The thick winter fog, like gray velvet, shrouded the undulating Salinas Valley, covering the entire valley like a thick blanket, completely isolating the sky from the earthly world.
Only a tiny stream andered down from the valley.
The Salinas River is a famous river in California. Many small towns and cities are built along its banks, Golden City being one of them, nestled right beside Highway 101, an ideal place for roadside robbery.
But after the California earthquake years ago, the river changed course and split; part of it flowed towards Big Sur, while another part continued along its original riverbed. The water flow drastically decreased, and now in the dry season, only a few small branches remain, seemingly ready to dry up at any ti, flowing through the vast riverbed, turning the large wheat fields that once surrounded the town into dusts of history.
Valerie stood on the third floor of the town bank, looking towards Big Sur hidden behind the Salinas River Valley, feeling a vague unease.
She had been in this godforsaken place for half a month, but hadn't received a single piece of good news.
She expected the situation where both inside and outside the city was a ss, considering those cyber lunatics were a tough lot to deal with. re rabble hoping to defeat them, even with private support from within the corporation, could easily backfire.
If one were to treat this group as rcenaries from Night City, they would et a miserable end.
"Your Huang Ban is truly generous, sending these big toys. Can you tell what those folks above are thinking? Could it be that Huang Ban Sanlang's ancestral grave got dug up?"
Olivia sat back on her chair, her long legs in leather pants propped up on the table, asking curiously.
"..."
Upon hearing the disrespect towards Huang Ban Sanlang, Valerie imdiately frowned but did not turn around, instead saying coldly.
"These matters have nothing to do with you, just do your own job straightforwardly, and after it's done, we're even."
"Hey, don't be so heartless."
Olivia retracted her legs and stood up from the chair, taking two steps to stand behind Valerie. There was a wildness about her that city dwellers lacked, sowhat similar to Panam.
She placed her hand on Valerie's shoulder.
"Co on, we've known each other for days now, haven't we?"
"Seeing you like this, I know you're pissed. You say, why be a corporate dog at all? Why not follow , do whatever you want, wouldn't it be freer than staying with Huang Ban?"
"Don't you say that's right, fellas!"
Her words elicited a burst of laughter from the Chaotic Blade Association mbers downstairs who were wielding weapons.
"That's right!"
"The boss is right! There's nothing to gain in the city, just lots of crap!"
"..."
Valerie didn't speak, but she was very disdainful of what the other said inside.
She could be friends with Jack because he was honest, principled, valuing his rules more than his life.
Yet these people in front of her, everyone was utterly despicable.
Woo—
The piercing alarm echoed through the town, imdiately grabbing everyone's attention.
Many people revealed individual guided rocket launchers and loitering munitions, even so anti-aircraft machine guns.
This isn't near Night City, even excluding the support from Huang Ban, they're well-equipped.
The patrol leader Lafei's avatar popped up in Olivia's view.
"Olivia! An aerial vehicle is approaching Golden City; it seems to be heading towards us!"
Olivia, sowhat unhappy about being interrupted, asked.
"Whose is it?"
"There's Huang Ban's insignia painted on the hovercar."
"Huang Ban?"
Olivia was a bit surprised and looked towards Valerie.
"..."
Valerie narrowed her eyes, having not received any instructions from Night City's Huang Ban Tower about soone coming today.
But she also knew that the other party was definitely not casually passing by.
And indeed, it was the case: that hovercar landed in the open space in front of Jincheng Bank under the aim of nurous anti-aircraft weapons.
Nurous firearms were pointed at the cabin door, but without Olivia's orders, they wouldn't fire.
When the cabin door opened and Valerie saw the woman seated on the leather chair, her pupils suddenly contracted.
Albertson didn't even intend to disembark.
"Douglas. Olivia, right? It's been so many days, and you're still wasting ti here? Did we spend so much money to have you vacation here?"
"And Valerie, I'm so disappointed in you. It's been such a long ti and there's no sign of anything happening. I'm rating your annual performance review as unsatisfactory."
Valerie took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in her heart.
"This is necessary equipnt operation training; acting too hastily will only bring the sa catastrophe as Stone Ridge Mountain. I don't want the drones shot down and fail miserably."
Her words carried hidden sarcasm; daring to speak this way to a superior ant she was tearing down the facade.
"Seems like you two don't get along well."
Olivia perceived so tension between them, but the one on the car was undoubtedly several levels above Valerie.
But that's none of her business.
Coming to her turf, they'd have to submit or none would leave alive.
But Albertson wasn't cordial.
"Olivia, if you don't want Huang Ban to settle scores, I'd advise you to act quickly."
"What do you an?"
"Nothing else."
Albertson signaled her n to put down their weapons.
"Just a reminder, if you don't go after them, they'll co after you."
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