The Creators: From Night City

Page 393

The legal system of [Reverse Entropy] is also very different from that of Night City.

This is first reflected in the criminals' attitude when confessing.

With the help of certain 'magical' methods, what's done is done; it doesn't matter if the mind doesn't want to talk about it, the body will automatically 'honestly' confess.

This undoubtedly saved the newly established Taiping State Police a great deal of manpower and resources.

Inside the morgue, Rivers opened a morgue cabinet and returned most of the cake and a bag of organic food to their original owner.

While James was signing the confirmation, Rivers looked at Ethan, who kept glancing at the morgue, and explained with a smile, "It's just a temporary loan. After all, at this temperature, these things will spoil if they don't freeze. These cabinets are all new and have never been used before."

Ethan had no choice but to believe.

"The robbers will fully compensate you for the losses caused by this robbery. You can register your bank account later, and the compensation will be deposited into your card."

The fact that what was lost was regained and the perpetrator was brought to justice already surprised James, who had grown up in a lawless wasteland. Hearing that there was also compensation, he was even more astonished.

"Would someone like that have money?" Ethan asked a crucial question from the side.

“It’s alright,” River said with a smile, as if he had thought of something interesting. “According to the new regulations of [Anti-Entropy], ordinary robbers will be sent to ‘farms’ for forced labor, and the wages they earn will be used first to compensate the victims.”

"However, these two have committed more serious crimes and probably have no chance to atone for their sins through labor. All their property will be confiscated to compensate for your losses."

To be honest, Rivers greatly admires this rather 'outdated' set of legal regulations.

Although the laws of Night City have evolved sufficiently over hundreds of years to be 'civilized,' 'human rights-oriented,' and 'progressive,' Rivers believes they have deviated from the core principles of law: to punish past mistakes to prevent future ones and to heal the sick and save lives.

In times of chaos, harsh measures are needed; for serious illnesses, strong medicines are prescribed.

Putting everything else aside, the Williams family of three absolutely supports this.

On the way home, Sophia looked at the half-cake that Ethan had found in his arms and jumped up and down with joy. She didn't understand much yet, she was simply overjoyed to be able to eat a 'delicious dessert'.

Ethan, who was slightly older, held the 'cake' in his arms, his chest churning with the joy of revenge and the bad guys getting what they deserved.

Only James.

He walked behind the two children, looking at the street illuminated by the newly installed streetlights of [Anti-Entropy], and felt that the city where he had lived for more than 30 years had suddenly become unfamiliar.

But this unfamiliarity inexplicably filled him with joy.

This is the taste of order.

"This city is finally getting better," James thought.

Although ordinary people are weak and powerless, and can only drift with the tide of the times, they also possess advantages that others cannot match.

Spring River Plumbing Duck Prophet.

For important figures who want to understand the world, the only options are to "listen to both sides to gain clarity, and listen to only one side to gain darkness," "to truly understand something, one must put it into practice," and "without investigation, one has no right to speak."

At present, Jiang Bing is definitely the biggest figure in Night City.

So what is he doing right now?

The answer lies in maintaining stability.

He was meeting with many of the most renowned 'middlemen' in the entire Night City.

To be honest, a large part of the power in Night City is concentrated in the hands of these various middlemen.

They are another force in this city besides the military, police, and political and legal system, and also the most unstable force.

They are typical representatives of the dark side of Night City, and have grown closely and inseparable from the city over the decades.

If they choose to uproot them completely, it would be tantamount to tearing apart Night City.

The ecosystem that has evolved from the 'middleman' system has permeated every aspect of Night City, including all walks of life. A large number of people rely on this network for survival, and they have become a cornerstone of the operation of this society.

A violent solution would only result in mutual destruction.

Although it wouldn't affect the wealthy and powerful "fisherman" [Anti-Entropy], this wasn't the situation Jiang Bing wanted to see.

Moreover, where there is light, there is darkness, and absolute light can also breed absolute extremes, something Jiang Bing was well aware of.

The 'middlemen' still have a reason to exist, but they need to be restrained, they need a rein, and they need someone to draw a red line in front of them.

Fortunately, Jiang Bing is very good at this, and those who can become top-notch 'middlemen' are also very smart.

In fact, compared to Jiang Bing's worries, these astute "middlemen" are the most anxious and uneasy part of this problem.

They profit from intelligence and make a living from current events. Those who cannot see clearly or keep up with the general trend will only be eliminated by the market.

Arakasa's defeat and the unusual withdrawal of military technology had already alerted their 'dog noses' to something unusual.

At this moment, anyone who isn't a fool can discern the hidden meaning behind Gloria's invitation to an industry gathering.

This was a 'Feast at Hongmen'.

But here's the interesting part: no matter how clearly they understood, they had no choice but to attend the banquet.

Chapter 807 Deer-Slaying Knife Distributes Meat

As a venue for a treacherous banquet, Arasaka Tower is a very suitable target.

However, Jiang Bing had a better option.

A Toyota Coaster H33 'TurboHoneycomb' drove through the bustling streets and turned onto a quiet street in Watson's Chinatown.

"Boss, the building is full of people."

The burly driver reported to Father Sebastian Ibarra behind him.

"It's normal, ignore it, keep driving forward."

The priest held the cross to his chest and continued his prayer.

Soon, he arrived at his destination, 'Tom's Restaurant'.

"BOSS"

The driver stopped the car at the door and leaned out from the front seat to hand over a handgun, but Sebastian pushed it back.

"Put it away, we don't need it for today's occasion."

After straightening his sweater and making sure there were no fashion faux pas, the priest opened the car door and headed towards the restaurant.

The graffiti-covered glass door reflected the sunlight, and the priest's mood was flustered and troubled, much like when he first started out.

'jingle'

As the door opened, the welcoming wind chimes rang, attracting the attention of the people inside.

This small roadside shop had been booked out in advance, and all the staff, including the owner, had already gone home to rest.

Several men, women, and children sat at the bar, most of them 'old friends' of the priest, and the rest were also people he had known for a long time.

"You're taking forever to get here. What's wrong? Are you getting old and your hands and feet aren't as nimble as you used to be?"

Wakako Okada, who looked like a viper, pushed up her glasses; her silver-white hair resembled the fangs of a venomous snake.

The unspoken confrontation began the moment the priest pushed open the door.

The priest ignored the old viper's greeting, and instead slowly closed the door, greeting the head manager who was sitting in the corner.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Gloria. I heard from Jack that he's getting another promotion soon. I really appreciate your help."

The head steward, who was chatting with Dakota Smith, smiled and nodded in response, gesturing for him to find a place to sit.

So the priest, with his frail steps, sat down on a greasy sofa near the door.

He scanned the store with his cloudy eyes and found that almost all of Night City's top middlemen had arrived.

Dakota Smith, the middleman in Badlands.

The middleman in the city center, Dainuo, the bassist of the band "Looking for Bandits" and a rock kid.

Wakako Okada, the middleman in the Westbrook district and the underground queen of Twisty Street.

Muammar Reyes, a well-known car dealer in Santo Domingo.

Regina Jones, a Watson District middleman and former independent reporter for FTF Radio.

Mr. Hans, the middleman in Taiping Prefecture and the former underground emperor of Dogtown.

Adding to the mix was Sebastian Ibarra, the middleman from Haywood and a former priest of the Valentino gang. To his surprise, he discovered that all the influential middlemen from all the districts of Night City had gathered together.

Mr. Hans, sitting in the corner of the bar, keenly noticed the priest's sweeping gaze, but only smiled and raised his glass to him in a cryptic gesture.

The priest frowned slightly. He did not look down on this colleague who almost dominated the middleman business in Taiping Prefecture; instead, he felt a deep sense of apprehension.

"jingle"

The welcoming wind chimes rang once again.

This time, the person who entered the room was Roger Amandias, the Queen of the Middlemen of Night City and the owner of the Afterlife Nightclub.

"It seems everyone has arrived."

Gloria's prestige has grown with time, and she is not intimidated at all in the face of so many top intermediaries.

"Now that everyone is here, it's time to serve the food and begin the feast."

As she spoke, a person emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming hot plate of pork chops.

The meat was good meat, but the person was not a good person.

Sabur Lerek, the mastermind behind the recent unrest in Night City.

"Please make yourself at home." Jiang Bing placed the plate on the table. The grilled steak had a deep, uneven brown color, and a rich, mellow aroma of roasted meat filled the entire Tom's Restaurant.

The creamy aroma of butter and the spiciness of garlic blend with the fresh herbal fragrance of herbs (rosemary, thyme), creating an irresistible flavor.

The steak also exudes a unique, sweet aroma of fat and nuts, creating a complex, harmonious, and richly layered flavor that is incredibly appetizing.

Several plates were placed on the table, and Jiang Bing picked up a sharp kitchen knife for cutting meat in front of everyone.

"Most of you here should have dealt with me before, or at the very least, you should have dealt with [Anti-Entropy]."

The kitchen knife was held upright in front of Jiang Bing, gleaming sharply under the light.

"After all, you are important figures who cannot be ignored when making a living in Night City."

Faced with Jiang Bingdai's high praise, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. No one present was foolish enough to take it as mere politeness.

Jiang Bing was giving them a warning.

“Hey, you guys know what? This piece of meat is top-notch, even Arasaka Yoriyuki probably wouldn’t get to eat this level of cut of meat.” Jiang Bing reached out and cut a small piece of meat, placing it on a plate beside him.

As the steak was cut open, a clear, abundant juice slowly flowed out, and the rich aroma in the air became even more intense, causing Roger, who was closest to the bar, to swallow hard.

After all, this is arguably the most delicious 'Bobo Meat Steak' from the Monster Hunter world, and you can't find it anywhere else except at Jiang Bing's place.

"But while the food tastes good, I hope everyone will eat it properly from now on. (While Night City's business is profitable, I hope you'll all abide by the rules of [Anti-Entropy] and not eat in a bad manner.)"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, immediately realizing that the sex scene was about to begin.

“Mr. Sabur is too kind. It’s good enough to have food in the Badlands (there’s not much oil or fat there), let alone this kind of gourmet food (moreover, [Anti-Entropy] has brought me many well-paid jobs). I will definitely savor it slowly (I support you). Besides, although the Adcado people can’t afford this kind of food, thanks to you, they’ve been able to eat their fill recently (the Adcado clan has also been eating their fill recently thanks to [Anti-Entropy]), so naturally they will eat slowly and carefully, and follow the restaurant’s dining etiquette (I will definitely follow the rules you set).”

Dakota Smith, the middleman in Badlands, spoke first.

As the person chosen by the Adcardo clan to take charge, her relationship with Anti-Entropy grew closer as other families cooperated more closely with it. In addition, since her territory was the Badlands outside the city and had little to do with the interests within Night City, she naturally took the lead in expressing her stance.

Jiang Bingxin nodded and gestured for Gloria to bring over a slice of meat and place it on the other person's table.

This action instantly shocked and horrified everyone, and they immediately realized that what was on the table was not just meat chops, but clearly the interests of the entire Night City.

Jiang Bing wasn't holding a dinner knife, but a deer-slaying knife that could divide the world. He wasn't slicing a steak, but the power of discourse in the entire Night City.

The steak placed in front of Dakota Smith indicates that her previous explanation was successful; [Anti-Entropy] has allowed her existence and will share some of the spoils with her.

Looking at the large plate in front of Jiang Bing, the remaining middlemen present felt a surge of anxiety.

There's only so much meat left on the plate; every piece cut is one less!

Chapter 808 Each Expresses Their True Feelings

Father Sebastian Ibarra led the charge.

"Mr. Sabur's cooking is really good; even Mrs. Wilson probably can't compare."

The priest stood up and walked to the bar, continuing in a soft voice, "Speaking of which, I must thank Mr. Sabur for giving us such a fine boy as Jack from Heywood. (We're quite close; your Jack is from Heywood, so I'll have to give him some face.)"

In response to the priest's words, Jiang Bing smiled and replied: "It's mainly because Jack himself is hardworking. I just gave him a little support (Jack is where he is today because he is a reliable worker and earned his own money)."