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

V smirked and continued, "You look much better like this. You were acting so erratically just now, I thought you were about to have a cyberbullying episode."

"Since you're so generous, I'll give you some advice—stay away from those shady things."

I'm not kidding, but I know a lone wolf who recently picked up a package of contraband during a mission—it was called… Black Lace. She used it as a painkiller, and well, a week later she went insane, developed cyberbullying, and even the Terrorist SWAT team was called in.

Leo could tell that V's long speech was entirely for his own good.

But he was a proud man and didn't want to leave his two new companions with the bad impression that he was a "drug addict".

"I never touch that kind of thing. I just got a prosthetic body installed, and my nerves are a bit out of order. Plus, I'm new to Night City and not used to the chaotic situation here."

"Cultural and environmental problems?" V suddenly laughed. "Coincidentally, I just came back from Atlanta not long ago. I went there hoping to make a fortune in a different environment, but I also suffered from acclimatization issues and ended up slinking back."

"How's it over there? Is it easy to make money?" Jack was curious about the unknown city.

V leaned back on the sofa and thought for a moment: "It's completely different from here. Over there... there's some order, but you're often restricted. And the gangs are different from those in Night City. I couldn't find many decent jobs, and I couldn't stand it after a year."

"That's normal, girl. Nowhere compares to home. Welcome back to Haywood!"

Jack laughed heartily, then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he winked at Leo and muttered to himself, seemingly casually, "Heywood woman..."

Leo could tell he was joking about their conversation in the car about "what kind of woman you like," and he almost lost his temper.

Fortunately, V didn't think much of it and just casually said, "Anyway, we're back, let's just make do."

She changed her sitting posture—crossing one leg over her shoulder and casually resting her right arm on the back of the sofa behind Leo's neck.

He put on the airs of a big brother.

"Let's talk about you, employer..."

“Call me Leo. We’re all family now, don’t be so formal,” Leo interrupted her.

“Okay… Leo, in my opinion, you’re the kind of… spoiled brat who just escaped his family’s control and started running wild as soon as he arrived in Night City. Your behavior is out of place here, and that’s really dangerous.”

As your bodyguard, I must correct your misbehavior. If you cannot accept it, I suggest you find someone else as soon as possible.

For V to say something like that, especially as a highly paid bodyguard, demonstrates an exceptionally high level of moral character.

Jack nodded slightly to Leo, meaning that the bodyguard he had hired was quite reliable.

Leo thought so too, after all, this was the future V-Shock that could be invincible.

He wanted to nod in agreement, but didn't want to lose face, so he simply used a "magical attack" to save face: "I'm an orphan..."

Jack's smile faltered.

V also became a little more reserved and uncomfortably restrained himself.

Just when Leo thought the magic attack had worked and was incredibly effective, V countered – “What a coincidence, I’m an orphan too. Night City, you know, there are a lot of orphans.”

The same magic cancels each other out.

Leo awkwardly touched his nose, hesitating for a moment whether to say the classic line, "Sorry, I don't know."

The two, who had clashed not long ago, found common ground in this awkward situation and were both speechless.

Finally, the two orphans' eyes settled on Jack's face.

Jack gave him an innocent smile, hesitated for half a second between comforting them and causing some trouble, and then decisively chose the latter.

His prosthetic eye lit up, and he said loudly, "Mom! Could you please take a few bottles of Coke to the table next to the monitoring room? I'd also like to introduce you to my two new friends!"

traitor!

One of the three was a traitor who had a mother!

After experiencing a shift in emotions from envy to jealousy to hatred, Leo quietly moved a little closer to V, signifying their firm alliance.

V didn't say anything, but just rolled her eyes at Jack.

Soon after, Mrs. Wells, with her full head of white hair, came over carrying a tray.

Leo answered the call for a moment and introduced himself.

V also changed his sitting posture and greeted her warmly.

This old lady, who can run a bar located in a gang stronghold so well, is clearly no ordinary person.

She looked Leo and V with a direct but not unpleasant gaze, then gave them a gentle smile: "Jack, you've finally made two good friends."

“Mom…” Jack said helplessly. He felt that his gang brothers were not so bad.

Mrs. Wells saw through her son's thoughts at a glance and shook her head, saying, "Those gangsters will only get you killed, but V and Leo are different. They look like decent people."

"You two have a good chat, I won't disturb you."

After his mother left, Jack visibly felt much more at ease.

His willingness to go to any lengths to show off that he has a mother earned him the disdain of the other two.

Fortunately, they had new drinks, which distracted them somewhat.

Ceres Classic Coke

The classic canned cola makes a "pop" sound when you pull the tab, and thick bubbles rush out of the can.

Leo really likes this.

He couldn't wait to gulp down the ice-cold cola, drinking half a can in one go.

Considering there was a lady nearby, he turned his head away and slightly covered his mouth when he hiccuped.

Cool!

This is much better than that bitter, spicy, and sour rotten wine!

After finishing a full can of "life-giving fountain," Leo leaned comfortably against the back of the sofa and exhaled a long breath through his nose.

Seeing how comfortable he looked, V couldn't help but tease him, "Is it really that bad? Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd just taken drugs."

“You don’t understand,” Leo said, recalling what he had eaten the past two days. “This is the most normal thing I’ve eaten recently, and it tastes pretty much the same as I remember.”

He was referring to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but unfortunately, these two brands have long since disappeared into the annals of history.

Nobody: Chapter Twenty-Four: Jack Joins the Team, and the Three-Man Squad is Formed!

The magical power of carbonated drinks quickly brought the three of them closer.

Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Leo took the opportunity to invite Jack to join his fledgling team.

“Jack, when I first arrived I said—” He paused, looked around to make sure there were no other ‘listeners’ nearby, “that I was a middleman, and that’s no exaggeration.”

"Although I am new here and have no family support, I have money and some people who are willing to support me and provide me with material assistance. I believe we can definitely do something about it."

Start by becoming a middleman, gradually recruiting people, building influence, and eventually establishing a company.

"Starting a company...that's awesome. These guys in the underworld, at most they dare to brag about becoming a big boss at a bar. Not a single one of them dares to say they want to start a company."

Jack raised his glass to him.

"You're quite bold to say something like that. But... it's not that easy. Not to mention, any middleman with even a little reputation has quite a background."

Jack organized his thoughts and introduced his seniors to the newcomer to Night City:

“Wakako Okada, a middleman and local bigwig in Westbrook. It is said that she has had five husbands who died, all of whom were big bosses in the Tiger Claw gang. She also has nine sons, all of whom are high-ranking members of the Tiger Claw gang.”

“Regina Jones, a middleman in Watson District, gives out a lot of work and has a wide network of connections. She is said to have been a war correspondent before and is considered one of the more upright middlemen.”

“I agree, I’ve worked for her before,” V interjected, clearly having a good impression of Regina.

Jack paused for a moment, then continued:

"The one I know best, Haywood's middleman—'Father' Sebastian Ibarra. He often hangs out near the small basketball court by the Wolves. I'll introduce you to him sometime."

By the way, he has extremely high prestige and a lot of influence in Heywood, so you need to show him respect when dealing with him.

"Rogge, the best middleman in Night City, the 'Queen' of the Afterlife Bar. As for her... well, I'm not qualified, I've only heard some rumors. Anyway, she's incredibly awesome."

"Besides these people, there are also 'Old Captain' Muammar Reyes, Dino Tinovich from the municipal center, and others. I only know their names, so I won't go into details."

After saying a long string of words, Jack gulped down his Coke and smacked his lips: "In short, they're all big shots, both righteous and wicked, with extensive connections. Joining this line of work won't be so easy for you."

"I know that everything is difficult at the beginning, difficult in the middle, and difficult at the end."

Leo made a joke.

If it weren't for his cheat ability to travel between two worlds and carry items, he wouldn't have dared to easily venture into the murky and unfathomable Night City.

But now that he has the ability, he naturally wants to take a gamble—after all, it's biochip technology that can make people "immortal."

The thought of something that even Qin Shi Huang could not obtain made him feel excited and unable to contain himself.

Immortality and money were the two things this vulgar man loved most.

Night City—it has it all!

Oh, and power too. These three things complement each other and can absolutely achieve success together.

Leo suppressed his excitement and changed the subject, revealing the salary he paid V.

A daily wage of 1000 would result in a monthly salary of 30000.

Jack couldn't help but envy the price: "Damn... even if it were half price, not many mercenaries could refuse this price."

His eyes held only envy, without any other ill intentions, which made V look at this big guy with new respect.

She finally landed a "big job," but she didn't want someone to interfere and reduce her salary.

The astonishment and envy of the two were exactly what Leo was aiming for. He recalled what V had said in the game, made slight modifications, and delivered his own declaration:

"I'm not like those bastards who like to grab clients everywhere, find the cheapest idiots to work for, and then throw the bodies in the trash."

If I like someone and want to win them over, I'll just give them money!

He looked at V, indicating that what he said was true.

"Money is a good thing, everyone loves it, and it can solve 99% of the world's problems. So my goal is very clear—to be a 'generous' middleman. That's my advantage."

"grass!"

Jack slammed his hand on the table in excitement, causing the soda cans to roll onto the floor with a clatter.

"Dude, you're absolutely right! No wonder you're rich! If you could do even a part of what you said, you'd definitely have a private room in your next life!"

"The premise is that you'd better be careful, be vigilant, and not just grab anyone and say things that could easily incite crime."

V couldn't help but advise him, but her slightly heavier breathing revealed that she was also very agitated.

Money!

Who doesn’t like money!

Every mercenary is after money, and if they happen to find a generous middleman, they won't care about risking their lives.

"So, we've reached an agreement?"

Leo extended his right hand, hovering it over the center of the table.

V exhaled deeply and silently placed his hand on it.

Jack hesitated for a moment, then held out his hand: "Come on, count me in!"

2076年2月18日，中午1点25分。

The three-person team is officially formed!

Leo recorded this scene, which will surely be recorded in history.

After successfully securing the position of team leader, he chaired the first team meeting.

Let me first tell you about our initial development plan—

I've just arrived in Night City and plan to enroll in Arasaka Academy first, partly to learn some technical knowledge and partly to obtain a more formal identity.

"Jack needs to recover from his injuries right now, so let's lie low for a while until I get the first batch of aid supplies, then we'll officially take to the stage."

Jack nodded in agreement: "My injury will heal in another ten days to two weeks. In the meantime, I will stay at the Wild Wolf Bar and ask the gang members about the latest situation and look for opportunities."

V said, "I don't need to say anything. I'm the big boss's bodyguard, so of course I'm responsible for protecting his safety."

The three of them had a clear understanding of their roles and quickly assigned tasks for the near future.

Leo thought for a moment and said, "A qualified team needs at least one highly skilled hacker. I can take on that role in the future, but not now."

"Hmm, I do have a suitable candidate. Let me think of a way to see if I can invite a hacker to join the team."