Chapter 57

Luo Qi nodded at them and then turned to look at Rogue.

The sofa under his buttocks seemed to become harder, giving him a feeling of sitting upright and cautiously.

"Tell them what I just told you."

Rogue raised her eyelids.

"All of it?"

He looked at her, seeking her opinion.

"All of it."

So Luo Qi explained Johnny's current situation and the tasks they would be doing for Rogue in the future in a detailed manner. As for the emotional entanglements between Rogue and him, he made some "harmless literary modifications" - the kind that would satisfy both the listeners and the parties involved, so as not to be thrown out on the street by Rogue.

"?Estás bromeando! (I can't believe it!)" Jackie couldn't help but look at Rogue, exclaiming and murmuring in his heart, "Wow, this is Rogue!"

Rogue is an intermediary queen, even more badass than Dexter by a hundred times.

If working for Dexter without any traps is a good opportunity, then working for Rogue is an incredibly lucky chance.

In short, now Rogue is the employer, and Luo Qi and his team are the mercenaries.

Getting paid to do the job, helping others avoid disasters; it's that simple.

Unlike other clients, Rogue is reliable, pays a lot, provides strong support, and has a clear stance.

With Johnny around, nothing is a problem.

Where else can you find such good business and intermediaries?

"Tell me what you're good at. Since it's my Rogue's business, it can't be measured by ordinary standards."

Rogue's face showed no arrogance, but the innate demeanor of a big sister was deeply ingrained in her bones, making her aura very strong.

"Ordinary standards?"

V propped his knee with one hand, his elbow pressing on his thigh, and asked.

"Depending on the price, hiring what kind of people. But this is very important, so I won't be stingy about it." Rogue crossed her arms and looked confident, "Whatever talent or equipment you lack, I'll provide it, all-inclusive."

"Wow, that's generous." Jackie cracked a smile, his face full of joy.

"I have no objections." T-Bug answered very straightforwardly.

The relic deal fell through, there was no mansion, and they needed to make some extra money to save up, so they didn't know how much longer it would take to complete their goal of leaving the damned city behind and escaping the suffering of the lower class.

Her attitude was surprisingly good, not only did she not cross her legs, but also the "I don't care" expression was gone.

T-Bug is a true expert in this field, and she has every right to be picky about the jobs she takes.

But Rogue offered too much.JPG

When it came to their areas of expertise, among the five, V and Jackie were the type to rush in directly, and stealthy infiltration was no problem. T-Bug's combat skills were almost zero, but her cyber skills were unquestionably excellent, providing strong support from the rear. Luo Qi's marksmanship had always been subpar, which was one of the reasons Regina had heard of V but not him, so he switched to being a "Night City Genji" after swiping the "Awakening" from San Lang's car.

Anyway, he was strong, fast, and could take out enemies with one slash, and if that didn't work, then two slashes.

Looking around, it was the silent Mo Ehr who actually best met Rogue's requirements.

Lieutenant of the military technology special forces, tearing apart two elite company squads by hand, and a product of the super soldier modification program. Proficient in the use of all conventional weapons, equipment, and cyber-assisted devices, well-trained, experienced in the battlefield, and mentally stable when facing enemies...

Look at them, that's what you call professional.

In contrast, Luo Qi and his group of self-taught wild cards relied on brute force and often acted crudely.

Fortunately, their half-year mercenary experience had helped them grow a lot, to be precise, a great deal. Otherwise, they'd still be cannon fodder, easily defeated by powerful opponents.

"Alright, I got it. I'll make the arrangements," Luo Qi said, having a general understanding of their expertise, which would help her choose the right personnel later on. "If you have any questions, you can ask me now."

Everyone exchanged glances, seemingly in agreement with the deal.

"When will the operation start? Which one do we do first?" Luo Qi asked, feeling relieved that the negotiations had gone smoothly.

"No rush," Luo Ge waved her hand. "We'll wait until we have enough intel, then we'll act."

She poured herself another drink, seemingly in a good mood.

The private room was quiet, the sound of dark wine pouring into the glass clear to everyone's ears. Everyone watched Luo Ge's movements, even though it wasn't critical, but the presence and reputation of the queen of the middlemen were awe-inspiring.

"Andres Herman, find him first. If he's completely protected by Kang Tao, it'll be much more troublesome later on."

Luo Ge pondered briefly and gave a direction.

"What about the Voodoo Boys? Is it really them?"

V recalled the Weyland logo he had seen in the dream.

"Based on your description, it's them. No doubt about it," Luo Ge held her glass, seemingly entering a casual chat mode, not knowing where her good mood came from. "They won't run - the whole world knows Saburo Arasaka's belongings are lost. Their intel isn't that good; they probably know there's no hope in finding the relic and have given up. They're likely squatting in some corner now, preparing some sinister plan."

"Alright, that's good," V nodded, glanced at Luo Qi, swallowed, and asked seriously in a lower voice, "I have another question, about Arasaka... How can you guarantee our safety?"

"Arasaka?"

Luo Ge's hand holding the glass froze, then the corner of her eye lifted, revealing a big sister-like smile.

It was a smile that showed amusement and a hint of helplessness.

"Haha, you don't really think Arasaka is after you, do you?"

Isn't that the case?

Now it was the others who were stunned.

"Have you really been paying attention to the news?"

She was still smiling, as if this was something very amusing.

"Kanpeki Tower was attacked, Saburo Arasaka died, what else?" V asked.

"Alright," Luo Ge freed her hand, leaned back, and crossed her left leg over her right. "Let's put it this way, Arasaka announced that Saburo's personal bodyguard, Takemura, is the murderer and is currently on the run."

"We know that... but..."

Luo Qi frowned, then suddenly paused, his eyes gradually lighting up and widening.

"Shit!"

"It seems you understand now," Luo Ge nodded.

For Arasaka Raizo, Takemura Goro, who was determined to uncover the truth for his former master, posed a threat – one that could affect his upcoming political game.

Regardless of whether Takemura Gorou is the real culprit or not, as long as Arasaka Yorinobu says he is, he is.

"But you're not him. In Arasaka Yorinobu's eyes, you might not be important enough."

When saying this, Rogue's eyes showed a hint of subtle sadness, but she hid it well.

As Rokki carefully savored her words, more and more thoughts flooded his mind.

In 2076, the top twenty companies in Night City contributed a staggering 700 billion euros in taxes.

Sounds like a lot?

But that's only 0.7% of their total annual income.

That means in 2076, these twenty companies had a combined annual profit of 100 trillion euros.

"1" followed by fourteen zeros.

And the decades-long research and development cost of the relic is a few billion, about 20,000 times less.

For the relic, Rokki and his team could make at most one or two billion, and that's under the most ideal circumstances without being backstabbed by other companies.

The mass of an ordinary ant is about 50 milligrams, and a 65kg adult is 1.3 million times heavier.

Sometimes, the gap between people is even greater than the gap between people and ants.

Arasaka Yorinobu didn't seem to have any reason to care about them.

"Should I be happy, or should I say 'f*ck it'?"

Rokki laughed sarcastically at himself, then let it go, as he never dwelled on such things.

[Then happily say 'f*ck it', best of both worlds.]

Johnny started joking too.

From the beginning, Arasaka wasn't chasing them at all.

"So, we were actually screwed over by Takemura?"

Jack rubbed his round hair, looking somewhat adorable.

"Now that you mention it, I don't know how to refute that."

Rokki rolled his eyes and found it funny as well.

A large group of people hid everywhere, and it turned out they were outwitting thin air.

T-Bug had started shaking her head, apparently having been quite restrained these days.

The shadow hanging over everyone's heads began to dissipate, and the private room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Great!"

Rokki unceremoniously poured himself half a glass and drained it in one go.

Damn, it's still spicy.

From the Arasaka Yorinobu exclusive liquor in the Tavenny suite to the drink Rogue ordered at the Afterlife Club, he found them both too strong.

Vodka with little taste suited him better, just like his good buddy's formula.

Those present exchanged contact information, mainly with Rogue. Once her intelligence work here was done, they could start taking action.

Before that, some preparations could be made.

"However, Takemura is also looking for Helmann," V suddenly said.

"Really? Why?"

Rokki thought about it carefully, and there seemed to be no reason for Takemura to find Helmann.

Of course, it could also be because he was busy chatting with Johnny and missed the past.