Make guns?
Hansen smiled. After standing up, he pointed outside the room's glass window at the bustling work area. "See that? In there, we have technical experts from gangs and technicians poached from corporations. All this equipment is..."
"So you're still using Militech's standard-issue weapons?"
Mercer's counter-question made Hansen's expression darken a little.
But Mercer just chuckled and remained seated, saying, "What you need is a standard-issue weapon that can arm a large force, is cheap to produce, yet sturdy and reliable. And, as much as possible, it needs to break your dependence on Militech's raw materials."
Hansen didn't speak, just turned his head to stare grimly at Mercer.
Mercer, however, simply glanced around. "Get me a laptop."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hansen didn't hesitate, giving a slight nod of his chin to the other soldiers.
Mercer took the laptop, opened its built-in cyberdeck, and had Morning Star transmit the data for the several gun models he had created.
"'Easy Kill.' Even when made with a metal printer in my shop, the cost is less than 200 eddies. It's capable of fully automatic fire, with a standard single magazine of seventeen 9mm rounds, and can be fitted with a 40-round drum magazine."
Mercer opened his email, allowing Hansen to see the weapon's data specifications.
Hansen walked over with a slight frown, and after he had a closer look, Mercer continued his explanation.
"This one is a Smart weapon. Same design, just with a smart module loaded. I've named it the 'Slaughterhouse' series. It comes in both pistol and submachine gun models and uses standard Kang Tao electromagnetic bullets.
The gun's production cost is only 150 eddies more than the Easy Kill above, due to the fire control chip. If you can get a batch of qualified microchips, the price could be even lower."
Mercer pointed to the colorful plastic on the gun model. "All these non-essential parts are made of 3D-printed polymer. The metal parts can be made with a metal printer; you don't even need a professional metal lathe.
Of course, considering you've already bought the lathes... I also have blueprints for two other self-designed standard-issue weapons.
One is the all-metal 'Overkill' pistol. Its specs are the same as the Easy Kill, but its durability and reliability are significantly improved.
The other is an assault rifle, standard magazine capacity of 35 rounds, simple structure, with a foldable stock..."
After briefly introducing these items, Mercer looked up at Hansen and said, "I've already built and tested prototypes for some of these weapons."
After speaking, Mercer turned to look at the design factory outside the glass, his expression calm. "Or I could build one for you on the spot... you've got a pretty complete setup here."
Mercer wasn't just simply introducing the weapons; he had been watching Hansen's expression the entire time he was explaining. The man was clearly very interested in the cheap, 3D-printed goods.
This indicated that what Hansen needed most right now wasn't a complete replacement for Militech's standard-issue weapons, but rather a source of cheap, sturdy, and durable firepower.
Mercer's mind raced for a moment, and he understood the reason why. Hansen didn't just want them for his own use; he also wanted to seize the fringe markets from other corporations.
After all, if people had the money to buy a couple of good guns, they would definitely prioritize products from major corporations. So, rather than competing for business in the standard firearms market, it was better to go after the lower-end market.
On this point, Hansen and Mercer's thinking was basically aligned.
"I'm very interested in your 'Easy Kill' and 'Slaughterhouse' series," Hansen said directly. "If you can guarantee that the stability and cost of these two firearm models are consistent with the data you've shown me, then we can talk about a partnership."
Mercer glanced at him, then simply stood up. "Send someone to a Budget Arms 3D printer and buy a Slaught-O-Matic."
Hansen just turned his head to look at one of his men, and a Barghest soldier immediately ran off to buy the item for him.
Another Barghest soldier holding a soda walked over. Mercer took the can, drank a mouthful, let out a satisfied sigh, and squinted his eyes in enjoyment.
But at that moment, no one around them found it funny anymore.
V stood up and moved to Mercer's side, her cold face scanning the surroundings. She hadn't touched her whiskey, and she still looked like she was seething with residual anger, clearly holding a grudge.
Keep laughing. Sooner or later, I'll make you all cry, you dumbfucks.
As Mercer and Hansen walked toward the sunken research factory, Mercer casually commented, "The equipment you've bought is all quite good, but the export of the raw steel these machines require is almost completely locked down. With the price of raw materials alone, it's impossible for you to produce cheap, reliable, and good products."
"So you chose Budget Arms' 3D printing?" Hansen had dropped his airs with Mercer. After seeing the two weapon designs, he realized that Mercer and his group might be even more valuable than he had initially thought.
Just think about it... a technical expert whose netrunner skills were so formidable that even the Voodoo Boys of Pacifica didn't dare to make a peep, and who could also design weapons. Putting on airs? He was already starting to consider how much he should offer Mercer!
Hansen was in desperate need of this kind of technical talent.
As it stood in Dogtown, all of Barghest's equipment was extremely dependent on imports, especially from Militech. Even this processing and manufacturing equipment was all bought from Militech.
The corporations today all understood how to profit from monopolies. They'd sell you the equipment, sure, but they still controlled the raw materials. Buying the machine was one expense; once you started production, they had plenty of ways to earn the next sum from you.
Things might be fine under the current circumstances, with Hansen and Militech in a somewhat ambiguous, mutually beneficial relationship. But if one day...
When Hansen wanted to build his own enterprise, Militech could simply cut off exports and plunge him into a supply crisis.
Besides, who knew if these Militech products had backdoors? What if there was some technical vulnerability Hansen didn't know about, and he only discovered that the weapons and equipment Militech sold him had all gone on strike when a fight broke out? Wouldn't he be finished then?
Therefore, he urgently needed a standard-issue weapon that didn't rely on Militech. It had to be cost-effective, simple to manufacture, and capable of arming his troops on a large scale, all without letting others easily get him by the throat. The Easy Kill and Slaughterhouse series of weapons proposed by Mercer, a line of firearms modified from Budget Arms' 3D printing technology, perfectly met Hansen's current needs.
"Yes, Budget Arms has a great design philosophy. Weapons printed from a single piece of polymer are fast and cheap to produce. They only need a few metal parts installed to be used as conventional firearms.
Moreover, for the conventional weapons made this way, I've designed all the easily damaged metal parts to standard specifications. Not only does this make them easy to modify, but most importantly, they can be quickly repaired with replacement parts in case of a malfunction.
Whether for regular maintenance or simply swapping them out for new ones when they break, they satisfy Night City's demand for street-level firepower."
Mercer's words sent Hansen into a thoughtful silence. When the two arrived at the design factory, Mercer, without any hesitation, called a halt to a researcher busy at a workbench.
"Help me fabricate a few metal parts right now."
Mercer's commanding tone made the researcher instinctively glance at Hansen, who simply nodded in response.
Thus, the researcher could only watch obediently as Mercer set the parameters on the machine, gave him the specifications, and then began to process the metal parts with the equipment.
The million-eurodollars machine was much faster than Mercer's method of relying solely on printing. The machine cut and shaped a steel tube, rifling it to serve as a barrel, while the leftover portion was milled into a slide.
The remaining small metal components were directly produced by the workbench's automatic polisher.
The time it took to finish all this was just enough for the soldier who had gone out to buy a disposable printed weapon to return with a Budget Arms Slaught-O-Matic.
Mercer took the freshly printed pistol, still warm to the touch, and walked directly to the workbench. Without any preamble, he plugged the data cable from his wrist into the machine's built-in interface.
Then, the workbench's robotic arms and cutting machines began to operate automatically. Without even needing to lift a finger, he completely disassembled the printed pistol using the machines, all under the technician's astonished gaze.
After simply swapping out the metal parts, Mercer handed the somewhat ugly-looking pistol to Hansen. "It's done once you swap in a 9mm magazine."
Hansen toyed with the pistol, which felt a bit light in his hand, then walked directly to the firing range not far from the design factory.
He pulled the trigger, and the pistol began to furiously spew bullets, emptying the magazine in less than two seconds.
Hansen then changed the magazine and began firing single shots to test its accuracy, repeatedly alternating between firing modes. After ten magazines, he looked at the smoking muzzle and said, "Feels like the slide starts to jam a bit after repeated firing, and the muzzle climb is severe."
"That's because the polymer is at risk of melting at high temperatures. If you're worried about that, you can apply coolant. But normally, no one would fire ten straight magazines with this thing. If you really need reliability, then add more metal parts."
Mercer, however, was quite dismissive of this. You get what you pay for. All in all, this thing only cost a hundred-odd eurodollars more than a Slaught-O-Matic. What more could one ask for?
If you want reliability, you add to the cost. Just keep adding more metal parts. Hansen then looked at him. "Is it the same for modifying Smart weapons?"
"The same. You just need to add a microchip, slap together a circuit board, install it on the weapon's grip, and connect it to the scope. The essence of Kang Tao Smart weapons lies in their algorithms and extremely low-latency bullet response. The core technology is all in the algorithm and the bullets."
After Mercer finished, he paused and said, "I'll 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'd need costs a lot more than just a few million eurodollars.
And if you choose to make the bullets by hand, the manual difficulty of working with those nanochips is high, and the production efficiency is low. It's much better to just buy them.
But you can look for some cheap smart bullet suppliers on the market. At most, it'll slightly affect the bullets' turning and tracking speed, but with the support of my algorithm, the difference won't be too big."
Hansen put the items down, quite satisfied. Then, his expression suddenly turned vicious as he looked at a designer. "So, you're saying all we really need is a 3D printer and to assemble a few metal parts to make this kind of weapon?"
The designer's face suddenly turned a little pale, and he hurriedly shouted, "This is a necessary investment! This equipment won't go to waste! Ballistic vests, vehicle modifications, unmanned equipment..."
Mercer suddenly cut in. "If you're interested in unmanned equipment, I also have some drones for sale."
He looked at Hansen with a smile and said, "Tested in actual combat, even Militech's APC units can't completely withstand my Swarm Drones.
These drones are cheap to produce. Although their battery life is short, they can be deployed at short to medium range, and they're already ready for mass production."
After giving the designer a meaningful look, Hansen turned back to Mercer, his attitude now clearly much better.
He gestured for Mercer to return to the sofa outside the factory and, without any nonsense, got straight to the point. "Tell me your terms."
"There are two options. First, you take my design blueprints and pay me a design fee. For every gun you produce, I get a fixed amount of money."
Mercer looked at Hansen's expressionless face, unable to tell what he was thinking, and simply continued, "The second option is to let us handle production. The wholesale price for the Easy Kill series is 400 eurodollars per gun.
For the Smart series Slaughterhouse, the pistol model is 600 eurodollars, and the submachine gun is 900."
Hansen's lips curled. "If I choose the first option, aren't you afraid I won't pay you?"
"Then I suppose the Barghests would lose my friendship," Mercer said with a confident and composed smile. "My greatest asset isn't these blueprints, but this."
He tapped his own head. "What are these small-time guns and drones? If we cooperate, we might even be able to build something like the Robohound model combat bots ourselves, or even create something better.
"You've been through the Unification War. No one should know better than you that the future of the battlefield ultimately belongs to bots.
What's more, I'm also an outstanding netrunner. Making an enemy of me would do you no good at all, but if we cooperate, the Barghests can rise to a whole new level."
Hansen stared at Mercer without blinking. After a long moment, he closed his eyes and thought for a while before finally making his decision. "I choose neither." Hansen's words put V on guard, making her scan her surroundings.
But then, Hansen broke into a smile. "Starting today, you are the Director of Weapon and Equipment Design here. I'll give you a thirty percent cut of all profits from the weapons and equipment produced."
Mercer, however, calmly asked, "What if the weapons and equipment are for Barghest's internal use?"
"I'll give you a one-time licensing fee." At this, Hansen added a warning, "You should know that the kind of thing you've designed has very little technical substance. Strictly speaking, it wouldn't be difficult for us to replicate."
Mercer agreed. This was precisely why he had been willing to show the weapon blueprints directly; the core of the "Easy Kill" and Slaughterhouse series was, in fact, just a single design philosophy.
To put it bluntly, Hansen's researchers just hadn't had the right flash of insight. They hadn't thought of modifying disposable weapons, instead trying to develop a stable, reliable, and cheap weapon from scratch.
After all, the common consensus was that these 3D-printed items were just "toys." Turning a disposable weapon into a standard-issue one by simply adding metal parts? It just didn't sound very plausible.
This was also why Hansen had been staring at that researcher; the equipment cost for this thing was only a few hundred thousand eurodollars, yet every machine in his current research workshop started at several millions eurodollars.
Mercer hadn't actually expected Hansen to extend an olive branch so directly, but after a moment of careful 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 out of his own pocket for any future weapon research and development?
He could use his own money entirely on things that interested him, pursuing other fields he was passionate about.
Moreover, Mercer knew full well that if he didn't agree to Hansen's terms today, there would likely be more trouble down the line.
Playing along and using each other for a while... Mercer found that acceptable.
"I can agree to be the part-time director here, but I have a few conditions of my own."
As Mercer spoke, Hansen's expression suddenly seemed much more amiable. "Go on."
"First, I can't come in every day. I'll be working remotely most of the time."
Hansen agreed to Mercer's first condition without hesitation. "No problem."
"Second, I'm only part-time. I have my own team to look after and don't have time to be busy with Barghest's affairs day in and day out. So don't expect me to be at your beck and call. When you assign tasks, it's best not to give me rush jobs. If there is a rush job, then you'll have to pay extra."
After Mercer finished, Hansen began to haggle. "But you must guarantee that my thirty percent profit share is worth the money."
In other words, Hansen meant that if Mercer ever lost his value and couldn't develop anything new, the thirty percent profit share would be off the table.
Mercer just smiled faintly, unconcerned. "Value for money is a subjective idea," he said. "I can only guarantee that when it comes to weapon and equipment design, if it's something I can't do, it's highly probable no one else can either." "And the third condition?" Hansen remained somewhat skeptical. He had to see for himself if Mercer truly possessed the ability to design and develop such weapons and equipment.
"Third, I have some things I want to research out of personal interest. You need to provide me with funding and procurement channels. As for the research results, I can share them appropriately. You can consider this money the salary you're paying to hire me."
As Mercer finished speaking, Hansen looked somewhat dissatisfied. In his view, giving a thirty percent profit share was already a very sincere gesture.
But after glancing at Mercer's unbelievably young face, Hansen finally nodded reluctantly.
"Fine. I'll give you a salary of one million eurodollars per quarter. But if your performance isn't good enough... our partnership could be terminated at any time.
If you want more money from me, you'll have to give me a compelling reason.
As for the development and manufacturing of new equipment in the factory, those expenses must go through the proper application process before funds can be allocated."
Mercer nodded, stood up, and extended his hand. "Then it's a deal, Colonel Hansen."
Hansen rose, looked at him for a moment, then extended his own hand. He gripped Mercer's firmly, shook it, and then let go. "Dogtown's network services are currently handled by Dogtown's Voodoo Boys. If you're interested, I can have you and the Voodoo Boys manage it jointly."
"Then you'll have to make the Voodoo Boys spit out the server they've already swallowed."
Mercer said bluntly, "If the server isn't in my hands, I can only provide you with an ICE program and participate in cybersecurity offense and defense when necessary. For the former, including updates, the maintenance fee is one million eurodollars a month."
A muscle in Hansen's eye twitched. How could this little bastard ask for money the moment he opened his mouth, and in sums of a million eurodollars at that? Did he think his money grew on trees?
"The fee the Voodoo Boys charge is only 300,000," Hansen said, his face dark.
"That's why they're useless. You can go ask, whose identity authentication are the Dogtown Voodoo Boys using when they deep dive now?
The entire network in Pacifica is under my control now. If I don't approve, no one can get online safely. I've actually already given Barghest a lot of face. When your men go online, I don't even ask them for an internet fee."
Mercer's words made Hansen's teeth ache, but after a moment of contemplation, he made a decision. "Five hundred thousand eurodollars. But you must guarantee that no one can break through your ICE from the net."
"Programs are static, but people are dynamic. Expecting a single ICE program to be foolproof is a layman's way of thinking."
Mercer retorted bluntly, "I can only guarantee that your ICE will be top-tier. What 'top-tier' means is that even if the Pacifica Voodoo Boys attack Dogtown's network with the Rezo Agwe server, it can hold out for a period of time.
Whether it can ultimately be defended depends on the skill level of the person managing Dogtown's network."
As far as Mercer knew, Dogtown's public network services were currently managed by the Voodoo Boys. It was precisely by building a secure online environment for Dogtown that the Voodoo Boys had collected a large sum of money from Barghest, which they then used to build their own server for the Dogtown chapter of the Voodoo Boys. This server wasn't just for the Voodoo Boys' own operations; it was also dedicated to providing a network firewall for Dogtown, allowing its people to get online safely.
If Mercer were to take responsibility, he would have to use his own server to shoulder this defensive burden, and he had no interest in doing unpaid labor for Dogtown's netizens.
Hansen mulled it over. By his calculations, it seemed more convenient to just give the job to Mercer directly. That way, he could save the money he was paying the Dogtown Voodoo Boys.
"Six hundred thousand eurodollars a month. That's double what I give the Voodoo Boys. From now on, you'll be in charge of Dogtown's public network. You'll also have to protect and upgrade the Barghest LAN whenever I need you to."
Hansen said decisively.
Mercer naturally had no reason to refuse; to be honest, this was practically free money for him.
Even if Hansen hadn't made the offer, Mercer would have ensured Dogtown's network security anyway. After officially taking over Dogtown's network security business from Hansen, Mercer could also directly charge Dogtown's netizens for internet access.
Previously, civilians who wanted to use the internet in Dogtown had to pay the Voodoo Boys. Otherwise, the gang had plenty of ways to keep them offline or cause trouble for them online. But now, Mercer could smoothly take over this part of the business.
As for Hansen, a stable network environment was one of the necessary conditions for him to attract people to Dogtown. At the same time, his own people in Dogtown also needed internet access, so this was an expense he couldn't avoid.
He couldn't just let everyone use his internal server to get online, could he? That would be a complete disaster for his network security.
Little did Hansen know that his own server had long been infiltrated by high-level netrunners like Mercer and Songbird, riddled with more holes than a sieve.
Mercer thought for a moment. Six hundred thousand it was. As for the LAN protection and upgrades, he could just use the same kind of ICE he provided for Mr. Hands's "Heavy Hearts" club. Earning money from two people with one program was a pretty good deal.
When it came to upgrades and maintenance, that wasn't even Mercer's job. After he wrote the initial BETA version, the subsequent updates and maintenance were actually handled by Lucy, Kiwi, and Kyoko.
"You can also contact us for any other business."
A smile touched Mercer's lips as he looked at Hansen. "You know, we're an outstanding Edgerunner team."
Hansen, however, just nodded with a somewhat stiff smile. "Alright, it's a deal then. I can transfer this month's payment to you right now.
But this month, you must get my factory production lines running. Two pistol models, one submachine gun, and your drone... I want them all.
I'll pay five hundred thousand eurodollars for the first three firearms. As for the drone production..."
Hansen pondered for a moment before saying, "I'll pay you a separate licensing fee of five hundred thousand eurodollars, but you must establish a drone production line for me."
Mercer considered it for a moment, then simply said, "Alright."
Having gotten the better end of the deal, Hansen finally smiled and raised his glass of whiskey in a toast. "To a pleasant partnership."
"To a pleasant partnership." Mercer picked up his NiCola and clinked glasses with him, then downed the drink in one go.
"As for those people around your base, I've already taken care of them for you."
Hansen said, seemingly in passing, "From now on, I'll have Barghest soldiers provide security around your base. If you run into any trouble, you can contact them directly."
Mercer's expression remained unchanged as he picked up his mask. While putting it on, he said, "Okay. Also, people at the Dogtown checkpoints keep stopping my car..." "You're my director of weapon and equipment design now. From now on, you're one of my own. As long as you don't do any smuggling or betray me, no one will bother you again."
As Hansen spoke, he was also warning him that by accepting his job and taking his money, Mercer was now considered one of his men.
Mercer put on a satisfied expression. "Good. I'll arrange the work remotely next. I guarantee the factory can start producing the equipment you want within the month."
Both parties looked very pleased. Mercer and Hansen exchanged a few more pleasantries, making it seem as if they had truly become family.
After saying their goodbyes, it wasn't until they had walked out of the EBM Petrochem Stadium's main gate, retrieved their weapons and gear, and gotten in the car that V finally couldn't hold it in any longer. She looked at him and asked, "What's going on? You're working for Hansen now?"
"It's just a collaboration," Mercer replied, but V retorted unhappily, "He just bought up everything you guys designed like that? I bet he won't be willing to give you your cut honestly."
"He'll give me what he owes me, at least until he's ready to get rid of me."
Mercer said this as he rested his head against his hand, his elbow propped on the car window, lost in thought.
V was still very annoyed, muttering, "All these assholes really need a beating. And they were just standing there smiling. You should've just fried their brains. The boss of Dogtown? What a joke!"
Her cursing made Mercer chuckle. "Why do you look even angrier than I am?"
Then, he smiled and lightly punched her on the shoulder. "But... thanks. It feels pretty damn good to have someone on my side."
"As for everything else..." Mercer narrowed his eyes and said, "Let's just drag it out as long as possible. As long as we get our cut, we'll act like nothing happened. We can just treat the occasional job for him as earning some extra cash."
V sighed and fell silent. It wasn't that she couldn't understand their current predicament, but compared to the freedom of a typical Edgerunner, the feeling of working for someone she disliked was truly unsettling.
As the car drove back to the base, Mercer noticed that the number of Barghest soldiers on the streets had clearly increased, and there was even a Minotaur mech.
This type of bot was different from the usual humanoid security bots; it could be understood as a small, bipedal infantry fighting vehicle.
Its armament of two heavy, vehicle-mounted machine guns and three micromissiles on each side was quite powerful. It was Militech's main armored cannon fodder on the battlefield.
During the Unification War, Militech and the NUSA had swept through the Free State battlefields relying on the Basilisk hovertank, the Militech Chimera, and the Minotaur mech, which was also known as the remote-controlled Minotaur mech.
Something of this caliber was not in the same firepower class as a common security bot.
Mercer counted them. There were exactly twelve, a full squad. And they weren't the Barghest "police" who usually handled law and order on the streets, but real Barghest soldiers; the kind who received professional military training.
In a way, this was both protection and surveillance.
Upon entering the base and going downstairs, Kyoko, who had been cooped up underground, vigilantly raised her gun. It was only when Morning Star told her it was Mercer who had returned that she beamed with joy and bounded directly to the elevator door. "You're back? Where are Lucy and the others?" she asked, looking left and right.
Mercer casually placed a hand on her head, affectionately ruffling the back of her hair. "They'll be back soon. Lucy got a minor injury, she has to go to Vik's to get her bones and ligaments checked out. She'll be back in two or three hours."
He had already sent a message to the whole crew, letting them know they were safe. While he was at it, he also went ahead and suggested that Maine and the others move directly into Dogtown.
If they wanted to live with him, they could stay at the base. If they didn't want to live at the base, that was also easy to solve.
Dogtown was full of dilapidated buildings. You could live in whichever one you took a fancy to; Barghest didn't care at all. They only collected rent on certain important, or rather, intact facilities.
This was one of the reasons why, despite Dogtown being so chaotic and its living conditions so poor, people still came in a constant stream.
No matter what you'd done, Barghest didn't care. As long as you were willing to register your name and pay an "identity registration" fee, you could become a resident of Dogtown.
And although Dogtown looked run-down, its level of public safety was actually far superior to Night City's.
This was because Barghest actually got things done. If you went on a killing spree or dealt in contraband here, they would genuinely come and arrest you if they found out... unless, of course, the one killing you was one of Barghest's own people. That was a different matter entirely.
He hadn't let them come before because he was worried that if the talks with Hansen went poorly, it would be even more dangerous. But now, Mercer felt that Dogtown was quite safe, at least until the honeymoon period of their cooperation was over.
"What about you guys? Was anyone else hurt besides Lucy?" Kyoko looked at V, who had a bit of a sour look on her face. Not knowing why, she deftly grabbed a can of Spunky Monkey for her and a Coke for Mercer.
V looked at her cute little face and couldn't help but break into a bright smile. "Everyone's fine. Lucy was just unlucky and a little too slow to dodge. A car ran over her, but she can still walk on her own. I don't think it's a serious injury."
She grumbled, "If you ask me, we might as well just use the platinum membership insurance. We pay so much for it every month, we should at least try it out once."
"Forget it. Use it once and the premium will go up. If you want to pay more every month from now on, I have no objection," Mercer said, then started contacting Panam and the others to arrange for the equipment to be transported to the base.
As for the pretext, Mercer thought about it. He could totally pretend he was expanding his base while Maine and the others were moving in.
He could then dismantle the equipment and hide it among the building materials to sneak it in. In any case, Barghest wouldn't dare to inspect him too closely now.
It wasn't a bad idea. The current size of the base was getting a bit tight. He could expand it, and if Maine, Dorio and Sasha wanted to move in, they could. If not, it could serve as a new storage area and workshop.
No sooner said than done. He had plenty of money on hand anyway, and expanding a part of the base wouldn't cost much at the Aldecaldos' rates. Mercer decided to simply expand both above and below ground, and while he was at it, have someone completely clear out the sewer.
By then, he would also have a smuggling tunnel for his own exclusive use.
Dogtown had a lot of valuable goods. As long as you could ship them out, you could make a fortune.
Putting his thoughts into action, Mercer immediately started an online meeting via a chat app. After discussing it with the crew and getting their confirmation, he went ahead and contacted Panam to get the work started. After receiving an affirmative reply, Mercer headed for the server room and sat down in his chair as usual.
But when he was about to start working, he suddenly found himself at a loss.
Work for Hansen? He wasn't diligent enough to be one of Barghest's dogs; that kind of task could be handled casually in his spare time. What was so hard about arranging a production process? It wasn't like the technicians in there were just freeloading.
Continue manufacturing weapons and equipment? For now, he only had a few ideas, and it felt like it would cost a lot of money. It would be better to wait and use Barghest's design factory for his own private gain.
After spacing out in the netrunner station for a while, a flash of inspiration struck Mercer. He thought of a treasure he had been putting off for a long time.
It was the Relic, which had been lying in its thermal case all this time.
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5500words
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Note: Hey everyone! As you may have noticed, I've stopped the bonus chapters.There are two reasons for this: first, chapters take a lot of time to translate and edit; second, we've almost caught up with the raws.Huge thanks to those of you who've been giving power stones despite the lack of incentives, I honestly didn't expect so many of you to do it. It really touched me, so I'm setting the threshold for bonus chapters at 500* power stones.Once again, thank you so much