The Creators: From Night City

Most of the customers here are stevedores at the port, sailors who come here from the ocean, local residents of Watson District, and even low-level corporate dogs from Arasaka Beach next door sometimes come here to taste some street food.

Night City is worthy of its name. Only when entering Night City at night can its prosperous yet distorted side be truly revealed.

Neon signs on numerous small stalls flashed colorful lights.

A speaker from somewhere was playing the Samurai Band's classic song "Intubation". The volume was so loud that Valerie could clearly hear Johnny Silverhand's iconic hoarse roar even when she was standing at the entrance of the market.

When Valerie was still a glorious Arasaka middle-level company dog, she had been to Arasaka Beach countless times, but had never been to this night market. If she needed to eat, she would go directly to the internal employee restaurant of the Blue Sky Building. She would not consider such a small street stall.

But as she stood here, smelling the aroma of frying oil, the sweetness of sauces, the technological aroma of wheat brought by various pastries, listening to the noise of the lively crowd and the clinking of glasses, she unexpectedly thought that this place might not be too bad.

However, she didn't come here to shop today, but to work.

As her first task in the new company after recovering from her injury, she must do it beautifully and make a good start, otherwise it is likely to affect her future career.

So when she was choosing assistants for the task, she chose her best friend without hesitation.

Walking along the narrow passages of the night market, Valerie, dressed in a casual suit, passed by small stalls with fancy names such as "Exquisite Skewers", "Brother's Fried Chicken", "Delicious Chinese Food", and "Greasy Desserts", and bypassed a grocery stall selling second-hand goods (the lower-class people in Night City often go to these stalls to buy second-hand or even multi-hand clothing. As for these clothes that may have holes in them, people usually don't care about the source. After all, they are cheap enough that even scavengers can't help but buy two pieces). She passed by a video stall selling retro records, DVDs, and classic Mewtwo (most of which are pirated), and finally found the two senior special operations personnel assigned to her by the new company next to a "Smith Taco Burrito" stall.

Of course, these two people were also the military support she specifically asked the company for for this mission.

Jack and Vincent, a pair of happy friends, had already started eating before Valerie arrived.

Chapter 503 What is professionalism?

"Hi, V, look at you, your face is so rosy and glowing. It seems that you have recovered well." Jack put down the plastic chopsticks holding spicy pasta and greeted Valerie from a distance.

Vincent, who was standing by, felt somewhat uncomfortable when he heard the name V, but he still waved at the other party.

During the time that Valerie was recuperating in the Anti-Entropy Medical Department and undergoing prosthetic transformation, Vincent had already become familiar with her under Jack's leadership.

"You two are here so early." Valerie took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of beautiful Qi Lusi Oracle two-color prosthetic eyes. This world-class prosthetic eye is considered the top equipment for combat hackers. It has the ability to automatically identify access points, support multiple communication channel intrusions, thermal imaging, infrared scanning, short-frequency radio wave display and other functions. It can be regarded as a gift from the three lesbians in the medical department.

Of course, it's not wrong to call it a "token of love". How could three science and engineering girls who are obsessed with technology be a match for Valerie, who survives by interacting with people? Whether it's out of emotional and physical needs, or the utilitarian idea of ​​wanting to expand the company's network and strengthen her position within [Anti-Entropy], the good social Valerie's relationship with the three women progressed rapidly during her recovery.

It's a relationship between three people!

The four of them were so close that they became close friends who knew each other well and could talk about anything.

"What a coincidence! When you contacted us, we were hanging around nearby, trying to see if we could catch some whirlpools to help Little Tail exchange for some money." Jack explained.

"What would you like? Another glass of Four Hundred Rabbit Dionysus Tequila?" Vincent said familiarly, "Just to celebrate your recovery and return to the game."

The three of them were able to become friends because Jack acted as a middleman, and because Vincent and Valerie had similar tastes. Not only were they similar in many values, but they also coincidentally shared the same favorite liquor, which was Four Hundred Rabbits Dionysus Tequila.

It's worth mentioning that Jack also loves this flavor of tequila, second only to Happy Skull beer.

Seeing that Valerie had no objection, Vincent reached out to the busy middle-aged woman stall owner next to him and asked her to bring a bottle of Four Hundred Rabbit Dionysus Tequila.

The three of them sat in the most remote corner, watching the stall owner busying himself while whispering about the mission.

"I heard that this mission is about a middle-level manager at the 'Hao Zai Lai' factory who went missing?" Jack continued to slurp the noodles in the box and spoke vaguely.

"It's from Old Logan in the Human Resources Department. He's said to be an elderly man." Vincent, who joined Anti-Entropy the earliest among the three, obviously knew more.

"Well, Tiago, a local from Coronado Ranch, 42 years old, disappeared on the way to meet his mistress. He and his car disappeared without a trace." Valerie had already read the briefing related to the mission thoroughly, so she could naturally talk about what happened.

"Could it be the work of the scavengers, or the remnants of the Voodoo Gang in Taiping State? They just love to do these phishing attacks." Jack expressed his guess.

"No." Valerie unscrewed the cap of the orange Four Hundred Rabbit Dionysus Tequila and poured a small glass for each of the three people.

"The missing person wasn't in Taipingzhou, but in a small alley in the Valley area, and the surrounding surveillance cameras didn't capture anything useful."

Valerie pushed the wine glasses to the two of them one by one and said, "It was Arasaka's doing, and it's a common method used by the intelligence department. First, they dig up information, then disguise themselves and send phishing messages, arrange to kidnap people, then clean up the surveillance, and finally, the peripheral personnel responsible for the cleanup are responsible for clearing the target vehicle and other traces. After so many years, the methods have not changed."

As Valerie had just resigned from Arasaka, she was very familiar with the working methods of her former colleagues.

"Are you so sure?" Vincent was a little skeptical about Valerie's certainty.

"Of course, I've used this trick a lot." Valerie shrugged, raised her glass and gestured to the two of them, "Come on."

"I wish you good health." When it comes to drinking, Jack is the most active. He puts down his chopsticks, picks up the wine glass, shouts a toast that suits the occasion, and then drinks it all in one gulp.

The remaining two followed closely behind, tilting their heads back and drinking the wine in their cups.

Putting the cup on the table, the three of them all grimaced. Jack's face was the most exaggerated, as if someone had stepped on a toe with paronychia.

The three of them behaved this way because of the unique flavor of the Four Hundred Rabbits Dionysus Tequila. Regarding its taste, there was a consensus among the underworld: "This stuff tastes like charcoal-flavored urine."

But everyone has their own preferences, and this trio couldn't stop them from loving this flavor.

This is just like how old Beijingers like to drink a whole sip of soy milk when they wake up in the morning. It’s so authentic!

"Is the person still alive?" Vincent asked the key question.

"It's hard to say how the intelligence department will judge the importance of this person, but what is certain is that the information in his brain has been stripped clean by Arasaka's technical department." As a former Arasaka employee, Valerie naturally understands the methods of the technical department very well.

"If you ask me, he brought this upon himself." Jack finished his last mouthful of noodles, tossed the box onto the table, and offered his opinion. "The company issued a notice long ago, urging people to be vigilant and guard against the despicable tactics of other companies. He didn't know the difference. As a civilian, he dared to go to an unfamiliar place alone to meet his mistress. Who can he blame if he got caught?"

"Then where can we find this Tiago? We can't just go straight to Arasaka Tower and snatch people from inside." Vincent brought the focus of the conversation back to the mission.

The goal of this mission is simple: to find the person alive or the body if he is dead.

"Right here," Valerie explained her plan.

"Here?" Vincent and Jack turned their heads to look at the ordinary bustling night market and couldn't help but feel very confused. They just thought that Valerie had made an appointment to meet here nearby, but they didn't expect that there were clues about the Arasaka Special Operations Department here.

"She has a son." Valerie gently pointed at the middle-aged woman busy at the stall and continued, "Carter Smith, a top civilian graduate of Arasaka University. He used to work as a handyman under me."

"My main job is to do some logistical and clerical work, and also repair the water dispenser and other things." Valerie raised a finger and waved it in front of the two of them. "I'm a handyman shared by the intelligence and counterintelligence departments."

I have to say that when it comes to Arasaka-related matters, Valerie is absolutely knowledgeable and knows everything like the back of her hand.

What is professionalism?

This is called professionalism!

Chapter 504 One-Eyed Detective

"So, you want him to be a spy for us. Will he agree?"

Vincent looked at the middle-aged woman busy at the stall and guessed Valerie's plan: "We use his mother as a threat?"

"My dear sister, if you really want to do this, it's really not good enough. If this gets out, it won't be good in the underworld."

Although Jack and Vincent committed robbery, murder and arson all day long, they were still proud of their superiors and sympathetic to the weak. They felt a little guilty for forcing the working class who worked hard to earn money to support their families.

As a senior company dog, Valerie naturally still has the cold style of Arasaka in her actions. However, if no one forces her, who doesn't want to be a good person? She still patiently explained to the two of them.

"After we're done, just find him a job at Anti-Entropy. I've seen a lot of honest guys like him at the bottom who have no background and a weak personality in Arasaka Tower. Even if we don't use him, he'll soon disappear from the world because he's involved in some high-level struggle. These new faces at the bottom are updated almost every month. They are consumables of power, lubricants in the struggles between executives, and ready-made scapegoats. I've seen too many such things over the years." Valerie spoke calmly about the cruel living environment in the offices of large companies.

"If we really do this, we might be able to save his life." Although Valerie's words sounded a bit dramatic, they were true.

However, she is a person with a delicate mind and a clear understanding of human relationships. She is extremely smart.

She understood that since she had joined Anti-Entropy, she naturally had to abide by the company's 'corporate culture'. So, she changed the subject and said, "You don't need to threaten my family. I have plenty of leverage over him. Just one of them would be enough for Arasaka's internal intelligence department to kill him ten times over. That would be enough to make him surrender. Besides, these methods are inferior. If you want someone to help you wholeheartedly, you have to learn how to properly motivate them. This is a required course in management."

"I won't touch his family, that's all I need."

Jack grabbed the bottle and filled it up for Valerie as if to apologize. "You're right, V. There's nothing wrong with doing this."

The three of them drank the second glass of wine in one gulp, ordered a lot of food with grins on their faces, and started eating while waiting in this corner.

They waited until the moon was over the top of the building and it was almost midnight, but there was still no sign of Carter.

Vincent shook the non-alcoholic drinks on the table, beckoned for a few more bottles, and said, "It's almost dawn. How long do we have to wait?"

Valerie shrugged, her face showing no sign of impatience. "That's hard to say. Overtime is very serious within Arasaka. On average, we work until eight or nine o'clock. It's normal to work until late at night if we're busy."

"But Carter will definitely come here as soon as he gets off work."

"If you ask me, those company dogs like Arasaka may look impressive in front of others, but they really suffer behind the scenes. Working overtime every day will eventually lead to sudden death." Jack took a bite of the 'Mrs. Smith's Secret Tartare Burrito' in his hand and complained.

"A few people die every month, we're used to it." Valerie has recently become spoiled by the internal employee drinks and welfare of [Anti-Entropy]. She can't help but want to cough when she drinks these high-tech and hard-working things.

"Do you think every company is like Anti-Entropy, working from nine to six, with generous salaries, not only without those required KPIs, but also providing employees with a full range of insurance? To be honest, I feel that our company is not here to make money in Night City, but rather to do real charity." Although Valerie has only been in Anti-Entropy for a short time, she is undoubtedly the one who feels the most deeply about this aspect among the three.

After all, there is a world of difference between Arasaka and [Anti-Entropy] in terms of corporate atmosphere, welfare benefits, and behavior.

"Yes, we have to work hard, at least to get the salary that Mr. Sabul pays us."

Because they had only drunk one bottle of Four Hundred Rabbits Dionysus Tequila during the mission, they switched to non-alcoholic drinks. Jack followed Valerie's words, raised his glass, and praised: "Cheers to [Anti-Entropy], and to the great Mr. Sable."

After finishing the wine, Vincent and Jack began to impart their experience as veteran employees to Valerie, such as the correct way to use the arsenal, the importance of [Promotion and Transformation], and which items in [Anti-Entropy's] increasingly large and substantial standard equipment library would be best used in which situation.

Just as the two were talking excitedly, Valerie's 'oracle' Kirusik's optical prosthetic eye suddenly identified a figure in the crowd, making Valerie's expression serious. Jack and Vincent also instantly noticed their companion's abnormality, put down their cups, and put their hands on their waists.

"It's the one-eyed detective. Why is he here?" Jack followed Valerie's gaze and immediately saw the black NCPD detective they had dealt with when investigating the assassination of former mayor Lucius Lane.

"Who?" Vincent was confused.

"River Ward, an NCPD detective with an old-fashioned prosthetic eye. His jurisdiction doesn't seem to be in Watson District, but it's not surprising that he appears here. He may be investigating a case." Valerie explained.

But then, the black detective walked straight to the Smith Tacos stall and sat down. This coincidence made the three of them uneasy.

Jack was about to stand up when Valerie stopped him. Then, her artificial eye glowed slightly, and the other two received an internal communication invitation.

[Valerie: Hold on, I'll connect to a nearby camera and see what he's up to.]

Valerie turned her head and quickly found a camera in a suitable position. As she blinked, a puppet was directly uploaded into the camera's operating system, allowing her to take control instantly.

She sat at the table, calmly adjusting the camera angle, zooming in to capture the conversation between Fury and the middle-aged female stall owner.

Then, the images were synchronized to Jack and Vincent in real time.

Fury: "One tartar roll, half a portion of sauce, plenty of onion rings, and two thick rolls."

The stall owner was visibly taken aback. He looked up at him and asked, "Does this gentleman know Jamie? One of my regular customers likes to eat this way."

Fury forced a smile on his face. "Of course, Jimmy Sean was my partner in the early days, but we later separated due to work transfers."

"It turns out that it's Jamie's old partner who's here." The stall owner was obviously very familiar with Jamie, and his attitude towards Fury also improved.

Chapter 505 Sudden Fire

She was busy preparing the meal at the stove, and casually asked, "What has Jamie been busy with recently? Is there another big case? He hasn't been here for more than a week."

"It's really strange. After all, he has said more than once that he likes the spring rolls you make, mom, and he simply can't live without them." It happened that the stall owner's daughter came back from buying goods, and when she heard her mother ask this, she answered.

Fury turned to look at the stall owner's daughter, who was plump and had slightly curly hair, and forced a smile. "You must be Susan, right? I've heard him mention you."

"Really? What did he say about me?" Susan asked casually while opening the food packaging bag marked with the 'Good Come Again' logo.

"He said your fried pork chops were delicious, the best he's ever had."

"Ha, it's all thanks to the ingredients." Susan shook the 'Good Come Again' food bag in her hand and said modestly.

"By the way, what has he been busy with recently? I haven't seen him for a long time." The single young woman pretended to ask casually, but her intention was so obvious that even Vincent, who was watching, could see that she was obviously very concerned about Jamie.

Fury sighed softly and looked at Susan with an ambiguous expression on his face.

"He may never come again, Miss Susan. He is dead."

The sound of the spatula and the sound of unpacking stopped at the same time.

"How did he die? When did it happen?" Susan asked with concern, putting on a forced smile.

"Last Thursday, he committed suicide. He shot himself in the head and died alone in his apartment."

"What happened last Thursday?" Susan looked a little surprised. "I even delivered takeout to him that day. He seemed fine when I went over. How could he suddenly commit suicide?"

"I'm surprised too." Fury explained to the other party abnormally, "He is a good man, but there is no soil for good people to survive in Night City. There are too many things in his work and life that he can't stand, but he can't change them, so he is becoming more and more pessimistic and negative about the world." Fury took the special burrito handed over by the stall owner and placed it in front of him.

"Honestly, this kind of thing is not uncommon. At least half of the people in Night City will end up like this. However, his death does not alert those idiots in the upper echelons at all. It just makes Night City lose another good policeman. It's futile. Not many people even care about his departure." Fury sighed.

"However, since the others don't care, I thought I should at least tell you the news."

Susan finally couldn't help but lower her head.

"How could that be? He seems like such a nice guy."

The three people at the dinner table also seemed a little silent. Although everyone had seen this kind of tragedy many times, it did not mean that they could remain indifferent.

Only Valerie frowned slightly.

But before she could say anything, there was a commotion at the entrance of the market. Everyone looked and found that a group of "ferocious-looking" members of the Vortex Gang had poured into the market. Their ferocious faceplates, steel inlaid on their bodies, and neon strips had a great deterrent effect. At least the guests who came here to eat were intimidated by their appearance and unconsciously made way for the road ahead.

Several remnants of the Whirlpool Gang came to the 'Smith Taco' stall in such a carefree manner.

"What did I say, you stinky cop, don't let me see you on my territory, otherwise I will definitely settle the score with you." The thug led by the Whirlpool Gang changed his entire face to look like an exposed skull, and the Smith mother and daughter couldn't help but shrink back when his mouth opened and closed.

"Listen, Pang, I don't want to cause any trouble. I just want to have a quiet midnight snack. Besides, I don't know when this place became your territory?" Fury is worthy of being a veteran detective of the NCPD. Facing several members of the Whirlpool Gang who are eyeing him covetously, he still sits firmly on the throne.