章 112: Chapter 111
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In the Afterlife.
Being the bar most favored by fixers and mercenaries, calling it the heart of Night City is no exaggeration.
Gloria never expected that her first job in life would start here.
Accepting the commission to investigate the Badlands plague in the Afterlife Bar was a new milestone in her journey.
And all of this would not have been possible without one person.
Tang Yu.
In the private room.
The client from the Badlands nomad tribe, having left a deposit of thirty thousand, had already departed with an agreement to head out in the afternoon and arrive at the Badlands tribe by evening.
After accepting the commission, Gloria felt a heavy burden on her shoulders. The safety of thousands in the nomad tribe, the security of the mercenary operation, and the hope of successfully completing the commission rested entirely in her hands.
She realized that as a fixer, in order to make a name for herself in Night City, she had to consider all aspects thoroughly. Any oversight in the process could obstruct the mercenary operation, ultimately leading to the client's disappointment.
Gloria had a clear understanding of her role. From the beginning, she never intended to just be an information broker making a small profit from the middle.
Hence, she wasn't going to take commissions without asking questions, just caring about her cut. Just passing tasks to mercenaries wasn't what a reliable fixer would do.
Regarding the commission from the Badlands nomad tribe, she already had some confidence.
Gloria's gaze shifted towards Tang Yu, wanting to take the initiative to explain her views on the commission.
But Tang Yu preempted her, stopping her from speaking, "Keep making arrangements. The other party is quite sincere, and the payment is substantial. It counts as a big job."
He had realized that even now, Gloria still relied heavily on him.
When faced with problems and decisions, she hoped for his approval or support.
Tang Yu understood her complex emotions. It's normal for a novice to feel uneasy.
After hearing Tang Yu's stance, Gloria, feeling reassured, stopped talking further.
She nodded, her cyberoptic lens rotating as she began to contact Maine and the others.
But actually.
Gloria always seeking Tang Yu's opinion was part of her little scheme.
If she were to decide everything independently, she would have much less interaction with Tang Yu.
Like this commission, she could have met with the client first, clarified the details of the commission, and then reported back to Tang Yu by phone for his decision.
However, Gloria didn't choose to do that. For some reason, she preferred not a report over the phone.
Perhaps she just wanted to meet in person, to hear Tang Yu talk about interesting people and stories, like the funny stories about the clumsy monkey.
That day at the Afterlife Bar, seeing a beautiful girl accompanying Tang Yu, she felt inexplicably emotional.
But when she realized that Sasha was just standing behind Tang Yu, she seemed to grasp something.
Two glasses of drink, one for her and one for Tang Yu.
Gloria took a shot of spicy tequila, nearly choking on the spiciness, and downed it in one go, indeed just as Tang Yu said, it was very strong.
Strong alcohol, philosophy, stories, life, she gradually began to enjoy these new experiences.
Sasha, always sitting quietly on the side, asked out of curiosity, "Mr. Tang, are we going to the Badlands today?"
She knew the client's request was to conduct an investigation in the Badlands tribe.
Sasha had never been to the Badlands, but from her research, she knew it was very dangerous. If they were really going, she wanted to prepare in advance.
Tang Yu nodded slightly, "The trip to the Badlands tribe is indeed planned, and the payment is good, so it's a worthwhile job."
Tang Yu had no reason to refuse such a profitable task.
Sasha then expressed her concern, "Sasha wants to prepare enough firearms and ammunition. The Badlands are too dangerous; Sasha must ensure your safety."
Tang Yu was well aware of the dangers of the Badlands but had already made plans, smiling, "Don't worry, I have contacts in the Badlands. Relying on her to navigate the Badlands won't go wrong."
He didn't plan to contact Panam directly. Given his current status as a corporate lackey, Panam would probably just respond with, "Who are you? Some dumb*ss corporates, screw off!"
Knowing Tang Yu had made arrangements, Sasha felt somewhat disheartened, feeling useless and unable to fulfill her desire for a spectacular defense mission.
But hearing that Tang Yu also had contacts in the Badlands, she was immensely impressed. Tang Yu's wide network was evident.
And she also noticed an interesting phenomenon; Tang Yu almost always introduced her to different people each time they went out.
First was the Arasaka Tower, where she met Tang Yu's superior, Michiko.
Then, the fortune-teller's, where she met Tang Yu's brother's fiancée, Misty.
Also, the ripperdoc clinic, where she met Tang Yu's good friend, the ripperdoc, V.
Now in the Afterlife Bar, she met Tang Yu's fixer, the redhead beauty Gloria.
Soon they were going to the Badlands to meet his new friend. Sasha felt she was gradually becoming a part of Tang Yu's life, more and more like an assistant, even though she hadn't been of much help.
But Sasha quickly adjusted her mindset. After all, being a special assistant naturally included taking care of Mr. Tang's daily life.
Being content with serving Mr. Tang as a dedicated maid was her main responsibility.
Gloria quickly completed the communication. Over the phone, she provided Maine's team with detailed information about the commission and made reasonable analyses and predictions.
Maine readily accepted the commission, expressing trust in Gloria.
Evidently.
After the major exposure incident, Gloria and Maine's team had established a cooperative foundation.
Gloria hung up the phone and turned to convey the situation to Tang Yu.
The tribal location was in the Badlands, on the outskirts of Night City. Maine's team would bring their gear and head to the destination by evening.
She wanted to know Tang Yu's plan and asked softly, "Mr. Tang, are we going to act with Maine's team?"
Tang Yu had other plans, recommending another person to Gloria, a seasoned expert on the Badlands.
"Try contacting her; her name is Panam, she's from the Aldecaldos nomad clan. Although not exactly a traditional mercenary, she does take on commissions from the city."
"With her, our trip to the Badlands can be considered a sightseeing tour."
"Also, Panam has a fiery temper. If she asks about anything, tell her about the commission. She likes people who are straightforward."
Tang Yu was familiar with Panam's personality, not very fond of dealing with urban fixers, but still somewhat concerned about the nomad clans.
After all, she was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, unable to stand seeing the nomad clans in such a dire state.
Gloria, surprised by Tang Yu's high praise for Panam, decided to contact the renowned Badlands nomad.
She steadied her nerves and dialed Panam's contact, uncertain if her temper was as fiery as Tang Yu warned.
Soon.
The call connected.
Gloria heard a disgruntled voice from the other end, "Who is this?"
Gloria thought the person indeed seemed difficult to deal with and politely replied.
"Is this Ms. Panam? Hello, I'm Gloria."
Panam was still irritable, bombarding her with questions, "Gloria? Who are you? How did you get this number?"
Facing Panam's relentless questioning, Gloria looked up at Tang Yu, her eyes slightly helpless.
After a brief moment, she had an idea and replied with a smile.
"A mutual acquaintance of Panam recommended you to me, describing you as an expert on the Badlands. I have a commission concerning the Badlands tribe and would like to hire Panam."
"How about it? Are you Panam?"
Gloria skillfully circled around the main point, flattering Panam to ease her temper.
Panam, still annoyed by the intrusion but visibly less hostile than before, asked, "I'm Panam, but is your friend Rogue? That retired busybody?"
Gloria was surprised that Panam guessed it was Rogue, remained silent, and didn't clarify, continuing the conversation.
"I don't want to get involved in your issues with Rogue. I'm only interested in whether you could guide us in the Badlands."
Panam was skeptical, "Just a guide, that simple?"Gloria patiently explained, "There have been consecutive deaths in a nomad tribe, and the cause is currently unknown."
"I've arranged for someone to investigate this matter. Just to be safe, I'd like to ask you to guide us."
"After all, I've never been to the Badlands and need to find a reputable expert to ensure I make it back alive."
After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Panam, understanding it concerned the nomad tribe, spoke up in a serious tone.
"Okay, I'll take the job. How many of you are there? When do we leave? Do you need me to prepare a vehicle? Also, where's the destination?"
Gloria looked up at Tang Yu and Sasha beside him, then told Panam,
"There are three of us, we'll leave in two hours. I'll send you the address now. We need to reach their tribe before evening, and it would be great if you could prepare a vehicle."
Panam responded promptly, "Three people is fine. Let's meet at the train station on the edge of the city. I'll send you the address. With my Caliburn, we can traverse any terrain in the Badlands, though the back seat's a bit messy. I'll tidy it up, and we'll meet in two hours."
After agreeing on a time and place to meet, they ended the call.
Gloria quickly informed Tang Yu, "Mr. Tang, Panam has agreed. We'll meet at the city outskirts in two hours."
Tang Yu nodded. With everything arranged, they could leave for the Badlands after lunch.
The three then got up, left the private room, and exited the bar.
At the city outskirts train station,
Panam was bending over, organizing the items in her trunk, her jeans coupled with a tactical belt tightly hugging her waist, accentuating her curves.
She had sun-kissed skin from running transports in the Badlands for a long time.
With many items to carry in her trunk, she had to organize them meticulously to make room for the back seats.
Not missing weapons, ammunition, medical kits, and of course, her custom kinetic sniper rifle 'Overwatch'.
Panam disassembled the rifle into several large parts, carefully placing them into a weapon case.
Busy at work, she suddenly heard someone call out, "Panam?"
Without stopping her task, Panam replied, "I'm here, but you'll have to wait until I finish organizing the trunk and check the Caliburn's engine to ensure everything is fine before we hit the road."
Upon finding Panam, Gloria didn't inquire further.
Tang Yu and his companions had arrived at the meeting point, with Panam having arrived a step earlier, finishing up her final preparations.
Gloria and Sasha waited patiently.
Tang Yu approached Panam, seeing her crouched down, busy with the sniper rifle 'Overwatch', greeted by the familiarity of an old friend.
Reminiscing about the time spent in the wilderness with this wild girl, he felt good to be back.
"That's nice," he casually complimented.
Panam glanced at him skeptically, irked, "Nice? What's nice? Nice what?"
Tang Yu chuckled, "The design is pretty nice."
Panam, unfamiliar with Tang Yu, bluntly responded, "Obviously, anyone running in the Badlands needs a powerful weapon. Don't just stand there; get in the vehicle. I'll check the Caliburn and we'll set off."
Tang Yu turned and opened the Caliburn's engine hood, then began checking the engine, adjusting the oil valve and airflow, with no significant issues found.
"I've checked the Caliburn; it's all good."
From the trunk, Panam loudly responded, "Oh, you know about cars too, didn't see that coming."
After organizing the trunk, she slammed the rear door shut, walked to the front, and gave it another check, confirming everything was alright,
"Alright, no issues. Let's get going. I checked the map; it's a bit far from here, but we can make it before sunset."
Panam closed the hood and was about to head to the driver's side when Tang Yu called out.
"How about I drive for a bit?"
Panam turned in disbelief, "You? Are you good enough? Don't underestimate the Caliburn, it's hefty!"
Tang Yu thought back to the days when he, holding Panam, managed the Caliburn, fighting against the Maelstrom and corporate drones.
"Let's find out," he proposed.
Panam, amused, said, "Alright, but if you wreck my Caliburn, I'll break your legs."
After saying this, she moved to the passenger seat, opened the door, and called out to the other two, "Don't just stand there, get in, we're heading to the Badlands!"
Gloria and Sasha hurriedly approached and boarded the vehicle from each side.
Tang Yu comfortably settled into the driver's seat, started the engine, opened the sunroof, and activated various devices like ventilation, radar, navigation, and radio.
The Caliburn roared to life.
Panam, sitting in the passenger seat, was slightly surprised seeing Tang Yu handling the Caliburn so expertly, doubting if he had secretly driven her car before.
Knowing the vehicle was custom-modified by her, with many added electronic systems not found on common vehicles, she was baffled.
Panam questioned with suspicion, "Have you driven something like this before?"
She knew her Caliburn had never been taken by anyone else.
Tang Yu was non-committal, recalling Panam's statement that being in the Caliburn made her feel whole.
"Buckle up."
He floored the accelerator, and like a wild horse breaking free, the Caliburn surged forward, speeding towards the Badlands.
Desert sunset, wastelands, dust clouds, roads, and a pickup truck melded into a classic Badlands vista.
On the drive, Panam asked, "We've been together for so long without introductions. I'm Panam, who's Gloria?"
Gloria, from the back seat, clarified, "That's me, Gloria. I'm the one who contacted you, Panam."
Panam smiled slightly, "Gloria, got it. A nice name. And you, girl? What brings you to the Badlands?"
Sasha politely responded, "Ms. Panam, I'm Sasha, a hacker skilled in combat."
Panam took another look at Sasha, noting her expensive cyberware implants, and joked, "Hackers are rare in the Badlands, even our tribe hardly has any serious ones. And you, with such a clean appearance, who are you?"
Hearing Panam inquire about Tang Yu, Sasha and Gloria grew nervous, worried about revealing Tang Yu's corporate ties given Panam's fiery temper.
Tang Yu skillfully shifted the focus, "Tang Yu. You can call me Tang."
Panam nodded, now familiar with everyone, and said, "Tang, you've got a way with the Caliburn. Haven't seen anyone handle it so steady; you're the first. Seems like we'll get along just fine."
Tang Yu drove confidently, owning the road with only their vehicle in sight, the Caliburn proving ideal for the rugged terrain.
"Thanks, but the Caliburn is really the star here."
Panam laughed, "Spare me the flattery. But seriously, what's this mission about? Aren't you here to investigate an outbreak? Sounds like we're just taking a trip and leaving."
Gloria, from the back, elaborated on the tribe's situation and mentioned a squad of mercenaries already heading to the scene.
Their main responsibility was to follow and prevent any incidents, ensuring the investigation went smoothly.
Panam vented, "Must be those damn corporations' work. Who else would come up with such a sinister scheme? I've seen enough of their filth. Looks like you've picked up a decent job."
"Uh..."
Gloria fell silent, sneaking a glance at Tang Yu's expression. Seeing he didn't seem offended by Panam's words, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Sasha, unfamiliar with Panam's disdain for corporations but noticing Tang Yu's nonchalant response, concealed her concern with a smile, remembering Tang Yu's previous mentions of Panam being one of his people.
"Yes, Ms. Panam..."
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