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

"Let's just eat something in the next life, it's much more enjoyable to eat here."

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future; you'll get tired of this place sooner or later."

"I don't think so. This is the Afterlife Bar. I'd be happy to sleep on this sofa tonight..."

After dawdling for a while, Jack laughed to himself and followed them outside.

The four-person team returned to the bar lobby and found that there were many more people there than in the morning.

Even the music seemed louder, and there was a pungent smell of smoke and various foods everywhere.

"Oh, you're leaving already? I heard a new middleman arrived today, and a lot of mercenaries were planning to go and get acquainted with you."

Claire was wiping the glasses, yet she was also able to keep a close eye on everything around her, noticing even the slightest movements in the bar; she was clearly no ordinary person.

Leo said kindly, "There will be opportunities. I'm just showing my face today. I've just arrived in Night City and I have a lot to do."

"Okay, then be careful. Someone from your side just came and asked for your information."

Claire nudged him seemingly casually, then turned and walked toward the customer who was calling for the bartender.

Your people?

Leo's heart skipped a beat. "You mean the east side? There were some Kang Tao people in the bar just now."

It makes sense when you think about it. This is the "mercenary headquarters" of Night City, the center of underground activities. Whether you're looking for intelligence or hiring thugs, this is the best place.

It's perfectly reasonable for major companies to send people to stake out this area.

It seems I need to be more careful in the future.

Ignoring the prying eyes from all directions, he calmly led his men outside.

As I stepped out of the bar's main entrance, the clinking of glasses and the noise faded into the distance.

Emeric, who was standing guard outside the door, nodded to him without saying a word.

Leo glanced quickly at the mercenaries and customers gathered at the exit, but didn't notice anything unusual.

So he continued walking out.

As soon as I stepped onto the stairs, the "abnormality" occurred.

He was an Asian man dressed as a bodyguard. Although he was wearing a suit and a tie, his muscles were bulging and his demeanor was very fierce, making him look like a thug in a suit.

He stood there straight, and a solemn and dignified aura unique to soldiers immediately emanated from him.

"Are you L? Come here for a moment."

His words were concise, and his sharp gaze was fixed on Leo's face, as if trying to pierce him.

V and Jack walked up in unison and stood in front of Leo.

But they didn't speak because... they didn't understand what the person in front of them had just said; it sounded like Chinese, but it didn't seem like it either.

Leo understood; this person was speaking Cantonese.

Could it really be someone from Kangtao?

Anonymous: Chapter Fifty-Six - Kindness from Kang Tao

The answer was soon revealed: it was Kangtao's guest.

[Father, based on the information comparison, the person in front of you is most likely a full-time employee of Kangtao.]

Leo patted V and Jack on the shoulder and faced the bodyguard who looked unusual.

"Since someone has invited me, I'll go and take a look. I welcome customers, and being in the same industry isn't bad either; I can just chat with them."

Without saying much, the bodyguard turned around decisively and led them forward.

The ground-level entrance to the Laisheng Bar is opposite the parking lot.

Not far ahead of them stood the Thracian 388 Jefferson. This steel behemoth, which had been dormant not long ago, had "awakened," its engine emitting a low hum.

When they were about four or five meters away from the vehicle, the bodyguard stopped, turned around and faced them: "You go alone, they are waiting here."

V was on edge, intently observing the bodyguard in front of him.

not to be trifled.

They are not to be trifled with.

Even without the scanner, she could vaguely see that the well-proportioned bodyguard in front of her was covered in military-grade cybernetic prosthetics.

There might also be powerful weapons like S. Anvestan or Krenzikov.

The chances of winning in a real fight are not high.

Leo paused, then casually glanced at his men: "It's nothing, they're Kang Tao's men."

With his words, V and Jack, who were exchanging glances, felt relieved. Sasha also retracted the metal claws that had been quietly emerging from her hand.

The mysterious client is from the east. Since we're from the same hometown, everything should be fine, right?

The group stopped there, leaving only Leo walking forward alone.

In fact, he had already prepared Pure White for battle—to unleash an "electromagnetic short circuit" on all possible enemies should things change.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not occur, and it seems to have been a meeting on a whim.

As he walked to the car, the window on his side rolled down.

In the front row was a bodyguard who worked part-time as a driver, giving him a blatant warning: "Don't mess around."

Sitting in the back row was a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses. He had a stern face and, like the two bodyguards, exuded the air of a soldier.

"Get in the car." He glanced at Leo intently. "From that side."

Leo silently walked around to the other side of the vehicle, opened the door himself, and sat in the back seat.

A faint leather scent filled my nostrils.

Judging from the feel, this car seems to have genuine leather seats, which are quite valuable.

The bodyguard observed his every move through the rearview mirror, his right hand casually resting on his waist, gripping the gun handle.

"Ah Sheng, don't be nervous. This young man looks like one of our own."

The middle-aged man reminded the bodyguard not to frighten the guests.

The bodyguard released the gun handle, but kept his eyes fixed on him.

After Leo sat down, he observed quietly without speaking, waiting for the other person to speak first.

The middle-aged man's prosthetic eye lit up, as if he were looking at some documents: "Leonardo DiCaprio... What a terrible name, your alias is way too obvious."

He stated bluntly, "I checked the population database and found no information about you. Tell me, who are you working for, and what are you doing in Night City at this hour?"

Leo's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke in standard Mandarin: "I'm just an unlucky guy kicked out of my family, here in Night City to study and hide for a few years. Oh, being a middleman is my startup project, I need to have something to do."

This statement is only half true and half false, and it obviously won't satisfy middle-aged people.

But then, as if remembering something, he nodded slightly: "It's alright, as long as you don't get in our way. Here, take this."

He handed me a black card.

"Here's my business card. Let's keep in touch. Maybe I'll have a job for you, or maybe... we can do some business together."

Leo took the business card and saw that it had a contact number and the note read "Mr. Li".

"You called me here just to say this?"

“That’s right. I heard that a middleman from Kang Tao came to the Laisheng Bar. Of course I have to take a look.”

"So now that you've seen it, what do you think?"

Leo didn't want to always be in such a passive position, so he asked a question in return.

"Feelings?" Mr. Li turned his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You're too clean. It's obvious you haven't received any professional training, nor have you ever killed anyone. I think you're just... what did you just say? An unlucky guy who was kicked out of his family."

"Since you're not a special agent or a top soldier or anything, you're probably not one of our people. Well then, I wish you all the best in starting your business in Night City, young man. By the way, here's a piece of advice: things are different here than back home. You need to be careful of any sneak attacks from behind."

Leo put away the business card and nodded slightly.

Seeing that the middle-aged man stopped talking and instead picked up his still-steaming teacup, he knew it was time for him to leave.

As I opened the car door and was about to get out, a middle-aged man's casual words came from behind me:

“Going to Arasaka Academy is a bad idea. They won’t truly accept you, and we don’t dare to fully trust you either. It’s a terrible move that pleases neither side. But you still have a chance to prove your worth, so at least you’ll still have a place on our side.”

"I'll think about it."

Leo gently closed the car door and walked towards his companions.

The bodyguard who led the way didn't say anything and turned to leave on his own.

As they passed each other, he said softly, "Someone at Arakawa Academy is watching you. Be careful."

As a bodyguard, his saying this clearly indicated that it was Mr. Li's intention.

This is undoubtedly a well-intentioned reminder.

Once he got into the car, the steel behemoth sped away.

V quickly approached, her eyes gleaming with barely suppressed curiosity: "What were you all talking about? I observed that bodyguard, and he's definitely from a military background!"

Leo watched the departing vehicle, a moment of disbelief washing over him: They say when fellow countrymen meet, they stab each other in the back. He hadn't expected Kang Tao's people to show him such goodwill, subtly trying to win him over.

"Leo—?"

V elongated his tone.

Leo turned around and said casually, "It's nothing. Those gossipy mercenaries in the bar obviously mistook me for one of Kangtao's men, and that's how they attracted the real Kangtao people."

“It is indeed Kangtao. I secretly scanned it, and his smart shotgun is a very advanced military model.”

Sasha added.

"Don't take the risk; scanning someone in person is a very unfriendly thing to do," Leo relayed V's words.

But this time, V objected: "So what? He's allowed to scan us in front of us, but we're not allowed to scan him back? That guy wasn't as friendly to us as he was to you. Tch, arrogant corporate dog!"

Leo reached into his pocket and touched the business card, feeling a little confused.

[Pure white, have the comparison results come out yet?]

[It's out. Based on the comparison, the person you met is not the one who commissioned the theft of the separation chip in the 'game'.]

It seems his intuition was correct; this Mr. Li was a complete stranger. He had no idea what project Mr. Li was in charge of, or what his purpose was in coming to Night City…

Anonymous Soldier: Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Hidden Arms Race

"Hey...hey! Snap out of it!"

A long, strong hand with distinct knuckles waved before his eyes, the slight airflow and changes in light and shadow it created rousing Leo from his reverie.

He narrowed his eyes, almost sighing: "V... can't you tell I'm thinking?"

V withdrew his right hand: "I can see that. You've been spacing out for several minutes now. Tell me quickly, what did that bodyguard and his master say to you that made you so absent-minded?"

"Hmm, that works. Let's find a restaurant first and talk while we eat."

While pondering, Leo asked Chunbai to help him find a suitable restaurant for the gathering.

After walking for more than ten minutes, they arrived at a high-end barbecue restaurant.

This shop specializes in high-end ingredients—hydroponically grown meat…

No crickets or earthworms! Every bite you take is real meat, still bloody! We promise that all ingredients are supplied by Whole Foods, and we never use products from small workshops. Eat with complete peace of mind!

The information was displayed on the signs and menus outside the store, which made Leo feel a little better.

The three locals naturally had no objections and their eyes were full of anticipation.

Before long, the charcoal fire and grill were brought to the table, along with various meats and mushrooms.

Brush a little vegetable oil on the meat, place it on the baking tray—the meat slices sizzle and release their oil, the rich aroma assaulting the nostrils and instantly captivating everyone's hearts.

At this moment, nothing is more important than eating.

Even in the City of Night, the fundamental principle that food is the most important thing for the people remains unwavering.

The meal left everyone quite satisfied.