As for ordinary people? When dealing with the Black Wall or rogue AI, they are usually the first to be eliminated, let alone use them; merely approaching means death.
In fact, the Little Beidou Facility has already been targeted by the rogue AI or Black Wall. As soon as the facility is rebooted, it will inevitably be observed by the rogue AI, and by then... Mercer is unsure if what he opens will be a Pandora's Box.
However, that thing can't just be ignored. If Mercer doesn't use it, sooner or later Military Science will, and Hansen won't let the facility remain idle.
Rather than sit and wait for death, it's better to take the initiative. More importantly, Hansen is still the nominal boss; even if the Little Beidou Facility blows up, Hansen will bear the responsibility, and Mercer can quickly escape.
"Hmm, so you're planning to, no matter what, first blend into the Netherworld Dog, so Hansen won't be too wary of you while using them to deal with Arasaka and finding a way to research that underground Network Nuclear Bomb?"
Rebecca summarized.
Mercer nodded and added, "Pretty much, and I can quickly outfit all of you with armor—if Arasaka decides to act against us, without personal armor to make up for the equipment gap, it's really too dangerous."
V sighed, "I don't really mind... let's go back, have a meeting, and discuss it."
So, after Mercer returned to the base, he immediately organized a meeting with all participants.
Finally, everyone reached a consensus and made a decision—temporarily accepting Hansen's invitation, obtaining a formal special position in the Netherworld Dog, and waiting for the right time.
Mercer actively initiated a new round of negotiations with Hansen, mainly focusing on equipment. Hansen thought for a long time and eventually relented.
Agreed to prioritize the approval for Mercer to begin mass production of various tank models of Single Soldier Armor and provide funds for Mercer to further develop hacker models of Single Soldier Armor, and to build a new advanced chemical medical laboratory for Mercer.
Mercer's responsibility was first to simultaneously produce Single Soldier Armor for the Fire Seed while custom-producing armor for Hansen and his confidants.
Secondly, he had to ensure the Fire Seed's attendance rate, actively participating in all aspects of the Netherworld Dog, including managing the various gangs in Dog Town, engaging in smuggling, safety affairs, training affairs, and other matters.
Hansen knew very well the assimilation effect of a group on an individual. To win someone's loyalty, you must first integrate them into your group.
Finally came Hansen's restrictions on the Fire Seed.
Firstly, it meant depriving the Fire Seed of the right to freely accept commissions, instead having to submit such tasks to Hansen for approval before proceeding.
This was not a big deal; Mercer had already decided that until he got rid of those threatening Agent Arasaka, he wouldn't let his people go out, lest old fox Takemura targets them.
The second point was a clear division of Mercer's personal power, first confirming Mercer's administrative level as a director without direct command rights over any part of the Netherworld Dog.
He had no rights for any personnel appointments or transfers independently.
Due to the military management system within the Netherworld Dog, he received a special honorary military rank but was not included in the vertical command system of the Netherworld Dog.
In other words, it was clear that Mercer would have only honorary status without real power.
Furthermore, Hansen required that during any actions by the Fire Seed, Mercer must cooperate with Bennett's elite corps directly associated with the Netherworld Dog.
Any activities outside of Dog Town must be approved by Hansen.
Without permission, any contact with third-party interests is forbidden...
In short, the strict regulations of the Netherworld Dog were all written clearly in the contract signed with Mercer, with Hansen having the right to claim compensation for any breach of contract—essentially the right to legally strip him of assets.
It seemed stringent, but it was actually just putting previously unspoken rules in writing.
The Netherworld Dog operates on a system of contract soldiers; no officers or researchers are exempt. With the Fire Seed signing a formal contract, it meant that from then on, at least nominally, the Fire Seed officially joined the Netherworld Dog.
And just after signing the contract, Hansen finally relaxed some control over Mercer; as long as Mercer was willing to report, he could use the smuggling channels of the Netherworld Dog to purchase any equipment and raw materials.
The controls on their transportation in and out of Dog Town were also restored, as long as they report what materials are being transported according to the regulations.
The subsequent life for Mercer himself didn't change much—he still spent most of his time in his base working on research.
Meanwhile, he quickly smuggled a batch of drug raw materials through Dog Town channels and began using machinery snatched from biotechnology to produce cheap medication for Red Ochre and the Adcardo.
Although there was only one drug synthesizer, given the current number of sick Wanderers only reached about a hundred, the drug output was still adequate.
And just as everything was proceeding routinely, Hansen finally set the date for Mercer's so-called 'honors ceremony'.
The honors ceremony would be at 7 PM on January 1, 2073, with the location, of course, being one of Dog Town's central places, the Gem Cyan Hotel.
And as the time approached December 31, 2072, Mercer found himself unexpectedly caught in an awkward predicament due to an unforeseen dilemma.
As the nominal main character of the banquet, Mercer not only needed a handsome dress suit to attend the banquet but also traditionally...
He needed a female partner to accompany him to the banquet.
So the problem arose—the selection of this female partner... was not easy!