"You could just consider it as writing off my debt. Honestly, if you brought anyone else on board, there's no way they'd give us such a big share. You gathered the information, and having you on the team made the task a breeze."
"Rebecca and I each get a couple hundred thousand Euros, enough for us to set up a room and tinker with our cyberware."
Mercer shook his head, "Let's talk about it later."
"Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn't take it," Rebecca said, frowning as she looked at him. "Even if we're dividing it based on contribution, we got the Sword in the Stone mostly thanks to your intel, right?
You helped too, planning the operation, the action, the retreat. Getting fifty or sixty percent would only be fair."
"V and I won't take the money just because of your so-called 'even split' rule."
Seeing how adamant the two of them were, Mercer chuckled, "Do you guys realize how much money we're talking about here?"
"No matter how much it is, it doesn't concern us," V said bluntly. "Since we're sticking to distributing it based on contribution, don't switch it up."
"Alright, alright... how about I give you each 20%, and I'll take the rest. Deal?" Mercer suggested.
"That sounds better; it's not like your server isn't for everyone's use at the base, right?" Rebecca finally smiled.
Glancing at the room filled with screens, hacker chairs, and workbenches, Rebecca shook her head and quickly asked, "Is there another place? This is all hacker stuff; it's making me dizzy just looking at it."
"The rest are individual bedrooms, seven in total, each over twenty square meters, with a private bathroom and closet.
The one at the back is the base's backup generator room. If there's an emergency power cut, the large generator inside will automatically kick in and a tank of fuel can last for an hour without any issues."
After Mercer finished explaining, Rebecca asked with confusion, "How big is the generator if it only lasts an hour?"
"You think when the server's fully running, how much electricity does it consume in an hour... This is all thanks to Hans finding those Netherworld Dogs and greasing palms to get a dedicated line. Otherwise, power outages and trips would've been a regular thing, and that would've been a real pain."
Mercer pointed to a nearby room while speaking, "We have seven people now, so pick your own space. Every room is the same, decorate them however you like."
"Where are you planning to stay?" Rebecca said, leaning closer with a grin. "How about we be neighbors?"
"I don't mind; I'll probably be in the server room most of the time anyway, just coming back to the room to sleep."
Mercer said.
Rebecca then simply pointed to the room opposite the server room: "Then you stay there so it's convenient for you to get to the server; I'll take the one to the right of you."
"Okay." As Mercer spoke, Lucy silently pushed open the door to the first room on his left and walked in.
Qiwei didn't hesitate, choosing the room at the very end. V thought for a moment before moving into the room next to Rebecca, leaving Pira with the second to last room.
But Pira didn't mind who his neighbor was, he just rubbed his hands in a slightly sleazy manner, "How's the soundproofing here?"
"Good enough, all solid walls," Mercer glanced at him, "Just so you know, no bringing outsiders back to the base without my approval."
Mercer didn't plan to allow a vote on this matter; he wouldn't stand for his home being overrun by a bunch of annoying idiots.
Who knows what kind of characters these Street Kids knew out there.
"Hehe, I'm just saying, uh, never mind, it doesn't matter," Pira ducked his head under Rebecca's squinting gaze, conceding with a raised hand.
Ever since Rebecca upgraded to Gorilla Arms, he really had no temper left. A punch from her before might just make him grimace in pain; now, with that thing, he'd need a cyberware doctor right after.
"Alright, sort out your own rooms, set up door access permissions, move your stuff in, and let's have a feast tonight. From now on, this place is our home!
Plus, I have a gift for everyone."
Mercer's mysterious demeanor piqued their interest, but seeing he didn't intend to reveal it prematurely, they all excitedly went to check out their rooms.
In his room, Mercer could hear Rebecca's gleeful laughter from next door.
"Hahaha! There's a bathtub? Mercer, I love you! Did you hear me?"
Mercer shook his head, ignoring her, and took a moment to appreciate his room.
Though windowless, which inevitably felt a bit stifling to the eyes, Mercer was still thoroughly pleased, at least the room was spacious, with a soft mattress that didn't feel uncomfortable against his stiff back.
Most importantly, it had a bathtub for soaking in hot water!
Ever since he'd ended up here, he hadn't had a single bath, and for someone who loved soaking as a Northerner, that's been a tough situation.
Mercer's cyberware wasn't afraid of water anyway.
Soon, he heard noises of people moving luggage outside. Pathetic as it may sound, everyone's combined luggage could probably fit into just one car.
Even V, in her rented place, only had that dilapidated laptop, stored ammo, and clothes that belonged to her.
Mercer stepped out of his room, having nothing urgent to do either, so he wandered back to the living room and opened the fridge.
After that, he took out the treasures he had smuggled in through some Adcardans and started defrosting them.
A large five-kilo chunk of beef, a box of chicken wings, as well as some fresh vegetables and seasonings that they usually didn't have the chance to eat.