On the afternoon of the second day, Mercer went to the stock exchange with V, withdrew all the funds originally used for shorting, settled the profits, and without adding leverage, he reinvested everything into buying up biotech stocks.
Afterwards, he took V to Rebirth.
As usual, he ordered a Coke and a whiskey at the bar. Mercer didn't rush to see Rogue, but stayed by the bar with her, watching television.
At six-thirty in the evening, Channel 54 started broadcasting a live news conference.
When Diana Kuno took the stage as the biotech representative to be interviewed, V looked at the TV. Although Diana Kuno appeared to have a heavy expression, her attire was very exquisite, which made V let out a disdainful snort.
"Look at this woman, someone who doesn't know might actually think she's not involved in this at all."
V gripped the glass a little irritably.
Mercer just pushed the straw under his mask and sipped the Coke bit by bit, speaking very calmly: "This is Night City."
"Ha, well said." Claire, who wasn't very busy at that moment, turned her head to watch the TV with Mercer and V, sighing, "I remember when I was young, someone said biotech poisoned the water of Saint Domingo District..."
Mercer didn't say a word because he knew the blame for Santo Domingo's water pollution lay with Arasaka. It was Arasaka Company's factory secretly discharging toxic wastewater, which resulted in severe pollution of Santo Domingo's water resources.
Yet even Arasaka's employees were totally unaware of this; it's imaginable just how little these corporations regard people as human beings.
On the TV, Diana Kuno continued to speak eloquently.
"According to our internal investigation, we have found the executive who will be held responsible for this poisoning incident, and she is Dr. Joanna Koch."
Diana wore a pained expression: "Regretfully, she is not only my colleague but was once my student, and I am the person responsible for drug development in this incident.
Out of trust, I never imagined she would use this method to test the drug I developed in my research.
Once I knew she was secretly orchestrating and causing employees to do such things.
I immediately tried to persuade her to surrender and make active compensation and apologies to the public and victims.
Unfortunately and infuriatingly, when Joanna realized that the company would conduct an internal investigation, she escaped out of fear of accountability."
V's expression became even more disdainful upon hearing this: "Escape? I bet she's already dead."
Mercer said nothing, just continued watching the TV.
After a slew of buck-passing remarks, Diana finally revealed the crux, turning to the camera and saying, "But fortunately, Joanna was unaware that we have actually developed an immunity drug for the viruses infecting the residents of Sillan Town."
Mercer put down the Coke, squinted at the TV with Diana on it.
At that moment, what started as an apology press conference seemed to pivot, becoming a briefing on the new drug developed from the biotechnology.
"This immunity drug not only can cure the various toxins Joanna released in Sillan Town but can also form antibodies within the body, achieving permanent immunity to these viruses.
Although the cost is high, we promise to provide free vaccinations of this vaccine to all residents of Sillan Town and compensate them."
A reporter channeled a questioning tone, "Aren't you still using them to test the drug? What if the drug has side effects?"
"We promise, if the drug fails to solve the poisoning issue of Sillan Town residents, any resident who falls sick or dies due to side effects or viruses will receive a minimum compensation of 200,000 Euros from us!
At the same time, we will fully investigate Joanna Koch, who has fled, and actively cooperate with Night City's Biosecurity Management Committee and the NCPD to thoroughly investigate all involved personnel.
We pledge to handle all involved employees under public supervision, transparently and openly, without letting any criminal go."
The reporter asked again, "You're the person responsible for drug development, don't you know anything about this event?"
Diana Kuno showed a sorrowful expression: "Yes, indeed, until Joanna fled, she insisted during the company's internal investigation that she was conducting drug tests by recruiting 'legal volunteers.' As someone responsible only for the technical development part, all I could see were the experimental data and results. I was completely unaware of the identities of the volunteers she mentioned, or the test environment of the drugs."
Even Claire couldn't stand watching anymore, shook her head, and went to mix drinks for other customers.
And V, filled with disgust, glared at the screen, saying, "Mercer, do you think anyone will buy her bullshit?"
"Does it matter whether ordinary people believe it or not?" Mercer withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and said, "Her goal, or the goal of biotech, has already been achieved."
"What do you mean?" V didn't quite get it.
"The focus of this press conference is not about apologies, nor about compensation, or explanations."
Mercer sighed, pointed at Diana, who was eloquently discussing the immunity drug's data, and said, "The focus is the results of this experiment, the focus is that biotechnology has developed an immune drug."