172: delivery

The roar of the hovercar's engine gradually faded into the distance, acid rain washed over the scattered limbs, and blood formed a dark red stream flowing down the drain.

"All this 'stuff' is just left on the street?" (Fang Yun)

"What else? The cyberpsychosis Riot Squad isn't kind enough to clean up the battlefield for free." (Valentine, shrugging)

"Within ten minutes, people from the Night City Sanitation Department will arrive here. In less than thirty minutes, a batch of brand new 'n-hand goods' will appear in black hospitals, black clinics, the black market, and other places." (Toke)

"This is Night City?" (Fang Yun)

"This is Night City." x2

Fang Yun's fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, and the car radio switched to the N54 news channel:

"Breaking news, breaking news."

"A small-scale cyberpsychosis riot has occurred on XX Street in the Heywood district, and the cyberpsychosis Riot Squad has intervened... (static sound)... The on-site reporter reports... (explosion sound)... Excellent, let's thank the cyberpsychosis Riot Squad. They have once again resolved a riot caused by cyberpsychosis for the general public."

"Next, let's move on to the next news story."

"It really didn't make much of a splash." (Fang Yun)

"I think instead of listening to the radio here, we should first deliver the nightingale to the Old Captain." (Valentine)

"Fang Yun, did you message the Old Captain? Tell him to find a safe handover point quickly. The sooner we deliver the nightingale, the sooner we get the money, and we can also get rid of this hot potato that's not exactly burning a hole in our hands." (Toke)

"Actually, the Old Captain already sent the handover location. It was my first time seeing the cyberpsychosis Riot Squad handle cyberpsychosis just now, so I couldn't help but watch for a while longer." (Fang Yun, scratching his head)

"...Nice." (Valentine)

"Hahaha, the first time I saw the cyberpsychosis Riot Squad 'enforce the law,' I almost threw up from disgust. You actually watched the whole process without changing your expression, impressive, impressive. To be honest, Valentine, who was there with me back then, threw up several times..." (Toke)

Hearing Toke about to reveal his embarrassing history, Valentine quickly interrupted:

"Toke, I feel like we don't need to talk about this. Let's just hurry and deliver the nightingale to the handover location specified by the Old Captain."

Toke, who had been interrupted, showed a playful smile:

"Oh, look, why is our thick-skinned Valentine shy?"

Valentine lightly coughed:

"Cough. I just think finishing the commission early and getting paid early is the most important thing."

Looking at Valentine's somewhat awkward expression, Fang Yun and Toke both burst into laughter.

After laughing for a few moments, Fang Yun helped Valentine, who looked like "he had ants crawling on him," out of his predicament:

"Hahaha, Valentine has a point. Then without further delay, gogogo."

Amidst the roar of the engine, the thunder drove through the streets interwoven with neon and acid rain, heading towards the handover location.

Two and a half minutes later.

The thunder slowly decelerated, its tires rolling over the wet asphalt, splashing up dark red water droplets.

Fang Yun turned the steering wheel, and the car slid into a narrow back alley.

Neon signs flickered erratically under the erosion of acid rain, casting mottled patches of color on the faces of the three.

"This is the handover location the Old Captain mentioned." (Fang Yun)

As he spoke, the thunder had already come to a stop.

None of the three were in a hurry to get out of the car, instead observing the surrounding situation.

Although handover locations arranged by middlemen usually weren't problematic, excellent mercenaries always possessed a cautious nature, checking things thoroughly just in case.

After roughly scanning the surroundings, Valentine and Toke didn't find any issues.

In Fang Yun's vision, Eagle Vision Wolf Gaze marked several units with white boxes.

"There are a few people in the shadows, but don't worry, they aren't dangerous to us." (Comms) (Fang Yun)

"No problem, let's get out." (Fang Yun)

The three opened the car doors and got out of the thunder.

"The password is 'the nightingale doesn't sing.' The Old Captain should have mentioned we would come." (Fang Yun)

Hearing Fang Yun's words, the people hiding deep in the alley were silent for a few seconds, then slowly walked out from the shadows.

One of them spoke as he walked:

"Just put the goods in this warehouse."

Another person quickly walked a few steps and opened the door of the old warehouse on the east side.

The roller door creaked open, revealing the dim light inside and a space containing a few miscellaneous items.

"It seems this place shouldn't be under the Old Captain's control." (Comms) (Fang Yun)

"Who cares, wherever the middleman tells us to deliver the goods, that's where we deliver them. As for what happens after the delivery, that's not something we need to worry about." (Comms) (Valentine)

"That's true." (Comms) (Fang Yun)

While communicating with Valentine on the team channel, Fang Yun took the nightingale from Toke's hand.

"Just put it anywhere?"

"Just put it anywhere."

The person at the handover location replied like this.

Fang Yun nodded and said nothing more.

Valentine and Toke stood in place, watching Fang Yun walk into the warehouse, put down the nightingale, and walk back out.

"Goods received. Message sent to the Old Captain. Goodbye."

Having said these three sentences one by one, the people at the handover location stopped speaking and just stared straight at Fang Yun and the others.

Fang Yun felt that these people definitely had some kind of issue, either depressed or just taciturn.

However, the goods had been successfully handed over, and the Old Captain's mission reward had also been fully received. Fang Yun couldn't be bothered to complain about the people at the handover location being a bit taciturn.

He looked at Valentine and Toke, signaling them on the team channel to get in the car and leave.

Valentine and Toke alternately kept an eye on those people until they got into the car.

The thunder's armor was strong enough that even being shot with ordinary tech weapons wouldn't cause the slightest damage.

After experiencing a taciturn handover process, the thunder carried Fang Yun and the other two out of the alley.

In an instant, the complex and varied sounds of the street reappeared.

"To be fair, the handover location the Old Captain chose is not only hidden enough but also quiet enough." (Valentine)

"Indeed, it's hard to imagine that the handover point and the bustling street are just around a corner, yet the background noise level can differ so much." (Toke)

"Maybe sound-absorbing panels were embedded in the walls and floor of that handover location (laughs)." (Fang Yun)

"Hahaha, although it's a bit unlikely, maybe that's really the case." (Toke)

"Let's forget about that. Fang Yun, did you get the commission?" (Valentine)

"Yes, I did." (Fang Yun)

"The Old Captain's payment speed is flawless." (Toke)

"Before we take on the third commission, should we go grab dinner first?" (Valentine)