Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 53 New Commission, Rebecca Joins the Team (1 Views Requested for Monthly Tickets)
The vehicle soon arrived at the Twisted Street in the Kabuki District, the location where Mercer committed the bloody crime last night.

He looked around and saw that in the alley in the distance, the NCPD warning tape was still posted outside the black puppet shop, and the marks of the fire had not yet been repainted and covered up.

Looking at the group of NCPD members investigating at the alley entrance, Mercer, as the culprit, felt a strange sense of irony at the sight.

Mercer parked the car a short distance away and got out without fear.

The others got out of the car, but Qiwei stayed inside, not wanting to come out: "A, I don't really want to show my face here."

"I understand, I know you're afraid of running into acquaintances. But if you ask me, you're mine now, so stand up straight and don't be afraid."

Mercer said, tossing his pistol over: "If you don't want to come out, you can stay in the car."

V, leave the car keys with her, and when things get bad, drive off first and call me.

After that, go to the gun shop and pick out a gun you like. Even if you're a hacker, you need a handy tool.

If any fools cause you trouble, just message me and I'll get V to handle it.

Or you can just pull the trigger—a short press has limited range and power, while a long press charges the gun, and you feel the gun fully charged with a single jolt.

"Thank you, A."

Qiwei nodded to Moser, a relieved smile on her face.

She always felt that since meeting Mercer, she had probably said thank you more times than in the past ten years.

Mercer nodded and walked towards Okada Wakako's pachinko shop with his hands in his pockets.

On the way, I also saw a few Tiger Claw gang members who seemed to be chatting idly, but were actually responsible for security in the area.

Okada Wakako's shop is not big, only a few dozen square meters, with a dozen or so machines, and many people are having a great time playing with them.

Small steel balls were falling from the machine, accompanied by stimulating music and alluring images of beautiful women. Mercer glanced at it a few times but showed no interest.

Pachinko, a type of small steel ball game popular among the Japanese, is a gambling machine, and only an idiot would think that gambling can make them rich.

Mercer strode forward; Wakako's office was right behind the pachinko parlor.

"What are you doing!" A Tiger Claw gang member in a suit blocked Mercer's way with an unfriendly expression, a samurai sword at his waist.

Mercer glanced at him: "I just messaged Wakako. My name is A."

"Oh, Ms. Kako said that someone named A would be coming to see her, but she didn't mention that you brought a friend."

The Tiger Claw Gang man had a cold expression as he looked around Mercer's back, his gaze lingering on Rebecca and Pila for a moment.

"You two are too late; all the work has already been assigned."

He recognized the two children; they were the children of Hinode, the mercenary that Wakako once loved most.

I heard he was supposed to follow in his father's footsteps, but he was late for his first job. He's hopeless.

Mercer said calmly, “They all came with me. I can go in by myself.”

The Tiger Claw Gang member's prosthetic eyes gleamed, presumably explaining the situation to Wakako. After a while, he stepped aside, making way for the small door leading to Wakako's office: "Go ahead, Ms. Wakako is waiting for you."

V glanced at Mercer, who simply gave her a reassuring look before walking alone toward her office.

After passing through a small corridor, a small office came into view.

Wakako Okada, the old-school middleman in Night City, was sitting behind her desk, scrutinizing Mercer with a critical eye.

This elderly woman, who looked to be in her seventies or eighties, did not take care of herself like most people do. Her face, covered with wrinkles under her silver hair, made her look like a very approachable old lady next door.

"A, I thought you wouldn't come to see me in person."

"That was indeed the case originally, because I thought that for an old-fashioned middleman like Ms. Wakako to get closer to you, it would be best to wait until I had done a few good jobs and shown you my abilities before we talked about it."

Otherwise, nothing will be accomplished through conversation, and meeting in person will only be a waste of time.

After Mercer finished speaking, Wakako chuckled twice:
"What you said is not wrong, however, I have already heard about what you did in the afterlife yesterday."

You effortlessly hacked into a hacker's brain, and you dealt with Fenrir's illness in a single round with that mercenary named V.

Not only that, I also know that a doll shop on Twisted Street was hacked last night, and many people died.

There were also many homeless sex dolls running away. I checked when I got up this morning, and there was a girl named Qiwei among them.
You did this too, didn't you? A?

"Is it all for that girl named Qiwei?"

After Wakako finished speaking, Mercer nodded decisively: "Ms. Wakako, do you know Kivi?"

Wakako smiled and shook her head: "Of course not."

However, since this happened on my turf, I need to know who did it, right?
After seeing so many girls run away, my first thought was to see if any of them had asked someone else for help.

And that girl named Qiwei is quite well-known among the kids under my tutelage.

Pretty girls are always remembered well by young men.

I couldn't figure out who did this, but when you came here, my men told me they saw that girl named Qiwei with you.

I finally understood.

I knew it! Where would such a skilled, nameless hacker come from in Night City?

Mercer didn't refuse, simply nodding: "So, it seems there's an unexpected surprise in our meeting?"

“That’s right, A, I have something for you to do.”

Wakako Okada gave a gentle, faint smile: "It's very difficult, but the reward is generous."

Mercer was invigorated.

"Please go ahead."

Sure enough, work has arrived!

"Biotechnology has recently been secretly conducting experiments on some new drugs in the Badlands, and I have some old friends who are very interested in the content of their experiments."

Therefore, they want to obtain some drug samples, preferably along with related data, so that they can assess whether the biotechnology work is worth continuing to follow up on.

Therefore, we need a skilled hacker to hack the relevant data out of the company, and we also need some good mercenaries to intercept the biotechnology vehicle and bring back a drug sample.

Life is not easy, but it's not complicated either, especially since you have some friends in Adcado who can help you.

The compensation is very high; if you can obtain both the data and the samples, the compensation is 300,000 euros.

If you can only get either a sample or data, the reward will be only 150,000.

When you steal data from a company, the value usually depends on the data itself. This time, my friend and I weren't sure how much the data was worth, so we just made a simple estimate.

So, if you find valuable data from biotechnology, don't worry, I'll help you raise the price.

However, what if you get nothing and it gets discovered by biotechnology?
A: I'm not one to hold mercenaries accountable, but I hate it even more when my reputation is tarnished or when people think I have poor judgment.

So if anyone asks about Qiwei or anything else, like who messed up the deal, I won't keep it from you anymore.

This is a test, A. If you are confident, you can give it a try. If you find it too difficult, I can find someone else to do it.

But once I've accepted the commission, I hope you can do a good job. I believe that if you successfully complete this one order, many more people will seek your services in the future.

Okada Wakako spoke slowly and gently, but her eyes behind her reading glasses were as sharp as a tigress's.

Mercer simply smiled and then said directly, "The price isn't high, but as long as it's not too troublesome, I'll take the job. However, I need to ask around."
Your old friends, would you mind if I casually took a stroll through the servers of biotechnology?
If I can get other interesting data, how will the price be calculated?

“I haven’t seen such a confident hacker in a long time, A.”

Wakako Okada smiled and said gently, "But a skilled hacker should be like you. As long as you're not afraid of biotechnology causing you trouble, you can decide the mission method yourself."

Also, this is a lot of money, because I don't need to arrange an action plan for you, I just need to provide information. To tell you the truth, I only took about 30% of the money this time.

Since this is our first collaboration, I want to see what you're capable of, and of course I want to show you my sincerity.

And it's not as difficult as you think—you'll understand once you look at the information.

There's a reason why the price is low for this task. To be honest, I don't dare to give you a task that's too difficult, because I need to see your abilities for myself first.

However, my friends aren't afraid of biotechnology discovering anything wrong. So if you can risk getting more valuable data, or this time uncover some big secret...

I guarantee you'll feel the compensation is worth it.

I know you're new here. If you need more manpower, just let me know. I know some reliable people. Or if you need any tools, I can get them for you.

As for Pira, I mean, it would be best if he and his sister gained more experience before taking on such demanding work.

Wakako sat in her office, but she knew perfectly well what was happening outside.

Every member of the Tiger Claw Gang would send her any news they received that was worth reporting as soon as possible.

Mercer simply said, "True gold fears no fire. If they have the guts to make this money, then let them try and see if they have the ability."

If you lack the skills, change careers as soon as possible.

As for manpower, you don't need to worry, I will find suitable people to handle the task myself.

But I need detailed information, the more detailed the better. I hate surprises, I hate hidden pitfalls I don't know about, and I hate being deceived even more.

Ms. Wakako, I know you are a kind person, which is why I am willing to come and meet you in person to show my sincerity.

No matter how difficult your matter is, I promise I'll get it done. So, as long as your information is accurate, just wait for my success.

“Very good, A. I also like to do business honestly. Over the years, no mercenary has dared to say that I do things improperly. Don’t worry, I have already prepared the intelligence and information.”

Wakako smiled and took out a storage chip.

“Although the other party isn’t in a hurry, I think it’s best not to delay the request too long. So, I’ll leave this matter to you, A.”

Mercer took the chip, a smirk playing on his lips beneath his mask: "Don't worry, I've been wanting to take a look at the biotechnology servers for a while now."

This time, he doesn't plan to have someone insert the chip into the biotechnology server so he can steal it from them.

Because it's difficult—the security level of biotechnology is much higher than that of the Night City Hall.

So he wanted to try taking action directly from the internet, which is what a high-level hacker should do. He stayed at home and looked at the things on his server.

Back then, the Bartmouth man lay in the refrigerator and read all the company's secrets. Mercer wanted to learn from him.

“That’s settled then. By the way, Ms. Wakako, there’s something I’d like to ask about the father of those two children.”

After Mercer finished speaking, Wakako naturally knew who the child he was talking about was.

"Ugh"

Wakako sighed deeply: "I didn't expect that the two of them still haven't let go."
I sent their father on a mission related to Arasaka, but he messed it up, got caught, and died.

There are no other special reasons, I can assure you of that.

His failed commission caused me some trouble at the time, not to mention that their father was my favorite mercenary.

I will naturally investigate the matter thoroughly to see if anyone is behind it.

But that's the final result. No one can be successful and lucky all the time. No matter how skilled a mercenary is, if they make a mistake even once, the price they pay is their own life.

If you're wondering, for example, who took the money from their fathers' bank accounts, or who moved all the belongings from their house?

"Then I can tell you now."

Wakako glanced at Mercer and said calmly, "But you'd better think it through before you tell the brother and sister, especially that little girl Rebecca."

"You didn't bring them both in, so you must already know about her and her brother's personalities."

Mercer nodded.

Wakako then slowly recounted what happened back then: "The money that was taken from their father's account was done by someone hired by her father's old lover."

That stupid woman thought she had done something discreet and that the people she hired were reliable.

But the result was that the money was transferred out, and she died, killed by her partner. After all, it was more than 300,000 euros.

Yes, that partner's name was Sho Iwai, and he was a member of the Tiger Claw Gang. Unfortunately, he spent all the money he got very quickly and later died in a street fight.

The person who emptied the two children's house is still alive.

Her father spent a lot of money on extravagant lifestyles back then. When he went out to play and didn't have cash on hand, he would just borrow some from someone.

He always felt he could pay it back quickly, so he borrowed a lot of money from a man named William James.

He didn't take the money seriously at the time; it was just a little interest. Once the mission was over, he casually paid it back with interest.

But unexpectedly, he suddenly died, and then this man named 'William James' went and ransacked his house.
William's casino is now run by the Sixth Street gang. With the gang's connections, he continues to do things like running casinos, lending money, and running small bars.

I don't know much else about him, but... never mind, you decide for yourself. Be careful, he's quite influential in the Sixth Street gang.

Mercer nodded: "Thank you, Ms. Wakako. I will take your request seriously. As for how long it will take, I'll have to wait until I've reviewed the documents."

“Okay, A, we’ll talk by phone.” Wakako smiled and gave Mercer her personal phone number first, while Mercer picked up the storage chip, put it in his pocket, and turned to leave.

To seize biotechnology, especially since Mercer is planning to grab something ruthless as well, we'll have to plan this carefully.

Just like Lucy always says, he's not all alone now. No matter how bold he is in doing things, he has to ensure the safety of his own people first.

Therefore, Mercer had to verify the information himself first, then check its contents, and finally formulate a foolproof plan before taking action.

As soon as Mercer stepped out, unsurprisingly, Rebecca rushed over anxiously, grabbing his arm with one hand: "Brother A, did you ask? It's about my dad!"

"I asked, go outside and talk."

After Mercer finished speaking, he glanced at V as he walked out.

V looked puzzled: "Why are you looking at me?"

"Can't I just look at you because you're pretty? Why are you so sensitive?" Mercer said.

"Get lost, you're definitely up to something, I can tell right away!" V said bluntly.

Mercer chuckled: "A beast's instinct, huh?"

"Hmm! So, what's up?" V crossed his arms in front of him.

"I got a big job from Wakako, but I'm considering whether to bring you along."

Mercer said succinctly.

V's eyes lit up: "No way! Brother A, tell me, what kind of job is it? We've fought together a few times, where are you going to find someone more reliable than me?"

"This deal is risky and difficult, so I only plan to do it with people I know, preferably people like Qiwei who have officially joined my team."

After Mercer finished speaking, he stared straight at V, his meaning all too clear—come into my bowl.

His words made V roll his eyes: "Damn it, then give me a hint first, if I work with you, how much money will I get from this operation?" "It depends on how much you put in, but I guarantee that everyone who participates in this operation will get at least tens of thousands of euros."

In my team, I plan to use 40% of the revenue from each mission for team expenses, such as purchasing base equipment, rent, security facilities, and vehicles.

The remaining 60% will be distributed according to work done.

Some of the equipment purchased from the base may be used for our team's research and development. For example, I will research software and hardware, prosthetic modifications, and so on. If we develop any products that can be sold, they will also be considered team assets.

Extra money earned privately is yours to keep, but taking on private work cannot harm the interests of the collective.

If money is earned through the team's reputation or channels, 20% should be added to the team's funds to expand the team and strengthen its capabilities.

Mercer's long explanation left V dizzy, so she asked directly, "Just tell me, if I officially join your team, how much of the work Wakako gave you this time will I get after I finish it?"

"The work you're going to do is worth a total of 90,000 euros. It depends on how many people you need to do the work and how much each person will get—pay according to need."

After Mercer finished speaking, V couldn't help but gasp.

Even Rebecca and Pila's eyes lit up; if they hadn't been so rational, they probably would have already prostrated themselves in worship.

Ninety thousand euros?
If it were divided among just a few of them, that would be ten or twenty thousand each!
My God. Is this how fast my brother makes money?

"Don't get agitated, we'll talk about this later, V. First, finish your work tonight."

After Mercer finished speaking, V couldn't hold back any longer: "Damn, so much money, how can I stand it? What exactly are you trying to do? Rob the company?"

Mercer nodded: "More or less."

"Wow... this real big brother is Meng Ha?" V couldn't help but tremble a little, feeling both excited and a little scared. It was precisely because of this fear that she resisted the urge to join immediately.

Well, for kids on the street, the so-called company can be quite intimidating.

Back at the car, Qiwei, sitting inside the V-car, hurriedly rolled down the window and whispered to Mercer, "I feel like someone is watching me!"

"You have a good feeling about yourself. You were actually recognized as soon as you arrived. I didn't expect you to be quite famous in the Tiger Claw Gang."

Mercer said casually, "Wakako didn't say much. It seems your troubles are over. Probably no one will be following you around causing trouble anymore."

"What?" Qiwei was stunned.

“Wakako considers you one of my people, so as long as she still wants to cooperate with me, she definitely won’t leak your information. If anyone tries to cause you trouble, she will probably talk to me first.”

Mercer paused for a moment and said, "I took a look at the data on the server yesterday, and that shop was opened by a minor leader of the Tiger Claw Gang."

What Tiger Claw Gang wants to do can't escape Wakako's eyes. I'm more inclined to think that once I get the job done, those people you're worried about won't bother you anymore.

Wakako will stop those idiots for us, or she'll tell me in advance, and then we'll take action and kill anyone who wants to cause us trouble.

Qiwei, you're free. You don't need to worry about those people who bullied you coming back to cause trouble. That's it.

Mercer's words left Qiwei momentarily speechless. She opened her mouth, but could only manage to say, "I see."

"Well, don't overthink why those idiots are staring at you. I guess they're just being lewd."

Alright, V, let's go to your place first. I need to go over the plans for tonight with you again in detail. After that, I also need to have a good talk with Qiwei. She's decided to join me, so I have to take responsibility.

You two should get in the car first.

After saying that, Mercer casually returned to his car.

Pila was about to go over when Rebecca pushed her away: "Go over there and stay there. I'm going to talk to my brother."

“Don’t go crazy again!” Pila warned.

Rebecca rolled her eyes: "I know! You don't need to tell me!"

As soon as Mercer sat down and the driver's side door closed, Rebecca climbed into the passenger seat and stared intently at him: "Brother A, about my dad..."

"I can tell you, but don't do anything stupid in your excitement, okay?"

Mercer's words made Rebecca excitedly nod repeatedly, her twin ponytails flying up behind her head.

"I can!"

Mercer was skeptical of her assurance. Well, a child who hasn't been beaten up has a hard time growing up.

But it doesn't matter, if she dares to have a relapse, Mercer will punch her at the crucial moment.

"The person who stole your bank account deposits was your father's mistress. She did it in tandem with a member of the Tiger Claw Gang."

After she took the money, she was killed by her partner, who then died not long after enjoying his newfound freedom.

The man who emptied your house is called William James. He's currently involved with the Sixth Street gang, running a casino and lending money. Your father borrowed some money before he died and never paid it back, so he came to collect the debt after hearing about it.”

Before Mercer could finish speaking, Rebecca excitedly shouted, "Bullshit! He came to rob us! He didn't even mention how much Dad owed him, and he just took all the valuables from the house!"
My dad's storage cabinet contains guns, including a custom-made sniper rifle from Mallorian that can sell for over two hundred thousand dollars. Other items include his expensive collection of art pieces and a safe.
I had no idea what was in the safe; they just took the whole safe away!
Even if my dad were a scoundrel, he would never lend him so much money and not pay it back! If Pila hadn't been smart enough to secretly hide some small pieces of gold and silver jewelry and watches, we would have starved to death on the streets long ago!

Mercer scratched his ear: "I told you not to get excited."

Rebecca, her eyes filled with tears but clenching her teeth with murderous intent, said, "I'm going to personally twist his head off and ask my old man how much money he borrowed back then!"

Mercer hummed in agreement, and Rebecca waited a second before reacting: "You, you don't want to stop me?"

"If you want revenge, why should I stop you?"

Mercer said calmly, "I just need you to calm down, take care of what you're doing first, figure out the other side's strength, and make sure you're confident before you go in."

Your life is your own. If you don't even value your own life, what can others say?

Reckless revenge is not my style. I prefer to prepare everything thoroughly before indulging in a light and enjoyable act of revenge.

After a moment of silence, Rebecca nodded emphatically: "I understand. I will never act impulsively again this time. I will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly before making any decisions!"

"My suggestion is that you might consider taking revenge after you've joined the group?"

Mercer chuckled twice: "Once we're on the same side, I'll help you too, so you won't have to worry so much."

Rebecca didn't speak, but just looked at Mercer, staring at his mask, and suddenly laughed.

Mercer looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm just wondering, why would you want to recruit someone like me, and why are you being so nice to me?"

Rebecca blinked, then suddenly gave a somewhat alluring smile: "Do you like me?"

Mercer was a little speechless at her antics: "Of course! I don't just like you, I also like V, and a few others you don't know. I like quite a few pretty girls, what, do you want to join the queue?"

"Tsk," Rebecca's face fell, but she quickly smiled and brought her face closer:
"Hey, Brother A, my brother and I are both homeless and broke lately. What do you think?"

She slid her hand up to Mercer like an eel, making him jump and instinctively elbow her: "I'm driving, don't go crazy."

Rebecca puffed out her cheeks, rubbing her lower back, and sat back down in her seat. "You're so strange. You really only admire my skills?"

Although her actions were actually intended to test him, being rejected like that still hurt her pride.

"Can't I pity you?"

Mercer said frankly, "I think you're cute, and although you're not very bright, you're quite capable."

Moreover, she's kind-hearted and a rare good girl in Night City, so she's willing to give you a chance.

Is there a problem? "

Rebecca was quite pleased with the compliment, so she forgot about being elbowed and said with a smile, "Right? I also think I'm not bad."

Seeing her laughing heartily, her face beaming with joy, Mercer couldn't help but shake his head: "Alright, is there anything else you want to ask?"

Rebecca found him to be easy to talk to. After observing him for a while, she asked in a relaxed tone with curiosity, "Are you about my age?"

Although Mercer was wearing a mask, his voice, height, and the shape of his exposed ears, neck, and skin color all suggested that he was not very old.

"Eighteen," Mercer answered decisively. "I'm eighteen years old."

Once he hacks into the city hall and gets a new ID card, even if the King of Heaven himself comes, he'll still be eighteen.

Rebecca didn't doubt it: "Then we're not that far apart~ Brother A, you're quite impressive. You're not that old, and you're already starting to build your own team of marginal travelers?"

How did you meet Wakako? She doesn't assign big jobs to just anyone.

Mercer said calmly, "It's the same thing I said before: as long as you're capable enough, there will be plenty of middlemen asking you to do things."

"I've never heard of you before? Are you new to Night City?" Rebecca continued to press.

"Pretty much. Yesterday was the first day I officially greeted Night City. After that, I plan to treat this place as my own home."

Mercer didn't hide much from her, only saying, "That's why I'm recruiting and building teams. You should be able to tell that V and Qiwei are actually similar to you, they've only just met me."

"But V seems to respect you quite a bit. How did you and Qiwei meet? And you're planning to bring her into your team?"
"Uh, let me make this clear first, I'm not trying to sow discord, but I feel that Qiwei, how should I put it, seems a bit cold-blooded."

Rebecca felt that the more she understood him, the more questions she had about him.

Mercer continued calmly, "V may be a bit silly, but her intuition is amazing. Besides, I met her in the next life after I had a conversation with Roger in the next life yesterday."

The fact that a new mercenary can go directly to work in the afterlife is enough to prove my ability.

As for Qiwei's story, I can't just tell people about it. If you're curious, you can ask her yourself.

All I can tell you is that I rescued her from the black doll shop on Twisty Street last night.

As for why I wanted her to join my team, the reason is quite simple.

I want to do great things, and to do great things, I need a lot of people to help me. Although Qiwei used to be a doll, she never accepted her fate and taught herself some pretty good hacking skills.

Even without my help, she should be able to extricate herself from this situation on her own very quickly.

And I felt that what she said to me was sincere—even someone like Qiwei, who never liked to trust others, was willing to try to trust me and join my team.

Of course I'll believe her and give her a chance.

Sincerity begets sincerity. Technical skills are secondary. I only have one requirement for my team members: treat each other like family.

If Mercer wanted to bring people in, he naturally had to explain to them what he was there for.

He turned to look at Rebecca, who seemed lost in thought: "That's why I'm willing to give you a chance. Your skills may not be enough right now, and your personality needs some work, but your nature is good, and you're someone I can trust."
In Night City, not everyone is kind enough to give a waitress surrounded by animal gangs the time of day.

Moreover, when I saw that the waitress got angry with you afterwards, you didn't seem particularly upset or angry, except for being a little sad.

This shows that you genuinely just wanted to do something good.

Mercer sighed and said:

"A little girl who can't even afford to eat, without even a gun in her hand, in a moment of impulse, dared to fight the animal gang with a kitchen knife, all for a waiter she didn't even know."
Rebecca, many people in Night City might think you're being foolish, but I won't.

He turned to look at Rebecca, and that rather warm gaze made Rebecca suddenly feel a little uncomfortable. She subconsciously turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

"That's the main reason I'm planning to bring you on board. Well, I've done similar foolish things myself."

Mercer's words silenced Rebecca. She asked softly, "You saved Qiwei because..."

"Yeah, I just couldn't stand those idiots buying up a bunch of girls and treating them like piles of rotten meat to make money, so I couldn't help but talk to Qiwei and save her life."

After Mercer finished speaking, he paused and then warned Rebecca, "But the difference between you and me is... Rebecca, you must understand that some people are not worth saving."

For example, that restaurant waitress—if she herself doesn't even intend to save herself, and she's already gotten used to wallowing in self-pity, I generally wouldn't offer her a helping hand.

However, even so, if I'm in a good mood, I don't care whether it's worth it or not; saving people is something I'll do whenever I feel like it.

At least I saved a life, and that makes me feel better.

Rebecca pursed her lips and stared into Mercer's eyes. His tone and gaze remained unwavering as he spoke, and she could tell that Mercer was not lying.

In that instant, she inexplicably felt a sense of joy.

This was the first time in her life that someone had agreed with the views she held.

"Really?" For some reason, her nose suddenly stung with tears. She turned her head, crossed her arms, and looked out the window. "A, if someone said this to you..."
"Don't pity anyone in Night City, because Night City never pities anyone." How would you respond?

“Then burn this city to ashes, and build a new one from the ashes.”

Mercer laughed heartily, his tone bold: "Night City will be my city in the future, and I will decide what it looks like."

"You're even better at bragging than Pila."

Rebecca spoke in a complicated tone, but after she finished, she turned to look at Mercer: "A, you said that if I chose to join, you would help me get revenge. Do you keep your word?"

“It counts.” Mercer nodded.

“Then Pila and I are out of money for food lately,” Rebecca said, staring at him.

"Then I'll rent you two a hotel for now and give you some money to tide you over. Once I've settled down in Night City, I'll bring you both over."

Mercer spoke in a casual tone.

"What if I get into trouble again?" She pursed her lips and stared intently at Mercer, as if trying to see through his mask.

"If you make a stupid mistake and cause trouble, I'll get you out of there first, and once things are settled, I'll have V give you a good beating."

Mercer paused, then chuckled twice: "But if it's not your fault, then I'll tell those troublemaking idiots that as long as I'm breathing, no one will dare to bully my people!"

Rebecca reached out, placed both hands beside her face, and then slapped her cheek hard.

Before Mercer could ask a question, Rebecca took a deep breath and said angrily and firmly, "Damn it, I'll fight you!"

She turned her head, stared at Mercer, and said in an extremely serious tone and expression: "As long as you're not lying to me and what you just said is the truth, I'm officially following you from today onwards!"

"There's something I need to tell you beforehand, Rebecca. I'm in a lot of trouble. You could say I had to come to Night City because of my company."

"I have no intention of stopping after that. I plan to tackle all sorts of things, from biotechnology to military science."

Mercer didn't want to mislead anyone, so he decided to reveal a little bit of the information.

"Screw the company. You're not afraid, and neither am I. Let those stupid company dogs come if they dare." Rebecca was fearless.

“Then, Rebecca.” Mercer held out a hand.

Rebecca reached out and gripped his hand tightly.

"Welcome to the Fireseed Squad." Mercer chuckled, gripped the hand tightly, and then released it.

Rebecca felt a flash before her eyes, and a line of 2000 euros in income appeared before her.

"You'll stay at this hotel with V for now. I'll get you in when we get work."

Mercer's tone carried a hint of joy, and the corners of his mouth beneath the mask were clearly upturned.

ha.
Little Rebecca! A breeze!

My buddy's charm is truly amazing!
(End of this chapter)