Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 443 56. Guarantee You
"Old man, in today's Night City, revenge doesn't mean harming innocent people."

After hearing what Carl said, Esson Brian's expression changed slightly.

It was as if he had heard something incredible and unbelievable. He ignored NCPD officer Andy who was walking slowly towards him and looked straight at Carl.

He stared at Carl.

That smile had disappeared without anyone noticing, and all that was left on his face was a look filled with absurdity.

"I never thought that today's mercenaries would have such thoughts."

Asson-Breen shook his head, his eyes fixed on the young man whose reputation in Night City was no less than his past, and even far surpassed his. "Don't harm the innocent. Have you never hurt an innocent person since you embarked on this path? You are a mercenary, a profession that is destined to take lives, but you still want to avoid harming innocent people. Do you think you are Morgan Blackhand? That's ridiculous."

Even though he said "that's ridiculous", there was no smile on Esson-Breen's face.

This young man gave him a rather strange feeling.

A sincere and sunny feeling that he had never seen in Night City, or in his entire life.

If he said that he had not harmed any innocent person, if he said this openly, Esson-Breen felt that he would believe it. He was a man who had already lost faith in trust, but he actually realized in his heart that he would believe it.

It's unbelievable and it's... ridiculous.

But Karl did not say what Esson-Breen thought he would say.

Carl didn't say that he had never hurt an innocent person in his mercenary career.

“Maybe I’ve hurt innocent people.”

Carl said, "After all, I don't know if there are really people among the gang members and company personnel I killed who have a family on their shoulders and have never done anything bad. I'm not sure, because maybe there really are such people."

But
"Everyone I've ever faced, I've always been sure he's not innocent."

After hearing this, Esong-Breen was silent for a moment, and then he almost subconsciously responded with words: "Do you think you are a hero, or a judge of sin?"

"I'm not."

Very simple answer.

Carl just said, "I just like to do it."

That's right.

willing.

There is no moral issue involved, no responsibility or criticism or behavior involved, Carl just wants to do it.

He is willing to decide whether to spare someone's life before confronting them face to face. He is willing to try to save others when someone is affected. He is willing to be kind to others. All of this is just what he wants.

He is happy, so what does it matter what others think?

"With pleasure." Esson-Breen repeated the word, looking at the young man in front of him.

There was only sincerity on the young man's face, and his answers to the questions were frank and direct.

At this moment, Esson-Breen was certain of one thing: this young man was incompatible with Night City or with himself, who was full of hatred.

Night City is a quagmire. Everyone knows it, but they always inevitably step into it and get stained by the mud.

For this city, people usually have only two choices: one is to keep trying to cleanse themselves, but get deeper and deeper; the other is to escape from this quagmire with mud all over their bodies, but mud spots will always remain on their bodies. However, this young man is different.

He stepped into the quagmire, but still maintained his own self. Whether to stay, stay away, get stained with mud, or wash clean, all depended on his own will and thoughts. He was extremely willful, so willful that the onlookers could feel the willfulness of freedom.

It is completely different from the self who was bound by gang glory in the first half of his life and then bound by empty hatred for thirty years. How free and enviable.

"This is the mercenary KK who sets the rules in Night City now."

Esson-Breen sighed, and then he turned the position of the machete: "That NCPD guy is in your hands."

After saying this, he did not care about the reactions of the four subordinates beside him. He turned the scimitar in his hand, which had not been swung smoothly for many years, and walked towards KK.

Today is no longer the chaotic era of thirty years ago. There are now people who make the rules on the streets, even if it is only in a small area, only in a part, and maybe even only in front of that person who makes the rules, but the rules have been set, and if Eson-Breen wants to break them, he has to do something.

Asson-Breen chose to do what he did thirty years ago, challenging the rules with the proud golden scimitar in his hand, challenging people today with the attitude of the past.

Challenges from the past.

Carl chose to take it.

"It seems that you don't want to be arrested by An Anxin." Carl calmly watched Asson-Breen walking towards him with the golden scimitar in his hand. A message appeared on the screen of his mobile phone in his palm.

NCPD case assistance.

The use of deadly force is permitted.

Authorized by.

NCPD Sergeant Andy.

"Then I'll have you arrested."

The former legend of the Valentino Gang, the man half the city feared and half the city hated?
Maybe he did have this ability in the past, but in Carl's opinion, Esson Blaine is...

"You are old and you are no match for me."

To be honest, it is so harsh.

"Yeah, I'm old."

Esson-Breen's pace suddenly quickened: "But I'm not dead yet!"

"No, I think you misunderstood me."

Looking at Esson-Breen, who should have installed reflective components, Carl's tone remained calm.

"What I mean is that you are not even my opponent."

Not an opponent, besides being unable to defeat him, there is another meaning, that is, he is not one's 'opponent'.

Without moving or even taking a step, when Eson-Breen rushed in front of Carl and wanted to chop him with his scimitar, his body suddenly froze.

The ownership of his limbs no longer belonged to him. In front of Carl, the old man couldn't even fight for one round.

"I told you I would have you arrested."

Karl reached out and straightened the old man’s collar: “I guarantee you.”

Carl had some resentment towards this old man who had been pursuing hatred for thirty years. After all, he had harmed innocent people. If Carl had not gotten out of the car immediately to rescue and treat the mother and child, they would have definitely died. However, the resentment was not strong.

Carl always has some respect for a man who has been silent for revenge for thirty years, and his reason is to avenge his sister.

"The detention time is over. If you still want revenge, remember to call the police in advance to evacuate the crowd. The reason is that you can say that KK is fighting with others and this area is dangerous. I allow you to use my reputation to do this, but..."

Carl looked at Oriona on the ground and the relatives shown in her personal information: "If possible, let the eight-year-old girl go."

Let the child go?

This sounds like too kind words.

Carl would not say whether he was innocent or not. In the face of hatred, perhaps these were not important. Even if the saying he had been exposed to since childhood was to cut the grass at its roots, the history he had read had too many such consequences after cutting the grass at its roots. It was just that.
Carl looked at Esson-Breen again.

What was he going to say? Could that girl be the only bloodline left after his revenge, or was the child still young?
Do you want to be generous to others and make judgments for their revenge?

No.

Carl simply said:
"I beg you."

Carl had no position to comment on the revenge that would not involve innocent people, and there was no law in Night City that allowed him to get involved. Therefore, his request was based on his personal capacity. Carl did not know what decision Esson-Breen would make.

It’s just that Carl really doesn’t like seeing death.

Aisong-Breen remained silent about Carl's request.

Even though he had been freed from Carl's restraints and was being taken into the police car by the NCPD officers who had arrived, along with the four main suspects who had been subdued by Sheriff Andy, he remained silent until the end, when the police car door was about to close, when he turned around and looked at Carl.

"I promise you."

What guarantee do you have? Did Esson-Breen promise Carl anything?

Carl didn't know what Eson Brian was promising him when he said he would guarantee it to him. Was he promising not to use his name to implicate innocent people, or was he promising to let the child go? Carl didn't know.

But
Esson-Breen regained the trust he had abandoned and said, "I promise you."

(End of this chapter)