The plunder of the heavens begins with the Spirit Cage.

I used to rant about the company dogs, but now I feel a lighter physical burden, and indirectly, I've become stronger as a result.

While I have mixed feelings, it's impossible not to be grateful.

With just his energy shield and slowing field, he was confident he could take down three or four Adam Hammers in one go.

Of course, if they were to switch to a laser gun, the opponent would be instantly killed.

In addition, the company offers reasonable working hours (996) and provides employees with pure food.

Compared to 90% of other companies, that's like the difference between a human and a dog.

They treat others with respect, and the loyalty of countless newly joined fringe mercenaries is extremely high.

Getting into that dangerously driven car, Lu Qianwei drove out of the industrial zone, past the noisy protesting crowd.

Mann frowned as he looked at the scene outside, and asked in bewilderment, "Boss, why don't you just kick these people out?"

Many of the mercenaries who joined had long disliked this mob.

In addition, given the established reputation of the company's veterans, some people genuinely wanted to take action and use them to inflate their own achievements.

Lu Qianwei shook his head, too lazy to pay attention, "Why expel them? That's just how your lousy world is."

"Let them argue. At least we can get some financial assistance from those companies. We have no obligation to help these scoundrels for free."

Since the destruction of the Vortex Gang, many industrial areas in Watson North District have long been completely razed by the Industrial and Agricultural Corporation.

The city will be replanned as a set of urban facilities.

Commercial buildings, factories, and residential areas that were supposed to be built have all begun construction, and these are all places where people are recruiting.

Those who are capable of taking money have already done so; those outside are either a group of homeless people or a group of restless gang members.

Surrounding the outer edge of Night City are vast wastelands abandoned by civilization and completely devoured by industrial pollution, a region commonly known as Badlands.

There are no ever-burning neon lights in the city center, no towering skyscrapers.

As far as the eye can see, there is only the gray-yellow, desolate Gobi Desert, the cracked and crumbling earth, and the undulating, barren low hills.

The old highway once cut through the wasteland, its surface cracked and collapsed, with piles of rusted and scrapped vehicle wreckage, abandoned containers, and abandoned infrastructure skeletons lying silently in the sandstorm.

The atmosphere is shrouded in thick haze and industrial toxic smog year-round, and the sky is always dim and murky, with no clear, sunny skies to be seen.

The air is filled with the pungent smell of chemical waste, fuel exhaust and dust, and acid rain comes from time to time, corroding the ground and eroding the ruins, making it even more difficult for the already barren land to give birth to life.

Only a very small number of drought-resistant and pollution-resistant low-lying thorns and desert vegetation stubbornly grow sporadically in rock crevices and depressions.

The entire wasteland is deserted and uninhabited, far removed from the laws and corporate control of Night City; it is a gray area where order has collapsed.

Scattered across the vast wilderness are abandoned towns, unfinished self-sufficient settlements, derelict oil fields, and hidden waste landfills of enterprises...

Nomadic tribes lived by modified caravans, migrating, trading, or plundering across the Gobi Desert.

Desperate bandits entrenched themselves in the ruins and mountain valleys, ambushing passing trade routes;

The company's isolated facilities are isolated in the wilderness, cut off from the surrounding wilderness by high walls and security.

In the ruins of a sheltered mountain valley, lies the makeshift camp of the wandering tribe of Adcado.

Various old RVs, modified vans and containers are scattered and pieced together.

Several decommissioned heavy-duty motorhomes lay across the outermost edge of the camp. The paint on their bodies had long been worn away by the wind and sand, and thick bulletproof steel plates were welded onto the dented metal sheets. The windows were studded with reinforced steel bars, and the vehicles were painted with Adcado's iconic bull head totem. Despite their weathered appearance, they were still eye-catching. They served as both dwellings and the first line of defense against the wind, sand, and bandits.

Between the RVs, temporary sheds are built using tattered waterproof tarpaulins and scrap metal. Ropes are tightly tied to the collapsed walls, exposed steel bars, and vehicle frames to protect them from the temperature differences between day and night and the sudden sandstorms in the wilderness.

Several wrecked pickup trucks and off-road vehicles were parked in the gaps of the campsite. Some were converted into temporary repair benches, piled with wrenches, oil drums and broken mechanical parts, while others were simply hollowed out and turned into mobile bars.

As darkness fell, the wind howled across the wasteland, whipping up sand and dust.

The bar was crowded with Adcado's people, and dim light bulbs hung from the roof of the car, swaying and illuminating the oil-stained interior.

Cheap synthetic liquor and plastic jugs filled with murky water were displayed on the bar counter. The owner wiped the glasses with a rough rag and occasionally looked up to listen to the conversations of the people around him.

Tribal chief Thor sat in the corner of the bar, a cigarette between his fingers, his brow furrowed, a glass of cheap liquor barely touched in front of him.

He was wearing a work jacket, and his face bore several scars of varying depths. He exuded a calm and hardened aura, as if he had been through many battles. Several key members of the clan stood beside him, none of them looking relaxed.

"Boss Thor, what's your take on the news from the city?" His trusted aide, Kellaf, leaned forward and said with concern, "With the Vortex Gang wiped out, the Wasteland's Chaotic Blade Society has lost its drug sales channels and is starting to cause trouble again."

“I’ve already contacted the leaders of the nearby wandering tribes. Those rabid dogs from the Chaotic Blade Society won’t dare to invade our territory,” Thorne said, gently patting his shoulder to comfort him.

"Boss, I've found out!" Just then, a trusted aide came to the bar, ordered a drink, and reported to Thorne: "The company that wiped out the Vortex Gang is said to be an agricultural products company."

In fact, they also operate many other businesses, covering all aspects of life including clothing, food, housing, and transportation!

"Wouldn't that incite public outrage?" Kellaf frowned.

That's all I wanted to say!

"After these days of investigation..."

No, it should be those large companies trying to find out the source of the Industrial and Agricultural Company's goods through mercenaries, spies, and a large number of unemployed people.

"After investigating, we couldn't find the manufacturer or the source of the product at all."

Haha, they can't even find the delivery routes anymore.

"Ha, so that's why there were so many mercenaries and corporate agents in the wasteland, they were investigating this..."

Kellaf seemed thoughtful, then a hint of surprise appeared on his face. "Those big companies are all investigating, which means that the products of Gongnong Company are all genuine?"

"How is this possible?"

"You know what the world is like right now."

"What company would put real food products on the market?"

"Exactly, there's no way you could plant so many things quietly, right?"

"There are only so many available planting areas; you can tell just by looking at them on a satellite."

"I think that the grains and fruits produced by that company are probably produced using some kind of growth-enhancing technology."

"It looks no different from those synthetic foods made from insects."

A group of people at the bar were talking amongst themselves, not believing that any company would be so kind.

Besides, why would a company like this choose to be located in the most chaotic Night City of all places?

They simply won't believe anything you say, even if it's not obvious that there's something illegal going on!

"By the way, I also found out something else: Gongnong Company claims to have the technology to purify seawater."

A water treatment plant is now under construction by the sea.

Later they even said they would bring running water to the barren land…

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy bar fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter again.

"Haha, that's the funniest joke I've ever heard."

"I think they just want to use us as guinea pigs."

"Pure tap water has been gone for over 40 years!"

Saul stubbed out his cigarette. "I did hear about that news."

It's not just us; all the wandering tribes on the Badlands are spreading the word.

"That's probably a scam."

They knew the company's nature all too well; things that everyone knew were often just gimmicks.

"Who would believe such nonsense!" A weathered old clansman next to him sneered, gripping his wine glass tightly. "There isn't a single good person in the companies of Night City!"

They've ripped off us homeless people countless times before, stealing water and destroying campsites. Now they're suddenly showing kindness? It's clearly a case of a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken!

"But some people say that Gongnong Company is different from other companies."

"They demolished the ruins of Watson North and rebuilt it, and they even gave their employees all-natural food, unlike other companies that are all synthetic..." a young girl said softly, her tone carrying a hint of expectation, but she was interrupted by the person next to her as soon as she finished speaking.

"Don't be so naive~" Thor raised his eyes, his tone serious, his eyes full of wariness from years of experience. "No matter which company it is, they are all profit-driven at their core. There is no such thing as goodwill without a reason."

What are they trying to achieve by building a water plant?

Are you after our worthless wasteland in this barren land, or are you after our survival?

He paused, glanced at the clansmen present, and said in a deep voice, "Now that major companies are smearing and undermining each other, we can't tell which statement is true and which is false."

"We've lived in this filthy environment for so long, drinking polluted water filtered through sedimentation, enduring acid rain and toxic smog. We've long since learned enough of the company's methods."

“Even if there’s even a sliver of truth to this news, we can’t believe it easily.” Thor picked up his glass of liquor and downed it in one gulp.

"Tell the people in the clan to be vigilant and not to be fooled by the news from the city. They should also not approach the territory of Night City rashly, lest they fall into their trap."

"The only people we can trust are ourselves!"

The surrounding Lao and Zhong people nodded in agreement, their faces growing increasingly suspicious and wary.

"Bang—bang bang bang!"

Just then, a series of rapid, ear-piercing gunshots rang out from the direction of the barren hills not far from the camp, instantly shattering the silence of the bad land and completely cutting off the noise in the bar.

Everyone's eyes sharpened, their instincts, honed from years of struggling on the edge of life and death, were instantly awakened.

Saul stood up abruptly, his large hand on the pistol at his waist, before he could give any orders.

Inside the bar, the Adcado people nimbly grabbed the assault rifles and shotguns leaning against the wall or placed under the tables, and rushed out of the mobile bar.

Urgent shouts rang out from all over the camp. The tribesmen who were inspecting vehicles and organizing supplies quickly assembled, carrying weapons and surrounding the high slope where the gunshots had come from. The dark mass of people moved quickly but were not disorderly at all. They formed a guard formation using RVs and containers, and their eyes sharply scanned the direction of the wasteland.

Thor, along with Kellaf and other key members, quickly rushed up the earthen slope next to the camp, looking down into the distance.

On the desolate highway, a modified race car was being frantically chased by a convoy of more than a dozen modified motorcycles, pickup trucks, and cars.

Various firearms fired wildly, bullets hitting the armored vehicle and sending up sparks. The ear-piercing roar of the engines mingled with the gunfire, creating a particularly terrifying scene in the empty wasteland.

As the night ghosts drew ever closer, and some bandits even leaned out to throw explosives, [Danger Driving] suddenly executed a sharp drift, bringing the car to a steady stop in the open wilderness.

Immediately afterwards, the two vehicle-mounted machine guns in front of the vehicle turned instantly, and a dense barrage of bullets swept towards the pursuing Night Wanderer team like a torrential rain!

Mann even leaned out of the car window, holding a heavy grenade launcher, and continued to bombard the trajectory quickly calculated by the AI.

Suddenly, screams and vehicle explosions erupted. The motorcycles in the front row were riddled with bullets and the riders were thrown backward. Several Night Wanderer pickup trucks were hit in the fuel tank and exploded with a roar, flames shooting into the sky.

In their panic, some of the bandits lost control of their vehicle, which crashed violently into nearby rock debris, instantly deforming the car and rendering it a total loss.

In just half a minute, the Night Wanderer bandits who had been relentlessly pursuing the enemy were completely wiped out. Their remains were scattered all over the ground, and flames and thick smoke rose into the wasteland. There was no more movement after that.