The big black guy drew quite a bit of attention as he entered, but most players thought he was just a mercenary joining the fun, so they didn't say much.

As long as he didn't cause trouble, they had no reason to kick him out.

It wasn't until a shadow enveloped Placid that he experienced for the first time what it was like to look up at someone.

"Uh... guest, would you like something to drink?"

The gigantic mech, three heads taller than Placid, looked down at him, immediately straightening his previously casual demeanor.

Ever since Nina donned the dangerous Wanderer outfit, the mercenaries entering hadn't been so arrogant.

After all, the fists bigger than their heads were quite convincing.

"I'm looking for your boss."

"Do you have an appointment, sir? Could you tell me your name?"

"Placid... no."

"Then please wait a moment."

Although he knew that maybe in the next second his underling could be braindeadly steamed, Placid still had to endure it.

Even if his hacking skills were impressive, in Night City, the flashier you are, the quicker you die. The opponent obviously had experts.

But fortunately, Lin Miao didn't keep him waiting long, just twenty minutes, enough time for Kanbar to cook a brain ten times, and just as Placid was getting impatient, Nina came over to speak.

"Okay, Mr. Lin is waiting for you on the third floor, at the office at the end of the hallway opposite the elevator."

Nina remained very proper in her demeanor, having no idea what the person in front of her was there for.

Placid didn't say anything either, turning and heading straight for the elevator, it was clear the other side had planned this well in advance.

He even suspected that the mediator approaching the Voodoo Gang was a deliberate act, purposefully staging a double act just to lure him out.

Ding—

The elevator opened; clearly, the door was less than fifteen meters away, yet Placid felt like a rabbit straying into a trap, with the Hunter lurking behind the door.

This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

"Mr. Placid..." Lin Miao turned the chair, sitting behind the table looking at the big black guy who had pushed the door open.

He twirled the marker in his hand leisurely as he spoke.

"Did you know? I talked with the City Council about Taiping Continent matters."

Placid replied lightly, "Your affairs have nothing to do with me, how much compensation do you want to release my people."

"Since you're already here, why rush to leave?"

Lin Miao tapped on the table. "Besides, your companion is enjoying himself now, not in any danger, but if you turn and leave, well, I can't make any promises."

Sometimes a semi-threatening villainous tone works quite well, especially for someone like Placid who's been in gray areas for too long.

"A Kanbar is nothing to the Voodoo Gang."

Placid wanted to remain tough, but Lin Miao's next words made him relent.

"You're right, a cannon fodder's life means nothing to a gang, but Mr. Placid, have you figured out how to explain to Kanbar's family how he died?"

"His parents, his wife, or sister, brother... imagine their pitiful expressions when they learn their son, brother, husband has died, Placid."

"..."

Indeed

Seeing Placid's demeanor soften, Lin Miao knew he had bet correctly.

From the audio recorded by Lucy, it was apparent that, compared to Brigitte, Placid clearly cared more about the Haitians' lives.

Simply threatening a person or his own life might not be effective with someone like him, but changing the way it's presented can yield much better results.

Especially for the Haitians who are extremely xenophobic yet stick together due to blood relations, this approach is particularly effective.

It was just a pleasant surprise that Placid came knocking; if it had been Brigitte or someone else Lin Miao didn't know, it would have been troublesome.

Placid: "I won't disclose the employer's information."

Lin Miao waved his hand.

"I don't care. There are so many people looking for trouble with me, too many to count, one more won't make a difference. Let's continue with what I was saying."

Trauma Team? NCPD? Huang Ban? Military Science?

What difference does it make to Lin Miao?

"I talked with the City Council about the issues in Taiping Continent, guess what the councilman said?"

"..."

"The councilman said, in the eyes of the city government, Taiping Continent is a complete tumor of Night City, with the highest crime rates in several districts, 9432 murders last year, over two thousand of which happened in Taiping Continent; smuggling and crimes persist despite efforts to curb them...you know, untaxed smuggling goods upset some of the big shots."

"The city government is entirely willing to sell Taiping Continent for 1 Eurodollar, as long as someone is willing to take it over, they're willing to sell."

"Of course, this price comes on the condition that the buyer addresses the gang issues and a slew of other problems."

"The biggest issue is Dogtown, which is well-known, though your Voodoo Gang's problems aren't small either."

"What are you trying to say? Be straightforward, stop beating around the bush."

Placid was quite impatient with Lin Miao's endless chatter, even if the other side wasn't arrogantly high-handed like other corporate dogs, he didn't want to listen to any of this nonsense.

"Calm down, Placid. I think this matter is quite important to you and the Haitians, so it's better if you listen closely."

Lin Miao's words made Placid hold back again.

"I believe that for the excessively high crime rate, releasing a vast number of reasonable jobs and punishing criminals ruthlessly can solve most of it, the rest should be resolved through education and the self-operating social order."

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