Chapter 71

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In the Heywood Valley district.

Across the street was the Coyote Bar, where Tang Yu was waiting to cross the road, carrying a small basket of flowers.

The basket contained 16 carnations that seemed full of life, with a base that was moistened to emit a faint fragrance, specially prepared for Mrs. Wells.

Ever since Tang Yu got to know Jackie, he had frequently been under the care of Mrs. Wells.

Especially after the ritual that had been held, he felt a deep respect and guilt towards Mrs. Wells.

When Jackie left, he was lively and dressed in a suit.

But upon his return, he was just a cold corpse, void of yesterday's vitality and smile.

It was hard to imagine how heartbroken Mrs. Wells must have been, yet she still insisted on calling to check on him.

He always remembered this touching care in his heart.

The reason Tang Yu was at the Coyote Bar was that Jackie had just called asking for help with something.

So, they arranged to meet at the Coyote Bar.

Tang Yu had suggested this location; initially, Jackie wanted to meet at Lizzies, but after some persuasion, he reluctantly agreed.

Tang Yu saw the bar's sign, "EL COYOTE COJO," shining in gold.

Both the left and right walls were painted bright red and covered with various Spanish words and pictures.

There was some rubbish piled up by the doors, and a large cow skull hung on the door frame.

Seeing no incoming traffic, Tang Yu started walking towards the bar.

As the black mechanical gate automatically opened, the sounds of Spanish rock music filled his ears.

The bar's first-floor layout was rough at a glance, with dark red lighting on the ceiling and the bar's light strips glowing fluorescent green.

The bartender, Pepe, was the same as always with his large beard and thick gold chain, idly arranging the glasses.

Tang Yu approached the bar and inquired.

"Pepe, where is Mrs. Wells?"

Pepe had been arranging glasses with his back turned, but when he heard someone asking, he turned around and was met by a young man in a suit, causing his expression to become odd.

"Looking for Mrs. Wells?"

"She's on the second floor talking business with some old friends."

Tang Yu thanked him and walked through the bowling area towards the second floor.

Pepe muttered to himself as he watched the young man walk away.

"What Pepe? My name is Pepe, thank you."

The Coyote Bar was meant for the general public to drink freely, so even the second floor didn't have private booths, but rather public booth seating.

This related to the local customs; men who grew up in Heywood were straightforward and open.

Even when commissioning tasks, they weren't too secretive.

As soon as he reached the second floor, Tang Yu spotted Mrs. Wells chatting with others.

Not wanting to disturb Mrs. Wells while she was doing business, he found a booth to sit at while waiting for Jackie to arrive.

Shortly after, a bartender approached and asked Tang Yu what he would like to drink.

Tang Yu ordered a drink and casually tipped the bartender.

Looking down at the hall from the second floor, the familiar bar scene made him recall many memories.

He remembered how V liked to come here for drinks and find gigs, and they had even helped Pepe once when his wife was cheating on him.

The rough-looking tough guy, who seemed fierce on the outside, was actually very timid and sensitive at heart.

Sitting for a brief moment.

Mrs. Wells, who was in conversation, seemed to notice Tang Yu sitting alone, so she stood up and walked over to him.

"Tang, why didn't you say hello when you arrived?"

"Jackie mentioned you've been back in Night City for a while now."

Tang Yu, who had been lost in thought looking at the hall, turned around to see Mrs. Wells and stood up to explain.

"I saw that you were busy talking with friends so I didn't want to disturb you."

As he spoke, he handed Mrs. Wells the basket of flowers on the table.

Mrs. Wells took the basket, looking both surprised and pleased.

"Thank you, it's a lovely basket. I raised Jackie all these years and never saw him put so much thought into anything like this.""If he had your sense, I wouldn't have to worry so much."

Tang Yu's eyes sparkled as he earnestly explained, "Big boy, once you're married, you become a man and naturally mature."

He wanted to tell her about Jackie and Misty's situation, but considering Mrs. Wells didn't seem too fond of Misty, he decided to hold back for now.

Mrs. Wells shook her head with a resigned smile and said, "I do wish he would find a nice girl; I can't control him anymore."

"You're waiting for Jackie, right? I'll give him a call. God knows where that rascal has gone off to this time."

"Feel free to order any food or drink in the shop, don't be shy; I'm picking up the tab and you're welcome anytime."

"Consider this place like your home, alright? Kiddo?"

Tang Yu politely declined and mentioned he had already arranged to meet Jackie; he had just arrived a bit early.

The two chatted about recent happenings.

Learning that Tang Yu was doing fairly well, Mrs. Wells slowly returned to her booth.

No sooner had Mrs. Wells left than Jackie appeared and sat across from Tang Yu.

"Brother, let's talk somewhere else. There are things not convenient to discuss in front of my mom."

Tang Yu noticed Jackie's evasive manner and pressed him for details.

"What's so secretive that we need to hide?"

Jackie spoke in a hushed tone, "It's about the Valentinos."

He glanced back to ensure Mrs. Wells was busy with her business and not paying attention to them before he relaxed and turned back to continue explaining.

"A friend from the Valentinos has asked me to find someone. After thinking it over, I believe you're the only one who can handle this."

"You know my mom doesn't like me getting involved with gang stuff, especially with the Valentinos."

"I've been out of the game for years, but some ties you just can't cut."

Tang Yu understood Jackie was referring to loyalty.

In his youth, Jackie had joined the Valentinos and formed deep friendships with many members.

Later, due to a brutal skirmish, Jackie had almost lost half his skull.

Badly injured, he was fortunate to survive.

Ultimately, through Mrs. Wells' strong mediation, Jackie left the gang.

With regrets and helplessness, yet with his honor and backbone, Jackie still earned the respect of the Valentinos.

Hearing Jackie's explanation and the matter involving finding someone with connections to the Valentinos, it was certainly not advisable to let Mrs. Wells know.

They stood up to leave the booth and, after saying a quick goodbye to Mrs. Wells, walked out of the Afterlife bar.

Leaving the bar, Jackie let out a sigh as if escaping a cage.

Tang Yu gave him a look, "Is it really that bad? This is your home turf."

Jackie shrugged helplessly, "Stop teasing me, let's focus on the serious stuff, okay?"

Tang Yu patiently listened as Jackie explained the friend's request.

"So you mean a member of the Valentinos has gone missing, not very old, and they've been searching for days with no luck."

Jackie nodded, "Exactly. The Valentinos have done their best, but it's clear the missing person isn't in Heywood, and the night before the disappearance, he mentioned heading to the Watson district."

As he spoke, he pulled out a microchip from his pocket and handed it over; it contained the missing person's details.

Watson district?

Tang Yu thought for a moment.

The task wasn't difficult, but it would definitely involve gang territories, including both Heywood and Watson.

"Alright, I'll take care of it."

After agreeing to help Jackie, Tang Yu still needed to find someone first, a newly established middleman.