Why had so many legends—those who had stood at the very top of Night City—failed in their rebellion against the corporations? Why had it been Arasaka and Militech who dominated the Unification War? Why was it even called the Fourth Corporate War, and not the Second Japan-America War?
If one wanted to change this world ruled by corporations, they had to begin by changing the New United States. And to change the New United States, they first had to change Night City. But if you wanted to change Night City, it wasn't enough to rely on just a single person—or even one team. You had to use magic to defeat magic. Likewise, only corporations could defeat corporations.
In the time before Jefferson Peralez called, Leo hadn't been idle. Over the past few days, he had roamed across Night City, searching for a location to establish his private military company. Since he was determined to launch a real business, it couldn't just exist on paper. Even Scavs had a physical base for their "creativity," so they couldn't do worse than a bunch of organ thieves.
At first, Leo had considered using his apartment in Rancho Coronado as the company's headquarters—like those P.I. offices scattered across the city. But he quickly gave up on the idea. Giving up his own home was the least of the problems; the real issue was that his duplex apartment, while large enough for basic office and reception duties, had no room for expansion or additional function.
For the same reason, he ruled out Company Plaza. The rent there was exorbitant, and more importantly, it was unnecessary.
So next, he turned his attention to Northside Industrial District in Watson, Santo Domingo, and Pacifica. Over the next few days, he scouted these areas, spending significant time inspecting locations across the city.
He eliminated Northside first. On the surface, the district had a lot of abandoned factories and warehouses, with low rental prices. Even Rogue and the Mox had rented a large warehouse there for contingencies. But the problem with Northside was glaring—it was far too close to Arasaka Waterfront, separated by only a single wall.
People needed to remember that Northside hadn't always been this desolate. It used to be an industrial hub, supporting tens of thousands of jobs—a "Little Manchester" of Night City. But that all changed when Arasaka returned to Night City. Their lawyers and bankers systematically destroyed the local factories and businesses, one by one. And just like that, the district fell.
Northside no longer offered employment. People were laid off in waves. Outdated factories and obsolete workers were tossed aside by time, leaving only the empty smokestacks as relics of its former prosperity. With such a bloody lesson right in front of him, Leo would have to be out of his mind to set up shop in Northside.
Too far from heaven, too close to Arasaka—that was the district's true portrait. Even though Yorinobu was now the head of the Arasaka family and CEO of the company, entrusting everything to someone else was no different from handing them the knife to slit your throat. It was a reckless and idiotic move.
Even though Leo knew Yorinobu was trying to reform the company and dismantle its corporate tyranny, he still wouldn't risk putting his company in harm's way.
With Northside ruled out, Leo's next focus was on Santo Domingo and Pacifica. But those areas weren't ideal either, plagued by rampant gangs, organized crime, and law enforcement that was nonexistent.
Starting with Santo Domingo—the local gang in control was the 6th Street Gang. Even though the Clemente family had collapsed, the rest of 6th Street's leadership was still intact. The Arroyo district in Santo Domingo could be considered Southside Industrial, but it was filthier and even more run-down than Northside. Most of the factories had gone bankrupt, workers were displaced, and those still operating had to sign contracts with private security firms just to keep the gangs at bay.
Why did megacorps like Kang Tao, Arasaka, Militech, Biotechnica, and Kiroshi choose to headquarter in the city center's Company Plaza, instead of somewhere cheaper like Santo Domingo? Because a corporation wasn't just mercs—it had office workers, sensitive tech, and millions of eurodollars in equipment.
All of that couldn't survive in constant chaos.
Company Plaza had security. Employees didn't have to worry about stray bullets on their commute, and no one feared that a grenade might come flying through a window in the middle of a meeting.
If Leo based his company in Santo Domingo, he could already imagine the headaches.
Pacifica was even worse. More chaotic, more dangerous.
Leo looked at option after option, but none of them were suitable or satisfying.
As noon approached, his stomach started growling. He figured it was time to eat.
He parked his bike by the roadside and stepped into a small restaurant. The place wasn't busy. He chose a seat by the window. A waiter handed him a menu.
After scanning through it, Leo ordered a grilled sirloin hotplate, a plate of herbed chicken bites (salt and pepper), a small portion of crinkle fries, a bowl of chicken-mushroom soup, and a large iced cola.
While waiting for his food, he noticed a faded poster taped to the wall.
No telling how long it had been up there.
The poster showed a small town standing tall in the wilderness, full of life and motion. Beside the image was a bold slogan:
*"Rocky Ridge—Heaven away from the city's chaos.*
*The newest development bordering Night City! Affordable first-phase housing now available for reservation. Highway expansion project ensures fast commuting. A golden zone brimming with growth potential and new job opportunities. Don't build your house on sand—build it on Rocky Ridge!"*
"Rocky Ridge?"
He'd been there before—with Panam, during their ambush on the Raffen Shiv.
And just like that, an idea hit him like a bolt of lightning.
How had he forgotten about Rocky Ridge?
The infrastructure was already there—working power lines and water pipes. Back when they had visited, the utilities had only been cut off due to lack of residents, not any structural issue. Pay the bills, and everything would be back online.
Sure, Rocky Ridge was far from Night City. Commuting would be inconvenient.
But there were actual houses—ready to use.
Clean them up, and some could be converted into staff dormitories. That way, employees could live on-site without needing to travel back and forth every day.
As long as they got one day off per week to return home, that would be enough.
Some might complain—one day off per week? Only four days a month? Brutal, right?
Actually, it was generous compared to megacorp standards.
In Night City's annual "Top 5 Employers" list, third place went to Biotechnica—simply because they offered six days off a year.
Yes, six days per year.
Leo was offering four per month. That was blowing Biotechnica out of the water.
What a saint. Even he felt like there must've been a radiant halo glowing behind his head.
And there was another benefit to choosing Rocky Ridge.
As their company grew, hired more people, and expanded its reach, they could use Rocky Ridge as a hub and spread outward in all directions.
The city outskirts were just empty land. Plenty of space to build.
Leo wasn't the type to sit on ideas. When he decided something, he acted immediately.
He called Jefferson Peralez to inquire about Rocky Ridge's real estate.
Upon learning that full ownership of the land cost barely anything, Leo silently memorized the figure.
The next day, he took Lucy and V with him in an armored SUV and headed straight for Rocky Ridge.
The SUV was a leftover from a gig with Dexter Deshawn—basically a "souvenir" from Militech.
Meredith Stout, the Militech Special Ops director, had known Leo was fleecing them—but compared to the value he delivered, one vehicle didn't matter. She went with it and let him keep it.
Leo had gifted it to Jackie on the spot. Jackie had treasured it—until Padre started grooming him as an heir, and Jackie no longer drove himself.
The SUV ended up collecting dust in El Coyote Cojo's garage.
Not long ago, Lucy had mentioned they shouldn't rely on Delamain taxis forever.
Somehow, Jackie caught wind of it and handed the keys to Leo. Better to let his brother use it than let it rot—even if it got totaled.
…............
........
.
"Is your GPS broken? Why are we stopping here?"
Both women had been dragged out early by Leo, without any explanation—just that he was taking them somewhere.
Neither V nor Lucy questioned it much. They grabbed their weapons and rode along.
But the farther they drove, the more desolate the surroundings became—until they ended up in a ghost town.
Lucy, as an outsider, didn't recognize it. But V, a native of Night City, knew Rocky Ridge well.
Years ago, when capital pushed hard to promote the place, ads had flooded every screen. Every program mentioned Rocky Ridge. Banners covered the streets. Even Deputy Mayor Weldon Holt had personally endorsed the community.
And yet, despite all that effort, barely anyone signed up. The developer couldn't break even. The second phase was canceled. Families who'd poured their life savings into Rocky Ridge were left hanging.
In the end, after the last residents moved out, the place died—just like the bold promises it once shouted—vanishing into the dust.
Leo ignored the puzzled looks from the two women and climbed onto the roof of a house—the same one where they had set up during the Raffen Shiv ambush.
Facing the blowing wind and sand, he spread his arms wide and shouted down at V and Lucy,
"So—what do you two think of this place?"