Oliver and Jackie both thought that the corporate watchdog had heard them and was coming over to bite, but instead, she stopped in front of Kai, staring at his face for a few moments.
Kai did indeed have the face of a handsome man, but in this era, getting a good-looking face was as simple as visiting a cybernetic doctor. So, it wasn't his looks that caught the corporate agent's attention—it was Kai himself.
"I reviewed the surveillance footage from yesterday in Little Chinatown, Watson District. You took down sixteen Maelstrom gang members alone, didn't you?"
For something that happened just yesterday to be noticed so quickly—yeah, surveillance in a cyberpunk world was ridiculously thorough.
Kai considered this but couldn't figure out why this corporate agent was here. Dealing with gang members should be NCPD's business, not hers.
However, he did need to correct one thing.
"It wasn't just me. My friend helped too."
Kai pointed at Oliver.
But the corporate agent didn't even spare Oliver a glance. She crossed her arms, causing something—possibly cybernetically enhanced—to press against her corporate suit, forming a noticeable curve.
"I've seen the footage. I'm not blind. I know who did the heavy lifting. Don't worry, I'm not NCPD, not some self-righteous do-gooder, and I'm definitely not related to the trash you killed. I have a job for you—100,000 eurodollars. Interested?"
"100,000 euro?"
As expected, Kai was instantly drawn to the number. But he quickly caught on.
"So, you're here to hire me."
Immediately, Kai's expression changed. A smile appeared on his face, and his tone turned warm.
"You should've said so earlier! A client is always welcome. Please, have a seat, Miss Corporate Agent. Tell me the details. As long as it's within our capabilities, we'll get it done."
A corporate watchdog had turned into a client—time to set aside any preconceptions.
Oliver and Jackie exchanged glances, seeing the same look of disdain in each other's eyes for Kai. But they moved fast, standing up to make space for Kai and the corporate agent to talk in peace.
If there's work, just say so.
We're all in this together—no need for formalities.
100,000 eurodollars? For a low-tier merc, that's more than a year's worth of income.
The corporate agent finally glanced at Jackie and Oliver but seemed reluctant to sit where two mercenaries had just been. Looking around, she spotted an empty seat next to Kai—still not exactly clean, but at least no one had sat there recently—so she settled for that.
Once seated, she pulled out a slim data chip and gestured for Kai to take it.
Kai took the chip and slotted it into his newly installed interface. The data flashed across his vision.
After a few seconds, Kai removed the chip and handed it back.
"Read it all?"
"What should I call you?"
Kai's tone turned serious—this job was doable.
"You don't need my name. Just finish the job. Can you do it or not?"
"Of course. But how do I confirm completion?"
"Just send a photo to this number. Don't call unless it's necessary—I'm busy."
Kai memorized the number as the corporate agent transferred 30,000 euro upfront.
"This is the deposit. Don't even think about running with the money—unless you're fine with me using the rest of it to put a hit on you."
With that warning, she stood up and quickly left, high heels clicking as she exited the Wild Wolf Bar. From the moment she entered to the moment she left, she hadn't spoken to or even looked at anyone else.
"Kai, what's the deal?"
Oliver could tell Kai had just accepted a job and was curious.
"Sorry for taking the job without asking you first."
"No worries, man. We're all in this together. Hell, I'm pumped! We just got here, and work is already coming to us."
Oliver was even more curious about the job itself. "So, what's the mission?"
"One sec."
Kai raised a hand to pause Oliver, then turned to Jackie, who had been observing from the side.
"Jackie, you're working solo now, right? Want to team up for this job?"
"Me? I can join?"
A corporate job meant big money—Jackie knew that much. He hadn't expected Kai to offer to share the payday.
"More hands, less risk."
Kai smiled. "So, what do you say? In or out?"
"We're all in this together. Hell yeah, I'm in!"
Kai's grin was infectious, and Jackie grinned back, agreeing without even asking about the job details or how the money would be split. A true go-getter.
"For now, let's split the advance."
Oliver and Jackie's eyes lit up. The job hadn't even started, and they were already pocketing 10,000 euro each.
Kai was generous when it came to splitting the cash.
"Dios mío, she dropped that much upfront? What the hell kind of job is this?"
"Nothing shady or scummy, right?"
As Jackie marveled at the payout, Kai sat back down and finally shared the details of the kind of mission that would make any low-tier merc green with envy.
The mission itself was a bit complicated, but Kai summed it up in simple terms.
"In short—there's a Maelstrom hideout in Watson with about twenty guys. We go in, find a stolen corporate crate, destroy it on-site, and take a photo of the wreckage. No need to return it to the client."
"Sounds like she's got something to hide," Jackie noted, drawing from experience.
"Probably blackmail material—seen this plot in a dozen Japanese flicks," Oliver added.
Kai, however, was connecting some dots.
Maelstrom recently robbed the 6th Street Gang. Now, this corporate agent's stolen goods also ended up with Maelstrom. Was there a connection, or were they just on a robbing spree lately?
Too little info to tell. Not worth overthinking.
For now, the important question was—
"Shall we?"
"Let's finish eating first."
Oliver and Jackie stuffed their mouths with slices of Spanish ham.
Yeah, the kind with questionable origins.
(End of Chapter)