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Chapter 16 C
🕑 Added 2025-02-17 15:34:12 +0000 UTCChapter 16 C
“Here, this was your cut.”
“That much?”
Leo accepted it, surprised by the hefty stack of bills in his hand. Jackie had given him way more than the delivery fee they had originally agreed on.
“That original payment was for outsiders. Now I’ve got a better idea.”
“What is it?”
“How about we team up? Partner up—what do you think?”
“…”
Seeing that Leo didn’t respond right away, Jackie wiped his nose and cleared his throat.
“Look, I’ll be straight with you. At first, I wasn’t planning on giving you anything—I was thinking I’d ditch you right after crossing the border. But you turned out to be a solid guy.”
Leo said nothing but thought, Jackie. You’re too straightforward.
“Anyway, let me ask you something: have you decided what you’re gonna do here in Night City?”
“And why do you ask?” Leo raised an eyebrow.
Jackie didn’t beat around the bush. “Because I figure you’ve got no money and no job. In this city, you won’t get far without someone watching your back. But don’t worry, man—I’ll help you find work. No reason you can’t at least earn a meal. When trouble comes knocking, having somebody in your corner is huge—like family. Maybe you’ll even find a few of those in this city.”
Jackie’s words felt honest and sincere. Leo couldn’t help feeling touched. “Thanks, Jackie.”
Jackie waved him off. “Aw, forget it. We click so well, might as well make good use of it, partner.”
He held out his palm to Leo, inviting a high five. Leo got the hint, and they slapped palms with a sharp smack.
“In a bit, I’ll take you to see Old Vic—Night City’s most badass ripperdoc—get you fitted with some implants. A regular human can’t survive here.”
Leo was about to say he didn’t plan on getting any implants when Jackie shook his head.
“Hang on, I’m getting a call.”
---
*Meanwhile…*
Somewhere in Santo Domingo, inside an abandoned factory, a few mercenary types had gathered with a neatly dressed man in a pristine suit. Off in a corner sat a middle-aged man, also in a suit, his head covered by a hood.
The suit-wearing man nodded at Maine. Maine stepped forward and yanked off the hood. The man underneath took in the scene and panicked, pleading non-stop for his life.
“If it hadn’t been for me back then, you’d have been one of those ‘downsized’ employees the corp likes to toss back into society! And now you hire the Animals gang to kill me?”
“W-wait! I had no choice. I’m already forty—if I miss this chance, I’ll never climb the ladder again!”
“That’s it?”
“My parents died ages ago—I have no ties. But I’ve got a wife and kid to feed; I can’t stay stuck forever. You know corporate life. If you’re not climbing, you’re letting someone else step on your head. Sacrificing you meant I could keep my family safe. If you were me, how would you choose?”
“For a promotion? I figured it was ‘cause you caught me sleeping with your wife.”
Silence fell. The middle-aged man’s expression morphed from terror to confusion to fury.
“You slept with my wife?! You son of a—”
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshots rang out, leaving twin smoking holes in the man’s forehead. His body went limp and collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
“You all did good,” the suit-wearing man said coolly. “I’ve sent the payment to the fixer. You’ll get your cut soon.” Without a second glance at Maine and the others, he drove off.
Dorio wiped her nose as she looked at the corpse, eyes still open in death. “Their world’s messy as hell.”
Maine laced his fingers behind his head. “That’s corps for you—either screwing someone over or getting screwed. That’s exactly why I never joined one.”
Dorio joked, “You couldn’t get in anyway, right? Word is even the hotel doormen need a college degree. You even got grade-school papers?”
“Shut it!”
Maine’s mortified scowl made everyone burst out laughing. Rebecca tugged at Sasha’s sleeve. “Hey, Sasha, wanna grab a drink later?”
Sasha flashed a bright smile. “Sure.”
---
*Back in Heywood, at the El Coyote Bar…*
Jackie finished his call soon enough and looked at Leo with excitement in his eyes. “Leo, you really were my lucky charm.”
Leo frowned slightly. “What are you talking about?”
“I just landed us a big job—a huge score.” He paused, then shook his head with a grin. “If I’d met you sooner, man…”
Leo still looked puzzled. “All right, but what exactly happened?”
“I got off the phone with a fixer. Wants me to acquire something. Pays big. Let’s just say it’s a hell of an opportunity.”
“What sort of ‘big job’ are we talking about?”
Jackie didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced around as if searching for something. His gaze settled on the laptop Leo had tucked under his arm. “Mind if I borrow your computer?”
“Sure.” Leo handed it over without hesitation. It was basically loot he’d picked up after all, so he wasn’t worried about Jackie breaking it.
Jackie set the laptop on a table and opened a browser. After a flurry of keystrokes, he turned the screen toward Leo. Displayed there was an ultramodern supercar with sleek, futuristic lines. Its specs were listed below:
---
*Name:* Rayfield “Aerondight S9 Guinevere”
*Production Years:* 2075–2077
*Drive:* Rear-wheel
*Horsepower:* 950
*Curb Weight:* 4052 lbs
*Manufacturer:* Rayfield
---
After reading the details, Leo nodded. “Nice ride. You planning on buying it?”
Jackie flushed, veins popping on his forehead. “You gotta be kidding! Leo, do you have any idea how much this car costs?! It’s worth fifty-two times what the average Night City resident makes in their entire life!
“This is a top-tier supercar from Rayfield, a British company known for luxury cars and customized limousines—top performance with maximum comfort. They don’t call Rayfield ‘the symbol of wealth’ for nothing. Their ‘Aerondight’ is priced higher than some island nation’s GDP.
“Under the hood’s an elite engine, every inch a match for professional racing. The interior’s as plush as a five-star penthouse. And if that doesn’t hook you, check out the fact it doesn’t even have windows—everything’s replaced by real-time crystal-dome imaging, so you get total privacy while still enjoying a panoramic view.”
Jackie fell silent, realizing Leo was staring at him. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. “What? Something on my face?”
“No, it’s just… you sounded like a car salesman there for a sec.”
Jackie let out a sheepish laugh. “You probably think a broke guy living next to his mom’s bar shouldn’t know so much about supercars. But hey, everyone dreams of driving a fancy car, living in a mansion. A little daydreaming about high-end wheels never hurt anybody.”
Leo shrugged. “All right, so this ‘big job’ you were talking about—don’t tell me we’re supposed to go around the city advertising that car to everyone.”
“Course not.” Jackie raised two fingers. “First, sure, Night City’s got plenty of rich folks. But there are only four of these beauties in the whole city. It’s the top of the top—money alone can’t buy it. Second, even though there are plenty of rich folks here, even more are flat-broke. We’ve got no in with the wealthy, and the poor can’t afford it. We’d starve as car salesmen.”
Leo frowned. “Then what’s this gig?”
Jackie grinned. “The fixer on the phone wants us to snag this car for him. And he’s offering…” Jackie held up a few fingers.
