Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 93 Design Director
"Making guns?"

Hansen smiled, stood up, and pointed to the bustling work area outside the room's glass window: "See that? There are technical experts from the gang, technicians poached from the company, and all this equipment..."

"So you're still using standard military-issue weapons?"

Mercer's question made Hansen's expression darken.

Mercer simply chuckled, remained seated, and said, "What you need is a standard weapon that can arm a large number of troops, is inexpensive to produce, yet robust and reliable, and, as much as possible, eliminates dependence on military raw materials."

Hansen didn't speak, but simply turned his head and looked at Mercer with a deep gaze.

Mercer simply turned his head and looked around: "Give me a laptop."

After speaking, Hansen did not hesitate and slightly raised his chin at the other soldiers.

Mercer picked up his laptop, turned on the built-in wireless network receiver, and had Qimingxing transmit the data of the several gun models he had made.

"The 'Glock Easy Killer,' even if made in my shop using a metal printer, costs less than 200 euros. It fires automatically, and each magazine contains 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition, with the option to add a 40-round drum magazine."

Mercer opened his email so that Hansen could also see the weapon data indicators.

He walked over with a slight frown, and after examining it carefully, Mercer continued his explanation.

"This one is a smart weapon. It has the same design, but with a smart module added. I named it the 'Slaughterhouse' series. It comes in two models: a pistol and a submachine gun. It uses Compton standard electromagnetic bullets."

The firearm costs only €150 more than the simple killing machine mentioned above, mainly for the fire control chip. If you can procure qualified microchips in bulk, the price can be even lower.

Mercer pointed to the colorful plastic on the gun and said, "These unimportant parts are all made of 3D-printed polymers. Metal parts can be made with metal printers, without even needing specialized metalworking machines."

Of course, considering you've already bought the machine tools, I also have blueprints for two self-designed standard weapons.

One is an all-metal 'Glock Metal' pistol, with the same specifications as the EasyKill, but with significantly improved durability and reliability.

The other is an assault rifle with a standard magazine capacity of 35 rounds, a simple design, and a folding stock.

After giving a brief introduction to these items, Mercer looked up at Hansen and said, "I have already developed prototypes and tested some of these weapons."

After saying that, Mercer turned his head to look at the design factory outside the glass and said calmly, "Or I can make one for you on the spot. You have a pretty complete set of things here."

Mercer wasn't just giving a simple introduction to the weapon—he kept a close eye on Hansen's expression throughout, as the latter was clearly very interested in the cheap 3D-printed product.

This shows that what Hansen needs most now is not a complete replacement of the standard weapons of the military, but a cheap, robust and durable firepower.

Mercer quickly figured out the reason after a moment's thought.

Hansen not only wants to use it himself, but also wants to seize the peripheral markets of other companies.

After all, if people have the money to buy two good guns, they will definitely prioritize products from large companies. So instead of competing for business in the standard firearms market, it's better to compete in the lower-tier markets.

Hansen and Mercer were basically in agreement on this point.

“I am very interested in your ‘Easy Killing’ and ‘Slaughterhouse’ series.”

Hansen stated directly, "If you can guarantee the stability and cost of these two firearms are consistent with the data you showed me, then we can talk about cooperation."

Mercer glanced at him, then simply stood up: "Go find someone to buy a disposable pistol from the budget-friendly 3D printer."

Hansen merely turned his head to glance at the person, and the Ghost Hound immediately trotted out to buy him something.

Another hound carrying a Coke came over, and Mercer took the Coke, took a sip, coughed, and squinted his eyes in enjoyment.

But at that moment, the people around suddenly stopped finding it funny.

V stood up and stood next to Mercer, coldly surveying her surroundings. She hadn't drunk a drop of the whiskey, and still seemed somewhat angry, clearly holding a grudge.

I like to laugh. Sooner or later I'll make you bunch of idiots cry.

As Mercer and Hansen walked toward the sunken research plant, they casually commented, "The things you bought are all pretty good, but the export of the steel raw materials needed for these machines is almost completely blocked."

The sheer price of raw materials makes it impossible to manufacture cheap, reliable, and high-quality products.

"So you chose Affordable Firepower's 3D printing?" Hansen stopped putting on airs with Mercer at this point. After looking at the design drawings of the two weapons, he realized that Mercer's group might be more valuable than he had thought.

Just think about it, a hacker so skilled he silences the Voodoo Gang in Taiping State, a weapon design expert... Showing off? He's already starting to consider how much to pay Mercer!

Hansen desperately needs this kind of technical talent.

Today in Dogtown, all of Ghosthound's equipment is heavily reliant on imports, especially military equipment.

Even these processing and manufacturing equipment were purchased from the military.

Nowadays, companies are very good at making money through monopolies. They sell you the equipment, but they still control the raw materials. You pay for the machine, but once you start production, they have plenty of ways to make more money off you.

In the current situation, things may be alright. Hansen and Military Science are still in an ambiguous relationship, with both sides tacitly helping and benefiting each other. But what if one day...
When Hansen wanted to start his own business, the military only needed to block the exits to put Hansen in a supply crisis.

Moreover, who knows if these military science products have backdoors?

What if there are some technical vulnerabilities that Hansen is unaware of, and he only discovers that the weapons and equipment the military sold him are malfunctioning when the fighting starts? Wouldn't that be the end of him?

Therefore, he urgently needs a standard weapon that does not rely on military science, is cost-effective, and is simple to manufacture, so that it can arm his army on a large scale and prevent others from easily holding him hostage.

Mercer's proposed Simplified Killing and Slaughterhouse series of weapons, a firearm modified based on the 3D printing technology of the 'Affordable Firepower' company, perfectly meets Hansen's current needs.

"Yes, the design concept of affordable firepower is very good. Weapons printed in one piece using polymer are quick to produce and inexpensive. They can be used as conventional weapons by simply adding some metal parts."

Moreover, in conventional weapons manufactured in this way, all easily damaged metal parts are designed into standard specifications, which not only makes them easy to modify, but most importantly, they can be quickly repaired with replacement parts after a malfunction.

Whether it's routine maintenance or simply replacing it when it breaks, it meets Night City's needs for street firepower.

Mercer's words made Hansen ponder. When the two arrived at the design factory, Mercer bluntly stopped a researcher who was busy at his workbench.

"Now, make me a few metal parts."

Mercer's commanding tone made the researcher glance at Hansen instinctively, but Hansen simply nodded.

So he could only obediently watch Mercer set the parameters on the machine, tell him the specifications, and then start using the equipment to process the metal parts.

The manufacturing speed of a million-euro item is much faster than Mercer's reliance on printing alone. The machine cuts the steel pipe, grinds out the rifling to form the barrel, and then cuts off the part into a sleeve.

The remaining small metal parts were directly produced by the automatic grinding machine on the workbench.

The time it took to finish all that was just enough for the soldier who went out to buy disposable printed weapons to bring back the cheap, disposable pistols.

Mercer picked up the still-warm, freshly printed pistol, walked straight to the workbench, and without a word, plugged the data cable from his wrist into the machine's interface.

Then, the robotic arm and cutting machine on the workbench started operating automatically. He didn't even need to lift a finger. Right before the technician's astonished eyes, the machine completely disassembled the printed pistol.

After simply replacing the metal parts, Mercer handed the somewhat ugly-looking pistol to Hansen: "All you need to do is replace the 9mm magazine and you're done."

Hansen played with the somewhat flimsy-looking pistol for a moment, then headed straight for the shooting range not far from the design factory.

Pull the trigger, and the pistol began to unleash a torrent of bullets, emptying the magazine in less than two seconds.

Then Hansen changed the magazine and began to fire in bursts to test the accuracy, alternating and repeating the firing until he had used ten magazines. Then he looked at the muzzle emitting smoke and said, "I feel that the slide is getting stuck after firing several times, and the muzzle is jumping a lot."

"This is because polymers are at risk of melting at high temperatures—if you're worried about that, you can apply coolant, but normally, no one can fire ten magazines with this thing in a row. If you really need reliability, then add more metal parts."

Mercer, however, didn't care at all. You get what you pay for. This thing only costs a little over a hundred euros more than a disposable pistol. What more could you want?
If you want higher reliability, just increase the cost and add more metal parts.

Hansen then looked at him: "Is the modification of smart weapons the same?"

"Same as above. All you need to do is add a microchip, make a circuit board, attach it to the weapon grip, and connect it to the sight. The essence of the Kangtao smart weapon lies in the algorithm and the extremely low latency bullet response. The core technology is in the algorithm and the bullet."

After Mercer finished speaking, he paused and said, "I can handle the algorithm, but I can't do anything about the bullets. It's not that I can't make them, but if you want to mass-produce smart bullets, the equipment you need is not as simple as just a few million euros."

However, if you choose to hand-make bullets, the nanochips are difficult to manufacture and have low production efficiency, so it's far better to just buy them directly.

But you can check if there are any cheap smart bullet suppliers on the market. At most, it might slightly affect the bullet's turning and tracking speed; with my algorithm, the difference won't be too significant.

Hansen put the items down with satisfaction, but then suddenly turned to one of the designers with a fierce look: "So, all you need is a 3D printer and a few metal parts to make this kind of weapon."

The designer's face suddenly turned pale, and he hurriedly shouted, "This is a necessary investment! This equipment won't go to waste! Bulletproof vests, vehicle modifications, unmanned equipment!"

Mercer suddenly spoke up: "If you're interested in unmanned equipment, I also have some unmanned equipment for sale."

He looked at Hansen with a smile and said, "After actual combat testing, even the armored vehicle units of the Military Science Academy cannot completely resist my Hive drones."

These drones are inexpensive to manufacture, and although they have a short flight time, they can be deployed over short to medium distances and are already in mass production.

Hansen gave the designer a meaningful look, then turned to look at Mercer, his attitude noticeably improving.

He beckoned Mercer back to the sofa outside the factory and, without further ado, said directly, "Tell me your terms."

“There are two options. The first option is that you take my design drawings, pay me a design fee, and I will take a fixed amount of money for every gun you produce.”

Mercer looked at Hansen's expressionless face, unable to tell what he was thinking, and continued, "The second option is to have us produce them. The wholesale price for the Simple Killer series is 400 euros per unit."

The intelligent series slaughterhouse model costs €600 for the pistol version and €900 for the submachine gun version.

Hansen smirked: "If I choose the first option, aren't you afraid you won't get paid?"

“Then I suppose the Hound of the Underworld will also lose my friendship.” Mercer smiled, speaking with confidence and composure: “My greatest treasure is not these blueprints, but this place.”

He tapped his head: "These small-scale firearms and drones are nothing. If we cooperate, we might be able to make even better things by hand, like the bulldog-type combat robot."

You experienced the war of unification, so no one should know better than you that the battlefields of the future will ultimately belong to robots.

Besides, I'm a skilled hacker; offending me would be detrimental to you in every way. However, if we cooperate, Ghosthound's skills can reach a new level.

Hansen stared intently at Mercer, and after a long while, he closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before finally making a decision.

"I won't choose any of them." Hansen's words made V instinctively become wary of his surroundings.

But then Hansen smiled and said, "From today onwards, you are the chief designer of weapons and equipment here. You will receive 30% of all the profits from the weapons and equipment produced here."

Mercer calmly replied, "What if the weapons and equipment are for use within the Ghost Hounds?"

“I will give you a one-time licensing fee.” Hansen said, then warned, “You should know that what you have designed so far is not very technical. Strictly speaking, it is not difficult for us to copy it.”

Mercer agreed with this, which is why he was willing to show the blueprints of the weapons directly—the core of the Simple Killing and Slaughterhouse series is actually just one weapon design concept.

To put it bluntly, the researchers on Hansen's side just didn't think straight. They didn't think about modifying disposable weapons; instead, they wanted to develop a stable, reliable, and inexpensive weapon.

After all, most people think that these 3D printed things are just 'toys'. How can you turn a disposable weapon into a standard weapon by simply adding metal parts? It doesn't sound very reliable.

This is why Hansen was keeping an eye on that researcher—the equipment cost for that thing was only a few hundred thousand euros, while the machinery in his research workshop cost at least several hundred thousand euros each.

Mercer hadn't expected Hansen to extend an olive branch so readily, but after a moment's thought, he couldn't find any reason to refuse.

On the contrary, if he accepted Hansen's invitation, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't have to pay for any weapons or equipment he researched in the future?

You can use your own money to pursue your interests and explore other fields that interest you.

Moreover, Mercer knew that if he didn't agree to Hansen's demands today, there would likely be more trouble later.

Mercer could accept a period of feigned compliance and mutual exploitation.

“I can agree to work part-time as your director here, but I have a few conditions.” After Mercer spoke, Hansen’s expression suddenly became more amiable: “Go ahead.”

"First, I can't come here every day; I work remotely most of the time."

Hansen agreed to Mercer's first request without hesitation: "No problem."

"Secondly, I'm only working part-time. I have my own team to take care of, and I don't have time to be busy with the Netherhound every day. So don't expect me to be available whenever you call. When assigning tasks, it's best not to give me urgent ones. If there are urgent tasks, then I'll pay you extra."

After Mercer finished speaking, Hansen began to bargain: "But you must guarantee that my 30% profit share is worthwhile."

To put it bluntly, Hansen meant that if Mercer became worthless and couldn't develop anything new, then the 30% profit split would be off the table.

Mercer simply smiled and didn't seem to care. He said, "Value for money is a subjective opinion. I can only guarantee that if I can't do something in weapon design, others probably can't either."

"What about the third one?" Hansen remained somewhat skeptical. He needed to see for himself whether Mercer truly possessed the capability to design and develop such weapons and equipment.

"Third, I also have some things that I want to research out of interest. You need to provide me with funding and purchasing channels. As for the research results, I can share them appropriately. This part of the money can be understood as the salary you pay me to hire me."

As Mercer finished speaking, Hansen looked somewhat dissatisfied. In his opinion, giving a 30% profit share was already a very sincere gesture.

But after looking at Mercer's unbelievably youthful face, Hansen finally nodded reluctantly.
"Sure, I'll give you a salary of one million euros every quarter, but if your performance isn't good enough, our cooperation could be terminated at any time."

If you want to get more money from me, you have to give me a reason to be interested.

As for the development and manufacturing of new equipment within the factory, these expenses must be submitted through a formal application process, and funding will only be allocated after approval.

Mercer nodded, stood up, and extended his hand: "Then it's a deal, Colonel Hansen."

After Hansen stood up, he looked at him for a while before reaching out, gripping his hand tightly, shaking it, and then letting go: "The internet service in Dogtown is currently handled by the Dogtown Voodoo Gang. If you are interested, I can assign this part of the work to you and the Voodoo Gang."

"Then you'll have to make the Voodoo Gang spit out the servers they've taken in."

Mercer bluntly stated, "If the server isn't under my control, I can only provide you with the ICE program and participate in network security attacks and defenses when necessary. The former includes updates, and the maintenance fee is one million euros per month."

Hansen's eye twitched slightly—how could this little bastard ask for money so casually, and even a million euros at that? Did his money grow on trees?
"The Voodoo Gang only charged 30," Hansen said with a dark expression.

"So they're all useless. You can ask who gave the Voodoo Gang in Dogtown their identity verification when they go deep into the city."
"Now I control the internet in the entire Taiping Prefecture. If I don't agree, no one can surf the internet in peace. I've actually already given Youming Dog a lot of face; when your people are online, I haven't even asked them for internet fees."

Mercer's words gave Hansen a bit of a headache, but after a moment of thought, he made the decision: "Five hundred thousand euros, but you must guarantee that no one can break through your ICE network."

"Programs are static, but people are dynamic. Expecting an ICE system to be problem-free is the thinking of an outsider."

Mercer, however, said bluntly, "I can only guarantee that your ICE level is top-notch. By top-notch, I mean that even if the Voodoo Gang of Pacific State attacks Dogtown's network with the Poseidon server, it can withstand it for a period of time."

Whether it can be held depends on the technical skill of the people responsible for controlling the Dogtown network.

As far as Mercer knows, the public internet service in Dogtown is currently handled by the Voodoo Gang. It was by providing a secure internet environment for Dogtown that the Voodoo Gang received a large sum of money from the Ghost Hounds, which enabled them to build their own servers.

This server is not only used for the Voodoo Gang's own business, but it also serves as a dedicated network firewall for Dogtown, allowing the people of Dogtown to access the internet safely.

If Mercer wants to take responsibility, then Mercer has to use his own servers to handle this part of the protection; he has no interest in doing this work for free for the netizens in Dogtown.

After much deliberation, Hansen realized that it would be easier to simply hand the job over to Mercer, thus saving the money he would have to pay the Dogtown Voodoo Gang.

"Six hundred thousand euros a month, I'll give you double that amount to the Voodoo Gang. Now, you'll be in charge of Dogtown's public network, and you'll also be responsible for protecting and upgrading the Ghosthound's local area network when I need it."

Hansen made a decisive move.

Mercer naturally had no reason to refuse—to be honest, he practically got the money for free.

Even if Hansen doesn't speak up, Mercer will definitely guarantee the network security of Dogtown. After officially taking over the network security business of Dogtown from Hansen, Mercer can also directly collect internet fees from Dogtown's netizens.

Previously, if ordinary people wanted to access the internet in Dogtown, they had to pay the Voodoo Gang, otherwise they had plenty of ways to prevent them from getting online or to cause them trouble. But now, Mercer can take over this part of the business.

For Hansen, a stable internet environment is one of the necessary conditions for attracting people to Dogtown. At the same time, the people he has in Dogtown also need internet access, so this part of the cost cannot be avoided.

He can't exactly release his internal servers for everyone to use online, can he? That would completely destroy network security.

Hansen had no idea that his server had long been thoroughly compromised by sophisticated hackers like Mercer and Lark.

Mercer thought for a moment and said, "Six hundred thousand it is. As for the LAN security upgrade, we can just use the ICE software that Hans provided to his 'Heartfelt' bar. One program can earn the money of two people, which is quite good."

As for upgrades and maintenance, those weren't Mercer's job. After he wrote the initial BETA version, the subsequent updates and maintenance were actually done by Lucy, Qiwei, and Xingzi.

"Please feel free to contact us if you have any other business inquiries."

Mercer curled his lips into a smile and gave Hansen a look: "You know, we are an excellent team of Edgewalkers."

Hansen simply nodded with a slightly stiff smile: "Okay, it's settled then. I can transfer this month's money to you right now."

But this month you have to get my factory assembly line running, two pistols, one submachine gun, and your drone, I want them all.

I will pay 500,000 euros for the first three firearms; as for the production of the drones…

Hansen pondered for a moment and said, "I will pay you another 500,000 euros in licensing fees separately, but you must set up a drone production line for me."

Mercer pondered for a moment, then simply said, "Okay."

Having gained an advantage, Hansen smiled and raised his whiskey glass in a gesture of "It's a pleasure doing business with you."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Mercer picked up his Coke, clinked it against his, and then downed the Coke in one gulp.

"As for those people around your base, I've already taken care of them for you."

Hansen casually remarked, "From now on, I will have the Ghost Hound soldiers provide security around your base. If anything happens, you can contact them directly."

Mercer calmly picked up the mask, put it on, and said, "Okay, also, there are always people stopping my car at the checkpoints in Dogtown."

"You're now my chief weapons and equipment designer, so you're one of us from now on. As long as you don't do anything like smuggling or betraying your company, no one will bother you anymore."

As Hansen spoke, he was also warning him that once he accepted his job and took his money, he would be considered half of his man.

Mercer then feigned satisfaction: "Alright, I'll arrange the work remotely from now on, and I guarantee that the factory can start producing the equipment you want within this month."

Both sides seemed very happy, and Mercer and Hansen exchanged a few more pleasantries, appearing as if they had truly become family.

After saying goodbye, and only after leaving the stadium, retrieving his weapons and equipment, and getting into the car, V finally couldn't hold back any longer and looked at him: "What's going on? You've already started working for Hansen?"

“It’s just a collaboration.” After Mercer finished speaking, V said with dissatisfaction, “He just bought all the things you designed? I bet he’s not going to be willing to give you a share of the profits.”

"At least before they prepare to discard me after I've served my purpose, they will still pay me the money I'm owed."

As Mercer spoke, he rested one hand on the car window, propping up his cheek, seemingly lost in thought.

V was still annoyed, muttering, "These idiots are all asking for a beating, still laughing like that. You should just blacken their heads. Dogtown boss? What a load of crap!"

Mercer found her cursing and swearing somewhat amusing: "Why do you look even angrier than I am?"

However, he then smiled and punched her on the shoulder: "But thanks, it feels good to have someone on my side."

"As for other things," Mercer said, squinting, "let's delay as much as possible. As long as we can get our share of the profits, we'll pretend nothing happened and do some work for him occasionally as extra cash."

V sighed and fell silent. It wasn't that she couldn't understand everyone's current situation, but compared to the free-spirited outsiders, the feeling of working for someone you don't like is really uncomfortable.

When the car drove back to the base, Mercer noticed that the number of Ghost Hound soldiers on the road had increased significantly, and there was even an extra 'Minotaur' robot.

This robot differs from typical humanoid security robots; it can be understood as a small infantry fighting vehicle that moves on two legs.

With two heavy airborne machine guns and three micro missiles on each side, its firepower is quite powerful, making it the main armored cannon fodder of the military on the battlefield.

During the unification war, the Military Science and New America swept across the Free State battlefields with their Lizard infantry fighting vehicles, Chimera main battle tanks, and Minotaur robots, or what were also called Minotaur unmanned mechs.

This level of weaponry is on a completely different level from ordinary security robots.

Mercer counted them; there were exactly 12 people in the squad. They weren't the kind of Ghost Hound 'police officers' who usually dealt with the riots on the streets, but real Ghost Hound soldiers who received professional military training.

This can be seen as both protection and surveillance.

Upon entering the base and going downstairs, Kyoko, who had been staying underground, cautiously picked up her gun. It wasn't until Morning Star told her that Mercer had returned that she happily skipped to the elevator door.

"You're back? Where are Lucy and the others?" she asked, looking around.

Mercer casually placed his hand on her head and affectionately rubbed the back of her head: "I'll be back in a bit. Lucy has a minor injury and needs to go to Old Vina to have her bones and ligaments checked. She'll be back in two or three hours."

He had already sent a message to everyone to let them know he was safe, and by the way, he even suggested that Mann and the others move to Dogtown as well.

If you want to stay at home, then stay at the base. If you don't want to stay at the base, that's also easy to solve.

There are plenty of dilapidated buildings in Dogtown. You can live in whichever one you like. The hounds don't care at all. They only charge rent for certain important or complete facilities.

This is one of the reasons why, despite the chaos and poor living conditions in Dogtown, people still flock there.

No matter what you've done, the hounds don't care. As long as you're willing to register your name and pay a 'registration' fee, you can become a resident of Dogtown.

Moreover, although Dogtown looks dilapidated, its security level is actually far superior to that of Night City.

Because the Netherhounds are serious business. If you kill people or smuggle contraband here, they will come to arrest you if they find out—unless the person who killed you was one of the Netherhounds' people, in which case it's a different story.

The reason they didn't let them come before was because they were worried that things wouldn't go well with Hansen and that it would be even more dangerous. But now, at least until the honeymoon period of cooperation ends, Mercer feels that Dogtown is still quite safe.

"What about you? Besides Lucy, is anyone else injured?" Kyoko looked at V, who had a slightly sour face, not knowing why, but she quickly grabbed a can of Ben & Boogie for her and a can of Coke for Mercer.

Looking at her cute little face, V couldn't help but smile broadly: "It's all fine. Lucy was just unlucky. She was a little slow to dodge and got run over by the car. But she can still walk on her own. I don't think she's seriously injured."

She complained, "If you ask me, we should just go for the platinum membership insurance. We pay so much every month, so why not just try it out once a month?"

"Come on, the premium will go up after just one use. If you want to pay more every month from now on, then I have no objection." Mercer said, and then began to contact Panan and the others to prepare to transport the equipment to the base.

On the surface, Mercer thought that he could take advantage of the time when Mann and the others moved in to pretend that he was going to expand his base.

We'll dismantle the equipment and hide it among the building materials. Anyway, the guards of the Ghost Hounds don't dare to check us carefully now.

It's not impossible. The current base size is actually a bit tight. We can expand it later, and Mansasha and the others can move in if they want, or use it as a new storage area and workshop if they don't.

Without further ado, Mercer decided to expand the base both above and below ground, since he had plenty of money on hand. He figured that with Adka's fees, it wouldn't cost much to expand part of the base and he'd also find someone to completely unclog the sewers.

At that time, he will also have a smuggling route that he can use independently.

Dogtown has a lot of valuable stuff; if you can get it out of there, you can make a fortune.

Without hesitation, Mercer immediately started an online meeting using a chat software to discuss the matter with everyone. After receiving confirmation, he simply began contacting Parnam to start construction.

After receiving a positive reply, Mercer headed to the server room and sat down in a chair as usual.

But when he was about to start working, he suddenly ran into a problem.

Working for Hansen? He's not that diligent to be a hound—he can handle that kind of work casually in his spare time. What's so difficult about arranging a production process? The technicians there aren't really freeloaders.

Continue manufacturing weapons and equipment? For now, we only have a few ideas, and it seems like it will cost a lot of money. Perhaps we should wait until the time comes and use the Ghost Hound's design factory for private gain.

After sitting in the hacker chair in a daze for a while, Mercer suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a treasure that he had been putting off for a long time.

That's the Relic chip that's been lying in the incubator all this time.

(End of this chapter)