Although most people from Taiping Continent are unaware of the battle in the Sea God’s subnet and the sewers, the commotion caused by players cleaning out the Voodoo Gang’s bases is anything but small.
After intense gunfights and explosions, groups of surrendering Voodoo Gang members were herded onto trucks by players.
Anyone unaware might think the triangular trade had reappeared, ready to sell off truckloads of people.
But upon closer consideration, it seems North America is indeed the final stop for the slave trade, and there’s no way to dump slavers here to rival Europe and Africa.
After all, the indigenous scalps on this land were pretty much all taken one or two hundred years ago.
The firepower and combat effectiveness of players impressively enlightened the people in this lawless region of Taiping Continent.
The intermediary Handz, residing in the Gem Cyan Hotel and almost never showing his true face, held quite a few photos and video clips featuring players attacking Voodoo Gang bases.
Without looking up, he asked his subordinate:
"Who’s the Voodoo Gang provoked this time? Causing such a big commotion."
His subordinate explained, "A medical company, the one that had a conflict with the Trauma Team recently."
"Ah... I remember that company."
Handz spoke slowly and methodically, as if nothing could make him tense.
"That guy stole the Chun Er I gave Night Wanderer and caused the loss of a Night Wanderer’s base, utterly useless."
"Those guys thought I was the one who leaked the news and made quite a fuss."
Handz certainly remembered Lin Miao’s name, string together a few events and things became connected.
He had no particular feelings against Lin Miao, only acknowledging how futile Night Wanderer’s efforts were as if a duck had flown out of their hands. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by N0velFire.ɴet
"Seems soon Taiping Continent will be in turmoil again."
His subordinate thought Handz was overthinking it.
"They’re just a small medical company; they don’t have that much manpower or resources. Besides, the Voodoo Gang initiated the attack first; they might retreat from Taiping Continent after they achieve their revenge."
The Voodoo Gang suffered such a heavy blow, even their leading hacker faced significant losses, inevitably shrinking their scope of influence. Once the medical company leaves, the surrounding predators will certainly pounce to tear and eat the meat.
Even if Hansen doesn’t care, his subordinates are still hoping to grab a share from the chaos.
But Hansen has eyes in the city government, with people behind that company expressing their interest in Taiping Continent.
This group likely not only won’t leave but will choose to settle in Taiping Continent.
But a mountain can’t have two tigers, Hansen absolutely won’t tolerate having such a strong neighbor beside him, leading to conflict with the company, surely resulting in a life-and-death outcome.
Can these outsiders have the ability to contend with Hansen anyway?
Hansen is the only group in Night City to possess heavy weaponry, with the cards held in hand, who knows how many.
Inside the agency studio
Arthur Clarke and the others have been working on the design and manufacturing of the door-type robots for some time now, from the initial immature No. 1 Machine, with repeated revisions, many components being assembled and disassembled, to find the most suitable design.
Unlike in military technology, Lin Miao allowed the mechanics to use their brains and imagination to shape a final product without deadlines or cost constraints, not needing to answer to investors. He was even too lazy to urge the studio, at most taking a glance when passing by every day.
This nearly laissez-faire management style initially caused discomfort among the mechanics, but they perceived it as the new boss’s trust in them, thus working overtime daily to complete the qualified design blueprints in a short time.
The ideas from Bunhead, completely out of sync with the world of 2075, greatly accelerated the process as well.
Normally, creating a mechanical construct to meet market standards requires at least dozens to nearly a hundred people working away day and night for several hundred days, but both groups compressed it to a month, and even produced several by-products.
On one side lies mature mechanical technology, on the other, a lively imagination, the collaboration between the two clicked.
Eventually producing the 17th iteration of the multifunctional military robot placed before Lin Miao.
The entire build exceeded Lin Miao’s expectations slightly, standing at two-point-three or four meters high, said the mechanics, and could be further elevated for integration into exoskeleton combat.
The unpainted alloy frame exudes a sense of calm power, with two stout mechanical legs nearly 15 centimeters wide; although mechanical feet lack the mobility of wheels or the capability of tracks, they’re not convenient for maintenance or manufacturing, but the world advanced too far in mechanical bionics, hence related industries are exceptionally mature, technology smoothing over the defects.
Choosing tracks or wheels would possibly increase unnecessary costs instead.
The top beam was divided into three modules, aside from the immobile smart radar module, the top could be equipped with small-caliber machine guns or rockets and similar weapon modules, due to strong martial ethos here, installation of a taser gun is standard even if not for military use, besides industrial modules like laser welding and cutting, like blow-dry and air-dry life modules, external armor plates or radiation-proof defense modules.
"Multifunctional Robot MT-17 test run."
Bunhead excitedly ran to the doorway, extending his palm under the smart module for identity verification.