Chapter 5 — The Club of Deepest Thoughts
The sign above the entrance read "Heavy Hearts."
In daylight, it looked fragile — just steel letters on frosted glass.
But at night, the pyramid-shaped building turned into a beacon of neon and sin, its green lights stabbing into the sky like a ritual of excess.
A landmark of Dogtown.
A place where people rose — or disappeared.
Rox stood at the door, facing two armored security guards whose cyber-eyes scanned every telltale movement of his body.
They pointed at the kinetic rifle strapped to his back.
"Rules. We take that."
Rox raised his hands slightly. "Take it. I'm not here to cause trouble."
They returned his sidearm, a deliberate gesture — a message delivered without words:
> No gun you carry is dangerous compared to the man waiting for you upstairs.
After a biometric scan and comm confirmation — "He's here." — Rox was cleared.
Ding—
The elevator doors opened into luxury that didn't belong in Dogtown — velvet carpets, warm gold lighting, expensive oil paintings that contrasted brutally with the chaos outside.
This wasn't some bar.
This was a negotiation battlefield.
Rox knocked.
"Come in, my friend. Formality won't save you here."
Hanz's voice was warmer in person — and more dangerous.
The room looked like a hotel suite mixed with an executive war room. Hanz sat on a leather sofa, reading a paper book — a flex of wealth and taste in Night City.
Rox bowed his head slightly. "Mr. Hanz."
His HUD flickered:
> [Character: Hanz]
[Affiliation: Dogtown]
[Affection: –10]
[Development Value: Extremely High]
[Stage Reward — Affection ≥ 0 → +2 Body & Epic Sniper Rifle "Nekomaru" (Tsunami Arms)]
The system wasn't helping anymore…
But the rewards still existed — if Rox earned them.
Hanz closed his book. His eyes drifted to Rox's chrome arm — scratched, outmoded, cheap.
"It really disappoints me," he said calmly. "That Hansen's 'confidant' has cyberware like that."
Rox didn't react.
He didn't even blink.
Confidant?
He didn't even understand why Hansen sent him here — unless…
Hanz believed Hansen sent Rox not as a representative — but as a weapon.
Hanz stood.
"Let me paint a picture for you."
He walked slowly, his steps measured.
"On the savanna, the buffalo are mighty together. The lion is feared — but even the lion won't dare to strike unless it believes it can win."
He stopped point-blank in front of Rox.
"And you, my friend… you are the lion Hansen has released to challenge me."
The air felt electric.
One wrong sentence could turn into a death sentence.
Rox responded instantly, without hesitation:
"I think the Colonel simply can't swallow the humiliation of getting hit. You know how Ghost Hounds are. We can't dig around Night City without stepping on toes. I'm not a lion, Mr. Hanz. Just a messenger. I'll do whatever you need."
Hanz hadn't expected the answer to be that sharp — or submissive in the right way.
A genuine smile spread across his face.
"Very good. You are indeed pleasant to deal with."
"You want to live? Then stop acting like a soldier. Dogtown runs on fixers and mercs, not rank and orders."
"First, you follow me. After that — you'll be the one handling things."
Rox nodded. One boss calmed — for now.
Hanz leaned forward, fingers steepled, voice dropping low.
"I have something you need to understand before your real work begins."
"I am not like you young mercs. I have a family. A daughter. Everything I do is for her future. So everything you do for me…"
He tapped his chest.
"…must be done cleanly. No loose ends. No excuses."
"Especially considering who you work for — and who I work against."
Rox answered without hesitation:
"I understand, Mr. Hanz."
Hanz's eyes brightened.
Text scrolled across Rox's HUD — mission details.
"Some Edgerunners from Night City won't let that convoy situation slide," Hanz said.
"We all need to make a living. No more corpses than necessary. Review the intel. You'll handle this."
The hacker profile filled Rox's vision:
> Sasha Yakovleva
A cute smile.
A peace sign.
And over a dozen NCPD arrest records.
Hanz caught Rox's microexpression instantly.
"Do you know her?"
Rox didn't flinch.
"No. Just surprised someone that young caused that much trouble."
"Young black-hats are always trouble," Hanz said with a smirk. "But whether you know her or not — that's your problem."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"You'll meet a Dogtown hacker I trust. He's good at cracking defenses and covering tracks. As long as nothing points back to you — or to Hansen — we're fine."
A briefing chip slid across the table.
"And one more thing…"
Hanz's tone turned playful — but sharp underneath.
"My little lion… take a look at the BD Wreath on the coffee table. You need to see exactly what the Colonel wants you to 'keep in mind.'"
Rox picked up the BD Wreath — a brain-dance headset — and pressed it over his temples.
A blinding flash swallowed his vision.
His senses were ripped out of his body and thrown into another world.