Reyes is an interesting guy. Lin Miao was surprised when he learned from a street vendor that the guy sending mass messages about selling cars was a well-known middleman in the area. However, the old captain's name still holds some weight in Santo Domingo, and his reputation isn't bad. Many struggling families have received help from Reyes. As long as you are from Santo Domingo and want to make a living, he's the one to go to, and he's the only one who doesn't run nightclubs or bars.
Of course, the premise is that you have to pay him protection fees, and you absolutely can't do things behind his back. Otherwise, you'll learn what it means to be a broker in the grey area.
When leaving the repair shop, Reyes thoughtfully arranged a driver for Lin Miao. Lin Miao tried hard to refuse but couldn't withstand Reyes' enthusiasm and had to let the big guy named Seth act as a temporary driver.
He also knew that Reyes must have heard about what happened to Wagako, otherwise, he wouldn't have this attitude today. While marveling at how these middlemen have so many informants, he was also a bit annoyed.
Compared to Wagako's toughness, the old captain's softness was harder to refuse.
"Boss, where did you mix around before? My boss rarely treats others like this."
He opened the car window, feeling the unique air of Night City blowing through his hair. The day had been incredibly exhausting. Faced with Seth's probing, he could only casually say, "Drifting around, making a living with the brothers, recently heard there was good money in Night City, so we came to check it out."
"Sounds like you have quite a few people."
"A hundred or eighty. So many mouths to feed, it's not easy."
"Tell me about it. My boss worries about these things all day long."
The two of them chatted on and off, with one probing and the other spouting nonsense. It was unclear how much of it Seth believed, but Lin Miao wasn't lying—he did have dozens of people working under him before, and he'd done quite a few jobs and deals. Making big money was unlikely, but getting by and occasionally hitting it big wasn't out of the question.
But the past is the past, and now is now—don't confuse the two.
As they were about one street away from Sky Tower H4, an incident occurring at the street corner caught Lin Miao's attention.
A few young hooligans were ganging up on a school-uniformed peer. The one being beaten was fighting back fiercely, not even dodging the barrage of punches and focusing on hitting one of them.
Ironically, Lin Miao knew the person getting beaten and, in fact, was his neighbor, although it was a one-sided familiarity.
However... this was a golden opportunity sent by heaven.
"Stop the car."
Lin Miao called out to Seth, who parked the car by the roadside and opened the door.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Being shouted at, those hooligans stopped, while the besieged boy had bruises all over his face, indicating he'd taken a beating.
The ringleader of the hooligans saw Lin Miao and didn't want to lose face in front of his lackeys, so he cursed,
"What's it to you, huh? What, you banging his mom or something?"
What the hell did these punks just say? Lin Miao's mouth twitched, almost ready to draw his gun and give these brats a bullet.
But before he could act, Seth got out of the car as well, leaned against the car door, slapped his palm, and captured the hooligans' attention, saying only,
"Scram, don't make me say it twice."
The hooligan leader wanted to talk back, but his companion nudged his sleeve, pointing at the red armband on Seth's right arm. The leader's face changed immediately, his lips moving a few times, and their prior momentum deflated instantly. He quickly called his lackeys to retreat.
"Forget it; let's go. Next time, we'll deal with this little company dog."
"Tsk... It seems you have a bit of a reputation here." Lin Miao glanced at Seth, somewhat surprised.
"Hey, I've been around long enough to be recognizable, that's all."
Though he said this, Seth's face showed some pride, his lips couldn't help but curl up. However, he couldn't understand why Lin Miao helped this little company dog. Did he know him? Or was what the punks said true?
Lin Miao didn't know what Seth was thinking, only opening the car door and saying to the boy, "Get in, I'll take you home."
Despite being rescued, the boy still looked at Lin Miao warily. "I know you. I've seen you at the base of the tower."
David was very drawn to the lifestyle of those on the edge and didn't want to become a company dog in the future. But to meet his mother's expectations, no matter how aggrieved he felt, he endured it.
So, when he had nothing to do, he chased after the newly arrived punks downstairs, asking all sorts of questions and listening to their boasting. Eventually, the long-time residents knew he was attending the Huang Ban Academy, so they stopped paying attention to him. Even being bullied by the Sixth Street Gang wasn't new.
Lin Miao smirked, saying, "Yeah, we are neighbors, actually. I live next door to you. Get in the car, or you can walk back yourself."
Maybe it was because David frequently saw Lin Miao downstairs these days and knew he was indeed a resident of the tower, and Seth's earlier conduct also gave him some trust. David peeked into the car, ensured it was empty, and that the doors could be opened from the inside, then jumped in.
"Thanks."
The car started again, with David sitting cross-legged in the back. Neither Seth nor Lin Miao paid him any further attention—one was indifferent, and the other was setting a trap.
"Mr. Lin, why did you choose Stone Ridge Mountain? That place is just a dead town, nothing's left, and the wilderness is full of Wanderers and Chaotic Blade Association members, along with Night Wanderers. It's even more dangerous than the damn city."