Chapter 78: The Big Shot

Tonight's agenda was to complete the final part of the deal with Kang Tao—handing over James Norris's cyberware. In the car, Chesson curiously asked, "Hey man, what's with that bump on your head? You hurt?" Leo responded calmly, "No big deal, just bumped it myself—so, tell me about the situation with Kang Tao." "I'm not sure who exactly we'll be dealing with, but they're pretty high up. You know how Eastern corporations are; they don't like to show their faces in these matters." "Pretty high up? How high do you think?" "Well... they say it's someone equivalent to the Deputy Director of Operations for Arasaka's Night City branch. So yeah, pretty high." Chesson finished speaking and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, but none of the three smoked. "Not smoking, huh... healthier that way." Chesson put the cigarettes away and continued, "So here's the deal, Kang Tao might not like getting their hands dirty, but lately, the wind's shifted. They've hinted at wanting to back a fixer in Night City—someone strong, with muscle like you guys." That comment hit just right; both Jackie and V looked pleased. Leo just glanced at the two dummies, then said, "You want to be that fixer?" "Uh, well, if I could get in with them, sure, but that depends on you guys." "No deal," Leo shook his head. Chesson's expression froze, but he quickly recovered. "Alright then..." Leo continued, "You're not giving me enough information. Are you saying you'll give up the arms business to be a fixer? Do I look like an idiot?" Chesson gave an embarrassed laugh and then spoke candidly, "Okay, fine, my bad. This isn't really for me; I'm just feeling things out for a friend. He's trying to break into the fixer game in Santo Domingo, just like me, ex-corp. But you know how it is; Santo Domingo's top dog is Faraday, a real company man, ruthless. My friend's just looking for some solid backing." "So what's this friend's name?" "Mueller Reyes. He wanted to meet you at The Afterlife, but you guys have been laying low lately." Hearing that name, Leo rubbed his chin. "Does this friend of yours also run a side business dealing in second-hand cars?" When Leo said "second-hand cars," he was referring to hiring mercs to steal vehicles, having them fixed up by mechanics, and then reselling them. Very few of the cars were actually bought legitimately. In the game Cyberpunk 2077, Reyes eventually becomes the biggest fixer in Santo Domingo, but for now, Faraday still holds that title. Faraday was notorious for kissing up to corporations, even selling out his mercenaries to do so. Leo considered him the kind of fixer who didn't know his limits. Smart fixers would avoid this guy, knowing he'd eventually get taken down. Chesson nodded, "Yeah, but it's just starting up. Didn't think it'd reach Heywood already?" "Not quite that far. I'm just well-informed—your friend's got a good head on his shoulders, but let's skip the meet-and-greet. Just give me his number." Chesson was slightly disappointed that he couldn't do more to help his friend. But he wasn't too upset; he'd help if he could, and if not, no big deal. Leo didn't reveal his thoughts—after all, Faraday was still the biggest fixer around. "Alright, I'll send you his number." The car drove through Night City's crowded, damp streets, heading toward the exit of the Hanford Overpass. The meeting spot was next to a place called Fatty's Chicken Wings, a spot with little foot traffic, mostly homeless folks, and significantly fewer cameras than in other parts of the city. All in all, it was a remote and safe place for a meeting. The spot itself was a typical American diner, selling nothing but fast food. But Leo's group wasn't there for a meal. When they arrived, a low-key Thrax 388 Jefferson was parked at the location. As they approached, the car slowed down. Leo turned to Chesson, "Got any ammo plants? Even a manual one will do." Chesson wasn't sure what Leo was getting at, but he did have a lead on one. "Uh, I can tell you, but don't sell me out. I do have a line on a manual ammo production setup, you know the type." Manual, meaning workers plug in behavior chips and do the work by hand, then collect the chips when the shift ends. It's a black market operation, mostly illegal. "You think you could produce smart ammo?" Chesson was stunned, then uncertainly asked, "You mean..." "I want to get a smart weapon ammo line from Kang Tao, the legal kind—they might consider that a good enough deal to work with a fixer. I'll talk to them; you handle the operation. We split the profits seventy-thirty—you get seventy, I get thirty." Chesson was overjoyed! Smart ammo was high-end stuff. Sure, most street punks couldn't afford it, but it was expensive, catering to those with a bit more cash. Netrunners, company execs with money but no time to practice shooting, and lone wolves who'd saved up some cash... And when they used this stuff, they went through it fast! "Uh..." Chesson was trying to find the right words—of course, he wanted a line like that! And it wouldn't be something shady, but something legit from Kang Tao! But if all Leo did was negotiate, thirty percent seemed like a lot—it wasn't that Chesson was greedy. Running a black market operation required a lot of effort and cost, not to mention that even if Kang Tao agreed, they'd still want a cut of the profits— Compared to Kang Tao's annual revenue, it was small change, but if they didn't care about small change, they wouldn't be a megacorp. Leo saw right through Chesson's hesitation and impatiently said, "Fine, eighty-twenty. You get eighty, I get twenty—final offer. If not, I'll just take a one-time payout from Kang Tao." "Alright, alright, you're the boss, just don't be mad..." The car came to a stop. Two bodyguards in black suits stood beside the other vehicle. Leo got out, V carrying the bag with James Norris's Sandevistan, and Jackie following behind them like a mountain. "Nice work." The was person speaking a certain Eastern dialogue, one that Leo didn't quite understand—he was used to speaking Mandarin. But it didn't matter; he had a translation implant. Since this was a common language within Kang Tao, the implant could easily translate the dialect. "Everything's here, but about the payment—we'd like to discuss a long-term deal." The person inside the car, who seemed to be in charge, hadn't gotten out and remained seated. Hearing Leo's words, his eyebrows raised slightly, "If it were anyone else saying that, I'd tell them they were overestimating themselves. But you did well on this job, so I'll listen—just don't push your luck." "You see, in Santo Domingo, in Night City, people love their guns. Ammo production might not be a big deal to you, but for locals like us, it's a goldmine. I'm thinking of setting up a small ammo plant in Santo Domingo—with my protection, it'll be stable." The person in the car was a bit surprised. He had expected Leo to want to become a fixer—after all, Leo already had the potential and resources to do so. Capable mercenaries, a skilled netrunner, and a reliable tech expert were the perfect setup for a mercenary team and essential for a fixer starting out. "That's not a job for mercs." "I know, which is why we'd have a specialist on board—this guy right here." Leo nudged Chesson. At that moment, Chesson seemed much more professional, quickly shedding his street thug vibe. And dressed in tactical gear, he looked like a company sales rep. The person in the car was silent for a moment, then said with interest, "He is professional—used to work in sales at Darra Polytechnic? Why'd you leave?" "Layoffs. Wasn't gonna wait around to get cut, so I struck out on my own." Leo wasn't surprised Chesson had worked for a corp. What surprised him was that it was at that Indian guy's company—he always thought Chesson was ex-Militech. After that, the person in the car fell silent again. Leo continued, "I know you're looking for someone reliable to work with, but corporate methods don't fly on the streets— If I wanted to be a corporate lackey, I'd take your entry test. I'm not interested in that. But with this kind of connection, I might have someone keep an eye on your competition—if you need some new weapons advertised or something, I can help with that too. If not, then just pay me more, and we'll settle up in one go." In the past, Kang Tao wouldn't have needed a mercenary like Leo to promote their weapons. After all, their most famous single-combat weapon spokesperson was Adam Smasher, and he was a paid spokesperson. But now... well, they are developing a better Sandevistan. "...Deal. Don't disappoint us, or it'll end badly—there's also a reward for the Sandevistan's operational data in there. Where's the stuff?" Leo nodded to V, who pulled out a large black bag—it looked like they were carrying garbage. Leo took the bag and handed it to the bodyguard standing outside the car. The bodyguard verified the contents, then placed them in a prepared case. The person in the car suddenly said, "Now, let's talk about a second matter— That gun you used in battle, it looks like a prototype weapon that went missing from our company."