Chapter 960: 171. Power, Backlash
"We haven't seen each other in a while, have we, Blanca?"
With nothing concealing her face, Carl sat down naturally across from Blanca, who had been waiting for her, then looked around at their surroundings.
"Credit where it's due—you found quite a place. An abandoned house in a Badlands town. Excellent choice."
Carl meant it sincerely.
Blanca had indeed put thought into it.
As Night City continued to expand, all the surrounding land suitable for habitation and farming had long since been carved up by the major corporations. Coupled with the ongoing inward migration policies, more and more towns like this were being completely abandoned across the Badlands.
There were ruins everywhere, but places suitable for a safe meeting were hard to find. Places that were both hidden and safe were even rarer.
Most abandoned towns had long been occupied by nomad clans or Maelstrom, becoming their temporary bases. Outsiders trying to get into Night City also used them as stepping stones—whether they planned to pass through checkpoints or sneak across the border, such ruins were ideal places to rest.
But this town happened to fall into every faction's blind spot.
It was just the right distance from Night City. It was not close enough to be claimed as a nomad or Maelstrom base, nor was it far enough to serve as a residence for outsiders who could not get into Night City anytime soon.
Besides, nearly everything worth scavenging from this town had already been taken. There were barely even any sheets of metal left. Resources were so scarce that not even the most down-and-out nomads wanted to settle here. That had instead made it a safe vacuum now.
Meeting here was truly undetectable unless something unexpected happened.
Blanca had come alone, and she