"Hey, big guy, we don't have any beef between us, right? You're not a Scavenger, so why are you targeting me?"
David raised his hands and spoke.
"Hah. If you want someone to blame, blame PROJECT. It's because of them that we mercs barely have any work left."
The man let out a cold laugh as he replied.
And just as he said, with PROJECT's security forces being rolled out across different Zones, the spread of Surveillance Cameras, and the emergency call services provided by PROJECT and Night Corp, with that last one being paid, all of it together had drastically cut into the business of Edgerunners and mercenaries, while also making their jobs far riskier.
After all, even if a job was successfully completed, getting caught on camera and reported meant PROJECT would still come after them. And most Edgerunners and mercenaries did not exactly have strong principles.
Once caught, most would choose to expose the client behind them, since doing so could lessen their punishment.
David didn't comment on the man's words. He was no longer the same person who once idolized the Edgerunner lifestyle.
After going through PROJECT's special training and meeting all kinds of people, both in reality and inside the virtual training world, he had come to understand many things. He was very different now from the clueless kid he used to be.
Arguing about all that was pointless. Figuring out how to get out of this situation was what mattered.
"You'd better not even think about calling for help. If you do, I'll put a bullet in your head. Worst case, I just earn a little less."
The man spoke coldly.
"Hah. Either way, I'm dead. If you hand me over to the Scavengers, I die. If you shoot me, I die. So I might as well make the call. Worst case, we all go down together."
The man choked on his words for a moment after hearing that, but he didn't deny it, because it was true.
After a brief silence, he said, "So what do you want, kid?"
"I'll pay you. Just let me go."
"No chance. You've seen our faces."
"If that doesn't work and this doesn't work, then we can just stay like this."
David replied calmly. Dragging things out actually worked in his favor.
The man's expression darkened. For a moment, he had no idea what to do. Maybe he should just shoot the kid and be done with it.
At that thought, a vicious glint flashed in his remaining eye.
"I'm tracking your movements. Don't even think about pulling the trigger. Your ICE defense is like paper in front of me."
David said it plainly. If he had learned those high-damage Daemons, he would not be wasting time talking to this guy.
Hearing that, the man froze again, looking frustrated. The two of them remained locked in an awkward standoff, neither making a move.
Honestly, if he had Trauma Team insurance, he would have already used his Daemon techniques on himself to bring them in.
...
"Long time no see, Mr. Kuroda."
Roland looked at Kuroda with a faint smile.
"Haha, long time no see, Mr. Roland. I really didn't expect you to come here in person."
Kuroda stepped forward with a flattering smile.
Although he looked delighted on the surface, inside he was cursing nonstop. At first, he thought he could support and cultivate a useful ally, so he had given PROJECT Corporation a lot of backing.
Now it turned out this was not an ally at all. It was a bottomless pit.
He still could not forget the looks from Arasaka's upper management after they learned about his ties to PROJECT, especially Saburo Arasaka's attitude. It infuriated him, but there was nothing he could do.
He could not afford to offend Roland, and he definitely could not afford to offend those above him.
So what choice did he have? He could only keep smiling on both sides.
"Alright, take me to see Yorinobu Arasaka."
Roland nodded and spoke calmly.
"Yes, please wait a moment. I'll go inform Mr. Yorinobu Arasaka right away."
Kuroda bowed repeatedly and quickly left.
Watching him go, Roland let out a small laugh. Things had not always been like this between them.
"Mr. Yorinobu Arasaka, someone from PROJECT has arrived. They want to meet you…"
"Hm? Who is it?"
Yorinobu Arasaka raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. The founder of PROJECT Corporation, Mr. Roland Vimers."
"Oh?"
Interest immediately appeared on Yorinobu Arasaka's face.
"Since their boss came personally, we shouldn't be too dismissive. Where are they now?"
"In the conference room."
"Alright. Go ahead. I'll finish up here and come over."
"Yes."
Kuroda responded, stepping back a few paces before turning and leaving.
"Are you going to meet him?"
Adam Smasher, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke.
Yorinobu Arasaka nodded, tidied up the documents in his hands, and headed straight for the elevator.
After a brief hesitation, Adam Smasher followed, while also reporting the situation to Saburo Arasaka.
"Roland Vimers went to see Yorinobu Arasaka?"
After receiving the message, Saburo Arasaka felt an inexplicable sense of unease and began considering the other party's intentions.
As for the possibility of them abducting Yorinobu Arasaka by force, he did not think they would be that reckless. After all, that place was Arasaka Corporation's branch in Night City, and they had only just reached an agreement.
More importantly, Saburo Arasaka believed they understood exactly what Yorinobu Arasaka meant to him. If they really did something like that, it would mean a complete break with no room for reconciliation.
After ordering Adam Smasher to ensure Yorinobu Arasaka's safety, Saburo Arasaka immediately began making arrangements, further reinforcing Arasaka's strength in Night City and dispatching additional special units there.