Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The problem is the singer, not the song
I must be old.If it was before, it would be nothing to suffer such a severe beating.When I walked out of the Cavendish office building, my feet were already trembling, my head was covered with cold sweat, every breath I took was like a knife cut, the corners of my eyes could be flickering at any time, and my mouth was full of blood. Overall, it looks absolutely embarrassing to the extreme.I supported myself with willpower and continued to walk forward, trying to stay out of the attack range of their defensive magic.After getting rid of the threat of the Cavendishes, I still couldn't stop, even though my feet didn't feel like my own anymore.Maybe the bruises on my face and the blood on my coat looked bad enough, but I couldn't show weakness in public.As long as I'm still in the Nightside, I will never show weakness. This is a place where vultures are always circling the sky, and I don't want to be their prey.Therefore, no matter how miserable it is, keep your eyes straight ahead and stride forward with confidence.Startled by my reflection in a passing window, I looked as bad as I felt and had to get off the busy street.
I need a place to rest and heal, but it's too far from home, and I can't go to any of my usual places, because they must be under Walker's watch, even places he shouldn't know about. No exception.I can't call my friends for help, because Walker must have tapped all my friends' calls.If he didn't have such comprehensive power, he wouldn't be worthy of the job at all.
So, when all friends can't help you, the only ones who can help are enemies.
I plodded down the street, staring at everyone passing by with a bad expression, in case someone took advantage of the fire, and finally came to a public telephone booth.I walked into the booth and leaned heavily against the wall next to it.The feeling of finally being able to rest for a while made me forget why I entered the phone booth, but I picked up the phone after a while.I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard a clear dial tone coming from the microphone.Few people in Night City would vandalize public property such as public telephone booths, because telephone booths have self-defense measures, and there has been a record of devouring people who did not enter to make calls.
I don't know what Pio's current phone number is because he changes it frequently, but he always leaves his business card in a public phone booth so he can be reached in an emergency.I glanced at the familiar business card—a plain white card with a bloody cross embossed in the middle—and pressed the number with trembling fingers.At this time, I was only able to see with one eye, and my arms were so numb that I could hardly feel anything.I breathed a sigh of relief again after hearing the waiting ringtone of the microphone dialed.Taking advantage of the waiting time, I looked at the other business cards pasted on the glass wall in front of me, there were those who sold spells, magic potions, spell books, Cupid by the hour, magic plastic surgery, and how to borrow Ads about torturing goats for fun and profit, etc.
Someone answered the phone and said, "It's better to be urgent."
"Hello, Pio," I said in as normal a voice as possible. "I'm John Taylor."
"What do you want to call me?"
"I'm hurt and need help."
"You'd want to come to me and say it's bad. Why me, John?"
"Because you always say that you are a servant of God. You should lend a helping hand when others need help."
"I'm helping 'people', not monsters like you! As long as you don't die for a day, everyone in Night City will have no peace. Give me a reason to help you, Taylor."
"Well... If you're not willing to help me out of compassion, Pio, then listen to this reason: My physical condition is too weak to withstand any form of attack, including possession. You have no fear of hell Are the monsters coming into my body and controlling my talents to deal with you?"
"That's too low-level, you bastard," Pio said.Even if he didn't actually say it, I could hear him cursing. "Okay, I'll open a portal for you. But it's purely because I don't want to see you die by other people's hands."
As soon as he finished speaking, I hung up the phone.Apart from family and friends, the closest people in the world are old enemies who have been fighting for a long time.
Enduring the pain all over my body, I slowly turned around, opened the door of the phone booth, and looked out.There is now a door out of thin air on the sidewalk, an old wooden door with peeling paint and cracks standing alone in front of my eyes. It looks like Pio stole it from someone else.Pio lived in a difficult area because he thought it was a better place to preach.With the last of my strength, I walked out of the phone booth and came to the wooden door.Fortunately, passers-by kept their distance from the door, presumably because it was so clearly out of their style.I pushed open the wooden door with my shoulder, looked at the darkness behind the door, then fell forward, and appeared in Pio's living room in a blink of an eye.Then I heard the sound of a door closing behind me.
I walked over to the empty table in front of me, leaning against the edge like a drowning man clinging to driftwood, panting.After breathing for a while, I began to look around.The furnishings in the living room are very simple, and there is no trace of Pio.There is a table of unpolished wood, and two chairs of rough wood.There were scuff marks all over the floor and dirty wallpaper on the walls.All gaps in the only window were sealed to prevent prying eyes from outsiders.The only source of light in the living room is a street lamp outside the window.Pio had sworn to live a simple and unassuming life, and he clearly took that vow very seriously.One wall was nailed with many shelves, and the shelves were filled with all kinds of exorcism products.These are very useful small props, not only can help people improve their chances of survival in dangerous places, but the price is very reasonable. The door on the other side of the living room suddenly opened, and Pio stood outside with a big head facing me.Pio, wandering parish priest, Christian terrorist, holy warrior of God. "Don't mess around, monster! This is the holy place of God! I restrict you in the name of God, and don't bring any evil into this place!" "Take it easy, Pio," I said. "I'm alone and so weak that I can't beat a cat right now. Truce?" Pio snorted disdainfully: "Stop fighting, you monster from hell." "Fine. Do you mind if I sit down? Your floor is already covered in my blood." "Sit, sit down! Don't let the blood flow on the table, I still have to eat on it." I sat down heavily on the chair and let out a painful sigh.Pio raised the blind man's crutches to explore the way, and walked forward slowly.He wore a tattered gray cloak, a priest's uniform underneath, a white priest's collar around his neck, and a clean gray cloth over his eyes.He had a big head, noble brows, gray hair like a lion's mane, a strong jaw, and lips that never seemed to smile.His shoulders were broad, but his stature was small.He found another chair, sat down comfortably across from me, leaned his crutches against the leg of the table, and took a deep breath. "I can smell your pain, boy. How bad are you hurt?" "Feels bad." My voice sounded tired even to myself. "I hope it's all flesh and blood, but my ribs seem to disagree a bit, and my head seems to be shaking. I was beaten badly, Pio, and it seems that I am not as young as I used to be." "Not many people can stay young forever, boy." Pio stood up and walked straight to the shelf where the goods were placed.Not being able to see things didn't affect his speed of movement.He walked back and forth in front of the shelves, his hands kept groping among the many sundries, trying to find something.I can only hope he's not looking for a dagger or a scalpel or something.He kept mumbling while looking for something. "Wolf Buster, Crow's Foot, Holy Water, Datura Root, Silver Dagger, Silver Bullets, Wooden Stakes... Looks like I must still have some garlic... Divining Rod, Pickled Penis, Divining Rod Made of Pickled Penis , Mill Medal...Ah!" Pio turned triumphantly back to face me, holding a small bottle of blue liquid in his hand.Then he stopped moving, his lips twisted, and his other hand reached for a string of human bone rosary beads hanging around his waist. "How did the situation become like this? You, alone and helpless, fell into my hands... I should have killed you, son of the curse, enemy of the savior..." "I don't have the right to choose my parents," I said. "Besides, everybody says my father was a very nice man." "Oh, he is," said Pio. "I haven't worked with him, but his reputation is not bad." "Have you seen my mother?" "No," said Pio. "But I have seen the omen looming in your birth. I was not born blind, child. I traded my eyes for a knowledge that has served me well. I know that you will serve the world People bring death, John. But my stupid conscience will not allow me to kill you; at least not when you yourself come to my door asking for my help. If I do... I will have a bad conscience. " He shook his big head slowly, took a few steps forward, stopped by the table, put the bottle containing the blue potion in front of me, and then sat back on the chair opposite.I looked at the bottle and found no markings to tell if it was a healing potion, or poison, or something unexpected.Pio's footprints are all over the world, and his collection can be said to be full of pits and valleys. "The good days are coming to an end." After sitting down, he said suddenly. "The Nightside is an ancient place, but it is not eternal." "You've been saying that for years, Pio." "Because it is a fact! I know things that people don't know, and I can see things that are invisible to the naked eye. However, the farther the future I see, the more blurred the vision. Today I saved you, maybe it means Everyone else in Nightside will face a doomed fate." "No one has had such a profound impact," I said. "It wouldn't be me if there was one. What's in the bottle, Pio?" He smiled: "It doesn't taste good, but it should heal all your injuries. Drink it all in one gulp, and then you will be comfortable. But magic has a price, John, it's always like this in the world. Drink After drinking this potion, you will sleep for a full twenty-four hours. When you wake up, your injuries will be healed, but you will be old for one month. This magic potion will cure your illness, and the price is your one month. Lifespan. Are you willing to give up a month of your lifespan to get better immediately?" "I've got to do it," I said. "I'm working on a case, and someone needs my help. It's too late. Besides, who knows? Maybe I'll find a way to get back that lost month. In Nightside, there are more weird things. It happened." I paused, looked at Pio and said, "You don't have to help me. Thank you." "Sometimes it's not a good thing to have a conscience," Pio said gravely. I turned off the rusty cap and sniffed the blue liquid in the bottle. A violet scent hit my nostrils, apparently to cover up the stink of the potion itself.I poured the entire bottle into my mouth in one gulp and passed out before I had a chance to react to the unpleasant smell. When I woke up again, I found myself lying on the table, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.Because no matter how much I trust Pio, he'll still take my life when he gets the chance.He has tried to kill me many times, but without success.I slowly sat up on the table, feeling stiff all over my body, but all the pain has gone away.Pio rolled up my coat and put it under my head as a pillow.I flicked my feet off the edge of the table, and then stretched slowly... It felt good, very comfortable, the pain disappeared, my head was not dizzy, and even the bloody taste in my mouth was gone.I reached out to touch my face and found a bunch of beards.It seemed that this sleep literally slept away a whole month of my life... I stood up, went to the wall shelf and rummaged around, and finally found a mirror.Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I was really taken aback.It turned out that I not only had a dirty beard all over my face, but it was also a little gray, and my hair was also long and knotted.I look... very primitive, like a savage, hostile to everything.I don't like this look, and I don't even want to admit that I can pull off this look.This was no different from the monsters Pio usually hunted. "Vanity, vanity," said Pio, entering the room. "I knew you'd look for the mirror as soon as you woke up. Put the mirror back, it's expensive." I grip the mirror tightly. "What do I look like!" "You should thank me for remembering to dust you off when I'm fine." "Do you have a razor, Pio? I've got to shave off these gray beards that give away my real age. I don't like it." Pio smiled ugly. "I have a razor. Shall I help you?" "No need." I said. "I don't trust anyone with a knife to my throat." He smiled and handed me a pearl-handled razor.After shaving, I was finally back to my old self.I didn't actually shave very well, it was just that I got too many scratches, so I didn't want to keep scraping.I returned the razor to Pio, and stretched my muscles, preparing to return to the world to make a fuss again.Pio sat on the chair like a stone statue, completely ignoring my presence. "Once you get out of here," he said suddenly. "It will become my prey again." "Of course, Pio. You don't want people to think you're relenting." "You'll die at my hands one day, boy. I can see the mark of the beast on your forehead." "Yeah," I changed the subject. "I want to ask you one last favor..." "God, am I not helping enough? Get out, get out, or my reputation will be ruined!" "I need a disguise," I insisted. "I have to go back and finish things, but I can't be recognized. Please, you must have something that can temporarily change me..." Pio sighed resignedly. "Take it as a lesson for myself, never help people who shouldn't be helped, because human nature is to know the essence and know the taste, to push an inch, bastard. Where are you going next?" "A nightclub called Caliban's Hole." "I know that place, the abode of evil, the bar prices are horribly high. Looks like I'd better dress you up as a gothic fan, because there's a lot of those nasty heathens out there, and you shouldn't have any more It will be discovered. I can change your appearance with a simple illusion spell, and the effect lasts for about two hours, but it cannot be hidden from the eyes of experts..." He began to fumble on the shelf again, picking up and putting down things, Finally find an Australian pointing bone.He pointed at me twice with the bone, said a few short syllables in the Aboriginal language, and put the bone back on the shelf. "That's it?" I said. Pio shrugged and said, "If you like, I can make a few gestures and read a few hymns, but these effects are usually only for paying customers. This spell is actually no different from decorating a shop window. This kind of magic The thing is like this, as long as the research is deep enough, no matter what the source of magic power is, it is ultimately related to the ability and thoughts of the caster. Look in the mirror." Once again, I saw the image of a strange man in the mirror.My face is completely hidden under the numerous tattoos. Judging from the lines connecting the tattoos, it seems to belong to the ancient Maori style.Coupled with my messy hair, I believe no one can recognize me. "You still need a change of coat," said Pio. "The original one was horrible." He offered me a tattered black leather jacket with the "God give me strength" logo engraved on the back. "Put this on." I put on the leather jacket and it was too big to fit, but no one cares about such a small thing.After saying goodbye to Pio, I saw the door of the living room open, and the familiar darkness emerged from behind the door again.I stepped into the darkness and instantly appeared in Uptown, minutes from Caliban's Hole.I heard the door shut behind me and knew it would disappear before I could turn around.I can't help but smile.Pio probably thought that keeping my coat was tantamount to gaining an advantage, because blood-stained personal items like that were enough to be used as a basis for all kinds of magical positioning.Pio will definitely use that coat to launch various attacks. Fortunately, I have already applied self-destruction magic on the coat. As long as I leave the coat within a certain distance, the coat will automatically burn to ashes.By now, Pio had probably discovered this fact. Of course, I put all the useful items in the coat into this jacket before I left. Pio is very good, but I'm better at chess after all.
When I got back to Caliban's Cave, there was already a long queue outside the door.I've never seen so many gothic fans gathered together, all dressed in dark colors, with gloomy expressions on their faces, like a whole black cloud.People chatted nonstop, impatiently waiting for the upcoming concert.From time to time, someone would shout Luoxinger's name, and then a bunch of people would follow suit, until everyone got tired of shouting and then slowly subsided. A group of scalper tickets shuttled back and forth in the line, selling frighteningly expensive scalper tickets to fans who arrived late; there were quite a few people who bought them.Apart from gothic music fans, there were also many celebrities in the crowd, and there were also a bunch of security guards beside these celebrities.Recognizing a celebrity is as easy as seeing people turning their heads in search of a photojournalist; after all, if a celebrity isn't seen in a place like this one of the latest trends, it's as if they weren't there. The line went all the way to the other corner of the street, but I didn't care so much, I pretended to be a matter of course and walked to the front of the line.No one dared to say anything to me, as long as you have a way to infinitely expand the confidence on your face, and stare fiercely at anyone who doubts your identity, you can usually avoid many unnecessary troubles.One of the scalpers laughed at my tattoo very rudely, so I deliberately bumped into him and snatched away the most expensive ticket.Sometimes I like to play the role of fate behind the scenes. Caliban's hole finally opened, and the crowds of the team rushed in.The Cavendishes hired a large number of security personnel from hell to maintain order, but even these people could not cope with the intense pressure brought by Rossinger's fans.Fans kept pushing and screaming, and it didn't take long for security to know they were dealing with a group of fans who could turn into a mob if they were not careful.They came to see Loschinger, and no one could stop them.So the security guards from hell compromised on the spot, and let people enter the venue after collecting tickets.If I were the Cavendishes, I'd tell them to search for any weapons, but it's clear that anything that slows down the flow of fans could lead to riots.Fans are getting close to their goal, their heroine.They are just too hungry. In the nightclub, all the tables and chairs were removed, and a very large space was cleared in front of the stage.The fans rushed in without hesitation, shouting excitedly, and soon packed the entire venue.I moved along with the flow of people, and finally squeezed to the front of the stage, feeling the elbows of the people next to me pushing against each other, and the breath of the people behind me constantly blowing on the back of my neck.At this time, the whole nightclub was already occupied by heat and sweat, and I was so crowded that I could hardly breathe. I could only watch the bar and staff in the distance, but I had no chance to go to order a drink.In fact, no one cared about the bar at all, and all the fans only cared about one thing, which was Loschinger, the dark female singer in their minds. The nightclub was so crowded it was like a beast in a stable.But this is expected. After all, Cavendish is clearly the kind of person who will never care about public safety as long as he has money to make. A bright spotlight came on, illuminating a large black bird (supposed to represent someone's nightingale) at the back of the stage.The black bird was scary, wild, and seemed to harbor some kind of ominous omen.I looked back and I saw this black bird everywhere, on T-shirts, jackets, tattoos, silver jewelry on silver chains, everywhere.Celebrities are crowded in the crowd like ordinary people, but they are surrounded by a circle of bodyguards.None of these celebrities are really powerful behind the scenes, but there are quite a few familiar faces: Sabastine Stargrave, Rift Advocate, Liberation Poet, Goblin costume designer, and famous necromancy advisor Sandra Qian Si.Also notable is the supergroup Nasgu, who are embarking on a comeback tour in Night City; these guys all seem as excited as anyone else. However, no matter how much excitement and enthusiasm is in the air, the overall atmosphere in the nightclub is very strange, as if everyone is not waiting for an idol to appear, but a group of hungry beasts waiting to be fed.The sultry, humid air reflects a spectacle-watching mentality at the scene of a car accident.These people don't just come to listen to people singing, they also look forward to seeing the god of death appear.The overall atmosphere reveals the influence of magic, dark, powerful magic, coming from all the dark corners of the human heart. The crowd gradually quieted down, all the noisy noises suddenly disappeared, and the mood of anticipation was condensed to the peak, even I couldn't help but hold my breath.Something is going to happen and everyone can feel it.Something so extraordinary that we all can't wait to see it, we're eager to see it.We don't care at all whether what's about to happen will be good or bad.Our only concern is to welcome the goddess.At this moment, there was silence among the crowd, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the stage, which was empty except for musical instruments and microphones.We waited, we waited, and our breathing became unison, like a huge hungry beast, like a group of lemmings drawn to the edge of a cliff by unknown forces. Loschinger's orchestra appeared on stage, smiling and waving to the audience.The audience in the audience was instantly crazy, screaming at the stage, waving their hands and stamping their feet vigorously.The musicians picked up the long-awaited instruments on the stage and started playing immediately.There was no opening introduction, no warm-up speech, the concert started from the moment they took the stage.Ian Agger, the hunchback prop man with a cheerful personality, was playing the role of drummer, piano player and bass player at this time, because there were three identical Ian standing on stage; I wish he had It was mentioned to me.Then came the quartet of chorus angels. They wore traditional cancan costumes, their hair was coiled up high, with bright red lips and glowing eyes, they could only be described as glamorous.They blended into the performance as soon as they came on stage, stepped out to the music, lifted the corners of their clothes, and sang melodious songs, sweeping towards the audience like an unstoppable storm.Then Loschinger took the stage.At that moment, the shouts of the audience overwhelmed the music.She wore a fashion-forward black evening dress and a pair of black evening gloves, which contrasted sharply against her pale complexion.Her lips were painted with black lipstick, and black eyeshadow was painted around her eyes, creating the feeling of a black and white photo.She was not wearing shoes, and her toes were also painted with black nail polish. She reached out and grabbed the microphone stand in front of the stage as if it was the only thing holding her up in front of the crowd.After the whole performance, except for the time when she took the lighter to light a cigarette, she hardly let go of the microphone.She stood still, her lips were pressed against the microphone like a caressing lover, and her graceful figure swayed slowly with the melody of the song.From the moment she appeared on the stage, she had a cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth, and she kept lighting new cigarettes all the way down.Whether it's between songs or even during singing, she smokes all the time. She sang all of her own songs, "Blessed Losers," "All the Beautiful People," and "Black Rose."The melodies of these songs are very pleasant, the accompaniment and the singer's skills are excellent, but these are irrelevant, what really captured the hearts of the audience is actually her singing, her beautiful singing full of sorrow.She sang of lost loves and last chances, of tiny worlds of little people, of shattered dreams betrayed.Her singing is very convincing, as if she can empathize with her, as if she has personally experienced the pain in the world and the darkness of the human heart.People cherish hope more because of her singing, because hope becomes an illusory existence in her singing.Her voice is full of loss and heartbreak, which is overwhelming for all listeners. Many people's faces are covered with tears, even me is no exception.I am deeply fascinated by Loschinger's singing.Nothing ever gave the feeling conveyed in her singing.In Night City, the time always stays at three o'clock in the morning, the so-called darkest and most vulnerable moment of the human heart... Only Losinger can put this feeling into words, and move people's hearts. But then again, despite all the emotions I was feeling, I never completely lost my self-control; maybe it was because I was more exposed to dark things than normal, or maybe it was simply because I came here for other purposes.I forced my eyes off the stage and reached into the inside pocket of my jacket to retrieve a magic charm.This ornament would shine brightly when there was magic nearby, but in front of Rochingore, the charm did not emit the slightest light.This means that Luo Xinger has no magic blessing, no evil spirit possessed, not even a little bit of magic effect to strengthen the singing voice. No matter in what way she influences the audience, this power comes directly from herself and that fantastic singing voice. The audience looked at the stage ecstatically, enjoying the visual and auditory feast brought by Rochinger, immersed in the torrent of emotion, and the only thing they could do was stand in place and sway like a maniac Just raise your hands and clap in between the two songs.The three Ian Aggers and the four chorus angels were all sweating to match Roschinger's performance, but the audience didn't even look at them, all eyes were on Rosinger.She held the microphone stand as if she was holding on to a lifeline, lit one cigarette after another, and sang song after song, as if those two things were the only things in her life. Then, as she paused to light a cigarette at the end of a song, a man not far from me suddenly rushed towards the edge of the stage.The man stared at Losinger with adoring eyes, tears on his face, but a smile on his lips, and he drew a pistol with a wave of his hand.I didn't have the strength to squeeze in to stop him, so I could only watch him raise the gun to his head, pull the trigger, and splash his brains all over Loschinger's feet. As soon as the gunshot rang out, the three Ian Agger immediately looked up vigilantly.The chorus angels were all huddled together in fright, their eyes and mouths opened wide.Losinger stared blankly at the corpse below.Due to the large number of people in the audience, the deceased was still squeezed to stand where he was, and did not fall down, although half of his head was missing.As the sound of the music and the cheers of the audience faded away, the audience slowly regained consciousness, as if they had just been sucked into a deep dream by something, but now they were awakened by someone.I know that feeling, because I also feel that thing that attracts everyone.Some part of me even recognizes what that is. Then, the crowd went into a frenzy, screaming and roaring, and they all started rushing forward.They wanted, they needed to get on the stage, in front of Loschinger.They beat and kicked each other like wild animals.Many were knocked to the ground, while others stomped relentlessly on their bodies.The people around the deceased had already torn the corpse into pieces, presenting bloody corpses to the stage as if offering sacrifices to the gods.There was an air of eerie celebration in the crowd, as though this was the moment they'd been waiting for, though they weren't aware of the fact. I put my hands on the edge of the stage and jumped onto the stage on the spot.Losinger had come to his senses at this moment, turned around and ran backstage.When the crowd spotted her leaving, they immediately yelled angrily and even started climbing onto the stage.The chorus angel rushed to the edge of the stage and kicked hard at the audience who wanted to climb up. Three Ian Aggers also ran to help, but unfortunately they were too weak to stop the angry crowd.The security personnel from hell surrounded them from behind, grabbed the crowd and threw them towards the exit, regardless of whether they wanted to leave or not.I chased in the direction where Losinger left.One of them, Ian Agger, tried to stop me, but he couldn't even touch the hem of my shirt.By the time the first crowd rushed onto the stage, I was already in the confines of the backstage.
No one in the background wanted to block my way, because everyone has their own problems that must be faced.As long as I pretended to be confident, no one would look at me.I saw the two battle mages walking towards me, so I turned sideways and hid in the next room.They hurried past, their hands glowing with magic, ready to face the situation outside.As long as Xingfen and Qian Si don't join the commotion with the crowd, the two battle mages should be able to control the scene.But if they decide to intervene in this commotion, it will become very ugly.After confirming that the battle mage had gone, I stepped out of the room and went straight to the lounge of Losingore. She sat alone in the chair just like last time, but this time her back was facing the mirror.Her eyes widened, but her eyes were not focused, obviously unable to accept the fact that just happened.She held a towel in her hand and tried to wipe the blood off her feet.But no matter how depressed she was, at the moment she was still the most energetic look I had ever seen.I went into the lounge and closed the door, and only then did she look up at me. "Get out! Get out immediately!" "It's all right, Rose," I said quickly. "I'm not a fan." I said concentrating, shaking my body, completely erasing the phantom effect that Pio blessed on me, after all, it was just a simple little spell.After seeing the tattoos on my face disappear and recognizing my original face, Loschinger finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. It's nice to see a familiar face." After speaking, her body suddenly trembled, and the emotion of fright finally flooded into her heart at that moment, and her whole body trembled.I took off my leather jacket and draped it lightly over her shoulders.She took my hands, as if she wanted strength and warmth from them.Then she threw herself into my arms and hugged me like a drowning girl, pressing her tear-wet face to my chest.I did my best to comfort her.No matter how tough you look, there are moments in your life when you need someone to comfort you.After a while, she let go of her hands, and I slowly stepped back.Then I squatted down, picked up the towel, and helped her wipe off the blood on her feet, and at the same time gave her a little time to adjust herself.By the time I finished wiping and looked up to find a place to discard the towels, she seemed to have calmed down. I stood up, sat on the makeup table, and threw the towel behind me. "Has anything like this happened before, Rose?" "No, never. I mean, there were some rumors, but... no, at least it didn't happen to me." "Do you recognize the dead man?" "No! I've never met him! I don't deal with... fans. The Cavendishes are very adamant about this, they say it's about building an image and maintaining a sense of mystery. I didn't believe those things before. Rumors... I thought those were just stories made up for publicity. It never occurred to me..." "We will not spread rumors for the sake of publicity, dear Loschinger." A cold and familiar voice sounded behind me.I jumped off the dressing table, turned around and looked, and found the Cavendish couple standing at the door of the lounge, very arrogant.他们就像两只带来厄运的黑鸟一样走进房中，完全无视洛欣格尔的存在，只以一种冷酷的神情瞪着我看。 “你的身体状况看来好极了，泰勒先生。”男的说。“是不是呀，卡文迪旭太太？” “他的确是的，卡文迪旭先生。简直是健康男人的典范。” “或许关于你的传言也不全部都是唬人的，泰勒先生。” 我微微一笑，什么也不说。就让他们去猜吧，这种事对我的声望很有帮助。 “我们以为你已经学到教训了，泰勒先生。”女的说。 “恐怕没有。”我说。“我有学习障碍。” “那我们就得更用心地教训你了。”男的说。“是不是呀，卡文迪旭太太？”洛欣格尔看着我们，语气疑惑地问：“你们认识？” “当然啰。”男的说。“只要是住在夜城里的人，迟早都会来找我们的。这件事你别管，亲爱的。更重要的是，你不必担心演出时所发生的不幸意外。卡文迪旭太太跟我会把一切处理妥当的。这种小事你应该放心交给我们处理，毕竟我们可是收了你四成的佣金呀。” “几成佣金？”我忍不住怒道。 “我们所提供的专业服务可不便宜，泰勒先生。”女的说。“不过这也不关你的事，对不对呀，亲爱的洛欣格尔？” 在卡文迪旭夫妇的目光之下，洛欣格尔就像个犯错的小孩一样不敢抬头。 “是的。”她小声地说道。 "correct." “外面究竟发生了什么事？”我问。 “我们正在疏散观众。”男的说。“虽然临时中断演出很对不起客人，不过我们已经在门票上写得明明白白，不管在什么情况之下都绝对不会退费的。” “我肯定他们都会在下一场表演开始的时候回来的。”女的说。“所有人都渴望再次听见亲爱的洛欣格尔唱歌。” “出了这种事，你们还要她再度上台？”我说。 “当然。”男的说。“我们不会停止演出的。再说洛欣格尔活着就是为了要唱歌，对不对呀，亲爱的孩子？” “对。”洛欣格尔依然盯着地板说道。“我为歌唱而活。” “有人死了！”我故意大声地说，期望带出她一点点反应。“而且不是此时此地才开始死人的。刚刚那只是最近的一次自杀事件，也是最公开的一次。已经有很多人听完洛欣格尔唱歌就自杀了！” “那只是谣言，”女的说。“是臆测，是人们茶余饭后的八卦话题。” “再说世界上总有一些疯狂歌迷。”男的说。“都是些引火自焚的可怜人。不要为这些人担心，亲爱的洛欣格尔。店里就要清场完毕，大家都在为下一场演出做准备。我们会找更多保全人员来确保你的安全。一切交给我们就好了。” “好。”洛欣格尔的声音变得很微弱，似乎快要睡着了一样。看来只要见到卡文迪旭夫妇就会让她退化到我们第一次见面时的迟钝状态，而在这种状态下再跟她说什么也没有意义。于是我耸了耸肩，拿回披在她肩膀上的夹克。她对这个动作一点反应也没有。等我穿好夹克之后，卡文迪旭夫妇自门边退开让我出去。就在我离开房间前一刻，洛欣格尔叫了我一声。我回过头去，看见她抬起头来，神情冷静中带有一丝坚定的感觉。 “约翰，查明事情的真相。我要知道究竟发生了什么事。帮我这个忙，拜托了。” “没问题。”我说。“我的专长就是解救危难中的公主。”
I walked over to the empty table in front of me, leaning against the edge like a drowning man clinging to driftwood, panting.After breathing for a while, I began to look around.The furnishings in the living room are very simple, and there is no trace of Pio.There is a table of unpolished wood, and two chairs of rough wood.There were scuff marks all over the floor and dirty wallpaper on the walls.All gaps in the only window were sealed to prevent prying eyes from outsiders.The only source of light in the living room is a street lamp outside the window.Pio had sworn to live a simple and unassuming life, and he clearly took that vow very seriously.One wall was nailed with many shelves, and the shelves were filled with all kinds of exorcism products.These are very useful small props, not only can help people improve their chances of survival in dangerous places, but the price is very reasonable. The door on the other side of the living room suddenly opened, and Pio stood outside with a big head facing me.Pio, wandering parish priest, Christian terrorist, holy warrior of God. "Don't mess around, monster! This is the holy place of God! I restrict you in the name of God, and don't bring any evil into this place!" "Take it easy, Pio," I said. "I'm alone and so weak that I can't beat a cat right now. Truce?" Pio snorted disdainfully: "Stop fighting, you monster from hell." "Fine. Do you mind if I sit down? Your floor is already covered in my blood." "Sit, sit down! Don't let the blood flow on the table, I still have to eat on it." I sat down heavily on the chair and let out a painful sigh.Pio raised the blind man's crutches to explore the way, and walked forward slowly.He wore a tattered gray cloak, a priest's uniform underneath, a white priest's collar around his neck, and a clean gray cloth over his eyes.He had a big head, noble brows, gray hair like a lion's mane, a strong jaw, and lips that never seemed to smile.His shoulders were broad, but his stature was small.He found another chair, sat down comfortably across from me, leaned his crutches against the leg of the table, and took a deep breath. "I can smell your pain, boy. How bad are you hurt?" "Feels bad." My voice sounded tired even to myself. "I hope it's all flesh and blood, but my ribs seem to disagree a bit, and my head seems to be shaking. I was beaten badly, Pio, and it seems that I am not as young as I used to be." "Not many people can stay young forever, boy." Pio stood up and walked straight to the shelf where the goods were placed.Not being able to see things didn't affect his speed of movement.He walked back and forth in front of the shelves, his hands kept groping among the many sundries, trying to find something.I can only hope he's not looking for a dagger or a scalpel or something.He kept mumbling while looking for something. "Wolf Buster, Crow's Foot, Holy Water, Datura Root, Silver Dagger, Silver Bullets, Wooden Stakes... Looks like I must still have some garlic... Divining Rod, Pickled Penis, Divining Rod Made of Pickled Penis , Mill Medal...Ah!" Pio turned triumphantly back to face me, holding a small bottle of blue liquid in his hand.Then he stopped moving, his lips twisted, and his other hand reached for a string of human bone rosary beads hanging around his waist. "How did the situation become like this? You, alone and helpless, fell into my hands... I should have killed you, son of the curse, enemy of the savior..." "I don't have the right to choose my parents," I said. "Besides, everybody says my father was a very nice man." "Oh, he is," said Pio. "I haven't worked with him, but his reputation is not bad." "Have you seen my mother?" "No," said Pio. "But I have seen the omen looming in your birth. I was not born blind, child. I traded my eyes for a knowledge that has served me well. I know that you will serve the world People bring death, John. But my stupid conscience will not allow me to kill you; at least not when you yourself come to my door asking for my help. If I do... I will have a bad conscience. " He shook his big head slowly, took a few steps forward, stopped by the table, put the bottle containing the blue potion in front of me, and then sat back on the chair opposite.I looked at the bottle and found no markings to tell if it was a healing potion, or poison, or something unexpected.Pio's footprints are all over the world, and his collection can be said to be full of pits and valleys. "The good days are coming to an end." After sitting down, he said suddenly. "The Nightside is an ancient place, but it is not eternal." "You've been saying that for years, Pio." "Because it is a fact! I know things that people don't know, and I can see things that are invisible to the naked eye. However, the farther the future I see, the more blurred the vision. Today I saved you, maybe it means Everyone else in Nightside will face a doomed fate." "No one has had such a profound impact," I said. "It wouldn't be me if there was one. What's in the bottle, Pio?" He smiled: "It doesn't taste good, but it should heal all your injuries. Drink it all in one gulp, and then you will be comfortable. But magic has a price, John, it's always like this in the world. Drink After drinking this potion, you will sleep for a full twenty-four hours. When you wake up, your injuries will be healed, but you will be old for one month. This magic potion will cure your illness, and the price is your one month. Lifespan. Are you willing to give up a month of your lifespan to get better immediately?" "I've got to do it," I said. "I'm working on a case, and someone needs my help. It's too late. Besides, who knows? Maybe I'll find a way to get back that lost month. In Nightside, there are more weird things. It happened." I paused, looked at Pio and said, "You don't have to help me. Thank you." "Sometimes it's not a good thing to have a conscience," Pio said gravely. I turned off the rusty cap and sniffed the blue liquid in the bottle. A violet scent hit my nostrils, apparently to cover up the stink of the potion itself.I poured the entire bottle into my mouth in one gulp and passed out before I had a chance to react to the unpleasant smell. When I woke up again, I found myself lying on the table, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.Because no matter how much I trust Pio, he'll still take my life when he gets the chance.He has tried to kill me many times, but without success.I slowly sat up on the table, feeling stiff all over my body, but all the pain has gone away.Pio rolled up my coat and put it under my head as a pillow.I flicked my feet off the edge of the table, and then stretched slowly... It felt good, very comfortable, the pain disappeared, my head was not dizzy, and even the bloody taste in my mouth was gone.I reached out to touch my face and found a bunch of beards.It seemed that this sleep literally slept away a whole month of my life... I stood up, went to the wall shelf and rummaged around, and finally found a mirror.Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I was really taken aback.It turned out that I not only had a dirty beard all over my face, but it was also a little gray, and my hair was also long and knotted.I look... very primitive, like a savage, hostile to everything.I don't like this look, and I don't even want to admit that I can pull off this look.This was no different from the monsters Pio usually hunted. "Vanity, vanity," said Pio, entering the room. "I knew you'd look for the mirror as soon as you woke up. Put the mirror back, it's expensive." I grip the mirror tightly. "What do I look like!" "You should thank me for remembering to dust you off when I'm fine." "Do you have a razor, Pio? I've got to shave off these gray beards that give away my real age. I don't like it." Pio smiled ugly. "I have a razor. Shall I help you?" "No need." I said. "I don't trust anyone with a knife to my throat." He smiled and handed me a pearl-handled razor.After shaving, I was finally back to my old self.I didn't actually shave very well, it was just that I got too many scratches, so I didn't want to keep scraping.I returned the razor to Pio, and stretched my muscles, preparing to return to the world to make a fuss again.Pio sat on the chair like a stone statue, completely ignoring my presence. "Once you get out of here," he said suddenly. "It will become my prey again." "Of course, Pio. You don't want people to think you're relenting." "You'll die at my hands one day, boy. I can see the mark of the beast on your forehead." "Yeah," I changed the subject. "I want to ask you one last favor..." "God, am I not helping enough? Get out, get out, or my reputation will be ruined!" "I need a disguise," I insisted. "I have to go back and finish things, but I can't be recognized. Please, you must have something that can temporarily change me..." Pio sighed resignedly. "Take it as a lesson for myself, never help people who shouldn't be helped, because human nature is to know the essence and know the taste, to push an inch, bastard. Where are you going next?" "A nightclub called Caliban's Hole." "I know that place, the abode of evil, the bar prices are horribly high. Looks like I'd better dress you up as a gothic fan, because there's a lot of those nasty heathens out there, and you shouldn't have any more It will be discovered. I can change your appearance with a simple illusion spell, and the effect lasts for about two hours, but it cannot be hidden from the eyes of experts..." He began to fumble on the shelf again, picking up and putting down things, Finally find an Australian pointing bone.He pointed at me twice with the bone, said a few short syllables in the Aboriginal language, and put the bone back on the shelf. "That's it?" I said. Pio shrugged and said, "If you like, I can make a few gestures and read a few hymns, but these effects are usually only for paying customers. This spell is actually no different from decorating a shop window. This kind of magic The thing is like this, as long as the research is deep enough, no matter what the source of magic power is, it is ultimately related to the ability and thoughts of the caster. Look in the mirror." Once again, I saw the image of a strange man in the mirror.My face is completely hidden under the numerous tattoos. Judging from the lines connecting the tattoos, it seems to belong to the ancient Maori style.Coupled with my messy hair, I believe no one can recognize me. "You still need a change of coat," said Pio. "The original one was horrible." He offered me a tattered black leather jacket with the "God give me strength" logo engraved on the back. "Put this on." I put on the leather jacket and it was too big to fit, but no one cares about such a small thing.After saying goodbye to Pio, I saw the door of the living room open, and the familiar darkness emerged from behind the door again.I stepped into the darkness and instantly appeared in Uptown, minutes from Caliban's Hole.I heard the door shut behind me and knew it would disappear before I could turn around.I can't help but smile.Pio probably thought that keeping my coat was tantamount to gaining an advantage, because blood-stained personal items like that were enough to be used as a basis for all kinds of magical positioning.Pio will definitely use that coat to launch various attacks. Fortunately, I have already applied self-destruction magic on the coat. As long as I leave the coat within a certain distance, the coat will automatically burn to ashes.By now, Pio had probably discovered this fact. Of course, I put all the useful items in the coat into this jacket before I left. Pio is very good, but I'm better at chess after all.
When I got back to Caliban's Cave, there was already a long queue outside the door.I've never seen so many gothic fans gathered together, all dressed in dark colors, with gloomy expressions on their faces, like a whole black cloud.People chatted nonstop, impatiently waiting for the upcoming concert.From time to time, someone would shout Luoxinger's name, and then a bunch of people would follow suit, until everyone got tired of shouting and then slowly subsided. A group of scalper tickets shuttled back and forth in the line, selling frighteningly expensive scalper tickets to fans who arrived late; there were quite a few people who bought them.Apart from gothic music fans, there were also many celebrities in the crowd, and there were also a bunch of security guards beside these celebrities.Recognizing a celebrity is as easy as seeing people turning their heads in search of a photojournalist; after all, if a celebrity isn't seen in a place like this one of the latest trends, it's as if they weren't there. The line went all the way to the other corner of the street, but I didn't care so much, I pretended to be a matter of course and walked to the front of the line.No one dared to say anything to me, as long as you have a way to infinitely expand the confidence on your face, and stare fiercely at anyone who doubts your identity, you can usually avoid many unnecessary troubles.One of the scalpers laughed at my tattoo very rudely, so I deliberately bumped into him and snatched away the most expensive ticket.Sometimes I like to play the role of fate behind the scenes. Caliban's hole finally opened, and the crowds of the team rushed in.The Cavendishes hired a large number of security personnel from hell to maintain order, but even these people could not cope with the intense pressure brought by Rossinger's fans.Fans kept pushing and screaming, and it didn't take long for security to know they were dealing with a group of fans who could turn into a mob if they were not careful.They came to see Loschinger, and no one could stop them.So the security guards from hell compromised on the spot, and let people enter the venue after collecting tickets.If I were the Cavendishes, I'd tell them to search for any weapons, but it's clear that anything that slows down the flow of fans could lead to riots.Fans are getting close to their goal, their heroine.They are just too hungry. In the nightclub, all the tables and chairs were removed, and a very large space was cleared in front of the stage.The fans rushed in without hesitation, shouting excitedly, and soon packed the entire venue.I moved along with the flow of people, and finally squeezed to the front of the stage, feeling the elbows of the people next to me pushing against each other, and the breath of the people behind me constantly blowing on the back of my neck.At this time, the whole nightclub was already occupied by heat and sweat, and I was so crowded that I could hardly breathe. I could only watch the bar and staff in the distance, but I had no chance to go to order a drink.In fact, no one cared about the bar at all, and all the fans only cared about one thing, which was Loschinger, the dark female singer in their minds. The nightclub was so crowded it was like a beast in a stable.But this is expected. After all, Cavendish is clearly the kind of person who will never care about public safety as long as he has money to make. A bright spotlight came on, illuminating a large black bird (supposed to represent someone's nightingale) at the back of the stage.The black bird was scary, wild, and seemed to harbor some kind of ominous omen.I looked back and I saw this black bird everywhere, on T-shirts, jackets, tattoos, silver jewelry on silver chains, everywhere.Celebrities are crowded in the crowd like ordinary people, but they are surrounded by a circle of bodyguards.None of these celebrities are really powerful behind the scenes, but there are quite a few familiar faces: Sabastine Stargrave, Rift Advocate, Liberation Poet, Goblin costume designer, and famous necromancy advisor Sandra Qian Si.Also notable is the supergroup Nasgu, who are embarking on a comeback tour in Night City; these guys all seem as excited as anyone else. However, no matter how much excitement and enthusiasm is in the air, the overall atmosphere in the nightclub is very strange, as if everyone is not waiting for an idol to appear, but a group of hungry beasts waiting to be fed.The sultry, humid air reflects a spectacle-watching mentality at the scene of a car accident.These people don't just come to listen to people singing, they also look forward to seeing the god of death appear.The overall atmosphere reveals the influence of magic, dark, powerful magic, coming from all the dark corners of the human heart. The crowd gradually quieted down, all the noisy noises suddenly disappeared, and the mood of anticipation was condensed to the peak, even I couldn't help but hold my breath.Something is going to happen and everyone can feel it.Something so extraordinary that we all can't wait to see it, we're eager to see it.We don't care at all whether what's about to happen will be good or bad.Our only concern is to welcome the goddess.At this moment, there was silence among the crowd, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the stage, which was empty except for musical instruments and microphones.We waited, we waited, and our breathing became unison, like a huge hungry beast, like a group of lemmings drawn to the edge of a cliff by unknown forces. Loschinger's orchestra appeared on stage, smiling and waving to the audience.The audience in the audience was instantly crazy, screaming at the stage, waving their hands and stamping their feet vigorously.The musicians picked up the long-awaited instruments on the stage and started playing immediately.There was no opening introduction, no warm-up speech, the concert started from the moment they took the stage.Ian Agger, the hunchback prop man with a cheerful personality, was playing the role of drummer, piano player and bass player at this time, because there were three identical Ian standing on stage; I wish he had It was mentioned to me.Then came the quartet of chorus angels. They wore traditional cancan costumes, their hair was coiled up high, with bright red lips and glowing eyes, they could only be described as glamorous.They blended into the performance as soon as they came on stage, stepped out to the music, lifted the corners of their clothes, and sang melodious songs, sweeping towards the audience like an unstoppable storm.Then Loschinger took the stage.At that moment, the shouts of the audience overwhelmed the music.She wore a fashion-forward black evening dress and a pair of black evening gloves, which contrasted sharply against her pale complexion.Her lips were painted with black lipstick, and black eyeshadow was painted around her eyes, creating the feeling of a black and white photo.She was not wearing shoes, and her toes were also painted with black nail polish. She reached out and grabbed the microphone stand in front of the stage as if it was the only thing holding her up in front of the crowd.After the whole performance, except for the time when she took the lighter to light a cigarette, she hardly let go of the microphone.She stood still, her lips were pressed against the microphone like a caressing lover, and her graceful figure swayed slowly with the melody of the song.From the moment she appeared on the stage, she had a cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth, and she kept lighting new cigarettes all the way down.Whether it's between songs or even during singing, she smokes all the time. She sang all of her own songs, "Blessed Losers," "All the Beautiful People," and "Black Rose."The melodies of these songs are very pleasant, the accompaniment and the singer's skills are excellent, but these are irrelevant, what really captured the hearts of the audience is actually her singing, her beautiful singing full of sorrow.She sang of lost loves and last chances, of tiny worlds of little people, of shattered dreams betrayed.Her singing is very convincing, as if she can empathize with her, as if she has personally experienced the pain in the world and the darkness of the human heart.People cherish hope more because of her singing, because hope becomes an illusory existence in her singing.Her voice is full of loss and heartbreak, which is overwhelming for all listeners. Many people's faces are covered with tears, even me is no exception.I am deeply fascinated by Loschinger's singing.Nothing ever gave the feeling conveyed in her singing.In Night City, the time always stays at three o'clock in the morning, the so-called darkest and most vulnerable moment of the human heart... Only Losinger can put this feeling into words, and move people's hearts. But then again, despite all the emotions I was feeling, I never completely lost my self-control; maybe it was because I was more exposed to dark things than normal, or maybe it was simply because I came here for other purposes.I forced my eyes off the stage and reached into the inside pocket of my jacket to retrieve a magic charm.This ornament would shine brightly when there was magic nearby, but in front of Rochingore, the charm did not emit the slightest light.This means that Luo Xinger has no magic blessing, no evil spirit possessed, not even a little bit of magic effect to strengthen the singing voice. No matter in what way she influences the audience, this power comes directly from herself and that fantastic singing voice. The audience looked at the stage ecstatically, enjoying the visual and auditory feast brought by Rochinger, immersed in the torrent of emotion, and the only thing they could do was stand in place and sway like a maniac Just raise your hands and clap in between the two songs.The three Ian Aggers and the four chorus angels were all sweating to match Roschinger's performance, but the audience didn't even look at them, all eyes were on Rosinger.She held the microphone stand as if she was holding on to a lifeline, lit one cigarette after another, and sang song after song, as if those two things were the only things in her life. Then, as she paused to light a cigarette at the end of a song, a man not far from me suddenly rushed towards the edge of the stage.The man stared at Losinger with adoring eyes, tears on his face, but a smile on his lips, and he drew a pistol with a wave of his hand.I didn't have the strength to squeeze in to stop him, so I could only watch him raise the gun to his head, pull the trigger, and splash his brains all over Loschinger's feet. As soon as the gunshot rang out, the three Ian Agger immediately looked up vigilantly.The chorus angels were all huddled together in fright, their eyes and mouths opened wide.Losinger stared blankly at the corpse below.Due to the large number of people in the audience, the deceased was still squeezed to stand where he was, and did not fall down, although half of his head was missing.As the sound of the music and the cheers of the audience faded away, the audience slowly regained consciousness, as if they had just been sucked into a deep dream by something, but now they were awakened by someone.I know that feeling, because I also feel that thing that attracts everyone.Some part of me even recognizes what that is. Then, the crowd went into a frenzy, screaming and roaring, and they all started rushing forward.They wanted, they needed to get on the stage, in front of Loschinger.They beat and kicked each other like wild animals.Many were knocked to the ground, while others stomped relentlessly on their bodies.The people around the deceased had already torn the corpse into pieces, presenting bloody corpses to the stage as if offering sacrifices to the gods.There was an air of eerie celebration in the crowd, as though this was the moment they'd been waiting for, though they weren't aware of the fact. I put my hands on the edge of the stage and jumped onto the stage on the spot.Losinger had come to his senses at this moment, turned around and ran backstage.When the crowd spotted her leaving, they immediately yelled angrily and even started climbing onto the stage.The chorus angel rushed to the edge of the stage and kicked hard at the audience who wanted to climb up. Three Ian Aggers also ran to help, but unfortunately they were too weak to stop the angry crowd.The security personnel from hell surrounded them from behind, grabbed the crowd and threw them towards the exit, regardless of whether they wanted to leave or not.I chased in the direction where Losinger left.One of them, Ian Agger, tried to stop me, but he couldn't even touch the hem of my shirt.By the time the first crowd rushed onto the stage, I was already in the confines of the backstage.
No one in the background wanted to block my way, because everyone has their own problems that must be faced.As long as I pretended to be confident, no one would look at me.I saw the two battle mages walking towards me, so I turned sideways and hid in the next room.They hurried past, their hands glowing with magic, ready to face the situation outside.As long as Xingfen and Qian Si don't join the commotion with the crowd, the two battle mages should be able to control the scene.But if they decide to intervene in this commotion, it will become very ugly.After confirming that the battle mage had gone, I stepped out of the room and went straight to the lounge of Losingore. She sat alone in the chair just like last time, but this time her back was facing the mirror.Her eyes widened, but her eyes were not focused, obviously unable to accept the fact that just happened.She held a towel in her hand and tried to wipe the blood off her feet.But no matter how depressed she was, at the moment she was still the most energetic look I had ever seen.I went into the lounge and closed the door, and only then did she look up at me. "Get out! Get out immediately!" "It's all right, Rose," I said quickly. "I'm not a fan." I said concentrating, shaking my body, completely erasing the phantom effect that Pio blessed on me, after all, it was just a simple little spell.After seeing the tattoos on my face disappear and recognizing my original face, Loschinger finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. It's nice to see a familiar face." After speaking, her body suddenly trembled, and the emotion of fright finally flooded into her heart at that moment, and her whole body trembled.I took off my leather jacket and draped it lightly over her shoulders.She took my hands, as if she wanted strength and warmth from them.Then she threw herself into my arms and hugged me like a drowning girl, pressing her tear-wet face to my chest.I did my best to comfort her.No matter how tough you look, there are moments in your life when you need someone to comfort you.After a while, she let go of her hands, and I slowly stepped back.Then I squatted down, picked up the towel, and helped her wipe off the blood on her feet, and at the same time gave her a little time to adjust herself.By the time I finished wiping and looked up to find a place to discard the towels, she seemed to have calmed down. I stood up, sat on the makeup table, and threw the towel behind me. "Has anything like this happened before, Rose?" "No, never. I mean, there were some rumors, but... no, at least it didn't happen to me." "Do you recognize the dead man?" "No! I've never met him! I don't deal with... fans. The Cavendishes are very adamant about this, they say it's about building an image and maintaining a sense of mystery. I didn't believe those things before. Rumors... I thought those were just stories made up for publicity. It never occurred to me..." "We will not spread rumors for the sake of publicity, dear Loschinger." A cold and familiar voice sounded behind me.I jumped off the dressing table, turned around and looked, and found the Cavendish couple standing at the door of the lounge, very arrogant.他们就像两只带来厄运的黑鸟一样走进房中，完全无视洛欣格尔的存在，只以一种冷酷的神情瞪着我看。 “你的身体状况看来好极了，泰勒先生。”男的说。“是不是呀，卡文迪旭太太？” “他的确是的，卡文迪旭先生。简直是健康男人的典范。” “或许关于你的传言也不全部都是唬人的，泰勒先生。” 我微微一笑，什么也不说。就让他们去猜吧，这种事对我的声望很有帮助。 “我们以为你已经学到教训了，泰勒先生。”女的说。 “恐怕没有。”我说。“我有学习障碍。” “那我们就得更用心地教训你了。”男的说。“是不是呀，卡文迪旭太太？”洛欣格尔看着我们，语气疑惑地问：“你们认识？” “当然啰。”男的说。“只要是住在夜城里的人，迟早都会来找我们的。这件事你别管，亲爱的。更重要的是，你不必担心演出时所发生的不幸意外。卡文迪旭太太跟我会把一切处理妥当的。这种小事你应该放心交给我们处理，毕竟我们可是收了你四成的佣金呀。” “几成佣金？”我忍不住怒道。 “我们所提供的专业服务可不便宜，泰勒先生。”女的说。“不过这也不关你的事，对不对呀，亲爱的洛欣格尔？” 在卡文迪旭夫妇的目光之下，洛欣格尔就像个犯错的小孩一样不敢抬头。 “是的。”她小声地说道。 "correct." “外面究竟发生了什么事？”我问。 “我们正在疏散观众。”男的说。“虽然临时中断演出很对不起客人，不过我们已经在门票上写得明明白白，不管在什么情况之下都绝对不会退费的。” “我肯定他们都会在下一场表演开始的时候回来的。”女的说。“所有人都渴望再次听见亲爱的洛欣格尔唱歌。” “出了这种事，你们还要她再度上台？”我说。 “当然。”男的说。“我们不会停止演出的。再说洛欣格尔活着就是为了要唱歌，对不对呀，亲爱的孩子？” “对。”洛欣格尔依然盯着地板说道。“我为歌唱而活。” “有人死了！”我故意大声地说，期望带出她一点点反应。“而且不是此时此地才开始死人的。刚刚那只是最近的一次自杀事件，也是最公开的一次。已经有很多人听完洛欣格尔唱歌就自杀了！” “那只是谣言，”女的说。“是臆测，是人们茶余饭后的八卦话题。” “再说世界上总有一些疯狂歌迷。”男的说。“都是些引火自焚的可怜人。不要为这些人担心，亲爱的洛欣格尔。店里就要清场完毕，大家都在为下一场演出做准备。我们会找更多保全人员来确保你的安全。一切交给我们就好了。” “好。”洛欣格尔的声音变得很微弱，似乎快要睡着了一样。看来只要见到卡文迪旭夫妇就会让她退化到我们第一次见面时的迟钝状态，而在这种状态下再跟她说什么也没有意义。于是我耸了耸肩，拿回披在她肩膀上的夹克。她对这个动作一点反应也没有。等我穿好夹克之后，卡文迪旭夫妇自门边退开让我出去。就在我离开房间前一刻，洛欣格尔叫了我一声。我回过头去，看见她抬起头来，神情冷静中带有一丝坚定的感觉。 “约翰，查明事情的真相。我要知道究竟发生了什么事。帮我这个忙，拜托了。” “没问题。”我说。“我的专长就是解救危难中的公主。”