"James Reddington."
Karl searched his memory, then said, "Never heard of him."
"Just some two-bit junkie who accidentally cooked up Shiny. Knew a little chemistry, that's all."
Dino added, "If you'd known his name before this, he wouldn't have stayed so anonymous."
"If I'd known back then what he's doing now," Karl said, "I might've popped his skull just passing by—just for the sound. That'd make him famous real fast."
Karl had no sympathy for people like that. "So he's the one who invented Shiny. And this job… I'm supposed to find him and the Tiger Claws' production site in City Center and burn it all down?"
"Exactly. My people spotted him recently, always hanging around City Center with someone who looks like a Tiger Claws bodyguard. They were moving in pairs. But just when I told my guys to dig deeper—poof—he disappeared. And not long after, Shiny started flooding the area. That doesn't sound like a coincidence, does it?"
"Couldn't the stuff have just been trafficked over from Japantown? It's not far."
"This is City Center, Karl."
Dino's tone was full of confidence. "If something moves in my turf and it ain't corporate, I know about it. Nothing comes in unless I let it."
"And still you couldn't find him? Shiny's not the kind of drug you can just whip up in a garage. Shouldn't be hard to trace the supply chain."
If anyone else had asked that many questions, Dino would've either shut them down or warned them to back off. But this was Karl. He got special treatment.
"Yeah, I could find him," Dino said. "But I'd rather not go toe-to-toe with the Tiger Claws directly. And let's not forget — this gig ain't even mine to run. You haven't forgotten, right, Karl? This one's coming from a different, very well-funded client."
"Got it."
Karl glanced at V, who stood nearby like a silent bodyguard, then looked back at Dino. "So they're using us like blunt instruments — send us in on a 'job' to wreck the Tiger Claws' operation. If the Claws catch wind of it and start digging, they'll waste time chasing some mysterious 'client' with no trail."
"And by the time they start asking the right questions…"
Dino gave a crooked smile. "It'll all be old news. This city only cares about what's hot. No one remembers a big deal that went down a few months ago."
"Sounds like you're real confident we won't spill a word."
"Team Karl doesn't move without a down payment, never leaks client info, always delivers clean work. Everyone knows your rep."
Dino straightened his jacket. "And if the Tiger Claws try forcing it out of you? I trust you'll put 'em in the ground. I'll be waiting for the good news."
With that, he stood up. "If you don't mind the selection, drinks are on the house. This gig ain't super time-sensitive, but if possible, I'd like it wrapped up within two weeks."
As Dino walked out of the bar, Karl stood and turned to V. "You heard all that, right?"
"Find the guy, wreck the setup — yeah, sounds like a pain in the ass…"
V had done enough jobs with Karl's crew to tell when something was going to be a headache.
"But with that kind of payout," V added, "I'd say it's worth the trouble."
"Yeah. It's a hell of a reward."
The total payout was €$400,000 — a massive sum. Most jobs the team took barely hit €$80K or €$90K. This was nearly four times that. Enough to buy two Militech Centaur exosuits.
But once Karl got access to Dino's shared intel, it became clear: Shiny wasn't just another back-alley drug.
A single half-human-sized canister of the stuff could supply Night City for a month. Street value? €$2 million. Now that was insane.
For the Tiger Claws, this was just a new enterprise — and it was already printing money. Sell one canister, and you could buy yourself an ACPA.
Compared to the Sixth Street Gang, stuck scraping sand near the Badlands, the Tiger Claws were thriving. With prime turf like Japantown and fresh money pouring in, no wonder they could support twice as many members — all sporting high-end cyberware and riding flashy custom bikes.
Still, no matter how profitable, a drug like this shouldn't exist.
Same category as Scav trash — just seeing it feels like an offense to your eyes.
Karl and V didn't stick around long in the bar. Sure, Dino had offered free drinks, but they only stayed long enough to grab a crate of beer each. The bartender didn't look thrilled, but they were gone in under ten minutes.
While V opened the iron door with one hand, beer case in the other, Karl glanced back at the bouncer standing nearby, arms crossed.
The guy avoided eye contact. His shades pointed at Karl, sure — but Karl could tell. The man wasn't actually looking at him.
Something about this guy... can't ignore it.
Karl noticed V had already stepped out. As Karl followed, he paused mid-step, then turned his head again.
This time, their eyes met.
In that split second, Karl's whole body tensed.
Danger.
He moved.
Tearing open his beer case, Karl grabbed a bottle and tossed it upward. As it hung in the air, he flicked out his monowire from his fingertip and used it like a pen, etching numbers into the glass.
His comm number.
Time resumed.
He caught the bottle — then tossed it to the bouncer.
"My number," Karl said. "If you ever get tired of bouncing and want to try merc work, I've got a spot for you."
And with that, he left the bar.
Why did he make the offer?
Maybe it was instinct. The guy radiated power. And strangely, like Kenichiro Arasaka or even Mr. Johnson, he wasn't the kind of man you could hate.
The bouncer caught the bottle with lightning speed. He looked at the etched number, then at the now-closed iron door.
No expression.
He set the beer aside.
Can't drink on the clock.
But...
He looked at the bottle again. His tense body relaxed just a little.
Maybe after his shift, he'd crack it open — and have a drink with something stronger.
.
.
.
🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
📢 Chooms, Listen Up! 📢
You can now jack in and get 100 chapters ahead on Patreon for Cyberpunk: The Relentless! 💾🔥
Stay synced with the chrome, the carnage, and the chaos—early access is stacked and ready. 🧠💀
🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 Patreon name: SrMagnus
Preem support as always, chooms. See you in Night City. 🌆💫