The Creators: From Night City

Page 391

"Haha, I didn't expect you to be in the same industry."

The man was delighted to shake James's hand, and the two began to chat about the topic.

The conversation quickly became lively, ranging from the vulnerable points of hydraulic systems, structural components, and power systems in construction machinery to repair attempts on the chassis and transmission systems of dump trucks, trucks, and pickups. They then delved into the specifics of air brake systems, air compressors, dryers, and pumps, discussing the issue of scheduled maintenance in dusty construction environments.

They only managed to end the conversation when the other person's daughter received a freshly baked croissant and prepared to leave.

James pondered the other party's insightful repair suggestions, inwardly marveling at how capable this person was of leadership, possessing such remarkable repair skills.

As soon as he turned his head, the clerk handed him a whole 8-inch fruit and cream cake from behind the counter. Through the transparent packaging box, you could see that the cake already had the words "Happy Birthday Sofia Williams" written on it.

Looking at the size of the cake, James's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "I don't think I ordered this. Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

The professionally trained shop assistant gently placed the cake in front of James and smiled as she replied, "It was ordered by that gentleman earlier, and it's a special gift for Sofia Williams, who is celebrating her birthday today."

"Oh, by the way, the gentleman has already paid the bill," the clerk added casually at the end.

James looked at the packaged cakes on the counter, his mind filled with doubts.

How did he know it was Sofia's birthday today?

The cake was clearly made to order and must have taken a lot of time. James looked at the blessing on the cake and a question arose in his mind.

How did he know Sophia's full name?

"Excuse me, what was the name of that gentleman just now?" James asked the shop assistant.

The shop assistant shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.

"Could you please show me the order details?" James persisted, wanting to find out the other party's identity; he was the kind of person who wouldn't accept something for nothing.

This method also proved ineffective. Not only was the order information displayed as a string of asterisks in the back-end system, but the staff would never disclose a customer's privacy to unrelated individuals.

She has received professional confidentiality training!

Unfortunately, this unexpected gift ended up in Ethan Williams' arms.

The two children, one big and one small, didn't care about any of that. All they knew was that they would be eating cake tonight, and they were both grinning excitedly.

With this cake, James was spared all snack-related expenses for the day, so he simply gritted his teeth and used his entire ration to buy a large piece of beef shoulder.

This large piece, weighing over 2 kilograms, used up all of his rations, but the weight in his hand gave him a sense of security.

Compared to the sweet tooth instinct buried in human genes, the desire to eat meat is also a deep-seated desire rooted in human genes.

Either of these two things can bring immense joy to humankind.

The joy was so intense and exhilarating that the family of three, even before they had tasted the food, were already cheering and overjoyed as they walked home carrying the ingredients.

This excitement lasted until a dark gun barrel was pointed at the three of them, before it came to an abrupt end.

"Hand over what you have!"

The three were cornered by two hooded robbers, one in front and one behind, at a corner where the streetlights and surveillance cameras did not cover the area.

The robbers' goal was very clear: the groceries the three had just purchased, those valuable organic foods.

This was a very targeted scheme, with the timing and location being extremely clever.

James figured out the real culprit in just one second. It didn't take him long at all. The image of the fat ox with a gold chain around its neck had already appeared in his mind.

But he made no attempt to reveal anything, instead slowly and firmly placing the large and small packages in his hands aside.

"And what's in his arms!" The robber brandished his gun, gesturing for Ethan Williams to also put down the cake he was carrying.

Ethan's stubbornness crumbled under his father's sharp and pleading gaze, and he could only carefully place the cake on the ground with deep reluctance.

“Friend, listen, don’t be impulsive.” James stepped forward and turned slightly, subtly placing himself between the other man’s gun and his children.

“You’re only after money, and all these things are here; you can take them anytime.”

Chapter 803 James's Daily Life 5

The father resembled a mother hen trying to protect her chicks from the threat of an eagle, slowly moving with his two children toward the streetlight to the side.

That area is within the surveillance coverage.

"This is Anti-Entropy territory. You know their rules. It's not worth killing someone for something like this."

The robber knew, of course, that it wasn't worth it; all he wanted were the organic food on the ground.

Everyone in Night City knows that killing someone on Anti-Entropy's territory is less satisfying than going to the top of Aragaka Tower for a no-rope bungee jump.

【Anti-Entropy】is not the Tiger Claws or the Valentinos, nor is it the NCPD, known as the 'Night City Papercutters'. They value order more than their own mother.

The last Border Walker squad that killed someone while on a mission in Taiping State was on the run when they were stopped by two 'Apostles' who appeared out of nowhere. The explosion reportedly lasted for more than a minute, and the body was later removed by a bulldozer mixed in with the wreckage of the car.

These two thugs were only after money and didn't want to risk their lives, so after carefully getting the goods, they made a quick getaway.

Only after the two robbers had completely disappeared into the night did James' tense body suddenly relax.

"Waaah~" The girl's cries echoed through the alley.

Compared to Ethan's ashen face and grinding teeth, Sofia appeared much more heartbroken.

"It's all gone, all gone. The cake and the steak are all gone, all the food is gone..."

Children rarely get what they want, so they are particularly sensitive to losing it.

But James took it all in stride. He bent down, picked up his little daughter, patted her head, and comforted her, "It's okay, Sophia. We can buy things tomorrow. It's good that you're alright."

Ethan stubbornly raised his head, full of youthful spirit, and asked, "Aren't we going to get revenge, Dad? Do you know who they are? Besides that guy at the supermarket entrance, who else could know that we're going to buy a bunch of valuable things?"

“Of course I know, Ethan, of course I know.” The old father looked at his son, who was sticking his head out, and sighed, “But so what? I can’t put you in danger, Ethan. It’s not worth risking your lives for this little bit of money. You’ve already lost your mother, and I can’t let you lose your father too.”

"That's absolutely right!"

In the darkness, that clear male voice suddenly rang out again.

Sure enough, the man who ordered the cake for Sophia appeared beside them at some point, standing on the edge of the streetlight's flame, half of his body shrouded in darkness.

"I heard a child crying here, so I came to check it out," the person explained, explaining why they were there.

There's an old Eastern saying: "A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall."

The man smiled at Ethan, then turned to James and said, "But then again, why should good people have guns pointed at them?"

“Sir, it’s just some food that’s been lost. There’s no need to make a big fuss about it.” James pondered the deeper meaning in the other man’s words, while trying to gloss over the matter.

"No, it's necessary!"

The man stomped his cane on the concrete, making a loud thud. He walked slowly to James's side, took out a croissant with cream from somewhere, and put it into the hand of the little girl who was crying on James's shoulder.

He patted Sophia on the head, then turned his gaze to James, continuing his unfinished words, one by one.

"A major undertaking is absolutely necessary, James Williams."

"This matter is essential for you, for me, and for [Anti-Entropy]."

"You~?"

"Call the police."

Before the mechanic could even ask his question, the other man offered a solution that James had never even considered.

Calling the police is a distant concept for the residents of Night City.

For residents of Night City, the first lesson in understanding the true nature of society and reality is to call the police.

The police in Night City are not as omnipotent as depicted in books. They only appear at the scene of a shootout, in restaurants on street corners, in dark corners where loot is divided, and on main roads monitored by streetlights.

Theoretically, cases like theft, murder, kidnapping, and robbery fall under their jurisdiction, but as I just mentioned, that's only in theory.

Perfunctory responses, shirking responsibility, and muddling through are their normal work routine.

James did call the police, on the contrary, it was because he called the police so many times that he realized it was completely useless.

“Sir, as far as I know, the city government doesn’t seem to have a police station in Taiping State,” James said.

"Just because it didn't happen before doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. Give it a try, it won't hurt anyway," the man advised meaningfully.

James had no choice but to call the police.

"Hello, this is the Taiping State Police Department. How can I help you?" A sweet female voice rang out on the other end of the phone, which also surprised James.

He was surprised that Taiping State actually had a police station, and also surprised by the other party's attitude.

It's worth noting that in the past, NCPD operators were notorious in Night City for being "unable to hear clearly," "unable to answer questions," "unable to be dispatched," and "unable to handle matters," unlike now when they are so enthusiastic.

"I...I was just robbed," James said tentatively.

Fortunately, the person on the other end of the phone didn't say things like, "We've already recorded it and will report it," or "We suggest you take it back."

Instead of offering excuses like "You've been registered, someone will verify your information later" or "You've been registered for police dispatch, you're expected to be called in three days," they went straight to the point and asked: "Where were you robbed? Were there any injuries?"

After understanding the whole story, the operator clearly and decisively told the operator: "I will dispatch officers immediately. They will arrive at your location within three minutes. Please be careful during this time."

This made James feel a little flattered.

The man, or rather Jiang Bing, was not surprised at all, after all, the police station in Taiping Prefecture was established by Gloria, who personally authorized him to select capable personnel.

The collapse of order often happens overnight, while the establishment of a new order is a process that takes years.

The same applies to public credibility.

Take this matter at hand, for example. He could have easily apprehended the two petty thugs who had fled back to the Haitian shantytown in northern Taiping Prefecture with a flick of his finger, but he did not do so. Instead, he chose to stand by and leave the matter to the newly established Taiping Prefecture Police Department.

They need this kind of 'achievement' to establish their authority.

Strictly speaking, the Taiping State Police Department is not a system at all with the NCPD.

It's an unlicensed operation selling counterfeit goods.

Following Mr. Blue Eyes' suggestion, [Reverse Entropy] should first acquire the already listed NCPD, then reorganize and delist it, gradually replacing its personnel to ensure a smooth transition.

However, Jiang Bing chose not to accept the other party's suggestion.

Chapter 804 The First Step in Reshaping Order

Rather than throwing the money at unproductive financial speculators, he chose to use it to support the police officers who had been laid off by the NCPD, providing them with better equipment and more comprehensive benefits, raises, insurance, and practical assistance.

As for its legal legitimacy, one could say that this is something that Harold, the director of the NCPD, should be worried about next.

After all, these remnants of the old forces have almost no other bargaining chips besides this ridiculous fig leaf.

Power is not a castle in the air; it is supported by guns, pens, seals, and money. But in the current Night City, how much of it can they actually control?

It's no exaggeration to say that Harold, if he dares to speak out of turn or deviate even slightly, will be easily soluble in water.

As for this fake police station...

They have people, guns, money, the ability to get things done, and the people trust them!

Then it must be true.

River Ward wholeheartedly agreed with this.

Earlier, River Ward felt there was no brighter future than becoming an NCPD detective, and after successfully joining the detective force, he thought the road ahead would only get easier.

The results of it?

In Night City, upholding one's ideals is always much harder than simply obtaining a police rank.

Only after he got the job going did he realize that he was struggling in a moral quagmire every day, either sticking to his principles or betraying his conscience.

The time actually spent on punishing evildoers is less than the time spent scheming and plotting. Even if he relaxes his guard for a second, he might be betrayed by his colleagues and fall into the hands of some old enemy from a gang.

Most importantly, no matter how much he investigated, he always found that these ridiculous things were related to the big shots above him.

So he simply resigned (actually, he was fired).

But people always need to eat, especially since he has two nephews and a niece to support.

So he joined [Reverse Entropy], entered the Taiping State Police Department, and successfully became a glorious cop.

Although it is an illegal note in the strict sense.

Rivers drove a modified Chevrolet Emperor heavy armored vehicle, leading his group at breakneck speed toward the Haitian community in northern Pacific State.

This area is inhabited by Haitian refugees and is a stronghold of the Voodoo Gang.

Of course, it was just the former headquarters.

The current Taiping Prefecture truly lives up to its name. The existence of [Anti-Entropy] has deprived all gangs of any fertile ground for survival, and any troublemakers who dare to stand out will suffer saturation bomb attacks.