Chapter 73
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Sunday, as dusk falls.
In the Westbrook district, luminous squares crawl over the buildings and high-rises, densely packed together.
On both sides of Cherry Blossom Street, advertising signs light up, and various vendors start calling out to attract customers.
In the small square in front of the TURGO convenience store, a crowd has gathered around several customized sedans.
One that stands out is a company sedan that's smashed up, parked in a corner close by.
Many people circle around the three snack stalls, enjoying the explosive music, as well as the joy brought by beer and snacks.
Maine, as usual, sits at the front of his car with his beefy arms crossed over his chest.
He's not free to laugh and chat with Pilar and the others as he normally would.
With the square back to being lively, Maine has a somber expression as he keeps his eyes on the damaged black sedan.
After a brief pause, Maine decided to undertake the task commissioned by Faraday, to steal navigation data from a high-ranking executive's car at Arasaka Corporation.
So, he got together with Dorio again, arranging to meet Kiwi, Pilar, Rebecca, Lucy, and the others.
At first, the mission proceeded very smoothly.
They targeted the exclusive bodyguard and driver of the luxury car, Maxim, who had a penchant for boxing. They crafted an elaborate plan to lure him in step by step.
But no plan is immune to the whims of fate.
Just when the task reached a crucial point, an unexpected event occurred on Maxim's end.
To not waste everyone's effort and to make sure they got paid, Maine had no choice but to forcefully take the car.
After a fierce chase, they managed to get their hands on the navigation data.
Arasaka Corporation's luxury sedan was also seized by them and tossed into a corner of the square.
Although they completed Faraday's commission and successfully stole the car's navigation data,
the situation had escalated so much that Maine was worried—Faraday was not an easy person to talk to.
Maine had already sent the data to Faraday but hadn't received a response regarding his payment.
Clearly, Faraday had more to say about the matter.
While Maine was lost in thought,
a burgundy luxury sedan slowly drove into the square, coming to a stop before him.
Faraday stepped out of the car, the wine-red suit he wore exuding nobility and extravagance.
With one hand in his pocket, his triple cyberoptic eyes coldly scanned the crowd before fixating on Maine.
Faraday's arrival instantly drew the attention of Dorio, Kiwi, and the others.
Pilar and the rest stopped their playful chat, watching Faraday with serious expressions.
Maine adjusted his long-framed sunglasses, sensing trouble as Faraday had personally sought him out again.
"Damn it..."
He stood up and approached Faraday.
"I told you, I wanted the navigation data, not the car."
Faraday's countenance was stern, his words cold and filled with discontent.
Confronted with such a question, Maine had his suspicions confirmed.
They had indeed done their best to fulfill the commission, yet Faraday was still behaving this way.
"We got the navigation data, which is consistent with your request."
Faraday replied gravely: "The condition I laid out was a cautious and covert operation, we could not arouse suspicion from Arasaka."
Maine knew the mission hadn't been executed as cleanly as needed, but no one could guarantee a perfect outcome without any mishaps every time.
If they had acted faster, more decisively, perhaps they could have completed the task without drawing attention.
He couldn't help but think of that cyberimplant.
'If only we had a military-grade Sandevistan,' he thought.
Maine responded: "We've obtained the navigation data. As for unexpected situations, we did all we could. Nobody can guarantee these shitty incidents won't happen!" Faraday completely disregarded Maine's feelings and continued to press on.
"I collected the navigation data of this Arasaka luxury sedan to find the places frequently visited by its owner."
"Now that you're acting rashly and startling the snake, you will inevitably alert them, rendering this navigation data obsolete. They've probably already changed their location by now."
Maine inquired, "The owner of this vehicle is Tanaka. Do you know where he's going and what he's doing?"
Faraday coldly rebuffed, "You don't need to know. Focus on what you ought to do—that's what you should be concerned about."
Maine was clearly annoyed, "Bastard, you don't inform us of any essential details. How are we supposed to operate?"
Still, Faraday remained unfazed, "The less you know, the lower our risk."
"That's something you also must understand."
"I'm not paying you to act on your own—I'm paying you to follow my commands and complete the mission step by step."
"Don't think that just because you provided intel on a deal last time and set a trap, you can start getting creative."
Upon hearing him mention that night's deal, Maine's brow furrowed and he locked eyes with Faraday.
He had never forgotten the score from that incident.
Faraday's way of communicating with Militech and how much he profited from it was something Maine really wanted to know, wondering just how this bespectacled middleman nearly got him killed step by step.
"So, what do you suggest?"
Faraday, expressionless as before, continued to chide, "This operation has been a failure. The Arasaka corporation must have already taken notice."
"We need to wait for the target to lower their guard before we make our move again."
"I hope you'll be more careful next time and not act recklessly."
"There are many cyberpunks in Night City capable of doing the job. You need to understand your own strengths and position."
"I don't want such incidents to happen again in the future."
"Do you understand?"
Maine was filled with anger but dared not openly break with Faraday.
As a prominent fixer in Night City, Faraday was formidable.
Backed by Militech, be it payment, intel, or contracts, everything he touched was first-class.
The fact that he could often offer contracts worth tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, spoke volumes of Faraday's extensive network and adept skills.
In Night City, it's rare to find a wealthy and trustworthy fixer who can consistently provide work.
Maine also knew of many more formidable middlemen, like the Queen of the Afterlife, Rogue, whose fame echoed throughout Night City.
But Rogue's contracts were usually reserved for trusted acquaintances and wouldn't just fall into the laps of street mercenaries.
As a gang leader with his own crew to support, Maine had no choice but to curb his temperament and heed the lesson from the influential patron Faraday.
Seeing that Maine looked unconvinced, Faraday condescendingly lectured, "I give the orders, and you follow them—that's the rule."
As soon as he finished speaking.
A fleet of black vehicles entered the plaza, drawing the attention of everyone present.
The markings on the vehicles were all too familiar.
Arasaka corporation?
The convoy came to a slow halt, and the door of the Arasaka luxury sedan at the center opened.
"Rules?"
A lady stepped out of the car wearing red high heels, a wine-red ponytail bound behind her head, eyebrows fierce, and her gaze piercing.
"I'd like to hear, in this line of work for fixers, what other rules there might be."