2077: V really knows how awesome he is

V looked over, slightly surprised.

“After Jiang Ping’s downfall and the upheaval in Kangtao, Bridget came to Dogtown to seek refuge with me. But I know she is the person you want, Deputy Minister V, so I came to ask for your opinion.”

V finally understood. Bridget had escaped Jiang Ping's control and fled to Dogtown while Contour was in trouble. She thought she could be protected by Hansen, but Hansen betrayed her again.

Three times!

Having to wipe someone's feet three times in a row, Bridget was quite the unlucky guy.

If you ask why, it's probably karma.

V felt no pity whatsoever, so he simply asked Hansen, "What do you want?"

Hansen grinned: "Electricity."

Chapter 35 Large-scale construction projects

Dogtown is a small place and cannot possibly be self-sufficient in electricity. Kurt Hansen had been buying electricity from Jiang Ping, but with Jiang Ping's downfall, the old contracts were naturally canceled.

V quickly figured out the ins and outs and understood the purpose of the Dogtown boss's visit.

“Okay, no problem. I’ll introduce you to President Xu of Kangtao later, and you two can talk face to face.”

"Thank you so much, I'll bring the person to you tomorrow." Kurt Hansen then added, "Actually, there's something else I'd like to ask you for help with."

"explain."

"I hope you can put in a good word for me with President Xu."

V shook her head slightly: "You don't need to worry. Kangtao's electricity can't just be packed into bags and shipped back to Shenyang. It has to be sold eventually."

“But he might not sell it to me.” Kurt Hansen said sincerely, “My deal with Jiang Ping is a private one, it can’t be done in the open. The newly appointed President Xu might refuse to cooperate with me to avoid suspicion. I’ve dealt with Chinese people a few times, and I know that their officialdom is wary of this kind of thing. I have to make sure that nothing goes wrong.”

"It seems Dogtown is really short of electricity."

Kurt Hansen chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Not only is there a lack of electricity, Dogtown lacks everything."

"You need one too?"

"Of course not. Whether it's electricity or water, money or women, I lack nothing. What I lack are my brothers."

"Aren't you going to share some with them?"

"No way. If I become the boss of Dogtown just to live a life of luxury and give my own things to my brothers, wouldn't I be a sucker?"

"Just ignore them and it will be fine."

“We can’t just ignore it. I’ve been able to establish myself in Dogtown entirely because my brothers are brave and willing to fight. If we can’t even solve our basic needs, everyone will run away. You have to feed the horse before you can make it run. I understand that principle.”

V nodded: "You're really telling the truth."

“Sincerity earns trust. I can't hide anything from someone as important as you, nor do I need to.” The Dogtown boss asked again, “Then what about my request just now…”

Kurt Hansen was a typical warlord, definitely not a good person, but he was bad in a straightforward way.

V thought for a moment and said, "That would have to be at a different price."

Kurt Hansen's face lit up with joy, and he immediately said, "You can take 10% of Dogtown's annual revenue."

V shook his head.

Kurt Hansen gritted his teeth: "Twenty percent."

V shook his head again.

Kurt Hansen began to feign sympathy: "Dogtown is a small place, 20% is really a lot."

V shook his head for the third time: "I know you have connections with all the major powers and have turned Dogtown into a smuggling paradise, but you yourself said that Dogtown is a small place and the profits are limited. Whether it's a 10% or 20% profit, it makes no difference to me."

“What do you want?” Kurt Hansen asked.

V's eyes narrowed: "I want Dog Town."

Kurt Hansen laughed, but the laugh was cold and cruel, turning him from a wagging stray dog ​​into a snarling hound.

"You have quite an appetite. If you think you can eat it all, then please feel free to continue."

"Don't get angry yet, let me finish," V said slowly. "I want Dogtown, but not the land. You will still be the boss of Dogtown. I only want the market."

“But we still need Dogtown,” Kurt Hansen said. “Without a market, Dogtown is nothing!”

V said calmly, "Even if there's a market for it, Dogtown is still a joke."

Kurt Hansen paused for a moment, then said somewhat reluctantly, "So you still have your eye on it?"

“The most important thing in the market is not the framework but the reputation, especially in the smuggling business. You have worked diligently for the past few years and have a good reputation in the industry. Although it wouldn’t be too difficult for me to build my own market, the reputation would take time to build. In that case, I might as well just take what’s readily available from you.”

Kurt Hansen said with a hint of pride, "That's right. To ensure the goods are delivered smoothly, I have connections on both land and sea routes. Even if those two routes are blocked, I can arrange for a transport plane to airdrop the goods. I'm not bragging, but every time I airdrop, I personally send out the Ghost Hound Squad to escort and receive the goods. In all these years, I've never lost a single order, guaranteeing 100% safety for my clients' property!"

V's expression was a bit strange. Back in the day, she had stolen quite a few of Hansen's airdrops. The so-called "not losing a single drop" probably, maybe, perhaps, or even worse, ended up being in her hands.

Kurt Hansen had no idea what was going on in V's mind, but he understood what V meant.

V doesn't want Dogtown; she wants the Dogtown brand to run her own business.

The dogtown boss was overjoyed.

That's right, it's a happy occasion.

Dogtown has sounded impressive these past few years, but that's only in the eyes of ordinary people. To the big shots, Dogtown is just a toilet—used when needed, and avoided like the plague when not.

V is going to use Dogtown's name to stir up trouble, so naturally she won't let that name fall flat on her face. This is Arasaka's boss in Night City; while she's using Dogtown's name, Dogtown is also using her name, making a killing!

Kurt Hansen knew V was using him, but to be used by V was an incredible stroke of luck; most people didn't even have that privilege. Reason told him he should agree immediately, but emotion said, "How can you win without greed?" After much deliberation, the Dogtown boss was finally persuaded by emotion and asked:

"What's in it for me?"

V smiled, and instead of answering, asked in return, "So you agree?"

Kurt Hansen nodded and asked again, "What's in it for me?"

"No rush, I need to talk to other people about this. Come with me."

V led Kurt Hansen to a new room, sent a few messages, and soon Meredith Stock, Joanne Koch, and Xu Zhong arrived.

"Let me introduce you. This is Colonel Kurt Hansen, the boss of Dogtown."

Joanne Koch and Xu Zhong greeted each other normally without putting on airs. Although Meredith Stock made a few sarcastic remarks, he didn't cause any trouble on the spot.

Military technology is meant to deal with Hansen, but this is a banquet hosted by V. The blonde, slicked-back, mature woman certainly can't ruin her friend's event. Since it's work, she should do it during get off work hours; it's after work now.

To be honest, Kurt Hansen had no idea why V had called him over.

In fact, V doesn't really need Kurt Hansen to do anything right now; she's just been talking to Meredith Stock and others.

"The company alliance can resolve some official disputes, but we can't and don't need to do the really clandestine transactions. So I wanted to establish our own underground market. Isn't this perfect for taking over the Haijing Scenic Area? It belongs to Taiping Prefecture, which is basically a no-man's land. It's also coastal, so both water and land transportation are convenient. I think it's pretty good. What about you guys?"

Joanne Koch shrugged: "I have no objection."

Xu Zhong was even more honest: "I'm young and inexperienced. If Sister V says I can do it, then I'll just follow her lead."

Now that the junior section chief is a junior CEO, V can't be as casual as before, so he said, "Our personal relationship is one thing, but this is business. Feel free to share your thoughts."

Xu Zhong shook his head repeatedly: "Really not. I was in the army before and don't know anything about business operations. My grandfather also told me to listen to Sister V and learn through practice."

“Your grandfather really knows who I am?” V was very surprised.

"Yes, didn't I tell you before that Grandpa asked me to convey his gratitude to you?"

"I thought you were making it up."

Xu Zhong shuddered: "Who would dare to speak ill of him?"

In short, Xu Zhong had no objections, and V then looked at the blonde, slicked-back mature woman.

"Stock, what about you?"

“Okay.” Meredith Stock readily agreed.

V was slightly surprised: "Really? Didn't you say you wanted to use the seaside area as a bridgehead to take down Colonel Hansen?"

Kurt Hansen's face twitched a few times.

"Taking down Hansen will earn me credit, and with credit, I can get promoted and make a fortune. Now, establishing our own market will directly make us rich, so why would I bother?"

Everyone agreed it made perfect sense, and Kurt Hansen especially resonated with it. They'd sell anything for money—that's the American soldier for you. Look at the soldiers of the new America now, all talk of loyalty and righteousness, they've all been brainwashed into idiots by that old hag Miles.

“Alright, since everyone agrees, it’s settled then. The seaside area will be jointly developed by the company alliance, aiming to create an open and inclusive new market.” V immediately made the decision, and then continued, “Due to the special nature and geographical location of this market, I suggest that Colonel Hansen be put in charge of managing it.”

The dogtown boss was dumbfounded when he heard this: Huh, me?

Meredith Stock, who was supposed to be the adversary, was the first to agree: "Okay, the Ghost Hounds' fighting ability is trustworthy, and we can rest assured with them in charge."

Joanne Koch is accustomed to analyzing problems in detail: "If that's the case, the administrative divisions of Dogtown and Seaview will need to be changed."

V nodded: "I'll talk to the Night Clan tomorrow and ask the city government to come up with a plan to put the Seaview Area under the jurisdiction of Dogtown, on the grounds that Night City and Dogtown are jointly building a new economic zone."

Xu Zhong asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

“Of course,” V said. “Dogtown is short of electricity, and the Seaview area will definitely be a major electricity consumer after its reconstruction. We’ll leave that to Conto. Don’t worry, Dogtown pays its electricity bill on time and won’t take advantage of you.”

“Okay, the electricity will be used as soon as it’s generated. I’ll go back and discuss with my engineers to add a few more photovoltaic arrays to the power station to meet Night City’s future development needs. As for the electricity price in Dogtown—Jiang Ping’s price is definitely not good enough, it’s too low. From now on, it will be based on Night City’s standard electricity price, but there will be no more rationing.”

"Not bad, you're starting to apply what you've learned to other situations, Section Chief." V encouraged them, then said to Meredith Stock and Joanne Koch, "You two should also let everyone know privately, so that each company is getting ready. Dogtown is short of everything, and there's plenty of good stuff there too. This is a great opportunity to make money. The bosses shouldn't get involved; leave some for their subordinates. Our main focus is on the reconstruction of the Seaview area, still the old 30/70 split. Oh, and this time, include Colonel Hansen too. Let's all make money together."

Seeing that no one had any objections, V turned to the stunned Coulson Hansen and asked, "Alright, now let's talk about your benefits. What do you want?"

What do I want?

The seaside scenic area has inexplicably become mine, what the hell do I dare to ask for?!

Kurt Hansen touched his bald head, and said awkwardly, "How about I don't take the split? Otherwise I won't feel at ease."

“Take it if I give it to you. You have a bunch of brothers under you. Don’t just try to fool them with food and clothing. At least give them an extra dish.”

The dogtown boss patted his head again: "Alright, you're righteous. I thank you on behalf of the brothers."

“Do your job well, and the company won’t treat you unfairly.” V said seriously, “I don’t care what happens in Dogtown, but the Seaview area is a project of the company alliance, and it’s going to be on the news. Tell your men that if anyone causes trouble in the Seaview area, I won’t show any mercy to Ghost Dog.”

Kurt Hansen nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, if anything happens, you don't need to tell me, I'll cut that bastard's head off myself first."

"As expected of the boss of Dogtown, he's really generous!" V patted Kurt Hansen on the shoulder: "Come on, let's go for a drink."

That night, everyone got drunk.

Kurt Hansen, in particular, had his men carry him back.

This guy is capable and courageous. After being abandoned in Night City by the new America, he reacted quickly, immediately changing his strategy and taking over Dogtown, which shows he's quite clever. Most importantly, he's ruthless enough to keep things under control; but he's not completely evil, so as not to betray you unless you betray him.

V admires Kurt Hansen. If it weren't for the lark, she wouldn't have... well, let's not dwell on the past.

The next day, V mentioned the idea of ​​rebuilding the seaside resort at the company alliance meeting, and everyone naturally agreed.

Although I don't know why the military technology side gave up, what was originally a solo effort has now become a shared meal for everyone, and only a fool would refuse.

As for Kurt Hansen, although he's not part of the circle, it doesn't matter this time. The local bullies need to be appeased, and the company representatives don't care about these three small matters. What they value more is the underlying meaning of this incident—V brought Kurt Hansen in, does that mean Dogtown has sided with Arasaka? If so, then Arasaka's fighting strength in Night City needs to be recalculated.

Before they could figure it out, V proposed a series of construction plans.

Today they're building three schools in Heywood, tomorrow they're building a pollution recycling center in the Watson Industrial Zone, a comprehensive prosthetic repair service station has just started construction on Japan Street in Westbrook, and now they're building a brand new locust farm and two synthetic meat production lines in the wasteland.

If it weren't for the continued adherence to the old "30/70 split" rule, the representatives of the company alliance would have almost thought that V was genuinely doing charity work.

While V's scheme is clearly a case of false advertising, its sheer number makes up for it.

The three schools are incomplete, but it's still better than having none at all.

The pollution recovery center only works three days a week and takes a break during holidays, but the pollution remaining in the industrial area has indeed begun to decrease slowly.

Prosthetic repair shops are not as cheap and affordable as advertised, but the quality is guaranteed, so that people at the bottom of society no longer have to scavenge for parts in garbage dumps to insert into their bodies.

The locust farms and synthetic meat production lines were even simpler, managing to reduce the price of Tom's Restaurant's artificial meat sandwiches by 0.2 euros. This was the first price drop in Night City in nearly thirty years, and the city government did a full twelve-part special report on it.

So regardless of whether the split is 30/70 or not, the lives of ordinary people have indeed improved a little. V is generally highly regarded by the public, and some people have even suggested that V should become the new mayor of Night City.

Upon seeing this message, V couldn't help but curse: "These damn people! I helped them, and they actually cursed me!"

As the top leader of Arasaka in Night City, V would never stoop to be some minor mayor.

Xu Zhong laughed and said, "Isn't this great? In China, this is what we call the will of the people."

“But this is Night City.” V said speechlessly, “By the way, why are you following me around all day? Don’t you have anything better to do?”

"Of course I'm learning from you." Xu Zhong even pulled out a small notebook: "I've kept track of everything you've done these past few days. Not only have you managed to balance the interests of major companies and get them to willingly part with their money, but you've also genuinely improved the quality of life for ordinary people. This is a skill you can't learn from textbooks!"