Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 726 - 234: Just Wait Until the British Police Audit Your Taxes—Then You’ll Behave

It's no big secret that Soviet Petrochemical has dealings with the Cleaners, but catching the trail isn't easy.

Because the Cleaners are also divided into hierarchies.

The lowest level Cleaners are basically colluding with local underground black-market doctors, one kills and disassembles augmented bodies, the other sells the stolen goods.

But the goods from these channels are all low-grade cheap augments, while slightly better ones are collected by the base leaders, refurbished and then sold to more legitimate hospitals, like ERO used to be.

Finally, those regular and mid-range augments that can still be used normally are sent to the Taiping Continent base, to be resold as stolen goods to Soviet Petrochemical, and the volume is often large, with numerous airships finding it inconvenient to pass through Dog Town.

Therefore, when players cracked a larger Cleaner base in the Taiping Continent, they only found details of the dealings with Soviet Petrochemical through the words of the base leader and the files in the computer.

Most players just sighed at the complexity of the smuggling network, considering it merely as background information to expand the game's story, not taking it too seriously, since they couldn't even leave California, let alone concern themselves with the Eurasian continent.

But when this information reached Lin Miao, he realized an opportunity had come.

Based on the intelligence provided in the documents, he issued a mission to the newly established Taiping Continent police and the cops—to bring those people back.

Honestly, this was the first time Lin Miao ordered players to directly act against the employees of a multinational conglomerate. The ones who died before were all due to conflicts caused by 'street mercenaries', which had nothing to do with him.

But this time it was different, the ones doing the arrest were the Taiping Continent police—his people.

"Aleksei..."

"Antonovich..."

Standing behind a one-way mirror, Lin Miao compared the two being escorted into the holding cell with the information he had obtained, confirming their identities were correct.

Though the two being detained were bruised and swollen, they didn't show much fear, more so an intense anger, because although the Soviet Union was far away with no business here, it didn't mean they had no armed forces or influence in Night City.

"Let us go immediately, or when our people find us, you're all dead!"

Aleksei, brawny and speaking harsh words, looked quite comical with blackened eyes.

He wasn't incapable of fighting, having combat augments installed, but since the ones doing the arrest weren't some gang, but Night City police, if he made a move to kill, his charge would escalate from drug use to assault and murder of an officer.

This isn't Europe, there's no Huang Ban with a legal department to smooth out murders in broad daylight, obviously someone was orchestrating against them, resorting to force could just give them a pretext, possibly getting shot dead on the spot.

"All dead?"

Holding a microphone, Lin Miao's voice, filtered through processing, echoed through the interrogation room speakers.

"Are you saying the Soviet Union is preparing to publicly attack the Night City police for a mere john? Is the Soviet Union ready to declare war against the California Republic? Seems like your status in the Soviet Union isn't small, huh, is Gorbachev one of your ancestors?"

The bluff shut the Slavic man's mouth tightly, his face looking grim.

With a cold tone, Lin Miao advised, "Aleksei, I suggest you think twice before you speak."

"Damn… what do you want? Money?"

Aleksei had previously heard from the Sex Dolls about the audacity of this company, but he didn't expect they'd actually dare to act against him.

This was sheer lawlessness!

"Do what?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Raising his voice, Lin Miao continued,

"You broke the law! You know that! And now you're trying to bribe me?"

"What law? Drugs?"

With disdain, Aleksei spat.

"How much do you want, just say it?"

This flimsy charge of drug use was as common in Night City as public urination in India.

The literacy rate was lower, only used as an excuse for police extortion.

"Drugs?"

"You might be mistaken, Aleksei, your charges are much more serious than that."

Grinning, Lin Miao questioned why he would use such a ridiculous charge to frame someone?

This was merely the means to get them detained; once in his hands, he surely would change the headline charge.

Because this is America, even in 2076, it's still America.

And what's the biggest crime here?

Murder?

Drug trafficking?

Cult activities?

NO! NO! NO!

"You were involved in an arms smuggling case involving over 2 billion Orokin, evaded huge tariffs, and the evidence is conclusive. I am now filing economic charges against you, and you're implicated in the deaths of at least thousands of Night City citizens."

Of course, it's tax evasion and smuggling!

Once I find those missing taxes of yours, you'll comply.

Hehehehehe...

Huh?

Aleksei widened his eyes, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

Soviet Petrochemical isn't the only one evading taxes and smuggling, Huang Ban, Kangtao—aren't they smuggling too?

Why are you targeting me—

And technically, it's not even tax evasion, because the Soviet Union doesn't ship arms to Night City for profit.

It's purely a barter trade, using arms as substitutes for cash to offset debts with the Cleaners. Although Soviet Petrochemical is currently the Soviet Union's most famous company, the old military industrial business hasn't been set aside.

Getting augments at a meager price from the Cleaners, then using Soviet Petrochemical's routes to bypass European Community customs entering the European market, raking in profits tenfold—this is what's called smuggling!

When I traded arms to the Cleaners to settle debts, it was at market prices!

Even the European Community didn't call you names?