Welcome to Night City!

When Lier walked into the Border Checkpoint carrying four Smart Shotguns, everyone at the weapons storage counter froze.

Four Smart Weapons?

"What? We run cargo routes. Carrying a few Smart Weapons for protection is perfectly normal."

That was Lier's answer to the customs officer once he sat down in the interview room.

"Normal?" The customs officer's mouth twitched. "You think so? Four Smart Shotguns? What family are you from?"

Lier shrugged and handed over his customs declaration, with a Money Shard tucked inside.

"Look, everything we're transporting is listed there. These guns really are just for self-defense.

Officer, there's no need to make a big deal out of this. You can check what's inside first."

The customs officer accepted the declaration without a change in expression, though all he really needed to see were the large letters: L.O.A.

The important question was whether there was enough inside.

Usually, a bribe of around a thousand eddies was enough for this kind of smuggling, but there was something off about this kid-

He had to check first. If it was still just a thousand eddies, the kid could keep dreaming.

As a veteran customs officer, he could tell whether a transporter was breaking the rules with a touch-his fingers had all been modified.

A full five thousand eddies. Not bad at all.

The customs officer relaxed a little. "Which family are you running for?"

"This job's for myself." Lier's heart sank. This guy was already thinking about selling the information so someone could rob him.

He could give the Barkley Family's name, but there wasn't much point. Customs would check with a fixer afterward, so there was no way to fake it.

And once they knew Lier had no Nomad Family behind him, they would start getting ideas.

"Reckless. Stupid, even. Every time I see someone like you, I'm grateful I'm not on the other side of this desk."

"So-are we done with the inspection?"

"Of course. You can go."

Lier left the interview room. As he collected his guns, the police officer watching the weapons said, "Welcome to Night City."

Even after he walked away, he could still hear the people behind him talking.

"There's always another idiot like that, thinking Night City's some kind of paradise..."

"Is he an idiot, though? I'm not so sure. What kind of family can afford four Smart Shotguns? Those looked like Kang Tao Shōtōs..."

Once he got into the car, V immediately asked, "How'd it go? Everything okay?"

"Get moving first-" Lier tossed the guns to Jackie in the back seat. "Stick to the plan and stay alert-Jackie, set the guns up."

"Okay."

V pulled Dying Night from her pocket and chambered a round-the sight rattled Jackie, who was cradling the Smart Shotguns.

"Wait, wait. Chica, hermano, what are you doing?"

The roadblock slowly sank into the ground. Lier pointed at the sign above the customs gate.

"Someone's throwing us a welcome party. Jackie, you didn't pay your fixer much, but the good news is, we're professionals-"

"What? Mierda, you guys..."

"Get ready! Company's coming!"

Just past the Border Checkpoint, they could see Night City's towering Holographic Billboards and skyscrapers shrouded in darkness.

This was where Night City began-on the left side of the road, they could still see Biotechnica's farms and apartments, all planted with wheat that could be processed into CHOOH2!

A stretch of land producing liquid gold. This would be their battlefield!

Lier could clearly see several Militech Emperor Ragnars heading toward them-

They were coming to welcome them according to Night City's unique rules: everyone robbed him, and he robbed everyone!

Jackie was losing it!

"Me cago! I didn't come here to fight a war! Is this how you smuggle cargo?!

"You call this professional? You're not professional smugglers. You're professional corpo-fuckers!"

"You got that right!" V laughed. "We really are professional corpo-fuckers. Buddy, I could tell the second I saw you that you wanted to be somebody!

"But what makes you somebody? Getting smashed to death by Adam Smasher, stamped and shipped off to a grave, then having a few wet-behind-the-ears kids order a drink named after you at a bar-is that what makes a legend?

"If you don't have the guts for even this little job, go find yourself a factory to work in!"

Hearing those familiar words, Lier laughed too. "Looks like someone learned the essence of it. But did you pay the royalties-"

Beep, beep-beep-

Several Militech Emperor Ragnar armored vehicles drifted to a stop in front of their car.

"Stop your vehicle. You are transporting corporate property and are suspected of smuggling-"

Lier slammed his foot on the accelerator, swung the car around, and charged straight toward Biotechnica's greenhouse farm!

"Fuck you!" V opened fire!

The bullets forced the Militech Agents to duck for cover. Lier wasn't worried in the slightest about the people in those four vehicles posing a threat!

"Look at them! They've only got four cars, maybe a dozen agents!" V ducked back inside to reload after firing a string of shots. "Once we finish this job, I'll cut you in on some extra cash!"

"Only? Fuck, fuck, fuck! I hired two lunatics to help me smuggle!" Jackie pulled two pistols from his pockets and roared as he thrust himself out the window. "Then come get some!"

Bang!

Jackie was using Nue pistols from Tsunami Defense Systems: big, large-caliber street handguns with no cutting-edge technology, cheap but utterly reliable-the burly man's favorite!

Between the barrage of bullets and the precise large-caliber shots, the lead Emperor Ragnar's windshield shattered. V seized the opening and put a burst straight into the driver's head!

The vehicle lost control and slammed into a utility pole!

"Holy shit! Nice shooting!" Jackie was blown away. "What chrome have you got?"

"That's called talent!"

After emptying their magazines, both of them ducked into the car to reload. Lier countersteered into a turn, using the farm's greenhouses to block the enemy's view.

His hands trembled slightly on the wheel, his heart pounding-yes, he had faced life and death plenty of times since his rebirth, but this was his first high-speed car chase!

"Woo-hoo! This is awesome!"

Lier's sudden shout startled them both, but the Militech Agents soon caught up!

"Keep going, keep going!" V motioned for Jackie to keep shooting-

But suddenly, everything changed!

Orange-yellow bullets rained down from above, strafing past the rear of the car and cutting them off from the Militech Agents!

"What's going on?!" Lier had a sinking feeling.

V shouted, "Holy shit! Arasaka drones! They're... they're after us!"

The drones drove Militech back with a hail of bullets, then turned their guns on Lier and the others!

"Arasaka?"

Lier froze for a moment, his mind racing-but the battlefield wouldn't give him much time to think!

Boom!

As the car rounded a bend, Lier caught sight of an armored vehicle charging into them from the side!

Screeech-

The car spun several times across the road. Lier knew they were in trouble, but V stayed calm!

Her Kerenzikov kicked into overdrive in that instant. She gripped the outer edge of the door and grabbed the handle of the Smart Shotgun on the roof!

"Lier! Aim!"

After several spins, the car came to a stop. Lier looked up just as the Arasaka Agents opened their doors, ready to get out and pin them down-

"Fire!"

Bang!

The Eight-Star Shotgun's pellets blossomed like fireworks in the night sky, then tore through the Emperor Ragnar's driver's seat, riddling the driver with holes!

The pellets passed through the cab and even struck the Arasaka Agents who were about to climb out!

And that wasn't all. The pellets detonated in small explosions the instant they hit, blasting the agents into mangled flesh!

Boom!

What a terrifyingly lethal weapon! It was practically a miniature Swarm Missile!

"Badass, V!" Jackie had only just recovered from the collision. Fighting the urge to vomit, he raised his pistols and fired at the drones overhead!

A few well-placed shots knocked a drone off course, and Lier floored the accelerator!

Vroom!

The Galena Gecko's engine roared to life. The little car accelerated fast, pinning all three of them to their seats as it sped toward the Badlands!

The Militech Agents who had been cut off by the drones looked livid-they had no idea why Arasaka had suddenly interfered!

A moment ago, they had just been trying to make some extra cash. Now, this was official business!

"Request fire support from a Basilisk. Arasaka seems to care a lot about this shipment! We need to find out what's on board!"

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