You’re driving through the neon-soaked, rain-slicked streets of Night City. The radio is blasting some aggressive industrial techno, and everything feels like a standard Tuesday in Cyberpunk 2077. Then, you hear it. A muffled thumping. Someone is screaming from your trunk.
His name is Alex Pushkin.
If you're tackling the Gig: Olive Branch, you've reached that awkward moment where you have to decide: do I finish the job for Sergei, or do I listen to the guy begging for his life in the back of my car? Honestly, it's one of those choices that feels small but actually says a lot about what kind of V you’re playing. It’s not just about the eddies. It's about the ethics—or lack thereof—in a city that eats souls for breakfast.
What Really Happens if You Open the Trunk?
Most players stumble into this choice by accident. You get out of the car, maybe to check a map or just because you’re a curious cat, and the prompt to "Open Trunk" appears.
If you decide to let Alex out of the trunk, the mission takes a sharp turn. Alex isn't just some random "package." He’s a high-ranking corporate scientist from Biotechnica. He’ll start bargaining immediately. He knows he's being delivered to the Tyger Claws, and he knows they aren't planning a welcome party.
Basically, he offers you a bribe. A big one.
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Letting him go ends the gig immediately. You won't deliver the car to the Tyger Claws leader. Sergei, the guy who hired you, is going to be incredibly pissed off, but Alex pays you significantly more than the original contract was worth. We’re talking nearly double the Eurodollars. For a lot of players, that’s where the conversation ends. Money talks, right?
The Darker Side of Alex Pushkin
Wait. Don't let him out just yet.
Before you play the "Good Samaritan," you should probably know who Alex actually is. In Night City, nobody is truly innocent, but Alex Pushkin is particularly nasty. If you’ve been paying attention to the shards and side conversations in other missions—specifically the gig Guinea Pigs—you’ll find out that Alex was a lead scientist at Biotechnica.
He didn't just make medicine. He experimented on people.
Specifically, Alex was involved in "Project Nightingale," where Biotechnica used Nomad families and children as lab rats. If you’re playing as a Nomad V, this hits differently. Alex doesn’t even seem sorry about it. In certain dialogue paths, he refers to Nomads as "roaches" that just multiply.
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Suddenly, that bribe feels a little dirtier.
What Happens if You Finish the Job?
If you decide to ignore the screaming and drive to the Tyger Claws' location, the gig proceeds as Sergei planned. You pull into the garage, meet the gang leader, and walk away with your modest fee.
- Reward for Delivery: 1,860 Eurodollars (approximately).
- Reward for Freeing Alex: 3,700 Eurodollars (approximately).
Wakata tells you she admires your professionalism. You’re a mercenary who doesn’t ask questions. You did the job. But what happens to Alex? Well, if you go back to that area later or check the news, it’s pretty clear he didn’t survive the "handover." He was the "Olive Branch" meant to settle a debt between Sergei and the gang.
The John Wick Connection
Did you catch the Easter egg? Sergei mentions a "hitman with a dog" who is coming for him. This is a blatant nod to John Wick. Sergei is terrified because he—or someone he’s associated with—messed with the wrong person's pet.
This adds a layer of dark humor to the whole situation. You’re basically caught in the middle of a frantic guy trying to save his own skin by sacrificing a corporate war criminal to a street gang.
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The Verdict: Should I Let Alex Out of the Trunk?
There is no "right" way to handle this, but here is how most veterans of the game break it down:
- The Completionist Path: If you want the most money and the most XP, let him go. The 3,700 eddies is a massive jump over the standard pay.
- The Roleplayer Path (Nomad): If you’re playing a Nomad, shove him back in. Letting a man who murdered your "family" walk away with his life just for some extra cash feels like a betrayal of the character.
- The Professional Path (Corpo/Street Kid): If you want to build a reputation as a reliable merc who gets things done without drama, deliver the car.
One weird detail: if you let Alex out and then later fast-travel to Longore South, you might find his body anyway. The city has a way of catching up to people like him.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re standing by the car right now wondering what to do, try this:
Listen to his dialogue first. If you have the Nomad lifepath, confront him about the experiments. His reaction will likely make your decision for you. If you're short on cash for that new cyberdeck, take the money and run. Just don't expect to feel good about it when you see the Biotechnica logos around town later.
Once you finish this, head over to the Guinea Pigs gig in Watson if you haven't already. It provides the full context of what Biotechnica was doing under Alex’s watch and makes the "Olive Branch" decision feel much more permanent.