Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 495 Haywood's Future (Part 2)

"Holy crap! Where's Jack Wells? Could he have died at the infirmary in Watson District—"

The fierce firefight inside the Wild Wolf Bar resulted in heavy losses for both sides.

The close-quarters shooting in the crowded bar environment caused many of the Valentino gang members who had taken over the Wolf Bar to disperse...

Fifteen people—that's the number of people who worked with Jack at the Wild Wolf Bar.

Jack had arranged this group. He guessed that Camilla knew he was alive and might do something big, and the Wild Wolf Bar and his mother were undoubtedly the first targets.

Although the probability of a gang war breaking out was extremely low, Jack did it anyway.

So far, Jack's assessment of the gang's ruthlessness seems accurate...

The loss of fifteen men was not small either. The guy who shot down the man behind the pillar was the same one who had called for Jack earlier. Pepi next to him had run out of bullets. If this dragged on any longer, Camilla would take over the neighborhood and then the Tiger Claw gang would be the ones coming after them.

Those guys have no humanity.

Mewtwo and the large amount of drugs have already left their brains riddled with holes, making their self-control extremely poor—which is why the Tiger Claw gang is often hired to kill people; the buyers only need to consider whether the victim's death will be too extreme.

Camilla is perfectly capable of doing this now.

"How many of them are still breathing?"

Pepi glanced back; there were less than ten of them left on the second floor, lying on the ground, their fates unknown… Perhaps the trauma team could have saved a few if they had arrived, but now it was clearly too late…

This strategy of holding out against the wolves was definitely not a good idea. Peppy, trapped on the second floor, started thinking of ways to escape. Even if he couldn't leave, he wanted to sneak into the basement, where Mrs. Wells' armory was located...

Mrs. Wells was a kind woman, that's true, but these days, it's not easy to keep a bar running if you don't have some kind of weapon on your person.

Wild Wolves used to be part of the security team, but their weapons were left idle after the Valentino gang's relationship with the neighborhood deteriorated drastically.

however--

Before Pepi could even peek down to see the distribution of the gang members below who were not launching a fierce attack but instead surrounding and attacking, the thick concrete platform in front of him seemed to explode on its own. Accompanied by a face full of concrete debris, he didn't hesitate to tackle the guy next to him who was working for Jack to the ground.

The cover that had provided some temporary sense of security was gone, and Pepi saw the Midnight Military Heavy Machine Gun, which was often mounted on an automatic cannon, spitting fire below. The gang members who hadn't been making any fierce moves just now, seemingly trying to wear them down, suddenly started attacking!

No one could peek out. They could already see the shadows of those people at the corner of the iron staircase, and they could hear hurried and heavy footsteps all around them.

Peppy didn't even hesitate, "Let my wife find another one, fucking Camilla—men, let's charge out!"

After saying that, the big man jumped down the stairs like a wall. The two guys who had just peeked out from around the corner saw the dark figure rushing towards them and felt a sharp pain in their chests. The rolling sound even made the heavy machine guns that were suppressing fire stop firing.

Feeling completely disoriented, Pepi felt as if all the bones in his body were cracked. Lying on the ground, he shook his head and tried to stand up. Suddenly, he caught sight of the hand grenade on the waist of a gang member. He immediately rolled over, grabbed the thing that looked like it was made in some small workshop, and rushed over.

The faces of the people running and firing down the stairs behind them were a mixture of shock and fear; it seemed the matter was about to come to an end…

Just as Pepi took to the air, the gap in the large iron door of the Wild Wolf Bar, which was strong enough to withstand a light machine gun, was suddenly filled by the blazing orange-yellow light. In an instant, the huge impact, along with the flames, knocked all the enemies in the hall to the ground, and the entire Wild Wolf Bar building was groaning under the strain.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a slightly withered and slender figure walked in carrying a gun.

Mrs. Wells looked at the Valentino gang member groaning on the ground. Even though the explosion had disfigured him, she could still recognize whose child he was…

The Heywood people ultimately turned on each other over the choice of what to do with their future.

but--

Mrs. Wells' answer was to end his suffering with a bullet.

She often taught Jack not to make hasty decisions, and that once a decision was made, he should stick to that path even if it meant suffering setbacks.

This seemingly uninvolved, yet highly respected woman on the street, was now embodying the image of Jack—a fearless warrior...

More people came in through the smoke and dust; they were almost all Mrs. Wells's age...men and women, but the only thing that remained unchanged was the youthful sharpness that shone through their slightly wrinkled eyes.

These are all legends from the older generation in the Valentino gang.

At that time, Night City had just experienced gang wars and corporate wars. The Sixth Street Gang and the Voodoo Gang, which were closest to the city, were fighting each other for territory. They were the same people who created Haywood.

These people skillfully cleaned up the mess, while the younger generation watched as the older generation—

"So many people can't beat this bunch of useless trash under Tiano's command?"

The scruffy cowboy, who looked like a redneck, showed no trace of the Valentino gang. Yet, as he cursed, he bent down and pressed drugs into the mouth of the delirious Peppy on the ground.

For a moment, the guards who were still somewhat conscious showed strange expressions, for no other reason than…

Because they were all Tiano's men, and they used to follow Jack.

Mrs. Wells looked at her "peers" behind her, including the children who had survived the wolf infestation, totaling less than fifty people... The situation was worse than she had imagined.

"Hurry up, everyone! We can't stay here. We need to get out on the streets and deal with them—"

Mrs. Wells didn't even let the men dispose of the body; she simply directed two people to go down and move things to arm the men.

Upon seeing Mrs. Wells appear, the Jack die-hards who had narrowly escaped death felt a pang of panic... Jack hadn't shown up yet, and for a moment they didn't know whether they should follow this big brother.

"Mrs. Wells, you know Jack..."

Mrs. Wells bent down and took a Saragato kinetic rifle from the box. She skillfully pulled the bolt a few times and tossed the gun to the man who had just asked the question. “My son, I know… Either Camilla has blocked the border at Haywood, or Jack is already at work.”

"It's no pity if I die, you won't lose out if you follow me, at least someone can take a bullet for you first, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the older gang members, who were all uncles and aunts, burst into laughter. "That's right. Anyway, with Camilla doing this, Haywood is going to be finished sooner or later, so we're just reserving his urn in advance... anyway, cemetery plots are damn expensive."

Mrs. Wells looked at the hesitant young people, smiled slightly, and said loudly to them, "I know that some of you are helping the Wolf and the Wells family because of personal relationships, but now—we are no longer simply picking up guns for anyone."

"The Cubans are pointing fingers at you, forcing us to sell flour. Those thugs outside are committing atrocities under the guise of being Heywood people. Camilla wants to turn Heywood into a backyard for thugs, all under the pretense of fighting the company..."

“Heywood won’t abandon his own people, but only if they are truly his family. Right now… Camilla’s destruction has outweighed her protection.”

"Next, she could turn her gun on any of the neighbors who usually greets her with a smile. For example, she just tried to use this method to make me obediently endorse her words, to make my mouth, which has been speaking for over sixty years, say things like robbery, rape, and human trafficking, which are far more serious than the company building houses for us..."

"For our children, for Heywood, we will not let Heywood become a hell that breeds demons!"

“I know we seem to have a low chance of winning, but don’t forget why you came here or stayed here in the first place… There are many more of us in the Valentino gang, and the gentle kindness of the Haywood people will never lose!”

"I and my child are willing to die for this."

Mrs. Wells's voice wasn't actually high, but it always sounded deep and powerful... You have to understand that Jack Wells was almost killed by the Vortex Gang while he was with the Valentino Gang. The usually kind Mrs. Wells not only took a hard line and forced Jack to leave the gang, but also used the Wild Wolves as a source of income to hire mercenaries from Night City... The Vortex Gang was in a terrible state during that period.

Mrs. Wells's word was law; that wasn't just for show…

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances and nodded. There was no doubt that there were many more people in Valentino's gang who didn't want to follow Camilla's reckless actions... The only solution now was to turn them against her.

As the group advanced from the Wild Wolf Bar, they dealt with many scattered members of the Valentino gang on the streets. Many of them were Tiano's men, but these people clearly harbored extreme hatred for the company, and without exception, they were all cursing them as the company's lackeys.

They didn't have time to hold back and persuade them to surrender; they answered with bullets...

Soon the entire street was cleared of wolves, and they had to advance little by little to protect the residents from harm.

However, as soon as the group emerged from the street, a burst of bullets felled four or five people around Mrs. Wells, all of whom were her old buddies who had come with her…

Mrs. Wells yelled at everyone to back up.

Valentino's gang of nearly a hundred people completely blocked both ends of the T-shaped street, led by Tiano.

"屮!"

"Tiano?!"

Those who were originally Tiano panicked the moment they saw him...

Mrs. Wells leaned against the thickest part of the wall, listening to the sounds from the street. After a burst of gunfire, the calm was followed by Tiano's voice echoing through the streets of Heywood, where NCPD sirens and NCFD fire alarms were everywhere.

"Mrs. Wells, it seems you're planning to stick with those companies to the very end?"

Mrs. Wells, of course, wouldn't explain herself to such a accusatory question. Her voice was light yet penetrating, "So the Cubans have given you new orders? I thought Camilla was a Cuban child..."

Tiano stood with his hands in front of him, holding a rose gold revolver in one hand, his expression gloomy.

Mrs. Wells had far too much information, and it was extremely obvious that she was deliberately bringing up a sore spot...

"You want our kids to sell flour with you lot? Tiano... you don't seem to understand what the Haywood people or your own purpose in life is."

However, Tiano simply took a deep breath. "The Cuba deal is off, Mrs. Wells... I came here today to talk about Jack. He's a good man, and I... we're the kind of friends who would attend each other's funerals."

"The Valentino gang will always be the protectors of the Haywoods, and that will never change."

"We'll find a way to get rid of those Japanese too. We need to stop this kind of thing as soon as possible; killing each other only benefits the company..."

However, Mrs. Wells refuted Tiano's argument with just one sentence.

"So you want to take advantage of the Heywood neighborhood first, right? You want the casino to open downstairs from Heywood's house, and then you get a share of the profits. Our girls are employees of the sex club, and our sons are pigs selling drugs?"

The words were extremely sharp!
This left many people in Tiano looking at each other in bewilderment…

Tiano's face turned red and then pale. Ironically, the Dreamer had been harmless since coming to Haywood, and this time he hadn't gotten involved in the Valentino gang's conflict. According to the neighbors, the company was definitely more important than the gang.

Tiano knew that if he didn't handle this problem well, he would be in serious trouble with Camilla. Even though he had no reason to refute Mrs. Wells, he comforted himself with things like "The Trust Company is doomed."

"You think you can get the people of Heywood to listen to a bunch of criminals? Dream on!"

Mrs. Wells' response wasn't enough; even more curses directed at Tiano echoed through the alley…

"Do it!"

Tiano gritted his teeth and growled.

A clear numerical advantage, with young and strong gang members facing off against a mixed force of older, middle-aged, and younger members...

Mrs. Wells never expected that the wolf would be blocked before she even left the street.

Even though the situation was so bleak, Mrs. Wells's group still mustered their courage and roared things like "Let's fight them!" as they prepared for battle.

Mrs. Wells looked at the soldiers Jack could easily take over, a hint of anxiety creeping across her face…

Camilla perfectly exploited the news that Jack was injured and had gone to Watson District, and even those under Tiano's command who didn't want to follow him dared not easily leave.

Everything seemed to have reached a dead end.

After Tiano gave the order, everyone hesitated briefly before raising their weapons and moving forward. Mrs. Wells was also prepared to take a desperate gamble…

The men of Heywood are known for their martial spirit and never give up on what they hold dear.

However, seeing the speed at which the gang was advancing, Tiano waved his hand, and several Contau robots, modified by the gang, appeared in the crowd. These robots were quite fast, almost reaching the front at twice the speed.

Upon seeing these robots, the henchmen seemed to consciously or unconsciously begin to control their speed, their gazes towards the machines filled with a hidden fear.

"beat!"

The well-equipped followers of varying ages in the alley where Mrs. Wells lived created quite a stir for a time.

However, that wasn't Tiano's intention at all. The robot, shaken violently by the bullets, stumbled, but the pressure devices on its mechanical legs gave it a considerable impact—

Mrs. Wells did not flinch, but calmly raised her pistol and fired at the control core of the device…

Twenty meters, ten meters...

The thing braved a hail of bullets but made no move to fire...

The bullets barely reacted when they hit the specially made bulletproof leather.

"Mrs. Wells! Get away from that thing!"

Those with Tiano recognized the thing, and their expressions changed drastically!
The red bar indicator on the robot's head suddenly began flashing wildly, and Mrs. Wells was instantly knocked to the ground, her cold robotic hand gripping her neck like an iron clamp.

The urgent sound made Mrs. Wells' eyes widen suddenly; this thing…

Is it going to explode?!

……

……

(End of this chapter)