"It's because I'm so professional that I don't worry about doing things online," Mercer said, then added, "I'll have V bring you the hard drive tomorrow."
"Alright, cash on delivery," Rogue replied, then suddenly turned serious: "I have some bad news for you."
"Go ahead," Mercer sat up.
"Arasaka has its eyes on you—more specifically, you and that group of kids around you. You didn't just steal one Relic Chip, did you?"
After Rogue finished, Mercer didn't immediately respond. He simply stared at her, saying everything without words.
Seeing this, Rogue could only shake her head: "Alright, quit staring... I can only tell you that even people above me have asked me to find someone in Night City. I'm sure other intermediaries have received similar messages.
Do you know what you're worth to Arasaka?"
Mercer was quite interested in this: "How much?"
"You're the number one most-wanted, worth ten million euros."
Upon hearing this, Mercer took a deep breath: "Ten million?"
"Ten million for capturing you alive, five million for your corpse. If they can recover the Relic Chip, each one, whether good or bad, is worth a million euros...
So honestly, tell me, are you really just on the run for stealing, or have you done something bigger?"
Rogue looked at him seriously, with a hint of warning: "I don't want to find out one day that you've screwed me over."
Mercer raised his hand in a vow: "Buddy, I haven't screwed you over. As for why they're offering such a high price for me..."
He thought for a moment, then sneered: "Think about it, Ultraman, Bartmos, which hacker among them caused less than ten million euros in damage while alive?
My value is even higher because I'm connected to AIs like Ultraman. If they capture me, it's hitting the jackpot."
After Mercer finished, he suddenly got a bit angry: "Wait a minute, I'm only worth ten million euros? How much are the others wanted for?"
"Between a hundred thousand to fifty thousand," Rogue looked at him with some amusement: "That's the internal bounty price, already pretty good. Do you know how much Bartmos was worth back in the day?
All companies combined put a bounty on him, and even then, his head was only worth thirty million euros. Now, even a single Arasaka is willing to put ten million on you, that's not low."
Seeing him like this, Rogue wasn't too worried about being screwed over by him; instead, she teased: "If the price goes any higher, even I might not resist the temptation, and then you'd be in real trouble."
Mercer still wasn't satisfied, thinking that this amount couldn't even buy a supercar like the Lady of the Lake's Sword, and his life wasn't worth more than a supercar?
Dammit, one day I'll show these Arasaka idiots what Mercer's bounty should really be worth.
"You need to be careful, don't casually show your face. I suggest if it gets worse, you might want to consider plastic surgery."
Rogue scrutinized him: "You haven't stupidly taken off your mask and wandered around, have you?"
"No... but quite a few Adcardans have seen me, very few in the city though, just a handful," Mercer said.
Rogue pondered for a moment: "That's still not very safe. While most Adcardans wouldn't betray you, beware of traitors."
"Got it," Mercer sighed: "But I guess it's just a matter of time. A hacker like me is bound to become famous; even without Arasaka, other companies would target me for my skills."
"Then you need to figure out how to hide yourself, just staying in Dog Town won't cut it," Rogue advised.
Mercer remained silent for a while, then smiled: "Got it, there's always a way."
"Alright, that's it. I'll help you find someone in Military Science who can pull some strings, and let you know if I find the right person."
Rogue said, beginning to see him out.
Mercer got up, thought for a moment, then said: "I know a woman named Meredith Stout. I checked online, she should now be a deputy director of operations in Military Science. Is that good enough?"
"That's quite a high position... Are you interested in her?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"See if she's usable, she's an ambitious woman, bold and ruthless. After all, a coward wouldn't dare to do what I need to do," Mercer explained.
When he finished, Rogue nodded: "I'll find out for you."
"Thanks, Rogue," Mercer gave her a thumbs up, saying somewhat flamboyantly: "You're the best fixer in Night City."
"Screw you, A, don't make me sick... Don't leave me hanging when I've got work for you," Rogue replied with a laugh.
"I'll be at your beck and call," Mercer waved coolly as he turned and left.
But after leaving the private room, his expression grew somewhat serious—the Arasaka pursuers were finally coming.
Considering that he hadn't exactly kept a low profile all this time, some necessary preparations needed to be prioritized.
Mercer wasn't planning to just start lying low and hiding; to him, evading Arasaka's chase was just a last resort. The best way is to solve the problem at its source.
And the key to solving the problem undoubtedly lies with Arasaka Yoshinobu; as long as he can meet with him, if he successfully takes down Arasaka Saburo and helps Yoshinobu ascend, then Mercer's bounty won't be an issue anymore.
Moreover, he might even gain a very powerful ally.
But while this sounds simple, in reality, it requires the right timing, location, and people. Mercer didn't intend to rush Rogue; in fact, even meeting with Yoshinobu now, there aren't many things he could do.