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

[Denied. I did it when I first arrived in Night City. You met Batman after that, so if we're really going to rank things, I was the one who started going bad!]

She was quite proud...

Leo was speechless.

First Signs of Talent: Chapter Ninety-Eight - A Big Deal (Part Four)

"V, we've found the location. Let's get ready to go."

"Finally, I have something to do. Wait for me to change into some inconspicuous clothes, I'll be right back."

Leo had also thought of this, and quickly went to the closet to find a simple outfit. His silver suit was too flashy; he would change into it when they were almost at Jack's house, and he needed to keep a low profile the rest of the time.

After changing their clothes, the two looked like ordinary citizens of Night City.

After the inspection was completed, Leo was about to leave when he paused and asked V to find another long coat, preferably one with a hood that could cover him from head to toe.

He didn't need it himself, but he had it in his space—when he left, he packed up the clothes that Afu had put in the closet and took them with him. Anyway, they were free, so why not take them?

V obediently went to find a jacket, and when he returned, he saw that the jacket had vanished instantly when he reached out to touch it.

Leo explained, "We can't avoid the apartment's security guards and staff when we go out. Once we're outside, we need to find a place to put on a jacket and wear sunglasses, the more discreet the better."

V glanced sideways: "You've grown a lot since you went back to China."

"That's right. The important person I serve is extremely paranoid. Spending too much time with him has made me paranoid too."

"That's good too. In Night City, being suspicious is better than being reckless. The people here... don't care about morality."

V pressed the elevator call button, and his right hand subconsciously checked the position of the gun handle.

The two left the apartment with normal expressions and waited for Dellaman's car on the street.

Seeing that no one was around, Leo leaned closer to V and whispered, "After this deal is done, we need to buy a car. Although Delaman is reliable, he is, after all, a legitimate taxi company. We can't do the dirty work for him, and he has our travel data. Even with the best security, it could still be stolen."

V felt the hot breath blowing against his ear, and half of his body went numb. He replied softly, "It's not just about the car; we also need a professional driver."

"There are four people in our team, and three of them can drive. Do we still need a driver?"

"No, not just any ordinary driver. A driver who can meet us outside and facilitate our retreat if the operation is completed or if something goes wrong. They need to be a skilled driver and have good character; essentially, a mercenary who is good at driving."

A mercenary skilled at driving?

In an instant, a certain figure flashed into Leo's mind. That person perfectly matched V's requirements and also his aesthetic sense...

"Yes, once we get the money, we'll figure out how to find such a person."

After their whispered plot ended, V quietly took half a step to the side, her ears turning slightly red.

In other words, Leo is currently focused on big business deals, otherwise he would have noticed this much earlier.

After waiting for ten minutes, Delaman's car arrived.

The coordinates Leo gave us were some distance from the waste disposal plant, so we should try to keep our actions discreet.

They walked in silence, their minds preoccupied with the important events to come, and had no interest in idle chatter.

After getting off the bus, following the white sign, they found a secluded corner and put on coats and sunglasses.

This outfit would be very conspicuous and eye-catching in other worlds, but in Night City, it's just normal attire.

There were even people on the street wearing loincloths and completely naked...

The two took a shortcut, circling around seven or eight times before finally climbing over a hidden gap into the waste disposal plant.

Upon entering, you can smell a faint stench, the kind of odor that comes from dried excrement that has been left unattended for a long time.

Leo carefully watched his step, frowning as he observed the trading location.

My first impression was one of desolation. There were trash cans and waste bins scattered everywhere, as if the place had been ransacked seventeen or eighteen times.

No wonder Chunbai said that even homeless people don't come here—you can't even find a clean piece of toilet paper to wipe your bottom here.

When I activated my prosthetic eye, the surroundings were empty. There were very few electronic devices that were still functioning, let alone surveillance cameras, which were only worth a little money when sold as scrap.

“This place looks alright. V, you go first, I'll go second, check it carefully. We can’t let a homeless person sneaking around here and sleeping ruin everything. That’s how it always is in the movies.”

"Movies are movies, and reality is reality. There shouldn't be anyone in this dump. The garbage collected by the waste disposal plant is all toxic. Only a madman would live in this godforsaken place."

Despite saying that, V still obediently pulled out his gun and began a thorough scan of the surroundings.

Leo also drew his gun to protect her back.

The two spent fifteen minutes thoroughly inspecting the entire abandoned factory, inside and out, but couldn't find a single rat or cockroach.

"Won't the garbage in this place have any radioactive hazards?"

Leo looked at the piles of discarded chemical containers and felt an indescribable unease.

V lowered the muzzle of his gun and patted his arm: "No way, you can't get that kind of valuable waste here. It's probably all just common, highly polluting chemicals."

"Highly polluting common chemical substances, wow, I've learned a new term. Highly polluting and still considered common... "

Leo made a comment and led her toward the warehouse area.

Some of the warehouse's electronic doors were still functional, and Chunbai remotely opened one of them to use as a temporary warehouse.

The interior looked fairly clean, or rather, all the trash with any value had been taken away, leaving only some worthless bricks and low-quality cement slabs.

Leo went over and took a look, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

This garbage looks like scraps from demolished buildings; even if you crush it up and make it back into concrete, the labor cost wouldn't be enough.

But what others consider trash might actually be of some use to him.

Imagine standing atop a skyscraper or high in the sky, waving your hand to release a hundred or two tons of construction debris, including cement slabs. If that landed squarely, it would be enough to give most superheroes and villains a run for their money.

"What's so interesting about construction waste? You're even laughing about it?"

V curiously leaned closer, worried that he might be about to have another outburst.

Leo quickly explained and also shared his wonderful ideas.

V thought it was unrealistic. "This trick is somewhat useful against stationary buildings or vehicles, but it's not easy to hit moving enemies. However, it's feasible to just raise your hand and release a thick concrete slab as cover, but that would expose your subspace technology."

"That's true. I'll think about it again later. Let's get to work now."

After confirming the safety of the warehouse and its surroundings, Leo reached out and circled the warehouse, where boxes of wine were neatly stacked on the ground.

Even though V had imagined the scene beforehand, he was still shocked by the sight of more than three thousand cases of wine stacked together.

Television always says that technology changes lives, but if this so-called subspace storage technology really matures, it could destroy the existing logistics system and change the global landscape.

To exaggerate a bit, it's not impossible that they could lead all of humanity to become an interstellar race.

This isn't technology—it's more magical than magic!

First Signs of Talent: Chapter Ninety-Nine - A Big Deal (Part Five)

"It's done!"

Leo took out all the wine from the space and then put some relatively intact and large cement slabs back in.

It's just sitting there empty anyway, you never know when it might come in handy.

If necessary, she can conjure a wall with a wave of her hand, enough to scare Batman to death...

Next up is Jack.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Leo: Jack, have you gotten Sasha home yet?

"Jack: I've been here for a while now. I've already driven back to Haywood. Give me the coordinates, I'm coming right now."

Leo: Pure White knows. Have her and Sasha assist you throughout. Be careful not to get targeted.

"Pure White: Leave it to me. I've prepared prosthetic overheating, synaptic melting, contagion, electromagnetic short circuit, and detonating grenades... Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I'll roast their brain white matter until it's completely cooked!"

Jack: Holy crap... awesome!

"Sasha: You brought all combat-type quick-crack tools? That's maxed out the offensive capabilities. Luckily, I brought mostly stealth and control-type quick-crack tools, which can complement yours."

"Pure White: No need. I've brought everything I could find online. Attack, stealth, control, special—I've equipped it all. Whoever comes, I'll kill them!"

Sasha: Are you dreaming or am I dreaming? What kind of web repository are you using to install so many plugins?

"Pure White: Guess."

Leo: I'm getting serious here, you guys can change the subject! Anyway, get Jack over here quickly, don't let anything go wrong!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Leo left the chat group and began sorting out supplies with a helpless expression.

The goods for Mrs. Wells were piled up separately, along with the supplies for her and Jack...

When Jack arrived, he was stunned to see the mountain of boxes in the middle of the warehouse.

“I knew three thousand cases of wine was a lot, but I didn’t expect it to be this many…”

Leo walked over, opened the trunk, and sighed helplessly: "Your mom's car can't hold much stuff. You'll have to make three or four trips to get the goods back."

Jack chuckled wryly, "Who says otherwise? Sigh, enough talk, let's get to work! This is a high-profit item, I can carry it no matter how heavy it is!"

V also came over to lend a hand and helped fold down the back seats.

The three men filled every space except the driver's seat with the liquor boxes.

I have to say, despite the limited space, I managed to cram in about forty boxes.

“At this rate, three trips should be enough. I’ll have to stay here and keep watch. Don’t you have any nephews or something? Have them help you unload the cargo,” Leo said.

Jack took out a tarpaulin from the car and covered all the boxes with it. "Don't worry about it, leave it to me. With two hackers to guide you, there won't be any problems."

Thanks to the temporary warehouse being located in the Heywood district, not far from the Wild Wolf Bar, Jack returned in an empty car in less than half an hour.

Then they hauled a second load.

When he returned, even this burly man was a little out of breath.

While hauling the third load of goods, he looked at the dozen or so boxes that had suddenly appeared and was somewhat confused:

"Wait... Leo, this number isn't right. Ninety-two cases of wine, I transported eighty-four cases back, how come there are still more than twenty cases left?"

Leo casually opened a case of bulk wine: "These are trial products. I chose all wine this time to save time. Actually, we have all kinds of wine where I'm from. I put a few bottles of each kind in. Take them back for your mother to try. If she likes any of them, make a list for me."

I can guarantee the same quality, and the price will definitely be cheaper than your sourcing channels.

He opened another box, which was packed tightly with beef: "These are the souvenirs I brought back, along with vegetables, fruits and such. I won't take any grains, they take up too much space."

"Holy crap... phew..."

Jack suddenly rubbed his eye and shook his head.

"Honestly, if we weren't already brothers, I should kowtow to you and acknowledge you as my elder brother. This batch of food shouldn't be something my family's social class could afford."

Leo chuckled lightly, unconcerned: "I'm sourcing directly from the source, so you don't need to overestimate the price of these things. Besides, we agreed to become big shots together, and I have to keep my promise."

Jack let out another long sigh: "I won't say anymore... I remember everything you've done for me. From now on, we're family, the Wells family—no coward betrays his family."

Jack loaded the things into the car, rolled down the window, waved, and drove off.

After he left, V crossed his arms and strolled over to Leo's side: "Wow, that's some serious talent for winning people over. If Jack were a woman, he'd probably be in love with you by now."

Leo glanced at her: "That's right. I've given you money and poured my heart out. If you don't fall in love with me, it means you have a problem with your character! Don't you think so, V?"

V did not answer, focusing intently on studying the air in front of him.

My goodness, the air here is so thin...

Seeing that she had backed down, Leo reluctantly let her off the hook, as the priority now was to focus on the important matters.

As for V... if she's always by your side, there will come a time when she can't take it anymore.

Get down to business, and get down to business first.

Leo took out a silver bulletproof suit from his spatial storage and began to change.

V suddenly tugged at his shirt from behind: "Wait a minute, why has the style of this shirt changed?"

"what?"

Leo took it off and looked at it: "Nothing's changed. It was always like this."