Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 780 - 252: Hidden Motives

But Gago could actually ask this question without blushing or skipping a beat, which truly made Lin Miao see him in a new light. He turned to Hansen and said,

"Your accountant here is a real genius at playing dumb. Who doesn't know that nearly half of the drugs in Night City and even in the United States flow out from Colonel Hansen's hands?"

In the lower-level gangs and companies, apart from the glitter produced by the Tiger Claw Gang, the famous Black Lace is actually the flagship product of the Cuba Drug Trafficking Group.

And now Gago is asking what the connection between the Cubans and Dog Town is?

"Wrong."

Hansen shook his head. Even when pointed out directly by Lin Miao, he wasn't the least bit angry, and he even pointed a finger with bravado.

"I'm just a runner for the Cubans, earning a transit fee, and I'm merely one of their legs."

Why would he get angry?

People in this era don't care whether your business is legal or moral; making money is what truly matters. Those green dollars mean everything; the morality of the poor holds no value.

What's wrong with drug trafficking?

Can you sell any?

"Oh? Then could Colonel Hansen give us a hint as to how many legs the Cubans have?"

Gago said, "Of course it's three legs. Even in North America, we aren't the only smuggling channel."

Lin Miao chuckled, "Then Colonel Hansen must be their big leg."

"Yes, the big leg, but this leg of mine is broken."

Hansen's palm slapped his own thigh, while his eyes remained fixed on Lin Miao.

"Eight out of ten of my shipments got hijacked by Night City's mercenaries. Think about how much money that is?"

The last few words were practically squeezed out through clenched teeth.

Why is it broken?

Really strange, huh?

Hansen didn't even know how Lin Miao had the nerve to bring it up when his men were running wild in Night City, beating up drug dealers, with one incident almost dragging in Dao Jie. The Cuban shipments were either snatched or lost, making it incredibly difficult to transact. Now, in Night City, you can hardly find drugs even if you have money, forcing people to get prescribed medications from doctors.

But now, the other party brings this up in front of him. Could it be that they want to cease hostilities and do drug business together?

This is actually quite similar to how Lin Miao previously attacked those food companies: find a way to smash their pathways first, then he himself makes a high-profile entry to seize the channels.

A very typical commercial tactic, but effective.

"Broken?"

Lin Miao nodded slightly, then spoke seriously to the two of them,

"If you ask me, it's good that it's broken. Drugs hurt both others and yourself. Who knows, you might wake up one day, and snap, your head's somewhere else, wasting the rest of your life—what a waste."

"Isn't it better to do some legitimate business and wash ashore early than to drift at sea?"

He would never agree to get involved in this stuff, not even a momentary compromise is possible. Yet, seeing Hansen's expression, Lin Miao could tell that the other party was equally unwilling to give up the drug trade.

Hansen, being a warlord without any industries under him, solely relies on smuggling arms and drugs to support his troops; even if Lin Miao talks himself dry, Hansen would never cut off his arm because of a few words. Even if he found a new route, leaving the "shore" isn't something that can be done just like that, and the Cubans wouldn't let him off easily.

What a pity...

"Eh."

Gago stepped out to smooth things over again, saying,

"Goods sell wherever they go; even if they don't pass through Colonel Hansen, they'd go through someone else. Where there's demand, there's a market. It's not like we're begging those people to use; it's their own choice, and they can't blame anyone else if they die."

"Besides Night City, the Cuba shipments also pass through Miami to enter Florida, and through Mexico to head north into New Mexico. Their network is global, with bases in Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula. We're just small pawns here; doing or not doing it doesn't change the whole picture."

To this day, drugs are deeply ingrained in the bones of various countries. Gago couldn't understand why Lin Miao was entangled with Hansen over such a trivial matter. If he wanted money or to monopolize the drug market, he should just say so. Why not collaborate to expand the business and make money together? There are many addictive substances beyond drugs, why engage in such a thankless endeavor of trying to stop the tide?

The legends of Night City are buried in graves,

And the good people live in graves too.

Lin Miao: "It's all about people."

Bang!

Another gunshot and a heavy thud were heard from outside the door.

Clearly, Hansen did not want to continue on this broken negotiation topic.

The drug business was something he had to do; surviving on arms alone wouldn't allow him to sustain so many underlings or maintain the original network of relationships.

Maybe Hansen didn't have the confidence to handle Lin Miao, so he would let the Cubans try. Cutting off someone's money path is like killing their parents, so let's see how much Lin Miao is worth now that the Cubans are without horses.

"Let's not talk about unpleasant things anymore, Mr. Lin. Let's discuss something else."

"Sure."

Lin Miao, with a broad smile, agreed to Hansen's request,

"If we can't talk about the Cubans, then let's return to the issue of Taiping Continent and Dog Town."

"To revive Taiping Continent and attract those investors' attention again, Colonel Hansen, we need you to set an example."

"Oh? I'm willing to hear more about this."

"According to the reconstruction plans by me and the City Council, Taiping Continent is on the verge of redevelopment. However, many people aren't convinced that you, Colonel Hansen, are a genuinely helpful good person. They think of you as a time bomb in Taiping Continent, leading them to not only abandon their initial investments, leaving numerous unfinished buildings, but also hesitate to renew investments now. But as the saying goes, money makes the mare go, and even for the sake of money, I believe, Colonel Hansen, you'd be willing to step back and give Taiping Continent some peace, even if just temporarily."