Players Invade Cyberpunk

"Lin Miao, don't think that just because you're leaving behind that pile of junk from your Horizon Corporation, our Sixth Street Gang can't handle those Mexicans. We'll see what happens."

He waved his large hand and turned away with his gang of underlings.

Lin Miao waved goodbye with a smile and said, "Feel free to drop by anytime, I have plenty of tea here."

William, afraid he might shoot the other person out of anger, ran off without looking back.

It was quite a while before Lucy tiptoed into Lin Miao's office from the side door. She slapped the desk angrily, making the tea in the cup ripple.

"Were you really not afraid of dying just now? Do you realize if I had been a bit slower that gun might have blown your brains out!"

"That kind of thing wouldn't happen," Lin Miao said leisurely. "If I can't even trust your skills, who can I trust?"

He knocked on his own forehead and said, "Besides, you know, normal bullets can't penetrate my skull. At that point, I'd have to trouble you to help me hammer the bullet out with a mallet."

Lin Miao was iron-headed in every sense. Unless the other party was using specially manufactured large-caliber armor-piercing bullets, breaking through his skull would be quite a trouble. But the brain certainly wouldn't have a good time; with a handgun, he'd probably be knocked unconscious for a while, and a large-caliber bullet, even if it didn't penetrate, could shake his brain into mush.

Moreover, he was confident that the other party wouldn't really dare to kill him here. After all, there were plenty of opportunities for an assassination. Starting a turf war in someone else's base would require William to really not want to leave that door alive.

Recalling the uneasy past, Lucy blushed and mumbled, "Who would help you..."

Then she changed the topic, "Now that you've offended the Sixth Street Gang, what if they really stop buying your equipment? Wouldn't that mean you'd earn a lot less money?"

Recently, orders from Valentino and the Tiger Claw Gang were pouring in like snow. Not to mention a large number of bars, clubs, and small gangs; many had heard about this affordable equipment and became interested.

Watching the bundles of cash piling in like a flood, Lucy felt sorry for her past days of scraping for chips to save up for lunar immigration.

But she also worried that Lin Miao might lose the Sixth Street Gang's orders or even get into a conflict.

"They'll definitely buy, Lucy. It's just a matter of finding a way that's acceptable to everyone," Lin Miao said confidently, as if firmly anchored in the situation. "Even though I don't like the business environment here, you sometimes have to admit that money is almost omnipotent. It can buy many things, including some people's loyalty."

————

"Damn it!" The giant was furious as he watched the Sixth Street Gang retreat.

"These Sixth Street Gang are a bunch of spineless cowards!"

Compared to a few days ago, the bar's hall started to get lively as new players entered the city.

"Hahaha! I knew it!" Brother Dao's face was almost splitting with laughter.

"I told you they wouldn't fight! But you didn't believe me and insisted on betting."

"No, but I heard online that those Texas rednecks are fierce, right? Why wouldn't they even dare to fight?"

The giant regretted getting involved in a bet with Brother Dao over whether a fight would break out.

"It's all just a show, like how California shouts about independence every year—it's all online hype."

Brother Dao held back a laugh, signaling for a beer from Nina, who was still trembling with fear from the Sixth Street Gang's encirclement of the office.

"If they were as tough as they bragged on the internet, they wouldn't have ended up in their current situation."

"Besides, staying neutral is best, right? If nobody's done anything, how could there be hostility?"

Potato: "Alright, enough with the chatter, Sun Yifeng, get on stage and sing for me!"

The other players joined in, cheering, "Sing one! Sing one! Sing one!"

"Damn it," the giant's face was full of humiliation.

"Can't I pick a different song, brother?"

Potato: "No way, just sing! A bet's a bet, right? I'm already giving you face by not making you sing 'Conquer'!"

Reluctantly, amidst the crowd's urging, the giant stepped onto the stage, holding the microphone tight.

Lin Miao hadn't hired any band or singers to perform; all the equipment was second-hand, so when players felt like it, they could take the stage to sing a few lines. Sometimes, microphone bullies and noise makers would appear.

"Sigh..."

The giant looked at the dozens of excited faces below, his heart twitching, and he selected a track from the panel, closing his eyes, swaying to the music.

It was a very old song with a female voice in the background that Nina and her sister had never heard in Night City.

"One step wrong, a lifetime wrong～～"

"Dancing for a living～～"

"A dancer is also human～ To whom can I tell the pain in my heart～～"

"Forced by life's pressure～ Tears swallowed down～～"

His voice was full of humiliation, even with a bit of tremble.

Although he sang badly, the emotion was definitely there, engrossing to the point where it felt like he had really been a dancer.

"Who let me be a dancer～"

Once he finished, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

"Great! Awesome!"

"You sang so well! Damn!"

"Although your technique sucks, your emotion made up for it. I'm turning around for you."

"Full of emotion, I'm almost crying from the giant's song."

"I want to have your babies, Brother Xun! When are you gonna have a concert? The bros will definitely support it, hahaha."

The giant, escaping from the stage, brushed off hands reaching to tease the 'dancer.'