"???"
Berry's face was a picture of confusion. Why did the topic jump so fast?
"They begged me to bring them along," Vik said, leaning against the car. "But I figured you're the boss in this business, so I let them speak to you directly."
Berry was silent, and the gunfighters waited with anxious expressions.
"Old Vik, do you trust them?"
After scanning the gunfighters, Berry finally asked.
"They are all my old customers, and I have some connections. Besides, as far as I know, they're good people," Vik said, crossing his arms and reminiscing. "So, yes, I trust them."
"Alright. Since Vik vouches for you, I trust you too. I accept your request."
Berry smiled and told the gunfighters.
This was not a sudden decision.
Berry and Viktor's business was starting to take off in Little Chinatown and Kabuki, and the development momentum was good. Relying solely on the two of them and one machine was becoming strained. For instance, in this recent hijacking, if they had some dedicated security personnel, the Scavengers would never have succeeded.
Therefore, Berry was already considering recruiting manpower.
Now, with these seven or eight veterans willing to work for her, Berry was naturally happy to accept.
They had Old Vik's guarantee, and as retired veterans, their skills were assured. Berry couldn't be more satisfied.
"That's great, I mean, that's fantastic!"
"Yes!"
The retired soldiers were overjoyed.
To be honest, they were so poor they were nearly starving, but they refused to join a gang. Now that Berry was hiring them as security personnel, they were extremely happy.
"Alright, from now on, you are part of the 'Hive.'"
Berry looked each of them in the eye and shook their hands, then brought Arnold over for introductions.
"This is our top guy!, The famous mercenary on the streets, 'The Terminator,' Arnold."
Berry patted the silent Arnold on the shoulder and announced to everyone.
"I know him, kinda hard not to with the reputation he's been building up."
"Damn, I heard about him too. The one who works for Rogue."
"I can't believe he's part of the 'Hive'! Amazing!"
The soldiers were thrilled.
Seriously, a mercenary this famous was on their side? That meant their group had serious clout and capability. Following them would definitely lead to wealth.
Watching their reactions, Berry nodded.
This was exactly the effect she wanted to achieve.
There was no way around it; she herself looked too soft and cute, not at all like a gang boss. Bringing out Arnold helped immensely. He looked like a ruthless person who could keep order without saying a single word.
"Well, alright. As you can see, the business here is concluded. Let's head back."
"Yes, BOSS!"
The gunfighters straightened up and saluted respectfully. They used to salute the stars and stripes in the army; now, they saluted their patron, the newly formed 'Hive' organization.
"Vik, we can recruit more people," Berry patted him on the shoulder, stopping him. "I'll need your help with that. You're the local fixer in Little Chinatown."
"But they have to be trustworthy. No serious criminal records, and no gang members."
"No problem," Viktor gave an okay sign. "In this day and age, who isn't short on eddies? I have some friends and old customers who are short on money and work. They'll be happy to join."
Viktor readily agreed. Seeing Berry's business developing so well, he felt genuine happiness.
"Thanks, Old Vik. Before we head back, let's stop by the black clinic. I need to pick up some things there, plus Arnold's car is still there."
"Black clinic?" Viktor was about to ask more, but Berry was already running to the car, so he dropped the matter.
The convoy of four or five vehicles roared down the road, with no one daring to stop them. They turned a corner and arrived at Charles's clinic. Berry got out of the car.
She punched through the window glass, reached in to unlock the door, and walked inside, gun in hand.
Picking up a crate, Berry used the butt of her gun to smash the display case. A jarring police siren sound went off, but Berry ignored it, quickly snatching the expensive cyberware from inside and stuffing it into the crate, one piece after another.
"Hurry up, everyone, don't just stand there! We need to load up and leave quickly!"
Hearing no movement from the others, Berry turned around in confusion to see Viktor and his group frozen at the door.
"Berry, you..." Unable to finish the unspoken thought, how are you so good at this?, Viktor squinted, looking at Berry's bandit-like demeanor with disbelief.
"Uh, heh heh..." Suddenly remembering how unflattering she must look, Berry gave a nervous chuckle. "This Ripperdoc was engaging in illegal activities. We are confiscating ill-gotten wealth. It's perfectly reasonable, perfectly reasonable."
Berry then explained to Viktor and the others that Charles was in league with the Scavengers.
Only then did they finally step in to help.
The group loaded up the loot, dragging and carrying items. In less than five minutes, they had completely cleaned out the clinic—a textbook example of "zero-dollar shopping."
"Phew! What a day of bountiful harvest!"
The car compartments were full. Berry, like a diligent farmer after a day of labor, wiped her sweat with a slightly fatigued, yet satisfied, expression, admiring her spoils.
"Alright, let's make a getaway!"
Closing the roller door, a content Berry quickly got into the van and drove off.
She had made a massive profit today.
Indeed, what was the most profitable business in the world? Business with no initial capital.
The cyberware from Charles and the accumulated savings of the Scavengers had been completely swept away by Berry, netting her a handsome profit.
It was a shame that such opportunities were rare. Otherwise, Berry might even give up the troublesome cyberware manufacturing business and focus solely on punishing evil and promoting good in Night City.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
V, sitting in the back seat of Dexter DeShawn's black sedan discussing business with him, had no idea that in that short time, her adopted sister and "girlfriend", Berry, had already completed a successful raid and returned.
The burly bodyguard, Oleg, was driving in front. V sat in the back, frowning at the three-hundred-pound black fixer sitting opposite her.
With a large beard and a pure gold cyber-arm, DeShawn certainly had an intimidating presence.
"Hello, Ms. V," DeShawn said, taking a puff from his cigar. "Before we get down to business, let's talk about something else."
"Would you rather be a nobody, live a safe life, and die in bed with a catheter? Or would you rather live fast and be a legend, even if you don't make it to thirty?"
Anyone who starts a conversation by discussing life goals is rarely up to any good.
V's expression remained calm, but she was on high alert.
People who talk like this usually either want to con you out of your money or con you into a death trap, just like all those guys who claim they're going to change the world.
"Are you testing me?" V's cool voice sounded, indicating she wasn't falling for the setup.
"Nah, just making small talk," DeShawn said, raising his smoking cigar.
"What... is there a hidden meaning?"
"No, Ms. V, that's called philosophy," DeShawn paused, then continued.
"Listen up. I just landed a big job. Compared to cleaning out Scavengers, this is a once-in-a-lifetime gig."
"Tell me, what's the job?" V listened intently. She wanted to figure out if this guy planned to use them as disposable assets.
Fixers often exaggerated and made all sorts of empty promises, tricking eager mercs into paving the way for them. In the end, they wouldn't even bother to pick up the bodies, leaving them to rot in the gutter.
To avoid being used as a disposable asset, one needed enough sense to determine if the fixer was leading them into a trap.
V had been in Night City for a while and had learned many hard lessons.
"There's this... prototype technology. A biochip, to be precise. Get it for me. That's all."
"Heh... I'm guessing it's corporate property?"
"That's right. Arasaka Corporation," DeShawn said, using an explosive name in a casual tone. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
"No, no problem. I'll just die, right?" V rolled her eyes. Arasaka Corporation—any fool knew they were one of Night City's giants. "Night City is Arasaka territory. Who dares mess with them?"
"'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' That's Afterlife's first rule," DeShawn continued, letting the cigar smoke drift.
"Besides, I'm not stupid. We won't leave any tracks. This job has to be done completely clean. You understand what I mean?"
"What's the plan? Do you have one?" Seeing DeShawn's look of careful planning, V was somewhat curious.
"First, I have some existing beef with the Maelstrom gang that I need to resolve."
"Then it's simple. You're going to meet the client, but she's in a hurry and wants to coordinate with us."
Dexter DeShawn took periodic puffs from his cigar and gave V the general details of the mission.
The client was Evelyn Parker, the top doll at Clouds and a regular at the Lizzie's Bar.
She was the one who wanted the Arasaka biochip.
For some reason, she wanted to meet the people working for her face-to-face, which actually violated Night City rules. Clients and mercs usually communicated through the Fixer and rarely met, but she had the money, so the rules had to be flexible.
As for the Maelstrom gang, they weren't seeking trouble with V and Berry; it was Dexter's own problem.
The Maelstrom gang had stolen Militech equipment two weeks ago, and the corporation still didn't know the Maelstrom was responsible.
Among the stolen items was a small combat robot called "Flathead," a prototype, the culmination of Militech technology. DeShawn wanted V to retrieve it for him.
DeShawn had already paid Maelstrom for it, but the problem was that the original deal was with the gang boss, Brick.
Just days after the deal was made, Brick was taken out by one of his own —known on the street as Simon Randal, or "Royce."
Dexter DeShawn wasn't sure if the new boss, Royce, would still honor the agreement.
To make matters more complicated, a high-ranking Militech executive named Meredith Stout was also taking a very keen interest in the situation.
"What's her angle?" V asked.
"Corporate suit. The loss of that transport convoy is making her act like her life's on the line. She's got some witness bound and gagged in her trunk right now."
"The pressure from above is heavy, and she's desperate. You might want to think about how to use that to your advantage."
"I'm sending you the intel on that high-strung woman now."
"That's enough for now. Time to get to work." Hearing how many players were involved in this job, V felt she needed to clear her head.
"Good. I'll arrange for you to meet Ms. Parker at Lizzie's Bar. As for the Flathead, I've found you some backup."
"Backup?" V was curious at first, then annoyed. "You think I can't handle it?"
"No, just a necessary insurance policy. Strength in numbers, after all."
"Hmph," V crossed her arms, unimpressed.
"Arnold. The streets call him 'The Terminator.' He usually works for Regina Jones, but he's handled a gig or two for me before."
"Is he actually any good?" V raised an eyebrow.
"He has his own set of skills. Efficient, professional. You'll see when you meet him. If things go south with Maelstrom, you'll definitely want him on your side."
"...One more thing, Ms. V."
"Would you rather be a nobody... or a legend?"
Even after stepping out of the car, Dexter DeShawn's question continued to echo in V's ears.
Shaking her head, V pulled up her comms.
...
...
[T/N] Yo! Been awhile since I updated this. I originally planned to post weekly since daily updates aren't my thing. But competition put me in the ground lol.
The other guy translating this has like 100 chapters already so I'll be dropping this. It was fun while it lasted, well not really. The website where I got the raws really sucks! And the author couldn't be bothered to divide up his chapters!
You'll be clicking on chapter 10, thinking you'll read chapter 10. But nope! You're actually reading the end of chapter 9, chapter 10 and the first paragraph of 11! And then you'll click on chapter 16 and it's actually chapter 13!. It's such a pain trying to keep track where I am and what chapter I'm actually on!
But translating was a good experience. I'll try and find another story to translate. If you guys know any good yuri fanfics that need translating and that NO ONE else is translating, let me know!
See ya!