"Hmm, I didn't expect you to be so restrained—only installing a neural interface and a cyber eye. How did you and V meet?"
Old Vic asked as he conducted a second full-body scan on Leo.
"You might not believe this—I only met V yesterday when I was nearly gutted by a bunch of scavengers."
"What?" Old Vic was taken aback, "But she said she's planning a big score with you?"
"Yeah—look at the high-end gear V has, and this little base we've set up. We're already making progress."
"This…" Old Vic found the situation hard to grasp.
Leo was almost harvested for parts yesterday, then V saved him, and now the two of them were planning a major operation? And they'd already acquired various machines and this base?
Although it didn't look like much, the place was fully equipped: personal communication channels, cyberware installation equipment, and a spacious apartment for the two of them.
"Well, I won't say much more, but you and V made the right call sticking to simpler cyberware. I found a few backdoors.
These backdoors are something most people wouldn't even detect, but I've cleaned them out for you and V.
If it were more complex cyberware, I might not have been able to help—these backdoors are directly embedded by NetWatch, verified through official channels."
"Thanks, Old Vic. V said you're the best ripperdoc in Night City, and you're living up to the reputation."
Old Vic chuckled, "V mentioned you're from Night City too—how come I haven't seen you around?"
Leo gave a wry smile, "Well, I used to be a nobody. Now, I have to push myself to survive."
"So, after this job, what's the plan? Heading back to Night City or staying in Atlanta?"
Leo thought for a moment, "I'll probably head back to Night City. As for V, I think there's a good chance she'll return too.
Once we've made some money, my first priority is to secure a Sandevistan neural implant—only that level of cyberware can replace the damaged gray matter and keep me from ending up paralyzed."
"That's going to cost you. In Night City, those kinds of Sandevistan implants are in high demand."
Compared to Atlanta, the gap between the top and bottom in Night City was much wider.
In Atlanta, a Sandevistan implant was just another product on the shelf, with decent sales, even if it was for civilian use.
But getting it on the black market was nearly impossible.
In Night City, where gangsters and street punks were rampant, they didn't care for official products. Even if they did, they preferred military-grade combat cyberware.
The city was flooded with black market goods of varying quality.
"Yeah, I'll probably have to sink all the money from this job into it. After that, I'm not sure what's next."
Old Vic paused, realizing just how big this job must be.
Bang.
The door swung open, and V stood there boldly, "Zhu Shen is here. What's next?"
Zhu Shen followed behind, his face still pale. The loss of his cyberware and the system chaos caused by the virus made him look like he could barely stand.
"Damn it—can we get this started already? I can't stand this system virus any longer."
"Of course—just need to confirm the final details: How do we get into Kang Tao and retrieve Cai Pin's transport plans and location?"
Leo opened the door into another room, motioning Zhu Shen inside for a detailed discussion.
The middleman and client confirmed the mission details, while the grunts like V just needed to focus on the job at hand.
With the door closed, V sat at the computer, opened a soda, and said, "Old Vic, this place is a pain in the ass, but I've finally found my footing here—
You know how much I'll make on this job? Fifty percent!"
Old Vic smiled, "And how much is that exactly? Looks like the kid from Heywood is finally hitting it big."
V thought for a moment and said, "Originally, the total was 2 million, but now half of it is going to that association, and 200,000 has been spent… I'll still pocket at least 400,000, I think."
"That's not bad at all—thinking of staying here?"
"I think this kid knows how to pull jobs. Who knows? Maybe he'll become a big-time middleman in Atlanta. I wouldn't mind sticking around to make more money.
Hey, Old Vic, don't you think there's good money to be made smuggling Night City's black market cyberware here? These people have surveillance backdoors in all their implants. Doesn't that make them sick?"
Watching V seriously consider this, Old Vic laughed and shook his head, "I think you should leave business to the middleman. But speaking of middlemen, you know what kind of people they are. You've only known Leo for less than a day, right?"
V nodded, "I get what you're saying—I'll keep an eye on him. If he tries to screw me, I'll put a bullet in his head. After all, he's just a 'bald donkey.'"
———
Zhu Shen: "Let me reiterate: I don't want NetWatch and APD knocking on my door."
Leo waved his hand, "I know. Now transfer 500,000 to me as operating funds, and after the job is done, another 500,000. My people will get it done—watch the news."
Leo pointed to the nearby TV, which was broadcasting today's breaking news.
A scavenger hideout had been the site of a shootout, and when APD arrived, all they found were the bodies of scavengers—it was as if V was still hunting them down.
Creating this false trail was simple—Knott just had to pull a few strings and get APD to work a little overtime.
In fact, they had plenty of scavenger hideout information stored up, only holding back until now for convenience.
Zhu Shen raised an eyebrow, "Your people, huh? Looks like I'll have to pay up."
Neither of them dwelled on where the money came from or who it went to.
Leo had already leveraged Knott's connections to find out Zhu Shen's true position: officially, a supply chain specialist, but previously the head of Kang Tao's Atlanta intelligence department.
Someone like that would always have a contingency plan—a couple of secure accounts were a given, especially when handling special operations.
"Glad we're on the same page—I can get us an 8-hour operation window, but you're the one who knows Kang Tao best."
Zhu Shen nodded and pulled out a data shard, "The shard contains the building data you need—the backup version. Plug it in."
Leo inserted the shard, and a 3D model of the building appeared in his mind.
[First Encounter with Special Technology: Data Shard]
[Technology Points Earned: 10]
[Current Technology Points: 56]
"You'll be infiltrating our warehouse in the logistics park. The company owns 300 acres of land here for transferring goods.
Our operations in this area are limited, so the site isn't huge.
You'll find the office building here, the tallest one. My office is on the 7th floor."
"How do we get in?"
"Security is divided into five zones, with shift changes every 12 hours. Each time one zone is switched, the process takes 5 minutes. The entire shift change for all five zones takes 25 minutes.
Here's the shift change schedule—follow this route, and those 25 minutes are your window."
Leo stroked his chin, "I like this straightforward approach to social engineering—what are the chances Cai Pin changes the security plan?"
"Zero. The cargo is classified within the company, so she doesn't have the authority to make changes to the security of the park."
Leo grinned, "To deceive others, you first have to deceive your own people, huh?"
Zhu Shen paused, "Exactly."
"And then?"
"Once you're in my office, you'll need to find my computer—Cai Pin has the authority and will likely change the office security.
But no worries, find the decorative cabinet on the right wall. I installed a physical backdoor there—here's the key. You can use my configuration to override the security protocol."
Zhu Shen reached into his abdomen, opened a small pocket space, and took out a chip, placing it on the table.
Leo's eyes widened slightly—this guy sure was cautious.
"Once the security protocol is overridden, you'll need to access the database under the project name: Reality Distortion.
There, you'll find Cai Pin's transport plan—though I doubt she's made any significant changes."
Leo's brow twitched slightly, but he remained composed, saying casually, "Still, it's better to confirm."
"Exactly. Once you have the plan, we'll intercept her on the road—the security detail won't exceed a mechanical support squad, to maintain appearances.
We'll take her out, then…"
"My associates will ensure the convoy leaves Atlanta. In the next city, you'll be able to reconnect with the headquarters and swap in your own team."
Zhu Shen looked satisfied, "You've got a knack for this. I'd almost want to invite you to be my deputy."
"Thanks—but no thanks. Kang Tao's Trauma Team Gold Membership can't fix my problem."
Zhu Shen shrugged, "I can see your health isn't great, but I didn't realize it was this serious—who else but the company can solve your problem?"
"You're right. Now I need a Sandevistan implant. Maybe after this is over, you can get me a deal on one of your flagship models?"
"Of course." Zhu Shen agreed almost instantly. "Though our best Sandevistan, the QianT 4 model, still falls short of Militech's Farpoint series in terms of performance, I'm confident the company will solve that issue soon.
If you're willing to take some risks, I can get you the latest model as soon as it's released."
Leo smiled, "That's fantastic, Mr. Zhu. I think I'm lucky to have met you."
The two shook hands again, their faces beaming with smiles.