And just as Mercer was using Soulkiller to modify Colonel Hansen's consciousness, brainwashing and controlling him...
The events unfolding in Dogtown ultimately leaked to the outside world through various channels.
Although Mercer used the ctOS to monitor nearly all of Barghest's personal terminals, some things didn't require an internal leak from Barghest to get out.
Dogtown's sudden lockdown, Hansen going incommunicado, and members of the Kindling Squad suddenly appearing in all of Barghest's key positions, all of it indicated that a major event had occurred in Dogtown.
For a time, the various factions deployed all sorts of methods, which unexpectedly put Mercer's recent counter-espionage equipment to the test. He captured one Arasaka special agent, two Militech agents, one Kang Tao agent, one NetWatch agent, and several other spies.
He even discovered and sealed two tunnels.
The various counter-espionage devices and capabilities Mercer suddenly displayed also caught the attention of many interested parties.
Goro Takemura, meanwhile, suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure and sense of difficulty.
The harsh words he had spoken before, about surrendering in ten days, were merely meant to exert psychological pressure on Mercer and not to be taken seriously.
Takemura knew very well that when a person is under immense pressure, especially when their life and the lives of their companions are on the line, the ten-day deadline he had casually mentioned would have a significant impact on Mercer's decision-making.
And often, the more desperate and aggressive the enemy, the bigger the openings they reveal.
In fact, Takemura had already found the best way to capture Mercer alive; he had successfully established contact with Hansen, who had promised to cooperate in capturing Mercer, and even the other members of the Kindling Squad.
In return, Arasaka would have to provide a valuable trade agreement and military support, offering Hansen asylum if necessary.
In Takemura's view, this was a complete win-win situation. Hansen would eliminate a major threat. Although he would lose some R&D capabilities, honestly, what kind of true powerhouse could a place like Dogtown possibly produce?
The resources that slipped through Arasaka's fingers would be more than enough to stuff Hansen full. Not to mention, this would also allow Arasaka's influence to further penetrate Dogtown and directly confront Militech.
And a talent like Mercer should be working for Arasaka. This was especially true after Saburo Arasaka heard of Mercer's deeds and became extremely interested in his abilities in both software and hardware development.
Many believed he was a rare super-genius who could take Relic technology and Soulkiller to the next level. For the elderly Saburo Arasaka, whose life was nearing its end, this was a precious prize to be captured alive at any cost.
This, in turn, made Takemura feel that the situation was becoming increasingly difficult, capturing someone alive was a completely different level of difficulty than killing them.
If Arasaka truly decided to issue a kill order on Mercer, Takemura would personally advise Saburo Arasaka that for a young genius with such a promising future, they should deploy aircraft from the carrier to conduct an aerial bombardment mission until the target's death was confirmed.
Any ban on heavy firepower would be insignificant. As long as Mercer was dead, there would be plenty of time to wrangle with Militech over it.
Right now, neither side was ready to start a corporate war. As long as they could save face and weren't directly attacking each other, they would most likely tacitly choose to use a war of public opinion to smooth things over. In truth, Takemura was already thoroughly surprised by the strength of Mercer and his crew.
He found it hard to imagine that a group of street thugs could actually escape with their lives when he was personally leading a group of senior agents and even had Adam Smasher coordinating with them.
In fact, if he hadn't cautiously deployed a large-scale EMP weapon, which, strictly speaking, already counted as heavy firepower, it was highly likely Mercer would have turned the tables on him in a head-on confrontation.
The combat prowess, equipment strength, and fighting spirit they displayed had fully proven how troublesome they were. And now, Mercer had even made the first move and zeroed Hansen.
This forced Takemura to start considering how he was going to complete the mission personally assigned by Saburo Arasaka.
After much deliberation, Takemura decided to prioritize a psychological attack. He would spread rumors in Dogtown that Mercer had usurped his superior, was ungrateful, and had betrayed Hansen, and that Dogtown's backers were extremely displeased with Mercer.
Once the members of Barghest were demoralized, given Mercer's reputation, and with Takemura using a hefty Arasaka bounty and a witness protection program as bait, that guy Mercer would surely be unable to eat or sleep in peace.
Moreover, he wouldn't just put a bounty on Mercer, but on his companions as well, making every one of them fear for their own safety. A group of street mercs who sold their lives for money, how long could they last on loyalty alone?
The best strategy was to first throw Dogtown into chaos, break Mercer's ironclad formation, and then look for the right opportunity to strike.
At the same time, perhaps he could use the people around Mercer to threaten him... either by buying them off or by kidnapping them.
Once Takemura had formulated his plan, he immediately began to implement it.
First was the public announcement of the bounty on Mercer himself.
The price was a shocking thirty million eurodollars, for live capture only.
Second was V, with a bounty of a full ten million eurodollars, but this price was also limited to live capture.
The combat capability V had demonstrated against Adam Smasher was quite intriguing. Many within Arasaka believed she might have the potential to become another sharp blade for Arasaka to wield, second only to Adam Smasher, and was worth the investment.
As for the others, such as Maine, Rebecca, and the rest, their bounties ranged from three to five million, dead or alive.
A huge reward is sure to attract daredevils. Takemura could predict that he wouldn't even need to act personally; a steady stream of people would go looking for trouble with them.
In this city, money could make children sell out their parents, parents sell their children, and lovers backstab each other.
In addition to the hefty bounties, Takemura also succeeded in tarnishing Mercer's image through targeted broadcasts, television programs, and secretly using informants to spread rumors in Dogtown.
In the story Takemura crafted, Hansen was a "broad-minded good man with a keen eye for talent."
And Mercer, as the recipient of a "Medal of Honor" personally awarded by Hansen, was naturally the villain of the story, having chosen to backstab his big brother who had treated him with utmost sincerity shortly after the award ceremony.
As for Hansen's current fate? He was dead, of course.
Just as expected, Dogtown was plunged into a state of chaos.
A large number of desperados began to rack their brains, thinking about how to make a big score off the Kindling Squad. Just in one week, Jackie, who was in charge of locking down the checkpoint at the entrance, and Maine, who was responsible for security inspections, encountered two assassination attempts. One attempt came from a crew of Afterlife mercs, who directly ambushed a checkpoint.
The other came from a squad of Barghest soldiers who couldn't resist temptation and tried to backstab Maine.
Fortunately, the drones swarming the skies of Dogtown and the spiderbots that regularly patrolled building interiors and sealed off tunnels played a crucial role, detecting the irregularities ahead of time.
And under the protection of the Tank armor and the close surveillance of ctOS, although both men were warned in advance and escaped unscathed, these successive assassination attempts still severely damaged the Barghest soldiers' confidence in Mercer.
In addition, the Cubans, Militech, and buyers and sellers from all over the world began to exert pressure on Mercer through their own channels.
Under the lockdown, Dogtown's smuggling business had come to a near standstill, which severely shook investor confidence. The Cubans were the most displeased and had already issued their sternest warning to Mercer.
To sum it up: lift the lockdown. Hansen's death didn't matter to them, but if business remained halted, Mercer's absence would start to matter a great deal.
For a time, it was as if the sky were falling. All the pressure came at once. Even Kyoko, who had always been the team's mascot, spent nearly every day in a deep dive, providing Morning Star with whatever help she could.
Finally, just as some members of Barghest were growing restless and about to ask about Hansen's whereabouts...
Hansen suddenly appeared.
To be precise, his voice appeared on Dogtown's broadcast system.
In fact, Hansen had a dedicated broadcast slot almost every day in Dogtown. It could be understood as a kind of propaganda station, specifically used to build prestige for Hansen and Barghest.
Hansen would often give speeches during his broadcast time, and would even personally chat with the people of Dogtown about the various crises of his past military career, of course, those stories were certainly mythologized to some extent.
It was precisely through this method that Hansen's rule over Dogtown became so deeply ingrained in people's minds, and it was one of the key reasons Barghest could quickly replenish its ranks with a large number of personnel loyal to him.
"Good afternoon, Dogtown. This is your Colonel Hansen."
Hansen's voice played with perfect clarity over the broadcast, reaching every corner of Dogtown.
"Because of Arasaka's assassination attempt on me, Dogtown had to be locked down for a week. I know it's been hard on all of you, but don't worry. The lockdown is over. I'm back."
After his brief speech, Hansen immediately praised Barghest's performance in a laudatory tone. He then gave special commendation to Mercer, stating that he had done an outstanding job stabilizing the situation in Dogtown after taking command of Barghest.
Then, Hansen publicly announced on the broadcast that he would return to Barghest starting that night and continue to lead them forward as their leader.
Hansen's sudden appearance undoubtedly lifted the atmosphere in Dogtown, which had been fraught with intrigue.
But the vast majority of Barghest soldiers were filled with doubt, was this really Hansen's voice?
Could Mercer be faking it with technology?
It was no wonder they thought so. As a week passed with no sign of Hansen, everyone had tacitly assumed he was most likely dead, and that the killer was Mercer himself. But now Hansen had suddenly popped up, claiming Mercer was the one he thought most highly of? Praising him for doing a great job with the Dogtown lockdown?
What a joke!
But when Hansen appeared at The Black Sapphire, dressed in a military green short-sleeved shirt, head held high and with a sharp gaze, the Barghest soldiers had no choice but to believe that things had indeed taken a strange turn.
Because right by Hansen's side, Mercer, who hadn't been seen for a long time, appeared with him, chatting and laughing. And although Mercer was wearing his battle armor, his helmet's faceplate was open, and anyone could see how friendly their expressions were as they joked with each other.
Afterward, Hansen and Mercer jointly convened a meeting for the mid-to-high-level officers of Barghest.
Under the gazes of the Barghest officers, who looked as if they had seen a ghost, Hansen even cordially had Mercer sit in his second-in-command's seat, replacing the one previously occupied by Bennett.
Damn it, some of the Barghest had personally seen Mercer kill Bennett... This was beyond belief!
And what Hansen said next was even more incredible.
"In light of Director Mercer's outstanding performance during my convalescence, I have decided to promote Director Mercer to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. While retaining his current position, he will also take over the role of Director of Operations, previously held by Bennett.
Furthermore, he will be simultaneously responsible for Dogtown's network security and supervision, with full authority over all of Dogtown's security matters.
As for his other personnel arrangements, I have reviewed them and will make no changes for the time being. Adjustments will be made later based on the current situation."
After he finished speaking, Hansen saw that no one at the meeting was talking and frowned. "What, it's only been a week, and no one listens to me anymore?"
"Of course not, Colonel Hansen..." Dodger said with a chuckle. "I was just remembering something you told me in the past. Do you remember? Back when we were still working for the NUSA, that time you barely escaped with your life in Panama?
Your arm was broken back then, but you fought your way out of the jungle..."
Hansen's brow furrowed slightly, but then he suddenly laughed. "You're misremembering. The one who barely escaped with his life in Panama wasn't me, it was that brute Bennett."
He looked at Dodger with an intrigued expression and said meaningfully, "Or perhaps we could talk about what we discussed in that diner after the Midnight Storm operation ended?
I remember you told me then that you were staying in Night City this time and had no plans to leave. Since you were risking your life either way, you might as well sell it for a good price..."
Dodger stared at Hansen, alarmed and uncertain, then turned to look at Mercer, who was sitting calmly beside him.
Just then, Jago, who was sitting on the other side of the conference room, quickly interjected, "Sorry, I have to cut in... Colonel Hansen, a few buyers from Europe are pressing us hard, asking when we'll send the final payment.
But we haven't found a buyer for the goods we have on hand..."
Upon hearing this, Hansen just nodded and said, "I know. I'll talk to them personally in a bit... Jago, you'll be fully responsible for these matters with me this time. Do your best to build good relationships with the clients." Jago was stunned, then overjoyed, but he immediately shot a cautious glance at Mercer. He was a bit confused by the situation now, wondering if accepting Hansen's goodwill would make Director Mercer think he was picking a side.
Mercer, however, smiled and said, "Captain Jago, it looks like you're going to be busy. Work hard. The next time something like this happens, we can't afford to be as unprepared as we were during this lockdown."
Hansen nodded as well. "This lockdown left our clients extremely dissatisfied. We must ensure that the same situation absolutely does not happen a second time."
"Jago, watch closely and learn well. If a similar situation arises again, you'll be responsible for ensuring our business doesn't suddenly grind to a halt, affecting our clients' business and Dogtown's reputation."
Could this be real?
For a moment, Jago couldn't believe it. Hansen had always valued his connections highly. He knew very well that the core of Dogtown wasn't its firepower, but this invisible, intangible network of relationships.
Was he really planning to share this network with him?
Hansen then turned his head to look at Mercer. "Lieutenant Colonel Mercer, where's Leon?"
"Let me think... I believe he's still being detained and interrogated for allegedly disrupting order and disobeying commands."
After Mercer spoke, an annoyed expression appeared on Hansen's face.
Just as the others thought this annoyance was directed at Mercer, Hansen cursed, "That gonk always messes up at critical moments... Forget it. Dodger, you're up. Quickly organize Barghest to sort and prepare the airdropped supplies for transport."
"Get Barghest's transport teams ready. Our volume of incoming and outgoing goods will probably be huge these next few days. Be prepared to work around the clock."
"Also, we need to replenish our manpower as soon as possible... Jago, go prepare a few new standard-issue contracts in a bit. Lieutenant Colonel Mercer has already discussed the contract details with me, so just follow his instructions."
"Alright, that's all for this meeting. When you get back, remember to tell those gonks that as long as I, Hansen, am alive, I will never allow anyone to collude with Arasaka."
"At the same time, after the lockdown is lifted, while ensuring the flow of goods and logistics resumes as quickly as possible, we absolutely cannot give Arasaka another opportunity... Dammit, to think they snuck into the Black Sapphire to assassinate me. What the hell is our security doing?"
When Hansen spoke of Arasaka, the deep-seated hatred on his face was impossible to fake. The old-timers who knew him well could tell from the subtle gestures he made when he was furious with killing intent that this man was definitely Hansen himself.
Mercer sighed, putting on an exhausted look. "Colonel Hansen, I'll leave the rest to you. During this time, I've come to understand that sticking to research is what suits me best."
"Don't say that, Mercer. You did a great job. The goal of those Arasaka bastards was to take this opportunity to divide us, then extend their tentacles in here. The more they want me dead, the more I'll refuse to let them have their way."
Hansen snorted coldly, then looked at Mercer with gratification. "You've worked hard during this time. Oh, and your special forces team too. Don't worry, once I've finished talking with the clients, I'll reward you all for your merits. You should get some rest, get a good night's sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, your burden will be even heavier."
Mercer, for his part, was very respectful. "Yes, Colonel Hansen."
Hansen nodded, and the two exchanged a smile, looking for all the world as if they had truly found camaraderie in adversity, their bond having grown by leaps and bounds.
Without another word, Mercer left in a hurry as soon as the meeting ended.
Hansen was even busier. He had no time to deal with some of the Barghest members who looked like they wanted to say something, and immediately began arranging his men to methodically restart Dogtown's smuggling network.
Once everything was arranged, clients and buyers contacted, and the blame for the lockdown pinned on Arasaka, Hansen immediately contacted the Cuban.
The moment the call connected, a man's voice, tinged with a Spanish accent, came through, cold and hard. "What a surprise. You're still alive?"
"My apologies, there was a situation in Dogtown," Hansen said, maintaining a very humble attitude toward the man on the other end of the line.
"Listen, I don't care what the hell is going on over there, but whether it's you, Hansen, who's the boss, or Mercer, or some other random bastard, I just demand that you stop fucking things up for me! Do you have any idea how many shipments are stuck? How much money we've lost because of your week-long delay?"
The man berated him without courtesy, while Hansen simply replied in a gentle and humble tone, "My deepest apologies, sir. It was Arasaka..."
"Hah, not that person named V?" a cold sneer came from the other end of the line.
But Hansen's expression didn't change as he said, "Although V was the one who acted, it was Arasaka who actually caused all of this to happen. In fact, Arasaka had already contacted me in secret before V made her move. But I have no interest in cooperating with Arasaka.
Now, Mercer and I have reached a consensus. From now on, we will present a united front to ensure Dogtown doesn't shut down again and will work together to promote its further prosperity. But the threat from Arasaka still exists. These guys aren't just after Mercer, the tech expert, but also our industries in Dogtown.
You know, this place has always been coveted by both Arasaka and Militech. Arasaka didn't make a move before simply because they weren't ready. Now, I hear Yorinobu Arasaka himself has come to Night City to oversee things... I'm afraid Arasaka has realized Dogtown's importance to Night City. Whoever controls this place first basically gains the advantage of being able to deploy heavy firepower and city defenses ahead of the other. If war comes again, Dogtown will be the key to the frontline."
The man's voice on the other end of the line went silent for a moment, presumably thinking. Finally, he just said flatly, "What do you need?"
"I need Aguilar to issue a warning to Arasaka. Make them think twice. Dogtown is not a place they can mess with as they please. Sir, you should know that only a figure like yourself can make Arasaka back off, at least enough to not affect our business... wouldn't you agree?"
After Hansen finished, the line was silent for another moment. Finally, a cold voice came through. "Fine. I'll have someone send a warning signal. If Arasaka doesn't want to give Militech another ally, they'd best keep their hands off Dogtown. But, because of your incompetence, you'll be taking a twenty percent cut from this quarter's profits." The Cubans' influence spread throughout all of North America. In the world of cyberpunk, there was no such thing as a Cuban Missile Crisis. Instead, the tables were completely turned, making North America the backyard of Cuba itself.
Even though the Cuban crime syndicate wasn't an official power on the surface, in the relative chaos of Cuba, these criminals who controlled the vast majority of its wealth and power, along with their patrons, were the country's de facto rulers.
While Arasaka and Militech were battling it out on the North American continent, the Cubans were a power they were absolutely unwilling to offend. Even if the corporations themselves didn't fear such an opponent, if that opponent were to side with their enemy...
It would be a huge disadvantage.
Faced with the Cubans' sanctions on his profit share, Hansen haggled with a troubled expression.
In the end, citing the heavy losses Barghest had suffered and making a solemn vow to expand Dogtown's trade volume and market share, he managed to get the penalty reduced to ten percent.
Don't be fooled by the "mere" ten percent. Given Dogtown's trade volume, that figure was calculated in the tens of millions of eurodollars, by no means a small sum.
After settling things with the Cubans, Hansen rubbed his head in annoyance. But as soon as he hung up, he obediently sent a message to Mercer.
[Hansen: The Cubans gave the expected reply, but our profit share will be cut by ten percent this quarter.]
[Mercer: Well done. Get the business running again as soon as possible. I'll build a batch of commercial-grade armor to fulfill the orders and recoup our funds quickly. We need more bots, drones, and armored warriors.
I'll draw up some exciting PowerPoints for you to use for fundraising. You need to hurry up and sweet-talk those rich folks into providing me with capital. Our cash flow isn't very healthy right now, and my research cannot stop.
Oh, and remember to organize a team to secretly excavate the Cynosure facility as soon as possible.]
[Hansen: Understood, sir! Any other instructions?]
[Mercer: Stabilize morale. Pin the blame on Arasaka. At the same time, streamline Barghest's internal structure immediately. We don't need those grunts anymore. As long as we have sufficient production capacity, bots are far more reliable than humans to me at this stage.
Some of your old friends don't have clean hands. Deal with them yourself. Don't make me waste my brainpower on it.
Once you've dealt with the financial issues and internal conflicts, submit a financial report to me. We have a lot of expenses, and every single cent must be carefully accounted for.]
[Hansen: Yes, sir!]
After the chat log, which turned the established hierarchy on its head, was automatically deleted, Hansen's usual cold, hard expression returned, and he immediately began to organize Barghest into action.
Mercer, however, chose this moment to make a strategic retreat, recalling the Kindling Squad and returning to the base to rest and reorganize.
It appeared as though the moment Hansen returned, Mercer had voluntarily relinquished his duties and ceded de facto control of Dogtown.
This scene couldn't help but make one wonder, could Mercer really be a loyal subordinate? Had he truly just been stepping up in a crisis before?
It was hard to tell the loyal from the treacherous, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that Hansen's appearance had dispelled the gunpowder-thick tension in Dogtown, reassuring the wavering members of Barghest and allowing them to resume their daily production routines.
The network of connections that Hansen had re-established also began to exert pressure on Arasaka in unison.
Now, the one left scratching his head was Takemura.
—--
He couldn't wrap his head around it. Mercer actually hadn't killed Hansen, and what's more, had even let him go.
What was even more incredible was that Hansen had actually sided with Mercer.
After the Cubans applied pressure to Arasaka through various channels, Goro Takemura received a direct order from Yorinobu Arasaka.
"Based on the results of my discussion with my father, we are temporarily terminating the operation."
Yorinobu Arasaka sat on a sofa on the top floor of Konpeki Plaza, gazing at the distant scenery with a faint smile, his thoughts a mystery.
"Terminate? Lord Yorinobu, I must make one thing clear. Although our last operation failed by only the narrowest of margins, given the strength and rate of improvement the target has shown, if we let him be, he will absolutely become a major problem for our Arasaka Corporation in Night City!"
Goro Takemura's brow furrowed. Bowing at a ninety-degree angle, he declared loudly, "Please give me another chance! And I request permission to use some advanced weaponry..."
"Enough!" Yorinobu's face darkened. He turned to look at Takemura and snapped, "Didn't you hear what I said? This is a decision made jointly by my father and me! They're just a bunch of street mercs. Even if they've gotten mixed up with that deserter Hansen, what can they possibly do? If my father didn't think it would be a waste to kill a talent like Mercer, a mere netrunner, no matter how troublesome, would be nothing more than small fry that a single tactical missile could solve."
Yorinobu adopted his usual hardline attitude, saying, "We must focus all our energy on confronting Militech. A netrunner can be dealt with at any time, but now is not the time to start a dispute with the Cubans. Your assassination attempt in Dogtown has already cost the corporation a considerable price! Do you know what we paid Night Corp for your so-called 'deets lockdown'? And what did we get in return? A pile of dead senior agents? Two sets of precious electronic warfare equipment left in Dogtown that had to be destroyed during an emergency delta? Takemura, perhaps you've been a bodyguard for too long and have forgotten how to lead an operation."
An expression of shame appeared on Goro Takemura's face. For a man like him, nothing was more humiliating than being questioned by the superior he served.
"My deepest apologies, Lord Yorinobu! But I am not being an alarmist. The enemy, despite lacking funds and being intentionally suppressed by Hansen, was still able to withstand our ambush with just a small team. We cannot afford to be careless with an enemy of this caliber. If we give up on this chaotic and fragile period in Dogtown and give Mercer time to develop, who knows what kind of powerful things a technical expert like him could cook up? Night City limits our firepower deployment. I'm afraid that by then, let alone capturing him alive, even assassinating him will be..."
Before Takemura could finish, Yorinobu waved his hand impatiently. "Enough. Pack your things. Inform Smasher. We return to the Japan headquarters in three days."
"Why?" Goro Takemura lost his composure for a rare moment, asking urgently, "Lord Yorinobu, I can remain in Night City alone..."
"Takemura, in your eyes, are only my father's orders considered orders?" Yorinobu's gaze turned icy.
Goro Takemura opened his mouth, but in the end, could only take a step back and bow ninety degrees again. "My deepest apologies! I have overstepped. Please punish me."
Yorinobu Arasaka just stared intently at Takemura. After a long moment, he finally said, "I have no right to punish someone who doesn't serve me."
He said sarcastically, "Perhaps I should envy my father for having someone like you, so persistent, considering only his needs, even if the consequences of those needs might be detrimental to the company's growth."
Goro Takemura immediately said nervously, "Please be careful with your words, Lord Yorinobu!"
Badmouthing Saburo Arasaka behind his back? Do you have a death wish?!
But Yorinobu Arasaka just kept a grim face and said coldly, "Be careful? Heh, I won't take that back. You're more than welcome to report it to my father exactly as I said it.
This year's financial statements, especially for the Night City market share, show Arasaka's portion is pathetically small. Kang Tao, Militech, even a trash company like Midnight Arms has a greater advantage than us in some markets.
And what are we busy with? Incurring costs of tens of millions of eurodollars to capture a netrunner alive, and risking the disruption of Night City's balance of power?
If a conflict breaks out in Night City now, what will we rely on to ensure victory? This newly rebuilt Arasaka Tower?
Takemura, your biggest mistake was not going for the kill against that man from the very beginning. If you had just assassinated Mercer, at least we wouldn't be empty-handed right now."
Goro Takemura lowered his head, unable to say a word.
Yorinobu Arasaka continued with a sour expression, "I'm returning to headquarters to hold a high-level meeting and request a higher degree of support. Night City is about Arasaka's future; we absolutely cannot let the Cubans and the NUSA, Militech, or even Kang Tao get ahead of us.
Let them have the Relic. Those spies have probably sold off its design schematics countless times by now anyway. As long as the core program isn't at risk of being breached, it's fine.
As for Mercer, we'll find another opportunity. Right now, we must consider how to expand our market in Night City, and the corporation's business direction for next year, it's laughable, really. What was the priority project for the last few quarters? The Cyberskeleton?
Heh, it ended up giving that Mercer ideas, letting him cobble together a suit of combat armor that he can even start selling on the market.
Meanwhile, our project is far from profitable, we haven't even finished the experiments. And under these circumstances, you're still advising me to go back to Dogtown to capture some minor netrunner... Why?"
Goro Takemura felt a sense of helplessness.
He's not just some minor netrunner... He's a man who, if we're not careful, could grow into a stumbling block hindering Arasaka's progress in Night City.
You complain that the Cyberskeleton's development is too slow, so shouldn't that be more reason to capture him? The guy's a genius. Capture him, make him work twenty hours a day, and the Cyberskeleton might be developed in three months.
But Takemura knew very well that on the surface, this was about the small matter of whether or not to capture Mercer. In reality, it was another instance of Yorinobu choosing, in a corporate decision, to express a tendency that differed, more or less, from Saburo Arasaka's.
Even Takemura, loyal as he was to Saburo, had to admit that in recent years, Lord Saburo had indeed become a bit too obsessed with the Soulkiller and the Relic.
He had even diverted resources to the development of the Relic biochip on more than one occasion at the expense of the corporation's business growth, leading to sluggish expansion and a gradually shrinking market share.
If it weren't for its vast resources and highly centralized power structure, free from the messy shareholder power struggles of other companies, Arasaka would have been kicked out of the ranks of preem corporations long ago for messing around like this.
To some extent, Takemura could understand Yorinobu's dissatisfaction. He sighed inwardly and, in the end, could only temporarily suppress his worries about Mercer.
After all, Yorinobu Arasaka was nominally his current superior and the regional director of the Arasaka Corporation in Night City.
—--
Yorinobu Arasaka, however, just impatiently told Takemura to get lost. Once he was a good distance away, Yorinobu casually strolled into his bedroom and retrieved a satellite Agent.
This satellite Agent was a friendly contribution from a NetWatch agent. As for how NetWatch had contacted him? It was naturally related to Night Corp suddenly picking a fight with Mercer online.
Ever since learning from Mercer that NetWatch was also looking for him and wanted to cooperate, Yorinobu Arasaka had unhesitatingly chosen to bet on both sides.
And how was he to get in touch with NetWatch?
Yorinobu Arasaka found a springboard: Night Corp. Through his contact with Night Corp, he unsurprisingly and smoothly connected with NetWatch, which had been closely monitoring his movements.
He also received a clandestine Agent, monitored by NetWatch. Although it would most likely be bugged by them, all Yorinobu Arasaka wanted was a way to evade Saburo Arasaka's surveillance.
For certain reasons, he hadn't issued a warning before Mercer was attacked, but this didn't mean Yorinobu Arasaka had given up on him. Yorinobu just wanted to take the opportunity to see what Mercer was capable of.
And the assessment he got from Takemura left Yorinobu very satisfied.
Don't be fooled by how badly Mercer seemed to have been hit, this was an ambush led by Takemura, with a whole team of elite agents, and even Adam Smasher had made a move!
To put it bluntly, if that lineup had been used to ambush and assassinate Yorinobu Arasaka himself, he doubted he would have made it out alive.
This was more than enough proof that this Mercer fellow really had some skills and wasn't just an empty name.
And Takemura had also said their strength would likely continue to grow rapidly over time. Wasn't that even better?
Of course, Yorinobu had to urgently call a halt to the assassination mission to buy Mercer ample time.
[Dragon: Rain suspended.]
After sending the message, Yorinobu turned off the Agent and put it away again.
NetWatch was clearly aware of Mercer's activities. As it was a case of healthy competition, Yorinobu wasn't afraid of them discovering his connection to Mercer.
After stowing the Agent, Yorinobu Arasaka looked out the window and, after a long moment, let out a soft sigh.
He wondered if this trip would succeed in getting Silverhand's Relic biochip... Heh, a crazy rockboy. When he was alive, everyone wanted him dead. Now that he was truly dead, he'd become a hot commodity...
Could these outside forces, NetWatch, Alt, Mercer's crew, really help him successfully overthrow his father?
Yorinobu Arasaka fell silent. After a while, he found a bottle of liquor and took two large gulps.
Do your best, and leave the rest to fate.
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5800 words