Chapter 512 Look at the problem from another angle
Tang Ji changed into a pullover, wore a hood and a now-popular LED mask, and mingled with the crowd, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
Surrounded by family members of the victims whose relatives and friends lost their lives in the Red Sun Incident, the atmosphere seemed very solemn. The only ones who were a little noisy were the TV reporters who were doing live broadcasts.
In Night City, you can’t expect many enthusiastic citizens who have been affected and come to express their condolences. Although the Red Sun incident shocked the people of Night City for a whole year, judging from the number of deaths alone, it is a joy to die.
The people of Night City who Toru came to express his views on death, within thirteen months after the Red Sun Incident, the number of accidental deaths exceeded the total number of victims of the Red Sun Incident.
Therefore, it is actually very science fiction that the residents of Night City have not wiped themselves out for so many years, and the city's population is still growing positively.
The media teams sent to high-profile live broadcasts are obviously fringe figures on each channel. They live broadcast such bad news that no one watches simply because they cooperate with the federal government’s propaganda.
These people are obviously holding a fire in their stomachs, but considering that this is Night City, and the people who remember the deceased here are all serious Night City people, so these people are trying their best to restrain their dissatisfaction.
After all, no one wants to come in fine and leave with a few broken bones or a few extra bullet holes.
How hard the people of Night City are to be trifled with is a popular joke throughout the Federation, and the most famous among them is a reckless hero like Tang Ji.
Although the statue created by laser engraving technology does not have the spirituality of the master, it can be used to restore an actual character and can almost achieve a perfect replica.
In front of Tang Ji was an old couple. They leaned on each other and stood in front of the statue of Angelina. They put down a bouquet of electronic flowers with some regret, seeming to be still immersed in the sadness of losing their loved ones.
He never raised his head to look at the statue carefully. He didn't know what expression he should use to face it.
The old couple didn't leave any words in the end. They just stood in front of the statue for a moment, and then left quietly.
Tang Ji took a step forward somewhat numbly, and placed the flowers in front of the sculpture. In fact, Angelina didn't like this kind of thing very much.
Their lives are always tight, whether it is space, time or money, a small apartment, a busy job, and a salary that is never enough.
And between these compactnesses lies love and life.
A bouquet of flowers can only brighten her mood temporarily, but using the money to buy two horse mugs she likes will make her feel happy every time she passes by the cupboard.
Tangji doesn't have the habit of drinking tea or coffee, and neither does Angelina, but they both like to collect all kinds of weird-shaped cups.
Angelina likes slim-waisted crystal cups and mugs with bright colors and unique shapes, while Tang Ji prefers cups with pure dark colors and thick materials.
But today, Tang Ji thought it would be more appropriate to send flowers. They hadn't been this romantic for a long time. It had been so long that Tang Ji couldn't even remember whether she really didn't like flowers or whether she thought they were not affordable.
"Hey, man, there are a lot of people behind you." The man behind him reached out and patted Tang Ji on the shoulder, his tone impatient.
Apparently, the time he spent queuing up in front of the statue to mourn his deceased relatives and friends had exceeded his expectation.
Tang Ji smiled, but his smile was blocked by his mask, so he just nodded silently and left quietly like the old couple before.
The order here is very orderly, and the people who came to pay their respects can be regarded as a model of the Night City. There were no quarrels, and no one jumped in line. Even the media team doing the live broadcast felt that today's episode was particularly "City That Never Sleeps."
Even if this turns into a shootout because of the queue, it is more reasonable than this.
Only Mikkelsen knew why. He sat in an abandoned cafe not far away, casually finding a seat by the window, and didn't care about the dust on the seat or the window itself, which had long been broken into pieces.
Those mortals might not be able to feel it, but he could feel it very clearly. A depressed and dull mood weighed on his heart like a dark cloud, making people lose the energy to argue.
That was the emotional impact brought by Tang Ji, the emotional resonance from the rage of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Maybe in other places, Tang Ji can only affect anger-related emotions, but in Night City, his authority is undoubtedly expanded.
But Tang Ji himself may not have realized this yet. When the man behind him urged Tang Ji to go faster, Mikkelsen even laughed out loud and recorded the moment with his mobile phone camera.
His avatar is not the classic Mikkelsen, but a passerby who looks very popular. He has no intention of showing up to talk to Tang Ji. He just guesses that Tang Ji will definitely come back to join in the fun.
Now is not the time for him to meet Tang Ji. He has not yet completely released the signal, but he is very pleased to see that Tang Ji is more mature than he thought. He has not been carried away by anger and everything is going according to plan.
Tang Ji walked to the place where everything happened based on his memory, the tall building he selected as the sniper point, and followed the previous route to the rooftop.
The traces left by that night still remain in place, but the blood stains have been cleaned up by time or forces interested in what happened that night.
Tang Ji stood on the edge of the rooftop, took out a tree of life from his arms and lit it. He looked down and found that the burned and deformed trash can had long since disappeared. Over the years, he tried to dig out the people and forces in his past.
Quite a lot.
Compared to the pioneers who have first-hand information, the Lazarus Group is like a sieve, and anyone can buy some information about Tang Ji from it.
The reason why the information about Tang Anran has been buried is thanks to the prophet's money-making ability and later Mikkelsen's professional ability.
But now they were all standing on another track. Tang Ji was a little irritated and drained the tree of life in one gulp. He didn't know whether he should believe the prophet and Mikkelsen or go on another road.
Mitch Shepard's return journey went smoothly. The city of Roseville is now in a semi-lockdown state. The civil affairs officer responsible for the immigration formalities is a kind man who looks to be over fifty years old. He is wearing a suit and carrying a valuable handmade watch.
, his temperament makes him look like a lawyer.
In fact, he was indeed a lawyer before, Dorbis Sargent. The name was sewn on the left side of the chest with gilded silk thread, echoing the triangular fold pocket square, giving people an elegant and authoritative look.
a feeling of.
"Ms. Shepard, I'm glad that you are still willing to return to your hometown after your career is successful." After Dorbis Sargent sat down, he first shook hands with Mitch, and then asked: "Tea, or coffee?"
?”
"No, I don't even need it." Mitch Shepard calmed down his rapid breathing due to dragging too much luggage: "So, I need to sign that compensatory contract here?"
"Ms. Shepard, don't be so anxious, we haven't reached that point yet." Dalbis smiled gently and pointed to the well-decorated offices around him: "Look here, look at me, you are obviously like the others.
Residents who move into the Special Administrative Region on compensatory terms are different, so the federal government specially sent me to receive you."
Seeing the vigilant look in Mitch Shepard's eyes, Dolbis smiled and took off his glasses while wiping them and said: "Madam, I know what you are thinking. Working hard in a place like Night City, with...
A trace of vigilance is completely understandable. To dispel your concerns, I can tell you now that no matter what kind of conversation we have, you can sign the contract and return to your hometown as you originally planned."
"Very good, it seems I don't need to waste time here, right?" Mitch Shepard picked up the contract folder and planned to open it.
"But talking to me will undoubtedly help you better achieve your goals and reshape your career." Dolbis continued: "Just talk to me. For you, it's just a waste of a few more minutes."
It’s just time, I believe that Night City’s evening hours will not forget you so quickly.”
Mitch's hand hesitated on the contract folder for a few seconds, and finally raised it: "You win, let's start now."
"I know that as a very courageous host and on-site reporter, you have always been famous for being bold and daring to expose the truth. I think you came with this purpose this time," said Dolbis.
Finally, he glanced at Mitchell's huge suitcases: "By the way, I really like your choice of photography supplies. Carl Zeiss Fluorite series, fast zoom, sharp contrast, used to shoot superhuman battles."
The effect is excellent.”
Mitch Shepard said nothing. She really hoped to take some shocking pictures, just like the Battle of Paris a year ago, which could make the world excited for a whole year.
"But that's the problem, Ms. Shepard." Dolbis spread his hands: "The FBAS Bureau and even the entire federal government, as well as some forces unknown to outsiders, spent a lot of money to get those places to
Let’s sit down and talk with outsiders and explore the possibility of coexistence between the two sides through the special zone.”
Seeing what Mitch Shepard wanted to say, Dolbis shook his head and continued: "Our original intention is to prevent the scene you want to send from becoming a normal scene in the future world, but in the early stages of contact between the two parties,
, I think some friction is normal, and I believe you can understand it, which is why the federal government is willing to come up with this compensatory agreement."
"You are risking the lives of federal citizens to befriend those aliens again!" Mitchell felt that he was wasting his time and that this conversation was completely unnecessary.
"You are right, this is what we are doing. From the first day I was transferred to this position, they told me the job responsibilities." Dolbis was not affected and said in a gentle tone: "
But for you, this is actually not a conflict."
"I hope you are a rational and emotional person. Although it sounds contradictory, it will be easier for us to have subsequent conversations." Dolbis continued: "First of all, I hope you understand that the establishment of a special zone is not for
Selling out the interests of humanity.”
"What is that for?" Mitchell Shepard asked: "Is it for the welfare of all mankind?"
"Maybe it's hard for you to accept it, but if I put it another way, for example, the establishment of the special zone is a decent compromise method for the defeated side, wouldn't it be easier for you to accept it?" Dorbis's words made Miche
His eyes widened: "The loser? Are you kidding me? When will we..."
Mitch Shepard was suddenly stunned. She thought of the Battle of Paris, the sudden nuclear bomb alarm, the two red sun incidents in Night City, and the incident of superhumans going crazy after coma in Demonstration City. Of course,
There is also the human tragedy that happened in Sudan.
All of this relies on a superhuman conflict, which is obviously a bit exaggerated, but if this is a confrontation between two civilizations, it is extremely reasonable.
"Actually, the facts are before us, but we are used to aloof posture, aren't we?" Dorbis leaned on his comfortable chair and explained: "But don't be too desperate, think on the bright side, we can also
It’s not that we don’t have the ability to protect ourselves, otherwise those outsiders wouldn’t sit down and talk. Now let’s return the topic to the Special Administrative Region.”
Although Dolbis said this, Mitch Shepard's attention was no longer here. She was now filled with the urge to return to Night City immediately and make big news.
"Ms. Shepard, I have to remind you that even if you successfully return to the TV station, you have no chance to deliver any news." Dolbis shook his finger and drew Mitch's attention back: "But we hope to cooperate with you.
You cooperate, take over your reputation among the people, and pass on some information to ordinary people in a limited and step-by-step manner."
"Me? My reputation?" Mitch Shepard felt like he was getting goosebumps, and his voice was a little sharp: "Why me? Besides, I'm just a small host of a local station, and a has-been host.
.”
"Don't get me wrong, you are just part of the plan. We have many other collaborators." Dolbis broke Mitch's fantasy: "But please don't underestimate your own influence. Night City is a very special place.
place, we especially need your reputation in Night City."
Michie was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and asked, "Is it related to Tang Ji? You said before that we have the power to protect ourselves. This self-protection refers to Tang Ji, right?"
"Your observation skills are very keen, Ms. Shepard, but I can't reveal more information to you." Dolbis smiled: "Maybe you can find your own answer in Roseville."
"If you agree to cooperate, please sign your name on this document, and we will give you the identity of an important NPC. This may increase your security, but it may also be the opposite." Dorbis shrugged: "As a
We cannot ask for too much from the defeated, can we?"
"And this." Dolbis handed Miche a mobile phone: "We will keep in touch with you through it and work together to complete the production of news information."
"Of course, as a permanent resident, your compensatory financial aid will be credited to your account within three working days." Dorbis finally said: "If you unfortunately encounter disability or death, you will receive the corresponding pension.
, into your designated account, for details, please read the third page of the contract, risk concepts, characteristics, classifications, and corresponding compensation prices.”