Chapter 46: The Underworld Runs on Favors, Not Just Firepower

Tina stared at the healing syringe Jhin had given her, hesitation clear on her face. After a moment of internal conflict, she finally stored it away—choosing not to use it on Vilet, but not throwing it out either.

Seeing this, White said nothing. He simply gestured for everyone to get back in the car and head to the hospital, while he placed a call directly to Rogue.

The line connected almost immediately.

"White? I take it your operation is complete." Rogue's voice came through, arms undoubtedly crossed as she lounged with her feet propped up on the desk.

"We hit a complication. The mission failed."

Rogue's casual posture stiffened. She frowned. "What happened? This should have been a straightforward job for your team. You're telling me you failed? That's... disappointing."

"It was Jhin. We had Kuroda secured, but he intercepted us and took him. My team was in no condition to fight him... engaging would have been suicide."

White let out a weary sigh as he explained. The moment Rogue heard Jhin's name, she swung her feet off the desk and massaged her temples in frustration.

"Fine. Return the advance. Consider your involvement terminated." Rogue ended the call and slammed her fist onto the desk. "Damn that son of a bitch! I'll twist his head off one of these days!"

After venting her rage, Rogue immediately made another call, acquiring Jhin's contact information through her channels. She needed to see if there was any room for negotiation.

"An unknown number? Interesting..." Jhin stroked his chin contemplatively. He had placed the unconscious Kuroda in the passenger seat, planning to reactivate the Trauma Team signal later—the man wasn't in immediate danger.

"Hello, is this Jhin speaking?"

"Who is this, and how did you get this number?"

"It's Rogue. Where I got your number is my business. Let's keep this brief. You have Kuroda, correct?"

"That's right. He's with me. So, those cyberpunks were working for you." Jhin glanced at the still-unconscious Kuroda beside him.

"Yes, they're a reliable crew I work with often. Let's make a deal. Hand him over to me. I'll owe you a favor, and I can throw some gigs your way, plus put you in touch with the original client for this job."

"Well now, that's generous. But I need to know who the client is first. Why would I give up a sure payday without knowing what I'm getting into?"

"...I can't reveal specifics. Let's just say they're also from a major corp."

Jhin paused, a strange expression crossing his face as he looked at Kuroda. Was this Militech's doing?... Probably not. Kuroda's involvement in this affair hadn't leaked...

While Militech could likely deduce Arasaka was behind it, they shouldn't have been able to pinpoint Kuroda as the specific operative. They had no reason to target a mere R&D director...

Unless they knew about Kuroda's upcoming appointment. But according to Kuroda himself, that decision was still confined to Arasaka's upper echelons—it wasn't public knowledge yet.

And if he handed Kuroda over now... the risk was too great. Better to decline.

"I'll have to refuse your request. However, I am willing to handle a different gig for you."

Rogue's face darkened at the rejection, but her expression softened slightly at the counter-offer. After a moment's consideration, she replied, "Fine. It's a deal."

With that, Jhin ended the call. He had no desire to burn bridges with Rogue—this identity still needed to operate in the cyberpunk underworld for a while. Having Rogue's assistance could also provide more opportunities to encounter key figures and potential Compatible Hosts.

Today's encounter had taught him something important: compatibility wasn't limited to major players in the city's drama. Ordinary people could be suitable hosts too.

His previous lack of success in finding candidates had misled him into thinking only plot-critical individuals qualified.

Jhin pulled the car—"borrowed" from a concerned citizen—into a parking garage. He administered a sharp jolt of electricity to Kuroda, jolting the man back to consciousness.

"Ugh..." Kuroda came to with a groan, the pain from his injuries immediately making itself known. He looked around, his tension visibly easing when he recognized Jhin.

"Ahh... Thanks, Jhin. I owe you one."

"Save the gratitude. I passed on a million-eddie job to extract you. A million should cover it." Jhin spread his hands matter-of-factly.

"Fine, done. But this million-eddie job... you're not talking about me, are you? Am I really only worth a million?" Kuroda nodded, leaning back in his seat as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

"Seems that way. The client was supposedly another corp, though I don't know which one. You'll have to figure that out yourself. I've re-enabled your signal. Trauma Team should be here shortly. I'm leaving now."

"Understood. Thanks again for today." Kuroda nodded and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax. The relief was quickly replaced by simmering anger.

He was furious about the ambush. Thanks to Jhin's information, he began running through the list of corporations that might have targeted him. He was certain the intelligence for this operation hadn't been compromised, and on paper, he was still a minor functionary.

So who was behind it?... Militech? Possible. He'd need to watch them more closely.

Biotechnica? Unlikely. They weren't fools.

Kang Tao? Don't be ridiculous... His work didn't even touch on smart weapons development. Unless...

Kuroda's train of thought halted abruptly, his expression freezing before slowly hardening.

"Unless they discovered my previous involvement in developing the new Relic chip..."

Viewed from that angle, Kang Tao suddenly became the prime suspect. But he couldn't afford to make assumptions yet. He would have to wait until he recovered before settling the score.

The distinct hum of an AV approaching signaled the Trauma Team's arrival. Kuroda pushed his speculations aside, quietly waiting for treatment to begin. He hoped they could save his leg... While losing it wouldn't be catastrophic, he still preferred his original equipment.

"Hmm. With both Rogue and Kuroda in my debt now, I have some leverage to work with... I'll wait until the company releases the PROJECT treatment serums... I should be able to cut a deal with the Trauma Team. They'll probably be very interested in this medical product. I wonder how Biotechnica will react... Ah, whatever. Not my problem."

...