Mazzin laughed, “Do you think he will? I think he’ll be very disappointed that you’ve spent all your time and money here with drugs and joytoys.”
“And what about you? Look at the amount of money you’ve spent! You have no taste! Do you know who you and your brother are? Tacky! Speaking of which, where is your brother?”
Karim looked around, wondering about Mazzin's brother's whereabouts. The question hung in the air. “He’s busy test-driving a new custom golden car that we’re planning on purchasing; he won't be long,” replied Mazzin, trying to reassure Karim.
In the distance, the front door opened, and a man in a freshly ironed suit entered the room, shaking hands with Karim before sitting down next to Mazzin. “Never mind, there he is,” Mazzin said with relief.
“Apologies for the delay, gentlemen; I was busy finalizing some business,” the man explained. "By the way, brother, we should have the new car delivered to us in a few hours, and our latest BD movie is in the final stages; we’re just waiting for the green light from Lizzy Wizzy’s representative to use her music,” he continued, sharing the good news with his brother.
“Great news, brother. Oh, let me introduce our guest. This is Karim’s business associate, Mr. Butcher,” Mazzin said, making the introduction. He then whispered something to his brother; I couldn't make out what he was saying. All I could assume was that it wasn't anything pleasant about me.
Karim, frustrated by the constant banter between the two brothers, asked if they could refocus.
Mazzin looked at Karim and said to him, “We called this meeting because we have a proposal for you, Karim. Leave Pacifica alone! You don't know what you're doing; let me and my brother deal with it. If you accept, we’ll give you a seven percent cut of any money we make from the city.”
I decided to interrupt Mazzin, “And you do? No offense judging by your place, the cars, and the fact that your brother mentioned Lizzy’s music, which isn’t cheap to acquire; you are looking at a good few million to get Pacifica, but back to the point. You've come to Night City and spent your money on anything expensive without having any knowledge of this place. If anyone knows about Pacifica, it’s me, and I'll tell you this. It's a warzone; it has been like that for years, and it will continue to be a warzone for the rest of time. So, my advice? Go buy another fancy Herrera or Rayfield or whatever the fuck you like and fuck off!”
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"Aww, shit, son, you two got your asses kicked!” Karim said before slapping my hand, excited by what I said.
"I never asked for your input," Mazzin retorted coolly, "and why would I take advice from a mercenary like you? How much would it take for you to leave?" Mazzin sneered, opening a cabinet filled with a substantial number of eddies.
With a chuckle, I responded, "You can't buy me out. I have something called loyalty, and that's not for sale. We're done here." As I made my way to the exit, Karim trailed behind me.
"Karim! Consider us now at war!" Mazzin's angry proclamation echoed through the room.
Despite the tension, I couldn't help but stifle a laugh at Mazzin's words. The idea of him and Karim going to war was almost comical; it would likely be a battle for supremacy in wealth rather than a physical confrontation. It was difficult to imagine either of them wielding a weapon, let alone engaging in a fistfight.
As we headed back to the car, a sudden hail of bullets rained down on us, prompting me to dive inside and draw out Eve and Ivy, anxiously scanning for the source of the attack. Unsurprisingly, it was Mazzin, brandishing a golden DS1 and aiming directly at the car.
“What the fucking hell’s going on!” Karim said he was trying to process the situation.
“Seems Mazzin was serious about going to war. Fucking floor, it, pal!”
The vehicles hastily accelerated away from Mazzin’s opulent villa, deftly maneuvering to evade the barrage of gunshots unleashed by Mazzin himself and the automated turbines stationed around the property.
“What the fuck was that? I mean, what the fucking fuck is that? If those two want to start a war with me! Karim Hakim, then let them! I'll show those bitches who I am.”
As we pulled up outside Karim's penthouse, the anticipation was noticeable. Karim was the first to open the car door, and as he stepped out, he paused to take a few deep breaths, his exhales slowly taking in the air as he attempted to calm the nervous energy that seemed to surround him.
“Thank you for your help today, Max; I'll transfer over some money as a thank you for coming with me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go and bang some women for a few days. I mean, look over some business meetings. I'll call you when I need your assistance. When I meant your assistance, I meant a job I need you to do. I don't need your assistance banging beautiful women.” As Karim opened the front door, he turned and said, “Oh, before I forget, I had someone to collect your car.”
Karim casually threw my car keys in my direction, but his throw lacked accuracy. The keys landed next to Karim. He apologized for the throw and walked inside. I strolled over to where they landed, bent down to pick them up, and then made my way back to my car.