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

Perhaps accustomed to the rapid rate at which Night City consumed its munitions, all the shops were unfazed and easily gathered their ammunition. They even commissioned Conto to deliver all the goods to the receiving location at once.

The shopping trip was a complete success, and Sasha returned triumphantly laden with bags and packages. Everyone's wallets were significantly emptied, but the brand-new guns in their hands made up for the disappointment.

"Achilles... Awesome! This gun is also known as the King of Precision Rifles, a favorite of elite soldiers and top mercenaries! You won't see such an awesome gun on the streets of Night City!"

V excitedly fiddled with his new toy, looking so excited that he seemed genuinely eager to find a target and shoot at it.

Leo quickly grabbed her hand and pressed the gun down: "Stop fiddling with that gun. Didn't you see people avoiding you? If you keep gesturing like that, they'll call the police."

V reluctantly put the gun back into its pouch.

Leo couldn't do anything about her—everyone else would check the guns and then pack them up, waiting for the seller to deliver them to their door, but V wouldn't let go of the gun. The clerk could only give her a gun bag to cover it up a little.

However, he could understand it. These weapons, bought from the best gun shops in Night City, would be orange-tier 5 quality in the game. If a reliable gunsmith could modify them, they would become new legendary weapons.

Their power justifies their high price.

*

Stepping out of the brightly lit dome-shaped shopping mall, a cool evening breeze greeted me.

V's burning passion had barely subsided when he saw a high-class armored vehicle from Arasaka drive by in the distance.

Out of her disgust for big companies, she raised her gun case and pointed it defiantly at the car.

In Night City, many gang members have this habit, which can be seen as a "tribute" to corporate dogs.

But this time, a chilling sensation shot through her spine like an electric current.

Krenzikov automatically shifted to gear 4, his muscles instantly entering a combat-ready state, and his adrenaline surged.

Her unusual behavior alerted her friends, but thankfully, the tense atmosphere that seemed about to escalate into a fight dissipated the next second.

"V? What's wrong?"

Leo glanced at Jack, who was now blocking his way, turned around, and asked, puzzled.

"grass……"

V remained silent for a while before letting out a long breath and putting down the gun bag.

“There was a formidable person sitting in that car. I just made a gesture, and she actually noticed it. It even seemed like she wanted to retaliate.”

"Don't worry about feeling it, she countered with a quick counterattack, but the attack was rushed and I blocked it."

Pure White suddenly spoke in the team channel.

V suddenly realized, "Wow, I was just gesturing, and this reaction is too fast."

"Indeed, she used a prosthetic eye to restart the puppet, and it was even calibrated, making it much better than the puppets on the market."

Leo asked curiously, "Didn't you try to trace it in reverse?"

Chunbai replied, "I tried, but it didn't work. The opponent is a master; if the first attack fails, they immediately go into defense. Continuing would just be a direct declaration of war."

Leo sighed, raised one hand high, palm like a knife, and slammed it down on V's forehead: "You better watch your step, stop causing trouble. What if they really think we're assassins!"

V could have dodged it, but she felt guilty and took the hit as an admission of wrongdoing.

After this blunder, Leo had Chunbai clean up the mess while urging everyone to get in the car and leave quickly.

*

Meanwhile, the "victims" in the car were also cursing under their breath.

Stupid Night City!

Stupid mercenary!

Ever since I was transferred here, there's been no end to all the rotten people and bad things happening here.

She could be pointed at with a gun just by driving by; if it weren't for her gut feeling that she hadn't been warned, she would have already unleashed a combo of her group-killing puppets.

I intended to teach the other party a lesson with a small magic puppet, but I didn't expect that the other side also had a powerful hacker who was able to block my attack in an instant.

Night City... this place is really a bit eerie.

Moreover, in that brief glance, she first looked at the other person's weapon, and only then did she look at their face.

The sky was overcast at the time, but the shopping mall behind the other party was brightly lit. In the alternation of light and darkness, she couldn't see very clearly.

But I have this strange feeling... what is it...?

Before we knew it, the car had stopped.

Seeing that her female boss in the back row hadn't spoken yet, the female assistant asked in a low voice, "Miss Valerie, we've arrived at Arasaka Tower, shall we—"

His words were interrupted by a cold, piercing gaze.

The terror of being stared at by a venomous cobra froze her completely, like an ice sculpture.

My thoughts were interrupted, and I could no longer recall that strange feeling.

The Arasaka Corporation executive, known as Miss Valerie, turned cold: "Do you want to die? I remember telling you once, you're not allowed to make a sound while I'm thinking. Hold your breath and wait quietly until I give you an order!"

"I'm so sorry, Miss Valerie."

The female assistant's brain throbbed with fear, and she felt as if every word was a vicious curse kneading her heart.

"This is the second time. If it happens again, you're fired!"

"Yes, yes, right—"

"Shut up! Be quiet!"

The female assistant hunched over like an ostrich, wishing she could shrink under the car seat.

The driver and security personnel kept their eyes down, pretending they were invisible and didn't exist.

The suffocating atmosphere inside the car lasted for a long time.

Valerie was multitasking, handling her work in Night City on her tablet while also communicating with her successor in the European branch and helping her resolve some minor issues.

She looked down on her successor—they hadn't been able to get the branch's business sorted out even months after the handover was completed.

But she also enjoys the feeling of being very important and in control of the whole situation.

After working for fifteen minutes, she finally finished handling both tasks, picked up her laptop bag, opened the door, and got out of the car.

As for the mercenary she only caught a glimpse of earlier, such a nobody wasn't worth her energy.

Behind her, her female assistant followed dejectedly, not daring to make a sound...

Early Signs of Talent: Chapter 132 A middleman needs extensive connections!

Under the cover of night, two bulletproof luxury cars sped away from the company square.

When the two gorgeous virtual koi fish disappeared from the rearview mirror, Leo finally felt relieved.

If V were to start a war with Arasaka on a whim, he would definitely be incredibly frustrated.

He got angrier the more he thought about it, so he raised his hand and gave V another flick on the forehead.

V was driving with one hand, rubbing the back of his head with the other, and muttered with great dissatisfaction, "Don't go too far, you've hit me several times, if you hit me again I'm going to hit back!"

Despite this, her tone was weak, clearly lacking confidence.

Leo glared at her and took out a business card from the Tsunami Company's sales department from his pocket.

A middleman's business skills are closely related to his network. As his reputation grows, he will inevitably encounter customers who want to buy contraband. It is necessary to find the right connections in advance.

Smart weapons can be developed from Contau.

Kinetic energy and technological weapons are still missing a partner, and a tsunami defense system is undoubtedly a good choice.

Their headquarters are in Japan, and they are direct competitors of Arakawa. It's worth trying to win them over.

"Please be quiet for a moment. I'm going to call the people from Haizhao and have a good talk with them."

Upon hearing this, V nodded quickly, casting a grateful and longing look at him.

Just as Leo added the number to his contacts and was about to dial it, several motorcycles surrounded him.

V's expression changed instantly, and he grabbed a rifle without thinking.

Vera also drew her pistol, ready for battle.

suddenly,

Jack's voice came through the communication channel: "Wait a minute, it's the Valentino gang. I recognize two of them. Let me ask them first."

Leo turned around and saw Jack boldly roll down the car window halfway and start talking to the motorcyclist next to him.

After exchanging a few words, Jack waved to the man and rolled up the car window.

"It's a misunderstanding. These are the people the priest arranged. They recognize our car and escorted us along the way since we were coming back so late."

V breathed a sigh of relief and put the gun back at his feet: "They bought the car this afternoon, and they'll know each other tonight?"

Jack chuckled and replied, "We didn't hide anything from you when we came back, so it's normal that you would know. Don't forget, this is the priest's territory."

"That's true."

V had received a lot of care from the priest when he was wandering the streets, and he held this kind elder in high esteem.

The alarm was lifted. Leo looked around and suddenly grinned: "You know what, there are a few armed motorcyclists following the car. They look pretty impressive."

"That's right, motorcycles and cars are a classic combination, they can handle any situation. The guys in the Valentino gang love riding motorcycles the most, because they're much more agile than cars, and you can be ready to fight at any time. I got used to riding them and that's how I gradually came to like motorcycles."

Jack then shared some funny stories from his time in the gang, which lightened the atmosphere again.

Once Leo was certain that people outside couldn't see or hear anything inside, he continued dialing the number of his ideal partner.

"Whoosh...whoosh..."

Even though it was almost 10 p.m., the call was answered quickly.

The prosthetic eye revealed the image of a middle-aged woman in the upper left corner. Her features and makeup were very Japanese, and a gold hairpin was inserted into her hair which was styled in a bun.

"Welcome to the Night City branch of the Tsunami Defense System. Mr. Leonardo, I am Marina Echizen, the general manager of the branch."

Leo nodded calmly: "It seems you've verified my identity, so I'll get straight to the point—how about we collaborate and make money together? I can help you sell those hard-to-sell items."

Marina Echizen scrutinized his appearance: "Mr. Leonardo, I don't think we're familiar with each other. Don't you think it's a bit abrupt for you to make this suggestion?"

"You'll get used to it after working together a few more times."

Leo abruptly changed the subject, starting to talk about things that seemed unrelated to the collaboration.

“Our team spent nearly three million euros at the Dome Shopping Center today. Although the bulk of the money was spent on the firearms I had custom-made in Contau, our purchasing power is still quite strong.”

"Furthermore, I'm the middleman who gets into the Rebirth Bar, and I have a good relationship with the Valentino gang. I think you might want to reconsider the collaboration."

After hearing his words, Marina Echizen lowered her head, seemingly using the computer.

After a minute or two, as if she had received a reply from her superior, a polite smile appeared on her lips: "I think you are right. Cooperation and win-win has always been the business principle of Tsunami Company. We can cooperate first and see how it goes, starting with small-scale transactions, so that we can get to know each other better."

Leo gave V a smug "it's all done" look and said softly, "My ace wants to try out your technical sniper rifle. For our first collaboration, I want to see a weapon that reflects our sincerity. Of course, money is no object."

After a pause of more than ten seconds, the other party gave him a satisfactory answer.

"No problem. Tsunami Company has a professional-level private weapon customization business and can provide top-notch competition-level weapons. In fact, the Night City branch has a Cat-type sniper rifle modified by a master gunsmith, and its performance in all aspects will definitely satisfy you."

"What's the price?"

"20 is a friendly price, as a symbol of our first collaboration."

"I've bought it. Now, please order another 10 euros worth of specialized armor-piercing rounds. How long will it take to deliver?"

"Delivered to your residence within half an hour."

"Okay, then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

Hang up the phone and transfer the money.

Leo leaned back comfortably in his seat: "Got it for you, V. A real legendary technical sniper rifle, it'll be here in a bit."

"Really?"

V turned around excitedly to look at him, forgetting that she was driving.

Fortunately, Vila offered a helping hand and helped her stabilize the vehicle.

"Really, it's 200,000 yuan, which is more expensive than a used Stone Sword."

"Uh... I don't think I have that much money on me..."