Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 116 Ambush by Arakawa!
"The Netherhound has already been dispatched."

After Hansen finished speaking in a lukewarm tone, he gave an unceremonious instruction: "First, take your people to check the server's security system. After that, deploy all your people to the lobby. The first batch of guests will arrive soon, in about half an hour."

Mercer nodded and said calmly, "Understood."

Watching Mercer obediently lead the team to check the security system, Hansen watched his back with a burning rage—if he didn't want to lose face, he would have canceled the awarding ceremony right now and asked Mercer what he had done!

Unfortunately, no, he can't. Now he not only can't bare his teeth at Mercer, but he also has to protect him as much as possible. Otherwise, if word gets out that the newly awarded director was killed by Arasaka, he will really become a laughing stock.

He was supposed to be checking the security system for Hansen, but it was really just a formality. Every camera and server at Gemstone Blue was currently controlled by Mercer's server. He only needed to make sure that no one was physically plugging a USB drive into the device.

As for other security plans, Hansen would not involve Mercer; his own elite forces would be in charge.

Half an hour later, Mercer returned to the lobby, where Hansen was sitting in a booth, chatting happily with several guests.

Upon seeing Mercer return, Hansen cheerfully called Mercer over.

"This is my chief equipment designer. Don't let his young age fool you; he's incredibly skilled."

Hansen began praising Mercer's skill, then changed the subject and pointed to V behind Mercer, who looked dashing and imposing, wearing a helmet: "See this individual armor? This is one of his masterpieces."

Those guys who looked quite wealthy immediately cheered with a "Wow!"

“Mercer, these are my friends from Europe. You know they’ve always been very interested in these kinds of high-tech products, and they have a lot of connections,” Hansen hinted to Mercer, implying that these were potential buyers.

Mercer smiled, took Lucy's hand, and sat down with her next to Hansen. He then began to boast about the advantages of his armor to the wealthy Europeans.

The other party listened very attentively, and one of the middle-aged wealthy men even asked with great interest whether someone like him, who didn't have many prosthetics, could have a cool suit of armor custom-made.

Mercer immediately said no problem, and the other party happily placed an order with Hansen on the spot, with only two requirements—one was that the appearance had to meet his aesthetic standards and be handsome enough.

Another aspect is that even without an operating system, he can still realize his dream of solo, free-flying maneuvers.

It seems this guy bought it purely as a big toy. Hansen offered two million euros, and the other party didn't even haggle, remarking that this thing was much cheaper than a hovercar.

It has to be said that rich people really do extravagant things when they buy things. He didn't even ask about the weapon's specifications; he just wanted it to be safe enough, to be able to fly around freely, and to look cool enough.

After Mercer finished chatting with several wealthy Europeans, more and more men and women in suits and formal attire walked into the sapphire blue hall.

Without Hansen needing to remind them, soft music began to play, and well-dressed waiters moved about serving drinks to the guests. In the entertainment room deep inside the hall, many people were playing poker games such as blackjack and Texas Hold'em, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.

Hansen held Mercer's hand, while Mercer put his arm around Lucy. They accompanied him as he greeted various guests, becoming familiar with the faces of the guests, until 7 p.m. when he finally calmed down.

"The formal ceremony starts at eight o'clock. After a ten-minute performance, there will be an award ceremony. After the ceremony, many guests will come over to ask about the details, so please make sure nothing goes wrong."

After Hansen finished speaking, it seemed that someone had sent him a message. His brows immediately furrowed, his prosthetic eye gleamed, and after a long while, he couldn't help but curse. Then he suddenly turned his head to look at Mercer.

"What have you been up to in Night City this time? Why is the NCPD here?"

"What?" Mercer frowned slightly.

Hansen raised his voice: "I'm telling you! The NCPD has now blocked the entrance to Dogtown and demanded that we immediately stop attacking Night City's network—what the hell are you doing?"

Mercer suddenly realized, but then calmly said, "I didn't do anything. This afternoon, I detected traces of roving AI in Night City's network. Perhaps some roving AI is causing trouble."

"Then how did they find Dogtown!" Hansen glared at Mercer.

Mercer, however, calmly said, "Colonel Hansen, if the other party is determined to cause you trouble, what excuse can't you use?"
The network fluctuations started several hours ago; strictly speaking, Night City's network problems have been going on for a whole day.

They deliberately chose to lock down Dogtown an hour before the banquet began. Can't you guess why? It's a deliberate attempt to put pressure on us.

Hansen stared coldly at Mercer. He was certain that Mercer was definitely involved in the sudden appearance of the NCPD this time.

Mercer, on the other hand, was even more aware that the NCPD's sudden blockade at the entrance of Dogtown was aimed at him. Even if he hadn't ordered Morning Star to launch a counterattack, what happened tonight would still have happened.

Mercer is in Dogtown, hiding from Arasaka under the protection of the Hound of the Underworld, but Arasaka can also use the power of Night City to put pressure on Dogtown.

This is a power struggle. If Hansen can't withstand the pressure and decides to sell Mercer, it would be the best thing for Arasaka.

Whether Hansen wants money or something else, Arasaka will readily agree. They are willing to spend tens of millions of euros to take Mercer and the Relic chip away, and incidentally, they can also establish a certain cooperative relationship with Hansen and expand their sphere of influence into Dogtown.

Even if Hansen resolutely refuses to bow to Arasaka and defends Mercer to the death, Hansen will inevitably harbor resentment towards Mercer, and Mercer's secret of possessing the Relic chip will be exposed. Will Hansen continue to fight Arasaka to the death for the chips that Mercer is hiding?
If Mercer concealed the existence of the Relic chip, then Hansen would inevitably know that he must have hidden something from Arasaka, or knew some of Arasaka's great secrets. Otherwise, the other party would not have gone to such lengths to attack Mercer and Dogtown.

Mercer's days are certainly not going to be easy.

That was Arasaka's goal: no matter what Hansen's attitude towards Mercer was, when the pressure came, that pressure would turn into Hansen's disgust for Mercer.

Mercer was fully aware of this, which is why he didn't hesitate to confess to Hansen that he had taken the Relic chip—the Relic chip's hardware design was unparalleled in the world.

But its true core lies in the consciousness transfer process that comes with the Soul Killer program. Without the Soul Killer, the Relic chip is just a chip.

This is why Arasaka isn't worried about the Relic chip being exposed. As for the Soul Killer program, Arasaka isn't worried at all that anyone will be able to crack it.

Even Mercer could only use a brute-force method, relying on visual estimation to reverse engineer and restore the program. No one else could possibly crack the program inside the chip.

Arasaka isn't afraid of Mercer making a move. Whether the Relic chips are sold or exposed, it means that these items have come into the open. What they're afraid of is Mercer hiding the items and transferring them quietly, which would make it impossible to track down the chips.

"What exactly did you steal from Arasaka?!" Hansen asked bluntly. "Where is it now?"

“Have you heard of Arasaka’s ‘Protecting Your Soul’ project?” Mercer asked.

Hansen frowned even more: "Is that the project that stores the consciousness of the dead and claims to allow people to communicate with their deceased relatives?"

"Yes, I stole a few Relic chips from Arasaka. They are the core hardware for the subsequent development of the project to protect your soul. With these chips, we can store a person's consciousness data."

As Mercer finished speaking, Hansen said with a stern face, "Don't think I don't know. This project already has a commercially available version. Do you think they would go to such lengths to cause you trouble just because a few chips were lost?"

"The commercially available version is just a lie." Mercer bluntly exposed Arasaka's deception: "That thing is not a real storage of consciousness at all, but simply a copy of memories, and then an AI is used to fake it."

But this chip can truly store the complete consciousness of a human being—unfortunately, I only have the hardware, not the software.

Even so, this thing is quite valuable; the hardware alone, a single chip, is worth millions of euros.

After saying this half-jokingly, Mercer sneered, "The most important thing is that what they want is not just the chips, but me."

"You?" Hansen squinted at Mercer.

Mercer, however, said in a calm tone: "Yes, me, a peerless genius—you have no idea what someone like me means to those companies."

In Arasaka's eyes, my value is far greater than all these chips combined, and most importantly, I stand on the opposite side of them.

Why did Arasaka go to such lengths to kill Bartelmos? And why did he kidnap Ultraman Anion, ultimately leading to the nuclear explosion of Arasaka Tower?

Mercer looked at Hansen and said bluntly, "Let's put it this way: if you feel that Arasaka is putting a lot of pressure on you, I can contact the Military Science Institute or Conto. I believe that as long as I agree to work there, they will arrange a private plane for me to leave Night City overnight."

Hansen sneered, but did not refute or deny it. He simply said, "I'll go deal with the trouble you've caused now. You, stay in the lobby and behave yourself. We'll have a good talk after tonight."

At the end, Hansen emphasized his words, then strode out of the hall looking somewhat agitated.

Lucy hooked her arm around Mercer's and watched him walk away before turning her head to look at him. A hint of worry appeared on her bright face, but in the end, she just smiled and said, "Take a rest for a while. You've been smiling all afternoon, and you're a little tired."

Mercer nodded, glanced at V behind him who was dutifully acting as a bodyguard and 'human advertisement', and waved his hand: "Let's go, have a couple of drinks, and then sit down and rest for a while."

V shook his head and said, "I won't."

She kept a close watch on her surroundings, not letting any potential Arasaka agent slip by. With no experience as a bodyguard, she could only ensure Mercer's safety through this focused and attentive vigilance.

Mercer didn't insist. This time, he and Lucy both ordered a low-alcohol cocktail, while V ordered an iced cola, which he finished in two gulps. He then put his helmet and mask back on and entered bodyguard mode.

During his rest, Mercer didn't stay idle. Instead, he opened his prosthetic eye and looked at the situation outside Dogtown.

You won't believe it until you see it—it's truly a shock.

At this moment, there were more than twenty NCPD armored vehicles parked outside Dogtown!

Furthermore, even the Terrorist Mobile Squad's hovercraft was floating not far from the entrance to Dogtown.

A group of NCPD officers completely surrounded the checkpoint in Dogtown, and the leader of them was none other than the current NCPD commissioner!
The hounds had also gathered at the entrance of Dog Town, along with minotaur robots, armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and heavily armored soldiers with centaur exoskeletons.

Even the airships that had been floating above Dogtown sailed towards the town's entrance, their machine guns pointed at the gate.

The tense atmosphere was at its peak. At this moment, not only were there no guests attending the banquet, but even some residents who usually came and went from Dog Town were keeping their distance. There were hardly any people to be seen on the streets of Taiping Prefecture.

Only a few bold news media outlets remained nearby, recording this scene.

While Mercer marveled, he also inquired about Morning Star with concern.

[Mercer: How's the situation?]

[Morning Star: It escaped. I tried to track it, but failed. It redirected directly to a network area outside Night City.]

[Mercer: What's the Night Corporation's reaction?]

[Morning Star: The other side has implemented a complete contraction, switching all important servers back to the local area network. They didn't offer much resistance. I have regained control of the City Hall's servers, crippled them, and re-established the backdoor.]

[Mercer: So, the other side just came to cause trouble, sabotage things, and then ran away?]

[Morning Star: Yes, I am investigating the origins of the other party and, as you instructed, launching indiscriminate attacks on the domains related to the Night Company and the Arasaka Company.]

[Mercer: That's about enough. The internet police haven't shown up?]

[Morning Star: There are signs of detection program activity, but no trace of hacking.]

Mercer frowned – this could only mean one thing: the internet censors had probably received advance warning, otherwise they wouldn't have turned a blind eye to such a thing.

The Morning Star repeatedly attacked Night City's network, making almost no attempt to conceal its AI-like behavior. If the internet monitoring department hadn't been prepared, they should have at least called to inquire about the situation.

But the fact that they didn't make that call means they must know roughly what happened in Night City and understand that it was Mercer retaliating.
It seems that the internet monitors not only have some understanding of Mercer's methods, but also of the Night Corporation and the roving AI that Qimingxing had previously reported seeing.

[Mercury: Have you found any trace of Agent Arasaka?]

[Morning Star: The relevant video footage has been deleted beforehand, and some cameras in key locations have been physically damaged. I am trying to recover the video data, but... I'm sorry, based on my estimate, the chances of data recovery are very low.]

[Mercer: Understood. You can stop now. From today onwards, we will take action against the Night Corporation every day until they can't take the counterattack, or until they are ready to talk to me.]

[Morning Star: I suspect that if the other side wanted to take action, they have already taken advantage of the blind spots and the NCPD to attract attention and entered Dogtown.]

Dogtown has many secret passages but very few security cameras, so please be very careful.

Mercer: Got it.

After hanging up the call, Lucy asked softly, "What's going on? Why did the NCPD come?"

"The city hall and NCPD are practically half-henchmen of Arasaka now. I guess on one hand, they're trying to create some noise to attract attention, and on the other hand, they're trying to put pressure on Hansen."

Mercer could only guess at that, while Lucy simply took a sip of her cocktail and didn't press the matter further.

About half an hour later, Hansen returned to the hall with a dark face. Without saying a word, he directly told Mercer, the NCPD, about the aftermath of the door-blocking incident: "Many important people will not be attending today's banquet."

He didn't say much, but glanced at the time and then said with a stern face, "Continue the banquet. Have your men noticed anything unusual?"

“No.” After Mercer finished speaking, Hansen nodded and turned to leave: “Get ready, don’t wander around, you’ll have to go on stage after the performance.”

Mercer agreed, and Hansen hurriedly left again.

Ten minutes later, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed.

Suddenly, a series of neon lights illuminated the center of the stage in the hall. A flash of blue light appeared and disappeared in an instant, and a woman covered in silver walked to the center of the stage.

"Wow! It's Lizzie Weisz! She's a big star!" V, who was standing behind Mercer, couldn't help but exclaim.

Mercer adjusted his posture with interest and said with some surprise, "She's already very popular?"

"Damn, she just finished her first tour last year! In New America, she's definitely a top star, right?"

V muttered to himself, but only glanced at it a few times before reluctantly turning his gaze away and becoming alert to his surroundings—the lights were now dimmed, with only the center of the stage illuminated. If there were any agents lurking here, then without a doubt, now was the best time to make a move.

At the very center of the stage, Ritchie, who now has a green mohawk and is covered in silver plating, making her look somewhat like a robot, has already gestured for the background music to start playing.

Mercer had never heard this woman sing, but he had seen her perform in the game. He had to admit that this woman was quite talented in art. At this moment, the blue lights formed waves of light like the ocean, and she danced gracefully in the waves of light to the music.

It really does have an indescribable beauty.

Lizzie Weisz's ethereal voice carries a hint of electronic quality. This isn't due to the addition of effects pedals, but rather because her vocal cords have been modified. This voice, combined with electronic music and soft lighting, instantly creates a dreamlike atmosphere.

Mercer watched quietly, while Lizzie Vizi performed three songs in a row, mostly her signature songs. Even Mercer felt that some of the melodies sounded familiar, probably because someone in the base had played her songs before.

After three songs, Li Qiweizi stepped on blue light waves and, with the help of the stage performance equipment, first rose into the air, and then fell from the air into a sea of ​​blue lights as if in freefall. The lights went out the next moment.

When the lights came back on, she vanished, like a mermaid falling into the sea and turning into foam—the entire stage performance was magnificent, beautiful, and dramatic, and even Mercer couldn't help but applaud her along with the crowd.

"Although I really can't accept this all-silver-plated aesthetic, their stage performance skills are truly undeniable."

After Mercer finished speaking, V said with some regret, "Damn, I didn't even have time to watch you record Mewtwo? Record it and I'll watch it when I get back!"

“It’s recorded.” Mercer said with a smile, then turned around, picked up the cocktail on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and stood up: “I’m going on stage now.”

V nodded and contacted the other members of the Fireseed Squad.

"Check it out, Mercer is about to go on stage."

After the words were spoken, the other members scattered throughout the hall responded in unison. The banquet hall of Gemstone Blue had two floors on all sides.

Looking down from the second floor to the first floor, it's a natural sniping spot with a clear advantage. They have to spread out to ensure there are no blind spots in the surveillance.

Colonel Hansen was the first to take the stage and delivered a passionate speech. Judging from the confident smile on his face, it was as if the NCPD blocking the door and Arasaka causing trouble had never happened.

He first boasted about the booming development of Dogtown over the past two years, looked to the future, and thanked all the guests for attending. Then, with a big smile, Hansen began the awarding ceremony.

"Next, I will award this Special Contribution Medal of Dogtown to our Director of Equipment and Development Design for the Hound of the Underworld. This young and promising genius is not only responsible for Dogtown's cybersecurity, but is also an outstanding technical expert. I think you have already seen it—yes, the individual armor worn by the armored warrior behind him is one of his biggest research achievements this year!"

As Hansen praised Mercer, Mercer smiled and waved to the crowd.

The guests applauded and exclaimed in amazement, while Hansen went even further, directly using a projector to display an AR projection of the armor.

These are projection videos recorded by V and Rebecca at the firing range, clearly demonstrating its terrifying speed and firepower.

In the simulation test, more than twenty elite Netherhound warriors were easily subdued by the two men in just 3 seconds.

Then, Hansen directly displayed a standard version of the tank armor, which was carried directly to the center of the stage by the Ghost Dog. After pulling back the silk cloth covering it, he began to introduce the equipment's parameters.

After he had finished his introduction, Hansen raised his voice: "Next, Mercer, come up on stage. I will personally pin this medal of honor on you, symbolizing your contributions to Dogtown."

Mercer walked onto the stage amidst applause, smiling and nodding to those around him while his eyes searched for his target. Soon, he spotted a middle-aged man standing in a corner who appeared to be merely smiling and clapping – Jefferson.

When he arrived as promised, Mercer gave him a subtle smile and a nod. Jefferson was slightly taken aback, and then he saw Mercer's female companion, a very pretty Asian girl, walk up to him.

"Congressman Jefferson, Mercer would like to speak with you privately. Here is his contact information. If you are interested, you may visit him in the booth over there later."

Lucy asked politely.

Jefferson smiled and replied politely, "No problem. May I ask your name?"

“Lucina Kushina, you can call me Lucy.” Lucy looked composed and elegant, and with her beautiful dress, she really had the air of a noblewoman.

“Jefferson Perales, this is my wife, Elizabeth Perales,” Jefferson introduced, while the middle-aged Asian woman beside him smiled and extended her hand in return.

Lucy shook hands with her gently and gave her a sweet smile: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Elizabeth."

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too. You look really beautiful,” Elizabeth said with a smile, exchanging a few polite words with her.

Then she pointed to the stage, smiled and winked at Lucy: "But we'd better wait a bit before we talk. Look, your boyfriend is about to speak now."

Lucy didn't refute her boyfriend's statement; she simply smiled and agreed, "Okay."

They turned to look at the center of the stage, where Mercer had been given a medal with the Ghost Hound logo pinned to his chest by Hansen.

"I am very grateful to Colonel Hansen for awarding me this medal, a symbol of honor and contribution."

Mercer stood on stage with a smile on his face, calmly expressing his polite thanks. He even exchanged a smile with Hansen as he spoke, and the two seemed to have a very close relationship.

Hansen praised his genius, and Mercer praised Hansen's management skills. They praised each other, and after the award ceremony, the banquet hall, which seemed to have returned to calm, was actually transformed into a trading arena for business negotiations.

While Hansen went to discuss business, Mercer took the opportunity to bring Lucy to meet Congressman Jefferson for the first time.

“It’s rare to see a researcher like you interested in a politician like me,” Senator Jefferson said with a smile as soon as he sat down.

Mercer said with a sigh, "If it were an ordinary politician, I wouldn't be interested. They're just a bunch of vicious dogs driven by interests and running around for those interests."

Upon hearing this, Jefferson couldn't help but chuckle, while Elizabeth's expression became slightly calmer—she had initially thought it was Hansen who had sent someone to talk, but after hearing this, she knew it definitely had nothing to do with Hansen.

Since it wasn't Hansen who struck up the conversation, what was there to talk about between a researcher and a street mercenary leader?

But Jefferson was different. He looked at Mercer with interest: "So you're saying that you don't think I'm that kind of person?"

“Of course.” Mercer answered without hesitation, smiling as he spoke with a mix of flattery and truth: “Not everyone has the guts to go against the company, and not everyone is truly committed to changing Night City.”

In this city, most people are too lazy to even shout slogans, let alone someone like you who is willing to take practical action.

In particular, you have actually achieved some results and accumulated a certain reputation. In my opinion, you even have a good chance of becoming the next mayor—this is truly unbelievable.

After he finished speaking, Jefferson burst into laughter: "You're the first person to think I have a chance of becoming mayor. To be honest, most people think that someone as stubborn as me would have a hard time even keeping his seat in the legislature."

Mercer said in a relaxed tone, "At least I agree with your ideas. If it were an election period, I would vote for you."

“Then I thank you in advance for your vote.” Jefferson smiled. “To have found a like-minded supporter, today’s banquet was not in vain.”

"Is Mr. Jefferson here to find supporters?" Mercer suddenly changed the subject, bringing up real-world issues.

Jefferson didn't hide anything and spoke frankly: "Yes, elections can't be done just by shouting slogans."

"If I'm not mistaken, the biggest supporter of Congressman Jefferson right now might be the Night Corporation?"

After Mercer finished speaking, Jefferson shrugged: "That's right."

Mercer then gave a hesitant look, and Jefferson, sensing something amiss, glanced around and asked, "It seems you have something to say?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure if Mr. Jefferson will take these words as alarmist or divisive."

Mercer paused, then adopted a cautious posture and said carefully, "What if one day you suddenly find that your memory seems to have some problems, and your personality has changed slightly?"

Jefferson's brow furrowed slightly. "You might as well speak your mind. As long as you mean well, I'm not one to hold grudges."

Mercer sighed, adopting a defiant stance: "You should know I'm a hacker, right?"

“Hmm.” Jefferson nodded. “I heard that even the Voodoo Gang, which was causing trouble in the area, was no match for you. You took care of them all with just a small team.”

"I know some secrets about the Night Corporation, especially about a confidential project they have called 'Life is Short'."

I saw Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Elizabeth's names in the project documents.

As Mercer finished speaking, the Jeffersons' expressions changed slightly, and they exchanged a glance.

Elizabeth calmly asked, "The 'Life is Short' project? What is that?"

"The Night Corporation is researching a special project that can hypnotize and brainwash people, subtly replacing their memories and changing their personality." Mercer's words made Jefferson frown and think for a while before laughing.

Jefferson said somewhat dismissively, "It's that same old thing again—the conspiracy theory of remote brainwashing through various signal waves?"

“I have already seen examples of this, and I have also met with people from the Night Corporation.”

Mercer wore a cryptic expression and warned, "I am warning you out of goodwill, out of appreciation and support for the councilor. You may not believe me, but you must be careful afterwards."

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "As it stands, their brainwashing equipment needs to be operated at close range for a long time before it becomes effective."

You can pay more attention to these things in your daily lives, especially by writing more diaries, taking psychological tests for yourself, and keeping records for future comparison.

You can treat it as a conspiracy theory if you want, but I think you certainly don't want to wake up one day and find yourself a complete stranger whose memories are no longer real, right?

After Mercer finished speaking, Elizabeth frowned: "You should know that Jefferson's biggest source of funding right now is the Night Corporation, right?"

"Mr. Jefferson should be even more aware that while I personally admire your political ideals and even hope to offer you some assistance, your ideals run counter to the interests of those large corporations."

Mercer warned, "I've already been targeted by the Night Corporation because of this. In fact, I had a conflict with the Night Corporation online just today."

They are even using AI to monitor the entire city's network, possessing an all-pervasive secret intelligence network that monitors everyone in Night City in real time.

Jefferson frowned, and after a long pause, said, "Alright, friend, I'll remember your reminder. Starting today, Elizabeth and I will keep a diary regularly and take a psychological test, just in case."

"Also, be wary of your security team. My advice is, never trust anyone around you, because the Night Corporation is omnipresent in Night City."

Mercer said calmly, "They're even secretly plotting something with Arasaka. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any key information yet."

If you want to verify whether what I said is true, perhaps there is another way—there is a guy named Bruce who used to be an executive at Night Corporation.

He was a victim of this plan, and it can be said that the Night Corporation's brainwashing techniques had been successfully tested on him.

I saved his life and exposed his brainwashing scam, after which he went into a semi-disappeared state.

I sincerely hope he's still alive, but in fact, he hasn't shown up in Night City for almost three months, and he hasn't replied to my messages. You could try to find out where he is, or investigate his past.

Seeing that Mercer spoke with such conviction, Jefferson and Elizabeth began to take it more seriously. Although they were reluctant to believe it, they figured it was better to believe it than not.
"Thank you. If what you said is true, then it may have really helped us a lot." Jefferson thanked him solemnly, while at the same time, he began to seriously consider whether he had ever seen anything similar.

Elizabeth fell into deep thought, and after a while, she looked at Mercer and said, "You came here just to kindly remind us?"

"Of course, it's not just because I'm kind, but because I have some expectations of you."

After Mercer finished speaking, Jefferson and Elizabeth were both ready to negotiate.

But then Mercer said earnestly, "I hope that if you ever become mayors, you can become truly beneficial to the people of Night City."

I've had enough of those companies' endless exploitation and their indifference to human life, like those biotechnology companies that are now up to the trick of biological poisoning.

"What?" Jefferson exclaimed in shock: "Biotechnology is going to use poison again?"

He didn't take this as a joke—if the brainwashing technology of the Night Corporation was an unverified conspiracy theory that had lasted for decades, then the matter of biotechnology poisoning was not a conspiracy theory at all, but something that actually happened, and more than once.

Mercer briefly recounted the plight of the Red Ochre tribe and the Adka people, then sighed, "All I can do right now is provide them with cheap, near-cost drugs to suppress the virus."

However, if a vaccine cannot be developed soon, once the virus reaches an uncontrollable outbreak stage, the entire nomadic tribe will become a mobile source of the virus.

This virus does not respond to medication. Once it enters its active phase, it spreads at an astonishing rate and, through airborne transmission, can destroy the entire Night City in an instant.

By then, who knows how many people will have to die before biotechnology can produce a vaccine, and how much money Night City has to distribute vaccines to the public?
If Night City doesn't do this, how many ordinary people will be able to afford to get vaccinated themselves? Not to mention, as is customary, biotechnology companies usually prefer to sell drugs for several months first, only announcing the completion of vaccine development once they've made enough profit.”

Jefferson's face darkened completely. This behavior of biotechnology had also crossed his line: "Do you have any relevant evidence?"

“The entire Red Ochre tribe, the Adka people are living witnesses; you can find them everywhere if you want.”

After Mercer finished speaking, he shook his head and sighed, "But what can be done in the end? As long as biotechnology exists in Night City, these things will never be stopped."

Jefferson remained silent for a moment, his face grim. After a long pause, he said, "I will investigate. If everything is true, I guarantee that biotechnology will pay the price."

"I will try my best to complete the vaccine development as soon as possible, just in case. If any problems arise, you can contact me, and perhaps we can do something together for the working people of Night City."

After Mercer finished speaking, he didn't mention anything else. Jefferson would definitely continue to follow up on these matters, and he certainly wouldn't stand idly by while the biotechnology poisoning was being carried out.

Even if it's just for personal prestige, this is a good opportunity for Jefferson—he will certainly use his connections and funds to help the Red Ochre and Adcardo people cause trouble for biotechnology.

Jefferson, with a somber expression, thanked Mercer for the warning and then made an excuse to leave in a hurry. Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to exchange contact information with Mercer and promised to call Mercer after the investigation.

After separating from Jefferson, Mercer had little interest in contacting other people for the time being.

Some senior executives from companies like Kangtao and Junke did come to talk to Mercer, but it was all about trivial matters—either asking about the specific parameters of the weapons and equipment that Hansen was boasting about, or tentatively asking him if he had any plans to switch jobs.

After Mercer and Lucy dealt with the annoying group of people with smiles, it was already 10:30 p.m.

He found Hansen and took his leave.

“I need to go back and rest, Colonel Hansen.” After Mercer finished speaking, Hansen, while maintaining a polite smile, said, “Let’s meet at the stadium at eight o’clock tomorrow morning to have a good talk.”

“Okay.” Mercer agreed, but looking at the smile on his face, a sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart.

He looked at Hansen's smiling face, returned the smile, then frowned slightly, and led everyone away from the Gemstone Blue Hotel, getting into his armored vehicle.

"Phew, finally off work. What a hassle. Being a bodyguard is much more troublesome than going out to work!" Rebecca complained, squeezing into a car with Mercer.

She was in charge of security near the main entrance on the first floor. She didn't get to see any performances or drink any water all night. All she could do was watch enviously as Lucy, dressed in beautiful clothes, walked around arm in arm with Mercer as his female companion.

I was incredibly frustrated.

Mercer had no choice but to move aside a bit—fortunately, the back of the armored vehicle was spacious enough that even though she was wearing armor and insisted on sitting in it, it was only a little cramped.

Lucy simply sat in the passenger seat, while V naturally sat in the driver's seat.

Mann and his men drove two Ghosthound armored vehicles, one in front and one behind, to protect Mercer. In front of and behind their three vehicles, there was another Ghosthound bodyguard vehicle.

After leaving the parking lot of the Gemstone Blue Hotel, a total of five armored vehicles headed towards the base.

"What's the deal with the people from Arakasa?" V looked out the car window with some dissatisfaction. "We're being so wary all the time, it's not a good thing. We're starting to get anxious."

Mercer closed his eyes wearily: "Of course we can't just sit here and wait to die. I'm thinking we need to deal with some of the pressure ahead of time."

"What do you mean?" V asked curiously. "We can't just storm into Arasaka Tower, can we?"

"That is indeed difficult, but it might be possible to solve the problem with the Netherhound."

Mercer had realized that he could no longer delay.

The more Arasaka pressured him, the faster Hansen would betray him or break with him. He suspected that Hansen had some ulterior motives, such as treating him like the lark.

It's better to pay Mercer for his work and clean up his messes than to do that for him.

Why not find a way to control him and make him work for free?
Hansen's patience was probably running out, and Mercer felt that for everyone's safety, he should strike first, as that would make the risks more manageable.

"You want to take action against Hansen? Didn't you say the time wasn't right?" V said, but he seemed eager to get started.

“I also feel that the time is not right yet. We have no way to take over Hansen’s smuggling channels now, nor have we found a way to peacefully transition the rights of the Ghost Hounds.”

Unfortunately, even if it means paying a higher price later, for now, we must ensure that Dogtown remains under our control.

Mercer said helplessly, "Even if this might make the situation in Dogtown worse, we have to choose one side and take action first."

Regardless, as long as we can take over Dogtown and part of the Ghost Hounds, we can then move the base to Gemstone Blue or the stadium, and develop the Little Big Dipper facilities as soon as possible. Even openly introducing the military science and Kangtao's forces would be better than the current situation.

V grinned: "Let's do it! I've been annoyed with this damn boss for ages. He's always bossing us around. Who does he think he is? I want to see how much stronger these Ghost Hounds are than the Voodoo Gang or anything like that!"

"Well, I'll go back today and pick out a plan to implement." Mercer yawned with his eyes closed. "Then I'll have to talk to Hans and see if he can offer us any help."

"Watch out!" Mann suddenly shouted over the walkie-talkie.

Everyone immediately turned to look and saw a beam of light suddenly appear from the tall building on the side of the street.

"RPG!!!"

(End of this chapter)