Wagako lifted the teapot, filling her cup leisurely. In the dim light, Lin Miao could see her long, lowered eyebrows, revealing a hint of a vicious glint. In the not-so-bright room, she resembled an old fox lurking in the shadows, creeping closer to its prey step by step.
But Lin Miao was completely relaxed, naturally leaning on the chair, hands on his legs, without looking back. His eyes showed no panic; now was not the time to shake legs or cross arms. Any subconscious nervousness or defensive movements before a predator could be fatal.
"It's okay if you haven't seen them. You're new here, but you might often see me and my people in the future."
The most important thing in business negotiations is not what you have, but making the other party feel you have something.
Confidence and composure are the heaviest bargaining chips.
"Don't treat me like those halfwit mercenaries under your command. With 100K, you can at least earn the same amount. This isn't a one-time deal. If the cooperation goes well, I'll consider keeping in touch."
Lin Miao suddenly leaned forward from the chair, adapting an aggressively poised stance, staring fearlessly at the fox hidden in the dark.
"Also, Ms. Wagako, let me remind you, before you make a move, think carefully. After all... there are quite a few people eyeing your position. Capsizing for a small sum could bring mockery from your peers, and not everyone is lucky enough to escape unscathed from a fiasco."
Lin Miao's final tone was somewhat regretful. He, of course, didn't know Wagako's background and connections. He only knew that behind Wagako was the Tigerclaw Gang, with a few deceased husbands. But the problem is she's too old, and criminal organizations lack respect for hierarchy. In such chaos synonymous groups, no one's position is stable, not even the boss, let alone someone like Wagako, who deals with mercenaries daily.
So Lin Miao was actually bluffing her.
As expected, Wagako's hand paused for a moment while holding the teacup. Though just a moment, there's no doubt Wagako hesitated. 50K is indeed a small amount for her, even when the revenue of this Pachinko joint for a month exceeds 50K.
This small amount could send dozens of mercenaries to life-and-death battles, betting their lives. But in Wagako's eyes, it's probably just the cost of a full-body maintenance.
No need to take such a risk to ruin her own brand.
Wagako chuckled softly, stood, and poured another cup of tea. Her face transitioned from sinister and cunning back to a benign appearance under the side table lamp's light, a tiny movement that made her seem like a completely different person. Lin Miao's back head relaxed as the gunpoint pressed there moved away.
From under the table, Wagako retrieved a chip and extended it to Lin Miao along with the cup of tea.
"This is the deposit; pay the other half after you inspect the goods. I don't know where Mr. Lin used to work? Huang Ban? Or Kangtao?"
"The past is like the wind, and I finally managed to escape that hellhole. I don't wish to discuss it again."
Lin Miao picked up the chip, directly plugging it into his side brain interface. He wasn't afraid of any viruses, as he had already asked the system before coming here.
Viruses? Hackers?
Impossible.
5K Euro instantly credited – Lin Miao had never made such an outrageous deal in another world.
"Santo Domingo, the intersection of Brandon and Martin Luther King Street, in front of the restaurant," he naturally stated the location, then rested his hand on his forehead as the blue light flickered in his prosthetic eyes, remotely unlocking the car door. "Have your people check it out."
Wagako cooperatively dialed her subordinate. Less than ten minutes later, the car Lin Miao rented for the final 150 Euro from the dealership had its back door opened. Through the camera, he could clearly see it was five or six members of the Tigercrawl Gang. After inspecting the quantity loaded in the car's trunk, each box was opened, checked, and scanned to ensure there wasn't any rotten or diseased meat. They even sliced a thin piece of tender meat to taste.
Hmm... the product is pure.
A few minutes later, Wagako meaningfully said, "Mr. Lin, there are only 248KG, but... it's indeed clean." Saying this, she produced another chip and pushed it in front of Lin Miao.
Lin Miao chuckled, inserted the chip for the transfer, and collected the remaining 5K.
"The rest is in the abandoned dumpster next to the restaurant. I hope you don't mind."
As expected, after saying that, the Tigercrawl thugs immediately moved to the corner dumpster, rummaging through to find dripping black garbage bags. After weighing them, they confirmed the amounts matched perfectly, down to the very gram.
"You handle things very carefully." After verifying all the goods, Wagako finally breathed a sigh of relief, naturally leaning back into her chair. "But for a business like this, I understand. I hope we can collaborate more in the future."
"There will be opportunities, Ms. Wagako. You are a beautiful and mature charming lady." Lin Miao flashed a professional smile, then stood up and walked out of the Pachinko without turning back, while Wagako saw him off to the door.
Watching the young man's departing figure, Wagako's expression turned serious. The big man who was outside the door earlier also stood behind her.
Wagako removed her glasses and wiped them.
"That expression, style, and attitude are definitely from the company, but the NCPD records only have basic information, nothing else."
"Should we send someone to deal with him? Cheap clothes, could be a disguise." Kang Jie was somewhat displeased with Lin Miao's previous attitude. As Wagako stated, Lin Miao exuded an arrogance typical of corporate dogs, and not just the lower-tier ones. He wouldn't even let Kang Jie touch his business card or drink Wagako's tea.
"Forget it, Kang Jie. He could also be from those company secret departments. Better to have another friend than gain another enemy. Just track him a bit, learn his residence. Those clothes... maybe a corporate battle loser, planning to rise again in Night City. In time, he will naturally learn our rules."
Whether it's a disguise, Wagako could see right through it.
Earning near 100K Euro with a breeze, Wagako could see Lin Miao wasn't bothered by the amount. She's sure Lin Miao must've worked at a company, at least mid-management or above, and has likely handled figures far exceeding this flow. Plus, 500 kilograms of real meat, without even batting an eye, his smile was even fake.
Most importantly, Lin Miao only had cybernetic modifications—prosthetic eyes and a few brain-machine interfaces—27 years old, exceptionally healthy. Such conditions could only belong to high-ranking corporate personnel. Ordinary individuals couldn't survive like this past adulthood, much less chat face-to-face with her.
This world never equated status with modifications. Quite the opposite - many corporate executives dislike toying with their bodies, even if modified, they'd opt for company gear only, like Huang Ban Sanlang, a pure natural, surviving purely on biotech, without even a basic neural chip.
Such an elusive identity made Wagako reluctant to further provoke Lin Miao.
As a subordinate, Kang Jie couldn't go against Wagako's orders and said nothing more. He turned to arrange the personnel.