Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 847 - 274: For the Company, Only Money Matters—Nothing Else Is Important

The gunfire in Dog Town is incessant, but some places are destined to be untouched.

As long as Dog Town continues to operate, there are some people you simply cannot offend.

Therefore, the 'VIPs' at the Heavy Heart Bar are not only unconcerned about bullets from players and the Netherworld Dog hitting them, but they even stand amused watching the street battles from above.

Some are dismissive, some are ecstatic, and some are even placing bets on who will have the last laugh.

Only Handz, at this moment, just like the bar's name, is heavy-hearted.

As one operating in the shadows of Dog Town, his network of connections here is also formidable. Many speculate when Handz will make a move, but only Handz knows, he had already stepped in and is just waiting for the outcome.

"Alright, alright, my darling daughter, daddy will definitely come back for your birthday and buy you a big, big cake..."

"Pinky swear for a hundred years without change, or else daddy is a silly little dog."

Only when he sees his daughter's innocent and cute face does Handz's inner anxiety ease a little.

"Pinky swear it is..."

Thump, thump, thump!!!

The urgent knocks at the door sound like the death reaper's summons, making Handz's heart skip a beat.

How is it that a guest has arrived without any notice from the front desk?

Could it be them?

Is it done?

"Darling daughter, daddy has guests now, let's chat next time."

He hastily turns off the projection call and gets up to open the door.

As soon as he opens it, a dark figure swiftly slips into the room.

Handz is startled but upon closer inspection confirms it's Aguirre.

But only a woman returned, and she was in tatters, covered in wounds.

He peeks out to check that no one followed before closing the door, asking seriously,

"Is the target... taken care of?"

In the open, Hansen is the face in Dog Town, but secretly, Handz is also their figurehead, controlling the entire town both openly and covertly.

The female assassin does not answer Handz's question but instead changes the subject,

"Arrange a hovercar for me, I need to go back to Cuba for surgery."

But Handz immediately catches on, realizing the grim truth.

"You failed???"

This was Aguirre, and Cuba even sent two people, and still Lin Miao got away?

It's not Aguirre who answers him,

Beep beep beep...

A communication link request pops up in Handz's view, and the caller... is Lin Miao.

"..."

His whole body goes numb.

He opens the communication, and Lin Miao's smiling face immediately appears in front of Handz. It seems he's sitting in some car, alongside others he knows well, Okada Wako and Reyes.

"Mr. Handz, long time no see."

Better not have seen...

Handz glances at Aguirre washing her wounds in the bathroom, refraining from speaking and opts to communicate via text input.

[Mr. Lin, long time no see. Your people are causing a storm with Hansen in Dog Town; I can hear it from the bar. But I also have guests here, so it's inconvenient to speak with you directly.]

"Guests? What a coincidence! I just entertained a batch of guests myself, only one left midway, and I have no idea where they are now."

Cold sweat began to drip down Handz's back, leaving him unsure how to respond,

[Mr. Lin, your guest left. What made you reach out to me? Surely you don't think I stole your guest?]

"I don't know, and I don't want to care."

Lin Miao's face wears a friendly yet fake smile, speaking slowly, causing chills to creep up Handz's spine,

"But I advise you, Mr. Handz, not to adopt Hansen's and those gangsters' way of doing things. Those people are too extreme."

"Right, Wagako? Shooting on the streets every day, people might think you've opened a shooting range in the Kabuki District."

"Nonsense, the unruly ones are gone. The Tiger Claw Gang will definitely be model citizens of Night City in the future."

What do you mean by the unruly ones are gone?

Sweat beads on Handz's forehead; he knew Lin Miao's men attacked Yunding, but has it even been half an hour?

Were they all killed just like that?

What about Huang Ban? Did Mizuki just watch as Lin Miao purged the Tiger Claw Gang's upper echelons? And you, Old Woman Wagako, how are you even here? Don't tell me you sold everyone out?

A series of questions make Handz feel increasingly that the situation is getting more and more perplexing. Did several parties together fail to suppress a single Horizon Corporation?

Handz initially held onto Hansen dragging down Lin Miao with him, figuring he could control Dog Town from the shadows, helping Cuba's hit squad enter Dog Town and launching successive assassination attempts on Lin Miao, but all attempts failed, and they were even traced back.

"The future of Night City doesn't forbid your existence, but it's about moderation."

Lin Miao lowers the car window, letting the strong wind blow his hair into disarray, and even snatches V's sunglasses, putting them on himself.

"By the way, now that Hansen is gone, the black market will surely need someone to manage it. Are you interested in running for it, Handz?

Me?

Handz doesn't quite believe Lin Miao can get through this hurdle, nor does he want to step onto the pirate ship at this time.

Taking over Hansen's position would mean coming into the open, which is too dangerous for Handz. He prefers staying in the background, controlling everything, not to mention he doesn't think Hansen would be defeated so quickly.

"I'd rather not, Mr. Lin. I just want to be an honest middleman with no ambition to take over the black market."