Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 65 hides a secret, Mann's Squad (9.5K votes needed)

“Smart.” A hint of appreciation flashed in Roger’s eyes as he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his armchair.

"Why didn't you take this order?" Mercer pressed.

Roger simply said calmly, "Because I feel this request will definitely be troublesome—or perhaps I'm wrong? Maybe you'd like to explain in detail?"

"It seems that the Military Science Academy is doomed this time."

Mercer suddenly understood something.

No wonder the biotechnology department only sent one Behemoth truck to transport the drugs, even though the vehicle had already been in an accident. The security around the building at night was only slightly tightened.

And what a coincidence that an associate director appeared in the office! Ah, Joanna, this woman is something else!

After being enlightened by Roger, Mercer roughly guessed the truth of the matter.

Joanna first used the news of developing an immune agent to propose cooperation with the military science, and Mercer guessed that the cooperation was close to being finalized at this point.

To ensure that this collaboration was not a scam, the military science institute commissioned someone who seemed to have no connection with the institute to steal data related to the drug from the biotechnology building.

The military science department wanted to use the stolen materials to verify whether the immunizing agent Joanna claimed was effective!
Joanna might even have an informant within the military science community who informed her of their plans in advance. That's why she went to such lengths to transport medicine in conspicuous Behemoth armored vehicles, and why she operated at the same time and along the same route every week.

She deliberately let the military science team steal her things!
Mercer's thoughtful expression made Roger guess something: "Is there a trap behind this job?"

"According to the technical director I killed, the viruses they mainly used for drug testing this time were all viruses that they were very confident in solving, and the experiments were very successful. In other words, although the data for this immunizing agent is currently true."

However, I suspect that the effectiveness of this drug in immunizing against other viruses will be highly questionable in future developments.

Regardless, as long as the military science team sees the current data and Joanna's PowerPoint presentation is well-written, they will most likely still believe this project has great potential.

Unless there is a sufficiently trustworthy person who can stand up and tell the military science department that this is a trap.
Mercer fell silent as he spoke, lost in thought. After figuring out the key point, he immediately sent a message to Diana.

【?: Dr. Kuno, I suspect that the theft at the biotechnology building, including your presence in the office that evening, may have been Joanna's doing.】

She might be trying to eliminate you, her competitor, by killing two birds with one stone—I advise you to be more cautious in your actions.

Diana: What do you mean? You mean... damn it, how could she do this? She used to be my student!
I understand. I will handle this matter carefully. Your message came at the right time. Otherwise, if I had only discovered the problem during an internal meeting, things might have gone wrong.

Could you please suppress some of your negative information before releasing it? I mean, things like poisoning the town.

I need to find some reliable people to release the dirt at the right time and pin her to this case so that I can have a chance to bring her down.

Moreover, I need to find a way to contact the military science department on her behalf. I am the main developer of the immunizing agent, and even if it's for the subsequent research and development of the drug, the people at the military science department will help me get her involved.

"Mysterious sir, please, I will definitely get what you want from headquarters as soon as possible, but all of this is contingent on me still being in power. If Joanna ousts me, then there's nothing to discuss."

[Question: I want to know if your immune agent is reliable? Is the subsequent research and development a scam or is it actually possible?]

[Diana: The development of the drug was a combination of luck and skill]

[?: To be honest, if I find out you're lying to me, I'd rather the person lying to me die first.]

[Diana: Well, based on the current data, the current immunizing agents are actually more like vaccines against certain specific viruses. As for achieving what we call 'immunity to all viruses,' we haven't found a direction yet.]

[Question: So you're using vaccine development as a pretext to create a drug disguised as a panacea, and then scamming military research institutions into investing in you?]

[Diana: You can't say that. Drug development is essentially chemical 'alchemy,' who knows when you might suddenly discover a breakthrough?]

[?: Well, just like breakthroughs in materials science, it all depends on continuous trial and error, waiting for luck to come?]

[Diana: Um, anyway, can you help me?]

[?: I'll keep this a secret for now, but you must notify me before you release any damaging information about Joanna.]

[Diana: No problem!]

Mercer hung up the call and downloaded the entire conversation log.

Roger then leisurely exhaled a puff of smoke: "Looks like I've done you another small favor?"

"I guess so. If you hadn't reminded me that this was a matter for military science, I probably wouldn't have thought of the key point for a while."

Mercer nodded.

Roger looked at him meaningfully: "Who are you messaging, people from the company?"

"Diana Kuno, the deputy director of biotechnology at the same level as Joanna, was also the unlucky guy who happened to be working overtime in the office when I was stealing the data."

I bet Joanna is drinking champagne right now, waiting for news of Diana's impending doom. Unfortunately, she underestimated Diana's abilities.

This woman reacted quickly, or perhaps it was because I took pity on her and spared her life that Joanna's tightrope walking trick went awry.

Next comes the time to enjoy the company's dogs fighting amongst themselves.

Mercer didn't hide anything; on the contrary, he intentionally told Roger some details—he would need Roger's help with this matter later.

Roger smirked. "It's unbelievable. A guy who talks about setting Night City on fire is actually negotiating a partnership with a corporate dog?"

Mercer simply smiled and said, "Of course we need to talk. Not only with biotechnology, but I also plan to talk to the people from the military science department."

He sat up straight, sounding somewhat excited: "As long as the scam hasn't been exposed, the collaboration between military science and biotechnology is almost a done deal."

I think that the senior military science officials who finalized this cooperation must have had equally matched competitors.

What do you think would happen if I told that high-ranking military scientist's rival about being scammed at the military science institute?
I suspect the people in that company would never miss an opportunity to send their competitors to hell.

Roger asked curiously, "So what do you get in return? The friendship of corporate dogs? Don't tell me you're planning to be a middleman too, which is why you're trying to please everyone."

To be honest, based on my understanding of corporate employees, your extortionate approach to cooperation will make you the first person they'll target once they recover.

"First, I need Kuno to get me something, so now I need her, and she needs me."

As for the military science department, I can negotiate and request it simultaneously; as long as there are benefits, I'm happy to see it happen.

They fought to the death, while I fished in the chaos.

And when Dr. Kuno recovers and wants revenge, ha, then we'll see who's stronger then.

Mercer said, relaxing again and sitting down, "There's no other way. Money, equipment, materials, and even so-called 'company friendships' are all very useful to me now."

Some things require taking a bit of risk; the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

"Then what about your talk of burning this city to ashes? From what you're saying now, you seem more like an ambitious person."

Rogge commented.

Mercer calmly replied, "How am I supposed to burn this city down? Blow up Arasaka Tower again? Or blow up the city hall this time? Or maybe just give this city an even bigger nuclear explosion?"

Roger rolled his eyes: "You're asking me?"

"What I'm trying to say is that there's only so much that can be accomplished by relying solely on mercenary tricks."

Mercer calmly said, "I need to possess greater power, power beyond that of an individual, to truly overthrow this city."

Frenzied destruction can only bring about even more frenzied retaliation. Burning the poisonous weeds on the land is so that clean new shoots can sprout from the land next year.

It's not that I look down on Silver Hand, but to be honest, blowing up an Arasaka Tower and holding a few concerts—did it really change anything?

Mercer sighed with some emotion, and under Rogge's somewhat complicated gaze, he slowly said, "The Arasaka Tower is back, in the same spot, and built even higher and better than before."

Silver Hand was able to lead hundreds or even thousands of crazy fans to storm Arasaka Tower back then, but what about now?

What have those people who were crazy about him back then done besides listening to rock music all day and continuing to enjoy their so-called 'rebellion'?
The city hasn't changed at all, or perhaps it's gotten worse. At least Silverhand used to be able to eat decent fried chicken, while I can only eat instant jelly and bugs now.

Mercer suddenly gritted his teeth, but quickly composed himself: "If we blow up one tower, the company can build ten more."

To solve the problems of a company, one must possess the same power as the company.

Only when you truly have the right and the ability to influence everything in this city, when you truly have the confidence to rebuild it, do you have the right to destroy it.

Otherwise, destruction would simply be another cycle, with countless innocent people dying and tragic stories repeating themselves.

Mercer looked at Roger and said solemnly, "You will see that day—the company building will be engulfed in flames, and I will be singing. The Night City above the ruins will truly become the dream city that everyone dreams of."

If in the end, I still haven't been able to change anything...

Mercer chuckled: "Then let's fuck it, let this hopeless world be destroyed."

"Tsk tsk, are all hackers crazy? They're always thinking about destroying the world."

Ultraman insisted on toying with people's souls, and ended up becoming an AI himself.

Bartmos sought to destroy the foundations of this world built on cyber technology. As a result, the old network did indeed disappear, but so did he, and he created a whole host of terrifying, wandering AIs.

And now you're going to take it one step at a time, thinking of destroying the world directly.

Roger didn't know what to say, so he could only say in a tone that seemed both mocking and expectant: "Then please tell me before you go crazy and destroy the world, so I can find someone to take care of you first. I don't want to be buried with this world."

"Don't worry, I'll give you a ticket to Noah's Ark when the time comes."

Mercer didn't say much, but after sending the data list to Roger, he said, "I've also given this data list to Wakako. You two can choose the data you want and then make an offer. I'll only sell to the highest bidder."

At the same price, I prioritize selling to Wakako, since I was commissioned by her.

It all depends on your connections and skills to sell this data for what price. The highest bidder wins, which I think is fair.

Also, remember to keep the immunosuppressant information a secret for now—I'm telling you the ins and outs of biotechnology so you don't accidentally stumble upon something wrong, not to cause trouble for what I'm doing.”

Upon hearing this, Roger scoffed, "Do I need you to remind me? If I really wanted to sell you, you'd be in the Kamikoshi by now, keeping Silver Hand company."

"Then I really have to thank you for not completely turning into a heartless company lackey and sending someone who spoke the truth to you from the bottom of their heart to hell." Mercer's way of speaking made Roger narrow his eyes.

This damn Mercer always reminded her of some bastards she knew when she was young.

It's not just like one person—it's more like a composite.

It makes people love and hate it.

"I'm going out for drinks with my friends. Message me if you get any updates. I'm always here."

After Mercer finished speaking, Roger waved his hand impatiently: "Go away, go away. Every time I chat with you, the beginning is good, the middle is okay, but the end always makes me want to punch you twice."

"Haha~ You're definitely not the first person to think that way, and you won't be the last." Mercer waved to her, then casually walked out with his hands in his pockets.

Roger stopped him: "Listen, stop modifying him, kid. You're still young, there's no need to rush."

"As long as you're heading in the right direction, there's nothing wrong with walking faster." Mercer shrugged and strode away.

Roger was silent for a moment, then finally sighed, "Why do I always end up associating with these arrogant idiots in my life?"

But after a short while, she couldn't help but laugh again.

It's a good thing to meet someone like Mercer in my lifetime.

At least when talking to him, Roger always forgets that he is now the Queen of the Afterlife, as if he has returned to the past.

And
Compared to that idiot Silverhand, Mercer is actually much more pleasing to the eye.

When Mercer returned to the bar, he found that the long bar table was almost completely full.

V and the others remained in their original seats, while a large, burly man sat next to V.

The man was very muscular, tall, and had dark skin. His prosthetic eyes had been modified into tactical goggles, making them look like sunglasses, except that the prosthetic eyes would flash red light in their place.

This tactical goggle-style prosthetic eye modification is not just for aesthetic purposes, but a prosthetic eye modification that integrates multiple tactical functions.

In fact, the Kijiro Tsukasa developed this type of prosthetic eye decades ago. Its built-in features such as 'anti-flash' and 'thermal scanning' are still very useful combat prosthetic eye configurations today.

Mercer thought that the functions integrated into this man's tactical goggles must be more than just a few, since this was a 'military prosthetic eye' that the military did not sell to outsiders.

"Hello, you must be A, I'm Mann." The man was also sizing up Mercer.

Although Mercer didn't look very tall and his build seemed a bit disproportionate, Mann's years of experience in the special forces told him that the guy in front of him was definitely a skilled hacker.

The reason his upper body looks so large is definitely because of the addition of a professional heat dissipation prosthetic, and those blue eyes are definitely not the kind of 'pupil shape' that can be created with ordinary prosthetic eyes. His left wrist is slightly thicker than his right wrist, most likely due to monomolecular fibers.
"Hello." A slight smile appeared on Mercer's face behind the mask. After seeing Mann extend his hand, he also reached out and shook hands with him.

Does this mean that anime characters are attracted to each other?
"I am Dorio."

A woman standing next to Mann, who was also very muscular and wore a coat with her chest wide open, with only minor modifications to her body to cover up the details, smiled at Mercer and stretched out an arm that was thicker than his thigh.

Dorio has short blond hair, a handsome face, and a dashing demeanor. To be honest, at first glance, both his appearance and his overall demeanor make him look more like a tough guy.

Mercer extended his hand and shook hers lightly: "A, it's nice to meet you."

"And me! You can just call me Sasha~ Hehe, it's been a long time since I've encountered a decent hacker in this life, I didn't expect your team to have three!"
This setup is way too extravagant! Most voodoo gangs would turn tail and run if they saw you.

A girl with a pretty bob haircut peeked out from behind Dorio, who had been almost completely hidden by her large frame.

At this moment, Sasha smiled at Mercer. Her features were delicate and lovely, and when she smiled, she gave the impression of a lively and adorable kitten.

“A, or you can call me Mercer, the captain of the Fire Seed Squad.”

Mercer shook hands with her gently and sat down between V and Rebecca.

"How did you start talking?"

Mercer looked at V with some curiosity.

V casually remarked, "They just sat down and started chatting, what else could they do? Don't give him Coke, come on, Mercer, try my whiskey."

Mercer accepted the whiskey she offered without expression, then unceremoniously mixed the other glass of cola into it.

"Damn it! This is such a waste!" V was very dissatisfied.

Mercer only took a sip—it tasted like an overpowered Coke bucket. "Alright, I'm doing you a favor by having a drink with you," Mercer said irritably, glancing past her at Mann, and asked, "Your team only has three people now?"

Mann hummed in agreement and laughed heartily: "That's why I come here to wander around when I have nothing else to do, to see if I can find some reliable friends to work with."

"Interested in joining my team? Want to do a few orders first to get familiar with things?"

Mercer then spoke up—"Mann and Dorio are both incredibly strong, they're practically natural meat shields."

Currently, Mercer's team only has V the Speedster, Rebecca the Rampage, and Pila the Small-Headed Man who can fight on the front lines; the rest are all hackers.

The structure of this team is obviously unhealthy, so Mercer sincerely hopes that Mann and Dorio, two characters who have appeared in the anime, can join. At least their personalities are relatively reliable, and just their physiques alone can block a lot of bullets for him!

He really liked this kind of guy who could stand in front of hackers like a wall.

"So sudden?" Even V was stunned after hearing Mercer's words, let alone Mann and the others.

Mann smiled apologetically and said, "We don't have any plans to join other teams right now, but thanks, A."

"Alright, let's talk about it another time if we have the chance." Mercer didn't press the matter further.

V glanced at him sideways, but she didn't say anything to undermine him in front of outsiders.

But Mercer knew perfectly well that she was probably itching to say something like he was lusting after a beautiful woman.

Otherwise, there's no reason why he would go to great lengths to invite her, showing genuine affection when inviting Rebecca, but when it came to Mann, he simply said, "We'll see if fate allows."

Mercer took a sip of his cola mixed with whiskey, pouted, and said, "It really doesn't taste as good as just drinking cola straight."

"Then give it to me!" Rebecca, standing to the side, naturally picked up his cup, gulped it down in two gulps, and then let out a coughing sound of appreciation.

"Pour him a Coke," Rebecca said to Claire, then smiled and rested her chin on her hand as she looked at him.

"You're not waiting for me to praise you, are you? Okay, thanks."

Mercer chuckled twice, speechless, then looked at Lucy, who was also drinking cola: "What about you? I feel like you're not interested in the afterlife, Lucy."

“It really doesn’t feel very interesting. I’d rather go back and study the program.” Lucy spoke frankly: “I don’t really like noisy places.”

“This is already a pretty quiet bar,” Mercer said. “Then let’s have the next celebration party at a restaurant. We can all have a good meal together.”

“I think you’re just greedy,” V said, exposing his true colors.

“Indeed, I’ve almost finished the beef jerky Rebecca gave me,” Mercer admitted.

"Then I'll buy you some more," Rebecca said with a grin, unconsciously leaning closer to him.

Mann and the others looked them over, and finally Sasha sighed, "You guys seem to have a pretty good relationship, compared to the average mercenary."

“Of course, it’s my charm.” Mercer gave her a thumbs up, and V couldn’t help but curl her lips in disgust at his confident look.

But there's nothing to refute it.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that everyone is connected around Mercer. If Mercer were not there, V felt that the team's atmosphere would definitely be much worse.

"You haven't been in Night City long, have you? A, I've never heard of you before."

Mann asked instinctively.

Mercer turned to look at him and said, "Yes."

"I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that I've been around here for quite a while and I've never heard of you guys before, which is a bit unusual."

Mann paused for a moment, then said, “What I mean is that you are all unfamiliar faces—in theory, most of the guys who make it to the next life are already somewhat famous before.”

Even if you occasionally see a stranger, there will definitely be someone you know nearby.

Your team is quite unique; I don't know a single member. I'm not gathering information, just genuinely curious. Let's skip the parts we can't discuss.

"It's okay. Just know that we weren't famous in the past, but we'll definitely be famous in the future."

Mercer chuckled twice: "Mann, were you a soldier before?"

"Hmm, how did you figure that out?" Mann smiled on the surface, but was somewhat wary inside.

"Military science's prosthetic eyes, heavy-duty subcutaneous armor, and muscle enhancements—you're either a huge fan of military technology, or you probably have some connection with New America or Military Science in the past."

After Mercer finished speaking, Mann simply nodded: "I did work there for a few years, but I didn't want to get involved in the unification war, so I came to Night City as a mercenary."

"Dorio was an athlete?" Mercer asked again.

Dorothy's eyes widened slightly: "You can tell that?"

"Besides the Animal Gang, there aren't many people with your type of modification program. You basically didn't use any prosthetics; apart from subcutaneous armor, your muscles were built purely through medication and hard training."
These days, the only people willing to go through the hardship of building muscle, besides the Animal Gang members, are former athletes.

Mercer said.

Dorio gave him a thumbs up: "Good eye."

Sasha couldn't help but raise her hand: "And me? What can you tell about me?"

"I can tell you're quite cute." Mercer changed the subject, chuckling as he joked. He did know a lot about Sasha, but he couldn't explain his background if he said it.

Unlike V and Rebecca, who are relatively easy to fool, Mann is not so easy to fool. If you reveal all their information now, Mann might actually become wary and choose to stay away from you.

"Hmm?" Rebecca narrowed her eyes.

V also glanced sideways at Mercer.

Lucy was wearing a mask, so her emotions were unreadable. She just quietly sipped her cola through a straw.

Qiwei and Pila were just there to watch the show.

"Hehe~ really?" Sasha winked at Mercer with a slightly flirtatious look: "How cute?"

"Yeah, about the same as Rebecca and Lucy."

Mercer's words made Pila give him a thumbs up: "Choosing the worst option right away, boss, you offended four girls with just one sentence."

V rolled her eyes: "Don't include me, I don't care."

“Just as cute~” Sasha suppressed a laugh: “Eh? I thought you were going to say I was the cutest one.”

Mercer could hear Rebecca grinding her teeth. He shook his head, chuckled, and raised his hand: "I surrender."

Sasha then chuckled and said, "You're quite interesting."

After a few jokes, everyone started chatting casually, but before long, Mercer intentionally steered the conversation in the direction of the topic.

"Which middleman did you deal with?"

“Faraday, we did the most work for him, and then we also took on some jobs for other people, like Roger.”

Mann didn't hide anything.

“Faraday, I don’t like that guy. He’s just a sheepdog for the company, waiting for someone to throw him a bone, and then he’ll hand over his flock of sheep without hesitation.”

Mercer's assessment made Mann frown slightly: "Really?"

“Let me put it this way, I divide middlemen into three categories.” Mercer raised his finger.

"The first type is the legitimate businessperson. Wakako from the Kabuki district, the old captain of Santo Domingo, and Queen Rogge from the afterlife are all considered this type of middleman."

These people have all had dealings with the company to some extent and are well aware of its operations, understanding the true nature of the middleman profession.

What do middlemen do? To put it bluntly, they balance the power in the city and profit from the conflicts.

In the eyes of such middlemen, the client and the mercenary are of similar status. Without either side, there is no business. Therefore, they rarely cheat their own people and may even protect their own people when necessary.

Because reliable mercenaries are hard to find, and it can be even harder to find a client.

Therefore, they won't easily believe the company's promises, and they won't easily ruin their own reputation.

Mercer raised a second finger: "The second type is the middleman who sees himself as the boss."

They like to draw up rules to make their subordinates obey and do their jobs, treating mercenaries like lackeys. If you disobey, even if you finish the work, as long as you cause them trouble, they will punish you.

"The third type is idiots like Faraday, whose minds are only filled with wealth and glory. For money, they will put aside all conscience and morality."

All mercenaries are expendable in his eyes; to this kind of middleman, your life is less important than his money.

After Mercer finished speaking, Mann remained noncommittal.

Sasha, however, thought Mercer's words made a lot of sense: "Actually, I feel the same way. I don't really like Faraday either."

"For example, when you're doing a task, will he tell you who's behind it? He'll just tell you it's best not to ask, because sometimes you can avoid trouble if you don't know."

Mercer's words did indeed touch Mann.

Mercer, seeing that he had the upper hand, stopped talking and simply said, "This kind of person is just using you as a tool. He doesn't tell you because he might sell you out at any time, so he won't tell you the details of the mission."

When you stupidly die in the mission, he'll ruthlessly claim that you ruined his business, refusing to reveal any details about the mission he concealed from you, and then find the next unlucky person to cooperate with.

"Alright, I won't say any more," Mercer said, seemingly casually. "Since we had a pleasant chat, I'll leave you all out."
If you're looking to get involved in any business dealings related to biotechnology or military science recently, you'd better not get involved too easily.

Nine times out of ten, there are traps in it. I advise you not to take it. If you absolutely have to take the job, then you should send me a message to ask before you start.

Perhaps a single word from me could save your lives.

Mann could tell that Mercer's words were not just polite formalities, but came from good intentions. So he nodded solemnly: "Thanks, A. I will remember your words."

"Well, don't overthink it. I'm just being kind. We're helping each other out, and who knows, I might need your help sometime in the future."

You can see that my team is lacking a big, tough guy, so you understand.

Mercer's frankness reassured Mann considerably. He smiled and raised his glass: "No problem. Just give me a call if you need anything."

"You too, friendships are built on helping each other out. Just let me know if you need anything."

Mercer smiled, picked up a Coke and clinked glasses with him, then put the straw under his mask and took a few sips.

Mercer also obtained information about data fabrication related to a biotechnology-based nerve pain reliever called 'SafeLing'.

Before Sasha came to Night City, her mother had a serious illness. After the surgery, in order to relieve her nerve pain, Sasha spent a lot of money to buy this newly launched biotechnology 'advanced pain reliever', Safe Spirit.

Ultimately, however, the falsification of data related to this advanced new drug led to severe aftereffects and his death.

Sasha is currently unaware that her mother's death was caused by this drug—and Mercer doesn't want to tell her yet, lest she disrupt his plans.

The data and intelligence that Mercer sold to Roger and Wakako did not include these damaging details, because he knew very well that if these damaging details were to surface all at once, it would be tantamount to telling the biotechnology people that the server's data had been stolen.

Or there might be a mole within the organization.

Mercer, however, needed to ensure Dr. Kuno's survival first and deliver the cloning machine to him. Therefore, she had to suppress this information until she landed safely, resolved Joanna's matter, and was no longer of any use before revealing the news.

Right now, just exposing the red ochre and Yucca Town is enough to feed biotechnology; the rest can wait.

Mercer sat and chatted with them for a while longer, but seeing that V and Rebecca were about to drink too much, he decisively decided to adjourn the meeting.

After exchanging contact information with Mann and the others, he said goodbye and left.

After the group left the afterlife and walked to their respective cars, Mercer instructed, "Tomorrow I'll take Rebecca and Pila to Old V's place. V, you can wait a bit longer. Next week, I'll go with you to replace the parts inside."

V nodded nonchalantly. She wasn't in a hurry. Even though she got a nosebleed every time she turned on the Sianweistan, given her physical condition, the original parts were still a long way from breaking down.

Rebecca giggled and hugged his arm: "Okay, I heard from Qiwei that you performed V's surgery? Then I want one too!"

"Just ask Old Wei to replace both arms. As for subcutaneous armor and such, I'm willing to take care of that."

After Mercer finished speaking, Rebecca nodded nonchalantly: "Okay~ then let's change them all!"

She seemed to treat getting prosthetic surgery as casually as buying new clothes.

Mercer nodded without saying much, but Lucy suddenly spoke up: "Mercer, I think if there are any jobs in the future, I mean, any fieldwork missions, Qiwei and I can take them."

Do you think I need to replace any prosthetic body parts?

Mercer's attitude towards her was different from his attitude towards Rebecca—he knew that Rebecca would probably stay this size for the rest of her life, and whether or not her body parts were replaced wouldn't really affect her development.

But Lucy is different.

"Don't replace your prosthetic body for now. Wait another two years. Hackers don't necessarily need prosthetic bodies to be effective. At most, they can just update the network access module and add some skin plugins."

"Regarding field missions, even if you hadn't mentioned it, that's what I was planning anyway. For the next period, once the base is ready, I'll start buying some equipment and conducting research there. As for the missions outside, that'll have to be up to you."

Mercer was very confident in his squad's composition.

Once V and Rebecca's prosthetic bodies are further improved, ordinary mission requests will be a piece of cake for them, and he won't need to go out personally at all.

Ordinary hackers and network equipment are basically no match for Lucy and Qiwei working together.

Then he could send a few of them out to make money for himself, while Mercer could use the 40% of the team's revenue to cover his basic research and development expenses at the base.

Once the research and development results are available, the developed items can either be used to enhance the team's strength or sold for money. Only when this step is reached can the team be considered to have officially entered the right track and a virtuous cycle.

Upon hearing this, Lucy could only nod somewhat reluctantly—if she had a choice, she would rather be the one who installed Mercer's prosthetic body.

The group chatted for a few more minutes outside, agreed to contact each other if needed, and then parted ways to go home.

The next morning, Mercer took Rebecca, Pila, and Lucy to see Old Vince.

It's time to upgrade Rebecca too.

(End of this chapter)