However, Mercer quickly realized that this wasn't the case, because after the detection program finished running, a personal network signal suddenly connected to the server's network.
The other party wasn't diving deep; after checking the network security, they utilized the server's exploit programs to gain network access.
Let me see what you're doing on the network...
Mercer's eyes reflected a vast array of data fluctuations. Before the other party was even aware, he had already begun monitoring their network using his high-level access hacked from the server.
This unknown network user is... searching for hacking tutorials?
Interesting, which sex doll decided to change careers?
Mercer could see that the other party had some skill; the content they were searching had already surpassed the level of a beginner hacker, involving a lot of advanced hacker knowledge.
He watched for a while, and then, with interest, began tracing the signal back to the other party—he wanted to see which sex doll was secretly skimming profits from their own shop, striving to better themselves.
The result he uncovered made him raise an eyebrow involuntarily.
"Qiwei?"
Mercer immediately turned and began sifting through server data for keywords, and quickly found information about a woman named Qiwei from the sex doll shop's records.
[Name: Qiwei]
[Age: 22]
[Employment Time: 2 years]
Mercer frowned slightly and after a long search, pieced together Qiwei's background from some outdated server data.
She was sold into the shop by a factory manager, priced at 45,000 Euros by the black market's sex doll factory.
Other than that, there were just some work evaluations, like her average work attitude.
Most of the data stored in this shop's server were customer information, with very few records about employees.
But even so, Mercer could confirm through the photo that this woman was the hacker Qiwei from the Edgerunners.
Has she still not escaped the sex doll shop?
Qiwei...
Mercer had mixed feelings about her.
In the anime, Qiwei wasn't portrayed as a positive character.
She was the typical tragic figure clambering up from the bottom rungs of Night City.
Sold to a factory by her parents when she was young, the factory leaders initially treated her with warmth and concern, but as she grew, their true nature showed, eager for her beauty.
After repeated rejections from Qiwei, the angry factory leader sold her to the black market sex doll shop.
It was in the sex doll shop where Qiwei began self-studying hacking, creating for herself a perception-blocking sex doll program to endure the days.
Yet, even then, while serving a client with Gorilla Arm, she was harshly judged for poor service and had her jaw torn off by that client.
Qiwei never managed to fix her jaw, only hiding the torn part with a mask.
Eventually, using her self-taught hacking skills, she killed everyone in the sex doll shop and factory, and only after her revenge did she finally regain freedom.
This life experience made Qiwei an absolute egoist, with a life credo: Trust no one.
Because of this belief, at the anime's end, she chose to betray the protagonist team for corporate immunity, money, and status.
Yet, when Faraday silenced her, she unhesitatingly handed over the tracking signal of the hovercar holding Lucy to the protagonist team, assisting them in rescuing Lucy and backstabbing Faraday.
Eventually, this unfortunate, pitiful woman died tragically beside an unnoticed alley garbage bin, leaving no one to care she ever existed in this world.
After thinking for a moment, Mercer finally sighed. He proactively connected to the other party's signal and, with a strong hacking stance, demonstrated his prowess while sending her a message.
[A: Do you want freedom?]
[Qiwei: Who are you!]
[A: I can help you.]
[Qiwei: What do you want?]
[A: I just find you pitiful.]
[Qiwei: Everyone here is pitiful—tell the truth, or I'll cut the connection.]
[A: You can choose to believe or not. I'm just here running programs on this server and stumbled upon you by accident.
Not every pitiful person deserves saving, but I think you can still be saved.]
[Qiwei: Why!?]
[A: Because you still have the desire to change. Even in this environment, you're still learning hacker skills, trying to pull yourself out of the quagmire.
Self-helpers gain the help of heaven, while the abandoned are forsaken by heaven.]
[Qiwei: Ha... alright, you who claim to be 'heaven', Mr. A, what will you do?]
[A: I won't do anything unless you've truly decided to trust me and sincerely ask for my help.]
[Qiwei: You want me to beg you for help? Fine, please, Mr. A, help me, I'm really sick of this!
What do you want in return? For me to spend a few nights with you? Or money, or for me to do something dangerous?]
[A: I want to hear you say, thank you, Brother A, sincerely from your heart.]
[Qiwei: After you get me out, I'll personally thank you and bow before you, will that be acceptable?]