Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077
Chapter 241

Kiryu Zanma suddenly let out a fierce roar, silencing the commotion among his subordinates. On the other side, members of the Clemente family had already found a place to park. Clemente strode over with several dozen gunmen in tow.

"Mr. Zanma."

"Clemente-san, I didn't expect we'd meet under such... tense circumstances."

"Neither did I. If I had a choice, I'd much rather we met under a more pleasant atmosphere."

"Of course. That's my hope as well."

Kiryu Zanma looked back at his own group, the Tiger Claws, on edge as if facing an enemy army, then glanced at the members of the 6th Street Gang behind Clemente, who were just as wary.

"How about this—we each bring only three men inside. What do you say?"

"That's acceptable."

Clemente casually picked three from his group, who stepped forward to flank him. Kiryu Zanma waved a hand, and three Tiger Claws also stepped out.

"After you."

"No, After you."

With exaggerated politeness, the two groups entered the Imperial Hotel, while the rest of the 6th Street and Tiger Claws stood stationed on either side of the entrance, clearly divided.

As they stepped into the lobby, the sharply dressed floor manager came jogging up.

"Zanma-sama, your private room is ready."

Kiryu Zanma's face was expressionless. "Take us there."

"Right away."

The floor manager didn't call any other staff but personally led the group down the corridor. They arrived at a luxurious private suite. As Clemente was about to enter, Kiryu Zanma raised a hand to stop him.

"Hold on, my friend."

He tilted his head toward one of his men. The man gave a slight nod and stepped into the room to begin a thorough inspection—scanning with cyberoptics and physically checking surfaces. The floor manager was visibly surprised at first, but having undergone professional training, he kept his mouth shut.

Several minutes passed before the Tiger Claw finally finished.

"Zanma-sama, it's clear."

Kiryu Zanma nodded, then turned and offered Clemente a polite smile.

"All right, Clemente-san. Please, go ahead."

Clemente was surprised by Zanma's caution, but it only confirmed his suspicion: the attack wasn't orchestrated by the Kiryu-gumi.

After they sat down, Clemente noticed the room had no windows.

"Strange choice, Clemente-san?"

"Yes, quite."

"Windows make it easier for snipers. That's why I chose this room. I've said enough. Now it's your turn."

"Me?"

Kiryu Zanma chuckled. "Clemente-san, we're both men of the underworld. No need to beat around the bush. The Kiryu-gumi has no conflict of interest with the Maelstrom, Valentinos, or your 6th Street Gang. We're surrounded by allies, not enemies. So whoever killed our people earlier today—it was clearly aimed at you. Am I wrong, Clemente-san?"

Clemente wasn't surprised that he had guessed this much. "I can't say for sure, but I do have some thoughts."

"I'd love to hear them."

But instead of answering directly, Clemente brought up a seemingly unrelated topic. "I thought the food would be served by now—or at least some appetizers."

Kiryu Zanma shook his head, smiling. "No. We're not eating here. This Imperial Hotel may be a Kiryu-gumi property, but who's to say the staff hasn't been bought out? They could poison our meals."

Clemente's face darkened.

"Even if the staff haven't been compromised, the ingredients brought in could've been tampered with. And the chefs wouldn't even know they were cooking with poisoned goods."

Now Clemente's face was pale. This wasn't the kind of thinking he expected from someone as brutish and imposing as Kiryu Zanma—he wasn't supposed to be this cautious or paranoid.

"Mr. Zanma, your guess is correct. Whoever is trying to provoke conflict between our factions—they're targeting us."

"Oh?" Zanma leaned in with interest. "If I'm not mistaken, your gang dominates Santo Domingo and only clashes with the Valentinos. And I also heard that the only one who could possibly contest your control over Vista Del Rey—Padre Sebastian Ibarra—was recently ambushed and critically wounded. He's in the hospital now. So, Clemente-san, are you saying the attackers were Padre's men?"

Clemente answered plainly. "That's very likely. I can't think of anyone else."

Kiryu Zanma furrowed his brow. Based on intel he had purchased from Wakako Okada, the only faction the Clemente family had clashed with recently was Padre's.

Zanma, too, believed Padre's crew was the likeliest suspect. But one thing didn't add up...

"How did they acquire such precise intel?"

Zanma had heard that even Padre's right-hand man, Nikola, had defected—to the Clemente family, no less.

In fact, it was Nikola who pushed Padre's forces into launching an assault on Clemente territory, walking them straight into a trap and causing heavy casualties. If not for their tech weapons, Padre's side might've lost even more men.

Everything pointed to the Clemente family having the upper hand. So where had Padre's men gotten such accurate intel that they could strike both groups simultaneously and effectively?

Clemente let out a helpless sigh. "That's what I've been trying to figure out."

Kiryu Zanma crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat like a director ready to change topics. "Clemente-san, I believe you. I really don't think this was your family's doing. But I need to give my people an explanation."

Clemente's expression soured. He had known this was going to be a trap.

"Mr. Zanma, don't you think that's a bit much? We lost more people than you did. If I have to pay for losses, then who's going to pay for mine?"

Zanma smiled. He had fully expected Clemente's protest—and had already prepared his counter before even walking into the room.

"That's not how this works, Clemente-san. If I hadn't stepped in, we wouldn't be talking here today—we'd be spilling blood in the streets. When it comes to a fight, the Kiryu-gumi fears no one. But your Clemente family—can you afford a two-front war? Think about it, Clemente-san."

Greedy bastard!

On the surface, Clemente's face remained calm and stoic, but inwardly, he had cursed Kiryu Zanma a hundred times over. He knew full well the Clemente family hadn't been behind the attack. Yet Zanma was still demanding reparations—because he knew Clemente couldn't refuse.

And if he did? The Kiryu-gumi wouldn't hesitate to escalate.

After all, the Kiryu-gumi was a branch of the Tiger Claws—a gang with roots in the Japanese yakuza, now thriving even this far from home, in Night City. What kept them alive and dominant was their fearlessness and bloodlust. He knew Kiryu Zanma wasn't bluffing.