Chapter 608: Cooperation
"How did you know that?!"
The executive looked at the projected information with an extremely grim expression. If this information were released, they would definitely become the target of public criticism among the five major companies.
"Secret~"
Handsome Jack put away his Chaos-brand phone and smiled even more. He used Chaos's ability to crack the Ye Group's network firewall and stole the confidential information.
Although it took quite a while and we were almost discovered, it was all worth it as we were able to achieve the desired effect.
However, he doesn't need to tell the other party the answer specifically.
Seeing the handsome Jack's smiling face, the executive officer returned to his previous indifference and asked in a deep voice: "So, what do you want?"
"I said it from the beginning, it's cooperation."
Handsome Jack took a few steps forward and looked down at the executive: "In order to let you know that the person who wants to cooperate with you is not an idiot with delusional ideas, I have no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Now, can you try to listen to my request for cooperation?"
Upon hearing this, the executive officer stared sharply at the masked face of Handsome Jack, but no matter how she looked, Handsome Jack's expression did not change at all.
After thinking for a few seconds, the executive officer took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "Tell me about the cooperation you mentioned, and who are you?"
“A wise choice.”
Handsome Jack waved his hand, and Ash, who was behind the executive officer, put away the long knife in his hand and disappeared into the shadows silently again.
The executive officer who regained his freedom did not try to call the security forces. He just looked at the handsome Jack silently, pretending to listen.
"First, please introduce yourself."
Handsome Jack pulled out a chair nearby, turned it around and sat in front of the executive: "We are the new company in Taipingzhou, Metal Gear, and I am the CEO of Metal Gear, Handsome Jack."
"Metal Gear!?"
Hearing this, the executive was really shocked. He didn't expect that the general manager of Metal Gear Solid, whom all companies wanted to investigate , was actually the person in front of him!
Ever since the emergence of the new company in Taiping Island, other companies have wanted to investigate it thoroughly, but no matter how many people they sent, the only response they got was blood and silence.
This is undoubtedly abnormal. They even contacted the lower-level cyberpunks and wanted these mercenaries who value money over their lives to go and investigate.
But the efficient cyberpunks of the past were unable to obtain any useful intelligence from it. Pacific Island has become more introverted and mysterious than when it was controlled by the Voodoo Gang.
The new company established in Taiping Island also promoted its products to the outside world, namely individual flying combat suits and matching intelligent weapons.
Although it has not yet started selling, it has already started to be promoted.
They could also see the soldier flying over Taiping Island. Even though there was only one person, the damage he could cause had already exceeded that of an ordinary armored vehicle team.
As for why there was only one person, they had speculated about it.
Perhaps it was because the combat uniforms were extremely difficult to use, so soldiers were extremely difficult to train; perhaps it was because the strength was hidden and the emperor did not want them to know how many soldiers there were; perhaps it was a provocation, telling them that it only took one flying soldier to expel all of their people from Taiping Island.
As for only one soldier and one flight combat suit? That is the most unlikely guess. After all, being able to develop such a combat-capable flight suit already means that it can be mass-produced.
Moreover, this combat uniform is already perfect. It might be a combat uniform from the fifth or sixth generation.
It can't possibly appear out of thin air, right?
Therefore, those companies that entered Taiping Island were more curious about who occupied Taiping Island and where the Metal Gear company came from.
Unfortunately, until now, apart from the information about Jack the Ripper revealed by Maman Bridget on the Internet, no one else knows the rest.
Even from a network perspective, they can't get any benefits, because Metal Gear Solid seems to have very strong hackers .
Not only can we defend against their attacks, but we can even hack into them and steal the company's confidential information from their networks.
In other words, each company has its own hacker team, which is why the other party was unable to gain any advantage. But from this point it can also be seen that the other party's foundation does not seem to be as weak as they imagined.
It wasn't entirely luck that the other party was able to deal with the troublemakers in Taiping Island that they had never been able to deal with. Those mysterious guys were enough to make them take notice of them.
The same is true for Ye's Company. They also tried to find the secrets of Metal Gear Solid, but also found nothing.
But now, the mysterious Metal Gear CEO appeared in front of her so openly and even approached her for cooperation.
"Why?"
The executive officer did not agree immediately, but asked back.
Since it is a company, the first goal it seeks must be profit. She doesn't believe that the other party is looking for cooperation with her purely out of goodwill.
"The reason..."
Handsome Jack chuckled, crossed his hands and placed them on his philtrum, stared at the executive and said, "Because your Knight Group is a local company in Night City, and you have long been dissatisfied with other companies, right?"
“…”
There was silence for a few seconds, and the executive officer sneered, "So what?"
“This is the basis of our cooperation.”
Handsome Jack raised a slightly crazy smile and said, "We can work together to drive out foreign companies, turn Night City into a truly one-man show, and then turn it into the utopia you dream of."
After hearing the arrogant words of handsome Jack, the executive officer felt that this man seemed to be still asleep.
Expel foreign companies? If they could really do it with just one word, then why would the Ye Group be so timid and afraid of conflicts with other major companies?
Any wild talk that is not commensurate with one's strength will only sound like a daydream.
As if he saw the uncertainty in the executive's eyes, handsome Jack changed the subject and said again: "Of course, this is only our ultimate goal. The current goal is that I need to cooperate with you to develop the profitable area of Taiping Island."
"Your Knight Group is the largest contractor and public purchaser in the city, and I want to develop Taiping Island. The best partner is you. No other company has this condition."
"We can make Taiping Island the ultimate resort. After all, Taiping Island was originally intended to be a resort, right? But now every idiot wants to get in on the action and take a piece of the action. That's not okay."
"It's just the two of us who are developing this place. Wouldn't it be good for us to work together to make money?"
After hearing this, the executive's expression relaxed a little. Compared with the initial reason of expelling all external companies, this reason was more realistic.
Let’s work together to develop Taiping Island?
The executive lowered his head in thought. Seeing that the executive had begun to think about cooperation, handsome Jack stopped disturbing him and just waited quietly for the final result.
After his repeated consideration, the other party's intention to cooperate has reached more than 80%. Unless other accidents occur, the cooperation is a foregone conclusion.
"Okay, but you stole our confidential information..."
The executive smiled. She agreed to cooperate, but now she wanted to talk about another matter.
Upon hearing this, handsome Jack also responded with a smile. He understood the meaning of the executive's next sentence. Wasn't he trying to gain more benefits from this?
Cooperation is only the first stage; the second stage is the time to haggle over the distribution of benefits.
…
Time passed quickly, and soon, a group of companies realized one thing, that is, Taipingzhou's Alloy Gear had actually reached a cooperation with Ye's Group.
This is something that cannot be hidden. After all, if you want to develop Taiping Island, you need to rebuild and renovate roads, bridges, tunnels, subways, light rails... and all other facilities.
All of these were within the business scope of the Ye Group. When the employees of the Ye Group poured into Taiping Island but were not expelled, other companies knew that they were one step behind.
All services in Pacific Island will be restarted, but they will not be able to have a place in it.
If they are slow, it will be too late for them to intervene in Taiping Island, a region full of money.
They wanted to question and force the Ye Group to give up some of its profits, but the response they got was only four words.
No comment!
In response to this, other companies could only be secretly annoyed. After all, Night City was independent of all countries, and they could not mobilize too much force to come in.
If every company can mobilize its power without restrictions, it will sooner or later cause a backlash and ultimately destroy Night City completely, and no one will benefit.
Even though Ye’s Group is not the leading company, it is one of the top five companies, so the financial war will also lose its best effect.
At this moment, other companies suddenly realized that even though Taiping Island was being rebuilt in full swing, they could only watch.
The local residents of Taiping Island also got jobs that could make money because of the reconstruction of Taiping Island.
They have now surrendered to Metal Gear Solid. Although they are still afraid that the company will abandon them in the future, they have no choice.
Because they were the ones who cleaned up the bodies of the previous person who surrendered, the Voodoo Gang.
The consequences of disobedience are fresh in their minds, and they don't want to follow in their footsteps.
…
"I didn't expect Jack to do such a good job. I was right about him."
In the apartment, Xia Yu was lying on the bed browsing the Pacific Island news circulating on the Internet to learn about the movements of handsome Jack and others.
"Have you cooperated with the Ye Group? I'm really not suitable to be a leader."
He thought that handsome Jack would directly declare war on all companies, but things turned out to be completely opposite to his expectation. However, he is just a useless boss, so it is better not to interfere.
"Forget it, get up!"
Xia Yu closed the virtual vision, propped himself up and prepared to get up, but before he straightened up, his hands suddenly went limp and he lay back down again.
“…”
As if he had thought of something, Xia Yu tremblingly took the small mirror on the bedside and looked at himself in the mirror. He had visible dark circles under his eyes and a slightly pale, haggard face.
"I have been so damaged by alcohol and sex that I am so haggard!"
Xia Yu muttered something casually, and suddenly threw the mirror in his hand angrily.
"From today on, stop drinking!"
etc!
He doesn't seem to drink alcohol anyway, so that's fine.
