Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Firing warning shots

Going to Walker was like going to the dentist, no matter how necessary it was. Walker, an elegant gentleman in a suit with a neat appearance, is the external representative of those in power.The so-called those in power are a group of people who hide behind the scenes and control all the affairs of Night City. They are extremely powerful, but their identities are kept secret.Walker always seemed to know everything that happened in Nightside, but if he really knew everything, he would never have allowed me to live to this day.Having said that, sending reasonable people to bring me to justice has brought our complicated relationship to a whole new level.Although he often threatened and lured me before, whether it was to force me to do things for him or to prevent me from doing things, he had never been so excessive as today.Send reasonable people to deal with me!This is really a very ruthless move.

There are quite a few private clubs in Nightside, and almost all of them are located in a very remote area: Clubland.The club land is a very secluded area, but there are strict security patrols at all times.These clubs serve as private gathering places for untolerant groups to mingle, consolidate investments, pool information, and do as they please behind closed doors. These clubs had nothing to do with religion, which was the purview of Street of the Gods; nor did they have anything to do with porn, which was available everywhere in Night City.No, the members of these clubs are very unique groups.For example, there is a club called "Night Tribe", and its members are limited to vampires, werewolves, and ghouls (no hybrids).There is also a club called "Death Nightclub", which is dedicated to the original creatures of Baron Frankenstein and their descendants.Baron Frankenstein has been innovating since the nineteenth century, successfully creating Frankensteins (motto of the nightclub: "We belong to death").Of course, there is also a "Life Night Club" dedicated to all forms of immortal life (the interest on the deposits these members have left in the bank since ancient times is enough to pay all the expenses of the entire club), the motto of the nightclub: "Immortal Life" Immortality is better than death." The best jokes are old ones.

The club to which Walker belonged was the oldest, grandest, and most exclusive men's club in the history of Night City: the Londinium Club.All important decisions that affect the lives of Nightside residents throughout history have been made here.Londinium is the ancient name of London in the Roman era. I am not sure whether the Londinium Club has as long a history as the store name, but I have no evidence to deny this possibility. The entrance of this club is made of very old stones, and the huge oak gate is full of Roman design style, and the reliefs on the door are enough to amaze the Roman emperor Caligula.The Londinium Club is a symbol of power, and only those who are truly powerful can become members.

To become a member of the Londinium Club, one must possess either ancient wealth or real power.Celebrities such as singers and celebrities have absolutely no chance to enter here, no matter how famous they are.Fame is fleeting, only power and wealth can last forever. As soon as I entered the area of ​​the club, I could see guards patrolling everywhere, but no one dared to come to question my purpose.From a certain point of view, I can also be regarded as a powerful and powerful character.When I came to the only entrance to the Londinium Club, the porter at the door immediately took a step to the left to block my way.He stood in front of the door majesticly, with a look on his face that was more gloomy than the night, and he was as serious as if he was born in a suit.Seeing me coming in front of him, the muscles on his face twitched, clearly showing that he was very dissatisfied with a character like me who intended to enter the gate he was guarding.

There is a magical connection between the porter and the gate, and only he has the ability to open the gate from the outside.And just like this gate, the gatehouse itself has existed since ancient times, not only extremely strong but also unbreakable.Basically, trying to enter the Londinium Club under his guardianship may be more difficult than passing through the gates of heaven without St. Peter's gaze.He does not take any bribes, and does not fear any threats. The power of magic and technology is useless in front of him.Little was known of him except that he was a snobbish man who looked down upon anyone he considered inferior to himself—that is, anyone who was not a member of the Londinium Club.No one remembers what he did before he became a club porter, and many of those who knew him were older.I smiled kindly and pretended to know him well.

"Hi," I said. "I'm……" "I know who you are." The porter's tone rushed like an avalanche. "You are John Taylor. You are not a member of this club, and you are unlikely to qualify in the future. Please obediently disappear from my sight." His words left little room for negotiation. "Are you sure I'll never be a member?" I said with a displeased expression. "Some people say that I am the king of the future world." The corner of his mouth twitched, and he sneered, "There are as many bluffing titles as there are in Night City, sir."

What he said also made sense, so I played the only trump card. "I've come to see Walker. He's waiting for me." The porter sighed heavily, then stepped aside.The door slowly opened inwards, and a holy light shot out, as if the inside was a paradise like a paradise, only two rows of angels lined the way to welcome.I strutted past the concierge and strode into the club lobby, as if I were going to buy it.As long as Walker's name is reported, many doors that cannot be opened with explosives will be opened for you.I just took a few steps into the hall, and a servant immediately greeted me.The man was dressed in a traditional one-piece servant outfit, with a white wig, and shoulders wide enough for the two of me.It seems that his elegant appearance mostly hides a terrifying tangle of muscles.He gave me a half-hearted smile.

"Wait here, sir. I'll inform Mr. Walker that his . . . guests have arrived." After he finished speaking, he flicked his fingers, and suddenly a lot of iron chains flew around me and entangled me.Before I could react, my wrists, ankles, and throat were wrapped in chains several times.When the iron chain was pulled outward, I couldn't move any muscles in my whole body. I could only raise my head and chest up with all my strength, so as not to let the weight of the iron chain drag me to the ground.I looked over to the valet, but he had already left the hall to see if Walker was really waiting for me.If Walker told him no, I'm afraid I'd have to eat and walk away.I'm sure he'll want to see me, at least he'll have to figure out why the thirteen reasonable men didn't show up with me.

In a way, the chains were a compliment.At least it means that this nightclub takes my presence seriously.They didn't want to let me run around and disturb a member.Of course, the iron chain can also prevent me from fooling the human guards with my mouth. After all, it is not so easy to argue a way out with a bunch of iron chains.I try to think of the best, but when you are afraid of breaking your bones if you move casually, and your nose is itchy but you can't scratch it, no matter how optimistic you are, it's hard not to think about the worst.In order to distract myself, I began to observe the furnishings in the hall.I've never been this deep into the Londinium club before.

The hall of the Londinium Club is mainly composed of several blue-striped marble columns and shiny tile walls. It is likely to be rebuilt from a public bathhouse in the ancient Roman era.It looks to me like the biggest, most luxurious public restroom in the world; the cleaners who have to wax the tiles every day are the most miserable people in the world. The floor is covered with a thick layer of pure white carpet, which may be intended to create a feeling of walking on the clouds.The entire ceiling was filled by a magnificent oil painting, which I had heard of but had never seen.This painting has never been copied out of the Londinium Club. It is an authentic work that Michelangelo has never made public. It describes the scene of two factions of angelic legions fighting in heaven.The scene in the painting is magnificent and imposing, which can only be described as "amazing".Considering that only the members of the Londinium Club have the opportunity to appreciate such paintings, it feels extremely wasteful, but the world is like this, what can we ordinary people say?In my eyes, each angel in the painting seems to have unique characteristics and personalities, as if the artist painted the image of a real angel.Of course, maybe Michelangelo really witnessed this angelic war with his own eyes.

There are also many beautiful statues in the hall, all of which were written by Moore and Picasso.The statues are so lifelike and beautiful that I can hardly look at them.I heard that if you really want to appreciate the statues here, you must not only rely on vision, but you must touch them with your body to feel their complete beauty.But I don't have such an urge, and I don't want to touch it even if my body is not covered with iron chains.Because these statues are so real, it scares me.Besides, I'm sure that if a non-member like me tried to touch these statues, he would be carried away by a lot of footmen in no time, and his hands would be cut off.All the luxuries in the club are exclusive honors for members. Many important people came and went in and out of the hall on important issues, moving quietly and whispering softly.I completely ignored the existence of the chains, and smiled and nodded politely at them, but they all tried their best to ignore my existence.Maybe it's because they don't know me, or maybe it's because they know who I am.This is an old club with old buildings and traditions, everything about this club is very depressing.Sometimes, ancient customs are more powerful than any magic, especially some traditions that teach people "don't do".For example, acknowledging the existence of a "non-member" who appeared in the club is a very bad thing.I wrinkled my nose, trying to ease the itching.The servant who brought the message was obviously not in a hurry, so I had to try to find something to do.I wrote a lot of dirty words on the carpet with my toes, at least a small psychological victory... The footman finally appeared, and from his expression Walker agreed to see me after all.The manservant flicked his fingers reluctantly, and the chains wrapped around me disappeared in an instant. I stretched my joints leisurely, and after a while, I turned my head and smiled at the manservant.The footman bowed slightly to me. "Mr. Walker is waiting for you in the dining room, sir. Shall I help you put away your coat?" "Unless you put a gun to my head," I said. The restaurant in the club is of course another place where extravagance can be done.More than a dozen dining tables were covered with pure white tablecloths. The aroma of all kinds of delicacies and the smell of all kinds of fine wines really made people salivate.As I walked forward, the only thing I could do was to force myself not to grab the food on other people's tables to eat. Members in the restaurant unanimously ignored me.I recognized a few famous faces, some rich and greedy to the extreme, some lesser gods, elf lords, magicians, and aliens of extraordinary power.From a certain point of view, the Londinium Club also has a very macro vision.In the entire dining room, the only person who nodded and smiled at me was the legendary Victorian adventurer Julian Advent.Walker's seat was in the back corner of the restaurant, and he was sitting with his back to the wall, wearing a gray suit as usual.He looked up at me and nodded, but there was no smile on his face. "You were waiting for me." I said. "Of course." Walker said coldly. "Whether it's forced or invited, I always have a way to get you here." I sat down on the chair opposite him, and the valet behind me reluctantly asked me if I wanted a menu. "No need," Walker said. "He won't be around long." "You can invite me to dinner." I said. "I could tell you to die too," said Walker. He gestured to the footman, who immediately bowed respectfully and left.I looked at the dishes in front of Walker and couldn't help laughing disdainfully.His meals are completely unremarkable, just a very traditional British barbecue, York pudding, minced meat sauce, and a few vegetables. It seems that most of the desserts are steamed puddings and the like. "You're so typical, Walker," I said. "Still boring health food with no imagination at all." "These are all good things." Walker said as he cut the barbecue with great precision. "Delicious and easy to digest." "Public school cafeterias are screwing your palate," I said. Walker frowned: "What do you know about public school life?" "I don't understand it at all, and I'm proud of it," I said. "Now, Walker, we have something to talk about, you and me. You've cast shadows over the Nightside..." "That's right." Walker said while eating. "I monitor the entire Nightside. My spies are my eyes and ears. They are everywhere. I knew it when you first took on this case." "It's for this reason that you sent a reasonable person to me?" "Yes. Although their methods are too cruel, they are always loyal to me. As long as they are sent to find people, no one dares not to come. I know their power is not enough to stop you, but at least they can attract your attention .May I ask why they didn't come with you?" "Because they're all dead," I said. Walker raised his eyebrows: "It's amazing, it's amazing. It really surprised me, usually you don't use such extreme methods to deal with my men." I didn't say much.Apparently he didn't know I was hanging out with lunatics, sinners, and beautiful poisons.Let him think that I killed the reasonable people first; this will help a lot in maintaining reputation. "I never liked Headley anyway," Walker said, picking up a piece of meat. "Terrible guy. Totally arrogant and defiant." "It's a bit different from the adjective in my heart, but it's very close." I said. "Will it lead to any consequences?" "You mean to kill thirteen young people with powerful family backgrounds? Oh, of course there will be consequences. I don't care about their lives, but the huge family power behind them will definitely not let you go easily. By this time tomorrow , all the bounty hunters in the night city will have your arrest warrant in their hands, and the amount of reward you will be offered will be so high that it will break through the ceiling. Don't try to rely on me to protect you, after all, it is my men who died." "Let them come," I said. "I never counted on your protection." He agreed with me and nodded slightly. "About your new case, Tyler..." "How about it?" "Don't answer." I leaned back on the chair behind me, thinking about the meaning of his words.Walker isn't usually this direct. "why?" "Because those in power will show no mercy to anyone who investigates the history and origins of Nightside." "why?" Walker sighed, his tone was as helpless as facing a dull child. "Because you are very likely to find something that has been buried for a long time, something that can affect the status of those in power. I am sure that many people are interested in this kind of information, and they will definitely use all means to ask you Obtain the results of the investigation. Many of these people are characters that even you cannot refuse. In order to obtain this secret, they will do anything, even cause a war. We must not allow this kind of thing. In order to prevent another Nightside battle, those in power will probably order me to destroy you." "And you don't want to carry out the order?" I said. "Of course not," Walker said. "You are doomed to die early, but you will be of much use to me before you die." "I have done so many things for you, wiped your ass so many times, taken the blame so many times, even put an end to the Angel War, and saved Night City from its fate of destruction, yet you are so ruthless as to kill me? " "The Angel War was caused by you." "Suddenly picky about details?" Walker narrowed his eyes and looked at me. "I will never allow you to cross this line. We will not allow anyone to cross this line, for the sake of everyone. Tell me, who hired you?" It's time for me to raise my eyebrows: "I thought you knew everything, Walker?" "Usually nothing escapes my eyes. But the fact that the person who hired you is too powerful to hide from my people is disturbing to me." "I never reveal the identity of the client, Walker. You know that. But I can tell you... the price offered by the other party is my mother's true identity." Walker put down the knife and fork in his hand, and looked at me for a while, as if suddenly he was much older and tired. "Trust me, John," he said at last. "You don't want to know who your mother is." Whenever Walker calls me John, it usually means I'm in big trouble.However, this time, there was a strange feeling in his voice and expression... "You know! You always knew who my mother was! You kept it from me!" "That's right." Walker ignored my outrage. "I don't tell you because I want to protect you. Your father and I... used to be very close." "Then where were you when he died drunk?" My tone was as cold as ice, but Walker remained unmoved.He looked me straight in the eyes and said calmly: "I couldn't help him at the time, because he refused to listen to my advice at all, and because we all deserved what we deserve. Sometimes, I feel that the purpose of Night City's existence is to torture us who deserve what we deserve. people." "Tell me," I ordered him. "What's my mother's name?" "It can't be done," said Walker. "I have... my reasons. There are two people who know the secret, and we are both sworn to take it to the grave." "The other one is a collector." "Yes, poor Mark, and he won't tell you either. Forget about it, John, it won't do you any good to know who your mother really is. That's how your father died." "What if she comes back?" I said. "She's not coming back. She can't do it." "you sure?" "I have to believe that." Walker leaned back in his seat.At the moment he looks much smaller than usual. "Give up the case, John. It's no good. The origins of Nightside are best forgotten forever." "Even the people in power don't know?" "Very likely. For my safety, they don't tell me everything. Let the past stay in the past, and don't let the scars of the past affect the present." I seriously considered his offer, for I had never seen Walker express such intense concern for anything.But in the end, I shook my head. "I can't, Walker. I must find out. I must know...the origins of the Nightside and who my mother is. My life has been a search for the truth, for myself and for others." Walker sat up straight, regained his usual self-confidence, gave me a cold look, and then said, "Give up the case, John." His voice was like thunder in my head, as if God had announced something to the world. Oracle in general.It is the voice of those in power, delivering orders through their servant Walker.Those in power have given Walker this undeniable voice, allowing him to force others to carry out their orders.Legend has it that Walker once used the voice to force a corpse in the mortuary to sit up and answer his questions.His words echoed in my head, filled my heart, and nailed me to a chair like a stuffed butterfly. Then all the cutlery on the table in front of us began to vibrate, the knives and forks bounced, the dishes splattered, and the immaculate white tablecloth was stained with countless stains in an instant.The entire table shook violently, and the four table legs almost broke under the violent impact.Then the floor started to shake and the whole restaurant felt like an earthquake.People screamed in fear and grabbed the tables and chairs in front of them.After a while, everything gradually calmed down, and the echo in my head gradually disappeared.I stood up easily and smiled at the surprised Walker. "How?" I said. "The master's great voice is nothing more than that. Perhaps I have inherited some of my mother's strength after all." I strode away without anyone daring to look at me.I figured out the path, deliberately passed Julian Advent's table, avoided Walker's eyes with the cover of the marble pillar, and then suddenly sat down on the chair next to Julian, lowered my body and hid behind Julian .I put my finger to my lips, signaling Julian to keep quiet.He nodded at me.I adjusted my posture to find an angle where I could see Walker.He was obviously too preoccupied to notice that I was still in the dining room.It seems that the hand I showed before I left made him unable to let go.I want to see his next move. Now that he has lost such a powerful thug as the reasonable man, I need to know who he will send to deal with me next. Finally, he called a waiter to clear the plates from the table, and nodded to his side.The environment changes, the space distorts, and a beautiful woman appears out of nowhere beside Walker.I cursed inwardly, never expecting that when I was concentrating on dealing with Walker just now, there would be someone eavesdropping beside me.It seems that I am really old.I would never have made this mistake before.And when I recognized who that woman was, my already unhappy mood sank even further. The woman, "Bad Penny," was a seasoned independent mercenary who always showed up when I least expected her.Evil and cruel, glamorous but heart-like, he is probably one of the most dangerous and ruthless characters in the world.I saw her smiling at everyone in the restaurant, posing with an extremely elegant posture, trying to catch everyone's attention.Most people couldn't help stealing glances at her figure, but some people deliberately avoided her gaze and ignored her existence.Bad Penny has the most beautiful face in the world, and the figure of a Bill Ward cartoon character.She was wearing a classic little black dress with long white silk gloves and black net stockings, and she held a long cigarette holder in her mouth.The hair on her head is as mysterious as the night, the edges and corners on her face are sharp, the shape of her lips reveals incomparable arrogance, and her eyes exude deep darkness.Her sex appeal not only comes from the proud twin peaks, but also from the wild spirit emanating from her whole body.She has raised her sexual desire to a terrifying level, and it has become an extremely lethal weapon.She carried two guns and numerous throwing knives with her, but no one knew where all these weapons were hidden. We know each other, but we are not familiar with each other, just like two speedboats passing each other in the middle of the night.We don't like each other, but we have worked together on a few cases by chance.Of course, they were all forced to cooperate when there was no better choice. Walker invited her to sit down, and the valet immediately came over to help her pull out the chair, and gently pushed it back into place after she was seated.Bad Penny was used to being courteous to men, but she smiled condescendingly at the manservant.The manservant made her laugh so softly that she even forgot her own name. "You don't need to take the menu." Walker said to the valet coldly. "The lady won't be around long." Bad Penny pouted: "Even if you paid me, I wouldn't eat here. I still have certain standards." Walker waved to the footman, who reluctantly left.I turned slightly to the outside, so that I could hear Walker's conversation clearly.Bad Penny made me uneasy, but she didn't start to make me uneasy now, even when she was on the same side before.Julian watched me with interest as he ate his dinner as if nothing had happened.As the editor-in-chief of the Nightside Times, he knew what I was doing would definitely lead to a great story for him. I'm a little surprised Walker enlisted Bad Penny's help, since he doesn't usually take such a direct approach.But for Bad Penny, as long as someone pays, she is willing to do it, whether it is spying or assassination missions.As for whether she works for the good or the evil, bad Penny doesn't care at all. Her philosophy of life is "There is no difference between good and evil in money." default position.What she did was amoral, and she was very proud of it.I know she does some nasty things for the people in power here and there, especially when they need to clean things up completely - a service that's completely free, at the cost of making the people in power ignore the worse things she's done Heinous crime. In Night City, everything is a deal. "I hope you didn't ask me to seduce others, my dear, I don't do that kind of thing anymore." She said to Walker. "Seduction is too easy, my dear. It's not challenging at all. Those are the past, and I can't bear to look back. These days, I prefer to plan scams, enjoy the thrill of getting closer to the target step by step, and occasionally use a little violence to add excitement and fun." "I also know you like blackmail," Walker said. "To fill your safe." Bad Penny blinked her eyes and said, "Girls have to make a living, but I'm not good at investing. Anyway, as long as I release some news that I'm going to publish a memoir, a bunch of men will send checks to seal my mouth immediately. Nonsense Say less, what do you want me to do this time, Walker? I believe it must be a very difficult thing." "Did you hear my conversation with John Taylor?" "Oh, yes. But to be honest, I don't quite understand what you're talking about." "I want you to help me with Tyler." Bad Penny's expression changed, and she said, "You'd better be more specific, dear." "I want you to do whatever it takes to stop him from investigating the case at hand. I don't care what you do as long as it gets him back." "So . . . dear John is no longer under your protection?" "That's right," Walker said. "Can you handle him?" "Of course, my dear. He's only a man." "Cheat him, mislead him, whatever you want. If all else fails, I authorize you to destroy him." "I have a chance to assassinate John Tyler?" Bad Penny said. "Oh, that's great, dear! Killing him will make my name even bigger!" "Assuming all else fails," Walker insisted, but Bad Penny wasn't even listening. "How should I kill him? Let me think about it... That Shotgun Susie always thinks how strong she is, and she will know when I kill Taylor." I think it's time to leave.Women can't be provoked, especially this kind of woman who shouldn't have slept with her in the first place.