The Creators: From Night City

Page 304

Meanwhile, Mann and Hansen's security guards remained outside the booth, leaving only the two of them in this small space.

“Mr. Sabur, let’s be frank. My main reason for inviting [Anti-Entropy] to this banquet is to do a good deed by going with the flow and making connections, and to earn some favors.”

Hansen is a smart man; he knows when to be slick and when to be direct.

"Let me be frank, people in the military technology sector have contacted me, wanting me to act as a go-between for you and them, to meet and have a chat."

"The person who came forward was an old friend of mine from my time in the military, so I couldn't refuse."

"I'm curious, Colonel Hansen, you were betrayed by the new America and left here to die. Do you hate military technology and the new America now?"

"Hate is a powerful weapon, but it hurts others and yourself." Hansen is a big guy with great wisdom.

He patted the dagger he never parted from his chest and said, "So you have to learn to control it, just like this dagger. You have to learn to draw it when it's time to draw it, and to keep it in its sheath when it's time to conceal its edge."

Chapter 610 Revealing the Truth

"Although I don't get along with New America and that bitch Rosalind Miles, I still have a lot of old buddies in military technology and the military. I can't go to such extremes."

He raised his glass in a gesture of respect and then downed it in one gulp. "Besides," he said, "doing business is all about making money through harmony."

"It seems that military technology has offered you quite a few benefits," Jiang Bing said, revealing the truth in one sentence.

Hansen smiled slightly, neither admitting nor denying, and instead brushed it off with the statement, "That's a trade secret."

"So, Mr. Sabur, what is your opinion? I personally suggest that you meet and have a good chat. After all, the enemy of my enemy can often become my friend."

Jiang Bing tapped the ground with his cane. "That makes sense. I'm almost convinced."

"If I didn't have some understanding of your current situation..."

Jiang Bingfeng's unexpected words froze Colonel Hansen's ceremonial smile.

"At present, [Anti-Entropy] only has Arasaka as its opponent, but Dogtown is a different story."

Jiang Bing put down his cup and stared at Colonel Hansen, who looked calm yet sharp.

"The Joint Intelligence Agency, which deals with military technology, has planted a lot of people in Dogtown; and behind it all, the Russian Federation, or more specifically, the Scavengers supported by Soviet petrochemicals, are also causing trouble in Dogtown; the Haitian Voodoo Gang, which has always been restless, is still trying to undermine the Black Wall; there's also the Internet Surveillance, which is running rampant in Dogtown under the guise of maintaining the Black Wall's security; the Animal Gang, all big-breasted and brainless, who only care about chaos and violence; and then there's the Night City Hall and its subordinate NCPD and Terrorist Mobile Unit; plus Arasaka, who seems indifferent to Dogtown but may have already infiltrated your inner circle; and the Cuban forces that allied with you, Colonel Hansen, in Havana, whose appetite is growing, are probably not so easy to satisfy; Colonel Hansen, it's not easy to be a warlord with a large army in Night City."

Jiang Bing, to some extent considering the face of his partner, did not expose Mr. Hans, the middleman between the Ye Group and Dogtown.

"In a small dog town, Mr. Hansen has to deal with so many forces every day and maintain a balance both overtly and covertly. It must be very tiring."

Hansen's face was now frighteningly cold.

“Mr. Sabur has good intelligence capabilities, but his speculations about the situation are too alarmist.”

"Stop pretending, Colonel Hansen. You're a smart man, you know perfectly well that from the moment you sided with military technology and tried to act as a go-between for us, you exposed and confirmed your current predicament." Jiang Binghua spoke bluntly, without holding back any sentiment.

Colonel Hansen put on a masked smile again: "Heh, Dogtown isn't as fragile as you think. After all, it's the arms distribution center for most of North America, and countless powerful people make extra money here. Mr. Sabur, with them, Dogtown won't fall."

"But you will die," Jiang Bing's words almost broke his spirit.

“Every faction wants to replace the Dogtown leader with one of their own, or at least someone close to them. And the Havana drug cartel you’re relying on is far away. What help can it give you, Hansen? Rely on that scaredy-cat Aguilar?”

Jiang Bing picked up the wine bottle on the table and refilled Hansen's empty glass with wine.

You're not far from death.

Hansen's face was grim and uncertain. He held the glass of wine in silence for a long time, because he knew that everything Jiang Bing said was true.

"Politics is most of the time a dirty and naked game, Colonel Hansen. You can only try to maintain the balance, even if it requires you to cut your own flesh and go bankrupt. If you can't maintain it, you will have to pay the price with your life. Or you can use force to overcome trickery and sweep everything away."

"Mr. Sabur is joking. Dogtown is very safe. After all, my hounds are not to be trifled with. They are strong and well-equipped. Take a look around here." Hansen gestured to Jiang Bing to pay attention to the top echelons of Night City, the wealthy, and the politicians, these carnivores who were indulging in the gentle paradise he had created.

“There’s nothing to worry about.” He tried to convince Jiang Bing, or perhaps he was trying to convince himself.

"But they can't subdue these people at the top."

“What does Mr. Sabur mean?!” Jiang Bing’s blunt and unpolite words finally angered the colonel, who abandoned his carefully feigned gentleness and questioned him coldly.

“Dogtown, I’ll take it.” Jiang Bing’s answer almost made the other person laugh.

"Sabul, [Anti-Entropy] has indeed achieved some results, but they can only be talked about in Night City. You have no idea how powerful Arasaka is globally, nor do you know what real war is like. But I have faced it, I have experienced war, so I advise you to rein in your arrogant attitude, lest you die here before you die at the hands of Arasaka's assassin ninjas." At this moment, Hansen's words had become increasingly sarcastic.

"Believe me, I know much more than you do," Jiang Bing said calmly.

"I will meet with the people in military technology, Colonel Hansen. As for my proposal, you can think about it carefully. After all, there is still a week until New Year's Day and 2077. I think that's enough time for you to figure things out."

Jiang Bing's words sounded incredibly arrogant to the other party, but as Jiang Bing had said before, arranging the meeting between [Anti-Entropy] and military technology was a rare opportunity he had finally found to salvage the situation. To this end, he went to great lengths to investigate and uncover [Anti-Entropy]'s large-scale distribution of goods through Dog Town, and he was prepared to use this as leverage if [Anti-Entropy] disagreed.

Jiang Bing agreed to meet with the military technology expert, so even though Hansen was churning with all sorts of thoughts and was furious, he suppressed his emotions and convinced himself to prioritize the bigger picture.

Even in defeat, Hansen couldn't lose face, so he finally raised his glass to Jiang Bing and said, "Then I'll wait and see, Mr. Sabur."

"The military technology personnel are here secretly and haven't arrived yet, so please wait a while. This banquet took me a lot of effort to set up, so I personally suggest you take your time to look around. I'll have to take my leave now."

Hansen forced himself to finish his polite words, then got up and left, trying to appear calm.

Jiang Bingyi has always been open to good advice.

But as soon as he sat down at the bar, Mann sneakily poked his head in.

"Boss, I think I spotted someone I know in the banquet hall."

"An acquaintance?" Jiang Bing asked, looking at the other person's solemn expression.

“They’re from the new FIA.” Mann scratched his head, conflicted, but ultimately reason prevailed over emotion.

After all, Boss Jiang's kindness was immense, and he could definitely tell which was more important.

There's nothing more to say about attitude; it boils down to two words—loyalty!!

Chapter 611 FBI Agent

“He was my comrade-in-arms when I served in the Lazarus Group. We had a few life-or-death experiences together. However, I couldn’t stand the new America’s indiscriminate killing of innocent people under the guise of so-called righteousness. After I retired from the military, our relationship fell apart. A few years ago when I retired, he was thinking of bringing me into the FIA, but I didn’t agree.”

"A New America agent?" Jiang Bing understood the meaning behind Mann's words.

"interesting."

The old acquaintance Mann mentioned was a fairly burly Black man with an ordinary buzz cut. He was neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, neither handsome nor ugly—a typical average-looking man who could easily disappear into a crowd.

But this appearance makes him a good candidate for a secret agent.

“Solomon Reed, I dare say he’s one of the best intelligence agents in the history of the new America,” Mann explained, pointing to Reed, who was unaware that his identity had been exposed.

He was dressed in a waiter's uniform, carrying a tray full of wine as he wandered around the lobby.

It must be said that his professional knowledge is absolutely solid, and the role he chose to play was just right.

This was just what was needed for this mission.

Waiters can move around privately to gather information, and as outsiders at the banquet, they are less likely to arouse suspicion.

Jiang Bing was well aware that the military technology team was likely up to no good this time, especially since they had even mobilized the FIA ​​agents who were most deeply hidden in Dogtown. It seemed like they were about to do something big.

“I need you to pretend you haven’t recognized him yet, Mann, so we can see what New America is up to.”

However, Jiang Bing didn't care about any of this.

Celebrity performances are a staple of Gemstone's Christmas dinner, and this year's event was no exception.

However, compared to Lizzy Weisz, who was invited before, this time the celebrity is much less appealing.

Although the band Gang Lie is quite famous, they are still far from being a superstar like Lizzy Weisz.

However, when the three members of the Ganglie Band were jumping around on stage in sexy mini skirts adorned with Christmas reindeer, it unexpectedly matched the tone of the event.

Lust is tinged with decadence and hypocrisy, and extravagance is mixed with danger and depravity.

Although waiter Li De was constantly moving around the party, a conclusion could be drawn by summarizing his movements.

He was drawing a circle around Jiang Bing.

In reality, Hansen lied. The military technology personnel had already arrived, but he had not yet reached an agreement with them on their conflicting interests. At this moment, Jiang Bing, who had personally come to Baoshiqing, was regarded by Hansen as an important new bargaining chip.

However, Hansen was also deceived. The military technology people probably had ulterior motives, and the unresolved issues between the two parties might be a deliberate delaying tactic by the other side.

The banquet hall was as lively as ever, a scene of extravagant feasting and revelry.

Kragg was having a great time. She was sitting right next to the Fierce Band stage, watching the three of them jumping around and singing songs in Chinese, English, French, and German, mixed with some incoherent ramblings.

Meanwhile, only his bodyguard, Mann Jiangbing, was sitting alone at the bar, which looked like a perfect opportunity to make a move.

“Alex, I have bad news for you. The bodyguard next to the target is an old acquaintance of mine. If I appear near him, I’m in danger of being exposed at any time.”

"So for the next operation, I can only provide you with long-range cover."

"Damn it, Li De, we really should get you a multi-functional face-changing device too. Your old face hasn't changed in years. Now you're in trouble." A fiery female voice came from the communication channel.

“Not everyone is as good a theatrical actor as you, Alex. Besides, this thing is completely incompatible with my prosthetic body, as you know.” Li De held a plate and looked at Jiang Bing, who was sitting at the bar drinking, from a distance, without any impatience in his tone.

It was only now that he recognized the bodyguard next to his target as a former comrade-in-arms, which was indeed a dereliction of duty for Li De, the "King of Spies," but it was also understandable.

During the six months that Mann worked for [Reverse Entropy], his personal appearance underwent a dramatic transformation.

First, he shed his bulky and deformed prosthetic body, and the two-stage 'promotion transformation' brought about a complete change in his physique, appearance, temperament, spirit, and even daily behavior.

Now, Mann's physique can at most be described as robust, not deformed. His once haggard face is now radiant, full of energy and vitality.

On a deeper level, the hint of disappointment and pessimism about the future and the current state of the world that was hidden between his brows had long been eliminated by his affluent life and the predictable bright future. In its place, his brows were filled with hope and a sense of conviction that could be seen with the naked eye.

Because of [reverse entropy], he has regained hope for life and the future.

This hope led to such a dramatic change in him that it was a complete transformation.

As for how much this change was so significant that it took Li De until now to recognize his old friend, let's put it this way: Mann and Dorio have recently developed the idea of ​​having a child, and Dorio has even made several trips to the medical department for checkups.

You can savor it carefully.

“I’ll cover for you and keep an eye on his female companion. When he’s not around, go up and try to seduce him, Alex.”

"Are you sure it will work?"

"I trust your modeled face, which was created using a lot of Asian aesthetic data by the bureau, plus the pre-loaded behavioral data template of Song Qianqian (a world-renowned sexy Asian woman in cyberpunk), and your superb acting skills. I don't expect you to treat him like a sucker, as long as you can get past the bodyguards next to him and get close to him."

"What's the deal with that old acquaintance of yours next to the target?" Alex's meaning was clear, and Li De understood instantly.

“I had my eye on a promising talent, but he refused my offer. If it really comes down to it, there’s no need to hold back. He’s just our enemy now.” Here, Li De was actually lying. He and Mann had once been sworn brothers, but his duty as a secret agent made him suppress his pity.

"The interests of the nation come above all else," he told himself once again.

"I hope this mission goes well and those office workers in Atlanta will approve my retirement application. I've really had enough of this life-threatening lifestyle," Alex complained.

"I assure you, as long as we can rescue Xiao Song from [Anti-Entropy], I'll find someone to help you with your retirement application."

As a top agent, Li De's words were naturally genuine, and with his connections within the FBI, fulfilling this promise would not be difficult.

Chapter 612 Hacker Siblings

"I appreciate your kind words, so let's get started."

Before Operation Alex, Li De suddenly spoke up.

"What's wrong, Li De?"

Be careful.

"Alright, when did you become so fussy?"

While Li De stood by the pillar, holding a plate and communicating with his companion with impeccable waiter etiquette, he had no idea that Jiang Bingzheng, sitting at the bar with his back to him, was staring at the drink in his glass with his golden eyes, a mocking smile on his face.

The two of them were practically plotting loudly right in front of Jiang Bing.

Alex is actually quite good-looking. He has two-ninths Latino ancestry, a good physique, and a face that is sophisticated and pleasing to the eye.

It was simply bad luck, a twist of fate, and an unexpected turn of events that led him to the wrong profession.

Born in a slum in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, she aspired to become a dream experience star in her youth. However, the studio she painstakingly joined turned out to be a cover agency for the new U.S. Federal Intelligence Service, so she was naturally recruited as an intelligence agent by Agent Solomon Reed.

Fortunately, her carefully honed acting skills were not in vain. Being a secret agent is also a profession that requires skill, and having more skills is never a bad thing.

With her superb acting skills, coupled with technological assistance and professional training, she has become a master of disguise in the cyber age. Alex can completely blend into her disguised role and complete her missions excellently. As a result, her identity is not only hidden during missions, but also known to only a very few people in reality.

At this moment, she used the prototype of military technology, a multi-functional, changeable face panel, to completely transform her face into that of a typical Eastern beauty.

"A glass of fiery red lips"

As the fragrant breeze wafted by, a beautiful figure sat down on a bar stool not far from Jiang Bing.

As a seasoned veteran of the intelligence industry, Alex chose his entry point exceptionally well.