28 Minutes

The Alvarado car used by the mercenaries was pretty much destroyed in the previous rocket launcher attack, but fortunately, there weren't many mercenaries left who could continue fighting. So, after some emergency repairs, the remaining Alvarado car could still carry ten mercenaries who could continue fighting.

Taking the time to stabilize the injuries of four seriously wounded men, and then treating the lightly wounded, Oliver got into the new Alvarado.

"Do you think those four will be taken to a hospital?"

"Who knows? Let's just hope the hospital gets to them before the thugs and organ harvesters do."

Maine looked back through the rear window of the car at the seriously injured men lying in a stable place: "If only they had Trauma Team membership, they could have been taken away by a flying ambulance not long after they were injured."

[Trauma Team]: A medical corporation with special squads composed of medical personnel with professional combat training. As long as you have money and can afford medical insurance, they can arrive at any time when member clients are injured, rain or shine. Anyone who tries to stop them from rescuing a client will be attacked, even another Trauma Team.

"Give me a break."

Oliver felt that Maine had said something pointless: "Even the lowest silver membership costs €10,000 a month. Do you think mercenaries like us, who spend money as soon as we get it, can afford that kind of fixed income?"

"That's true."

The vehicle gradually drove away, and Maine also withdrew his gaze, talking about another matter: "How much do you think they'll get paid?"

"Paid? What do you mean, the mission?"

Karl turned his head to look at Maine, not really understanding why Maine would ask such a pointless question: "The Fixer made the mission situation very clear, didn't they? You have to escort them 'to' the destination. Anyone who dies or is seriously injured and unable to carry out the mission before that doesn't get a single penny."

"Damn it, I knew it."

Maine covered his forehead: "These Corpo Dogs are really calculating. How could they be so generous? They're deliberately trying to spend less money by using us up. I should have known that when a Corpo Dog bleeds money, there's always some calculation involved."

"And the even more pathetic thing is, like I said to Oliver before getting in the car, maybe some Corpo Dogs who pay don't have the intention of cutting our pay, but some of the Corpo Dogs executing the plan have that kind of intention and want to embezzle the money."

Again, Corpo Dogs who know what's up will give enough money, but Corpo Dogs who don't will swallow the money given by the Corpo Dogs who do, and then expect you mercenaries to understand.

"Damn, the more I think about it, the more I feel like this mission is terrible. It's really annoying."

Maine probably mostly did street missions before, and wasn't really clear about the situation with corporate missions. But after this, he probably doesn't plan to be clear about it either.

"Right? Just thinking about it makes my blood pressure rise. It's hard to get things done if you don't pay enough."

As Karl spoke, he noticed that the Arasaka Corporation vehicles had slowed down and were now giving way to their group of mercenary vehicles. It looked like they were...

"Damn it, are they planning to use us as cannon fodder again? They let us die when they need us, and tell us to get out of the way when they don't. You can't even see them when the fighting starts!"

Jack's temper flared up immediately. He was already prepared to risk his life for a €300,000 mission, but how could the employer be so annoying? He really didn't want this money anymore.

"They're counting on our sunk cost."

Karl said, "They see that we've already put in so much effort, and they think we'll grit our teeth and keep going for the money. So they use us recklessly. After all, if we quit, the people who died will have died for nothing."

"Aren't they afraid that we'll really quit, or bite them back?"

"So they're betting that we won't dare."

Now, even Jack started cursing and swearing: "If I ever take another job from Arasaka, I'm an idiot."

At least Militech still had Blanca's good relationship, so he'd leave them alone for now.

"I have to say, that Corpo Dog Blanca really has a conscience."

Oliver said, "There's really no comparison without contrast."

"I can tell you a Corpo Dog joke right now. Arasaka works from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., from 6 a.m. today to 2 a.m. tomorrow, 20 hours a day. But the Corpo Dogs still have time to calculate the hard-earned money of us mercenaries in their spare time."

Karl laughed: "Screw them. They learn how to exploit as soon as they enter the company, huh?"

"What, they learn everything with just a little bit of learning."

Jack was amused by Karl's words, but to be accurate, he was laughing out of anger.

While the group was chatting, the Alvarado car automatically drove through the Arasaka security convoy that had made way.

And in the lead again, the car doors next to Karl and the others were unlocked and loose, ensuring that they could jump out and escape at any time. The impression of the previous rocket attack was too deep. They would probably keep this 'good' habit from now on.

But the next part of the journey was somewhat unexpected for Karl and the others. The journey was quite peaceful, and they didn't encounter any more enemies all the way out of Watson District's northern Industrial Park.

Had the attackers used all their forces and retreated after the failed attack?

Karl really wanted to comfort himself like that, but he noticed a strange point.

The northern Industrial Park of Watson District was clearly the territory of Maelstrom's enemies. Logically speaking, they should have been able to see a few Maelstrom members on the roadside, but from the time they entered to the time they left, Karl, who had been paying attention to the outside because of the rocket attack, had never seen that iconic red cybernetic eye once.

The sea is always calm before a storm.

The closer they got to California Avenue, where the target point, Azure Tower, was located, the more silent the atmosphere in the car became. The four of them felt the oppressive feeling of an impending storm.

When they could already see the Azure Tower's sky-piercing building, Jack suddenly asked Karl a question: "How much time is left?"

Karl knew what Jack wanted to say, and he knew the reason why Jack asked him the time even though he already knew it.

"One hour and ten minutes."

One hour and ten minutes left?

No.

Jack looked at the Azure Tower, which was probably only ten minutes away.

There were only ten minutes left.