Now that Maine's team and David's Qin team had officially agreed to cooperate, the once-tense atmosphere suddenly eased.

Mann took a sip of coffee before speaking up, his voice steady but curious.

"David, since you were behind the Tiger Claw Gang incident, why did you leak that information to Militech?"

David smirked slightly, swirling the liquid in his cup.

"Simple. In Night City, you have to know how to play the game—to use the situation to your advantage."

His golden eyes gleamed as he continued, "Besides, I have no interest in dealing with those rat-like scum hounding me for revenge."

Mann froze for a moment.

He had suspected David was responsible for the massacre, but hearing it confirmed so casually still sent a chill down his spine.

But what shocked him even more—

David wasn't just dodging Militech's radar. He was baiting them, openly provoking them.

This wasn't just risky—it was insane.

Before Mann could fully process this, Arthur, who had been quietly smoking, suddenly spoke up.

"David, I have a question."

He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his tone serious.

"Faraday is our direct fixer. If we burn this bridge during this mission, what happens then?"

Losing Faraday meant losing a steady stream of contracts. For a merc crew, that was a dangerous gamble.

Sasha, always the team's strategist, nodded in agreement.

"If we lose Faraday, our job opportunities will drop significantly."

She wasn't being pessimistic—just practical.

David chuckled, his confidence unwavering.

"You don't need to worry about that."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Now that you're working with me, I'll be the one giving you jobs. And trust me, they'll be far better than whatever scraps Faraday was handing out."

Then, as if it was just a casual afterthought, he added—

"Oh, by the way, I'm now a shareholder of Afterlife."

Silence.

The entire room froze.

"What?!"

Mann's crew was in complete shock.

Being a mercenary in Night City was one thing.

Becoming a legend—earning a place in Afterlife—was another.

But owning a piece of Afterlife?

That was something only the most elite of the elite could achieve.

Rebecca, wide-eyed, pointed at David. "Wait—so that's why you skipped work yesterday? You weren't slacking off, you got a damn promotion?!"

David laughed, nodding.

Seeing his casual reaction, Mann's crew exchanged glances.

They had just partnered up with someone who wasn't just strong—he was connected.

Mann exhaled, shaking his head. "Shit... we made the right call."

If they had turned down David's offer, they would've kept struggling for mid-level contracts while bigger opportunities slipped away.

Now?

They had a direct line to one of Night City's rising power players.

---

Setting Up the Trap

After the conversation drifted to lighter topics, David got straight to business.

"Mann, which part of Watson is the most deserted?"

Mann didn't hesitate. "Watson North Industrial Zone. Abandoned factories, empty warehouses. No NCPD, no civvies. Just a few squatters, cyberpsychos, and some Maelstrom freaks."

David nodded. "Perfect. Pick a precise spot there and send me the location later."

Mann raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

David's smirk returned. "We're leaking that location to Faraday. Tell him the killer from the Tiger Claw massacre is supposed to show up there Sunday at 7 PM."

Mann's face twisted in confusion.

"Wait—so we just hand over the info... and you handle the rest?"

David leaned back casually. "That's the plan."

Mann scratched his head, still trying to wrap his mind around it. "And you're giving us the bounty from this mission... for free?"

David shrugged. "Consider it a welcome gift."

___________________________________

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