Chapter 206: Visitor from Above
“You’re Weis, right? The head of Militech here?”
A man in a blue suit, his face covered by something resembling a pair of goggles, looked at Weis in front of him. He adjusted his cuffs and spoke in an even, detached voice.
There was no trace of wariness or respect in his tone—only a sense of lofty condescension.
“Yes. I’m Weis, director of Militech’s intelligence department stationed in Night City.”
Weis replied with an obviously perfunctory smile.
“Heh. Militech hasn’t been having an easy time in Night City lately, has it?”
The man walked forward slowly, letting out a soft chuckle. The faint mockery in his voice was unmistakable, and a vein twitched on Weis’s forehead.
Still, Weis said nothing. At a time like this, it was better not to provoke someone like him.
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Take me to PROJECT Corporation. Tell them I need to speak with their boss.”
“That won’t be possible.”
Weis refused with a smiling face. The man halted, then turned back in silence to look at him.
“Our relationship with them isn’t exactly friendly. You’ve known that for a long time, haven’t you?”
“…Which is why I only need you to pass along a message. Or what—do you think my name, Brill, isn’t enough to make them put this matter aside for now?”
Weis simply smiled at Brill without answering. His attitude made it obvious what his answer was.
Brill didn’t get angry. He merely removed his goggles and gave Weis a long, penetrating look.
“I’ll say this one last time. Go tell them I want to meet their boss—Roland Vimers—no later than tomorrow night.”
“If you insist on meeting him, we may not be able to guarantee your safety…”
Weis’s smile never changed as he listed the possible risks in a flat, almost mechanical tone.
“What, after all these years of digging in here, Militech can’t even deal with a corporation that’s only just risen?”
Brill’s jab earned Weis another throbbing vein on his forehead.
But he quickly steadied himself. The smile vanished from his face as he looked at Brill coolly.
“Although I really don’t like you, out of professional duty I still have to tell you this: PROJECT Corporation has… unclear ties with Night Corp.”
“So… much as I hate to admit it, yes. Our current influence in Night City is weaker than theirs. Your safety cannot be assured.”
Brill’s mocking smile finally disappeared. He frowned slightly, then seemed to think something through, his brow gradually smoothing out.
“That’s not a big problem. I’ll keep things within reason. In my opinion, their boss is qualified to become one of us.”
With that, Brill headed for the door, leaving behind a final remark about getting it done quickly.
After he left, Weis let out a scornful snort.
“Just a dog raised by the Highriders, yet he loves putting on airs.”
...
“Boss, the Highriders’ representative has arrived in Night City. He’s currently on top of the Militech building.”
Lissandra pulled up Brill’s photo and reported calmly.
Roland’s expression turned a little strange. “What about the European Space Agency? What are they up to?”
“The twelve angels dispatched by the European Space Agency… have already reached Washington State, but—”
“But what?”
“He seems to be quite resistant to coming to Night City… though he has already set off. He should arrive before long.”
Roland nodded, then began thinking about how to use these two to extract even greater benefits.
All of a sudden, a crazy idea popped into his head.
Since the Militech building was going to be blown up anyway… why not just pretend they didn’t know a Highrider was inside and send him flying along with the rest?
Once the thought appeared, it spiraled out of control.
Roland started running through the possible consequences—and quickly reached a conclusion.
Hey… this might actually work.
Of course, it would require someone else to carry it out. He couldn’t use the original team.
“Lissandra, cancel the demolition team that was already assigned. Call Zed and his unit back. Hand this mission over to him.”
“I understand.”
...
At this moment, in Pacifica, Night City.
Once a district the city government had pinned great hopes on and poured enormous funds into, all construction had now come to a halt due to the city entering a wartime state, leaving the area bleak and deserted.
Yet the land had gained a different kind of inhabitant.
Wanted criminals from across Night City. Gang members of all stripes. They treated this place as their playground.
No PROJECT security forces. No NCPD. No corporate personnel. No restraints of any kind.
Here, they could indulge every impulse without consequence.
Inside a half-finished, abandoned high-rise, a figure sat silently on a slab of concrete, carefully wiping down the first blade in his hand.
Suddenly, he froze. A red light flashed in his eyes.
“I understand. I’ll be back immediately.”
Zed put away his first blade and rose slowly, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings. In the darkness, figures began to emerge one by one—people he had personally selected, trained, and enhanced with PROJECT technology.
The embryonic form of the counter-intelligence unit from the PROJECT world was taking shape here.
Zed turned toward the outside and leapt down. More than a dozen figures followed close behind.
After Zed left, another figure remained in the building, idly toying with a dart marked with the Shadow Stream insignia.
“So I don’t even get a part in this. What a shame…”
Jhin tilted his head back slightly and let out a long sigh. Soon enough, however, another order reached him.
He was to consolidate the various fugitives and gang forces currently active in Pacifica, laying the groundwork for future operations.
“Ah. I never thought I’d end up working behind the scenes. Follow me.”
As he spoke, Jhin slowly headed downstairs, while another dozen figures gradually surfaced from the shadows around him.
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