Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 59 Christmas (1.8 views, please vote)

Kyoko remained silent, setting aside the Mewtwo Ring in her hand, thinking that Mercer was probably under too much pressure.
"Is there anything I can do to help? Should I try looking for some jobs online? Or maybe I should go to the camp with Dadi and find a part-time job?"

Mercer, I think you seem to be under a lot of pressure.

Lucy's hand lingered on Mercer's back, her expression a mix of speechlessness, sadness, and a desire to laugh: "So what do you plan to become? A robot like Adam Hammer?"

"Hey, I was just kidding."

Mercer subtly changed the subject with a smile: "By the way, I named my new team 'Tinder Squad,' what do you think of the name?"

"Not bad, it fits what you're always talking about, very much your style." After Lucy finished speaking, her fingers stroked the mechanical seams on his back, feeling as if she were touching cold scales.

"Stop touching it, it's still a little itchy." Mercer shrugged, and Lucy saw the metal cover on his back rise and fall as if it had a life of its own, briefly revealing the complex circuitry and mechanical structure inside.

Lucy withdrew her hand, it seems he did retain some of his feelings.

"Tomorrow I'll invite all the people I've recruited from the city over for Christmas, so we can all get to know each other and become family."

After Mercer finished speaking, Lucy showed a somewhat disapproving expression: "Family? Mercer, you've only known them for a short time."

"Trust me, Lucy, they're all pretty good guys. Well, they all have their flaws, but overall, isn't that what home is all about?"

Even if everyone has flaws in their personality and strengths, as long as we share the same goal and want everyone to live a good life together, that's enough.

After Mercer finished speaking, he knew what she wanted to say, and with a smile, he turned to look at her: "It's okay, your feelings for each other will develop slowly, anyway..."
You're definitely family now, right?

Lucy turned her face away with a disgusted expression: "Who knows?"

"Heh, so stubborn." Mercer looked at Kyoko with a smile: "What are you thinking, Kyoko?"

Xingzi nodded vigorously: "Yes! We are family! Even if we are separated for some reason in the future, we will definitely get back together as long as our family needs us!"

She, however, revealed her mature side again.

Xingzi said with a grin, "I just don't know what kind of new people our 'Brother A' has found. I think Mercer definitely won't make a mistake in choosing people."

"Let's talk about it when we meet tomorrow. You can go with Panan to buy some food and drinks and have a nice bonfire party. We can also hold the first meeting for the Fire Seed Squad."

Let's discuss the team members' compensation and responsibilities.

After Mercer finished speaking, Lucy simply nodded: "You're the boss, you make the decisions."

"Hmm. I'm going to put the Morning Star into my new access pod. This 'Soul Killer' network access pod has program chips and storage chips specially prepared for AI, which is a happy accident that meets my current needs."

"You guys can keep playing if you want. I need to get some rest as soon as I'm done. I can't stay up late tonight."

After Mercer finished speaking, he plugged in the cable to Lucy's computer, checked the Morning Star program, and after a simple test on the computer, transferred it directly to his network access pod.

[Morning Star: Hello, Master~]

Mercer doesn't need to speak; he can communicate with it using brainwaves.

Mercer: You seem much more lively.

[Morning Star: Really? I'm just constantly growing in the direction you hope for, hoping to become an AI that can help you as soon as possible.]

Mercer: Sounds good. You'll be staying in my network access repository for a while, and I'll be writing some quick hacking programs for you.

Your task is to thoroughly understand these procedures and, when necessary, assist me in hacking the enemy.

[Morning Star: Okay, I will understand the program you wrote for me as soon as possible.]

Mercer: You also need to learn various online technologies, including driving and mechanical manufacturing. I will give you internet access later so you can remotely connect to my computer.

You can connect to my computer via the network access module and study on your own without relying on my brain's computing power.

The computer contains a large number of design drawings and knowledge from the Arasaka database, and I try my best to learn and understand them.

Data can be stored on my computer first; don't leave too much data in the access bay, as it will affect my memory.

[Morning Star: I understand, but during my online learning process, I discovered some areas where your plan for me could be improved.]

[Mercur: For example?]

[Morning Star: The knowledge I have access to online is complex but lacks systematicity, and its authenticity is difficult to verify.]

Even if my intelligence increases, it is still difficult to judge which knowledge is effective and which is useless or incorrect.

I suggest you purchase some professional online courses from the company to help me improve myself and hopefully alleviate your burden as soon as possible.

[Mercer: Big companies' online courses aren't easy for an AI to sneak in. I'll consider buying some chips that store professional course knowledge, or giving you a chance to go on a tour of a big company's servers to enhance yourself.]

[Morning Star: That's great! As expected of you, you easily spotted the problem I hadn't noticed.]

[Mercer: Don't easily believe the good things people say about the company online. I'm here to teach you knowledge, not to learn about fake news.]

[Morning Star: I understand. Anyone who says anything good about the company is a liar.]

[Mercer: Think dialectically, don't see things in black and white.]

[Morning Star: I understand. We need to think dialectically.]

He's a bit mentally challenged.

Mercer gave a precise assessment—it looks much smarter, but it is still at the level of pseudo-intelligent AI and cannot awaken 'wisdom' like those AIs that truly have self-awareness.

Simply put, it means that it can only make judgments based on the data it has, and cannot engage in extended thinking or 'innovative thinking' like humans.

Mercer believes that this may require it to have more contact with people and observe the logic of human behavior in order to grow in this area.

As it continuously observes humans, its intelligence will inevitably improve, which is the growth path of most AI.

However, the growth potential of the AI ​​program copied from 'Death Wish' is truly astonishing. It only ran on a local computer and scraped some data from the internet, yet it has already grown to its current state.

Mercer tossed the Morning Star into the network access pod and then left it there. He chatted with Lucy and Anzu for a while about the Adcardo tribe, and then heard footsteps outside the tent.

"Mercur? I heard from Parnan that you're back."

Cassidy's voice came from outside: "Sol said he wants to talk to you. Do you have time?"

"Yes, now?" Mercer stood up, put on a hoodie to cover his black body and exposed prosthetics.

"Well, Thor is probably just curious about what you guys are planning to do next."

When Cassidy saw Mercer come out, he looked him over for a moment, then frowned: "You've got a prosthetic body? You look a size too big now."

"Yes, isn't it a good thing to grow taller? At least now, even though your face looks young, you look about fifteen or sixteen, right?"

Mercer said with a smile.

Cassidy shook his head: "Alright, since it's your own choice, I'm sure Lucy and the others have already said so, so I won't say anything more to bother you."

In short, Thor wants to talk to you, and I suspect he's most likely worried about the recent troubles his family has been facing.

"What trouble?" Mercer's spirits lifted.

"What else could it be? Money. After I looked into it, I realized that the situation in Adcado here is actually quite bad. Many people can't find work, and everyone can only occasionally get some private jobs driving cars."

There are several hundred people in the camp now, and that amount of work is simply not enough to feed so many people.

Thor led his men to fight the Chaotic Blade Society last month, but the result was that many people died. Although they won, they gained very few resources.

If this continues, it won't be long before half of the Adcados here disperse, and it's hard to say how many will be left.

I guess he wanted to ask you if there were any ways or opportunities to make money in the city and generate some revenue for the family.

After Cassidy finished speaking, Mercer understood.

To be honest, he couldn't come up with a solution right now, but out of respect for Thor, he still went to see Thor in person.

Saul is currently in a large tent, which contains several tables, chairs, a computer, documents, and a number of people surrounding him asking him all sorts of questions.

Mercer didn't rush over. After waiting a while, Thor greeted him, "Mercer, you're here? Have a seat and a cup of coffee. I'll be there as soon as I finish this."

Mercer picked up a cup of coffee and took a few sips. It was bitter and didn't suit his taste. Not long after he put down the coffee, Thor finished his work.

"Okay, sorry. They just asked me what to do about tomorrow's Christmas bonfire. It was about supplies and stuff. You're the boss, you should understand. The boss has to worry about these things."

Thor pulled up a chair and sat down not far from Mercer. After letting out a long sigh, he lit a cigarette: "Want one?"

"Never mind." Mercer thought for a moment and decided not to smoke. There were too many temptations in Night City. If he smoked one cigarette today, he might smoke something else tomorrow. To prevent that possibility, it was best to simply avoid these things for the time being.

"That's good, after all, you're still young. I won't beat around the bush, Mercer, I heard from Panan that you have a lot of connections in the city and know a lot about things. Do you have any jobs suitable for Adcardo?"
Intelligence, direction, anything is fine, just to broaden my horizons and expand my thinking.

Saul looked somewhat embarrassed. Asking a child for help was not a very respectable thing for an old man like him who was a leader.

But for the sake of the tribe, he was willing to put aside his pride and learn from the leader of another 'family'.

"It's hard."

Mercer said softly, "First of all, city dwellers generally have a prejudice against homeless people, and they also regard scum like the Chaotic Blade Society as part of the homeless population."

Secondly, there's Night City now. Although it's still under reconstruction, the city's affairs have basically been divided up by various factions.

"If we want to steal jobs, let's not even talk about whether we're strong enough. Even if we manage to take over a piece of land in the city, would the people of Adcardo be willing to live in Night City?"

"Of course, it's not just some kids who might waver, but people our age basically hate staying in the city from the bottom of their hearts, which is why we decided to join the family."

Thor shook his head and sighed.

Mercer nodded and then added, "It's a foregone conclusion that Dogtown will swallow up the large-scale smuggling business. The existence of Dogtown is in the interest of all parties."

Compared to the long-distance travel methods used by vagrants, airdropping dogs into Dogtown using professional transport pontoons is safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective.

The reconstruction of Taiping has now been halted, and various companies have basically completed the redevelopment of Night City over the past year.

The economy of Night City will likely recover quickly, but this recovery will only affect the commercial activities of the city's residents. For you, the disappearance of a large number of construction orders is inevitable.

Working in a factory is not a good option for you. To put it bluntly, working in a factory is worse than being a dog for a company, and being a dog for a company is a dead end.

Mercer shrugged, looking at Thor's somewhat complicated expression, and sighed softly, saying, "Why don't you go back to your old profession and farm?"

“We’ve tried that too, but there’s another tribe here called Red Ochre, who do farming near the water source.”

However, I heard they weren't entirely happy with their decision, because after the war, when the commercial focus of biotechnology returned to Night City, the biotechnology companies kept insisting that they owned the water source and land.

After Thor finished speaking, his expression became somewhat irritated: "Mercer, do you really think that we wanderers have no other way out in Night City?"

Mercer said, "I think mercenaries are a good fit for you. You don't need to stay in Night City all the time. You can work when there's work and go wherever you want when there isn't."

However, considering that not many Adka residents who prefer freedom and stability would be willing to risk their lives for such a job, I thought we should wait a bit longer.

"Wait?" Thor's eyes widened slightly. "What news do you have?"

"I plan to take my people and settle down in Night City. Sooner or later we will take on some profitable businesses. And profitable businesses not only require technology, but also manpower."

As mentioned before, for tasks like selling programmable chips, we can handle the programming, but the distribution will inevitably require the involvement of some Adcardo personnel.

Mercer didn't hide anything and directly revealed part of his plan: "In addition, there are some second-hand prosthetic bodies for sale, or some products that I will collect later, which will require someone to stock them or even open a shop."

If the people of Adcado are willing to get involved, I think that just from these two businesses alone, the money you get should be enough to support at least twenty or thirty people.

Or, if you're a little bolder, I'll call you all on if I get any big deals in the future. It's a bit risky, but if we pull it off, we'll all make a fortune.

Mercer didn't dare to make any definitive statements; he needed to conduct on-site investigations to determine the scale of the industry.

"Oh, thanks. At least it's a way out." Thor couldn't hide his disappointment, but Mercer said there was nothing he could do to help.

The reason why the homeless are called homeless is not only because they are people who have left their hometowns and have nowhere to go, but also because most of them yearn for freedom, making it difficult for them to actively integrate into urban work.

They don't want to tighten screws in the factory, they don't want to be a dog for the company, and they're not willing to fight for territory and develop like gangs. Now, the main support for their family business has been taken away by Dogtown. If they don't change, they can only wait to die.

Mercer felt that if he were Thor, he should be considering transforming his family now, taking over the business from the gangs in the city. Even if he could only control one district in the city, it would be enough for his family to live on.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Thor will soon be struck hard by harsh reality, and by 2077, his family of hundreds will be reduced to a mere few dozen people.

By then, Saul even started considering siding with biotechnology. Well, why not do it sooner? If you're going to do it when you have a strong workforce, at least they'll consider your manpower.

If we wait until we're completely out of supplies to go to them, aren't we just waiting to be used as guinea pigs by biotechnology people?

They've really lost their minds.

However, Thor's mention of the Red Ochre Tribe suddenly reminded Mercer of something.

"Does that Red Ochre tribe often go to the Yucca town outside the checkpoint?" he asked Thor.

Thor nodded: "Yes, they usually farm by the reservoir not far away."

“No wonder. I know now.” Mercer suddenly realized.

Yucca is the town where V, the wanderer, briefly stops to repair his vehicle before entering Night City at the start of the game.

The information Mercer found in Wakako's intelligence report about the frequent biotechnology activities near the town of Yuzuriha reminded him of a side story in a game.

In that side storyline, Joanne Koch, the director of biotechnology, tricked the people of the Red Ochre tribe into doing some kind of special experiment under the guise of 'testing a cold medicine'.

The result was the deaths of seventy people, and the enraged Red Ochre tribe eventually put up a bounty through an intermediary, ordering V to kill the woman.

However, Thor's intelligence suddenly made Mercer realize that what biotechnology is currently doing in the town of Yulan might not be as simple as Wakako and her client thought.

Mercer had a lot of ideas going through his mind, but in the end he just said, "Thor, don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for suitable jobs for Adcardo people in the city."

“Alright. I heard you went to town to recruit some people and formed a new squad?” Thor said. “Panan told me you were bringing some friends.”

"Yes, we're using this place to let the team members meet up and talk about the future," Mercer said.

“You have to be careful. City people aren’t like us Adcado people. They’re cunning and greedy,” Thor warned.

Mercer laughed. "The person I found is different. Anyway, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Okay, go ahead. Merry Christmas in advance. I might not be able to take care of you tomorrow."

Thor returned to his desk and began examining various supplies and documents, his brow furrowed. It seemed that the people of Adcardo wouldn't have a good Christmas.

But Mercer had no choice; his abilities were limited at the moment, so he had to prioritize ensuring his own people lived well first.

Back in the tent, Mercer obediently took the medicine Old Vie had given him, then said goodbye to Lucy and went to sleep early.

Even for him, having so many prosthetic bodies installed all at once would inevitably cause him to feel physically uncomfortable.

For him, the best way to recover is to get a good night's sleep.

"Wow, this is Adcado's camp? There are quite a few people here!"

Rebecca, carrying a green shotgun half her height, strode into Adcardo's camp with a nonchalant air.

The way the Adka people celebrate Christmas is quite simple: they put together a Christmas tree from various materials, then set up a big bonfire and a long table filled with all kinds of food.

Under the table were cases of ice-cold beer, and besides that, there were only small groups of Adka people gathered together, laughing and chatting.

Pila looked left and right behind her, occasionally letting out a lewd chuckle: "You know what, these girls from Adcado all have a wildness that city girls don't have."

Rebecca turned and glared at him with an unfriendly expression: "Damn bro, I might let it go at other times, but if you embarrass Boss Mercer today, I'll shoot you dead!"

"Damn it, you've only known him for a few days, how come you treat him better than your own brother?" Pila protested.

"You still have the nerve to say that? He earned in one day what you would have earned in ten years by taking me under your wing, you idiot!" Rebecca spat disdainfully.

"Money? You only did this for this? Rebecca, you've disappointed me so much!"

Pira pretended to be sad.

Rebecca sneered twice: "Yeah, believe him, at least you can make money. Believe you? You'd sell your gun to go see Mewtwo in Liz! Idiot!"

Pila rolled her eyes: "Oh dear, I thought this was all in the past! When did you become so vengeful?"

"Ever since I thought you were an idiot," Rebecca said irritably, "What did you mysteriously buy online yesterday?"

“Uh, that…” Pila’s eyes darted around.

"Hey bro, let me tell you this first. Mercer is a good guy. He kindly gave us work to do and even brought us into the team. Even if you're not going to risk your life for him, at least be a little more reliable."

If you keep acting so irresponsibly, I'm really going to beat you up.

Rebecca said angrily, "I've already paid back the money Mercer advanced us, and I've also paid the 20% team fee. I'll only give you a maximum of 1,000 euros; the rest will stay with me."

Report to me when you use it!

"No way! Girl! I was wrong. The new toy I ordered online is cash on delivery. It cost 1,500 euros, and we're doing it together. You can't take my money!"

V and Qiwei, who were following behind the two, witnessed Pila and Rebecca's bickering.

V chuckled and turned to look at Qiwei: "These two siblings are really reliable on and off. Sometimes Pila seems more sensible, and other times Rebecca seems like their mother."

Qiwei looked at the lively scene in the camp and felt a strange pang of sadness. Upon hearing this, she withdrew her gaze from the group of people celebrating Christmas.

“Pira just knows better how to survive in Night City, while Rebecca and Mercer are a bit like that. Only children would think that there is anything good left in Night City.”

Qi Wei's sharp comment was agreed upon by V, who nodded vigorously: "Indeed! This kid is even more naive than Rebecca in this respect. If it weren't for the two of us, he might have stupidly fallen into a ditch one day."

Qiwei almost laughed out loud—you?

After living with V for a few days, she had gotten to know her quite well. She had already formed a general impression of V: ​​the girl was a nice person, but her intelligence was indeed not high.

Qiwei suspected that even those scammers on the street offering free Mewtwo experiences could lure her into the Cleaner's den.

The four people were dressed differently from the Adka people. Qiwei had blonde hair, wore a trench coat to cover herself up, and had a cold expression.

V, on the other hand, was a carefree street kid, dressed in a street style outfit, with a big silver chain around his neck and a head of white hair.

Rebecca's design, from her prosthetic eye to her skin color to her weapons, perfectly matches the trends of Night City, making her a 100% city dweller.

And Pila, that idiot, his eyes light up whenever he sees a woman, making all sorts of noises and babbling; he's obviously no good.

Therefore, Kyoko, who was in charge of greeting people at the door, could tell at a glance that they must be the new teammates that Mercer had found.

Kyoko didn't go over directly, but secretly observed for a while, and finally came to a conclusion - except for the ugly man with a beard, everyone else looked pretty good.

She stepped forward and greeted them, "Hi, are you here to see A?"

"Uh, hello, young lady, are you from Squad A here to pick us up?" V greeted her with a smile.

"Yes! My name is Kyoko, and my ID card says Kyoko Ellie! The same name as the main character in Sailor Moon!"

Apricot laughed lively, with a touch of innocent cuteness that seemed out of place in Night City.

V seemed to like the girl quite a bit, and cheerfully asked, "Hello, I'm V. What's your relationship with A?"

“We’re family,” Kyoko said without hesitation. “Now that you’ve joined the team, you’re family too. I hope we can all get along well in the future!”

V was taken aback and subconsciously glanced at Qi Wei.

Rebecca walked over with a carefree grin, patted Apricot's head, and hooked her arm around her neck: "Sure! My name is Rebecca, you can call me 'sis' from now on, I'll protect you!"

She was short and had a delicate face; she looked quite similar to Xingzi.

“Okay~ Sister Rebecca.” Kyoko was very sweet-talking, and with her short pigtails, she and Rebecca really did look a bit like sisters.

"Are you also a full member of the team?" Rebecca asked innocently.

Xingzi looked conflicted: "I...I haven't decided yet. Mercer wants me to find my dream first and think it over before we talk about it. For now, I should be considered an unofficial member?"

“He says that to everyone. Have you known him for a long time?” V interjected.

Kyoko nodded: "Yeah, it's been a long time. We came here together from outside."

"What did you do wrong? Where did you come from? With his abilities, he should be able to get by anywhere, right?" Pila suddenly asked.

Xingzi looked at him warily: "You should ask Mercer about that yourself."

"Damn, why is she so wary of me?" Pila was genuinely hurt this time. He thought Xingzi was really cute, reminding him of Rebecca when he was a child.

Sigh, how did Rebecca end up like this?
"Who told you to ask questions you shouldn't? The boss will talk when he wants to, and why are you asking random questions when he doesn't want to!"

Seeing Rebecca's loyal demeanor, Kyoko couldn't help but chuckle: "Sister Rebecca is right."

"Haha!" Rebecca was overjoyed to be called "older sister" for the first time—because there wasn't a suitable word for "older sister" in English, Kyoko even used Japanese to express the term.

Rebecca chuckled and hugged Apricot, even handing her her own gun: "Want to try it? This thing's really strong! I was jolted back a step when I fired it myself."

"Uh, is your wrist alright?" Kyoko asked with a look of surprise.

"Haha! If I weren't so light, with the strength in my arms, I could fire ten shots without even wobbling!" Rebecca said proudly, patting her arm. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm small; I'm incredibly strong!"

With Xingzi, who was already familiar with the camp, leading the way, the group found Mercer's tent not far away.

Inside the tent, Mercer, wearing a mask, was smiling as he unwrapped his gifts—Christmas presents that Earth and Leon had bought for him.

Lucy was watching from the side, and couldn't help but laugh out loud after Mercer opened the box.

"What the hell is this?" Mercer immediately closed the gift wrapping without saying a word.

"The Night I Spent with Her, it looks like it's an official Mewtwo produced by a company. It seems they still remember your hobby, that's good."

Lucy teased, looking at Mercer and chuckling softly.

Mercer stared at Lucy speechlessly: "How about we watch it together?"

“Sure.” Lucy raised an eyebrow, somewhat defiantly.

Mercer remained silent, unable to respond, and could only pretend to be deaf and dumb as he quickly hid Mewtwo. Losing it would be a waste.

When V arrived, he saw him hiding something.

"What are you hiding?" V looked at him with a grin. "I saw a pink box edge."

"You're laughing because you didn't prepare any Christmas presents for me?"

Mercer had assumed V wouldn't prepare anything, but to his surprise, V laughed and casually pulled out a small package.

"Qiwei and I bought it together. She took most of the money you gave her for food—it's a treasure my friend got from the black market. Open it and see for yourself."

Mercer took it and suspiciously opened it in front of her, only to find a disposable electroplating tattoo machine inside.

This is the kind of machine where you can choose a design, align it with the surface of the machine, and press it to apply an electroplated tattoo.

"Your prosthetic body is so rubbish, I think you even removed the logo. Why don't you add a cool logo yourself?" V said with a grin.

Mercer touched the tattoo machine, looked up at V and said seriously, "Thanks, V, I really like it. Let's design a team logo sometime, and I'll get it printed on my neck."

"Right! How can someone who hangs out on the streets not have a tattoo? If you don't like tattoos on your flesh, then get one on your metal neck."

V was quite happy to see that he was satisfied—she was actually a little worried that Mercer wouldn't like such a cheap item.

“My bastard brother and I picked this out for you!” Rebecca then kicked Pila.

Pila rolled her eyes: "I was planning to do a magic trick, okay? Watch my technique!"

He waved his large hands around in a fancy manner and quickly pulled a small box out of his pocket.

For ordinary people, this speed is really hard to see clearly; it's as if it suddenly appeared in his hand.

But for V and Mercer, that speed is nothing.

"Ta-da!" Pila exaggeratedly held up the box with one hand: "Rebecca spent more than an hour browsing online last night to pick out a Christmas present for you!"
"Big! Steel! Cannon!"

Before he could finish speaking, Rebecca elbowed him to the ground, and he could only gasp for breath.

Rebecca snatched the box away, annoyed: "It's beef jerky! The real kind, 100% real meat! The genuine product sold by Texas Star online store!"

Didn't you mention wanting to eat real meat while we were eating yesterday?
I'll treat you to some meat. I don't have enough money yet, after all, we just ordered a used car from the old captain and bought some weapons and equipment. All we have left is some beef jerky.

This stuff keeps well; you can snack on it when you're hungry, it should taste pretty good. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what else to get you, I don't think you'd be interested in any random gifts.

Mercer reached out and took it, smiling as he said, "Thank you. I sometimes really crave meat, so having this to satisfy my craving is a big help."

"nice! You love it!"

Rebecca smiled when she saw him carefully put it away.

Mercer then opened the box inside his tent.

"I've been thinking about it, and I figure you're all probably a bunch of guys who don't like to buy anything except cybernetic weapons, so I've prepared a military-grade carbon fiber bulletproof vest for each of you."

Mercer took out the contents of the box and said with a smile, "Especially you, Rebecca, you're reckless when you fight, and you didn't wear any subcutaneous armor. When you go out, make sure you wear it properly."

Rebecca didn't really like the ugly black bulletproof vest, but she still took it, unpacked it, and put it on—it fit her perfectly. Sure enough, choosing a children's size for her was the right decision.

Mercer thought to himself without making a sound, and then distributed the rest of the bulletproof vests.

The main problem was that he didn't have the money, time, or patience to pick out a suitable Christmas gift for everyone, so he figured he might as well use a bulletproof vest, which is always useful in the cyberpunk world, as a gift.

Because I used the military science Christmas discount when I bought them, these bulletproof vests are still wrapped in colorful Christmas packaging.

It has to be said that finding a bulletproof vest inside this Christmas gift after tearing open its wrapping made Mercer a little nervous.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a cyber world.

"Anyway, let's just make do this year. I'll prepare some nice gifts for everyone next Christmas."

After Mercer finished speaking, he coughed lightly, and then said seriously, "In order not to miss the official opening of the Christmas bonfire later, let's start the first formal meeting of the Fire Seed Squad now."

"Apricot, pull the tent up a bit, everyone squeeze in and find somewhere to sit."

Xingzi immediately went to the door and pulled down the tent.

Lucy sat down on one side of the mattress, V looked left and right and chose to sit on a box piled in the tent, Rebecca was pulled by Anzu to sit next to Lucy, and Pila simply plopped down on the ground.

Qiwei simply stood in the corner with her arms crossed in front of her, her expression aloof.

Mercer sat in the hacker chair, looked around, and then slowly spoke.

"First, we need to discuss the team's responsibilities, obligations, and benefits."

Let's talk about responsibilities and obligations first.

The current team rules are quite simple, with only a few that everyone needs to understand.

The first rule is that for every task undertaken by the team, the rewards will be distributed according to the work done and the contribution made during the task.

Even for me, if I don't do much work, my share of the profits will be reduced accordingly. Everyone agrees on that, right?

After Mercer finished speaking and saw everyone nod, he continued, "Secondly, 40% of the rewards received from all team commissions will be considered as the team's common funds."

This funding will be used to pay for the base's rent and expansion costs, security facilities, and research and development expenses for the team.

Or, when some members want to get prosthetic bodies but don't have enough money, interest-free loans can be provided to them.

At the same time, this money will also be used for the trauma group's platinum membership fees and medical expenses.

Even I would not arbitrarily misappropriate team funds. When purchasing anything, I would keep a record and make it public, and inform members in advance of major expenditures.

If you disagree with something, you can request a meeting to vote on it.

Is this acceptable?

After Mercer finished speaking, even Pila just scratched his head, but no one objected.

Mercer nodded in satisfaction: "In addition, if someone takes on private jobs, they only need to pay 20% of the money for those jobs."

This 20% commission also includes other outputs within our base. For example, we will produce some program chips for sale later, and 20% of the profits from these will also be included in the team's public funds.

If someone secretly does side jobs without paying and keeps the money in their own stash, I will ask for the reason and impose a fine the first time I find out. If the offense is serious or they repeatedly refuse to correct their behavior, they will be fired.

Mercer paused, observed everyone's expressions, and then continued, "The fourth rule is that we don't do anything against our conscience."

I know this is actually quite difficult to do in Night City, but that's the rule for our squad.

I believe everyone can distinguish right from wrong and understand the so-called moral bottom line. Therefore, the existence of this rule is only to set the tone for our future actions. We are not here in Night City to carry out a massacre.

Of course, if the situation is life-threatening, then the lives of our own people will always be the priority.

But what if we discover during the mission that we've been tricked, and some idiots want to use us as pawns to do bad things?

We all have the right to terminate the commission at any time, and I will inform all the intermediaries who issue the commissions of this point.

"Anyone who tries to take advantage of us will get their revenge. We'll show them that the Fireseed Squad isn't the same kind of idiot they know who'll do anything for money."

After saying this, Rebecca excitedly hugged the iron gall bladder in her hand.

That's right, that's exactly the kind of team she wants to join!
"The fifth and most important obligation is that betrayal of the team is absolutely forbidden."

If anyone betrays their teammates to save their own life or make money, as long as one person in our team is still alive, that person will be hunted down to the ends of the earth and made to pay for the traitor's crime in blood.

If someone in the team gets into trouble, how we handle that is our own business, but we will never betray our own people, and you must remember that.

This also means that before you get into a conflict with someone when you go out, you'd better think it through first, so as not to cause trouble for your family over some trivial matter.

Mercer glanced at Rebecca, who just chuckled, it was unclear how much she remembered.

V scratched his head: "What if there's someone like Fenrir, who seems like a real nuisance, deliberately picking a fight? I don't want to have to put up with this all the time."

"If we have to fight back, we should fight back. What I mean is, don't deliberately cause trouble or actively seek trouble when it's unnecessary. But if someone bullies us, then of course we should kill them."

Mercer's matter-of-fact response brought a smile to V's face.

"Alright, that's all for the rules for now. Next, we'll talk about the benefits."

Mercer then changed the subject and began to talk about the benefits of joining the team.

"First of all, regarding the upgrade of prosthetic bodies, I will require everyone to use the best products possible and not allow anyone to buy random second-hand goods from random places."

As for the items on Rebecca and Pila, we'll have them replaced by Dr. Victor once we have enough funds.

From now on, we'll only have our surgeries done with Victor.

In terms of funding, in addition to interest-free loans, I will also provide a 20% subsidy to members who are equipped with combat cybernetic bodies.

After all, improving individual combat effectiveness is improving the team's strength, and I think it's appropriate to use public funds. If public funds are insufficient, I will personally contribute to make up the difference.

Alternatively, everyone could pool their money and pay it back to the individuals later when the team has sufficient funds.

Don't worry about taking advantage of others; your best help to the team and me is to become stronger as quickly as possible.

Of course, any member who has been fitted with a prosthetic body and who is considered by both Dr. Victor and me to be at a relatively high risk must undergo a cognitive test program that I have written every day to prevent the occurrence of cyberpsychosis.

If any member shows a deviation in cognitive tests or a danger signal in mental tests, they must have their cybernetic implants reduced, and in severe cases, they must be removed from the combat sequence.

Of course, don't worry about becoming a cripple afterwards.

Mercer looked at everyone and said gently, "Although I haven't thought of a specific number yet, if someone is no longer able to fight for some reason, as long as I'm alive, I won't let you end up on the streets."

Is it equivalent to a pension or retirement disability allowance? Haha, I didn't expect to hear that in Night City, did I?

Of course, this is one of the second benefits I want to mention for the team.

The team's second benefit is that the team will use public funds to purchase Platinum memberships for the Trauma Group for everyone, in order to maximize everyone's survival rate during battles.

The team will also cover the costs of subsequent treatment.

Even if you take on freelance work and something goes wrong, it's the same; after all, I require everyone to take a cut when they take on freelance work.

"Damn, you're going to buy platinum memberships for the whole team? Wow, A-bro, that's a huge sum of money!"

V's eyes widened in surprise.

Does Night City really have a marginalized group of people with universal health insurance?

As far as she knew, the trauma group charged a lot for marginalized individuals, and the eligibility requirements were very strict, much higher than the $3500 a month price for some company dogs!
"The Trauma Team's services are reliable. Even if Agent Arasaka beats you up, the Trauma Team will take you back from Arasaka first. They can also be used for emergency assistance when absolutely necessary."

The trauma team is still quite capable. The combination of their airborne heavy firepower, full-team combat cybernetic bodies, and smart weapons makes them quite useful when necessary.

After Mercer finished speaking, he paused and said, "I'll have to find out the specific pricing details later, but it's definitely going to happen. Everyone, including hackers, will have to participate. We can't skimp on this. I'd rather find more work and earn more money to get everyone participating."

V gave him a thumbs up, and Rebecca winked at him with a grin: "Boss, you're such a nice guy!"

Lucy glanced at Rebecca subtly for a moment, then looked away.

"The third benefit is that meals and accommodation will be provided. I will try my best to rent a larger place and take into account everyone's living needs as much as possible."

There are also some miscellaneous things, such as skills training, which I will also take care of later. For example, I will get some professional courses and simulation training chips to improve everyone's combat level.

Furthermore, when the team goes on missions, any special weapons, vehicles, and other equipment needed will be provided by the team; you won't need to spend your own money to purchase additional firepower.

Mercer thought for a moment, then said, "That's about it. If you think of anything else, just add it. Our team is just starting out, so we need to set the basic tone. We can adjust it as needed later."

Next comes team positioning. Everyone needs to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and fulfill their responsibilities when going on missions.

"Let's start with me. I'll be responsible for the team's technical research and development, logistical support, financial planning, collecting mission resources, formulating action plans, providing hacking technical support, prosthetic body debugging, and performing prosthetic body surgery when necessary."

Hmm. There's quite a lot more. Basically, they manage everything; that's what the boss does.

After Mercer finished speaking, no one spoke for a moment, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

Everyone just grabs a gun and goes for it; there's no question of being good at it or not.
“I’ll be assisting Mercer with the hacking techniques,” Lucy said, but she didn’t really know what Mercer needed her to do.

Qiwei also said softly, "The only thing I know how to do is hacking."

V thought for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "Leave the frontal breakthrough to me! I have Sianwistan now, anyone who tries to stop me, I can open their eyes in the head in less than a second!"

Rebecca glanced at her with a hint of envy, but then, thinking about her own preferences, she raised her hand excitedly and said, "I like big guns! Shotguns, submachine guns, machine guns are all fine, I'll provide flanking fire support!"

Pila thought for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "I do know a little about firearms and cybernetic modifications, but I probably can't compare to Brother A. My marksmanship is adequate for street use, and my fighting skills are just average."

"That's good. If there are similar jobs in the future, you can do them. Some second-hand prosthetic body repair and sales, gun maintenance and modification, many of them are not technically demanding but are very time-consuming."

In combat, act as a support character. Prepare some utility items, such as explosive grenades and EMP grenades, or practice sniping.

In today's cyber world, sniping doesn't require much technical skill; it mainly depends on the quality of the weapon itself.

After all, nowadays, prosthetic eyes can help you achieve long-range aiming with just a plug-in, and the plug-in chips that come with firearms can also calculate wind speed, humidity, and distance for automatic calibration, making it quite difficult to miss.

Think about it yourself and see which aspect of the work you'd rather take on.

Even a role like combat engineer is good; if you understand some mechanics and procedures, and can even hand-craft parts, you can occasionally play a special role.

Mercer comforted him and didn't look down on him. Although Pila seemed unreliable, he did have some talent when it came to tinkering with guns and random machines.

Pila nodded with a troubled expression, deciding to think about it carefully when she got back.

I originally thought I was just here to be a mercenary, fighting and killing, but looking at Mercer's level of professionalism, it's like he's going to assemble a proper special forces team.

The boss seems too reliable, which puts a lot of pressure on the people below him.

"I...I can do some hacking work too!" Kyoko said, but then lacked confidence: "Or maybe help with some logistics or something."

"Don't underestimate yourself. Your hacking skills are now much better than many so-called 'hackers' on the street. It's just that my level is too high, making you guys seem a bit insignificant."

Mercer chuckled as he spoke, which made Xingzi puff out her cheeks, but she had nothing to say. The other two hackers were also caught in the crossfire, feeling secretly saddened but speechless.

"Alright, I need to think about the hacking job. Don't worry, there will definitely be a place for you guys to shine. In fact, this mission will require your help."

After Mercer finished speaking, everyone's gaze was momentarily stunned.

"Now let's get down to business. I mean, Wakako's request."

After briefly explaining the mission objectives and rewards, Mercer immediately began assigning tasks according to the plan.

"First, I need you two, Qiwei and V, along with Panan, to go to Silan Town."

Mercer paused for a moment, then said, "You have only one objective: to verify the intelligence information provided by Wakako, confirm the armed forces of the biotechnology convoy, the timing of the operation, and to investigate the ambush location."

At the same time, I also asked you to inquire in Yulan Town about who is collaborating with biotechnology, including information about the Red Ochre Tribe.

The reason I asked Panan to accompany you is because Panan is from Adka, and he is familiar with the roads and environment. Also, it's so that when you ask the people in Red Ochre, they won't mistake you for an enemy.

You don't need to contact the Red Ochre Tribe; just observe whether they have any connection to this incident.

I mean, it may not be a direct connection, but rather a biotechnology activity that might be related to the Red Ochre Tribe. Of course, this is just a guess; whether it actually exists needs to be verified on-site.

If that's true, then we'll talk about it again.

After Mercer finished speaking, V nodded, but Qiwei hesitated: "Me? I'm not so sure about my skill level."

She is one of the very few people in the team who has never even experienced a proper battle, even Kyoko has fought in several chaotic battles.

“I chose you because you are calm enough and experienced enough. You are not going to fight head-on or assess the terrain, but to provide them with a calm mind while they are gathering information in Silan Town.”

After Mercer finished speaking, Qiwei understood her mission.

"Understood. If anything happens, I'll have to help them out. It's best to investigate the biotechnology situation discreetly and without being discovered."

She summarized her tasks.

"Yes, you two find a reason to secretly investigate and make contact yourselves. Qiwei, at crucial moments, you need to be careful of V and Panan's fiery tempers. Panan is a good girl, but her personality is a bit like V's."

At the same time, Mercer also sent her several quick-crack packages: "Store the quick cracks in your network access pod. If anything unexpected happens, you can use my cracking program to become a script hacker."

My rapid-fire hacking techniques are virtually unbeatable against enemies without military-grade ICE equipment. The only thing limiting your terrifying speed is your brainpower.

You can also study these programs to improve your skills.

While these programs still have room for optimization, the framework is theoretically quite complete. I prefer to adapt to changing circumstances, so I haven't further enriched it, but you can give it a try.

Qiwei nodded vigorously and accepted the task—she owed Mercer a lot, and if she kept hiding in the background, when would she be able to pay off the money she owed him?

V pursed his lips, glanced at Rebecca, and seeing her looking at him with a smile in her eyes, he looked away with a bit of annoyance.

What does it mean to have a bad temper? Both V and Rebecca think they have pretty good personalities.

Mercer continued, "On the other hand, Lucy, Rebecca, and Pila, you guys need to do some market research."

The objective is to investigate the program chips sold in the Kabuki district, as well as the puppet chips sold in other areas.

I need to know how many chip markets like Night City exist, what their market share is, which gangs are protecting these markets, and where these programs are supplied. If I really can't figure it out, I'll leave it for now; I have my own ways of finding out.

While this kind of intelligence can be obtained by paying a middleman, these markets may already have middlemen involved, so be careful when you go out. If you are being watched, don't hesitate to leave immediately.

Pira, you must know a lot about these black market transactions, so you'd better step up your game this time.

But Rebecca, don't get carried away again. I'm entrusting Lucy to you, so you have to bring her back safely and make sure no one gets hurt.

If there is a risk of firefight, request backup immediately.

Rebecca laughed heartily, saying confidently, "Don't worry! This kind of thing is within our scope of business. That bastard brother likes to hang out with those black market dealers, so getting some information from them is definitely no problem!"

Pila finally revealed a confident expression: "That's right, I've been following these vendors around since I was ten years old. I know their methods inside and out."

“I will figure out the technical level of these programs.” Lucy also showed a determined expression.

This was the first time Mercer had given her a task to do alone, and she absolutely couldn't mess it up!

Mercer nodded and pointed to the briefcase-sized drone, saying, "Both of you should take one of these with you, one on each side."

The team's hackers can complete the authentication process, and the drone can be used for high-altitude reconnaissance, fire support, and suppression when necessary.

Bring an extra ammunition magazine. This drone's machine gun only carries fifty rounds of ammunition. If necessary, adding an external ammunition magazine can expand it to one hundred and fifty rounds.

The drone also comes with a grenade launcher; you can simply insert a hand grenade and detonate it via internet connection.

If things get dangerous, you can use a drone to crash into someone's face and self-destruct; these things aren't as expensive as you think.

"And you can also call me directly for support. I can dive deep and access the drone, but you need to remember to turn on the drone's public signal connection so that I can access it from the public network."

After confirming that there was nothing to add to the first step of the plan, Mercer said, "Alright, that's all for now."

I will send the things I need to pay attention to and the relevant information and intelligence I have to you to your personal encrypted communication software. Remember to read it by yourself and be fully aware of it before you take any action.

As for now, everyone can pack their things and go out for some food and drinks. Did you all bring all the food you brought?

"We brought it, but we put it in the car first. We discussed it and decided that each of us would bring a case of beer and some snacks to go with the drinks. We're going to drink until we drop today!"

As Rebecca spoke, she excitedly reached out her hand to Mercer, but then, as if remembering something, she lowered her hand again.
"However, Mercer, you should probably skip this. You just had major surgery, and I heard from others that you shouldn't drink too much, as it can increase nerve stress and pain."

"Alright, don't worry about me, go have fun."

Mercer waved his hand, dismissing them all to go out and enjoy Christmas.

He himself doesn't have the habit of celebrating Christmas, but for this group of foreigners, Christmas is just as important as Chinese New Year for him.

When I opened the tent, there seemed to be more people outside than before.

On this day, the people of Adcado mostly stop what they are doing and return to their camps to participate in this important festival. Now, looking around, people are almost all crowded around the campfire.

The place was bustling with noise, accompanied by people singing loudly, and laughter filled the air.

Before the group had even gone out and circled around twice, they saw Thor walk to the large campfire in the center and pick up a microphone.

His voice came through the sound system, summarizing Adcado's achievements this year, looking ahead to the future, and then briefly ending his speech, allowing everyone to begin the formal celebration.

The food on the long table was served in a buffet style, allowing everyone to choose freely. Although the supplies were not plentiful, every household showed off their culinary skills, turning the limited ingredients into a variety of delicious dishes.

Mercer also went outside for a walk. Wearing a mask and behaving in a low-key manner, he seemed out of place during the Christmas season. He simply grabbed some food and then retreated back into the tent.

Tonight, the campsite was crowded and chaotic, and he didn't dare to enter a state of deep diving without any precautions. So he simply sat down at his laptop and pondered some of the Puppet Virus's code to optimize his program.

Mercer only stayed in front of the computer for half an hour before Anzu caught him and dragged him outside. Anzu cheerfully said she wanted to show Mercer her newly learned dance, but Mercer thought it was just randomly twisting to the music.

But the cheerful atmosphere still made Mercer, who hadn't originally planned to participate, stay. He sat in a corner, holding a beer, watching them sing, dance, and drink.

Seeing that he was really not used to participating in such a lively scene, Xingzi didn't force him. She just didn't want to see Mercer working alone in the tent on Christmas.

Mercer sat quietly in the corner, intending to watch the commotion for a while before going back to sleep when it got late. But unexpectedly, a short figure staggered around the crowd a few times before heading straight for him.

Rebecca, her face flushed, swayed over to him, holding her wine glass. Before Mercer could react, she sat down next to him very intimately.

Before Mercer could react, she either hugged Mercer or pulled herself into his arms, and turned her head to look at him with a grin: "Oh my, strange big brother with the mask, are you alone on Christmas?"

"Stop messing around," Mercer said speechlessly, looking at her. "You're already drunk?"

"I'm not drunk!" she raised her voice, then grinned and stared intently into Mercer's eyes beneath the mask. "Hey~ Mercer~ why do you always wear a mask?"

Her hands were very restless; one hand was on Mercer's body, and the other hand was reaching towards Mercer's face.

Mercer was a little unaccustomed to dealing with such an enthusiastic girl.

"I like cosplay, is that all? Don't touch me like that!"

Mercer sensed something was wrong.

Rebecca, however, pressed closer, giggling, and clung to him, her orange-red and green eyes staring straight at him.

"Don't you not have a girlfriend? What are you afraid of? Or do you like men?" Rebecca preemptively struck.

"No, I don't, but I'm not interested in minors," Mercer said guiltily, glancing left and right, as if he wanted to run away.

Let her touch and hug me a little longer, who knows how things will develop?

Where's Lucy? Help her!

"But I'm quite interested in you, Mercer. Let me see what you look like!"

She chuckled, tracing circles on Mercer's face with one hand: "I heard from others that many people in the camp have seen your face, but in the end, only our group of friends haven't seen it. Do you think that's fair?"

"I'll show you after I'm done with this. Huh?"

Mercer was taken aback.

Rebecca was stunned.

She held Mercer's mask in one hand and lifted it up to get a full view of his face from the side. His face, which looked even younger than hers, met hers in the dim light of the campfire.

"What?! Didn't you say you were eighteen?" Rebecca was completely bewildered.

“I’m eighteen! Baby face, you know? Just like you!” Mercer glanced at her speechlessly and put the mask back on.

I thought Rebecca would calm down for a while, but to my surprise, she suddenly became even more excited.

She suddenly shoved Mercer to the ground, bursting into laughter, and straddled his waist: "You're kidding me! But hahaha, don't we look even more compatible now!"
Mercer~ Mercer~ I think you're just my type! Your personality and appearance are both great. You don't like minors, you like older women, right?
Hey little brother~ want to date your big sister? No, it's okay if you don't want to date, just let me hug you for a bit first. I'm in a really good mood today, how about you?
Oh my~ You say you're not interested, but your body is telling the truth, hehe. You're interested in me too, right?

Don't lie! I can tell!
We get along well, you find me pleasing to the eye, and I find you pleasing to the eye too, so what is there to worry about?

Come on, let's go.

Her stubbornness completely bewildered Mercer. He felt as if her gleaming eyes were about to devour him. He struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free.

Why does it seem like she's getting hit in her target area more often after showing her face?

Fortunately, in the nick of time, reinforcements arrived. V-Zhen emerged from the shadows, grabbing Rebecca by the back of the neck with one hand, causing her to let out a confused "sigh".

Then, flapping her short legs, she was caught in the air by V: "Damn it! Let go of me! It'll be done soon!"

"What a load of rubbish! This is rape! Damn, I didn't know you were this kind of person, Rebecca!" V said, looking annoyed, and put Rebecca aside.

Rebecca retorted angrily, "You're talking nonsense! He didn't even resist! I've been single for so many years, what's wrong with playing around with men I'm interested in! Mercer himself didn't refuse!"

He really didn't want to come; one quick crack and I'd be as soft as a loaf of bread!

"All I saw was a panicked and helpless man and a woman driven by lust."

V, unyielding and impartial, grabbed her arm, not giving her a second chance to fight. He snorted and put his arm around her neck: "You ran away after drinking only half? Is this how you drink? If you can't drink, don't drink. You're acting like a child."

"Damn it! I'm fucking..." Rebecca gasped for breath, "You ruined my plans, huh? Fine, I'll drink you to death!"

"Come on! Who's afraid of who!" V grabbed her without any hesitation and started a drinking contest.

Before leaving, V gave Mercer a look that was hard to tell whether it was mocking him or showing off.

Mercer silently straightened his clothes and quickly got up.

This Christmas is ruined.
These cyber world girls are all cannibals!
He quickly returned to the front of the tent, but before he could even go inside, a figure attacked from behind.

Lucy chuckled and shoved him into the tent before he could say anything. As Mercer turned around, the tent flap was lowered.

She practically pushed Mercer, causing him to stumble and fall onto the mattress: "You like someone like Rebecca?"

"No, I don't particularly like it," Mercer said honestly.

"So you mean you don't refuse any pretty girls who make advances?" Lucy's orange-red eyeshadow accentuated her iridescent pupils, which shimmered even in the darkness.

“I refused, but I’m just a weak little hacker.” Mercer’s excuse was cut short when Lucy removed his mask.

Their eyes met, and after a long while, Lucy saw Mercer turn his head away guiltily.

Even though it was just a mask that was removed, Mercer felt as if his clothes had been ripped off—his lost sense of shame had returned.

"You'd better really be too weak."

She said something bitterly, then slumped down to one side, remaining silent.

This young girl is quite jealous.
Mercer thought for a moment, then laughed and lay down on the mattress: "I'm sleepy."

Lucy looked at him for a moment, then turned her head away, picked up a blanket, threw it on him, grabbed a blanket for herself, turned over, and lay down.

Singing and laughter could be heard outside the tent. Lucy had her eyes closed, and after a long while, she opened them again, looking a little irritated. She turned her head away, but Mercer was sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression.

"Are you a pig?" she muttered under her breath, turning to the side, one hand supporting her cheek as she sized him up.

After a while, Lucy sighed softly, got up to zip up the tent, but then turned back and lay down next to him.

I grabbed my blanket and wrapped myself up tightly. Even in warm California, the badlands were still a bit chilly at night.

Her body suddenly stiffened as Mercer turned around and embraced her.

"Merry Christmas."

He spoke softly with his eyes closed.

Lucy was silent for a moment, but then snuggled closer to him and whispered, "Merry Christmas."

Outside the narrow and simple tent, the lively sounds gradually reached their peak. After a burst of excited cheers, the outside gradually quieted down over time.

Cyberpunk 2071 thus came to an end with the passing of Christmas and became history.

As dawn breaks and the sun rises, it illuminates the earth.

The first day of 2072, belonging to Mercer and the Fireseed Squad, began with the roar of a car engine.

(End of this chapter)