Chapter 40: Achieving Big with Small Investments!

Chapter 40: Achieving Big with Small Investments!

"Councilor, sometimes, it's the simplest things that are the most lethal." Morgan Blackhand's sudden words broke the silence, his piercing wolf-like gaze fixed on Lucius.

"Take the Desert Eagle handgun I carry, for example. On the surface, it might seem inferior to any weapon produced by LA Corporation. But many notable figures have met their end at its barrel."

"Care to know more?"

Morgan's words sent a chill down Lucius's spine, evoking an almost primal sense of unease. It was as if he had been transported back to the day he was hunted by Royce—a suffocating sense of impending death washed over him.

"Mr. Li Ang, what does he have to do with the NCPD?" Lucius's face darkened as unease took hold.

He couldn't comprehend why Li Ang had brought up Morgan Blackhand, the mercenary. Could it be that Morgan was joining the NCPD? That didn't seem possible! Morgan didn't strike him as someone who would sign up to be a lowly cop—it simply wasn't in his nature or style.

"There's a bit of a connection," Li Ang said with a smile, cutting straight to the point. "I'm about to establish a professional mercenary company in the Watson District and recruit mercenaries from all over Night City."

"By then, I'll be working with brokers across the city and providing those mercenaries with basic survival guarantees, employment benefits, and welfare."

"And Morgan Blackhand will be the face of our mercenary division and the chief instructor of the mercenaries."

As Li Ang's words fell, Detective River, quick-witted as always, seemed to grasp Li Ang's true intent. His eyes widened in astonishment as he addressed Li Ang.

"Wait… are you suggesting that the NCPD officers should also train with LA Corporation's mercenaries?"

As a veteran detective in the Watson NCPD, River had dealt with his fair share of the city's elite, including executives looking to invest in the department. Their motives were always straightforward: to corrupt the NCPD from within with money, turning the city's law enforcement into tools for their private agendas.

However, these investors typically targeted the elite officers in the counter-terrorism unit, not the average beat cop.

"Yes."

Li Ang didn't mince words as he openly stated to Lucius, "As long as NCPD officers participate in regular joint training with LA Corporation's mercenaries, they can receive an additional paycheck."

"They can also take up mercenary missions during their downtime to earn extra income."

"If any officer gets injured or falls ill due to the training, LA Corporation will provide appropriate medical support."

"Moreover, every three months, they'll receive a free firearm from LA Corporation, and after a year of training, they'll be rewarded with a new cyberware enhancement based on their performance."

The benefits Li Ang offered were enticing. Even River, who was naturally skeptical of corporate motives, found himself tempted by the generous terms. After all, who would turn down extra money?

'LA Corporation… Are they really this benevolent?'

Despite his inner skepticism, River couldn't help but carefully analyze Li Ang's true intentions.

Night City's NCPD was an independent law enforcement body, often indifferent to directives from City Hall, following the principle of "obeying orders, not suggestions."

Within the NCPD, there was an even more independent division—the Counter-Terrorism Unit, a highly elite force funded by multiple corporations with operations spanning the globe.

But not all counter-terrorism units were created equal. In rundown areas like Watson, full of unfinished buildings, elite counter-terrorism squads couldn't be bothered to set foot.

This neglect turned Watson into a haven for criminals and gangsters, degrading its living conditions to a dire state. It was a situation desperately crying out for corporate intervention to restore order.

"This idea… doesn't sound bad!"

Lucius's eyes lit up as he listened.

He realized that while LA Corporation's plan would allow the company to infiltrate Watson's NCPD, effectively poaching its personnel, no one would care!

If City Hall truly valued the NCPD, they wouldn't have slashed its budget to divert funds to the Counter-Terrorism Unit's cyber-enhanced maniacs.

Without sufficient funding, NCPD officers resorted to collaborating with gangs, smuggling weapons, and extorting street kids and drifters just to make ends meet.

"Councilor, Detective River, you're well aware of Watson NCPD's dire situation," Li Ang said, his tone steady and persuasive. "You lack the budget to sustain regular training for officers. At this point, you can't even ensure their basic salaries."

"But LA Corporation can solve these problems for you!"

Li Ang's words struck a chord deep within both men. Watson's NCPD desperately needed the resources LA Corporation was offering, resources no one else could provide.

Seeing Lucius's excitement and River's cautious skepticism, Li Ang knew he had them cornered.

The reason Li Ang was willing to spend money to integrate the mercenaries and police of Night City was simple: to build a security force for LA Corporation, leveraging one of the city's largest power groups.

A corporate security force was a standard feature of every major megacorporation.

Take Arasaka's security teams, for example. They were recruited globally as children, raised through rigorous ninja training and brainwashing. While effective, it was prohibitively expensive and time-consuming.

For LA Corporation, the fastest and most efficient approach was to integrate Night City's mercenaries and police, gradually converting them into assets of the company.

The biggest advantage? Low cost.

Mercenaries could earn independently by taking jobs from brokers, while NCPD officers were already on City Hall's payroll.

All Li Ang had to do was pay a little extra, offer medical insurance, and throw in some "free" weapons and equipment to ensure their loyalty to the company.

From this pool of professionals, Li Ang could handpick promising individuals for his elite task force, forming the backbone of LA Corporation's high-end security team.

This was how you achieve big with small investments.