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

"Oh!"

Everyone took action.

Leo pushed open the car door, and the scorching, dry air immediately hit his face.

Without the car's air conditioning to cool them down, the unbearable heat enveloped the two of them.

"Luckily, this is a small town, so there is shade to walk in."

Leo held V's hand as they strolled through the streets of Stone Ridge Hill.

The road is lined with abandoned houses; the general framework looks okay, but the various supporting facilities urgently need to be replaced.

Whenever the wind and sand blow, the wooden windows, with only the frames remaining, rattle and groan, making the house seem to weep as well.

If you came to a place like this in the middle of the night, the faint of heart would be scared half to death.

It's no wonder that the original residents either moved to Night City or chose to flee. Living in a place like this, without a few trustworthy friends and neighbors, you probably wouldn't last a month.

They walked through the town, heading north along the main road, and found a fairly large open space.

The collapsed goalposts suggest that this used to be an outdoor sports field.

"There's plenty of space here; it's perfect for parking the floating car."

Leo sent the coordinates to Shao Xuan, asking him to deliver the second batch of goods there.

He also notified Saul to bring his truck over so that it would be easier to unload the goods.

Five minutes later, Kangtao's cargo pontoon landed in the Stone Ridge Mountain, expanding the business scope of the sales department.

Shao Xuan stepped off the hovercar and instructed Kangtao's employees to contact Leo's workers, while he himself, accompanied by two bodyguards, headed towards Leo.

"You pacified the eastern suburbs in just three days. Even though we value efficiency over there, your speed is still among the top tier!"

"They're just a bunch of criminals. They were only left alone before, otherwise they would have died long ago. Of course, powerful intelligent weapons have also provided us with a huge boost. I hope we can continue to cooperate in the future."

“No problem. Speaking of cooperation, I happen to have a proposal.”

Shao Xuan sent me an aerial photo.

"When I arrived over Stone Ridge Mountain, I took a photo and noticed that there were many abandoned shops at the crossroads in the town center."

Now that you've taken over Stone Ridge Mountain, and your subordinates are using equipment manufactured by Kangtao, how about we open a branch there? We could sell goods and, incidentally, help you repair and debug your smart weapons.”

Chapter 293 Mr. Blue Eyes

Merchants pursue profit, a principle that holds true everywhere.

Shao Xuan's suggestion was exactly what Li Ao had expected—at its peak, Shijishan could accommodate 5,000 people, and the food, clothing, and daily necessities of these people would cost a fortune, which the company certainly wouldn't let go of.

In fact, attracting investment was indeed on his agenda, but he didn't expect that Kangtao would come knocking on his door as soon as he started construction.

"You guys are pretty efficient too."

“They are each other.”

Shao Xuan smiled gently and gestured towards the town center. “If you don’t mind, let’s talk as we walk. As one of the first large companies to move in, Kangtao needs a shop that matches its commercial status. I want to choose the location myself so that I have something to say when I submit the application to the government.”

Leo nodded, knowing that if this succeeded, it would be considered his achievement, which was why he was so enthusiastic.

However, he welcomes anything that benefits both parties.

"Alright, General Manager Shao, this way please."

The team size surged, expanding from two to five members.

Along the way, Shao Xuan carefully observed the actual situation of Shijishan Town and conducted an assessment of the area.

The conclusion is that the future is promising.

The location here is excellent, situated perfectly between Night City and the Eastern Border Checkpoint. The roads are readily available, and as long as the infrastructure is in place and the safety of travelers is ensured, many people will be willing to stay here temporarily.

More importantly, this is a no-man's-land, maintaining a delicate distance from Night City's urban area, yet situated precisely on the established flight paths of the various companies' hovercars, resembling a hidden haven…

They're really good at handling shady dealings.

Furthermore, considering Leo's inherent advantage as "one of their own," this place holds strategic value for Kangtao.

Your chance for a promotion and a raise has arrived!

"Not bad, very good!"

As Shao Xuan watched the busy homeless people, he occasionally offered some very helpful suggestions.

As the deputy general manager of the sales department, he is a professional in business. He can tell at a glance which locations have high commercial value and which types of shops are suitable for them.

Upon arriving in the town center, he immediately spotted... that gas station!

The best location is right here, but unfortunately, the Peizhuo Petrochemical logo is so conspicuous, asserting ownership of the building.

"Our planet is constantly progressing because of Petrified Petrochemicals."

This bold advertising slogan is written on the gas station sign.

This long-established energy giant grows ethanol-2 wheat on millions of acres of fertile land, and its fuel production virtually monopolizes the North American market.

Not to mention that this is an American company, with its global headquarters located in the suburbs of Irvine in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area of ​​Texas.

Even Kang Tao had to abide by the rules when facing such a senior figure.

Looking around, there's a Whole Foods supermarket, an Arasaka general store, a military technology arms shop... all familiar faces. These shops at the crossroads have been occupied by them for who knows how many years.

Given the typical practices of large corporations, they will undoubtedly hold permanent ownership of the land, ready to make a triumphant return at any time.

How disgusting!

Shao Xuan's gaze shifted again, and suddenly he saw a trademark in the prime location that read "Virtue is not commensurate with position".

Night Corporation.

In the days before the town of Shijishan was abandoned, Ye's Company clearly wielded considerable influence, enough to be on par with other large companies.

But now...

"This store is great in terms of size and location. Let's open Kangtao's Shijishan branch here!"

Leo also noticed the Ye family's logo: "Are you sure? This looks like a Ye family company store."

Shao Xuan replied confidently, "I saw it, but so what? The glory of the Ye family has long since vanished. Our legal department will contact them and buy or lease this land from them."

His tone was nonchalant, clearly showing that he didn't take the Ye family seriously.

Compared to the thriving Kangtao, the Ye family is already a thing of the past. They couldn't teach Arasaka and Junke a lesson, so surely they can teach this younger brother a lesson too!

That's how the location of Kangtao's branch was decided.

Shao Xuan took out his phone, switched to video mode, and sent the shop's information back to the company so that the construction team could come up with a plan and start construction.

“Let me see… It’s 1 p.m. now. Kangtao’s construction team will arrive around 3 p.m. So let’s leave the construction of this shop to us.”

Leo nodded indifferently.

The Night Company has an ambiguous relationship with Blue Eyes, so it wouldn't be bad to have Kang Tao take the lead and drive the Night Company out of Stone Ridge Mountain.

After finishing his own work, Shao Xuan turned to look at the gas station and suddenly said:

“Leonardo, there’s something I need to tell you beforehand—you bought a lot of ethanol-2 fuel from us, and the source of that fuel is Pedro Petrochemical.”

They have an absolute monopoly in North America; even Soviet petrochemicals can't get in. Their tanker trucks will be here soon to deliver goods, and they'll probably take back the gas stations along the way. They're used to being domineering; you need to be careful when dealing with them.

"Thank you for reminding me, I was prepared."

Leo thanked him for his kindness and accompanied him back to the unloading site.

After Kangtao's hovercraft left, he directed the workers to first install the large-scale ethanol-2 generator set and its supporting power supply facilities.

In modern society, electricity is an indispensable energy source.

The homeless people started construction in a flurry of activity.

They are all truly skilled workers who sign short-term contracts with large construction sites each year during the relocation period, providing manpower and equipment.

Rebuilding a town whose framework has already been erected and which was once inhabited is so easy for them that they don't even need to think while they work.

Leo generously offered them wages ranging from 100 to 500 per day, making him feel like he had suddenly become a foreman with all sorts of workers under his command.

In an instant, Shijishan was filled with the clanging and hammering sounds, transforming it into a super-large construction site.

The accompanying drones and several combat units patrolled the town's main roads, and the sophisticated weaponry and armored vehicles allowed everyone to work with peace of mind.

Leo, accompanied by V, wandered around and played games about exploring a ghost town.

Fifteen minutes later, his leisurely time came to an end because—Pezhuo Petrochemical arrived.

Five extended tanker trucks, two vans, and three armed escort vehicles formed a luxury convoy that traveled along Highway 9 all the way to the outskirts of the town.

Leo received a notification from the patrol team and immediately ordered them to let him pass.

Two minutes later, he met the guests from Peizhuo Petrochemical.

Just as Shao Xuan said, he was a rather assertive man.

He was dressed in a formal suit, sporting a neat buzz cut, and walked straight toward Leo, accompanied by his guards.

"Leonardo DiCaprio, codename L, I've heard so much about you."

He spoke politely, but his hawk-like eyes darted around Leo, his sharp gaze seemingly searching for any weakness in him.

It's really unfriendly to dig up someone's past as soon as you meet them.

Leo replied indifferently, "I'm just a newcomer and an intermediary; I'm not exactly an expert. May I ask who you are?"

“Zoltan Perik, the survey specialist from Pedro Petrochemical, we heard that you are going to rebuild Stone Ridge Mountain and have commissioned Kangtao to purchase a batch of ethanol-2 fuel from us, so we came here specifically to take a look.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the bustling construction site, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

Before Leo could reply, he took out a business card from his suit pocket, along with a chip, and handed it to Leo.

I'm here to take care of two things—

Firstly, the gas station behind you belongs to Peizhuo Petrochemical, and we own the property rights in perpetuity, allowing us to reclaim it at any time. I brought a construction team and related equipment with me; they will renovate the gas station and reopen it. The separate chip contains our property ownership certificate.

Secondly, the prices we offer to large companies are completely different from the prices we offer to individual customers. If you are not a formal employee of Kangtao, then we need to renegotiate the fuel price.

The representatives of the large company were indeed quite capable, employing pressure, probing, and relatively normal business negotiations.

Fortunately, Leo is not fighting alone.

"I'm very busy. You can talk to my business manager about such trivial matters as business negotiations."

【Pure White, hurry up! It's up to you!】

Watch me!

As a super AI, Chunbai has a master-level understanding of the law, and her eloquence and logical abilities far surpass those of ordinary humans.

After she connected with the specialist from Peizhuo Petrochemical, she had him sweating profusely within minutes.

Ultimately, they reached an agreement—Leo agreed to return the gas stations to Peizhuo Petrochemical and provide protection and assistance for their normal operations. Peizhuo Petrochemical offered a relatively reasonable supply price, roughly the price given to small companies.

The two parties signed an agreement that all supplies of ethanol-2 fuel and related derivatives for Shijishan will be provided by Peizhuo Petrochemical.

Just as we finished dealing with this situation, other companies started coming in one after another.

Leo used the same approach—first make contact, then release pure white—and it always worked well, easily winning over the companies that came to "claim their territory."

Just as he expected, as long as there was profit to be made, these people would come to him on their own.

Two hours later, he was hoarse from talking, and he had more than a dozen business cards in his pocket, which could be considered as expanding his network.

Of these, only the tsunami defense system got along relatively well.

Building on their previous collaboration, Leo generously rented them a shop in a prime location, and in return, they offered to provide custom-made firearms for the members of the Immortal Squad.

Upon hearing this, V became excited. She had recently saved up quite a bit of money and was starting to look down on the mass-produced "Kenshin" edition.

If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, she would have ordered two handguns on the spot...

After receiving the top-tier large companies, those who arrived later were mostly second- or third-tier small companies.

Leo initially wanted to pass on this troublesome task of receiving guests, but after looking around, he realized with dismay that neither the Immortal Squad nor the Wanderers had any professionals capable of handling such matters.

Everyone here is either a technically specialized or combat-specialized individual; there's simply no one who excels at company operations…

Just as he was numbly dealing with one company representative after another, an unexpected visitor made him tense up.