And now the tide has receded, only reaching ankle height.
Most mercenary groups in Night City consist of 5 to 10 people per team. If there are more, mercenary missions can’t sustain them, forcing them to claim territory for protection fees, eventually evolving into gangs.
However, gangs cannot be as fearless as mercenaries; many members join simply to earn a living, and their individual combat strength is far below that of mercenaries. Plus, they have to pay their underlings monthly salaries.
As for players, they resemble mercenary teams but possess organizational levels far exceeding mercenaries, numbers greater than gangs, operational capacity beyond gangs, division of labor, cooperation, are self-equipped, and their cohesiveness is unparalleled.
You could even consider their connections as a small society.
Without the concept of death, gangs cannot defeat them.
"Sun Yifeng, you’re really poisonous."
"Huang Xudong, are you even qualified to say that? Compared to you, I’m like a child out of my league."
The giant pushing a cart of trash towards the maglev tunnel cursed, "Just because of the trick you thought up, I’ll have to shower for at least three hours when I get back."
It’s all because this game is too realistic. The giant feels he can still recall that smell even in reality, to the point of losing appetite for three days.
Behind them are several players, either pushing small carts loaded with trash, carrying large fans, pulling power cables, or hauling a bucket of gasoline.
Faced with the Voodoo Gang members hiding inside the tunnel unwilling to come out, the players decided to use fire attacks.
Unfortunately, there are no antique knives, liquor, or killing, otherwise the players would let the Voodoo Gang witness the bright and cheerful boys of Dongwu.
They piled the prepared dry trash at the narrow tunnel entrance, regardless of the wetness below, then set up several fans aimed at the entrance.
The giant looked at the man-tall pile of trash in front of him, shaking his head clickingly.
"If I were placed in ancient times, I would be at least a strategist of Zhou Yu’s caliber, if not Zhuge Liang."
Potato spat, "Get lost, hurry up and light it, you shameless fool."
Completely forgetting that just a few days ago he fancied himself as Guan Yu.
The giant didn’t talk much, ignited the lighter, and tossed it onto the fuel-doused trash heap in a flamboyant manner.
Flames erupted instantly, igniting the trash heap, sending plumes of pungent black smoke into the air.
"Turn on the fans quickly."
Several players immediately positioned fans towards the fire, turning them to maximum speed; the wind fueled the fire, carrying swirling black smoke into the tunnel, just looking at it was suffocating.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Members of the Voodoo Gang hiding inside the tunnel were suddenly overwhelmed by the incoming black smoke, their eyes watering profusely.
"These guys... cough, cough, cough... where did these lunatics come from anyway?"
Some members still didn’t know why the fight broke out.
They initially thought it was either the Animal Gang or Scavengers, but unexpectedly, it was a group of unfamiliar mercenaries.
"Don’t you know?" asked a member named Lan Che, covering his mouth and nose while whispering.
"ERO’s doctors were killed by Brigitte’s subordinates; these mercenaries were hired by that medical company for revenge."
It was only now that they dared to speak this way; before Brigitte deep dived, the members who came down with her wouldn’t dare say so, especially amidst the heated battle, there wasn’t time for idle chatter.
The member was surprised by these words.
"I was planning to see them for treatment, why would Brigitte kill them?"
Wars are always ; the fighters at the bottom often don’t understand what causes the conflict.
Lan Che spoke again to the surrounding members confused by the situation, "Brigitte claimed they were spies sent by the Internet Supervisor but searched endlessly without finding anything, yet ended up killing the doctors, which pissed off ERO."
One furious member replied promptly, "Damn! We lost so many just to clean up her mess? She even killed those doctors; my family depended on their medicine..."
"Shh!" New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
Lan Che quickly covered the man’s mouth and gestured toward the nearby hacker.
"Lower your voice, do you want to die?"
In the Voodoo Gang, hackers are not only high-ranking but mostly Brigitte’s close aides.
After all, only they could follow Brigitte into the Old Net.
Despite their dissatisfaction, there’s no choice but to stifle it now.
Gangs are loosely united groups driven by interests, inherently lacking in cohesion. The Voodoo Gang stands strong not only because of their numerous hackers but also due to blood ties.
Yet now, Brigitte’s actions blatantly contradict their group’s interests; public sentiment is unstable, especially when faced with ruthless adversaries.
The smoke in the tunnel became increasingly thick, forcing more members of the Voodoo Gang to gather at ventilation spots, gasping for air.
At this time, a familiar voice to some gang members called out from the tunnel entrance in Haitian.
"I... am Diaz Silva, Anthony Silva’s son, living under East Celestial Bridge..."
This sudden voice made the Voodoo Gang members tense up instantly
Some who knew him exclaimed.
"It’s Diaz, did those people capture him?"
"But wait, I remember Diaz went for treatment today, didn’t he? He shouldn’t be down here."
Members showed varied expressions, unable to grasp what the mercenaries’ intention was in bringing Diaz here, but the voice from the entrance continued unyieldingly.
"I joined the Voodoo Gang... to contribute to my fellow countrymen, protect my family from bullying, earn money to support my family..."
"I admit, I’ve committed many wrongdoings in the Voodoo Gang, robbing, cheating, collecting protection fees, attacking people, stealing company assets, but I did all of this just to survive, to keep my family fed. Without these actions, we would starve to death on the Taiping Continent; we had no choice..."
"Brigitte once promised that the Voodoo Gang would ensure Haitians’ safety, and we believed her, believed the gang, so despite being poor, exhausted, hungry, and facing opposition from other gangs, we fought them back, but now she has broken the oath she made to us..."
"Those doctors, they treated our families, provided medicine, never harmed us in any way, but Brigitte and her subordinates killed them, causing the company’s people to attack us."
With this, Diaz’s voice grew much louder.
"Wake up, fellow countrymen, that woman is a fraud; she deceived us, her compatriots. Michelle informed me that Brigitte provoked the Internet Supervisor agents, seeking to become part of the elusive AI at the expense of our lives; we have all been exploited by her!"
"Moreover, as you all see, we can’t possibly defeat those mercenaries; this fight is hopeless. Brigitte is merely using us as cannon fodder to buy herself time. ERO stated that as long as we’re willing to lay down arms and surrender, they would halt the conflict, redeploy doctors for treatment, offer generous work wages, and assist in rebuilding our homes."
"Resistance will only lead to a dead end."