"Judy~"
In the backstage workshop of Lizzie's Bar, Evelyn was pestering a beautiful girl with short, pink-and-green hair and a sleeveless tank top, pleading with a pitiful look in her eyes.
Judy Alvarez, Lizzie's resident genius BD editor, sat in her chair with a look of helplessness and frustration. She repeated herself, her tone hardening as she tried to dissuade her, "Listen to me, Evelyn, those people from the Kindling Squad are really bad news!"
"I know! That's why I have to come to you. Who else but you can guarantee that no one will find out while I'm recording the BD, and still maintain the recording quality while using a doll chip?"
Evelyn reached out affectionately and shook her arm. She knew very well that Judy was a girl who softened easily.
She put on a miserable expression and begged, "This isn't just for the money, it's for my safety, who knows what they're going to use me for? I have to find a way out!"
"So you're planning to work with NetWatch and pull some tricks behind their backs?"
Judy sighed, her expression turning serious. "Those guys from the Kindling Squad aren't afraid of The Mox. If they find out you're up to something, believe me, no one can protect you!
Not even NetWatch! They dare to cross Arasaka and Militech; they're not going to be scared of NetWatch!"
Evelyn, however, looked completely confident. "Listen, NetWatch has already promised me. As long as I can record the BD, they'll provide me with witness protection! Not only will I get money, but they'll also send me to Europe!
A new identity, sunny beaches, a new house, even a new job...
And if everything goes smoothly, how would those Kindling Squad guys ever know we're secretly recording a BD?"
Evelyn said naively, "Recording a BD is as simple as activating the program through my neural link to save it to my personal chip. And you're the best braindance technology expert there is, plus the camouflage program NetWatch gave us won't fail!"
"You know that A is a super netrunner, right?" Judy still looked resistant.
But Evelyn replied with a calm expression, "Yes, I know. He's a better netrunner than anyone in the Voodoo Boys. But come on, our client this time is NetWatch! Whose netrunning skills could possibly be better than NetWatch's?"
Judy hesitated. After a moment of silence, she finally nodded. "I know I can't talk you out of it. Even if I refuse, you'll just find someone else...
But I have to tell you, if you sense anything is wrong, you have to contact NetWatch immediately and get out of Night City."
"I know. Thank you, Judy." Evelyn showed a grateful expression.
Judy sighed and sat back down in front of her computer. "Plug in your neural link. I need to transfer the recording program to your neural link."
"Okay!" Evelyn sat down excitedly and plugged in the cable.
After Judy finished transferring the covert recording program, she warned, "You'd better pray that NetWatch's cloaking program is good enough. Otherwise, if they've installed a detection program on the chip and find any data anomalies, you're finished."
Evelyn nodded emphatically. "Don't worry, I know."
"I don't think you know anything," Judy grumbled, watching with concern as Evelyn sat up. "When are you meeting this big shot?"
"They said it's tonight. Around six, they'll send someone to find me and give me the doll chip. After that, I won't be allowed to take it off. Then, around seven, the big-time city broker, Mark, will come pick me up."
A glint shone in Evelyn's eyes. "If everything goes smoothly, then with the five hundred thousand eurodollars NetWatch promised me, plus the three hundred thousand they're giving me... Judy, that's a huge amount of money!"
"You have to be alive to spend it," Judy sighed.
But Evelyn had great faith in NetWatch's capabilities and simply repeated, "Stop worrying. This is NetWatch we're talking about! No matter how skilled the netrunners in Night City are, they're just a bunch of amateurs!"
In fact, ever since Bartmoss had crashed the Old Net, the skill level of netrunners had been declining year by year. Because the network was no longer globally connected, the vast majority of netrunners could only exchange knowledge on local networks.
Netrunners could no longer learn from the various hacking skills generously provided by others on the global network as they once had, nor could they recklessly experiment with their techniques across it. A decline in skill was only natural.
As a global network surveillance organization, NetWatch's internal library of network knowledge was arguably the most comprehensive and in-depth in the world. And those recruited into NetWatch were, without exception, master netrunners.
In a sense, Evelyn's common-sense judgment was correct.
There was indeed an insurmountable technological gap between ordinary netrunners and NetWatch.
But what Evelyn didn't know was that some geniuses, like Mercer, for example, could not be judged by common sense.
—--
At six in the evening, in a private room at Lizzie's Bar.
Evelyn looked at the shockingly baby-faced David before her, a surprised expression on her face. "A sent you to bring me the chip?"
"You can call me David. David Martinez!" Although David was trying his best to appear serious, to Evelyn, he was still far too green. The naivety in his eyes was impossible to hide, and she could see his foolishness at a glance.
David, however, was completely oblivious. He deliberately adopted a cold demeanor, mimicking the image of a "big-shot" from his fantasies, ostentatiously revealing the grip of the pistol at his waist to project an air of experience.
He lowered his voice and said, "Put on the chip, then wait for someone to pick you up. Don't ask any questions, don't worry about a thing. When you're alone with the target, activate the program on the doll chip.
After that, we'll take over your body remotely and start the conversation with the target. Once the talk is over, your part is done. The client will most likely have you sent straight back.
We'll retrieve the chip and pay you the remaining balance. Then the job's closed."
As David finished speaking, Evelyn immediately nodded. Even though she was clearly facing a small fry, she acted submissive and obedient. "I understand. Who is this big shot, exactly?"
"You'll find out when the time comes," David said, his face expressionless, as he inserted the doll chip into her head.
Inwardly, however, he was practically screaming – Don't shake! My hand!
But it seemed he was a natural at handling important matters. Although he was so nervous his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest, he still managed to insert the chip into Evelyn quickly, accurately, and steadily.
Alright, it wasn't actually that difficult.
Today, Evelyn was dressed in a lavish fur coat, done up as beautifully as a celebrity.
Objectively speaking, while she had the help of a ripperdoc, the girl was indeed very pretty with a great figure. Beneath the brilliant blue fur coat, a form-fitting dress made her look tall and elegant. No wonder Yorinobu had taken a liking to her.
David had never been this close to such a beautiful girl before.
Still, he did his best to remain calm. "Do you have any other questions?"
"Nope. I guess you probably wouldn't know the answers even if I asked. So, we just wait here?" Evelyn calmly took out a pack of ladies' cigarettes, lit one, and looked at David with great interest.
David nodded, sitting on the sofa with only a glass of ice water in front of him.
"Alright... Shall we chat, then?" Evelyn smiled, her tone mature and her posture graceful. "Or would you rather just sit with me quietly?"
She looked at David's handsome, young, and innocent face, feeling a strange sense of fondness. Finding a rare interest in teasing the young man before her for free, she gave him a coquettish wink. "We have plenty of time, anyway. I can have a couple of drinks with you, you know?"
David sat ramrod straight, his expression cold. "You just need to complete your mission."
Seeing David's unromantic demeanor, she simply gave a faint smile. If she weren't a little afraid of those ruthless people from the Kindling Squad, she would have definitely had some fun teasing this young man today.
Not wanting to cause any extra trouble, Evelyn shrugged. "Alright~ I'll just sit here quietly then."
David finally breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and quickly sent a message to Mercer.
[David: Boss A, I've inserted the chip. What's next!?]
[A: Just stay put and wait for the pickup. Watch her get in the car and just warn her not to take the chip out for the whole duration. I can see her status now.]
[David: Uh, and then? Can I just leave?]
[A: Yep, you're just running an errand. Don't be so nervous, David. This is just an easy side gig.]
[David: Okay, I get it. I just find it a little hard to believe you guys would choose me to help you... I mean, you're the Kindling Squad!]
[A: This errand might not be difficult, but the person handling it needs to look like they have nothing to do with us, and they have to be trustworthy. You're not a bad kid by nature. For a simple errand, you're trustworthy enough.]
[David: Uh, thanks for your trust?]
[A: You're welcome~ If you're so nervous you don't know what to do, you can go try a BD at Lizzie's. My treat.]
[David: Thanks, but I'll pass.]
[A: Hahahaha!]
David exchanged a few words with Mercer, which finally put him a little more at ease. He waited anxiously in the private room for quite a while before finally receiving a message from Mercer.
[A: They're here. You don't need to escort her out, just make sure she gets in the vehicle.]
David quickly sat up straight. "They're here. You can go now."
Evelyn downed the last of her red wine, stretched languidly, and stood up. "Got it~ Who's picking me up?"
"I don't know," David said honestly. Evelyn could only shake her head, her body swaying as she walked out.
As she reached the main entrance of Lizzie's, an Arasaka aerodyne vehicle pierced the night sky and landed at the door.
The regular patrons and The Mox's street punks subconsciously took a few steps back, but Evelyn held her head high, looking almost proud.
"Evelyn Parker." When the aerodyne vehicle's door opened, a man in a suit with a typical Japanese face and a Japanese accent in his English sized Evelyn up and down before nodding. His gaze then shifted to look behind her.
He was dressed like a typical Arasaka agent, and his tone was cold and imperious.
"Where's your agent?" the Arasaka agent questioned.
Evelyn Parker just smiled. "Do you need my agent to accompany me? I can contact him to come over right now if you'd like."
"Who's that kid?" The agent looked at David, who was standing by the entrance, clearly a little nervous.
Evelyn chuckled. "A goon sent by my agent, afraid I'll mess up the deal."
The agent's cyberoptics scanned David's basic information before he looked away, a kid whose record had no highlights and no criminal history, looking as green as a spring chicken.
He seemed to be just a little goon responsible for keeping an eye on the girl, not worth any extra effort.
The agent said coldly, "Get in the vehicle."
After choosing Evelyn, they had investigated her basic information. Neither her own nor her agent Mark's profile had any issues.
Mercer and Evelyn had only met once, and the process of contacting her agent to promote her had been entirely handled by Morning Star, who had paved the way with money online. The Arasaka people had no idea about the deets.
That agent, Mark, had no clue he'd been set up. To promote Evelyn, he obviously couldn't say he didn't know the girl well, this was a huge amount of money and fame!
For an agent, successfully promoting a doll into Yorinobu Arasaka's bed would be a milestone achievement and a golden ticket for attracting future business.
Evelyn turned her head, smiled, and waved at David before gracefully boarding the aerodyne vehicle. The woman's nerve was, in some ways, astonishingly great, and her composure was outstanding.
David watched the Arasaka aerodyne vehicle ascend into the sky, then quickly walked over to an ordinary black sedan, opened the door, and got in.
He fastened his seatbelt and started the car. The vehicle system lit up.
"Mr. David seems a little nervous. Would you like me to play some music for you?"
The voice from the vehicle system made David, who had been tense all this time, let out a sigh of relief. "No, thanks."
"Alright, then I'll take you straight home. Or is there somewhere else you'd like to go?" Polaris asked.
David quickly shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere else, just take me straight home."
"Understood." After Polaris's voice faded, the car began to drive automatically toward his home.
David was still in awe, unable to stop himself from saying, "Did Boss A really develop you all by himself? That's amazing."
"Of course! Master is a genius in the truest sense of the word! And he's very generous!"
Polaris's voice grew even more lively as she boasted, "I can do more than just drive. Now, I also know how to modify and build cars! I assembled and modified this car's vehicle system myself!"
"Uh... impressive." David didn't know the technical skill involved, but to him, just being able to converse with such an intelligent AI was already incredible.
Polaris dropped him off at his door, and David consciously opened the door to get out.
"Your pistol!"
At Polaris's reminder, David belatedly put his pistol back in the glove compartment, a look of reluctance on his face. "Oh, right!"
"It's not that Master is unwilling to give you a pistol, but rather he feels it's better for your daily life to stay far away from these things, hmm, I actually think so too."
Polaris's words stopped David, who had been about to leave. He fell silent for a moment, then sat back down in the seat and closed the door. "Why? Why do you, Boss A, and the others all think I don't have what it takes?"
David felt a little wronged. He truly disliked studying and genuinely yearned to become a dashing merc, craving that kind of thrilling life.
Could studying really change his life? Could it really let him live a good life? Was working for a corporation really such a wonderful future?
But if that was the case, then why would even someone as amazing as A choose to walk the path of a merc?
"Because you still have a happy and complete family. Staying away from danger is the best way to protect that happiness, isn't it?" Polaris said.
At the same time, it presented a set of data that David found somewhat unbelievable. "According to my knowledge, for all mercs in Night City, and I'm including legendary mercs, the death rate in the first year of their career is as high as 48%.
Of the remaining 52%, nearly 20% become unemployed or retire due to severe injuries, disabilities, or other related factors.
8% are arrested by the NCPD for failing to delta from a mission in time.
Of those who remain, a considerable number die in subsequent retaliations, street conflicts, or from substance abuse and other issues.
Only 18% of mercs are qualified to survive the first year and become professional mercs.
But among these professional mercs, the death rate in the second year of their career is as high as 72%, and the death rate in subsequent years remains above fifty percent.
According to Night City's statistics, over the past seventy years, only 1% of professional mercs have been active for more than 10 years, and this 1% are commonly known as legends.
But even for legendary mercs, their ultimate fate is nothing more than death or disappearance, that's right. In Night City, there are no living legends."
David was in disbelief. "What about someone like Adam Smasher? Isn't he a legendary merc?"
Polaris, however, offered him a rather shocking theory. "Well, although reports indicate Adam Smasher is still very active, based on data analysis combined with street gossip, it's highly likely he's no longer the original Adam Smasher.
You can imagine, for a guy who's been chromed until only his brain remains, how easy would it be to swap out a body? Or, to put it another way, how hard would it be to clone a brain?
Arasaka's memory transfer and replication technology is, to a certain extent, already quite mature. Memory replication and transfer is different from consciousness data transfer; it only requires cloning a brain and then implanting the memories to create a copy."
David swallowed. "You mean to say, the current Adam Smasher is very likely not the original, but some unknown numbered clone of Adam Smasher?"
"Of course, the above statement has yet to be verified and is merely my personal speculation. However, Master also agrees with my line of thinking to a certain extent. Because although Smasher is powerful, surviving for decades is beyond his actual combat capabilities.
If Adam Smasher really has survived as the original version until now, then he might truly be a legendary merc, second to none."
Polaris smiled and said, "But even so, let's just assume he's still alive. Mr. David, do you believe you can be lucky enough to become the second Adam Smasher?"
David gave an awkward laugh. "Uh, probably not."
"So, you have a happy family, a mother who loves you, and a relatively stable learning environment. Why must you choose the path of a merc?"
After speaking, Polaris automatically opened the car door. "Considering your mother will be getting off work and coming home soon, I suggest you hurry back to avoid any family disputes."
"Oh! Okay!" David quickly got out of the car and watched as it drove away on its own. He only sighed and returned home after the car had disappeared down the street.
A happy home?
To be honest, he didn't feel he was particularly happy, but others always said so.
Alright, comparing his situation, maybe it was a bit better than some of the homeless people on the streets, but only by a limited margin.
Although his mom never let him go hungry, she had little time to spend with him, and they were very frugal with food and clothing. Honestly, it didn't seem any different from all their neighbors living in Megabuilding H5.
David took the elevator back to his apartment. After zoning out for a moment, a message notification pinged in his neural link.
[A: Sent the payment. This gig is closed. From now on, just do what you need to do and forget what happened today. If anyone asks about it later, just say you ran into someone on the street who paid you to deliver something.]
[David: Oh! Okay! Thanks!]
[A: I should be the one saying that. Thanks for running the errand for me. Bye~]
David stared at his bank balance, which had suddenly shot up by three thousand eurodollars, and his heart suddenly started pounding. Damn, that's so much money!?
Just for running an errand and delivering something, this payment was more than his mom's monthly salary!
You had to know, the base monthly salary for his mother's current job was only 1000 eurodollars. She relied entirely on overtime pay and the company's various miscellaneous attendance bonuses to support the two of them.
But added up, that's probably not even 3,000 eurodollars a month, right?
David was in a bit of a daze. He had just run an errand after class and earned his mom's entire monthly salary?
Oh my god.
The washing machine in the room suddenly started beeping.
He quickly got up, walked over to take a look, and sighed, the washing machine's payment was overdue again.
But then, he immediately and enthusiastically opened the payment panel and paid the monthly fee for the washing machine. With that, the machine started running again.
A sudden sense of satisfaction welled up in David's heart.
The door clicked open, and his mother, her expression a little weary, walked back in carrying synthetic meat and canned vegetables. "David?"
"Here!" David came out of the bathroom.
"Good, you're home. I thought you'd run off again to who knows where. Night City hasn't been very safe lately, especially over in Pacifica, it's getting really chaotic. Don't go running around after school, just stay home."
David's mother, Gloria Martinez, nagged on.
But David just cut her off impatiently, then said excitedly, "I know, you don't have to tell me. Oh, right, Mom, I paid for the washing machine."
"Where did you get the money?" Instead of being pleased, Gloria immediately put her things down, looking at him with both nervousness and worry.
"My own pocket money I saved up."
After saying that, David turned right around and went back to his room, he knew he was a bad liar, so running away was the best option.
Gloria watched his retreating back suspiciously. After a moment, she said with a sense of relief, "Then Mom will transfer the money back to you later. You don't have to save money for me. You can go get yourself something nice to eat."
David gave a simple acknowledgment and closed his door.
Gloria sighed, boys were so difficult during their rebellious phase.
But she was mentally exhausted from work and clearly didn't have any extra energy, so she simply splashed some water on her face and went to make dinner for David.
Meanwhile, David lay on his bed, staring blankly out the window.
I really want to officially become a merc...
He tossed and turned, starting to fantasize, about the chip he had delivered, the beautiful doll he had met, and Arasaka's aerodyne vehicle.
I'm so curious... what's going to happen next?
—--
"You got David to do this? What if there's an accident? Wouldn't that be putting the kid in harm's way?"
Rebecca glared at Mercer, who was sitting in the netrunner station, chin in hand, checking the doll chip's operational data on his laptop.
At that moment, the entire Kindling Squad was gathered in the server room, all waiting for the historic moment when Mercer and Yorinobu would meet.
Mercer just said casually, "Every few days, he's either messaging me or messaging you, trying to subtly ask if we have any errands for him to run."
"But you still shouldn't get a kid like him for something this important, right?" Rebecca still didn't quite agree. She sighed and said, "What if he gets dragged into this?"
But Mercer just turned his head and gave her a calm look. "Everyone has their own fate. I did need someone who seemed unrelated to us but was trustworthy to deliver the chip, and he was more than happy to run the errand.
I got what I wanted, he was happy, and he even earned some money.
It's a win-win, what's not to like? As for the danger... as long as the negotiation goes smoothly, there is no danger. And if the negotiation fails, they'll know who the real players are. Why would they go looking for trouble with a kid who just ran an errand?"
Rebecca sighed. "I feel like we shouldn't have given him our contact info in the first place."
Mercer shot her a disdainful look. "Oh, please. If you didn't brag to him and make everything sound so preem all the time, he definitely wouldn't be so tempted that he doesn't even want to study anymore."
Rebecca felt a bit sheepish, she did occasionally brag to David. It wasn't just David, but also many of her old friends. Anyway, all the friends she knew from the streets knew she was doing very well for herself now.
Come on, what street kid doesn't love to show off after making it big? It was so boring staying at the base all the time, so she got her kicks from bragging to people online, and David was one of the listeners who loved hearing her boasts the most.
He was always praising her with things like "preem," "amazing," and "I'm so jealous."
She was just saying it to amuse herself.
Wasn't V the same way?
Except she was even more over-the-top. Rebecca only liked to show off online, while V preferred to go directly to bars to soak in that atmosphere, she was practically a legendary NPC who spawned on a fixed schedule at the Heavy Hearts club in Dogtown and El Coyote Cojo in Heywood.
Plenty of her fans would even go there to wait for her!
Seeing Rebecca's sheepish grin, Mercer watched as she guiltily dropped the subject. He pursed his lips and went back to looking at the doll chip's data.
After a moment, he suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"This stupid woman really has some nerve."
Lucy, who was also monitoring the doll chip's data with her arms crossed, frowned at his words. She leaned over and looked at the data in the chip. "Is there a problem with the neural link data?"
"Don't bother looking, it's fake data, there's a cloak program disguising the interface data. All the data coming from the neural link is randomly compiled fake data. If I hadn't done in-depth research on consciousness data from neural links while developing the consciousness transfer system for the mechs, and if I didn't have a natural sensitivity to all data, I really would have been fooled by this." Mercer said with a cold expression.
V, who was standing by and waiting to watch the conversation between Mercer and Yorinobu Arasaka, also frowned deeply upon hearing this, a murderous glint in her eyes. "Is she trying to ruin our plans?"
"I doubt she has the guts to openly ruin our plans, and this program isn't something an ordinary person could write."
Mercer's fingers flew across the keyboard as he said coldly, "This program has hijacked the output of the neural link, but it shouldn't have affected the input. In other words, it won't interfere with our use of the doll chip. I guess it's being used to cover up some abnormal data fluctuations in the neural link. There aren't many experts in Night City with the technical means to create such a realistic cloaking program.
First, we can rule out the possibility that Evelyn found someone herself. Morning Star has been keeping an eye on her, and there's been no unusual contact. That only leaves someone who has been monitoring our movements and found out in advance that we were going to use her, and who also has the tech to bypass Morning Star's surveillance and contact her secretly online.
Who has the ability to monitor us, who knows we plan to use Evelyn to meet Yorinobu, and who has the ability to privately contact Evelyn online and possesses this level of netrunning skill?"
The three questions he threw out made the target quite clear.
Sasha immediately exclaimed in shock, "NetWatch?"
"Most likely." Mercer nodded gravely. "As it stands, Rogue wouldn't sell us out. The only other party who knows our plan is most likely NetWatch, who has been watching us closely since God knows when."
Mercer sighed inwardly, but his expression remained relatively calm. "They also want to contact Yorinobu, but they haven't found a good opportunity. After finding out we also plan to meet with him, they probably decided to piggyback on our efforts.
It's all Alt's fault, that woman probably had further dealings with NetWatch and leaked some of my information. Who knows what she's cooking up with them behind the scenes."
"Alt Cunningham," Sasha sighed. "I never thought I'd one day have dealings with such a legendary AI."
"Heh, if you ask me, it's better not to get too involved with them. I'm starting to feel more and more that our goals might be fundamentally different from the goals of these AIs, even if they were once human."
Mercer grumbled, but then he suddenly stopped what he was doing.
"What's wrong? Did the breach fail?" Lucy looked at him, surprised that he had stopped.
Mercer frowned and, after a moment, cursed under his breath. "No. I just realized that once Arasaka picks her up, they'll definitely monitor Evelyn's network data. If I hack in now and get discovered, it could cause the meeting to fail."
"We can only wait for Evelyn to send the signal and activate the doll chip before taking a look," Mercer said with a grim face, ceasing his actions.
He hoped NetWatch wouldn't do something stupid and ruin his plans. If they did, they could expect his revenge.
No, even if they didn't ruin his plans, Mercer had already marked this down, they wanted to play dirty with him? They'd just have to wait and see!
As for that stupid woman, Evelyn.
Mercer sneered.
He wouldn't let her off easy either. In this line of work, what were the consequences for being two-faced and treacherous? Whatever they were, she would face them!
"What if it's some kind of virus? You transfer your consciousness with the doll chip, and then the virus activates..."
Lucy said worriedly, "To control someone with a doll chip, you have to deep dive first, then use the chip to take over her body. At that point, you'll be vulnerable to a virus, and you'll lose the protection of your ICE and server."
Mercer said coldly, "Since I know it's a trap, I'm certainly not going to walk into it myself. Morning Star, imitate my consciousness data and create an AI decoy. Send it over to confirm if the situation is safe for me."
Morning Star's voice sounded from the computer: "Understood."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew tense. Half an hour later, a signal came from the doll chip.
It was a "safe" signal actively sent by Evelyn, indicating that she was currently alone with Yorinobu.
"Morning Star."
As Mercer's voice fell, Morning Star immediately began to remotely send an AI over. Ten seconds later, she gave a definitive reply:
"No virus detected. There was only a hidden cloaking program in the neural link. I've already dealt with it."
"Then I'm going in." Mercer opened the panel on the back of his head without hesitation.
Before anyone could voice their concerns or try to stop him, he used an Octopus Arm to clamp a data cable directly into the back of his head.
Even if there was a trap, he wasn't afraid.
"Data transfer in progress..."
Morning Star's voice gradually faded, replaced by the strange sensation of jumping from one body into another.
Mercer knew, his consciousness was about to connect to Evelyn's.
—--
Yorinobu Arasaka knocked warily on the bathroom door. She had said she was just going in to freshen up, but then he heard the sound of a fall from inside, which made him suspicious.
"Evelyn? What's going on?"
He knocked, but there was no sound from within. After waiting a moment with a frown, Yorinobu Arasaka cautiously stepped back. He was about to call for his bodyguard, but a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he suppressed the impulse.
Instead, he returned to his own room and retrieved his handgun.
"Evelyn!" Back in front of the bathroom, Yorinobu's call was finally answered.
"I'm here. Just a moment." The voice from inside did little to ease Yorinobu's tension. On the contrary, he immediately sensed that something was off.
Yorinobu stood by the door, raising his gun with a cold expression. "Did you fall in the bathroom just now?"
"Don't worry, I didn't break my pretty face," came Evelyn's teasing voice from inside. Yorinobu just chuckled lightly. "What about your head?"
"That's a little harder to say... Mr. Yorinobu, please wait a moment while I get dressed. Tsk, this woman's dress is so hard to put on."
Hearing "Evelyn's" words, Yorinobu Arasaka's face was a mixture of anger and surprising cool. He even lowered his handgun. "So, who are you?"
"Don't bother guessing. I'm the one who's been trying to contact you in Night City. As for my identity, you'll find out in a bit. Alright, I'm coming out. Remember to put your gun away."
Evelyn's voice was calm.
But Yorinobu Arasaka smiled, his eyes cold. "Which gun are you talking about?"
"Uh, let's get this straight. I know you rich folks are all pretty kinky, but this buddy here isn't interested in men."
Mercer's words made Yorinobu Arasaka laugh out loud. He then put away his weapon, sat down on the sofa, poured a glass of red wine, and sighed inwardly.
It's finally happening...
His heart was now a mix of excitement and anticipation, but more than that, it was filled with nervousness, unease, and an indescribable, formless fear.
The shadow of Saburo Arasaka had always loomed over his heart. Even now, he himself wasn't sure how to face the mysterious person he was about to meet, who was wearing a woman's shell.
Evelyn pushed open the bathroom door and walked out barefoot in a bathrobe.
She seemed to have lost all of her earlier captivating charm. Instead, she walked with a lazy, sloppy gait, her steps wide and swaggering, the unmistakable walk of a man who was usually a bit of a slacker.
Evelyn sat on the other side of the chair and casually picked up a cigar from the table. "Buddy, got a light?"
"...Sure." Yorinobu Arasaka was amused. He tilted his head and tossed a lighter over. "Meeting me using a doll? That's a bold move. Good thing it wasn't in bed."
"You might not find it gross, but I do." Evelyn rolled her eyes, then stuck the cigar in her mouth, lit it, and took a puff.
"Damn, the senses on this doll chip are pretty dull. Can't taste the flavor. I wanted to see what kind of good stuff a rich guy like you smokes."
Evelyn regretfully put down the cigar, but Yorinobu Arasaka said meaningfully, "Then next time we meet formally, I'll bring one for you. Alright, now tell me. Your identity and your purpose."
"I'm A of the Kindling Squad. I'm guessing you've heard of me." Mercer's introduction took Yorinobu Arasaka by surprise.
He asked subconsciously, "What's your relationship with NetWatch?"
"You thought NetWatch wanted to see you? Hmm... well, they do have plans to meet with you, but I beat them to it."
Mercer sat with his legs crossed, shifting his body. He felt a bit uncomfortable all over, being a woman didn't feel great.
"What does a merc like you want with me? Selling something?" Yorinobu Arasaka's enthusiasm seemed to have faded somewhat. His expression became much calmer, hiding his true thoughts.
He raised his glass, looking as if he had suddenly run out of patience.
But Mercer just said bluntly, "To discuss a deal. You help me get Johnny Silverhand's Relic. It'd be even better if I could get the technical data for the Relic. In return, we'll help you assassinate Saburo Arasaka."
"Pfft!!!"
Yorinobu Arasaka sprayed the mouthful of liquor all over the floor.
"Cough, haha, cough cough! Hahahaha!" He coughed, wiped his mouth, and then laughed so hard he was out of breath, making one worry he might suffocate.
"Wait, hah, you mean I help you steal from my own family so you can assassinate my father? How about this, I'll give you another thirty seconds. If you can't state your real purpose, you can get the hell out.
I'll have my people find you and personally ask how you came up with such a brain-dead idea."
Yorinobu Arasaka said, his face full of mockery.
Mercer, however, just unhurriedly wiped the liquor that had been sprayed on him. Hey, not bad, this feels pretty good. This ripperdoc's skills are top-notch!
"I've already told you. You help me get Johnny Silverhand's Relic. This is the deal I made with Alt. After that, we'll take over Mikoshi, and Alt will take what she wants.
Then we'll work together to wipe out all remaining consciousness data in the server, ensuring that Saburo Arasaka's consciousness backup in Mikoshi is completely and utterly destroyed.
On top of that, on behalf of the Kindling Squad, I'm willing to help you zero Saburo Arasaka."
Adding only a few more deets, Mercer repeated what he had just said.
Yorinobu Arasaka's face darkened. He activated his neural link and made a call. "Adam, get over here. There's a lunatic that needs dealing with."
A faint smile played on Mercer's lips as he sat in place, not moving an inch.
Yorinobu Arasaka, too, simply sat there with a grim face, not moving an inch.
Ten seconds passed, then thirty. The door was suddenly pushed open.
Adam Smasher's burly figure slowly walked in.
"I'm here."
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6200words
Bonus chapter @1000powerstones