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

"See! I told you L was the middleman in Kanto, but you didn't believe me! I won that bet back then, 10 euros each, pay up!"

Such gossip quickly spread among the mercenary group.

Rising to Fame: Chapter 254 Leo: I would like to invite Mr. Xu Shiming to Night City for a chat.

The group of six quickly disappeared into the distance while the onlookers watched.

Leo's three-man team walked in front, while Kang Tao's three-man team followed behind, with a distance between them that was neither too close nor too far, leaving room for imagination.

After entering the narrow corridor of the private room area, the soundproof door blocked out both the noisy music and the obscure view.

Without outsiders watching, Leo's feigned aloofness became somewhat subdued.

"Mr. Li, this way."

The private room they were going to was very conspicuous, because the big guy Jack was standing right next to the door, acting as a doorman.

Upon seeing him, the two bodyguards from Kangtao became even more nervous.

Just the two women beside Leo already made them feel uneasy. Now that the other side's forces were increasing, they feared they wouldn't be able to protect their superior if a conflict broke out.

Especially the bodyguard who had met Leo and the others last time—he really couldn't understand how the female mercenary with the dyed red hair had become so terrifying in just half a month, putting pressure on him comparable to that of the head instructor of the special forces…

Mr. Li seemed oblivious to the unease in his subordinates, and strode forward with a calm expression.

Then, everyone entered the private room and saw Sasha standing outside the meeting room.

Mr. Li's gaze swept over her face a few times before he finally uttered his first words since they met: "How come there isn't a single one of our own people around you? If it weren't for the fact that there aren't any Japanese people here, I would have questioned your stance."

Leo knew he was just joking, so he casually spread his hands: "I would like to find some of my own people, but look at Night City, it's so big, but there isn't even a Chinese gang. It's because the people from our hometown are not united."

Mr. Li glanced at him indifferently and did not investigate further.

Leo gestured for him to come into the meeting room for further discussion.

However, as the bodyguards stepped forward to catch up, he raised his hand again to stop them: "This conversation is very important. I need to speak with Mr. Li alone. You all wait outside."

The two bodyguards looked troubled and hesitated before glancing at their superior.

"Hmph, so mysterious." Mr. Li had long been accustomed to great things and his mentality was as steady as a rock. "Alright, you can stay outside."

"Yes."

Two bodyguards remained outside the door.

They maintained a vigilant posture, standing in a defensive formation, displaying a high level of professionalism.

On the other hand, the Immortal Squad was much more relaxed—everyone seemed calm and collected, chatting in the team channel while drinking.

in the conference room,

Leo and the other guests took their seats first, and then used the control panel to close the high-grade soundproof door of the conference room and activate the highest level of security.

Fluorescent dots appear on the special glass material, blocking the view from the outside.

At the same time, the jamming equipment took effect, completely blocking external signals.

While he was performing the procedure, Mr. Li's prosthetic eye also lit up, carefully checking the room several times to ensure there were no hidden dangers.

After the two had completed the security check, he finally spoke, "What is it all about? Why are you making such a fuss?"

Leo didn't keep him in suspense and said directly, "I want to buy a batch of weapons from Kangtao, and also a piece of intelligence. In return, I can reveal some important information to you."

"Oh..." Mr. Li pondered for a moment, "I remember you still owe me a favor from last time, and you haven't even paid it back yet, and now you want me to do something for you again?"

“What’s a small favor? If you have a task or need something, just tell me, and I guarantee I can get it done for you. Or… several small favors can be combined into one big favor, and I can give you a chance to rise to the top.”

"Give me a chance?"

Mr. Li's voice suddenly rose several octaves, and his eyes showed deep surprise.

This sounds so strange, as if you're the weaker party who needs help in this situation.

But he remembered it very clearly—

When they first met, the other party was a naive and innocent girl who knew nothing, just like a young master who had been kicked out of his family and was starting to fend for himself.

During their second encounter, the other party asked him to do a favor and buy two custom-made firearms. While the other party was indeed wealthy, it didn't seem particularly surprising; he'd seen plenty of spoiled brats.

How did this third contact turn into the other party giving me a chance?

Could it be that his business failed and he's planning to return to his family, hence this sudden outburst?

In just a few seconds, a jumble of chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind.

Taking the opportunity to organize his thoughts, Leo calmly said, "That's right, you are one of the senior executives dispatched by Kangtao to Night City. If Kangtao wants to fully intervene in Night City, it will certainly be a great benefit to you."

"When did Kangtao decide to fully intervene in Night City?! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Mr. Li was quite shocked by the news. In his distress, he raised his hand and took off his glasses.

"I haven't heard a thing... Where did you get this information from?"

Leo looked calmly into his eyes: "You're right that you haven't heard of it, because it's something that's about to happen, not something that has already happened."

He adjusted his posture and took a sip of the bottled water.

When the other party seemed a little anxious, he slowly said, "In half a month, I will invite Mr. Xu Shiming to Night City for a meeting. After that, Kangtao will officially intervene in Night City, just like Arasaka and Military Technology, and have its own sphere of influence and corporate army here."

"Are you crazy?!" Mr. Li lost control of his expression. "Xu... uh, do you... do you know who you're talking about?!"

He didn't even want to, or rather... dared not, call that name directly. That was the founder of Kangtao, a real figure of power who could cause a political earthquake with a stomp of his foot!

Leo nodded: "Of course I know who Mr. Xu Shiming is—a retired army colonel who took over a dilapidated and bankrupt defense company in the late 2040s, renamed it 'Conto,' and led the company to become a major success. Yes, I'm talking about him. Besides, I'm not crazy, I'm perfectly clear-headed."

"No...you're crazy! A person of that caliber doesn't travel abroad easily. Even if they come here, that's called—an overseas visit!"

Mr. Li's breathing became unsteady, and his tone became rapid.

“He is your own father. You can’t just call him over casually and let him change Kangtao’s strategic policies at will.”

"To tell you the truth, I'm in charge of security. If Kang Tao really has something big planned for Night City, there's no way I wouldn't know!"

"Don't get agitated, have some water."

Leo calmly handed him a bottle of water, his tone remaining calm and leisurely.

Mr. Li stared intently into his eyes, hesitated, then took the water and drank a few sips. He was indeed parched and his body was radiating heat.

This is all because the news is too bizarre.

To be fair, he didn't believe that. His reason told him that such a thing was absolutely impossible!

Comto is a super company that ranks among the top ten in the world. How could its founder and top leader be mobilized by a young man of unknown identity...?

Rising to Fame: Chapter 255 The First Step in Building a Gang: Buying 100 Million in Arms!

When one side completely loses control of their emotions during negotiations, it often means that the outcome is already decided.

Knowing he had the upper hand, Leo immediately pressed his advantage: "I know this sounds a bit far-fetched, but since I've said it, it means I'm confident I can persuade Mr. Xu Shiming. As for how I'll do it... are you sure you want to know?"

Mr. Li's breath hitched, and he suddenly couldn't make up his mind.

This level of secrecy…

No, it's top secret!

If it's fake, then it's just for fun. But if it's real... well, it's better not to know. Knowing might bring misfortune to your whole family...

"What... do you plan to do?" He took a step back, observing cautiously.

"It's very simple. I still have some preparations to complete, and I need some time. You can pass on my message first, let the upper echelons of Kangtao know that this is true, and say... there is such a boastful brat spouting nonsense."

"After that, when the time is right, I will give you something. You can send it up, and Mr. Xu Shiming will naturally come to see me."

"What... never mind, I don't want to know."

Mr. Li swallowed his doubts and did not pursue the matter further.

However, his unwillingness to listen doesn't mean Leo doesn't want to speak—

"Something that could trigger the fifth corporate war and, incidentally, crush biotech companies."

Mr. Li put on a mask of pain.

Even if it was a joke, it sounded chilling.

He subconsciously started thinking... then he forcefully interrupted his thoughts, trying not to delve too deeply into them.

"Pretend I didn't hear that last sentence. I'm not going to upload it for you..."

Leo nodded: "It doesn't matter. Facts speak louder than words. I will show my sincerity and prove my words with practical actions."

"Alright, let's put that aside for now and talk about business and intelligence."

He took out a pre-prepared chip from his pocket, placed it on the glass table, and pushed it toward the other person.

Mr. Li calmed himself down and gently picked up the chip from the box.

Hopefully, there's nothing too dangerous inside...

After taking safety precautions, he inserted the chip into a slot behind his ear, and a shopping list appeared on his retina.

Contrary to the expectedly complicated requirements, the items on this list are rather ordinary.

Shopping List

[Standard Quality (Tier 2) A-22B Super Smart Pistol.]

[Smart firearms and ammunition.]

[A small drone, equipped with a weapon system and a charging base.]

[Large-scale alcohol-2 generator set.]

[A large quantity of standard ethanol-2 fuel.]

[Home-use lightweight mechanical turret.]

[Conto Implant Kit (Type 2): Smart connectivity, basic optical prosthetic eye, subcutaneous armor, brain-computer interface, biomonitoring.]

I quickly glanced at the product catalog; it contained very ordinary items, with no sensitive products.

Does this really need to be discussed in detail?

The quantity is... um?

This quantity seems incorrect.

"Five hundred drones, weapons and plant materials for a thousand people!? No... what are you planning to do!?"

That's enough to form a regular army!

Leo explained softly, "It's nothing serious. I just don't feel secure without anyone under my command. So I decided to start a small gang and establish a foothold in Night City first. Look, my gang members are all wearing Contour gear—aren't they walking advertisements?"

"Don't be ridiculous, what gang using smart weapons?" Mr. Li was speechless. "Selling you such a large quantity of weapons, the other big companies in Night City will have something to say!"

"No need to transport it into Night City, just put it in the Badlands for me. And you can transport it in several batches, so it won't be so conspicuous. Besides, it's not contraband, why not make money?"

Mr. Li looked at the unit price and the total price and realized that he had obviously referred to the data online and set a wholesale price that was neither too high nor too low.

The total price of the goods came to exactly 1 million, which was considered a big deal for the Night City branch.

"I can't make that decision myself. I can only pass it on to the marketing department and see what their manager says. But I can assure you that whether it's this big deal or the information you want to leak, once the higher-ups find out, they will definitely dig into your identity and investigate you thoroughly!"

Leo nodded, indicating that he completely understood: "Then let them investigate. I can tell you in advance—they won't find anything."

“Then we will never be able to truly trust you!” Mr. Li asserted.

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at Leo, hoping to discern his true thoughts through his micro-expressions and movements.

But he was soon disappointed—Leo's expression remained calm, and his exposed hands and other limbs showed no change, as if he were not nervous at all.

The same is true.

Compared to Batman, Mr. Lee's skills have too long a wind-up animation, making them easy for Leo to predict.

“No, you’ve got it wrong, Mr. Li.” Leo’s voice remained calm, like still water. “We—don’t need your trust.”

"There are only interests between countries, and the same goes for forces. We have the technology and the means to protect ourselves. We approached you simply to seek cooperation and mutual benefit, just like our newly established biotechnology company and Peizhuo Petrochemical."

In this matter, we're only talking about interests, not feelings.

After he said that, the meeting room fell into an awkward silence.