Chapter 7: Kites in the Sky, Leopards on the Ground!
Li Ang's words completely dispelled Lucy's suspicions.
She picked up the pen and decisively signed her name on the contract: Lucyna Kushinada.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Lucy."
Li Ang shook hands with Lucy symbolically. He had finally succeeded in bringing this genius young hacker into his fold.
"I'm in urgent need of manpower right now, so stay with me for now," Li Ang instructed. "As for your team, just tell them you're out on a business trip for the time being. Once you're free, bring them over as well."
If he could recruit Lucy, he might as well rope in her entire crew. He could use a reliable team of enforcers anyway.
"Mr. Li Ang, you've certainly thought this through. Looks like you've had your eye on us for quite some time," Lucy said with a sly smile, showing no trace of doubt.
"Planning ahead is key. Opportunities always favor those who are prepared," Li Ang responded with a grin.
"I agree," Lucy nodded.
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[Level 2 Mission: Recruit the Company's First Employee (Employee Ability Score ≥90)]
[Status: Completed]
[Rewards: €2,000,000, 200 Corp Coins, 1 Spin of the Roulette Wheel]
At that moment, the system's notification echoed in Li Ang's mind, and a personal interface appeared before him, visible only to him.
[Name: Lucyna Kushinada]
[Occupation: Hacker]
[Favorability: 80 (Friendly)]
[Cyberware: Standard Monomolecular Wire (Hands), RAM Upgrade (Prefrontal Cortex), Military-Tech Parallel OS]
[Features: Mushroom-shaped bob cut, pink eyeshadow, lipstick, mixed-race charm, voluptuous figure]
[Overall Ability: 90]
This character recognition function… feels a bit off, Li Ang thought.
Before he could dwell on it, a commotion sounded outside. Instinctively, Lucy moved closer to Li Ang, treating him as an ally.
"Hey, little boss! Remember me?"
Johnny Silverhand swaggered into the gun shop, followed by a group of Triad members.
Lucy reached for the gun holstered at her back, but Li Ang stopped her hand with a slight nod. She quickly realized Johnny wasn't an enemy.
"Well, well, gone for just a few days, and you've found yourself such a pretty little girlfriend. Nice taste!" Johnny quipped, clearly amused.
"Her name's Lucy, our company's cybersecurity chief," Li Ang replied evenly. "As for arms deals, I'm still the one handling those."
"Got it. I'll cut to the chase," Johnny said. "Today, I'm just here to show your fellow countrymen the way and make sure business runs smoothly for you."
Johnny motioned toward Chen Tao, standing nearby. "This is the Triad's prince and the buyer for today. You two can talk. I'll keep an eye on things to prevent any interruptions."
With that, Johnny and the Triad members stepped outside, flipping the shop's "Open" sign to "Closed."
The room suddenly felt less tense. Lucy's previously guarded expression softened as she stood face-to-face with Chen Tao.
"Mr. Li Ang, I think I can skip the introductions. I'm here for one reason: I want all the good stuff you've got!"
Chen Tao grinned, his expression resembling that of a drug addict not quite sober. Li Ang could tell this guy was still high and not entirely coherent.
"Everything here is clearly priced. Just tell me what you need—kites in the sky, leopards on the ground. If you've got the money, I can get it for you," Li Ang said with a sly smile, leaning casually on the counter.
"Kites and leopards? I don't care about any of that! I just want the best guns you've got—the ones with the most power and the fastest fire rate!"
"Then rifles or submachine guns would suit your needs," Li Ang said thoughtfully.
After all, except for Dogtown, no gang in Night City would openly use heavy weapons during the day to mow down pedestrians. Doing so would result in the NCPD marking them as dangerous criminals and executing them on the spot. Additionally, using large-scale destructive weapons could damage corporate property, an outcome everyone avoided.
"So, how many guns do you need? I can provide a tailored package," Li Ang asked.
"Package? I want everything you've got!" Chen Tao shouted, swaying unsteadily before being steadied by two gang members.
"This guy's clearly overdosed," Lucy muttered, frowning in disgust. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to use her monomolecular wire to deal with scum like this.
"Alright, how about a €100,000 order: 50 M-76E Omaha pistols and 5 M-221 Saratoga submachine guns? How does that sound?" Li Ang offered.
Hearing "€100,000," even the seasoned Lucy couldn't help but marvel internally. Making big money is truly the domain of those with blood on their hands.
No wonder underground black-market dealers dove headfirst into the arms trade. The profits were astronomical.
No business for a year, then one deal feeds you for the next.
Compared to this, Lucy's mercenary gigs felt like mere scraps.
"Hahaha! You underestimate the Triad's appetite! That's barely enough to scratch the surface!" Chen Tao exclaimed.
A few dozen guns? That was an insult to the nearly two thousand members of the Triad in Little China. It was nowhere near sufficient.
Li Ang nodded thoughtfully. He wasn't worried about meeting the demand—his corporate credits could theoretically allow him to exchange for an infinite supply of weapons as long as transactions kept flowing.
However, he knew he had to control the output. An excessive volume of arms could tip the balance of power, leading to one-sided massacres.
For a competent arms dealer, the only true adversary was a competitor. Everyone else was a potential patron.
The Tiger Claws might be Arasaka's lackeys, but they were still valuable clients. You could suppress or challenge them but never wipe them out entirely.
"Understood, but my current stock is limited to around 200 guns. The rest will take some time to replenish," Li Ang said, lying without missing a beat.
Chen Tao couldn't argue with that. After all, in Watson, a deal involving more than 50 guns was already considered massive.
They weren't waging daily wars in the city. Excessive purchases would just lead to maintenance headaches, wasting time and money.