Starting from Night City

Plug the chip into Su Xiao's laptop.

The content quickly appeared.

It could be seen that Kirk had indeed taken a job from the Vortex Gang.

The Vortex Gang's main source of income was smuggling illegal drugs and Sparkle.

They transported Sparkle to the Wasteland and sold it to a group called the Random Blade Society. In return, they bought illegal drugs from the Random Blade Society, which the society had obtained from the Corporation.

The Random Blade Society wasn't a specific group of people.

Instead, it was a collective term for bandits, criminals, and outcasts who had committed offenses and were expelled from Nomad families.

Kirk hired a driver specifically to run goods for the Vortex Gang.

Their task was simple: find a way to make Kirk screw up.

Su Xiao already had a Plan for this.

If the plan succeeded, Kirk would be in serious trouble.

The only problem was that there were many roads from the Watson District to the eastern Wasteland.

Which road would the driver Kirk hired take?

Eating the Mexican noodle soup and tortilla chips brought by Mrs. Wells, they discussed until midnight.

Finally, Su Xiao found the blind spot.

They could set up an ambush directly on the driver's inevitable route.

Since they were delivering Sparkle to the eastern Wasteland, they would definitely pass through Santo Domingo.

And from the Watson District to Santo Domingo and then to the border checkpoint in the east, there was only one main road.

If they set up an ambush on this main road, they were bound to intercept someone.

With the plan finalized, the three of them fell asleep immediately and slept until now.

Although Peppy and he were not related and didn't have a deep friendship, he was friends with Jack.

If he could help, he should help as much as possible.

Moreover, everyone has times of hardship.

Helping others is also hoping for help when one is in a low point.

Su Xiao believed.

When he and Jack encountered trouble, Peppy would also come to their aid.

In the bar, Peppy was helping Mrs. Wells clean up.

When the bar opened for business, he would have to hide back in the garage.

Kirk had said he wouldn't cause trouble for Peppy.

Temporarily.

But Jack and V had no intention of helping Kirk.

As a precaution, it was safer for Peppy to hide in the garage until the matter was resolved.

Su Xiao approached Peppy.

He pulled him aside.

And secretly stuffed a few hundred Eurodollars into his hand.

"Su, I'm grateful, but I can't accept this money. Besides, it's not enough to pay off my interest."

"What are you thinking? This money isn't for you to pay off debt, I need you to get me some Sparkle."

Peppy gasped and his eyes widened in shock.

The way he looked at Su Xiao changed.

"Su, what do you want that for? I'm telling you, you can't touch that stuff. If you do, your life will be ruined forever."

Su Xiao rolled his eyes.

He had memorized "Never touch gambling, pornography, or drugs" when he was in kindergarten.

He was born and raised in a country with the strictest anti-drug policies and the most successful anti-drug education in the world, bar none.

What gave the Americans the courage to preach about its dangers to the Chinese? Was it Liang Jingru?

"Of course I know that. This isn't for me. Don't ask, just go buy it."

He patted Peppy on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's just for a few days. After these few days, Kirk won't be able to cause you any more trouble."

For the next few days, regulars at the Wolf Bar noticed that the bartender had changed from a burly man to a young man.

Most people didn't mind.

As long as someone could pour the drinks.

A few mornings later, Peppy handed Su Xiao a brand-new shoebox.

Inside was exactly what Su Xiao wanted.

Su Xiao told Peppy to wait for his good news in the garage.

He called V and Jack, and they drove to Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo is one of Night City's oldest districts.

It borders Westbrook to the north, Heywood and Pacifica to the west, and the wind-swept Wasteland to the east.

Towering megabuildings are packed with tens of thousands of cramped apartments.

While the suburban utopia dream built from single-family homes is visible all over Night City, few places make it as apparent as Santo Domingo.

Skyscrapers stand next to low-rise buildings, factories and power plants are adjacent, and the community that should have been filled with pastoral charm.

The urban planning that divides different functional areas based on service capabilities has completely fallen apart.

Santo Domingo is like the backyard of your good-for-nothing cousin, filled with broken-down pickup trucks and moldy garden decorations.

This place changes every day.

Because land is cheap, any absurd development plan can be launched, then cleanly abandoned to make way for the next attempt.

Santo Domingo is divided into two areas: River Valley and Coronado Farms.

In the River Valley, the abandoned factories of bankrupt companies dot the industrial heartland of Santo Domingo.

Unfortunately, the abandonment has also brought with it bottom-tier criminals and decay, like weeds that are impossible to remove.

But in the bedroom communities of Coronado Farms, white picket fences and clean green lawns surround spacious houses.

There's another suffocating beauty.

Tree-lined streets wind through them like streams on a meadow.

Leading residents from the tranquility of the suburbs to the factories and foundries of the River Valley.

Chapter 21: This is Totally FUBAR

Su Xiao and the other two drove to the main road in the River Valley.

After observing the surroundings for a while, they finally decided on a location.

"Right there," he said.

The direction Su Xiao pointed to was an unfinished building, one of Santo Domingo's many abandoned construction projects and derelict factories. It had an excellent view but also appeared ordinary enough not to attract attention.

If an accident occurred, they could also retreat from the back in time.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be there in a bit."

Su Xiao picked up a backpack, got out of the car, and walked onto the main road.

He took out Sparkle, which Peppy had bought for him, from the backpack.

Then, he took out two shoes from the backpack.

He stuffed the bag of Sparkle into one of the shoes.

He tied the shoelaces of the two shoes together.

Afterward, he tossed the two shoes onto the power line hanging in mid-air.

He was lucky.

It was successful on the first try.

After doing this, he went to rejoin V and Jack.

Inside the abandoned unfinished building, black, foul water flowed on the ground, and garbage was everywhere.

Yet, even in this harsh living environment, there were still marginalized people, not even bottom-tier, who considered this place their home.

Licking their wounds, enduring hunger.

Reaching the rooftop, V and Jack were already waiting there.

As soon as they saw Su Xiao arrive, Jack couldn't help but ask, "What did you throw up there?"

He had seen Su Xiao take something out of his backpack when he came over.

It was just that due to the angle, he hadn't clearly seen what it was.

Su Xiao didn't hide anything.

"Sparkle."

"Are you sure it's Sparkle? Not a bomb?"

Jack froze.

He really couldn't understand what use that thing could possibly have.

Su Xiao smiled, not offering any further explanation.

The three continued to lurk.

Not long after, a truck appeared on the highway.

It was coming from the direction of Westbrook.

The All Foods Factory logo was printed on the side of the truck.

All three perked up.

"That's the one, what do we do?"

Su Xiao held Jack back, "You two stay put, just leave it to me."

He set up the Ice Storm Sniper Rifle, steadying the truck in his scope and following its movement.

His finger rested on the trigger, but he didn't move.

Watching the truck head towards the eastern border checkpoint, Su Xiao seemed asleep, showing no reaction.

Jack couldn't help but anxiously ask, "Su?"

V also looked at Su Xiao nervously.

But Su Xiao seemed deaf to their calls.

He was completely focused, as if the only thing in the world was the truck in his scope.

Finally, when the truck passed the wires hanging with shoes, Su Xiao fired.