Chapter 144: Genetic Mutation! Ivanov!
"I know where the secret biotech lab is. There are also some wanderers from the Red Ochre tribe there. They're still enduring the company's human experiments—you should go save them!"
Hearing this, V paused while lifting the burlap sack. However, his cold gaze remained fixed on Nash, his voice indifferent. "Keep talking."
"There's a giant monster in that lab. The company doesn't have many guards—about fifty—but their equipment is quite advanced. They even have armed helicopters and power armor."
At this point, Nash deliberately stopped. He hadn't shared the most critical piece of information: the lab's exact location. "I can take you there."
"As long as you spare my life!"
Clearly, as a seasoned veteran of the Wastelands, Nash knew that without holding onto some key information, he could easily be silenced. The best place to hide vital knowledge was in his head—Nash understood this well.
"Saul, do you know about the lab he's talking about?"
V didn't respond directly to Nash but instead turned to Saul. He wasn't one to trust someone's word so easily; verifying the truth required multiple sources.
"I'm not sure. Biotech has set up many secret lab bases in the Wastelands. That lab might exist," Saul replied, a vague yet reasonable answer. But it wasn't his fault—he was just a small-time player and knew little about corporate secrets.
V nodded thoughtfully. Considering the existing evidence and intelligence, Nash's claims were likely true. Deep in the Wastelands, there could indeed be a lab conducting human-gene fusion experiments. If that was the case, their next course of action was clear.
First, call Li Ang!
Since this involved Biotech, a massive corporation, things would undoubtedly get very complicated. V wasn't about to rush in like a reckless fool, only to get himself killed. Even nine lives wouldn't be enough in a situation like this.
Moreover, as a mercenary for LA Corporation, V had to report the latest intel to his boss, Li Ang, to ensure smooth communication. This was the most logical move.
After all, Li Ang, as the CEO of a giant company like LA, undoubtedly had far more information at his disposal and could make more informed decisions from a broader perspective.
The last thing V wanted was to charge in recklessly, only to discover that Biotech was collaborating with LA. That would be a case of allies fighting each other—a disaster.
The events at the Night Corporation were still fresh in V's mind, and he wasn't about to repeat the same mistake.
"Alright then. I'll spare your life tonight. Tomorrow, you'll take us to that lab."
As soon as he finished speaking, V still used the burlap sack to cover Nash's head and tossed him into a corner of the room.
"V, what's your plan next? Are we negotiating with Biotech, or going straight in to rescue those people?" Panam asked. She wasn't afraid of confronting corporate guards but preferred having at least a basic plan.
"There's no rush to decide. Everyone's exhausted tonight—get some rest. I'll call my boss to gather more details."
V took a few steps outside, exuding an air of mystery. Panam was curious about who V was calling and nudged Jackie with her elbow, asking, "Jackie, do you know who V's boss is? I thought you mercenaries just worked random gigs for fixers."
Until now, Panam had assumed V and Jackie were like her—ordinary mercenaries taking on odd jobs from fixers around Night City to make a living. But now it seemed these two had deeper connections and influence.
"Panam, in this world, it's all about having connections and backing. Going solo gets you nowhere. At best, you're just a reckless street punk. You won't last in Night City without allies," Jackie Wells said proudly, sharing his newfound philosophy after harsh lessons from reality.
He then went on to brag about his exploits with the Valentinos and his future as a rising star in Heywood.
But Panam wasn't interested in Jackie's so-called "glorious" stories. She wanted to know about V's background.
"What about V? Is he also a Valentino leader like you?" Panam asked, barely containing her impatience.
"Oh, not at all. V's way more impressive than me—he's working for Mr. Li Ang! Damn it, if I'd known, I would've joined him at LA Corporation," Jackie said, clicking his tongue in frustration.
He regretted returning to the Valentinos, where petty gossip and drama were a constant headache. Meanwhile, V was living the high life with the support of LA Corporation, complete with top-tier cyberware for free.
"Li Ang? You mean the arms kingpin from Little Chinatown? No wonder V's implants are all premium gear. So, he really does have connections," Saul interjected, visibly startled upon hearing Li Ang's name. LA Corporation's products were highly sought after in the Wastelands—be it cockroach protein cans, Chimera tanks, Basilisk armored vehicles, or advanced kinetic and tech weapons.
Even the Aldecaldo camp had an LA-supplied Basilisk, gifted to Militech as support.
"So you're both working for LA Corporation. Why bother helping me retrieve my car?" Panam frowned slightly. She didn't hold strong opinions about LA but viewed corporations as generally untrustworthy.
"Tch! Do you think I wanted to risk my life here? V's just handling a minor issue for Mr. Li Ang," Jackie replied honestly. "The Afterlife bar is under LA's protection. You're lucky someone as reckless as you hasn't been dealt with already."
"The entire Watson district is LA territory now. Hotheaded drifters like you don't last long here."
Jackie crossed his arms, continuing, "Honestly, you drifters bring nothing but trouble—Maelstrom, Biotech... without us, your car would still be a hearse, and Nash would've killed Saul ages ago."
Hearing Jack's response, Panam immediately felt a bit guilty and stopped arguing. Maybe LA Corporation really was different from other companies.
Meanwhile, V, who had just finished a phone call with Li Ang, finally returned. He glanced at Nash, who had been dragged to the corner, and spoke, "I've gotten the details."
"What did he say?"
Jack and Panam asked in unison.
"Mr. Li Ang wants us to head to that lab and rescue all the wanderers locked inside. But the priority is to ensure our own safety."
"If you sense something's off, retreat immediately. Don't push forward recklessly."
As V finished speaking, Jack couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He really didn't want to get involved in these wanderers' affairs. After all, the Valentinos didn't have much of a relationship with the nomads in the Badlands—just some occasional business dealings.
On the other hand, Panam seemed pleasantly surprised by Li Ang's response. She hadn't expected someone as high and mighty as Li Ang to care about the lives of lower-tier wanderers.
If that were the case, LA Corporation might truly be different from those life-disregarding biotech companies.
Seeing the contrasting expressions on Jack and Panam's faces, V didn't know what to say. He himself was feeling conflicted. Even with Li Ang's orders, he still couldn't fully grasp the situation.
Over the phone, Li Ang not only instructed him to rescue the wanderers but also mentioned that Mann and the Militech team would be heading to the same lab.
From Li Ang's tone, V could tell Li Ang wanted him to cause a commotion at the biotech lab. But what the ultimate purpose was, V had no idea.
'Johnny, why do you think Li Ang wants me to do this? Something about it feels off.'
V couldn't help but ask the voice in his head. Recently, Johnny hadn't been talking much, almost as if he were hibernating.
"How the hell should I know? It's all part of LA Corporation's grand play. You're just Li Ang's chosen protagonist—focus on playing your role well. Leave the rest alone."
The ever-shrewd Johnny Silverhand cut straight to the point. From his perspective, no matter how much noise they caused down below, it was all just a small move in the bigger schemes of those above.
Since that was the case, their best bet was to play their parts well. After all, resisting would only make them pawns crushed underfoot.
'And what about the people from the Red Ochre Tribe? Were their deaths also part of Li Ang's plan?' V pressed further.
Using innocent lives as pawns in a game for the powerful was something V could never accept.
"I doubt it. That's not Li Ang's style. Wasting so many lives for some gene-fusion experiment? Only a dumb company like Biotech would do something that ridiculous."
Johnny's blunt response made sense. Though he wasn't directly involved in this incident, his outsider's perspective allowed him to see the situation more clearly.
'I hope so.' V muttered thoughtfully.
After finishing his chat with Johnny, V gathered everyone to rest in their rooms.
The camp didn't have many bedrooms. Panam got one to herself, while the other room had to fit four people, with V and Jack taking turns keeping an eye on Nash and Saul.
Saul's innocence hadn't been fully confirmed yet, so they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
In Panam's room, V had just grabbed two brown blankets and was about to leave when Panam suddenly grabbed his hand and looked deeply into his eyes.
"Thank you, V."
V wasn't oblivious—he could tell that, after everything they'd been through together, Panam had started to develop feelings for him.
But now wasn't the time for romance. He needed to prepare for the chaos that awaited them tomorrow.
Sensing Panam's growing affection, V gently cupped her face and whispered, "Goodnight, Panam."
---
The next morning.
The fierce sandstorm that had ravaged the Badlands the previous night had completely subsided. For the seasoned wanderers accustomed to the Badlands' fickle climate, this was nothing new.
Inside a quiet corner of the camp, Meredith finally opened her cold, impassive eyes, silencing the chatter of the man next to her.
"Yeah, the President personally sent us here to transport that monster to LA Corporation for Mr. Li Ang to inspect."
"Your boss is the real big shot. Even the New American President constantly keeps him in mind!"
As she mentioned Li Ang, Meredith couldn't help but feel curious. Why had the relationship between Myers and Li Ang suddenly grown so close?
Even something as highly classified as a gene-fusion specimen, regarded as top-secret by the intelligence bureau, was being sent directly to LA Corporation for display. It was almost unbelievable.
After thinking it over, Meredith could only assume that Myers and Li Ang had struck some sort of deal, leading to this cooperation.
Big players in the corporate world were like that. One moment they'd be at each other's throats, and the next, they'd set aside their differences for mutual benefit, acting like lifelong friends.
"Hah! Honestly, this whole biotech gene experiment sounds overrated to me. No matter how advanced it is, how much better can it be?"
Mann scoffed openly, dismissing the importance of the experiment. In his view, physical enhancements were far less effective and direct than cybernetic augmentations.
"Any military device from our company could obliterate your so-called gene-mutated monster in seconds."
Emboldened by the conversation, Mann threw caution to the wind and started boasting about their classified weapons.
"Ever heard of the Ronin Titan? That heavy-duty mech stationed outside Arasaka Tower that nearly sliced Adam Smasher in half?"
"If it weren't for Smasher's luck and his boss Arasaka Yorinobu begging for his life, he'd have been crushed under Titan's foot ages ago."
Annoyed by Mann's arrogance, Meredith finally retorted, "Tch! Sure, I've heard of the Titan. But can your company mass-produce those mechs?"
"With this genetic drug, every soldier can have the strength of a monster!"