The Creators: From Night City

Page 303

Waiting for him at the door was a Thrace 388 Jefferson, a must-have car for middle managers.

Its large, understated body exudes elegance and commands respect.

The car wasn't expensive, but it was definitely a good match for newly elected city councilor Jack Wilson.

Of course, although the car wasn't expensive, the driver was someone of considerable importance.

Natalie Dubois, the champion of the Wasteland Rally, was the driver, while another champion, Vincent, sat in the passenger seat.

Valerie, sitting in the back seat, was dressed like a typical office worker, wearing frameless glasses and, unusually, had her hair styled up, looking like a sophisticated female secretary with a pure and alluring style.

"How are you feeling, Jack?"

As the car started moving, Vincent turned his head and asked.

"To be honest, it feels like a dream."

Jack, impeccably dressed, twisted his neck, which was bound by a tie, and looked back at Misty, who was waving continuously at the apartment door. He truly felt as if he were in a dream.

"What's wrong? You're not used to being a big shot now?" Valerie teased from the side.

She twisted her feet in her haute couture Parisian-style high heels, feeling that she, like Jack, was not quite used to this impeccably dressed lifestyle.

"Of course. Think about it, one minute we're fighting to the death in the streets, and the next we're all just talking to each other. Who can get used to that?"

"This job isn't as glamorous as you imagine. Politicians' mouths are often more effective at killing than your gun."

"I know, that's why I said I'm not used to it."

"You have to get used to it, we have a mission today," Valerie said, trying to dampen her friend's enthusiasm.

"I know, it's just delivering things, what's so difficult about that?" Jack said nonchalantly.

“Actually, it’s harder than you think.” Valerie patted the large bag next to her seat.

“Bringing this into the City Council will take some effort, which is why our trio is involved.”

"What is this? If you ask me, there's absolutely no need to prepare any welcome gifts for those new colleagues. They're not exactly good people."

As Jack spoke, he unzipped his briefcase, revealing a very exquisite device inside.

The device is cylindrical in shape and made of a special matte, space gray alloy. Jack picked it up and felt that it was cold and heavy, with the dense feel of precision metal.

The outer middle section of the entire cylinder is a shell composed of countless tiny, regularly arranged dark red crystals, which refracts an eerie red light.

A fist-sized, smooth, silvery-white metallic sphere is surrounded by these artificial gemstones at the center and sunk to the deepest part of the cylinder.

A slender yet strong black carbon fiber or ceramic skeleton serves as the filling, filled with numerous tiny and precise electronic components, which are shimmering with a faint blue light.

"What is this thing?" Jack asked, struggling to take the cylinder out of his bag and curiously turning it over.

“Pandora’s Box, the BOSS’s new creation,” Valerie said, gazing at the high-tech cylinder weighing over ten kilograms with a complex expression.

“Pandora’s Box, a gift box?” Jack pressed.

“In a sense, yes.” Valerie pushed up her slightly slipping frameless glasses and continued, “But it doesn’t contain Christmas candy; it contains weapons-grade, ultra-highly enriched plutonium-239.”

Jack froze, then looked up abruptly and exclaimed, "?! Dios mío! (My God), this thing can't be...?"

“That’s right, Jack, what you’re holding is a miniature nuclear bomb,” Valerie shrugged and teased.

Chapter 608 First, Pacify Dog Town

Even the fearless Haywood was now somewhat uneasy.

He carefully put the 'Pandora's Box' back into his bag and asked with a stiff face, "We're not going to blow up the City Council building, are we? If so, I suggest we go and take down Arasaka Tower instead. That way we can avenge you and at least make a name for ourselves."

Valerie finally laughed when she saw her friend's discomfiture.

"Look how scared you are, Jack. It's just a gift, there's no way to detonate it."

Valerie patted the 'Pandora's Box' beside her, making Jack's heart pound with fear, lest she slap it and cause it to explode.

"This weapon-grade enriched plutonium-239 contains a precise proportion of neutron poison elements, making it a dud."

"A dud?" Jack frowned.

"Its main function is to declare, to deter, and, as I said, to be a gift."

“After all, Anti-Entropy can’t just hand over a real nuclear bomb to our great city councilor, Deputy Mayor Wilson Horton, right away. Unless he really wants a second one, Anti-Entropy can only grant his wish on a whim.” Vincent leaned out of the passenger seat again.

This nuclear bomb was a carefully prepared gift by Jiang Bing for the politicians of Night City, and its meaning was quite clear.

[Reverse Entropy] It's best if you don't interfere in the matter between Arakawa and the other party, and leave each other with some dignity.

If you don't want to be dignified, [Reverse Entropy] will help you be dignified.

Jack, the spokesperson for [Anti-Entropy] at the city hall, felt a bitter taste in his mouth. It seemed that being a city councilor wasn't so easy after all.

"Is Mr. Sabur preparing to break ties with Arakawa?" Jack loosened his tie, feeling a surge of heat throughout his body.

"You know about the Arasaka Industrial Park incident, right?" Valerie said something obvious. This major event that shocked the entire Night City had already spread like wildfire throughout the underworld. Even though Jack wasn't an employee of [Anti-Entropy], he could still learn the details from other people in the underworld.

In fact, the city council meeting that was hastily organized today was put together by Deputy Mayor Wilton Holt.

Before the election for the new mayor concludes, Deputy Mayor Wilton Holt does indeed have the authority to initiate a motions meeting on behalf of the mayor.

If you don't use your power, it will expire.

Furthermore, given that it was common knowledge that he was sitting with his backside tilted towards Arasaka, the purpose of this hasty city council meeting was quite clear: to formally define the organization [Anti-Entropy] as a 'terrorist organization', thus making Arasaka's subsequent retaliatory actions more legitimate.

That's why this nuclear bomb was used as a stepping stone.

While the three musketeers of Anti-Entropy escorted Jack to his glorious battlefield, Jiang Bing, the big boss of Anti-Entropy, was also busy.

Night City is not solely dominated by Arasaka; military technology is also an indispensable force in this city. However, there are other factors that are crucial in conquering Night City.

The city's self-defense forces near the border wall, the Arasaka Army stationed on the Arasaka beach, and of course, the Ghost Hounds stationed in Dogtown are also factors that cannot be ignored.

After all, given Kurt Hansen's keen sense of warfare, once Night City descends into chaos, there's a high probability that he'll lead the Hounds out of Dogtown and complete the unfinished task of conquering Night City during the unification war.

Of course, more importantly, Taiping Prefecture is a perfect location for [Anti-Entropy] to station troops. It is close to the city, but with the central and northern parts of Taiping Prefecture as a buffer, it is not too close. It is near the sea, which means that sea transport will be very convenient when necessary. It has basic urban facilities, so there is no need to start from scratch. More importantly, it is a strategic location that faces the Aragaka Beach across Night City.

Coincidentally, Kurt Hansen thought the same thing back then.

That's why Jiang Bing visited Dogtown.

Coincidentally, whether it was fate or Colonel Hansen's telepathic abilities, Jiang Bing was just thinking about how to meet this local tyrant of Dog Town and have some friendly negotiations when the other party unexpectedly sent out a banquet invitation, wanting to invite [Anti-Entropy] to his Gemstone Blue Building for a gathering to discuss the big picture.

Of course, Hansen did not directly invite Jiang Bing. After all, it would be somewhat impolite to invite the leader of a powerful force to attend in person at this turbulent and unstable time. He simply filled the invitation with flattery and politeness towards Jiang Bing and invited [Anti-Entropy] to send a 'manager' to attend the grand Christmas dinner hosted by him, Kurt Hansen, in Gemstone Green.

Yes, the cyberpunk world is about to celebrate the New Year. Although Night City in 2076 is in turmoil, as the year draws to a close, nothing can stop the upper class from indulging in a life of luxury, pleasure, and making money.

If the person is not a good person, then the banquet will likely be a bad one.

Jiang Bing spent the entire day successfully installing Mao Zihuangsaka's entire industrial system in 'Heiml'. Only after the first 'Shigure' rolled off the production line did Jiang Bing tidy his clothes and prepare to head to Dog Town for the banquet.

Dogtown remains the same, a place brimming with vitality amidst its dilapidation. The smuggling of weapons, luxury goods, and contraband has resulted in an astonishingly high GDP for this small, unproductive town.

Money is a good thing; as a general equivalent, it can always buy extraordinary things.

For example, two whole rows of hot girls dressed in sexy Christmas reindeer suits lined up from the lobby of the Gem Tower all the way to the street opposite.

Illuminated by cyberpunk Christmas lights in shades of magenta, lime, electric blue, and fluorescent orange, financial investors, political brokers who dart between numerous small countries, smugglers, gangsters, and government representatives, all dressed in fine clothes, entered the building with their female companions.

Of course, some people don't bring it.

Although it is recommended that guests bring a female companion to the banquet, if you don't have one, Dogtown's local tyrant, Hansen, will generously give you one in front of everyone.

Even several.

Dogtown may lack people, resources, and industries, but it has no shortage of aspiring celebrities, socialites, yoga wearers from the five outer counties, and 'dream chasers' who want to climb the social ladder and reach the upper echelons of society.

They had long desired this opportunity, and those who could come to Baoshiqing to "conduct business" were all top-notch young people selected from the best of the best.

After all, Hansen couldn't afford to ruin his own reputation.

Opportunity favors the prepared mind.

Therefore, there are always some young people who deliberately come here without their partners to attend the lively banquet.

This time, Mr. Jiang finally had the pomp and circumstance of a powerful leader, and he unprecedentedly began to flaunt his wealth.

Seven massive muscle cars drove into the entrance of Gemstone Green, and a dozen burly men, each over two meters tall, dressed in uniform "Heavenly Soldiers" combat suits, emerged from the cars in a large group, clearing space for the arrival of the last car.

The score has been placed in the heavens.

Chapter 609 Second Visit to Gemstone Green

Mann made a rare reappearance in Night City. He was dressed smartly, wearing black tactical goggles and Anti-Entropy's [Sky General] combat uniform. Considering the occasion, he did not bring any heavy weapons.

However, when he stood behind Jiang Bing, his robust physique perfectly embodied the role of an experienced, powerful, stern, professional, and ruthless bodyguard.

Amidst the watchful eyes of numerous high-society figures, Jiang Bingcai slowly alighted from the car, accompanied by Kragg, who was dressed in a sexy evening gown.

Her red hair, red eyes, red lips, red nails, and equally fiery red evening gown made her appear like a blazing flame, extremely aggressive.

However, her face still wore an icy expression that kept people at a distance.

She hadn't wanted to come, but with the 'Spellcaster Legion' newly established, Klara and Clara, as mentors in spellcasting and miracle magic, were extremely busy refining, organizing, and formulating the various spellcasting, miracle, and magic knowledge that the 'Spellcaster Legion' needed to learn. Moreover, they also had to exchange academic knowledge with the group of sorceresses who manipulated chaotic magic, so they simply couldn't spare the time. The coveted position of Jiang's female companion fell to Kragg, who was experienced but not academically inclined.

Gloria actually fits Mr. Jiang's requirements for a female companion, but she's too busy.

As for not bringing a female companion, Jiang Bing can do it alone, but the leader of the [Anti-Entropy] organization cannot.

Nothing more, it's beneath them.

As he ascended to a higher dimension, his red, blue, and black color-blocked suit finally retired in glory. After circling around the Ether Furnace a few times, the Powerful Taotie finally shed its fixed mixed-color shell and could now freely customize its colors.

However, Jiang Bing simply turned it into a black color.

His attire wasn't the most glamorous or dazzling, but his entourage was the grandest; he wasn't the most famous before, but the welcome he received was the most lavish.

Colonel Hansen personally came out to greet him at the door.

An hour ago, he hadn't expected Jiang Bing to have the audacity to come in person, but that didn't stop the soldier and businessman from putting on a warm welcome, leading him past the crowd of celebrities in Night City and into the hall.

This was Jiang Bing's second time entering the Gemstone Blue Building. The last time, he had disguised himself as a Far Eastern nobleman and came here. Although he had already flaunted his wealth and made a grand entrance, it still did not match the level of importance Hansen attached to him this time.

This shows that having money is not as good as having power (military force), and having a local official is not as good as having a distant one.

"Mr. Sabur, it is truly beyond my expectations that you could come in person." After not seeing him for some time, Hansen's face had become much rounder than before, and his manner of dealing with people and things had also become much more tactful.

"What, you're not welcome?" Jiang Bing said without any pretense, striding ahead of Hansen.

"Not at all, your arrival greatly enhances the prestige of Gemstone Green." Hansen led Jiang Bingyu and Kragg up to the elevator, where they chatted about their experiences in Dogtown and shared their opinions.

What could Jiang Bing possibly say? He could only reply that everyone was carrying the sedan chair for him.

Fortunately, at the height of 94 floors, the specially designed sapphire blue elevator ran fast and smoothly. The three of them quickly sat down in the seats that Hansen had reserved in advance and asked the waiter to bring them two glasses of premium organic rye whiskey.

Jiang Bing's lips twitched slightly at the sight of the wine, because this high-end beverage, which was all the rage in Night City, was sourced from his company.

Hansen's business success is not only due to his quick wit, but also to his business acumen, which is why he can utter a constant stream of eloquent words.

"Mr. Sabur, the battle at the Arasaka Industrial Park the day before yesterday was truly an eye-opener for me." As Arasaka's old rival, Hansen was quite pleased to see Arasaka suffer a setback.

"It's all thanks to the brothers' willingness to die for us and the support of our friends." Jiang Bing still politely picked up his wine glass and took two sips.

"To be honest, [Anti-Entropy] has been with us in Night City for so long, but we haven't really had a proper chat yet." Hansen sat down next to Jiang Bing and started making friends in a very familiar way.

"Our connections have been vast for a long time." Jiang Bing flicked the wine glass in his hand.

“That makes sense. After all, the luxury goods, cigarettes, and alcohol that have been flowing out of Dogtown recently are all supplied by [Anti-Entropy].” Hansen pretended to be chatting casually, but was subtly showing off his power.

Jiang Bing wasn't surprised at all that he was able to uncover the deal between Hanz and [Anti-Entropy]. After all, with such a large operation spanning high-end luxury goods, it would be wishful thinking to try and completely avoid attracting attention.

"Colonel Hansen has ideas?" Jiang Bing's question was very direct.

"Money is a powerful motivator; who doesn't love green banknotes?" Hansen didn't answer directly, but he made his stance clear.

“Mr. Sabur, do you know what humans rely on to conquer their own kind?” He raised his hand and beckoned a female companion from outside the booth. She was dressed in a Grimm-style outfit, but the clothes had many daring holes, making her look very sexy overall. He then had her sit next to him.

"Cruel," Jiang Bing replied.

This answer surprised Hansen somewhat. "That makes sense, but in my opinion, it mainly depends on knives, money, and sperm." He patted his female companion's buttocks, as if to support his point of view.

This answer also surprised Jiang Bing somewhat.

Hansen patted his female companion, who was clearly his confidante and mistress. She understood his meaning and got up to walk to Krag's side, saying, "Hello, I'm Sig. It's so boring to sit here with two men talking about fighting and killing. Why don't I show you around?"

Her meaning was quite clear: she wanted to find a reason to send Jiang Bing's female companion away, creating a private space for the two of them to discuss confidential matters.

Krag glanced at Jiang Bing, then simply got up and left.