night City, held a new press conference. Mr. L, the current chairman of Ascension Technology, attended and brought major news. At the event, Mr. L laid out the company's future direction: developing into a multi-field tech powerhouse. Beyond pharmaceuticals, intelligent robotics, aerospace, and new energy are all in the plan. The multifunctional physical prototype of a mobile robot shown today marks a major attempt by Ascension Technology to enter intelligent robotics… (further fluff omitted)[1]."
[1] this was in the mtl, not the AI