They weren't here for any drug deal. Their mission was reconnaissance and investigation. How could they possibly hand over such a large sum of money, even if it wasn't theirs? Any professional would feel the pinch.

"Here... rob the drug dealers' money?"

Olivia, who was just extremely arrogant, was now on edge. Don't be fooled by her tough facade; her subordinates had already been recruited by these people in front of her, and now she was barely holding on.

"If you guys want to die, can you at least not drag me into it? At least wait until I get back to North America before you make a move, okay?"

"No, just stay put in the safehouse and don't go anywhere."

The expert parked the car in a secluded alley and, together with the Killer Demon, changed into infiltration gear.

This trip was highly risky; whatever Lin Miao could provide, he did, save for sending a tank.

Of course, they only had the right to use this equipment; it had to be returned after the mission was completed.

"Don't worry, Miss Olivia."

Gloria had already taken the driver's seat, with a holographic model of the Killer Demon occupying the passenger seat.

"You should know that Mr. Reid and his team wouldn't do anything without assurance."

The expert's team behaved differently from those flamboyant players in Night City. They acted with extreme caution and wouldn't take any risks that weren't necessary.

Moreover, they always had impeccably detailed plans for each operation and wouldn't gamble on their colleagues' safety without absolute certainty.

"I'm not worried about them; I'm worried about myself! Do you think that idiot didn't figure out my identity?"

"Although he's happily accepting money and selling goods now, that bastard surely did his homework on me this month. Otherwise, he wouldn't agree to meet me. At the slightest hint of trouble, he wouldn't hesitate to kill us."

Olivia didn't believe in those fairy tales. She's a very pragmatic person, valuing her own life above all.

But Gloria wasn't negotiating with her; unconditional trust in player abilities was the first thing she learned. This group always finds a solution.

Once the expert team finished gathering their equipment, Gloria drove back to the safehouse. In an unfamiliar place like Cuba, Olivia had no choice but to comply as this group persisted in their reckless plans.

Resigned, she decided to face whatever happened, lying down and accepting it.

"Mess things up all you want! If it all goes wrong, I'll end up buried with you, big deal."

————

After the expert team left, in the hotel suite, the mountain of flesh remained on the sofa, waiting for something. There was a constant rustling sound behind him.

A few minutes later, a subordinate approached with a suitcase.

"Boss, the money's been checked. It's 1.2 million Orokin in total, all genuine, no issues."

He couldn't quite understand why some of the bills appeared shinier, making his cybernetic eye feel slightly uncomfortable after prolonged exposure. Maybe it was due for a component replacement.

The mountain of flesh lightly waved his arm, as thick as a barrel, and the black man sitting beside him understood instantly and turned to instruct the subordinate, "Put the money in a different suitcase, and leave the original one in your car to take away later."

Displaying a calmness uncharacteristic for a person of his skin tone, he was now far from the impulsive individual Olivia had encountered earlier.

As the subordinate went to rearrange the money, the black man lowered his head and said, "Boss, I think there's something off about that woman."

"I know."

Who knows how that neck, as thick as a head, could produce sound.

"Their timing was too coincidental. Horizon Corporation and Hansen just clashed, and it's like they already knew Hansen would die, so they rushed to seek cooperation with me...."

Black Man: "I suspect the Chaotic Blade Association had a hand in Hansen's death, intending to take over that distribution channel."

Olivia's identity was undeniable; she belonged to a well-known combat clan within the Chaotic Blade Association. Between the Chaotic Blade Association and Horizon Corporation, there was deep animosity, making it highly unlikely they would team up against the Cuba Drug Trafficking Group.

No matter how much one tried to decode the situation, coming up with a reasonable explanation seemed impossible.

So there's only one answer: the Chaotic Blade Association, unable to reclaim the fencing channels in Night City, could only focus on the drug direction, using the drug business to balance their finances.

"These matters are inconsequential now."

The mountain of flesh extended a hand, and the subordinate immediately handed over a sturdy cane. The mountain began to tremble, and his several hundred kilograms of body shook with each move, the thick layers of fat quivering.

With no assistance, he surprisingly stood up on his own.

"Just with this money, they think they can cooperate with us? Not a chance. The prerequisite for cooperation is equal strength on both sides. Recently, Sambah's been causing trouble at the Camaguey Republic's border. Let the Chaotic Blade Association deal with that guy first. Only then can they talk about any further negotiations."

"Let's go."

————

Under the cover of darkness, the expert and the Killer Demon discreetly climbed onto a rooftop, sitting on the terrace, watching the small red dot on their mini-map located at the hotel. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Expert: "Isn't it too risky with just the two of us? Should we call for some external assistance?"

For players, even if they weren't physically in Cuba, they could still exert influence here.

The Old Net and the Black Wall exist in every network-covered corner. Unless humanity abandons the current network protocol and destroys all network equipment, for hacker players and AI, whether you're in Cuba or Night City makes no difference.

The crimson Killer Demon stood on the railing, using night-vision binoculars to monitor the 47th floor they had previously visited.

"You make the call. I'm not good at this, but...."