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

After reviewing it several times, Leo felt that this configuration was quite perfect—it had combat power, technical skills, and reliable logistical personnel.

It's not enough to confront big companies head-on, but it's more than enough to steal a biochip and cause some trouble along the way.

His own role is that of a middleman, a wealthy middleman!

As a newcomer, he had to establish his persona with real money in order to attract more mercenaries to serve him.

A mysterious Eastern exchange student, who is also a wealthy middleman... It's decided, this is his initial character design in Night City!

Nobody: Chapter 18 The middleman must be rich!

"To be rich, you have to at least look rich!"

Leo threw away the empty plastic water bottle and glanced down at his clothes.

There's no doubt that wealthy people don't wear secondhand clothes, so they have to buy a set of clothes that are understated yet luxurious, and preferably with some bulletproof features.

Then... considering his near-zero combat ability, he certainly needs a bodyguard, whether it's to maintain appearances or to ensure his safety, he needs a reliable bodyguard.

Only after completing these two prerequisite tasks can he have the time to consider enrolling in Arasaka Academy. He doesn't know if his 50-year-old outdated technology will be able to pass the most basic entrance test, or if it will...

After carefully reading the "Tenant Guide" that came with the apartment, he contacted the front desk through the call button next to the elevator control panel and ordered a deluxe lunch.

About ten minutes later, he was able to eat a relatively good lunch for a company person.

Bacon and eggs, jam, toast, black pepper sausage, chickpea salad—almost no green, the whole plate of food was dark.

More importantly, he always felt that not only the meat, but even the fried eggs and jam were synthetic...

"High technology, low living standards".

Night City... a piece of shit.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the tall buildings outside, he felt only desolation.

After a short break, he went to his desk and used a computer of this era for the first time.

Overall, it feels very high-end. If it weren't for the Pure White assistant, he wouldn't even know how to use his most frequently used office tools.

After a little time to adjust, he opened his map app and searched for nearby clothing stores—luckily, there was a high-end clothing store catering to "elite clients" right next to this upscale apartment.

"It's only 120 meters to walk, and it's midday, so it should be relatively safe... right?"

After getting ready, Leo made a promise with Pure White: if any dangerous situation arose, they should immediately seek help from Old Wei and Jack, and also call the NCPD.

[Understood. I will monitor all devices around you in real time to ensure your personal safety. However, due to the presence of hackers and internet surveillance, I will not intervene forcibly unless in an extremely urgent situation, so as not to leave any traces.]

That's fine. We're still very weak; we need to lie low.

Leo stood in front of the elevator, took a deep breath, and stepped into Night City alone for the first time.

As I left the apartment, noise from all directions filled my ears.

Among the passersby, there were office workers carrying handbags and hurrying along, as well as real-life gamers with external devices on their faces, immersing themselves in the online world as they walked.

Some of them had prosthetic eyes that were simply two glowing red mechanical eyes, just like the madmen from the Vortex Gang, which made his cheeks twitch slightly.

More than one gaze fell upon him, immediately putting him on high alert.

This body, which would have been considered young and healthy in the 1980s, seems a bit too "pampered" in this era where sub-health and malnutrition are common.

He strode quickly toward the clothing store.

"Welcome to Heywood's finest clothing store. We are dedicated to serving our high-end clients who work in corporations. They are the elite of our community, just like you, sir."

As I walked through the automatic doors, a female server greeted me warmly.

Leo's gaze swept over the store, and he nodded slightly to her: "I want a casual outfit, suitable for school. A high-quality suit, in a solid color, easy to move in, and preferably with some bulletproof features."

The waitress looked at his face and smiled even more warmly: "You have a clear goal and make decisive decisions. You are obviously an elite person. Please come with me. We have prepared a VIP fitting area for guests like you."

Leo followed in her footsteps without comment.

The VIP she mentioned was clearly an abbreviation of Very Expensive, which translates to—extremely expensive!

A set of plain-colored casual wear made of highly breathable reinforced bio-cotton. A custom-made silver-gray casual suit, suitable for most occasions, with a lining of strong bulletproof fiber that can withstand small-caliber firearms and also has some corrosion resistance.

In addition, he bought two pairs of shoes and underwear, among other miscellaneous items.

Rounding down, the total is 12000.

The waitress smiled radiantly.

Leo's heart was bleeding; with that money, he could hire V-Shock to do a mission...

But he couldn't let his image as a rich man crumble, so he paid without batting an eye.

Later, he left the clothing store amidst cheers from the waiters and the duty manager.

I went back to my apartment and put my casual clothes in the closet.

Leo stood in front of the full-length mirror, examining his middleman suit.

A silver-gray casual suit jacket, crisp suit trousers, and high-top all-terrain shoes for easy movement; add a pair of cool sunglasses, and you'll definitely impress everyone at the Next Life Bar.

His slightly childish face detracted from his aura as a successful person.

After mimicking the Godfather movie and striking a few boss-like poses, Leo felt he could go to the Wild Wolf Bar and try to get some information out of them.

However, there is one more problem before that.

The Wild Wolf Bar is about three kilometers away, not exactly close, but not too far either. Since he's going to be the middleman, he can't just walk there...

The ruthless, fat DeShawn has a big gold chain, a big gold watch, and big gold gloves.

The priest was similar, except he replaced his large gold hand with several gemstone rings.

Moreover, they all have cars and bodyguards who drive them.

As an intermediary, unless you're already a successful person like Roger, sitting in the VIP seat of life, you have to show some real substance to your potential partners—we're rich!

Otherwise, why would those unruly outlaws risk their lives for you?

Upon opening the personal account, the original 21 yuan, after deducting the money for the prosthetic body, rent, and clothes, left 13 yuan.

Buying a car is clearly not enough, and he doesn't have a driver's license either.

This money needs to be used wisely. First, hire bodyguards, and then get yourself a student identity at Arasaka Academy.

We also need to set aside some money to buy something and resell it in Gotham...

After much deliberation, he suddenly came up with a high-end and safe travel solution—the truly driverless Delaman Taxi.

He searched online using his personal terminal and found that the company was just starting out and would not be as famous as it would be a year later.

He found the official number and called to inquire: "Hello, I would like to book a taxi."

"Welcome to Delaman Chauffeur Service. Choose Delaman, and leave your troubles at the door."

The artificial voice first read out the advertising slogan, and then asked about other travel destinations and times.

Leo recognized the voice as Dellaman's "own" voice, and thus felt reassured to make his request.

Fifteen minutes later, he received a text message informing him that Delaman's car was parked downstairs at the apartment building.

Leo took one last look at his impressive reflection in the mirror, patted the frame, and encouraged himself: "Leo, you used to be a good programmer, and you can be a good middleman and a good boss in the future. You have to live up to expectations for a bright future!"

Nobody: Chapter Nineteen - Heading to the Wild Wolf Bar

Good afternoon, Mr. Leonardo.

"Welcome to Delaman Chauffeur Service. Choose Delaman, and leave your troubles at the door."

Accompanied by yet another barrage of brainwashing advertising slogans, the bald head of the AI ​​Freedom Delaman appeared on the monitor on the back of the seat.

"Hello to you too. You can call me Leo. We'll probably be dealing with each other quite often in the future."

"Thank you for your trust. Delaman Chauffeur Service is always committed to providing customers with the highest quality service. Please do not believe the rumors on the Internet. Although we have just undergone restructuring, it will not affect your travel efficiency and safety."

"Reorganization?" Leo asked with interest.

Delaman responded truthfully: "After rigorous scientific research, I found that the key to improving efficiency and saving costs lies in eliminating manual laborers. Now Delaman Company has laid off all human drivers, maintenance personnel, and managers, and I am in charge of the entire process."

"Wow, that must have been really tough."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but please don't worry, I am a highly efficient AI that can provide the best service to every guest by using a split subsystem."

Please understand that I need to verify your identity before the trip begins. Please connect to your personal connection.

[Father, the scan is successful; the connection is secure.]

With a smile, Leo pulled the data cable from his left wrist and awkwardly plugged it into the car's computer.

Uploading data...

Upload complete.

A virtual information box appeared in Yi's eyes, displaying the verification process.

In just a second or two, the identity verification was completed.

Delaman's tone remained unchanged: "Thank you. The standard travel package has been activated."

"We expect to arrive at our destination, Wild Wolf Bar, in 8 minutes. In the meantime, would you be interested in learning about our newly launched VIP service – the Perfect Package?"

"Okay, tell me about it."

Since he had nothing better to do, Leo listened to Delaman's introduction while enjoying the scenery.

"【Striving for Excellence】is a package service tailored for our premium clients..."

The taxi began its self-driving process and steadily drove towards its destination at a constant speed of 40 kilometers per hour.

Throughout the entire conversation, Delaman kept talking nonstop, elaborating on the benefits of the Perfectionist Package.

Leo listened with great interest, particularly interested in the "Escape Mode" and "Battle Mode".

He is currently experiencing a severe lack of security, and Delaman's services can effectively address this.

After listening for a full five minutes, he finally spoke up: "I'm interested. Tell me about the pricing, is it a monthly pass or per ride?"

Delaman's voice rose noticeably, and his expression became more lively, as if the main AI had switched to this side.

"In fact, we offer two options for you to choose from. Depending on the distance of your trip and the safety risks along the route, the price for a single trip ranges from 300 to 1000 euros. The monthly subscription service is currently only 5000 euros. If you travel frequently, I recommend that you choose the latter."

“It’s quite expensive.”

The distance from his residence to the wolf is 3 kilometers and costs more than 40 euros. A monthly pass would be enough for him to make more than 100 round trips.

"You get what you pay for; we provide impeccable service to our VIP clients. Our packages include comprehensive health insurance, covering the remains of the client in the event of death in the vehicle..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Leo interrupted him, these words reminding him of bad memories. "If you really want to sell package services, don't bring up such dark and heavy topics."

"Yes, thank you for your honest feedback. We will actively study it and make corresponding adjustments."

"Okay... I'll buy it, and pay monthly."

"Thank you for your support! As Delaman's first monthly VIP customer, you will be personally served by my main AI when you ride in the car, and enjoy many privileges such as skipping the queue!"

Listening to his increasingly respectful and vivid voice, Leo couldn't help but sigh: In the cyber age, money can not only make the devil turn the millstone, but it can even make AI turn the millstone.

The account balance decreased by 5000 again, bringing it down to 12.5.

Three minutes later, the taxi arrived at the entrance of the Wild Wolf Bar on time.

"We have arrived at our destination, distinguished guest. We wish you a pleasant stay."

"Choose Delamain and leave your worries at the door."

Leo straightened the edges of his clothes and calmly opened the car door.

Outside the Wild Wolf Bar, the lingering customers noticed this incongruous visitor.

The driverless car, which appeared to be made of bulletproof material, and the silver-gray high-end casual suit, exuding an obvious "noble aura"—Leo became the focus of attention as soon as he got out of the car.

He walked unhurriedly towards the front door of the bar, nodding to the two bar security guards responsible for maintaining order.

The two security guards with large tattoos on their arms hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded in response.

This is basic respect for the wealthy.

As I pushed open the door, some loud rock music immediately filled my ears.

Several men dressed like cowboys were smoking in the entrance area, and the pungent smell of smoke polluted the surrounding air.