From Gotham to Night City, my infamy is known to all.

Rebecca nodded cutely: "Hi-hi-hi~~ Men's controlling nature is really scary. Are they already starting to control me? Don't worry, I usually wear hot pants and safety shorts when I go out. I only took off those ugly clothes this time to see you~"

Ahem! Time is precious, let's get started!

"Start what?" Leo was genuinely confused by her.

"Having an affair, otherwise why would I bring you here?" Rebecca revealed a devilishly seductive smile.

First Glimpse of Talent: Chapter 165 Rebecca: "You're right, but I brought popping candy~"

"Weren't we supposed to be discussing the commission?!" Leo kept glancing towards the door, afraid someone might overhear.

"Yes, isn't paying interest also part of the entrustment process?"

Rebecca tilted her head cutely, one hand already gripping his pants, giving him no chance to escape.

"I said those things before to have a suitable reason to be alone with you. Don't you know what our relationship is?"

"I think you're trying to drag me down with you, what if we get caught..."

Leo dared not imagine the consequences.

Rebecca's voice grew even softer: "Having an affair is all about the tension of being discovered at any moment. Doesn't the thought of the terrible consequences of being found out make it even more exciting?"

It's quite exciting; just thinking about it makes Leo's back ache.

But he has a girlfriend, and he absolutely cannot succumb to the little devil's temptation!

"Imagine your girlfriend cooking in the kitchen, while you're having an affair with a bad boy like me in the bathroom—doesn't that sound amazing?"

Leo started to feel pain: "Shut up! Stop talking! I have a girlfriend! I can't betray her!"

Rebecca reached out with her other hand, untying his restraints to ease his pain: "This is Night City. Someone as rich and powerful as you, what's a few girlfriends to you? If you prefer monogamy, then I don't want any title, just let me be your mistress~"

Leo's psychological defenses were on the verge of collapse, and the part that controlled DNA transmission began to suppress his reason.

"Don't be so heartless. Didn't we have a lot of fun last time?" Rebecca tilted her head back, her cute red and green eyes sparkling with a seductive light. "Look, I brought you a gift this time too~"

Whoosh—whoosh—

She took a bag of candy out of her pocket; the colorful plastic bag made a gritty sound as it was shaken.

These packaging bags are shaped like mini squares; at first glance, Leo thought they were small umbrellas...

"What is this?" His excessive curiosity began to overflow again.

"It's popping candy!"

Leo was speechless. Was this gift meant to fool a child?

He reached out his hand, but Rebecca pulled back slightly.

"Ah~ this isn't for you to eat, it's for playing with. I found this online and it says it's much more fun than jelly~"

Leo's brain went into a sluggish state, and he couldn't quite keep up with her train of thought.

He could understand the jelly, since it was icy cold and had a refreshing, bouncy texture.

Popping candy...?

That thing is like gravel, and it can bounce around everywhere; just thinking about it is a little scary...

Recalling the steel grip he had experienced that morning, he was a little unsure of what to do.

bang bang—

Rebecca tapped the toilet seat twice with her little hand to bring him back to his senses.

"Oh, right, I just washed my hair this morning. I think you tried to grab my pigtails last time. Here you go, hold on tight so you don't lose your target~"

Rebecca, holding her blue-green twin ponytails in her hands, lowered her head and offered them to him.

So... wanna play?

Play?

Play?

Play?

Play?

……

My mind went completely blank; I was unable to think anymore.

Leo closed his eyes in anguish, repenting in his heart:

I'm sorry, V...

It's all Rebecca's fault, no matter what. She shouldn't kill the wrong person again...

*

Half an hour later, the storm subsided.

Leo's mindset became incredibly peaceful, as if nothing could disturb his peace of mind anymore.

He no longer had worldly desires; his mind was now clear, like that of a saint…

After they had both cleaned up the evidence, Rebecca walked up to him humming a song and snuggled affectionately into his arms: "I'm already a little full before dinner. Should I say—thank you for the treat?"

Leo's hand, which was stroking her hair, froze instantly: "Don't say things like that in the future, it'll be terrible if someone hears you..."

"It's just the two of us here, what's there to be afraid of?" Rebecca wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled him against his chest. "I'm counting on you for the job. If it's done, I promise I'll give you everything I have, I can even call you Daddy!"

Leo's pain started again...

[Stop playing around, the kitchen is getting the food ready. If you don't go downstairs soon, when V comes looking for you, you might as well be father and daughter in your next life.]

The pure white warning light interrupted his romantic reverie, instantly bringing him to his senses.

"It's time to go. Be careful not to give yourself away."

"Then I'll pretend to be sad and not say anything; that's the easiest way to fool them."

Later, Leo tried his best to endure the strange feeling of his legs going unsteady and joined the others in helping to serve the dishes.

Rebecca sat alone on the small chair, head down and silent.

V glanced at her several times as he walked back and forth, feeling that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The sadness and repression emanating from her were not feigned; there seemed to be a hint of self-loathing as well. It seemed that the hatred for her father's murder had indeed had a profound impact on her...

Once the sumptuous meal was served, everyone, who had been tormented by the aroma for so long, couldn't care less about anything else.

From the very first bite, the real meat and fresh fruits and vegetables conquered everyone's taste buds, making them indulge in a delicious feast.

Feeling guilty, Leo tried to ease his remorse by serving food to V, but fortunately Chunbai stopped him, preventing him from revealing his guilt.

After the meal, he suggested that he wanted to talk to Mann's team about the new commission. Several unrelated personnel tactfully took their leave, giving them space to talk.

With everyone's help, the table was quickly cleaned up, and V even brewed a pot of green tea and poured a cup for everyone.

The five members of Mann's team and the five members of the Immortal Team sat facing each other, waiting for their master to speak.

Leo quickly cleared his mind, putting the absurd experience before the meal behind him, and said loudly, "I have a new commission and would like to invite you to join me. But before that, I have to ask you, are you interested in working for me?"

I can offer you a basic monthly salary, so you won't be without income when there's no work. The trade-off is that you must get my approval before taking any future jobs, or you can only take jobs from me.

The members of Mann's team were all somewhat tempted; the fact that L treated them to this meal alone showed just how wealthy he was.

Real meat, real organic vegetables and fruits, and newly launched high-end natural wines, a bottle costs 2000 euros.

The ingredients for this meal alone probably cost tens of thousands of yuan. I've never seen a middleman so extravagant.

And then there's that pair of golden pistols he casually hung on his chair, worth 150 million euros. He doesn't even need to pull the trigger to kill someone; he can just throw anyone he doesn't like into his arms, and that person will be riddled with bullets the next second...

They exchanged glances, then turned to look at the captain, who was clearly the one in charge.

The pressure fell on Mann.

First Glimpse of Talent: Chapter 166 L's Request: Infiltration Operation into the Biotechnology Building

Mann's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, flickered slightly as he began to think seriously.

Middleman L – with a mysterious background, abundant wealth, and generous spending, and whose immortality squad is also among the elite, becoming his exclusive mercenary is indeed a good option.

However, the two sides are not very familiar with each other, nor do they know his true character.

Most importantly, his abilities as a middleman have not yet been demonstrated, so it's necessary to gain a deeper understanding of him...

“L, we would be very willing to work for you, but we are now in deep cooperation with an intermediary and it is not appropriate to switch sides so easily.”

Leo quietly observed him, knowing that this seemingly brute, massive man was not as rough as his appearance suggested. In fact, one could say he was the smartest member of Mann's team, responsible for all decisions and plans, serving as the team's main offensive force and strategist.

The simplest way to deal with such a clever person is to give them an excessive amount of information, let them overthink and scare themselves.

Thinking of this, Leo picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said slowly, "You're talking about Faraday, right? The middleman active in the Santo Domingo region. He likes to wear a red suit, drive a black Porsche 911 Turbo, and has three prosthetic eyes in his right cheek. At first glance, he seems like a decent second-rate guy."

Hearing the first few sentences, Mann and the others thought he had indeed done a background check and was very clear about Faraday's background. But the last sentence was quite unexpected, and it was completely disdainful.

Leo recalled when Mann's team was formed and asked in return, "You haven't known him for very long, have you? Do you even know who he serves?"

Mann carefully considered his answer: "We've only taken on some odd jobs from him so far, he said it's a test for us. As for who he works for... I guess it's some big company."

“No need to guess, he’s the official middleman for military technology.” Leo revealed the answer directly. “Once he has a good understanding of your capabilities and has a basic level of trust, he will most likely issue various missions targeting Arasaka.”

The members of Mann's squad all looked at their captain.

Based on his observations and judgment, Mann slowly nodded.

Leo put down his teacup, his gaze sweeping over them with a sharpness that seemed to see right through them:

"Let me put it this way: Faraday is a typical corporate middleman, and this kind of middleman is the most dangerous to mercenaries."

He'll certainly be more generous than a regular middleman, even giving you access to the most cutting-edge, highly classified prosthetic devices. But if you actually dare to install those things, you yourselves will become company property.

"Besides, when you carry out his missions, you will inevitably learn many of the company's secrets, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Then you'll never be able to get away with it. After a while, if someone in the company wants to get rid of some mercenaries for 'security reasons,' then your lives will be over soon."

"If you want to hear my advice, I suggest you stay away from jobs that might land you in the company's hands."

His words captivated everyone, even the members of the Immortal Squad, who were hearing the company's middleman explained so clearly for the first time.

Seeing that the results were good, Leo continued, "Let me guess what Faraday might assign you... planting listening devices, stealing data, assassinating some seemingly insignificant guy, or organizing a robbery of an armed convoy. Heh, I suspect you haven't gone all the way to the last step, have you?"

Mann was really glad he had the habit of wearing sunglasses, otherwise the other person would definitely have seen his horrified look.

But when he turned his head, he realized he was overthinking things—he was wearing sunglasses, which could barely cover his face, but his teammates' expressions betrayed their true thoughts.

Because the truth is—the "test task" Faraday assigned them really was one of the top three options.

L… He guessed absolutely right.

Do not!

Rather than guessing, it's more accurate to say he was very familiar with the process...

Leo saw the answer he was looking for on their faces, and his mindset became more relaxed:

"See? You've been dragged into this without even realizing it, and you don't even know you're helping Military Technology fight against Arasaka. If this happens a few more times, you'll be officially on Arasaka's side, and you'll be stuck with Military Technology until the very end. Until you die or are no longer of any use, you'll be disposed of as you please."

"Do you understand? Dealing with a company is like making a deal with the devil. Most mercenaries often become the company's lackeys without even realizing it, working for them until their deaths."

That's all I have to say today. You all might want to think about it in your spare time: do you really want to stick with that second-rate guy all the way to the end?

Leo crossed his arms, striking the classic pose of Commander Ikari to emphasize his imposing presence, and began to get down to business: "Let me first talk about my commission. I need to launch an operation against a biotechnology company. The type of commission is very simple—to steal data."

"Cough-cough-"

V, who was drinking tea, choked and turned to look at him in surprise: Wait... what's going on? You just exposed the company's usual trick of sending middlemen, and then you turn around and issue this kind of task yourself!?

What kind of self-introduction is this...?

The expressions on the faces of the members of Mann's team were also quite interesting.

L had just earnestly advised them to stay away from the company and not to get caught between military technology and Arasaka, lest they court death.

As a result, he has now issued commissions targeting biotechnology companies.

If you associate with him, wouldn't that mean being caught between biotechnology and Kangtao? What's the essential difference between that and the pair mentioned above?

Leo immediately realized they had misunderstood and quickly explained, "I don't represent any company, or rather, I plan to start my own company in the future, but not now. Currently, I'm still a freelance intermediary, and I only issue commissions for my own benefit."

"I'll just state the request directly, to avoid you overthinking it—"