Chapter 48: Everything as Expected!

Chapter 48: Everything as Expected!

Hacker Alt Cunningham had to be rescued, and LA Company had to be the one to do it.

However, snatching her away from the grasp of Arasaka Corporation and Militech made the mission incredibly difficult. This was undoubtedly the most challenging and nerve-wracking situation Li Ang had faced since founding LA Company.

If handled poorly, it would immediately provoke a united retaliation from these two corporate giants, a scenario LA Company could not withstand given its current scale.

The saying "a man is not guilty, but his treasures make him a target" applied perfectly here, and Alt was that precious treasure coveted by many factions.

"I haven't seen her in a while. The last time we met was two months ago, so I'm not entirely sure when exactly Arasaka captured her," Johnny said, scratching his head as he tried to recall. Soon, he remembered some details Meredith Stout had mentioned a few days prior.

"Uh, maybe it was half a month ago? That's what Militech people said, though I can't confirm its accuracy," he admitted.

At this point, Johnny Silverhand's expression clearly showed guilt and embarrassment. His girlfriend had been captured for half a month, and he had only found out through others. Truly, what a "responsible" boyfriend he was.

As expected, the moment Johnny finished speaking, Lucy, Rebecca, Kiwi, and the other women shot him contemptuous looks, clearly viewing him as a scumbag.

Had Li Ang not been present, they might have beaten Johnny Silverhand to a pulp for being such an awful person.

"I admit I'm a jerk, but at least I know what I have to do. Li Ang... you're the only one who can help me now," Johnny said, looking despondent.

He didn't trust the Militech agents, and among all the corporate-backed contacts he had, Li Ang was the only one he could reluctantly rely on.

In truth, before coming to LA Company, Johnny had already sought help from his ex-lover, Rogue, the fixer queen of Night City.

After hearing the full story, Rogue still advised Johnny to approach Li Ang and try to leverage LA Company's resources for assistance.

There was no other way. To stand against a behemoth like Arasaka Corporation, external support from other corporations was indispensable. Every bit of help increased the odds of success.

"I understand how you feel, Johnny," Li Ang said, placing a reassuring hand on Johnny's trembling shoulder. "Don't worry. I will get Alt out of there, and Morgan Blackhand can go with you."

"However, LA Company can't afford to get directly involved in this mess. I'll temporarily terminate Morgan Blackhand's contract and let him join your team as a free agent."

"But in exchange, Militech must send someone to me as collateral, to ensure they won't turn their backs on the deal and hold Morgan Blackhand afterward."

Li Ang understood clearly—this was the final phase of a desperate struggle between Arasaka and Militech in their ongoing war.

Once this conflict ended, both sides would likely lower the intensity of their rivalry for a while, at least refraining from further explosive clashes in the short term.

If LA Company recklessly intervened, it would only further exacerbate tensions between the two factions.

Unless either Arasaka or Militech struck at LA Company first, Li Ang had no reason to take such a dangerous risk.

To extract Alt Cunningham without offending either Arasaka or Militech, Li Ang couldn't use LA Company's mercenaries like the Maelstrom team.

Instead, he would rely on the AI Red Queen to capture Alt's soul data within cyberspace.

Morgan Blackhand would then retrieve Alt Cunningham's pseudo-dead body and bring it back to LA Company, where her soul data could be restored via a neural interface, effectively bringing her back to life.

This method was covert enough to avoid drawing attention.

"You want a Militech executive as collateral? Uh... do you have someone specific in mind? I can talk to them," Johnny asked, somewhat speechless at Li Ang's cautious and calculating nature. The man seemed unwilling to suffer even the smallest loss.

It was no wonder Li Ang had risen from a humble gun store owner to the head of LA Company.

"Of course. Tell them to send Rosalind Myers, Militech's vice president, here as collateral. Then I'll agree to release Morgan Blackhand," Li Ang stated.

Johnny Silverhand froze for a moment. Of course, he knew who Rosalind Myers was. She was a top-tier figure in American corporate circles.

As Militech's vice president, Myers was expected to succeed CEO Donald Lundee as the corporation's next chief executive.

What's more, Myers had a "longstanding friendship" with New United States President Elizabeth Kress, adding another layer of significance to her position.

In other words, Rosalind Myers had two promising paths ahead—becoming Militech's CEO or the next president of the New United States.

How could someone of such importance possibly be traded as collateral for Morgan Blackhand?

"Li Ang, are you out of your mind? There's no way they'd agree to send their vice president as a hostage. That's completely unrealistic!" Johnny exclaimed, starting to doubt whether Li Ang truly intended to help or was just making absurd demands.

"Johnny, Militech is more desperate than you are to rescue Alt. She holds the key to the AI technology they've been dreaming of," Li Ang calmly explained, trying to soothe Johnny's agitation.

"The ones who can't afford to wait are Militech, not us. Alt is safe for now—Arasaka still needs her expertise."

"Relay my conditions to them. I believe they'll agree. They might curse you out, but you must stay firm and curse them back if needed."

"Alright... fine," Johnny reluctantly agreed. At this point, he could only trust Li Ang's judgment and hope his advice wouldn't backfire.

Johnny quickly placed a holo-call to Meredith Stout. Predictably, she launched into a trade when she heard Li Ang's demand for collateral.

However, Johnny wasn't one to back down.

"F*** you, you stupid b****! Watch your mouth! It's LA Company doing you a favor, not the other way around!" Johnny roared. "Either send someone now, or we're all screwed!"

"..."

Watching Johnny furiously shouting at Meredith, veins bulging on his neck, Li Ang couldn't help but admire the rocker's extensive arsenal of profanities. It was truly impressive.

Not long after, Johnny received confirmation from Militech's higher-ups—they agreed to send Rosalind Myers as collateral in exchange for Morgan Blackhand.

Everything was going exactly as Li Ang had expected.