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

Leo joked, "What, you think this candidate is bad?"

V shook his head: "Stins... he's alright, I guess. Compared to those corrupt cops, at least he's still a human being, with basic principles and a conscience. You haven't seen how corrupt those cops can be; some even cooperate with the Cleaners..."

Their conversation gradually veered off course, and neither of them took the NCPD seriously.

With Wings of Freedom and Blue Dream Company around, they are at most mascots on Taiping Island. Their only purpose is to add a sentence to news reports: "Taiping Island is back under government control, and the NCPD has successfully moved in to safeguard the safety of citizens."

During their casual conversation, the two wandered around and unintentionally ended up behind the Grand Empire Department Store, arriving at the roller coaster platform.

Leo remembers a side quest in the game: this roller coaster can be repaired, and you can even ride it with Johnny Silverhand.

Right now, Johnny is still inside the biochip, but he can sit with V!

"V, do you want to ride a roller coaster?" he urged.

V's eyes lit up with interest: "Sounds good. There aren't any like this in Haywood or Watson District. But... are you sure this old relic, abandoned for so many years, can still run away?"

Leo was certain that he remembered V getting the roller coaster moving again in the game by "disabling the safety protection mechanism and activating the backup power."

Wait a minute, isn't this method a little off...?

After hesitating for a moment, he gave up the idea of ​​playing with it now: "When I have time, I'll find a professional team to inspect these old devices. Repair what needs repairing, replace what needs replacing, and do a thorough cleaning. Then we can make it a company benefit and let the employees play with it for free."

"That sounds good. I want to be the first to try it out once it's fixed!"

V still has the mindset of a little girl and is very interested in these amusement facilities.

The two cuddled on a bench by the platform for a while, but soon couldn't sit still anymore.

As temperatures rise, the sea breeze carries an increasingly strong, fishy odor that can give you a headache if you smell it for too long…

"This damn environmental pollution really needs to be addressed!"

Leo, unwilling to remain in the smog, quickly moved to a new location with V.

Back at the Grand Empire Mall, they got down to business—directing the big guys from the animal gang to clean up while sending out invitations to various companies and media outlets.

Of course, he didn't forget Colonel Hansen in Dogtown either. With Arasaka, public enemy number one, around, this veteran could be easily won over.

Generally speaking, paper invitations are more formal and ceremonial, but Leo was too lazy to send one and didn't think these inhuman companies were worth the effort.

Therefore, all invitations were sent electronically to the business departments and media representatives of various companies. Leo didn't care whether they came or not.

The chairman of Kangtao, the mayor of Night City, and the director of the NCPD are all here. The allies of the Anti-Araizaka Alliance and the Internet Police will definitely come to join in the fun. Those who don't come will only make people think that they are low-class and were not invited.

After sending out business-related invitations, the next step is naturally to send out invitations to closer friends and family.

Leo made a list:

Old Vie, Misty, Mrs. Wells, the priest, the old captain, Claire, Regina... I basically wrote them down in the order I knew them.

After finishing writing it, he saw that there were three middlemen in it. Adding Dakota, who had already joined his ranks, he now had four well-known middlemen.

Let's go all out and call all the well-known middlemen in Night City. We're all in the same business, so it'll be good for us to get together.

Roger, Wakako Okada, Denno, and Mr. Hanz.

All eight middlemen are here, except for DeShawn who hasn't arrived in Night City yet.

As he finished writing, only one name made him hesitate—should he invite David over?

As the only friend I got along with during my school years, and also my future son-in-law, I should logically invite him.

But this would expose his identity as the chairman of Lanmeng, and how would he ever play with his classmates again...?

His gaze inadvertently swept over the media list, and his concerns instantly vanished.

I almost forgot, with so many journalists around, his identity was impossible to hide anyway, and he wasn't planning on going on stage wearing a mask...

That doesn't matter, let's invite David and Gloria too!

After finishing writing everything, he asked Chunbai to send out the invitations for him, while he focused on preparing for tomorrow's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The morning passed quickly as he juggled three tasks: keeping an eye on the situation on Taiping Island, directing the construction team, and returning calls to the guests who had received invitations.

Most people call to confirm the authenticity of the information before readily agreeing.

Only two people had a minor problem.

One of them is David. He wants to come, but he can't because tomorrow is Friday, and his mother will beat him to death if he skips school...

Leo suppressed a laugh and offered him a few words of comfort.

Honestly, it doesn't matter whether David comes or not, as long as Gloria comes!

The other one is the old captain. It's just that Leo went too far here. He shouldn't have brought up the topic of solving the water pollution problem in the Santo Domingo region. When he mentioned it, the other person became overly excited and wouldn't hang up...

Left with no other option, he briefly explained the matter of the water-purifying algae and quickly hung up the phone when the other party asked "what the price is".

In the past, he might have had the perverse pleasure of making someone call him "Dad." But now... there could be a line of people wanting to call him Dad, and he no longer looked down on the sleazy old captain.

It's better to abandon this son and just obediently serve as his subordinate!

Chapter 408 First Test of the Exploding Sound Channel

After dealing with all sorts of trivial matters, I had a quick bite of a bento box made in bulk at Shijishan for lunch, and then the afternoon's tedious work came rushing in.

The engineering equipment provided by the municipal government has arrived; the billboards rushed to be made by Kangtao have arrived; undercurrents are surging everywhere in Taipingzhouli, and the locals are actively banding together; there are also news reporters running around everywhere after the lockdown was lifted.

With one thing after another piling up, Leo was so busy he was dizzy and overwhelmed.

Even though he didn't need to participate in the labor himself, just showing up everywhere and assigning tasks exhausted him.

It was only then that he realized that Blue Dream Company had far too few employees. There were only twelve people at most, and they were all technical workers and combat personnel.

"We need to hire...a company needs at least several hundred people..."

Leo was exhausted by the time he finally made it to dinner.

The group of friends nodded in agreement. They had run around Taipingzhou at least a dozen times today, dealing with all sorts of things, and not the kind that could be easily suppressed by force. They were really busy running around in circles.

However, there is also an unavoidable problem here—

If they're looking to hire clerical staff, their current talent pool is far from sufficient. Even though the homeless population numbers around two thousand, it's likely that very few are of suitable education and age, let alone have work experience.

But if we recruit from the general public, we might end up attracting a bunch of spies from other companies, which is a real headache.

Leo cut the charcoal-grilled tomahawk steak and said thoughtfully:

"Actually, there's no rush. Lanmeng Company doesn't have any large-scale businesses yet. Let's hire some clerical staff first to set up the framework. If we don't consider work experience, it's better to hire some recent graduates. They are young and energetic, and their social relationships are relatively simple, making it easier to cultivate their loyalty."

However, this matter needs someone to take charge…

His gaze swept over the crowd.

The group of friends all lowered their heads in embarrassment.

That's right, the Immortal Squad and the Mann Squad combined can't even muster a single college student. What a waste of talent...

"It's alright, I'll find a suitable candidate later."

Leo already had the best candidate in mind, but to avoid stressing V, he kept quiet for the time being.

After the meal, he told everyone to go back and pack their important belongings, as they might be moving to Tai Ping Chau in a few days and he would be reassigning accommodations to them.

The children nodded excitedly.

Even Jack made a decision that went against his ancestors' wishes and went to Taiping Island to start his own business!

In fact, this was also Mrs. Wells' advice to him—now is an important time to make achievements and establish a career, and a man cannot be attached to his family; he must go out and make his way in the world!

The matter was settled amicably.

Before the party ended, Rebecca awkwardly approached Leo, looking conflicted.

Leo saw through her thoughts without her even having to say a word, and said directly:

“I found some clues about your father’s cause of death in the Voodoo Gang’s confidential database. This matter is related to a high-ranking member of the Tiger Claw Gang named ‘Marcus Ichita.’ Don’t be impatient. After the company’s opening ceremony tomorrow, we’ll just grab him and ask him directly.”

Rebecca nodded vigorously. If V hadn't been watching her so intently, she would have loved to rush over and express her gratitude properly.

But with a "fierce tiger" in front of her, she could only obediently retreat.

After agreeing on a meeting time for tomorrow, everyone left in an orderly fashion, leaving the apartment to Leo and V.

Ding--

The elevator door slowly closed.

Leo no longer cared about his image, leaned to the side and fell onto V's lap, enjoying a lap pillow: "Ugh~~ I'm exhausted today. Running a company is really not a job for humans. I need to build an administrative team as soon as possible and continue to be a hands-off boss."

Before the company was even established, the founder was already thinking about slacking off. V couldn't help but shake his head at such a lax attitude.

However, the thought of becoming a "company dog" in the future, and possibly even serving as a department leader and leading a large group of subordinates, gave her a headache.

The two embraced, lamenting the hardships of life and filled with despair for the future…

Time passed slowly, and new messages appeared in the encrypted channel every few minutes.

As night fell and the main force of the Wings of Freedom withdrew, and with the relaxation of controls, some people in Taipingzhou indeed began to engage in petty activities.

What they didn't know was that Pure White had already hacked into all electronic devices, from surveillance cameras to smartwatches. Even if she couldn't completely eavesdrop on their conversations, she could still confirm who was on the move and where they went.

Leo carefully examined the report, his brows gradually furrowing.

Voodoo...

That's right, it's the "cult" of Voodoo, not the "gang" of Voodoo. This traditional Haitian religion did not completely disappear, but instead traveled across the ocean to Night City with the Haitian refugees.

While the Voodoo Church still existed, they were able to suppress these "Old God" forces. But now that they are gone, the "higher caste" among these Haitians immediately became active.

Religion can soothe people's hearts, but sometimes it can also incite them, hoping they will be sensible and not cause trouble on his joyous day.

After issuing the order to continue keeping a close watch, Leo temporarily set the Voodoo Cult aside.

Tomorrow is the big day of the founding of Lanmeng Company; nothing is more important than this.

The Animal Gang spent a day clearing out the front area of ​​the Great Empire Mall; all that was left were the pair of stone lions.

Leo moved the little one off his stomach and stood up straight.

Turning around, he gracefully extended a hand to V: "Beautiful lady, would you like to accompany me for a walk?"

V, puzzled, placed her hand in his: "It's almost nine o'clock, where are we going for a walk?"

"Of course, it's the Great Empire Department Store."

"Okay, I'll drive!"

V got up excitedly to leave, but Leo pulled him back.

"No need, please allow me to demonstrate the world's only way to travel quickly—the Explosive Sound Channel!"

After saying that, Leo pulled V to the stairs, facing the empty wine cabinet area.

[Deep Blue, are you sure everything's alright? Don't make too much of a commotion; I'm being watched here.]

Deep Blue's answer resounded directly from the mind link:

[Rest assured, Master. Although the "explosive" portal has the prefix "explosive," that's for ultra-long-distance interstellar travel. This time, the straight-line distance between you and your destination is less than ten kilometers, so opening the spacetime portal will be very easy. I will control the energy fluctuations and all possible external influences to ensure it's completely silent.]

【Alright, I'll perform the pre-cast animation now, you cooperate with me!】

Leo decided to show off in front of V.

"V, stand behind me. Don't be afraid no matter what happens. I'll open a time portal and we'll arrive at our destination instantly!"

"Oh…"

V looked completely bewildered, but out of trust, she obediently stood behind him.

Leo took a deep breath and raised his hands with a solemn expression.

A dazzling beam of energy surged within the Infinity Gauntlet once more, shimmering with five-colored light.

Speaking of portals, the first thing that comes to Leo's mind is actually the portal from Doctor Strange next door. While snapping your fingers to open a portal is certainly cool, there's nothing wrong with trying out different styles.

He recalled the practice movements of those sorcerer apprentices in Marvel, pointing his right hand forward and drawing circles in the air with his left hand, which was wearing the Infinity Gauntlet.

Deep Blue directly read the images in his mind and added some meaningless light and shadow effects to the opening of the popping sound channel.

At first, wisps of orange-yellow sparks burst forth from half a meter in front of Leo's hand. As he quickly drew circles, more and more sparks formed a vortex-shaped gap, accompanied by a strange hissing sound.

The lighting and sound effects were so realistic that you'd think a welder was doing electric welding!

Although the spell's effect was somewhat lackluster, as the vortex of fire accelerated its rotation, ripples like water spread across the space within, gradually distorting and changing.

In what was originally a pitch-black void, the scene in another space became increasingly clear.