Central City, 8:00 p.m.
A yellow RV pulled into a deep alley behind a chain supermarket.
As soon as Yuri parked, two men walked over to meet him.
Jem and Tangrui.
“I knew you’d come, man.
Who doesn’t want to make money?” Jem said with a look that said *just as I expected*.
“Hey, your rig looks a lot newer.
Did you get it refurbished?” Tangrui’s attention turned to the Rustbucket.
“Of course.
You guys have a big plan, and a beat-up vehicle obviously wouldn’t help execute it, right?” Yuri said naturally.
“Besides, if what you said is true, we’ll all be damn rich soon enough.
What’s a little RV makeover compared to that?”
“You’re fucking right about that,” Jem agreed.
“You gotta spend money when it counts.”
As he spoke, he climbed into the RV.
The Rustbucket’s interior hadn’t been modified, keeping the same environment inside as before, except it was much cleaner and tidier.
“Getting it to this state in a single night is beyond a regular shop.
Did you go to an auto repair shop under the Kenyon Union?” Tangrui walked to the front of the cabin and asked Yuri.
“Who else could pull off that kind of speed besides the Kenyon Union?” Yuri chimed in smoothly, even though he had never stepped foot inside a Kenyon Union shop.
“Alright, enough about my ride.
Where are we heading now?
And how are we making millions of dollars?”
Jem and Tangrui traded a glance, neither saying a word.
“Come on, I’m with you guys.
Whatever you’re planning, we’re accomplices.
If I don’t even know what we’re doing, how can I make sure our operation goes off without a hitch?” Yuri spread his hands, sounding completely earnest.
“You’re right.
You’re one of us now.
Even if you wanted to back out or quit, it’s already impossible.” After a brief silence, Jem spoke slowly.
“You know about The Rogues, right?
…
That’s a stupid question.
Nobody in the Twin Cities doesn’t know The Rogues.”
Jem glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then lowered his voice.
“But do you know who supplies The Rogues with weapons and intelligence?
Who’s been backing them from the shadows?”
*As expected!* Yuri’s heart gave a subtle thump. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Jem and Tangrui really had hooked up with a major power.
“Who?” Yuri asked, matching his hushed tone.
“Network!” Jem and Tangrui spoke in unison, their eyes filled with endless yearning and reverence.
“Network?” Yuri repeated the name mentally a couple of times.
*Hmm…
never heard of it.*
*What a weird name!
What genius came up with an organization name like that?
Look at villain groups elsewhere—Hydra, Umbrella, Team Rocket, the Brotherhood, Blackwatch…
Just hearing those sounds badass!
And you come up with “Network”?
People might think your house just got dial-up.*
“Don’t even think about snitching to the police about Network, because Network has eyes in every corner of the Twin Cities.
They know our every move.” Jem looked dead serious as he warned Yuri.
“Whenever someone tries to quit Network or gets caught, Network wipes their memory.
No matter where you run—even inside Iron Heights Penitentiary—you can’t escape Network’s revenge.”
Yuri nodded solemnly.
“I know what I should and shouldn’t do.
So where are we going now?
I can’t wait to become part of Network.”
“First we pick up two guys, then we head to Keystone City.” Jem gave Yuri an address, and Yuri immediately started up the Rustbucket.
Ten-plus minutes later, the Rustbucket pulled up in front of an abandoned warehouse.
Two guys were squatting out front, snorting or smoking something, their heads swaying with ecstatic expressions.
Jem and Tangrui waved at them from inside the RV, calling out softly.
“Patch!
Busk!”
The two junkies heard the call, turned around, saw Jem and Tangrui, and immediately trotted over.
“We’ve got work to do later.
Don’t go getting wasted.” Tangrui opened the door for Patch and Busk, while Jem frowned slightly on the side.
“Don’t worry, we didn’t even take half our usual dose today.” Patch and Busk grinned, utterly nonchalant.
Yuri stayed quiet, turning the RV around and heading toward Keystone City.
Tangrui, Jem, Patch, Busk—four junkie goons.
“Hey!
Jem, once we cross Van Buren Bridge, we’re in Keystone City.
What’s the plan?
Blowing up the bridge?” Yuri asked over his shoulder as he drove the Rustbucket onto the bridge.
“Go here.
Our boss is waiting for us there.” Jem leaned over and whispered an address into Yuri’s ear.
*Boss!* Yuri narrowed his eyes slightly.
If he guessed right, this “boss” was the one who actually had ties to Network.
Jem and his crew were cannon fodder at best.
Another half hour passed before Yuri finally reached the destination.
A bar.
Yuri stood at the entrance of the bar, lost in thought.
No drinking under twenty-one.
He hadn’t stepped foot inside a bar in this life.
“What are you hesitating for?
Get in here.” Jem noticed Yuri zoning out at the entrance and reminded him.
“…Coming right up.” Yuri gave a casual reply and followed them inside anyway.
He thought he’d be stopped by a bouncer, but surprisingly, nobody even gave him a second glance.
The bar looked small from the outside, but stepping inside revealed it was even smaller.
A bar counter, a few tables.
A burly, bald bartender who looked like Vin Diesel was wiping down glasses behind the counter.
The arrangement of tables and chairs resembled a small cafe more than a bar.
At least to Yuri, it was nothing like the bars typically seen in movies.
Business was slow.
Only two tables were occupied, spaced far apart, clearly not together.
The “boss” had to be one of them.
Sitting closest to Yuri’s group was a man around thirty with short white hair, wearing a sleeveless blue jacket.
Over a dozen bottles of booze sat on his table—seven or eight empty ones stacked on the right, unopened ones on the left.
His face was flushed red and his eyes were dazed, clearly drunk, yet he kept chugging more alcohol.
The other person sat near the back, back turned to Yuri and the others.
Aside from blonde hair, no other features were visible.
As soon as Tangrui and Jem entered, they headed toward the back, with Busk and Patch trailing right behind.
As for the heavy-drinking white-haired man, the four goons didn’t even spare him a glance.
Yuri didn’t overthink it and followed the goon quartet to the “boss’s” table.
However, when he got a clear look at this so-called “boss,” he couldn’t help being utterly stunned.