Players Invade Cyberpunk

"Mr. Lin, although we've resolved part of our issues, I still want to remind you of something."

"I'm all ears."

"Rabbits that are too active in the sunlight always attract the attention of predators. Sometimes finding a secure burrow underground might not be a bad choice, at least you can live steadily rather than become prey for beasts."

"..."

Do all you Neon People speak this way?

"Thanks for the advice, but..."

Lin Miao nonchalantly drained the tea cup filled by the other party.

"People always need to walk in the sunlight. Spending too long in the gutters may just turn you into a cockroach, and even if you become the leader, you're just a daylight-fearing cockroach king."

"It's fine to sit in there occasionally, but don't make the dark and damp underground your home. Besides, it's yet to be determined who's the rabbit and who's the wolf."

————

Brawls on the streets of Night City happen every day, and with the development and leakage of company armaments, the street firepower confrontations have continuously escalated.

From augmentations to firearms, it's no different. Even during the corporate wars in the twenties, some damaged exoskeleton power armors were abandoned by logistics due to expensive repair costs, disassembled into parts, and flowed into grassroots gangs, causing devastating blows to medium and small gangs and companies at the time, even hinting at a trend of underworld unification.

In the end, those companies came to their senses, recovering the so-called "company assets" one after another to prevent further escalation.

Due to the prohibition of heavy weapons entering Night City, gradually, even the sight of exoskeletons measuring up to two and a half meters became rare in the city, only occasionally glimpsed within company premises even if they are light models.

However, decades later, today, in the Night City streets so accustomed to flesh-armored metal, iron-armored flesh has reappeared.

The conflicts between Valentino and the Sixth Street Gang have escalated in firepower as a result.

Gustav, having acquired firearms from Lin Miao, promptly deployed exoskeletons in his bar, venues, and various strongholds. When the Sixth Street Gang came to smash the place, they were shocked to find why there were iron clads stationed in the opponent's shops too.

The armed forces of both sides clashed fiercely on the street.

The saying goes

Dragon meets dragon, tiger meets tiger, toads find frogs

Captain America battles Mexican Death Knights on the street, that's the scene exactly.

On this side are the old United States legacy's spiritual inheritors

Chanting the MAGA spell

Draped in the old flag of fifty stars

Invoking Falling Sakura Divine Power to banish foes' spirits

Calling upon the native spirits to show the way

Invoking Elizabeth Criss

Ancestors protect and dispel evil aura

On the other side are the Mexican mafia cum Catholics

Built from the holy bones of the Skull Holy God

Divine arms bestowed from above adorn their person

Holy Spirit, Holy Father and Holy Son

Spirits of valor manifest upon the reprimand baton

The two sides exchange blows delightfully, with the air beaming with brilliant (as in tracer bullets), amidst the machine gun shots mixed with a few Hallelujahs—old American flag warring with Death's sanctity, epitomizing the showdown of feudal democracy and religion.

It's just a pity they're both made of the same dough, so they can't break through.

Originally, the aggressive assault of the Sixth Street Gang was held at bay thanks to the new forces Gustav obtained, and the Valentino gang managed to stabilize the front line and repelled these American folks, replacing those damn Sixth Street Gang graffiti with Valentino-styled Jesuses once again.

Members of the Sixth Street Gang cursed their rejection of old American glory, furiously begrudging this company's lack of business ethics for supporting their competitors.

How can you contribute to the enemy of democracy?

That's undemocratic of you!

We will enforce economic and technological blockade... oh no, negotiations!

The thwarted Sixth Street Gang immediately surrounded the office and sent a representative in for talks.

On one hand, they hoped to buy more exoskeletons, and on the other, wanted Lin Miao to exclusively supply them.

You could say they are true blue old Americans; what are the new America and Military Science compared to them, are they more authentic?

It was just a couple of days ago that the Tiger Claw Gang suffered a bloody loss at this company's doorstep, even Hakimi's claws got broken.

With that predecessor laid out here, the Sixth Street Gang dared not act recklessly, or else within hours, Lin Miao's head might have been hanging at the company's entrance attracting flies.

"Mr. William, I can understand your feelings, but first and foremost, I'm a businessman valuing free trade and have no desire to be dragged onto the Sixth Street Gang's wagon."

Fearing Gloria and Lucy couldn't handle the situation, Lin Miao had no choice but to personally negotiate with the Sixth Street Gang.

"You have no reason or standing to prevent Horizon Corporation and others from engaging in legal trade."

Across the desk from Lin Miao on the third floor sat William and his lawyer, with several American bare-chested strongmen standing behind them.

Just from the openings all over them, one could tell they had plenty of combat augmentations installed.

"Legal trade?"

William sneered.

"Is this what you call legal trade?"

He most certainly did not want to be doing this. After all, if an arms dealer can't cater to both sides, what's the point of being in the arms business, anyway? The Sixth Street Gang had no real grounds for their actions, but with orders from above, William had to comply.

The lawyer next to him took out a few photos depicting players scavenging materials in the junkyard.

"I suspect that the weapons you create using these scrap-quality metals and damaged augmentations don't comply with market regulations..."

Lin Miao interrupted their nonsense, pointing to several stamped certificates on the wall.

"Do I need to show you the steel inspection report from the Night City Materials Management Bureau and the multifunctional auxiliary operations exoskeleton sales license?"

Generally speaking, large gangs like the Sixth Street Gang and the Tiger Claw Gang, when dealing with disobedient small companies, would choose to smash venues, kidnap executives, mail explosives, and other means to threaten compliance.

But they knew Lin Miao wasn't soft clay they could easily mold. The Tiger Claw Gang and the Night Wanderer both lost face; the Sixth Street Gang couldn't be sure they'd fare any better, possibly even suffering major losses.

Only when they find that force won't work do they begin to play by the rules.