Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 278 The Bailiff's Request (Fifteenth Update)
The elevator finally came to a stop on a relatively clean transfer platform in Zhongchao.

The gate opened, and outside was no longer the suffocating darkness and filth of the bottom nest, but a relatively orderly passageway in the middle nest area, which, although worn, still maintained basic order.

The wounded were quickly taken away by the medical personnel who were already waiting there. Sheriff Atkins was about to say goodbye to Mann's team when the data panel on his arm suddenly emitted an urgent communication request beep.

He answered the call immediately, and after listening for a few words, his brows furrowed tightly and his face turned extremely pale.

He ended the call and turned to Mann, his tone urgent and tinged with helplessness: "Captain Mann, the situation has changed. A large-scale riot has broken out at the 'Unified Standard' parts factory in Zhongchao's seventh manufacturing zone. Workers have taken over part of the production line, and the situation is spiraling out of control."

Most of our forces are tied up in clearing out the remaining cultists in the lower lair and dealing with gang fights in several other neighborhoods. We cannot spare enough manpower to suppress them in the short term.

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the reassuringly sophisticated equipment of Mann's squad, especially the two silent Iron Guard prototypes: "The production line there is crucial; it can't be shut down for an extended period."

I implore... no, on behalf of the Vesta Prima Legal Department, I request your assistance in quelling the riots and restoring order to production as soon as possible.

Mann frowned slightly.

Suppressing a workers' riot? This was completely different from the type of task he had envisioned.

He glanced at his teammates and saw similar hesitation on their faces.

But he did not refuse immediately; instead, he said in a deep voice, "I need to ask for instructions."

He reconnected to Chen Yu's dedicated communication link and briefly reported the situation: "Sage, the Ministry of Justice has requested assistance in suppressing the riot at the Zhongchao factory, citing insufficient police force. Please provide instructions."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication line, then Chen Yu's steady, synthesized voice rang out, devoid of any emotional fluctuation: "Assistance approved. The 'Iron Guard' project needs more testing data in various environments, including security scenarios involving low-intensity, high-density crowds."

Pay attention to collecting performance parameters of the machine in confined spaces and under limited firepower conditions. The primary objective is to restore production order.

“Understood.” Mann ended the call and looked at Sheriff Atkins. “We have permission to assist. Lead the way.”

Guided by another team of bailiffs, they rode in a special armored transport vehicle and quickly traversed the intricate passageways of Zhongchao.

Soon, they arrived at the scene of the incident—the "Unified Standard" parts factory.

The factory gates were tightly closed, but through the observation windows and ventilation openings above the high walls, one could vaguely see figures moving inside and hear noisy shouts.

More than thirty fully armed bailiffs have gathered outside the factory. They are dressed in uniform black armor and carry riot shields, shotguns and stun batons, forming a tight cordon and creating a standoff with the factory interior.

Several armored vehicles equipped with water cannons and sonic deflectors were parked nearby.

A higher-ranking officer from the Ministry of Justice approached, exchanged a brief conversation with Atkins, and then looked sharply at Mann's team: "Thank you for your support."

The rioters inside have damaged production equipment and taken managers hostage; they must be eliminated as soon as possible. Your heavy equipment is perfect for forcibly breaking through their defenses.

With a command from the commander, the factory's heavy metal doors were slowly opened by the external control panel.

The scene inside instantly came into view of Mann and the others.

There were no ferocious mutants or fanatical cultists as one might imagine.

The main workshop of the factory was packed with people, a crowd that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Most of them wore gray or blue overalls stained with oil, their faces were haggard, and their eyes were filled with a mixture of anger, fear, and a sense of utter despair.

They carried wrenches, iron bars, cutting guns, and other production tools. A few of them carried crude laser pistols or homemade explosives that they had somehow acquired, creating a stark and glaring contrast with the well-equipped bailiffs outside.

They shouted indistinct slogans, mostly things like "We want food," "Stop working overtime," and "Oppose pay cuts." Their voices were loud because of their numbers, but they couldn't hide the weakness that came from the bottom of society.

When the factory gates were fully opened, external light poured in, illuminating the interior of the workshop and clearly revealing the appearance of Mann's team, this "reinforcement," to the workers.

A massive, dark red body covered in terracotta and plastic steel; explosive guns and plasma cannons gleaming with a dangerous light; two Iron Guard prototypes standing like metal behemoths, emitting a low, energetic hum...

All of this, combined with the rudimentary tools in the workers' hands and their frail bodies, created an almost absurd scene of starkly contrasting power. Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Mann felt as if his blood was freezing slightly as the blood stagnated.

Rebecca, standing beside him, froze, her excited expression vanishing, and her hand instinctively loosened its grip on the plasma bombardment control lever.

Pira stopped his habitual fidgeting, and his long arms hung down somewhat awkwardly.

Dorothy slowly relaxed her clenched fist, her brow furrowed. Even Valerie and Jack in the cockpit fell silent.

too familiar.

This scene, this stance, this suffocating sense of confrontation... how similar it is to their past experiences in Night City!
However, at that time, they were on the side of the workers.

He is a mercenary who storms the company gates to demand unpaid wages, and a street kid who has to fight a bloody battle with the Arasaka security forces just to survive.

They were once among the "thugs" who faced the company's elite armed forces with crude weapons.

Now, dressed in more advanced and powerful power armor and cybernetic bodies than the company's security guards, and wielding terrifying weapons capable of instantly vaporizing flesh and blood, they stand on the side of the legal department, on the side of the maintainers of order (or, rather, the oppressors?), pointing their guns at these ordinary people who are fighting for their most basic right to survival.

“Damn it…” Rebecca muttered under her breath, her voice devoid of its previous arrogance, replaced only by an indescribable frustration. “What’s going on here…”

Pila adjusted his goggles, his voice dry: "Hey... guys, don't you think... we're on the wrong side?"

Dorothy silently watched the familiar despair in the workers' eyes, her strong body feeling powerless at that moment.

She used to make a living through physical labor, and she knows all too well what it feels like to be driven to the brink of despair.

Falco pushed up his sunglasses and scanned the workers. The data stream showed that the vast majority of them were pure humans without any modifications, with weak life signals and malnutrition.

His voice came through the internal channel, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation: "Targets...mainly unarmed civilians, carrying basic tools. Threat level...extremely low."

Valerie sat in the Iron Guard cockpit, watching the terrified yet defiant faces of the workers transmitted back by the sensors. She recalled the several employee protests she had participated in suppressing when she was in Arasaka. Back then, she was a company agent who stood by and watched, but now, she seemed to be one of those who were personally carrying out the suppression.

The bodily feedback transmitted through neural connections felt particularly heavy at this moment.

Jack peered out through the guard's observation window and muttered to himself, "Goodness... this is even more unbearable than fighting mutants..."

Mann stood still, not giving the order to attack immediately.

The explosive gun on his left arm felt incredibly heavy.

Chen Yu's order was to restore production order and collect test data.

The bailiffs' demand was to eliminate the rioters.

Logically, they should execute the command.

But emotionally, a certain resonance, deeply rooted in the streets of Night City and belonging to the mercenary Mann, was violently surging within his chest.

What should he choose? Should he obey the sage's orders, fulfill his promise to "assist" the Ministry of Justice, and crush this insignificant resistance with overwhelming force? Or...?

All the team members looked at Mann, waiting for his decision.

The factory workers seemed to be stunned by this suddenly appearing "army" that was far beyond their comprehension. The shouts gradually subsided, leaving only tense breathing and the faint sounds of tools clattering together.

The air seemed to solidify, making it hard to breathe.

(End of this chapter)