Additionally, given the intentional indulgence and legal support from the Ye Corporation, the tax bureau's pressure on Lover's Gang is a bit lighter compared to other gangs. Plus, with Lover's Gang maintaining order, their efficiency far outweighs that of the NCPA, who take money but don't get the job done. Consequently, the community is in good shape, even thriving.
However, don't be fooled by appearances. Fundamentally, Lover's Gang is still a criminal organization involved in all the usual activities: murder, robbery, drug trafficking. Li Pan could see that each gang member had a bounty on their head worth thousands. Killing them all probably wouldn't be enough to pay off his loan, though.
Li Pan soon arrived at the church. Indeed, the 'Priest' was actually a priest. He not only operated a church within Lover's Gang's territory but also managed philanthropic facilities like orphanages and community welfare centers.
People like him are typically legends born of desperation, the kind who, in their youth, fought through a sea of corpses and rivers of blood, with a notoriety that echoed throughout Night City. Then one day, they grow tired of the life of swords and shadows, conflicts and feuds, and have a profound awakening, setting aside the cleaver to turn to Buddhism, heading back to take care of the community.
So, while running the church, he also takes care of impoverished families in the community and acts as a liaison, managing the relationships between various powers.
And since the current leaders of the community are his nephews and children he watched grow up on his legendary tales, they all show him respect. By virtue of that, he also works as a fixer and mediator, settling feuds within Lover's Gang, arranging assignments, and taking a cut for his referral services.
"Leave your weapons."
The fully prosthetic bodyguard stopped him at the entrance of the church.
Seeing the size of the guy and his military prosthesis, Li Pan knew he probably was modified in the same batch as Big Bear, and cooperatively left his 'Black Kite' behind; after all, he hadn't bought bullets yet, so the gun was just for show.
"Please sit, Mr. Li. It's rare for us to have an esteemed guest like you. I'm not sure how I can be of assistance to your company?"
The Priest was an ordinary-looking old man, just like the owner of a corner shop, one of those small-business uncles. He didn't seem like any war deity, but you never knew; he might have some other combat prostheses hidden in a coffin somewhere.
"Big Bear's dead. You knew him, didn't you, Priest?"
The Priest nodded. "I remember Big Bear. He was a good kid who dreamed of being a professional wrestler. But he was too kind-hearted and straightforward. The world of underground fighting wasn't for him, so I recommended he join the military."
Li Pan opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of neatly organized documents,
"It's good to hear you were acquainted. Recently my company has encountered some difficulties, and these are applications for workers' compensation loans. They're all residents of this district, and I'm sure you're acquainted with them. The applications require a signature from immediate family members to be processed. Could I leave this with you to have them signed and then mailed back to us?"
He certainly couldn't go around looking for each person himself, especially not as a new face wandering through the territory of other factions, which was tantamount to a death-seeking provocation. He definitely needed to involve someone from the higher-ups.
The Priest seemed a bit surprised as he flipped through the stack of documents,
"You've come all this way for this? Forgive my frankness, but these matters... no one has ever paid them any heed."
Of course not, in Night City, dead meant dead; who cares about you? Most people end up without a trace, their organs harvested and the rest incinerated to ash. Even a funeral is a luxury.
Li Pan shrugged, "Big Bear once did me a favor; it's the least I could do. Additionally, I noticed that a number of employees in the company are from your people. Since they're idle, I brought these over as well."
The Priest gave him a probing look and asked,
"This is a substantial interest-free loan. Are you really comfortable entrusting me with it?"
Li Pan knew what he meant. In these times, an interest-free loan was almost the same as giving away money. Especially for gangs who had countless ways to coerce the families of the deceased into signing over the money for laundering, possibly even extorting an additional service fee.
But what can you say, those are the rules. In a place like Night City, without the protection of a powerful entity, ordinary people couldn't hold onto such a large sum of money. Li Pan had taken refuge in military school while the families of these temp workers couldn't just move elsewhere; they'd definitely have to pay protection money to Lover's Gang.
"I've heard of your reputation, and I know that Lover's Gang enforces the rules. Besides, this money will ultimately benefit the community. I doubt anyone would go too far.
Obviously, I also hope to establish a foundational trust through this. After all, if we can't even provide posthumous security, it's hard to recruit new people from this community, isn't it?
If we can resolve this smoothly, I might need your help to recruit for the company some capable hands like Big Bear."
The Priest nodded, "Thank you for trusting me. Actually, I've heard about your company's reputation as well. There are quite a few rules, and the probation period is lengthy. Young people who want to make quick money, and those with a bit of skill to back them up, typically wouldn't opt for it. Big Bear had his reasons.
The job market has indeed been tough lately. There are quite a few people in the community who've become unemployed, many of whom are looking for a stable job to support their families. If you trust me, I can introduce you to some friends; definitely honest workers with no gang ties or criminal records, who won't let personal matters interfere with your company. Moreover, many of them have a wealth of work experience in factories that will surely meet your requirements."
Li Pan nodded and couldn't help asking, "May I ask why they're unemployed?"
The Priest sighed, "What else could it be but... they're just getting old."