Mercer knew very well who he should see first.
He scheduled a meeting with Stout and the person in charge of Kang Tao, then packed up everything from the Rezo Agwe that he deemed valuable and sent it to Bryce. Afterward, Mercer had V and Rebecca put on their armor again and went with him to see Hansen.
The underground facility of the EBM Petrochem Stadium was the same as always. In the reception room where Hansen was, NiCola and whiskey were already laid out on the table. Through a glass window into the equipment development room, the white-coated figures inside were feigning busyness with dark expressions.
Mercer had become famous, but in contrast, the other research and development personnel who also collected a salary from Hansen would once again have their scalps tingling under Hansen's cold gaze.
Hansen was truly exasperated; he had spent so much money and hired so many people, yet the progress and speed of this whole group in developing equipment couldn't even match a young merc like Mercer.
Mercer's attitude of just doing a job for money had long since rubbed him the wrong way, especially since he had also secretly built good relationships with many Barghest soldiers, which set off alarm bells in Hansen's mind.
Yet, he truly couldn't do without Mercer's skills. Both his netrunning and equipment development technologies were far too important for the current Barghest.
A young genius who was beyond his control, yet knew many of Barghest's secrets, had money and people, and was gradually building a reputation within Barghest...
One could only imagine Hansen's apprehension toward Mercer.
But when they met, both Mercer and Hansen greeted each other with friendly smiles.
"Colonel Hansen." Mercer's helmet and the Octopus Arm on his shoulder made Hansen glance sideways, but what clearly caught his attention the most were the two sets of distinctly styled armor on Rebecca and V.
"You rascal, when did you secretly whip up something this impressive without telling me beforehand?" Hansen said with a laugh, though it was hard to tell from his words whether he was joking or complaining.
But Mercer knew very well that he was certainly dissatisfied. So, he just smiled and said, "Because this equipment is still in the testing phase. It's not very practical at the moment.
So there was no need to let Colonel Hansen know. What if you got your hopes up for nothing? Wouldn't that be a waste of your time?"
"Not very practical? You took down the Pacifica Voodoo Boys with just this stuff," Hansen said, feigning displeasure. "Don't hold back with your own people."
"That's because those Pacifica punks were too weak," Mercer said with a chuckle. "Even if we Barghest just sent out an elite squad with some Minotaur mechs, we could accomplish something similar."
"Individual flight capability, compatible with Sandevistan and Berserk OS, can ignore conventional suppressive fire, and obviously has strength augmentation..."
Hansen listed the features as if they were his own prized possessions, a resentful look on his face. "Barghest doesn't have anything this good. If you had V and Rebecca use these two suits of armor to take on Barghest, I bet we'd have a hard time mounting an effective counterattack.""That's why I came to discuss it with you right after the field test, Colonel Hansen, isn't it?" Mercer said with a chuckle, sitting down across from Hansen.
Behind Hansen, the high-ranking Barghest officer, Bennett, who had once been fierce and menacing toward Mercer, no longer wore his previous expression. He simply nodded at Mercer with a friendly smile.
He was now just drooling over V and Rebecca's armor. He really wanted a piece of that good stuff!
Mercer didn't waste any time. He placed the laptop held by his Octopus Arm onto the table, opened it, and immediately began showing Hansen the equipment's stats.
"V's suit, the one adapted for the Sandevistan, is the most expensive. If you're interested, Colonel Hansen, I can make you an identical one for six million eurodollars."
Mercer's words made Hansen's composure crack a little. I know you're trying to make money, but don't take me for a fucking idiot!
But what Mercer said next made Hansen's heart skip a beat.
"In my design, this type of armor adapted for the Sandevistan was never meant for widespread deployment. It's custom-grade armor intended only for the very few talented elites who can handle a Sandevistan system.
Full nanorhenium, built-in nanoweave combat suit, powered by an electric drive of my own design, plus an integrated neural-adaptive Operating System that minimizes the delay between the mech and human reaction speed."
Mercer began to speak eloquently about the armor's individual configuration, from its flight speed to its armor thickness, and he also emphasized:
"The two suits you see now are actually just the initial versions. The reason I chose this form-fitting personal armor instead of a design more like an exoskeleton is because, in my vision, this suit itself can serve as a mobile weapons platform, adaptable to various large-scale combat equipment.
When facing armored units, it can be equipped with anti-armor weaponry, and for street or urban warfare, it can be primarily outfitted with anti-personnel equipment."
Hansen said, feigning composure, "But where are the compatible weapons? If it's just a suit of armor like this, six million eurodollars is not a cheap price."
Mercer, however, just smiled confidently. "Is six million eurodollars really that expensive? Can you buy a Militech Chimera for that price? Or are you planning to compare a Basilisk to my suit?"
"To be honest, with just V's suit, I'm confident she could take on a Basilisk single-handedly, even multiple Basilisks."
Mercer continued his silver-tongued pitch, "A Basilisk's auto-turret lock-on speed is determined by the human brain, but this suit allows a person to move at speeds far exceeding that of a normal Sandevistan user.
And its built-in micromissiles would have a hard time locking onto an armor user moving at extreme speeds.
In other words, to the V of today, a Basilisk might as well be a sitting duck, and that even goes for a Militech Chimera."
"Of course, considering I also received a fair amount of investment from Barghest for the design and development of this suit, for five million eurodollars, I can customize an identical, high-end suit for you, which I've named the 'Gyrfalcon.'" After Mercer finished speaking, Hansen fell silent. He stared intently at Mercer, but in the end, he just nodded and changed the subject, "What about a suit of armor like Miss Rebecca's?"
"This one I call "Tank One." As the name implies, its combat philosophy is for the user to be able to charge around on the ground like a tank, crushing any non-heavy units."
Mercer continued to explain the specs for Tank One. At the very end, he also gave a price: "And the price for this suit of individual combat armor is two million eurodollars."
"Very good. I'll take both."
Hansen made his decision.
But then, he just smiled and said to Mercer, "I'll purchase the raw materials, and the assembly will be done at the EBM Petrochem Stadium, with you personally leading the work team to handle production.
Let's just develop these two suits for now. Let me see how they perform in practice."
After speaking, Hansen paused, then said with a smile, "And as a reward, I'll give you a bonus totaling three million eurodollars, a reward for your contributions to Barghest in your position as Design Director.
Also, once the two suits are developed, I'll personally host a celebration for you at the Black Sapphire and award you Barghest's first medal of honor. I guarantee all the big shots in the city will be there."
Mercer tilted his head slightly and didn't reply at first. Hansen just watched him with a smile, his eyes on the red light of the camera flashing within Mercer's helmet.
The oppressive silence lasted only two or three seconds before Mercer chuckled and said, "No problem. We can assemble them in the workshop, then. I'll guide the designers remotely, which will even save me some time.
But since we're doing this, why don't we take it a step further and start developing the matching weapons and equipment as well? I'll provide you with a list of materials later."
"Fine. As long as the design and development happen at the EBM Petrochem Stadium, I won't limit your budget this time."
Hansen agreed readily, but then his tone suddenly shifted. "I'm guessing quite a few people have contacted you about the armor, haven't they?"
"Quite a few, indeed," Mercer said with a light laugh. "Kang Tao, Militech, NetWatch, and a lot of middlemen."
"Honestly, don't these people know you're Barghest's Director of Equipment Development and Design? Trying to cut a deal with you behind Barghest's back, isn't that crossing a line? Don't worry, you don't need to concern yourself with their offers. I'll handle the negotiations for you.
Just like with the other weapons and equipment we've developed, for every piece sold externally, I'll give you at least thirty percent. I'm talking thirty percent of the sales revenue, not the net profit.
As for the costs, Barghest will naturally cover those. You just have to wait for the money to roll in."
Hansen said with a chuckle.
Mercer just smiled, seemingly having no objections. "Of course. But in that case, shouldn't my salary get a raise? For a Director of Design like me in a major corporation, an annual salary of just one million eurodollars... is a bit low."
"You know our Barghest has limited income right now... However, you have a point. For someone of your caliber, it's indeed not quite fair to be earning your current salary." Hansen said bluntly, "Your base isn't small, but to be honest, the living conditions and facilities are a bit lacking. How about this: I've prepared a large suite for you on the upper floors of The Black Sapphire."
"Forget it. Our servers are all at the base. If we were to move them to The Black Sapphire, we'd have to rethink security and everything else." Mercer politely declined.
But Hansen feigned displeasure. "In Dogtown, would anyone really dare to cause trouble at The Black Sapphire? Relax, I'll assign two extra squads of soldiers just to guard your servers."
"To a netrunner, his servers are like his wife. Who would hand their wife over to someone else for protection?" Mercer chuckled, but his tone was firm. "There's no place like home, even if it's a kennel. We're not used to living in luxury hotels."
Hansen watched him for a moment, his smile turning a little cold. "Alright, if that's how you feel, I won't insist. However, you're a person of interest to the big corporations now. For your own safety, you shouldn't leave Dogtown for the time being. I'll dispatch a few more squads to station themselves near your base, just to make sure no accidents befall you."
V suddenly cut in, her voice cold. "With me here, not even the corporations can threaten him. The Kindling Squad is not to be trifled with."
Hansen just smiled. "I know you're skilled, but if you underestimate the big corporations because of it, you're in for a world of hurt. I know about your street reputation, but believe me, corporations and gangs are two entirely different beasts."
V was about to say more, but Mercer suddenly waved his hand and said, "Fine. It's not a bad thing to have someone watching my back, as long as they don't interfere with my other business dealings. How about it?"
Hansen's smile widened. "Of course. As long as you don't act against the interests of Barghest, you can still do as you please, just like before."
Mercer gave a crisp nod, then stood up. "In that case, there's nothing more to say. Once the three million eurodollar reward is in my account, I'll give you a list to begin further weapon and equipment production and development as soon as possible."
"No problem," Hansen agreed. Mercer then turned and left with a swagger, showing no intention of lingering.
It wasn't until Mercer had left the base and was back in the car that Rebecca said resentfully, "Why don't we just kill Hansen and be done with it? Isn't this just robbery? Does he really think we're his employees now?"
V was just as indignant. "He's clearly trying to put you under house arrest. Shit, Mercer, why did you just agree to it?"
Mercer, however, appeared very calm. "Try to see it from Hansen's position. To him, keeping me here is no longer the most important thing. What's most important is whether I'm still controllable, and whether I still want to stay in Dogtown."
"What's so great about this damn Dogtown? With him acting like this, isn't he afraid we'll just run?" V raised her helmet, brushing back her white hair in frustration.
Mercer shrugged. "That's why he wants people watching me. I'm guessing if I hadn't brought you two with me this time, he might have tried something nasty.""And you're still so nonchalant about it! If you ask me, why don't we try NetWatch? Or Kang Tao? Their headquarters are in Europe and the East, respectively. Even if we raise hell in Night City, we can just skip the country."
V proposed.
But Mercer just laughed. "It'd be strange if he didn't have something up his sleeve. However..."
He narrowed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "I won't be keeping him around for long, either. Once the conversation with Yorinobu is over, it'll be our turn to consider how to take over Dogtown."
"Uh, you mean..." V raised an eyebrow.
"Look at how much money Hansen makes here in a year. I have no intention of being a hands-off manager for a business this big, not like the Voodoo Boys."
Mercer spoke meaningfully, "Dogtown is the key to the game between Militech and Arasaka in Night City. Whoever controls this place, and this is no exaggeration, can directly influence the course of a potential Fifth Corporate War."
He spread his hands, looking at the dilapidated streets, and said with a smile, "Don't be fooled by how rundown it looks now. If the situation ever stabilizes, the development plan for Pacifica will resume.
And when that time comes, Dogtown will undoubtedly be the core of Pacifica.
But if war comes, occupying Dogtown in advance gives us a relative initiative. Whether we choose to side with a faction or try to remain neutral, everything will be ripe with possibility."
Rebecca didn't quite understand all this complicated stuff. She just said, "But like you said before, Hansen is bound to be dealt with by the corps sooner or later.
Because whether it's Militech, Arasaka, or any other power, none of them will let a warlord occupy this place.
So if you take Hansen's place, doesn't that mean you'll become the one in the most danger?"
"Danger and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. By controlling Dogtown, we can justifiably have our own independent armed force.
Controlling Dogtown's smuggling sources also means our research and development will no longer be limited by raw materials. We can have our own armories, armies, research institutions, corporations..."
Mercer's words didn't fill V and Rebecca with excitement. On the contrary, they both frowned, their faces etched with worry.
Rebecca sighed. "Since you think staying in Dogtown is the best way to achieve your goals... then there's nothing more for us to say."
Mercer looked at the disapproving expressions that appeared in unison after they both opened their helmets, but he just smiled without offering further explanation.
He could understand their desire for stability, but in his view, he was running out of time.
A major shift in the world order was imminent, and he had to seize this opportunity as best he could. Just like when Biotechnica rose to prominence, he needed to accumulate power and prepare before the Fifth Corporate War arrived.
Every day on TV, pundits analyzed how long the current ceasefire between the NUSA and Night City would last, and whether the next war would escalate.
But in Mercer's opinion, rather than discussing how long the ceasefire could be maintained, the discussion should be about when exactly Militech and Arasaka would start the Fifth Corporate War.When the next war begins, it will be nothing like the past few years, where only the NUSA and a few Free States were openly involved.
If Yorinobu successfully seizes power, being a leader of the Taka and someone who secretly desires the corporation's destruction, he would never pass up this opportunity.
As for the relationship between Militech and the NUSA, it can be more directly understood that the two can almost be seen as a single entity with shared interests.
The current NUSA President, Myers, is the former CEO of Militech. Not only that, but even the previous US president was also a former Militech CEO. This shows just how deeply the interests of Militech and the NUSA are intertwined today.
When the NUSA once again tries to reclaim the Free States, it will inevitably evolve into a war pitting Arasaka, the Free States, and their allies against the NUSA, Militech, and their allies.
A war of such immense scale, and Night City is right in the eye of the storm.
Mercer didn't want to bring his anxiety to the team, so he could only make decisions and judgments on his own.
If everything went smoothly, he might be able to balance the various powers, especially by bringing in NetWatch from Europe and Kang Tao from the East, to save Night City from being destroyed in the Fifth Corporate War.
And if things didn't go so smoothly...
Mercer sighed. He also had to consider Night Corp, a company suspected of being controlled by a rogue AI, the rogue AIs behind the Blackwall, and even off-world powers like the ESA and Orbital Air.
This damn world might as well just end.
Mercer cleared his thoughts, then said, "Anyway, you don't have to worry too much about Hansen. Dealing with him isn't actually difficult. Just finding a few retired NUSA agents could get the job done.
The key is how to smoothly transition power into our own hands afterward. We need allies."
"Who are you planning to find?" V looked at Mercer.
But Mercer just said calmly, "That will depend on who makes the highest bid."
He smiled, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes.
Although Hansen had warned him not to sell out Barghest's interests, implying he shouldn't think about selling the armor to anyone else.
But locking a netrunner in his own home? What was the difference between that and not locking him up at all?
Mercer had no intention of listening to Hansen. He planned to do what he was going to do. He had given Hansen enough face; if Hansen still wanted to push his luck... then it was time for a direct confrontation.
—--
"Good morning, Night City! It's your buddy, Staaan!!!
Haha, I bet you have no idea why I'm so energetic this morning!
Because yesterday's Body Lottery count was eighty-nine!
Ha, does that make you want to smash your table? Can't be helped. If you want to blame something, blame the shocking gang war that happened in Pacifica yesterday!
Slider, the Voodoo Boy hiding out in Dogtown, hired the renowned Kindling Squad and actually wiped out the Pacifica Voodoo Boys overnight. Yes, you heard that right, the original Pacifica Voodoo Boys are now completely a thing of the past!
Bodies everywhere, burning vehicles, ruined streets... An NCPD spokesperson publicly stated that this is the future the residents of Pacifica chose for themselves. I bet there's going to be another protest in Pacifica today.
Guess how many more days Pacifica's police station can stay open? I bet it'll have to shut down completely by the end of November at the latest!
But the most shocking thing is still the 'Mech Superman' clip circulating online. I'm guessing most of you have already seen the related video clips, but you definitely don't know just how many people they killed this time.
But now, you surely have a good idea.
The new type of individual combat armor used by the Kindling Squad's mercs has already sparked widespread discussion across Night City's network. As of now, not a single company has revealed any related information.
However, this has inevitably led to new concerns. Is Night City about to welcome a new round of military escalation? Should the appearance of individual combat armor be classified as a type of heavy firepower?"
The radio broadcast by Mercer's ear was cut off. He couldn't help but tilt his head to look at Rebecca, who was fiddling with the radio beside him.
She currently wore a look of utter satisfaction, letting out a happy laugh. "Did you hear that? We're totally famous this time!"
"I heard. You've been playing related news reports next to me all day," Mercer said helplessly, then mischievously sent Rebecca a comment from an online forum.
The original comment read, "That colorful armored person, I don't think they're as good as Adam Smasher."
Rebecca clicked on it and took a look, then gritted her teeth and glared at him angrily. "You did that on purpose, didn't you!"
She absolutely hated Adam Smasher now. How in the world was she anything like that big, dumb brute? That guy looked like a monster, what right did he have to be compared to her?
Mercer made a face at her, then simply continued assembling the Octopus Arm with a smile.
This time, he was making an Octopus Arm for the AI to use, one specifically for assembly and processing work. The material requirements were relatively low; it just needed to be able to use tools with precision and stability.
Rebecca huffed, then plopped down on the table beside him, dangling her short legs.
Mercer had no choice but to stop what he was doing and turn to look at her face. "Alright, spit it out. You've been stuck to me for almost a whole day since yesterday. What is it?"
Rebecca blushed for some unknown reason, her eyes darting around. After a moment, she feigned a casual, carefree tone. "It's nothing. I was just wondering when you'd have time for us to go out, just the two of us."
"You want to ask me on a date?" Mercer saw right through her. Rebecca's face flushed a deeper red. "Yes! A date! Is that a problem!"
"What are you getting so worked up for?"
Mercer said, somewhat amused, "Sure, why would it be a problem? If you want to go, I'll go with you. Where to? We can't leave Dogtown, though. We should still give Hansen some face for the time being. Don't want him thinking I'm completely out of his control and getting any funny ideas."
Rebecca just turned her head away. After a moment, she turned back to look at him, her expression growing a little more serious. "But what if I want to go out?"
"...Sigh, then I'll go with you. Am I really going to live my life based on Hansen's moods? What's the point of me even being here then?"
Mercer's words made her break into a smile. She practically leaped from the table into his arms and, without a moment's hesitation, tilted her head up and planted a firm kiss on his cheek. "I knew it!"
Mercer first glanced around alertly, confirming there was no risk of a dramatic scene, before lowering his head to kiss her forehead, pulling her snugly into his embrace. "So, where do you want to go?"
"...Mmm, it's a secret for now. But I promise you won't be disappointed."
After Rebecca finished speaking, Mercer smiled and agreed, "Alright. December, I'll remember. As long as I don't have anything important to do, I'll spend the day out with you.""That's settled then!" Hearing the faint sound of footsteps outside, she sat up with a grin, grabbed Mercer's face, and planted several hard kisses on it before hopping off him.
She stuck her hands in her pockets and waddled out like a happy little penguin. Seeing Lucy push the door open and enter, she just grinned as usual and waved. "Mornin'~"
"Good morning. You're up so early today?" Lucy was a little surprised. Rebecca usually slept in until noon before crawling out of bed.
Rebecca said with a grin, "Didn't sleep well last night, so I got up to walk around a bit. If nothing's up, I'll just go back and catch up on some sleep."
"Then go get some breakfast. Sasha made stew and bread this morning," Lucy said, holding up the tray in her hands. When Rebecca caught the aroma, her eyes lit up. "Sounds good, I'm going right now!"
Watching her scamper off, Lucy averted her gaze, walked over in a few strides, and unceremoniously placed the tray on the table. She then crossed her arms and gave Mercer a meaningful look.
Mercer said calmly, "Morning~"
"I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?" Lucy asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Mercer put on a baffled expression, looking completely innocent. "What important thing?"
Lucy rolled her eyes, reached out, and wiped his face. She then showed him the lipstick smudged on her finger. "Rebecca put on makeup first thing in the morning to come see you. I'd say, are you two about to get together?"
She added sourly, "Looks like I'll have to send a message before entering a room you're in from now on."
"Ahem, not really. You know how she is, she gets all huggy and kissy when she's excited... By the way, have you eaten?" Mercer said while wiping his face.
Lucy stared at him, speechless. After a long moment, she turned away in frustration. "Jerk!"
She stomped off in a huff.
[Morning Star: Hmm... aren't you going to say something nice to her? The books I've read say girls fall for that. I can provide you with conversation templates.]
[Mercer: Just stay out of it... Go on, what happened?]
[Morning Star: Remember the detection program we planted in the Black Sapphire servers?
A network signal suspected to be from the netrunner Songbird has appeared!]
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4400words.