[Hans: A, your call came even later than I expected.]
[A: Planning to settle in Dog Town, got to get some cash first.]
[Hans: I guess it was you who hijacked the biotech people yesterday?]
[A: News travels fast, huh.]
[Hans: Mainly because everyone knows the big names in the city.]
[A: Alright, I won't waste Mr. Hans' time, I want to ask if Mr. Hans can arrange a safe, large enough base for us to settle in Dog Town?]
[Hans: In Dog Town? It's not really a good place to settle down, to be honest, there are New America spies everywhere here, and Hansen's lackeys are eager to collect rent on every piece of land in Dog Town.
Plus, there are all sorts of criminals who've committed crimes in Night City and fled to Dog Town.]
[A: I just like messy places, a place where the companies can't just knock on your door, if anyone wants to make trouble for me, they better have the guts to do it.]
[Hans: I like guys like you with confidence, but... isn't it a coincidence? I happen to know just the place for you, discreet, low-key, yet full of intrigue.]
[A: Such a good place, you'd give it to me just like that?]
[Hans: Of course not for free, but to show sincerity, you can come to Dog Town and take a look yourself, I'll introduce the place to you.
If you're satisfied, then we can talk about the deal.
It's business, after all, always good to see what you're buying first so you can offer willingly, don't you think?]
[A: Can you give a brief description first?]
[Hans: It's an ordinary warehouse, of course, it just looks that way.
It covers an area of about three to four hundred square meters, and most importantly, it has a basement that's not smaller than the space above.
At first glance, it's just a storage warehouse, but it has an independent backup power system for use during outages, a complete ventilation system, and walls that are thick enough for fortress-grade security.
Plus, this basement has another independent exit, connected to the sewers under Dog Town.
If you're willing to take the time to clear that passage, you could even use the sewer to swim from underneath Dog Town to Taiping Prefecture.
It's just a bit remote, in the southwest of Dog Town, near the high wall and the Cleaner Fish's territory.]
[A: Doesn't sound like something built randomly.]
[Hans: During the Metal Wars, there were buildings like this all over Dog Town, this one doesn't belong to Arasaka, or New America, or Night City,]
[A: The Cubans'? Their stuff doesn't come cheap.]
[Hans: You're well-informed as well, A.]
[Hans: But you're quite right, the Cubans', they originally had the same idea as Hansen, but due to some unexpected events, they missed the opportunity.
But I think, if you're willing to side with me, my Cuban friends certainly wouldn't mind parting with a building they don't need for now.]
Mercer didn't reply immediately but thought for a while.
Hans' intention to curry favor was clear, wanting to pull him onto his side.
This showed, on one hand, Hans really didn't have usable people at the moment.
On the other hand, it also implied—by accepting his goodwill, at least in Dog Town matters, Mercer shouldn't think about dealing with Hansen, and might need to do some dirty work for the Cubans if necessary.
Is it worth it?
After contemplating, Mercer sent Hans a message.
[A: I won't be staying in Dog Town forever, it's just a stepping stone for me.]
[Hans: At least while you're in Dog Town, I hope you won't refuse my commissions—it might be troublesome, but the pay won't be small, as long as you handle things well, I assure you Hansen won't trouble you easily.
Don't worry, we're friends with Hansen now, at least he still needs me to handle some troubles, to build connections for him in Night City, and I need him to facilitate things for me in Dog Town.]
[A: Alright, while I'm in Dog Town, I'll be on your side, and when I leave, in light of past favors, I'll be willing to help you with less troublesome things.]
[Hans: Great, it's a deal then, no need for rent, I can help you arrange the renovations and workers, all at a friendly price.]
[A: I'll probably need you to get me a good price on materials, but I plan on having my own people do the renovations, just need you to provide some convenience to get some passes.]
[Hans: No problem, we can stay in touch, I sent you the address, and I assume the access code to the warehouse won't be a problem for you, take a look inside, and if you're satisfied, consider it a deal.]
[A: Then first, give me and my friend a pass for Dog Town, I've sent you the relevant personal information.]
Mercer sent over the prepared identity info from Night City, along with V's info.
It's obvious, the Netherworld Dog's identity authentication system must be using NCPD's channel, employing a simple whitelist check method—creating a complete household registration system from scratch?
Mercer guessed Hansen didn't have that capability.
Hans took just a few seconds to reply.
[Hans: It's done.]
[A: Thanks, as a favor in return, you can think about what urgent tasks you need people for, and I'll take care of them while I'm doing renovations.]