"Biotechnica has offered us a huge price. It seems these 'Hive' guys have really annoyed them."
At a long conference table, several guys in suits, with varied appearances, were seated, discussing their target this time: Hive.
This was Westbrook, the headquarters of the Tyger Claws.
This wealthy gang even had its own skyscraper, located in the center of the tourist hotspot, Westbrook.
And those seated were all high-ranking officers of the Tyger Claws.
Because the boss of the Tyger Claws had died in confusion due to a failed surgery, and before a new gang boss was elected, all affairs of the Tyger Claws in Night City were handled by the high-ranking officers present.
They were dressed in suits, trying hard to pass themselves off as businessmen, but the inherent brutality of the gang could not be erased; they looked just like demons wearing human skin.
There were four people in the room, with three seated.
The person on the left had a face full of flab and was as round as a balloon, making one worry about when his suit buttons might burst open.
At this moment, this heavy-duty guy with a samurai topknot seemed more concerned about the blue-feathered parrot on his shoulder, which was extremely out of proportion to his size, than the meeting.
He was focused on using tweezers to pick up mealworms from a bowl to feed the parrot, watching the parrot shake its head with his mung-bean-sized eyes wide open, chuckling in a low voice.
This was "Yokozuna" Bukit.
The casino king of the Westbrook district.
Forty percent of the casinos, big and small, in this place were his business, so people in the underworld called him the Gambling King.
The person next to him had a completely different style: an elderly man like a withered tree, wearing a black kimono. The oversized kimono looked like a large cloak on him, and his exposed arms were dark brown and skinny, with veins covering them like earthworms.
At this moment, he was hugging a black and red katana, closing his eyes to rest, as if everything present had nothing to do with him.
This elder was named "Sword Saint" Yoshiteru.
Just like his nickname and eccentric style, the people under him were also a bunch of freaks.
They rejected all cyberware and took pride in using swords.
People in the gang called this group of eccentric swordsmen "Yojimbo".
Although this group had an eccentric style, everyone admitted that these guys were the experts with swords in the Tyger Claws; no one could defeat them within a three-foot range, not even with guns.
And opposite sat a solitary, gloomy guy. He seemed to be shrouded in a layer of black fog, his bloodshot eyes eyeing "Yokozuna" Bukit and "Sword Saint" Yoshiteru opposite him with ill intent.
His entire face was wrapped in bandages, revealing only his crimson eyes. His exposed arms were covered in charred marks and scars; catching a glimpse of the whole from a part, just this aura of ruthlessness was enough to shine through.
In fact, it was.
People in the gang called him "Gourmet"; he had no name, because the last person who knew his name was probably long dead.
Even in the Tyger Claws, where scum gathered, this guy was a truly ruthless character.
Legend had it that after experiencing a betrayal by someone close to him, he ended up in this state. He was put on a fire to roast after being sliced with knives—this was not a figure of speech, but something that actually happened.
But seeing that he could still sit here, one knew that the betrayal had failed.
And this guy had cut open the heart and liver of the subordinate who betrayed him in front of his men and ate them alive.
This was why people in the gang called this guy "Gourmet" with fear.
This guy, who had crossed the taboo, had almost transcended the category of humanity and was more like a beast.
And looking at these three, the fake smile on the face of the fourth person present was clearly starting to slip.
The guy standing in front of the hologram, wearing a white suit with a bright rose in his lapel and slicked-back hair, looking just like a real businessman, was named Jotaro.
He was good at doing business and appeared in public far more often than his three colleagues.
More than half of the underground black braindance market in the Westbrook district belonged to him, and Jotaro even had his own production studio.
The braindances he produced were known for being hardcore—acid, chainsaws, barbecues, electric chairs... the darkest and most terrifying side of humanity was a daily routine for him.
This guy was full of sick tastes and liked to take the lead role himself, personally torturing the "little cabbages" he captured.
A beast in human clothing was the best description for this guy.
But Jotaro was not satisfied with the current status quo.
And now the opportunity had arrived; he believed he could go further.
Thinking of this, the heat in Jotaro's eyes grew more intense, and his fake smile looked more and more convincing.
The hypocrisy before him was only temporary; he was determined to take the position of the Tyger Claws boss.
The Tyger Claws was a large gang spanning Japan and North America.
And the situation of the Tyger Claws in Night City was the most special.
The Tyger Claws in Japan proper, due to the dominance of Arasaka Corporation, had their living space greatly suppressed and could only barely maintain casinos and prostitution businesses in the declining Greater Tokyo Area.
In short, it had lost the vitality to grow.
But in Night City, where multiple corporations stood side by side and various factions contended, it provided a god-given opportunity for the Tyger Claws here to grow.
The most obvious manifestation was that the share of business in Night City within the entire Tyger Claws was becoming increasingly significant.
Jotaro believed this was an opportunity.
Now that the position of the Tyger Claws boss was vacant, as long as he accomplished something and became the leader of the Tyger Claws in Night City, it would be of great help whether it was to further compete for the position of the Tyger Claws boss or to expand his own business scope.
And this commission from Biotechnica, to eliminate a gang called Hive, was the best opportunity for him to make a name for himself.
Hive—when he first received the intelligence, he also thought it was just a third-rate gang.
But after understanding their business scope, he changed his mind.
This small-scale gang had what he needed: a complete cyberware trading network and manufacturing assembly line.
Although he didn't know how they obtained such technical capabilities, if he could bring such power under his command, it would undoubtedly add great leverage for him to seize the position of the head of the Tyger Claws in Night City.
Not to mention that nothing could boost his prestige in the gang more than a successful gang war.
Heh heh...
Watching the few guys below who clearly didn't take his meeting seriously, Jotaro sneered in his heart.
Just wait; as soon as his plan succeeds, these unruly people who were currently on the same level as him would all have to bow down to him.
"Now, let's discuss how to resolve this commission..."
With his hand pressed on the hexagonal icon of Hive, Jotaro was full of confidence.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"