With "Jumping Shot" James sorted out, the only one left was Night City's Spiritual Mongol, John, nicknamed "Chagatai."
According to Jackie, John was also a veteran.
And he had served many more years than James—eleven full years.
"Chagatai" John was off duty today and at his own home, so Berry and Jackie drove to John's house.
John's house wasn't far, located in an old residential building in Kabuki, and it was on the first floor, which saved them a lot of effort.
After all, Night City doesn't seem to have many residential elevator projects. Going up in these old communities isn't cyberpunk at all; you have to climb stairs with your own two legs.
They quickly arrived at the location, and Berry and Jackie got out of the car.
"Cough, cough. This place has quite a few people. I thought old neighborhoods would be more desolate."
After getting out of the car, Berry put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath of the colorful air in the alley—a mixture of gasoline, garbage, and other things—and almost passed out. She said this while coughing.
"Heh, you must be joking. Night City is worth its weight in gold; people are everywhere. Aside from the outskirts, there are no desolate places."
Seeing Berry nearly taken out by the fumes, Jackie finally regained his confidence as an Old Night City Resident, laughing heartily as he spoke.
"Let's go. 'Chagatai' is on the first floor across the street."
Just like any old building, the walls were dark and covered in colorful graffiti. There were also discarded newspapers and old glass bottles everywhere. If you looked closely, you could even spot used syringes in the corners.
Clearly left behind by certain "gentlemen."
The security here was clearly not great, but that was a problem for the area's NCPD officers to worry about. Berry and Jackie were undisturbed.
"'Chagatai'! 'Chagatai'! I'm Wells, I'm here to see you!"
He knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time.
Berry frowned.
"He's not home?"
"That's impossible. This old guy only ever works or stays home. I haven't heard of him having any other hobbies."
As Jackie spoke, he tentatively tried the doorknob. Unexpectedly, the door opened with a twist.
Looking at the wide-open door, the two exchanged glances, both showing vigilance.
The door wasn't locked, but no one answered. Had something happened to "Chagatai"?
The two pulled out their pistols and cautiously entered the room.
The scene inside the room was somewhat unexpected for Berry.
In her view, the homes of these veterans should be messy, with empty wine bottles and food containers everywhere. She hadn't expected "Chagatai's" place to be quite clean.
The table, sofa, and TV were all neatly placed. Aside from lacking a bit of life, there was nothing amiss.
"'Chagatai'! 'Chagatai'!"
Jackie called out twice more, checked two rooms, and found no sign of "Chagatai." He immediately scratched his head in confusion.
"Could he really not be here?"
Before he finished speaking, a hoarse voice, typically ravaged by smoking and drinking, came from outside the window behind the house.
"Hey, Wells, over here, in the back!"
Holy cow, he was in the backyard. No wonder we couldn't find him inside.
The two of them sighed in relief and tucked their guns back into their waistbands.
Jackie spoke up, clearly annoyed.
"Damn it, Chagatai! We've been shouting for ages. I thought you were dead."
Berry relaxed, but the moment she stepped out the back door into the yard, she was completely stunned by the sight before her.
Jackie poked his head out and looked around, only to find a hand suddenly sticking out of the lawn, waving at them.
"What kind of performance art is this!?"
As the two walked closer, Jackie was also taken aback, jaw slack, staring intently at "Chagatai" lying in the pit.
Calling it a pit wasn't quite right; it was clearly a meticulously dug, concealed trench.
"Chagatai" looked about forty or fifty, with slightly graying hair and a muscular build. He was fully armed now, wearing combat gear, loaded with magazines, and topped with a large steel helmet.
Dressed entirely in military green, he looked like a little green man. Anyone who didn't know better would think the NUSA had invaded.
In this attire, he was wearing sunglasses, hugging an assault rifle, and comfortably sleeping soundly in the trench.
It seemed he was genuinely comfortable, as he didn't intend to get up even after they arrived.
"Don't mind me, I'm just taking a nap."
Knowing his behavior might seem strange to others, "Chagatai" offered an explanation.
"After so many years on the battlefield, I just can't get used to sleeping in a bed. It always feels unsafe. A drone with a cluster bomb bundle could blow you sky high."
"It's only when I put this gear on and lie in this pit that I feel comfortable. Plus, it's concealed. Smelling this dirt, feeling this confined space... hmm... it reminds me of the good old days. One word: awesome."
With that, "Chagatai" hummed contentedly, a look of enjoyment on his face.
Regarding Chagatai's statement, Berry expressed, "I don't understand, but I am deeply shocked."
They said James was the sick one, but she thought John was even sicker, beyond cure.
James was still alright; it was just his military experience that made him incompatible with society.
But this Chagatai seemed to already be enjoying the alienation that war had brought him.
All she could say was, he was completely cooked.
"Right, Boss, Wells, why are you looking for me? Is there an emergency mission?"
Mentioning a mission, the guy sat up from the pit, his face full of excitement.
"I'm ready anytime!"
Yeah, you don't have to tell me, I can see that.
Berry nodded in agreement.
Holy cow, your gear would scare people just walking down the street. Tomorrow's headline would be that NUSA soldiers have already invaded.
But in the end, Berry still told John the plan.
She told him he would become a member of the Wells Squad.
In response, this guy, who had completely internalized the concept of a soldier, thumped his chest and guaranteed there would be no problems.
"I've long been fed up with the organization's small-time skirmishes. Ptooey, Boss, I absolutely have no complaints about you. I just mean that we are finally going to seize more territory, just like Genghis Khan said: I came, I saw, I conquered!"
Chagatai stood up and straightened his helmet, fanaticism gleaming on his mature face.
However, Berry hesitated for a moment before speaking up, confused.
"'I came, I saw, I conquered.' Didn't Caesar say that?"
"Ah, really? Damn it, the internet lied to me."
Chagatai cursed under his breath, angry that he hadn't successfully used his idol's quote.
"But regardless, I guarantee I will complete the mission, in the name of Genghis Khan!"
Listening to this "Spiritual Mongol" white man standing before her, Berry felt a faint sense of absurdity challenging her worldview.
But finally, she managed to hold it in.
"Yes, that's exactly what we should do."
Chagatai chuckled contentedly and removed his helmet.
"My apologies!"
The next second, Berry couldn't hold back anymore. She burst out laughing, and once the floodgates opened, she couldn't stop, laughing so hard she was doubled over, clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face.
There was no other reason: when Chagatai took off his helmet, Berry realized the guy had even braided his hair into Mongolian pigtails.
He was a white man, clearly showing typical Californian features, yet the gray and yellow hair at the back of his head was braided into Mongolian pigtails, and his forehead was shaved bald, leaving only a small tuft in front.
"What is Boss laughing at?"
Chagatai didn't think there was anything wrong with himself. He looked at the nearly hysterical Berry and turned to Wells in confusion.
"Uh... ignore her, she's having an episode."
Wells grimaced and offered a strained explanation.
He didn't know when Chagatai had gotten that haircut, but at least he managed to keep a straight face.
That was victory.
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