Chapter 555 - 526: Special News Conference

Imagine, one day in the future, the very company that once kicked you to the curb, treating you as expendable and a scapegoat, now watches as Mackinaw Company, which has grown into a behemoth, bows and scrapes before you...

You could even give them a slap in the face!

Though it’s the clichéd story of revenge and a comeback, no one can resist becoming the protagonist.

Sherman is a very ambitious and adventurous fellow, or else he wouldn’t have fallen to where he is today:

It was he who proposed the Mackinaw brand plan, and it was he who proactively took on this job, which is clearly fraught with huge risks.

His mood plunged from Heaven to Hell, and now he’s back to the human world.

He now has two choices: First, to honestly hand over all the information he has, then give up all the Mackinaw conceptual stocks to whichever company, just to clean the slate and start from scratch as an ordinary person.

But his resume is so colorful, at best he might be able to mingle with the Old Captain.

The second option, selectively cooperate and then claim that he himself is the actual company behind the Mackinaw conceptual stocks—

Indeed, everyone knows that this stock is a conceptual one, theoretically representing the Mackinaw series of pick-up trucks by Thunder Power Company, but in reality, this stock has no corresponding physical industry.

Conceptual stocks do indeed need a company to issue them, but in reality, they are extremely speculative products. When the new owner that is, Hillman and his engineering team, were fired, it became a product that has absolutely no affiliation with Thunder Power Company.

Such products usually still circulate on the stock market, but they will soon collapse and disappear over time.

Moreover, this conceptual stock is actually tied to the achievements of Burger King squad, their more exaggerated and sensational activities within the rules, the bigger the reputation of Mackinaw, the higher the stock price.

Now it’s different, before they were a mercenary gang, perhaps with some illegal elements, but they had an employer, someone to smooth things over, someone who benefited from their actions.

Now it’s... independent, an internationally wanted criminal gang, all companies are in action.

The subtle change in identity will also subtly change the nature of this stock, and these subtle changes could accumulate into an avalanche-style collapse.

For example, if at this time a company were to offload these 18 billion euros in stocks and cash out, this stock, and the Mackinaw brand that has caused a sensation this year, would both take a significant hit, but those who sell first could make a tidy sum of over a hundred billion—trimming some naive speculators.

"...So, regarding the criminal organizations in Night City..." Susan paused, "Burger King dealing in information about foolish big shots, are you sure that’s all there is?"

Even the well-seasoned Susan instinctively hesitated when reading out the name.

Especially considering that someone under such a brainless name had carried out such cruel and vicious activities.

Sherman nodded adeptly: "That’s it, there are many technologies in the car that they crafted by themselves."

Listening in on this conversation were not only Susan, openly representing Military Technology, but also the network surveillance, Arasaka, NCPD, and other companies interested in the matter here, all listening in secret.

Hearing this, they all had a similar thought:

Ha ha, crafted by hand.

If someone else had said this, they would have arrested Sherman on the spot: Dared to take them for fools? Let him taste what interrogation is.

But applied to Lille—

It seemed completely plausible.

After all, it was like pulling a magic trick out of nowhere to produce weapons-grade uranium fuel, then crafting a nuclear battery; the whole thing seemed so sudden and absurd.

Sherman was very cooperative, giving up all the supply chains, resources, and technologies, specifically allocated by Thunder Power Company for this special distribution of Mackinaw, and Military Technology’s main way to judge authenticity was to see if there was any concealment in the supply chain links.

From the supply chain’s perspective, what was transported to Night City were either finished engines or semi-finished integrated electronic control platforms, and some components with special requirements for workmanship, leaving no significant room for operation.

And the supply chain process for these products, all took place within New America—taking place within New America meant taking place within Military Technology’s jurisdiction, and verifying them was incredibly swift.

[Lark: No problematic parts were found.]

The answer was surprising: all procedures of Thunder Power Company were in compliance with New America’s legal regulations, with virtually no traces of irregularities, making it hard to even find a point of entry for careful scrutiny.

That is to say, excluding those uncaught production bases of Burger King criminal gang in Night City, just considering the link between Thunder Power and Mackinaw...

There was no fault to be found.

Damn it, so the hand-crafting matter had signs all along, but they were kept in the dark, thinking Mackinaw Company really did come up with some outrageous product.

Susan closed her eyes for a moment, exited the comparison provided by the hacker Lark, and got straight to the point:

"Let’s talk about the second matter, about the Mackinaw conceptual stocks..."

"What about them? Are we talking about my personal assets now?"

Sherman behaved like a miser.

The value of Mackinaw conceptual stock was now 50 billion due to some fluctuations from the nuclear explosion incident, but since the base didn’t move, a collapse was unlikely, especially since there’s a lot of illicit group funds in the stock market, some people don’t see the nuclear explosion as a big deal, unless the base starts to sell off.

The stocks in Sherman’s hands, valued at 18 billion euros, were a very tempting treat for giant corporations, there’s no reason for them not to take it.

Thunder Power Company, although said to be able to hand it over to Military Technology, had actually already transferred the stocks to Sherman, their thinking was:

Sherman surely couldn’t hold on to this hot potato without letting go, right?

Defying everyone’s expectations, he really did hold on to it!

The detachment of Mackinaw conceptual stock from Thunder Power Company was no secret to super corporations, so Susan was surprised, startled by the guy... having a death wish?

If he turned in everything honestly, then he would be a penniless pauper, though nothing would be left, but he would gain the company’s trust: trust that he really had nothing much to do with Burger King, and his attitude was good in admitting fault.

But if he clung to that much money without releasing it, then things could get tricky—the company might not have found any clues yet, but they would still be watching him.

Before he saw Susan, Sherman was bolstering his courage.

Feeling Susan’s scrutinizing gaze stabbing into him like knives, he only felt the pressure skyrocketing.

So he thought he should say something.

"I know what you’re thinking, but no matter what you say, that I’m overreaching, that I’m courting death, that a zombie chewed my brain, but I...

I love this money, to death I love this money!

Thunder Company fired me, so I’ll start my own company. That’s why I’m not going to dispose of these shares, understand!

Mackinaw is the ultimate car! I’ll start my own company!!!"

Sherman’s voice roared loudly; he had intended to portray himself as calm and steadfast.

But as he spoke, he couldn’t contain himself—there was only him and Susan in the room, this fearsome humanoid weapon.

Susan Frist was a "positive role model" accepted by society, a special operations commander under the jurisdiction of the New America’s Federation Department of Justice, the "Federal Executioner" renowned across North America—

A living legend, the Lone Wolf symbolizing military technology!

In Night City, everyone feared Arasaka Tower’s bodyguard Adam Hammer, and being alone with Susan was hardly less pressure than facing that murderer.

To say he wasn’t frightened would be a lie; stripped of his prosthetics, Sherman simply couldn’t control his emotions, and the rest came out in a shout.

Just as he blinked after his outburst, he suddenly felt a chilling coldness above his head...

A handgun was pressed against his head, the military technology M76E Omaha, a powerful technological weapon that didn’t shoot ordinary bullets but solid metal projectiles, which at this distance would blow his head off in one shot.

Regret was already too late; Sherman felt his words stuck in his throat.

He had only wanted to invest honestly in a mercenary gang, to ride on the coattails of Night City’s underground emperor—how had it come to this?

He thought of what Burger King had told him, those three completely reckless lunatics who had also driven him to this point—

The answer was what Lille had just told him: he had always wanted a chance.

But the higher one climbs, the more they worry.

And because of the fear of losing, regretting losing, dreading losing, because he had clearly seen everything going according to plan and watched his big brother win the competition, about to reap the rewards, yet he suddenly decided to become a super criminal, making himself a target...

This contrast numbed him, disappointed him, made him a little unwilling to keep trying.

Burger King reminded him: there was still a chance to win big—18 billion euros. What company stooge could earn that much?

Everyone in this world lives a hard life; a start-up company needs to have some fight.

The head is hot, the emotions are unstable, but the thought process has to become clear.

Sherman moved his head forward, pressing it against Susan’s gun, wanting to push the gun back but unable to do so.

Susan’s arm was as immovable as steel, and Sherman felt the skin of his forehead sink into the barrel:

"Mackinaw’s concept stocks have been separated from Thunder Company. I have submitted the relevant information to European banks and the European Securities Agency, registered a real entity company, and will, in the future, inject these concept stocks into that company.

The name is ’Mackinaw General Vehicle Manufacturing Company,’ a company worth 50 billion, maybe not as big as a multinational in military technology, but not some small factory to be trifled with either.

If you shoot me now, the capital will transfer to the next person. Then the money won’t go to starting a company—

The next person will hire Arasaka Group with that money, and they’ll surely be happy to use that money to cause you some trouble...

They’re listening, and you should know they’d definitely prefer you to shoot me right now..."

Crushing him was no more than squashing a bug for military technology, but their competitors suddenly gaining billions in funds—that would be a heavy loss.

Especially now, there isn’t much evidence to tie Mackinaw to nuclear bombs and those... high-end, allegedly illegal technologies.

Sherman grasped the barrel, swallowed, and sneered, "Go ahead, shoot me."

Susan jerked the gun away and turned to leave, dropping a remark before she left:

"Madman."

Sherman crashed down face-first, pain exploding across his face as it slammed into the table.

But though his face was against the table, his expression was all smiles.

He smiled complicatedly, but it felt damn good.

[Old Captain: Damn... that took guts, brother. This press conference... not a bad show, and it brought some serious face.]

No one knew how many super corporations were watching, watching this madman’s monologue like a press conference unfolding.

Although the public hadn’t been clued in yet, many of the top-tier companies were listening to the conversation taking place in this room.

And none of the companies at the conference took Sherman’s Mackinaw General Vehicle Manufacturing Company seriously.

"Damn it... Someday I’ll create your downfall, all of you."