Chapter 60

Moer responded quickly, as this is a common and simple anti-tracking measure.

"That's true."

Luo Qi hadn't realized it for a moment, and then slapped his forehead, suddenly understanding.

In the cyber world, personal information is at great risk of exposure, and the damage that hackers can cause is much greater than in the past when cyber technology was not so advanced.

"Ch... C, where are you?"

The man in the suit frowned and called out a few times, but no one answered.

His face began to show dissatisfaction, but before he could get angry, the sound of gunfire like popping beans erupted outside the window.

The distance was too close—just a wall apart.

Luo Qi saw the customers skillfully crawl under the tables, hands covering their heads, revealing the standard "don't hurt me" posture.

"Ah...!"

"I've been shot—"

"Someone help me!"

Accompanied by rhythmic gunfire and occasional explosions, the battle outside intensified.

"Let me listen... hmm, copperhead, pulse, prelude, oh, and slaughter," Luo Qi casually teased.

Submachine guns, rifles, and shotguns produced a cacophony of gunfire, forming the symphony of gun battles that played daily on the streets of Night City. Screams were the best embellishment, and anger and fear were the emotions in every note.

But before the drama could unfold, D dashed out of the restaurant and resolutely joined the gunfight.

Luo Qi and Moer followed, expecting to witness an exciting firefight, but instead saw a scene of scattered bodies and severely wounded people.

"From the American Patriot Sixth Street Gang versus the Soviet Union's Kidney Snatchers Cleaners, the final victor is..."

"These two passing gentlemen."

He leaned against the restaurant's glass wall, taking a keen interest in the two men in suits who were still breathing steadily.

One was D, the other he had never seen before.

The man he hadn't seen before had a stubble on his goatee, looking like a thin layer. Seeing Luo Qi's amused expression, he cautiously gripped his gun and looked at D, who nodded in confirmation. He then relaxed and approached.

"Did you reach an agreement?"

He stood in front of Luo Qi, glanced at Moer, and asked D.

D nodded.

"My name is Lucky, and she's Moer. What's your name?"

Luo Qi looked at the man with the crew cut.

"Just call him C."

D interrupted before C could speak.

"You're too cautious." C frowned and shrugged.

"It's better to be cautious. If they prove to be reliable, then it's not too late to talk." D's attitude was firm.

However, he didn't avoid Luo Qi and Moer when saying this, as if seeking their opinions as well.

"I don't mind. It's always better to be careful," Luo Qi expressed understanding.

"You can call me Charlie and him Delta if you insist on being mysterious."

C eased the awkwardness with a smile.

It was a joke related to military jargon.

In military operations, to prevent mishearing, some similar-sounding words are given special pronunciations.

In Chinese, for example, "one" is pronounced as "demon," "two" as "both," "seven" as "turn," and "zero" as "hole," all for this purpose.

In English, A is pronounced Alpha, B is pronounced Bravo, C is pronounced Charlie, and D is pronounced Delta. From A to Z, each letter has a corresponding word to prevent errors in communication during operations.

This man with the codename C, hidden beneath his suit, is perhaps a body that has undergone formal military training and modification.

Luo Qi couldn't smell the sneaky scent of corporate agents on them, but he couldn't guarantee that they didn't come from a corporate force.

"Get in the car first, time is precious."

D called them and got into an inconspicuous van parked by the roadside.

The vehicle started and slowly drove along the street, just like the other cars coming and going – waiting obediently for the red light and maintaining a proper distance.

In the Valley District, bankrupt factories and scrapyards dotted this industrial heartland of Santo Domingo, but many large company factories protected by tall, sturdy walls still stood strong. Abandonment brought about an abundance of low-level criminals and corruption, and the rumbling trucks were the flowing blood of the area.

As for Coronado Farm, the white picket fences and pristine green lawns encircled a vast residential area, presenting a breathtaking beauty. The tree-lined streets were like streams on grasslands, winding through, leading residents from the tranquility of the suburbs to the factories and foundries of the Valley District.

Those were the scenes of the past, now all that remained were the heaviness and disorder of the industrial park and power supply center, like the shattered and tired American Dream.

The highway stretching into Night City from the eastern wasteland was covered in yellow dust, so straight that it seemed to reach the horizon.

Like most cities, the further away from the bustling city center, the more decrepit the scenery.

An elevated bridge and its intertwined network of highways divided the entire Santo Domingo into separate districts.

However, this did not mean that there was no opportunity for infiltrating the military technology route – the surrounding abandoned buildings and cluttered equipment provided the best cover.

Finally, the car stopped in an area covered by the shadow of an overpass.

D slowly turned the steering wheel, moving the car into a junkyard filled with scrapped car shells.

Next to it were the sixth and seventh super skyscrapers, no different from the others, except that H7 was more distinctive, with the middle section of the building extending horizontally three times the distance, ending almost 100 meters away. The supporting column looked pitifully thin from afar, but it was towering up close.

This place was located in the part of the Valley District close to Coronado Farm.

"We're not far from the corporate plaza."

Luo Qi frowned, looking at the awe-inspiring main corporate building a few kilometers away in the sky.

"But we're not close either." D's attitude was firm, and as he spoke, his mustache moved, "This secluded location is the best choice in the area."

He transferred a set of packaged freight route data to Luo Qi's PDA.

Military technology was confident, even to the point of arrogance.

According to "insiders," as long as the military technology convoy entered from the eastern wasteland and was destined for warehouses in the Valley District, they would almost always take a fixed route – driving from the checkpoint all the way to Branton Street, using only elevated bridges along the way.

As for whether this information was "leaked" or "deliberately leaked," it was not Luo Qi's concern.

To complete a big enough commission, intelligence is definitely every mercenary's best friend.

Transportation in Night City was well-connected.

There were vehicles flying in the sky, running on the ground, and swimming in the water – all of them were available.

In the incredible world of 342967465:

Just from an eastern entrance, one can head towards Charter Hill in Westbrook, or go straight ahead towards Heywood, or enter the southern part of the Coronado Farm and disappear into the vast Jackson Plains.

It is precisely because of this intelligence that intercepting the convoy became possible.

In fact, Luo Qi did not object to D's choice of location. Setting an ambush on the overpass is a ridiculous idea, and winning against Military Technology in a car chase is pure fantasy.

The exit of the overpass is an ideal ambush point.

That being said, this place is not far from the warehouses and factories of the companies. Even the Arasaka distillation tower stands not far from this street corner, and one can easily see the huge "Arasaka" when looking up.

"This is the rear warehouse of Military Technology. The nearest security force is four kilometers away. Kanto may be able to get here quickly, Arasaka too, but Military Technology has no way."

Mo Er, who had been leaning on Luo Qi's shoulder to look at the map, suddenly said.

The building she pointed to was a half-height building located on the south side of the Military Technology Night City Branch building in Company Square. It spanned both banks of the Bay Water System, and a huge corridor connected the two buildings into one, looking more spectacular than the cross-sea bridge from afar.

But the closer to Company Square, the farther from here, which is good news.

"Are you sure?"

D was surprised at Mo Er's understanding of Military Technology.

Mo Er glanced at him with an expression that said, "Do you think I'm joking?"

"Very well, there should be no problem with the timing." D shrugged, a little disappointed. "Next is the evacuation."

Centering on this location, they used three different colored lines to represent the preset routes.

The red line extended southeast, entered the main road of Night City's southern part, and went straight southwest. The unobstructed view over a dozen kilometers of flat ground allowed them to blend into the incoming and outgoing traffic, completely unnoticed. However, if discovered by Military Technology, there would be nowhere to hide.

"This one won't work. Although we can change routes to the Protein Farm or Jackson Plains before leaving the city, all the border checkpoints are manned by Military Technology."

Luo Qi vetoed on behalf of Mo Er.

Attempting to smuggle the stolen goods out of the city by bluffing past the checkpoints? Many have tried before, but fewer now, for obvious reasons.

Moreover, Luo Qi didn't want to return to that place, where he had smuggled into the city with V and Jack, only to be chased around by Military Technology.

In a desperate situation, it could be considered, but this route is not the best choice.

The blue route went northeast, crossed the bay, entered Charter Hill in Westbrook, and then changed to Japan Street, entering the bustling Watson district.

This is a conventional route. The only drawback is that Charter Hill is one of the highly developed and upscale areas, and it is adjacent to the wealthy North Oak area. Private armed forces and security are definitely not to be trifled with. If exposed, it would be even more terrifying than being targeted by Military Technology.

The green route went southeast into Coronado Farm, taking advantage of the complex roads, loosely regulated large bungalow areas, and the excellent location where they could escape into the wilderness at any time, allowing them to easily shake off the search by Military Technology.

Regina had arranged a rendezvous point in the Watson district, and the old captain had prepared a hiding place in Coronado Farm. No matter which route they chose, the key was whether they could successfully escape.

"How about it? Do you have any better suggestions?"

C looked at Luoqi and Moer, asking.

Luoqi turned her head to look at Moer.

Then, under the gaze of the others, she drew a route with her finger that went northwest.

"Go through the Scenic District and the Civic Center, then directly to Little Chinatown."

What?!

"Wouldn't that mean we'll run into the company's people head-on?" D frowned, seemingly trying to figure out from Moer's expression whether this was a joke or not.

"As long as we're fast enough, they won't recognize us."

Moer was very calm, even though this idea was quite crazy.