Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Cavendish Real Estate Company
I walked back near the bar, and the melody of the song "Unique Entertainment World" couldn't help but ring in my head.The meeting with Losinger was not quite what I imagined, but it was a very...interesting experience.How should I describe my first impression of her?Probably can only be described as chaos.She has an aggressive vibe, especially the tone of voice, but there is no denying that there is something wrong with her, she lacks certain qualities... It seems that some important element in her has been removed or suppressed , It felt like the lights on the stage were all on, but the heavy curtain was not pulled up.
While it didn't look like a drug effect, it still couldn't be ruled out that someone had compelled her mind, magically or otherwise; a thief of souls, a snake of the mind... maybe even a ghost.There was never a shortage of potential suspects of any kind in Night City, but why would a strong man with such abilities be interested in a yet-to-be-known singer like Losinger?Oh shit, maybe she's just crazy.There's never a shortage of lunatics of any kind in the Nightside, either.In the final analysis, everything still has to be checked from her performance.Later, I will have to come back to enjoy her performance, to hear how her singing is different, and what strange effect it has on the audience—of course, the premise is that I have to bless some defensive magic first.The singing of many magical creatures has the ability to bring fear and death to others, most of them are female creatures, such as Siren, Water Goddess, Banshee, Banana Queen Tribute Orchestra...
I went to the back of the bar and picked up their phone and called to ask what information Cathy had found about the Cavendishes.The elf bartender didn't stop me at all.As soon as he saw me walking by, he immediately ducked to the other side of the bar to wipe a perfectly clean glass.The towel-clad backing singers now each had an extra glass of gin in their hands, chatting noisily and gossiping with the speed of a dead bird falling from the sky.One of them pulls out a copy of Strip Fighting magazine, and they all start talking nasty things about the models in the magazine.I turned my head the other way, pressing the microphone firmly to my ear.
I don't use my mobile phone in Night City now, because it is too easy to give away my whereabouts, and the signal here is very strange, and it is often forwarded to the wrong number, so that the person you are chatting with may be from the past, present, or future Anyone or any monster that exists in different spaces in different ages.
Sometimes even without dialing the number you can still hear the ghastly whispers on the phone... I buried my last mobile phone in an unholy ground to make sure the evil spirits in it wouldn't come out again to do harm The world is still sealed with salt.
My secretary answered the phone before the second ring, obviously she was waiting for my call. "John, where have you been?"
"Oh, just wandering outside anyway." I didn't want to reveal my whereabouts on the phone. "What's wrong? Any trouble?"
"That's right. Walker has been here. He's been pretty cool, but he's obviously very upset with you. He's said a lot about you, asking me to tell you where you are; he mentions prison, exile, and some Kind of torture that involves boiling oil and funnels. Luckily, I didn't really know where you were, at least not at the time. My salary wasn't high enough to justify lying to Walker. You know that, he said Can bring dead bodies back to answer questions."
"I know," I said. "I've seen it with my own eyes. Where is Walker now?"
"Walking around like you, but looking for you. He said he has something for you, and I'm sure it's not a warrant. Did you really do the blackout tonight? Do you need it? Help? Shall I contact Suzy Huett or Razor Eddie?"
"No, thank you, Cathy. Walker and I can handle it by myself."
"You're dreaming, boss."
"Did you find out anything about the Cavendish couple? Are there any useful clues? Or some fun trick?"
"Not much," Kathy admitted reluctantly. "There is very little direct data on the Cavendishes. I can't even find their names. They are hardly mentioned in all the commonly used databases. They are very private, and there is no business data. Hidden behind a firewall that even our futuristic computers can't break through. Our computers, by the way, were so pissed off by this that they sent a bunch of anonymous letters berating Bill Gates. I've also made quite a few phone calls asking me However, as long as I mention the Cavendish couple, most people dare not speak, no matter how safe I am to ensure the phone line is the same. Of course, this is Night City, no matter how dangerous the news is, there are people who dare to speak. It's for sale... But whether the information given by this kind of person is reliable is another matter."
"Cathy, first tell me what you have found so far."
"Well... Judging from the current gossip, the Cavendish couple have recently started to clear their real estate, keep taking out loans, and have taken on a lot of short-term contracts. It seems that they are in urgent need of money, and it is liquid funds, isn't it? Investments on the books. If it wasn't one big deal that went wrong and they didn't get paid what they were due, then they needed money to invest in another big deal; maybe both. Either way, I can It is certain that the Cavendishes have recently transferred all their conservative investments to high-profit and high-risk options. But this may just be a relationship with the market trend.”
"When did they start getting into showbiz?"
"Ah!" said Cathy. "They have been trying their best to establish the image of big-name managers in the past two years, and invested a lot of money in it, but so far there has been no obvious return. It is said that the talented singer they had previously promoted in Caliban's cave has come out. Full of serious issues. At the time Sylvia Sheen looked like she had a real shot at fame, she was pictured on the cover of every music and lifestyle magazine last year, but it didn't take long for her to disappear, and she hasn't been there since. No one saw her again. Sylvia Shinn disappeared completely, which is not easy in Nightside."
"Get straight to the point, Cathy."
"Okay. Cavendish Real Estate Company is a big company with a good reputation. It is involved in a lot of businesses, but it mainly invests in real estate and stocks. They invest a lot of money in performing arts, and they own more than a dozen orchestras. But only Roseringer has the potential to be big. Their only hope now is to make Roseringer famous, and if there's another Sylvia Shinn thing, they're done."
"Interesting..." I said. "Thanks, Cathy. If I have a chance, I'll go back to the company later. If Walker runs off again..."
"I know, hide and don't open the door, pretend no one's home."
"Yes." I said. "Now, tell me where the Cavendishes are."
The next logical move seemed to be to ask the Cavendishes some impolite questions. I left Caliban's Hole and walked into the night, across Uptown, toward the business district.The distance between these two areas is not too far, but the crowds are much different. It feels like crossing a line between the gorgeous dream and the cold reality.The colorful nightclubs are now replaced by dull and boring commercial buildings; the noisy night city becomes a quiet working night city on the spot.The business district is located on the edge of Uptown, and it is the most formal area in Night City. There are gentlemen in suits everywhere, holding briefcases and small umbrellas in their hands—don’t let your guard down because of this, because the night city A businessman doesn't have to be a real person.People from heaven and hell came to Night City to set up shop and do business, hoping to make a big profit.The struggle between shopping malls is not as easy as on the battlefield. Following Cathy's instructions, I found the Cavendish office building.It was an old Victorian building, very old-fashioned, with no address or house number.If you have business dealings with them, you naturally know to come here to find them, otherwise, the Cavendishes don't care whether you can find them or not.It's not easy to find the Cavendish couple. They are not only very successful in the mall, but also unique in all aspects of life, just like their nightclub.I stood some distance away, scrutinizing the front door of the building.The Cavendishes have set up countless magical defenses around their small kingdom, and most of them are magics that are so powerful that I can detect them without using my talent.I can feel their presence, like a swarm of insects crawling all over my body.There was a tension in the air, and I felt strongly that I was being watched, but also with an imminent sense of crisis.The building must be under the guardianship of some powerful entity, some horrible creature from heaven or hell.Although this feeling is not enough to scare off the customers who come here to discuss business, it is enough to scare tourists and passers-by.Anyone who comes near here knows not to mess around here. The defense system of this building is all blatantly laid out in front of everyone.The Cavendishes just want everyone to know that they are very heavily protected. With a confident expression on my face, I pretended to be here to discuss business, walked to the door and opened the door.nothing happened.Then I walked into the hall in a majestic posture, trying to hide the feeling of having a target painted on my forehead.The lobby is large, luxurious and comfortable.The walls are covered with portraits, the vases are filled with flowers, and the sofas are full of businessmen who are reading the Nightside Times and waiting for their numbers to be called.I walked towards the reception counter, and a man and a woman standing by the counter came towards me immediately, as if they had known that I was coming, probably because the two battle mages in the nightclub had called to report the situation.I smiled at the couple I was approaching, and was about to speak, but found it unnecessary, because I found out that they were both "sleepwalkers".They were dressed in black, with pale faces, empty expressions, closed eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. They were the kind of "sleepwalkers" who rented their sleeping bodies to others.This kind of person is usually bound by the contract because he has not paid the debt and must pay off the debt with himself.They cannot decide how others use their bodies, and any physical trauma is their own responsibility.As long as the contract period is within the contract or before the body is completely damaged, their masters—or their puppeteers—have the right to use their bodies to do anything and fulfill any fantasies.This is the so-called sleepwalker. The biggest problem with sleepwalkers for people like me is that they don't get distracted by words, they don't flinch from what I say.It means I'm in big trouble.So I shrugged, smiled and nodded at them, and said, "Take me to your master." The male sleepwalker punched me in the head, so fast that I didn't even have time to react.I fell to the ground and was kicked in the stomach by that woman again.I tried to roll away to the side, but they moved faster, and there was a burst of punching and kicking around me, breaking several ribs in an instant.Under their attack, I had no chance of escaping. I could only curl up in a ball, trying my best to protect my head.The attack came without warning, and I had no time to take the usual defensive measures. I could only stay where I was and get beaten, silently swearing in my heart that I would get this thing back. I just huddled on the ground and let them beat me for a long time. Everyone else in the hall pretended not to see me being beaten.They all know it's better to keep things light.They both have business dealings with the Cavendish couple, and they would never take the risk of business to meddle in such nosy affairs.Of course I wouldn't ask for help.I've been beaten badly enough, if someone hears me calling for help again, wouldn't it be embarrassing!I was beaten again for a while, and the last foot landed firmly on my head, and I passed out on the spot.
When I regained consciousness, I was already in an ascending elevator. Two sleepwalkers stood on either side of me, their eyes closed and their faces expressionless.I lay still, afraid that if I moved, I would attract their attention.Now I can say that there is pain everywhere in my whole body where I still have consciousness, and the pain is so painful that I feel like vomiting, my mind is in chaos, and my thoughts can't keep up with the usual speed.I moved my fingers slowly, and then tried to move my toes, but luckily I could still move them.Pain when you breathe, which means you have broken some ribs.I concentrated the blood in my mouth to one side, and then pushed the top and bottom rows of teeth with my tongue.A few felt loose, but at least they were still in the mouth.I just wish I didn't wet my pants, I hate being spanked.I haven't been beaten this badly in a long time, and it looks like I'll have blood in my urine for the next few weeks.I forgot the first rule of Nightside: no matter how tough you are, there's always someone tougher than you.But then again, the visit was not without fruit.I came here to investigate whether the Cavendishes were involved in this matter. Since they beat me up without saying a word, it means that they must have ghosts in their hearts. The elevator stopped after a vibration, but the vibration had already made my whole body hurt so much that I almost cried out.The elevator doors opened, and the sleepwalker bent down to lift me out of the elevator.I did not resist, partly because I had no strength to resist, and partly because I believed they were taking me where I wanted to go—to meet their masters, the Cavendishes.They carried me into an office and dumped me in front of the counter like trash.The thick floor absorbed a lot of the impact, but it still hurt like hell, so I passed out again. After waking up again, the sleepwalker had left.I turned my head cautiously, and noticed that the door of one of the offices had just been closed.I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly forced myself to get up.Every movement creates new pain, so painful that I can't help but spit blood from my mouth onto the expensive carpet.I ended up sitting up on the floor, leaning against the counter in an ugly way, with my arms around my aching chest from broken ribs, thinking that someone had to pay for it. Even though I was bruised, shaken, nauseous, and dizzy, I had to regain my senses before the sleepwalker came back and dragged me to the Cavendishes.They don't want to kill me, at least not yet.They beat me just to weaken my mind and warm me up for the upcoming interrogation.Unfortunately, I'm not so vulnerable; it's just that I can't help wondering what they think I know... I took a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the blood from my mouth and face with trembling hands.After rubbing it, I found that one eye was so swollen that I couldn't see anything.By the time I was done wiping it all, the handkerchief was so miserable that I tossed it on the expensive rug and decided to leave it to someone else to deal with the aftermath. I sneaked a peek behind the counter and saw a glamorous iceberg female secretary that is equipped outside all top offices, the kind of woman who would never let you step into the office without a prior appointment.She tried very hard to ignore me.Then the phone rang, and she picked it up, responding in a nonchalant business tone, as if there wasn't a bloody, beaten half-dead private eye lying on the rug in front of her.Perhaps this kind of thing has become commonplace to her and is nothing new. I turned my body slowly, clenching my teeth against the counter on which my back was leaning and straightened up.Only when I finally reached a position where I could breathe smoothly did I realize that there were other people in this office.In fact, there were quite a few other people in the office.Some of them sat on chairs, some sat cross-legged on the rug, and some leaned against the wall.All were young, thin, and very fashionable in their attire for their age.They lazily flip through music and lifestyle magazines, or chat in low voices, compare each other's tattoos, and touch up makeup on their faces with a small mirror.They all wore black uniforms, their faces were painted white, and they had dark circles under their eyes. The powder on their faces was very thick, and their eyes were as black as two holes. It was simply death's clown makeup.Her purple lips were pierced with rings, and her body was covered with chains and silver crosses.One of the girls huddled in a chair noticed that I was reading, put down the "Bite Me" magazine in her hand, and looked at me expressionlessly. "Brilliant, they beat you so badly. How did you get them mad?" "I didn't do anything," I said, trying to sound normal. "It's purely an annoyance. What are you doing here?" "Oh, we're messing around. We specialize in running errands, signing autographs, doing odd jobs for celebrities, and the advantage is that you can hang out here, collect all the latest gossip, and sometimes even meet the celebrities themselves. Of course, our best What I want to see is Losinger." "Of course." I said. "Oh, she is the best! She sings like a dark angel, a combination of love and death, as if she has experienced it all, as if there is no tomorrow in the world... We all admire Losinger so much! " "That's right." A boy with skull makeup painted on his face said grimly. "We all love Losinger. We would give our lives for her." "Why is she so special?" I asked. "Make you willing to die for her?" They all looked at me like they saw a madman. "She's cool, man!" a girl who looked like a teen finally said.I watched her toss her long hair angrily as she spoke, and knew immediately that this was the only answer I could get here. "Well," said another. "Are you, you know, some famous person?" "I'm John Taylor," I said. They immediately lost interest in me and went back to chatting or continuing to read magazines.As far as they are concerned, as long as they are not in the showbiz, they are not famous at all; as for how miserable I look, they don't care much.They will never do anything that might get kicked out of this office.fans.You can't help but love them. The office door opened, and the two sleepwalkers reappeared.They walked straight towards me, and I tried not to flinch as they roughly grabbed my hands, half-dragged me into the inner office, and dropped me on the ground again.I gasped for a while, heard the office door close behind me, and struggled to stand up, but two hands suddenly appeared on my shoulders and crushed me to the ground.There were two stern figures with displeased faces in front of me, but I deliberately didn't look at them.The office is decorated in an unexpectedly traditional, almost entirely Victorian style, with all the furniture looking solid and comfortable, and the wall bookcases filled with hundreds of nearly identical books with seemingly identical covers. It's about the same age as the rest of the furniture.There are no potted plants in the office at all, and the smell in the air is very heavy, like clothes that have been worn for a long time. Finally, I looked up to see the owner of the room.The Cavendishes are the stature of two lanky scarecrows in costumes reminiscent of those who work in a funeral home.Even if they stand still, they still give people an indescribable sense of incongruity, as if they will fall to the ground if they are not paying attention.Both of them were wearing black suits, without any personality, without the slightest characteristic, and it seemed that even time would not affect them.Their faces are very pale, but their skin is unnaturally perfect, without any blemishes or scars, and the degree of firmness seems to have undergone too many plastic surgery, but I don't think the skin of these two people is the result of the surgery.There are no lines on the faces of the Cavendish couple, probably because they have never had any expressions in their lives. They suddenly took a step forward, and their movements were in unison, which was very strange.Mr. Cavendish has short black hair, slightly pouty lips, and almost expressionless eyes.He looked at me not as an enemy but as a problem to be solved.Mrs. Cavendish has long hair and a moderate frame, but her lips are so thin that she doesn't have the same, and her eyes are exactly the same as her husband's. They make me think of spiders, spiders gazing at their prey in their webs. "You have nothing to do with us," the man said suddenly, without any tone in his words. "It's nothing to do with each other. Isn't it, Mrs. Cavendish?" "That's right, Mr. Cavendish." The woman said, her tone was not much different from that of the man. "He's here to make trouble, I'm sure." "Why meddle in our business, Mr. Taylor?" said the man. "You have to explain it well," the woman said. They speak in exactly the same way, almost without tone.They stared at me sternly, as if they didn't need to blink at all.I tried to force a good smile, but when I smiled, blood dripped from the corner of my mouth on the spot. "Tell me," I said. "People say that you are not only husband and wife but brother and sister, is it true?" Even though I rolled into a ball to protect my whole body, I was still in severe pain from the beating.When the sleepwalkers finally stopped beating under invisible orders, the only thing keeping me from lying on the ground was their hands on my shoulders. "We like to hire sleepwalkers," the man said. "They're the best servants, aren't they, Mrs. Cavendish?" "It's true, Mr. Cavendish. They won't speak ill of us behind our backs, and they won't have their own ideas." "It's hard to find good subordinates these days, Mrs. Cavendish. I'm afraid it's because of the changing times." "You have emphasized this before, Mr. Cavendish. I agree with you very much." The man and woman kept talking, but their eyes never left my face. "We know you, John Taylor," the man said. "We don't like your arrogant attitude, and we don't intend to suffer in silence. We are members of the Cavendish family. We represent the Cavendish Real Estate Company. We are dignified figures, and we will never tolerate any outsider interference Our business." "Exactly, Mr. Cavendish," said the woman. "You're nothing to us, Mr. Taylor. Usually we don't pay any attention to people like you. You're just a little guy of unknown origin, and we're a big, rich and powerful group." "Lochingare is one of our properties," said the man. "Mrs. Cavendish holds her contract with me. We have the power to manage her career and life, and we will absolutely protect our power at all costs." "Lochingare is ours," said the woman. "As long as everyone who has signed a contract with us belongs to us. We will never give up anything that belongs to us." "Unless higher profits can be made, Mrs. Cavendish." "You're right, Mr. Cavendish, thank you for reminding me. We don't like anyone taking an undue interest in our management, Mr. Taylor, because that's our business and no one else's. For many years Well, there are quite a few self-confessed heroes who have meddled in our business, but we're still alive and well, and the heroes are probably not so lucky. Any wise person should learn a lesson from this fact." "How are you going to stop me?" I said, not as coldly as I expected because my lower lip hurt so badly. "These sleeping beauties can't follow me all day." "In general, we are against violence," the man said. "Because violence is too... common. So we don't do this kind of dirty things ourselves. If you come to disturb us again, if you still dare to approach Rochinger, we will make you crippled. If you still listen to me like this If you don't understand the hint, we will take your life. To warn others who dare to interfere with our business, I guarantee that your death will be very ugly..." "Nevertheless," said the woman. "We are still reasonable people. Right, Mr. Cavendish." "We are businessmen, Mrs. Cavendish. Business always comes first." "So let's talk business, Mr. Taylor. How much will it cost you to work for us, all for us?" "Become one of our men, Mr. Taylor." "As part of Cavendish Properties, you will have the benefit of our goodwill, financial strength and protection." "It's impossible to die," I said. "You can hire me, but you can't buy me. Besides, I have a client now." The two sleepwalkers moved to the sides, and I guessed they were going to hit me again, so I shrank slightly.Any sane person would know to feign submissiveness at a time like this, but I was just so pissed off.They've taken away my self respect and now I'm left with a defiant attitude.The Cavendish couple sighed at the same time. "You've let us down so much, Mr. Taylor," said the woman. "I think you'll be handed over to those in power this time. We've contacted Mr. Walker to complain that you're here to cause trouble. He's very interested in knowing where you've been, and it seems he's eager to catch up with you. In order to express his anger at you, he is now coming to us in person. Mr. Taylor, what did you do to make him so angry?" "Sorry," I said. "I never blow up a scandal." Seeing that the sleepwalker was about to attack again, I immediately reached into the inner pocket of my coat and took out a small bag specially prepared for emergencies.When they approached me, I tore the little bag in my hand and sprinkled the pepper powder on them.Before they had time to react, their eyes and noses were full of strong pepper.They sneezed loudly, trembling violently, and endless tears flowed from their closed eyes.They sneezed so hard that they fell backwards and could hardly stand upright.The effectiveness of the pepper continued, and they collapsed to their knees, sneezing violently and crying wildly. It didn't take long for them to wake up together.Because the body is too stimulated, the system cannot bear such a strong physiological response, so they have to wake up from the forced sleep state.They are very sober at the moment, but it can be seen that they don't like this feeling of sobriety.Supporting each other, they surveyed their surroundings through tear-filled eyes.I staggered to my feet and glared at them both. "I'm John Taylor," I said, trying my hardest to speak. "I'm very upset with you two right now." The two sleepwalkers who woke up took advantage of their sneezing to look at me, then exchanged glances, then turned and ran.They even fought to get out the door first.I parted my lacerated lips and laughed recklessly.Sometimes a cultivated bad reputation works really well, like pepper and salt - both of which I always have with me just in case; salt cleanses evil, works well against zombies and casts protective spells is very useful.Pepper has many other very practical uses.I still had a lot of useful props in my pocket, and at the time, I was filled with the urge to pull them all out and use them on the Cavendishes. I'm tempted to say that I waited for the perfect time to use the peppers so late, but in reality, I simply didn't have the energy to use them. I gave the Cavendishes the hardest look, but they stared back at me in the same way, unmoved.Then the man turned around suddenly, picked up a silver bell from the desk, and shook it vigorously. A five-pointed star appeared in a corner of the office, and it shone brightly in an instant, followed by another person in the room.A person I know.The man was dressed very formally, a midnight blue tuxedo with a bright white shirt, bow tie, and a large cape trimmed in red.His hair was jet-black and glossy, in a unique style, like a neatly combed goatee.His eyes were blue, and there was always a contemptuous smile on his mouth.Normal people will be bluffed by this look when they see him, but I know exactly what kind of character he is. "Hello, Billy," I said. "This outfit is not bad. How long have you been a waiter?" "You look bad, John." The other party said as he walked out of the five-star teleportation aura, and the teleportation aura disappeared immediately after he left.He straightened his cuffs, looked down at me with disdain, and said, "It sucks. I just said that you can't keep your mouth open. Also, don't call me Billy. I'm Earl Entropy." "You're not," I said. "You're just an 'Omen Man.' Your father was a veritable Count of Entropy, a man infinitely greater than you. I remember you, Billy Larson. We grew up together, and you started Just a dude. Didn't you want to be an accountant?" "Accountants don't make a lot of money. They make money doing things for big men like the Cavendishes. They paid me a lot of money to prevent this situation today. And since my father is dead, of course I can Inherit his title. I am the Earl of Entropy. And I'm afraid I must kill you now, John." I said disdainfully, "Don't try to scare me, Billy Larson. I've seen many scarier guys than you." Why do bad things always happen to good people?Because there are people like Billy Larson in the world who can profit from it.Basically, he has the power to change and control all "possibility".The Ominous Man can see through the various connections entangled in fate, discover the behavior patterns hidden in the chaos, and then pick out the doom that is only one in a million possible, and finally turn this doom into an established fact.He builds happiness on the pain of others, and can destroy in a flash what others have spent a lifetime achieving.As a kid, he did it for fun; now he does it for the money.He is the man of ill omens, and the misfortune of others is his source of strength. "You are not qualified to be the Earl of Entropy." I said angrily. "Your father is the behind-the-scenes force of the whole world, a real powerhouse in the world, and a big figure admired by people in Night City. He dedicated his life to guiding the great power of the universe." "But at the end of the day, what did he get?" Billy said in the same exasperated tone as mine. "He offended Nicholas Huber and was killed as easily as a fly by the son of a viper. A good name means nothing, so what? I want money! I like a brass! The title is mine now The citizens of Nightside must learn to respect my title!" "Your father..." "Dead! I don't miss him at all. He always disappointed me anyway." "Oops!" I said. "I really don't see why." "I am the Earl of Entropy!" "No. You're just a bad omen, Billy. You bring bad luck to everyone, including yourself. You'll never match your father, your dreams are too small, the best you can get is a 'doom boy ' title, a lifelong errand-running hooligan." He was furious and flushed, but he managed to restrain himself and put on the most disdainful tone of voice he could. "You don't look like much now, John. Those sleepwalkers really beat you to the ground, and just another gust of wind could blow you into the void. In this case, look for It shouldn't be hard to get a blocked blood clot out, and it should be easy to find a burst blood vessel in the brain. Or maybe I should start in your extremities and work your way in? I can make a lot of bad things happen to you, John, There are so many bad possibilities in the world." I showed him my blood-stained teeth and smiled, "Don't mess with me, Billy Larson. I'm in a bad mood right now. Aren't you afraid that I'll use my talent to find out what you're most afraid of? Maybe I'll find it with my heart If so... maybe you can find the wreckage of your father's land..." All the blood on his face disappeared instantly, and he turned into a child dressed as an adult in an instant.Poor Billy - he's really strong, but I'm far better at playing tricks on people's minds than he is.Add to that my fearsome reputation... I nodded to the Cavendishes and left their office.Then I fled the building as fast as my body could handle. No one dares to stop me.
The next logical move seemed to be to ask the Cavendishes some impolite questions. I left Caliban's Hole and walked into the night, across Uptown, toward the business district.The distance between these two areas is not too far, but the crowds are much different. It feels like crossing a line between the gorgeous dream and the cold reality.The colorful nightclubs are now replaced by dull and boring commercial buildings; the noisy night city becomes a quiet working night city on the spot.The business district is located on the edge of Uptown, and it is the most formal area in Night City. There are gentlemen in suits everywhere, holding briefcases and small umbrellas in their hands—don’t let your guard down because of this, because the night city A businessman doesn't have to be a real person.People from heaven and hell came to Night City to set up shop and do business, hoping to make a big profit.The struggle between shopping malls is not as easy as on the battlefield. Following Cathy's instructions, I found the Cavendish office building.It was an old Victorian building, very old-fashioned, with no address or house number.If you have business dealings with them, you naturally know to come here to find them, otherwise, the Cavendishes don't care whether you can find them or not.It's not easy to find the Cavendish couple. They are not only very successful in the mall, but also unique in all aspects of life, just like their nightclub.I stood some distance away, scrutinizing the front door of the building.The Cavendishes have set up countless magical defenses around their small kingdom, and most of them are magics that are so powerful that I can detect them without using my talent.I can feel their presence, like a swarm of insects crawling all over my body.There was a tension in the air, and I felt strongly that I was being watched, but also with an imminent sense of crisis.The building must be under the guardianship of some powerful entity, some horrible creature from heaven or hell.Although this feeling is not enough to scare off the customers who come here to discuss business, it is enough to scare tourists and passers-by.Anyone who comes near here knows not to mess around here. The defense system of this building is all blatantly laid out in front of everyone.The Cavendishes just want everyone to know that they are very heavily protected. With a confident expression on my face, I pretended to be here to discuss business, walked to the door and opened the door.nothing happened.Then I walked into the hall in a majestic posture, trying to hide the feeling of having a target painted on my forehead.The lobby is large, luxurious and comfortable.The walls are covered with portraits, the vases are filled with flowers, and the sofas are full of businessmen who are reading the Nightside Times and waiting for their numbers to be called.I walked towards the reception counter, and a man and a woman standing by the counter came towards me immediately, as if they had known that I was coming, probably because the two battle mages in the nightclub had called to report the situation.I smiled at the couple I was approaching, and was about to speak, but found it unnecessary, because I found out that they were both "sleepwalkers".They were dressed in black, with pale faces, empty expressions, closed eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. They were the kind of "sleepwalkers" who rented their sleeping bodies to others.This kind of person is usually bound by the contract because he has not paid the debt and must pay off the debt with himself.They cannot decide how others use their bodies, and any physical trauma is their own responsibility.As long as the contract period is within the contract or before the body is completely damaged, their masters—or their puppeteers—have the right to use their bodies to do anything and fulfill any fantasies.This is the so-called sleepwalker. The biggest problem with sleepwalkers for people like me is that they don't get distracted by words, they don't flinch from what I say.It means I'm in big trouble.So I shrugged, smiled and nodded at them, and said, "Take me to your master." The male sleepwalker punched me in the head, so fast that I didn't even have time to react.I fell to the ground and was kicked in the stomach by that woman again.I tried to roll away to the side, but they moved faster, and there was a burst of punching and kicking around me, breaking several ribs in an instant.Under their attack, I had no chance of escaping. I could only curl up in a ball, trying my best to protect my head.The attack came without warning, and I had no time to take the usual defensive measures. I could only stay where I was and get beaten, silently swearing in my heart that I would get this thing back. I just huddled on the ground and let them beat me for a long time. Everyone else in the hall pretended not to see me being beaten.They all know it's better to keep things light.They both have business dealings with the Cavendish couple, and they would never take the risk of business to meddle in such nosy affairs.Of course I wouldn't ask for help.I've been beaten badly enough, if someone hears me calling for help again, wouldn't it be embarrassing!I was beaten again for a while, and the last foot landed firmly on my head, and I passed out on the spot.
When I regained consciousness, I was already in an ascending elevator. Two sleepwalkers stood on either side of me, their eyes closed and their faces expressionless.I lay still, afraid that if I moved, I would attract their attention.Now I can say that there is pain everywhere in my whole body where I still have consciousness, and the pain is so painful that I feel like vomiting, my mind is in chaos, and my thoughts can't keep up with the usual speed.I moved my fingers slowly, and then tried to move my toes, but luckily I could still move them.Pain when you breathe, which means you have broken some ribs.I concentrated the blood in my mouth to one side, and then pushed the top and bottom rows of teeth with my tongue.A few felt loose, but at least they were still in the mouth.I just wish I didn't wet my pants, I hate being spanked.I haven't been beaten this badly in a long time, and it looks like I'll have blood in my urine for the next few weeks.I forgot the first rule of Nightside: no matter how tough you are, there's always someone tougher than you.But then again, the visit was not without fruit.I came here to investigate whether the Cavendishes were involved in this matter. Since they beat me up without saying a word, it means that they must have ghosts in their hearts. The elevator stopped after a vibration, but the vibration had already made my whole body hurt so much that I almost cried out.The elevator doors opened, and the sleepwalker bent down to lift me out of the elevator.I did not resist, partly because I had no strength to resist, and partly because I believed they were taking me where I wanted to go—to meet their masters, the Cavendishes.They carried me into an office and dumped me in front of the counter like trash.The thick floor absorbed a lot of the impact, but it still hurt like hell, so I passed out again. After waking up again, the sleepwalker had left.I turned my head cautiously, and noticed that the door of one of the offices had just been closed.I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly forced myself to get up.Every movement creates new pain, so painful that I can't help but spit blood from my mouth onto the expensive carpet.I ended up sitting up on the floor, leaning against the counter in an ugly way, with my arms around my aching chest from broken ribs, thinking that someone had to pay for it. Even though I was bruised, shaken, nauseous, and dizzy, I had to regain my senses before the sleepwalker came back and dragged me to the Cavendishes.They don't want to kill me, at least not yet.They beat me just to weaken my mind and warm me up for the upcoming interrogation.Unfortunately, I'm not so vulnerable; it's just that I can't help wondering what they think I know... I took a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the blood from my mouth and face with trembling hands.After rubbing it, I found that one eye was so swollen that I couldn't see anything.By the time I was done wiping it all, the handkerchief was so miserable that I tossed it on the expensive rug and decided to leave it to someone else to deal with the aftermath. I sneaked a peek behind the counter and saw a glamorous iceberg female secretary that is equipped outside all top offices, the kind of woman who would never let you step into the office without a prior appointment.She tried very hard to ignore me.Then the phone rang, and she picked it up, responding in a nonchalant business tone, as if there wasn't a bloody, beaten half-dead private eye lying on the rug in front of her.Perhaps this kind of thing has become commonplace to her and is nothing new. I turned my body slowly, clenching my teeth against the counter on which my back was leaning and straightened up.Only when I finally reached a position where I could breathe smoothly did I realize that there were other people in this office.In fact, there were quite a few other people in the office.Some of them sat on chairs, some sat cross-legged on the rug, and some leaned against the wall.All were young, thin, and very fashionable in their attire for their age.They lazily flip through music and lifestyle magazines, or chat in low voices, compare each other's tattoos, and touch up makeup on their faces with a small mirror.They all wore black uniforms, their faces were painted white, and they had dark circles under their eyes. The powder on their faces was very thick, and their eyes were as black as two holes. It was simply death's clown makeup.Her purple lips were pierced with rings, and her body was covered with chains and silver crosses.One of the girls huddled in a chair noticed that I was reading, put down the "Bite Me" magazine in her hand, and looked at me expressionlessly. "Brilliant, they beat you so badly. How did you get them mad?" "I didn't do anything," I said, trying to sound normal. "It's purely an annoyance. What are you doing here?" "Oh, we're messing around. We specialize in running errands, signing autographs, doing odd jobs for celebrities, and the advantage is that you can hang out here, collect all the latest gossip, and sometimes even meet the celebrities themselves. Of course, our best What I want to see is Losinger." "Of course." I said. "Oh, she is the best! She sings like a dark angel, a combination of love and death, as if she has experienced it all, as if there is no tomorrow in the world... We all admire Losinger so much! " "That's right." A boy with skull makeup painted on his face said grimly. "We all love Losinger. We would give our lives for her." "Why is she so special?" I asked. "Make you willing to die for her?" They all looked at me like they saw a madman. "She's cool, man!" a girl who looked like a teen finally said.I watched her toss her long hair angrily as she spoke, and knew immediately that this was the only answer I could get here. "Well," said another. "Are you, you know, some famous person?" "I'm John Taylor," I said. They immediately lost interest in me and went back to chatting or continuing to read magazines.As far as they are concerned, as long as they are not in the showbiz, they are not famous at all; as for how miserable I look, they don't care much.They will never do anything that might get kicked out of this office.fans.You can't help but love them. The office door opened, and the two sleepwalkers reappeared.They walked straight towards me, and I tried not to flinch as they roughly grabbed my hands, half-dragged me into the inner office, and dropped me on the ground again.I gasped for a while, heard the office door close behind me, and struggled to stand up, but two hands suddenly appeared on my shoulders and crushed me to the ground.There were two stern figures with displeased faces in front of me, but I deliberately didn't look at them.The office is decorated in an unexpectedly traditional, almost entirely Victorian style, with all the furniture looking solid and comfortable, and the wall bookcases filled with hundreds of nearly identical books with seemingly identical covers. It's about the same age as the rest of the furniture.There are no potted plants in the office at all, and the smell in the air is very heavy, like clothes that have been worn for a long time. Finally, I looked up to see the owner of the room.The Cavendishes are the stature of two lanky scarecrows in costumes reminiscent of those who work in a funeral home.Even if they stand still, they still give people an indescribable sense of incongruity, as if they will fall to the ground if they are not paying attention.Both of them were wearing black suits, without any personality, without the slightest characteristic, and it seemed that even time would not affect them.Their faces are very pale, but their skin is unnaturally perfect, without any blemishes or scars, and the degree of firmness seems to have undergone too many plastic surgery, but I don't think the skin of these two people is the result of the surgery.There are no lines on the faces of the Cavendish couple, probably because they have never had any expressions in their lives. They suddenly took a step forward, and their movements were in unison, which was very strange.Mr. Cavendish has short black hair, slightly pouty lips, and almost expressionless eyes.He looked at me not as an enemy but as a problem to be solved.Mrs. Cavendish has long hair and a moderate frame, but her lips are so thin that she doesn't have the same, and her eyes are exactly the same as her husband's. They make me think of spiders, spiders gazing at their prey in their webs. "You have nothing to do with us," the man said suddenly, without any tone in his words. "It's nothing to do with each other. Isn't it, Mrs. Cavendish?" "That's right, Mr. Cavendish." The woman said, her tone was not much different from that of the man. "He's here to make trouble, I'm sure." "Why meddle in our business, Mr. Taylor?" said the man. "You have to explain it well," the woman said. They speak in exactly the same way, almost without tone.They stared at me sternly, as if they didn't need to blink at all.I tried to force a good smile, but when I smiled, blood dripped from the corner of my mouth on the spot. "Tell me," I said. "People say that you are not only husband and wife but brother and sister, is it true?" Even though I rolled into a ball to protect my whole body, I was still in severe pain from the beating.When the sleepwalkers finally stopped beating under invisible orders, the only thing keeping me from lying on the ground was their hands on my shoulders. "We like to hire sleepwalkers," the man said. "They're the best servants, aren't they, Mrs. Cavendish?" "It's true, Mr. Cavendish. They won't speak ill of us behind our backs, and they won't have their own ideas." "It's hard to find good subordinates these days, Mrs. Cavendish. I'm afraid it's because of the changing times." "You have emphasized this before, Mr. Cavendish. I agree with you very much." The man and woman kept talking, but their eyes never left my face. "We know you, John Taylor," the man said. "We don't like your arrogant attitude, and we don't intend to suffer in silence. We are members of the Cavendish family. We represent the Cavendish Real Estate Company. We are dignified figures, and we will never tolerate any outsider interference Our business." "Exactly, Mr. Cavendish," said the woman. "You're nothing to us, Mr. Taylor. Usually we don't pay any attention to people like you. You're just a little guy of unknown origin, and we're a big, rich and powerful group." "Lochingare is one of our properties," said the man. "Mrs. Cavendish holds her contract with me. We have the power to manage her career and life, and we will absolutely protect our power at all costs." "Lochingare is ours," said the woman. "As long as everyone who has signed a contract with us belongs to us. We will never give up anything that belongs to us." "Unless higher profits can be made, Mrs. Cavendish." "You're right, Mr. Cavendish, thank you for reminding me. We don't like anyone taking an undue interest in our management, Mr. Taylor, because that's our business and no one else's. For many years Well, there are quite a few self-confessed heroes who have meddled in our business, but we're still alive and well, and the heroes are probably not so lucky. Any wise person should learn a lesson from this fact." "How are you going to stop me?" I said, not as coldly as I expected because my lower lip hurt so badly. "These sleeping beauties can't follow me all day." "In general, we are against violence," the man said. "Because violence is too... common. So we don't do this kind of dirty things ourselves. If you come to disturb us again, if you still dare to approach Rochinger, we will make you crippled. If you still listen to me like this If you don't understand the hint, we will take your life. To warn others who dare to interfere with our business, I guarantee that your death will be very ugly..." "Nevertheless," said the woman. "We are still reasonable people. Right, Mr. Cavendish." "We are businessmen, Mrs. Cavendish. Business always comes first." "So let's talk business, Mr. Taylor. How much will it cost you to work for us, all for us?" "Become one of our men, Mr. Taylor." "As part of Cavendish Properties, you will have the benefit of our goodwill, financial strength and protection." "It's impossible to die," I said. "You can hire me, but you can't buy me. Besides, I have a client now." The two sleepwalkers moved to the sides, and I guessed they were going to hit me again, so I shrank slightly.Any sane person would know to feign submissiveness at a time like this, but I was just so pissed off.They've taken away my self respect and now I'm left with a defiant attitude.The Cavendish couple sighed at the same time. "You've let us down so much, Mr. Taylor," said the woman. "I think you'll be handed over to those in power this time. We've contacted Mr. Walker to complain that you're here to cause trouble. He's very interested in knowing where you've been, and it seems he's eager to catch up with you. In order to express his anger at you, he is now coming to us in person. Mr. Taylor, what did you do to make him so angry?" "Sorry," I said. "I never blow up a scandal." Seeing that the sleepwalker was about to attack again, I immediately reached into the inner pocket of my coat and took out a small bag specially prepared for emergencies.When they approached me, I tore the little bag in my hand and sprinkled the pepper powder on them.Before they had time to react, their eyes and noses were full of strong pepper.They sneezed loudly, trembling violently, and endless tears flowed from their closed eyes.They sneezed so hard that they fell backwards and could hardly stand upright.The effectiveness of the pepper continued, and they collapsed to their knees, sneezing violently and crying wildly. It didn't take long for them to wake up together.Because the body is too stimulated, the system cannot bear such a strong physiological response, so they have to wake up from the forced sleep state.They are very sober at the moment, but it can be seen that they don't like this feeling of sobriety.Supporting each other, they surveyed their surroundings through tear-filled eyes.I staggered to my feet and glared at them both. "I'm John Taylor," I said, trying my hardest to speak. "I'm very upset with you two right now." The two sleepwalkers who woke up took advantage of their sneezing to look at me, then exchanged glances, then turned and ran.They even fought to get out the door first.I parted my lacerated lips and laughed recklessly.Sometimes a cultivated bad reputation works really well, like pepper and salt - both of which I always have with me just in case; salt cleanses evil, works well against zombies and casts protective spells is very useful.Pepper has many other very practical uses.I still had a lot of useful props in my pocket, and at the time, I was filled with the urge to pull them all out and use them on the Cavendishes. I'm tempted to say that I waited for the perfect time to use the peppers so late, but in reality, I simply didn't have the energy to use them. I gave the Cavendishes the hardest look, but they stared back at me in the same way, unmoved.Then the man turned around suddenly, picked up a silver bell from the desk, and shook it vigorously. A five-pointed star appeared in a corner of the office, and it shone brightly in an instant, followed by another person in the room.A person I know.The man was dressed very formally, a midnight blue tuxedo with a bright white shirt, bow tie, and a large cape trimmed in red.His hair was jet-black and glossy, in a unique style, like a neatly combed goatee.His eyes were blue, and there was always a contemptuous smile on his mouth.Normal people will be bluffed by this look when they see him, but I know exactly what kind of character he is. "Hello, Billy," I said. "This outfit is not bad. How long have you been a waiter?" "You look bad, John." The other party said as he walked out of the five-star teleportation aura, and the teleportation aura disappeared immediately after he left.He straightened his cuffs, looked down at me with disdain, and said, "It sucks. I just said that you can't keep your mouth open. Also, don't call me Billy. I'm Earl Entropy." "You're not," I said. "You're just an 'Omen Man.' Your father was a veritable Count of Entropy, a man infinitely greater than you. I remember you, Billy Larson. We grew up together, and you started Just a dude. Didn't you want to be an accountant?" "Accountants don't make a lot of money. They make money doing things for big men like the Cavendishes. They paid me a lot of money to prevent this situation today. And since my father is dead, of course I can Inherit his title. I am the Earl of Entropy. And I'm afraid I must kill you now, John." I said disdainfully, "Don't try to scare me, Billy Larson. I've seen many scarier guys than you." Why do bad things always happen to good people?Because there are people like Billy Larson in the world who can profit from it.Basically, he has the power to change and control all "possibility".The Ominous Man can see through the various connections entangled in fate, discover the behavior patterns hidden in the chaos, and then pick out the doom that is only one in a million possible, and finally turn this doom into an established fact.He builds happiness on the pain of others, and can destroy in a flash what others have spent a lifetime achieving.As a kid, he did it for fun; now he does it for the money.He is the man of ill omens, and the misfortune of others is his source of strength. "You are not qualified to be the Earl of Entropy." I said angrily. "Your father is the behind-the-scenes force of the whole world, a real powerhouse in the world, and a big figure admired by people in Night City. He dedicated his life to guiding the great power of the universe." "But at the end of the day, what did he get?" Billy said in the same exasperated tone as mine. "He offended Nicholas Huber and was killed as easily as a fly by the son of a viper. A good name means nothing, so what? I want money! I like a brass! The title is mine now The citizens of Nightside must learn to respect my title!" "Your father..." "Dead! I don't miss him at all. He always disappointed me anyway." "Oops!" I said. "I really don't see why." "I am the Earl of Entropy!" "No. You're just a bad omen, Billy. You bring bad luck to everyone, including yourself. You'll never match your father, your dreams are too small, the best you can get is a 'doom boy ' title, a lifelong errand-running hooligan." He was furious and flushed, but he managed to restrain himself and put on the most disdainful tone of voice he could. "You don't look like much now, John. Those sleepwalkers really beat you to the ground, and just another gust of wind could blow you into the void. In this case, look for It shouldn't be hard to get a blocked blood clot out, and it should be easy to find a burst blood vessel in the brain. Or maybe I should start in your extremities and work your way in? I can make a lot of bad things happen to you, John, There are so many bad possibilities in the world." I showed him my blood-stained teeth and smiled, "Don't mess with me, Billy Larson. I'm in a bad mood right now. Aren't you afraid that I'll use my talent to find out what you're most afraid of? Maybe I'll find it with my heart If so... maybe you can find the wreckage of your father's land..." All the blood on his face disappeared instantly, and he turned into a child dressed as an adult in an instant.Poor Billy - he's really strong, but I'm far better at playing tricks on people's minds than he is.Add to that my fearsome reputation... I nodded to the Cavendishes and left their office.Then I fled the building as fast as my body could handle. No one dares to stop me.