When Mercer woke up in the morning, he felt like he was being pinned down by a big, fluffy dog, hot and heavy.
The moment he opened his eyes, all he could see was Rebecca, her hair a mess, sprawled on top of him. Most of her body was pressing down on him, her arms and legs clamped around him like hooks, holding him tight.
It was a good thing his body was literally hard enough; otherwise, he probably would have suffocated in his sleep.
Mercer didn't move right away. Instead, he just lay there with his eyes open, watching her quietly for a while. The girl had kicked the blanket completely aside, with only a small corner of it still draped over the two of them. Fortunately, he had turned on the room's central air conditioning to maintain a constant temperature before they went to sleep.
He carefully tried to get up. But as soon as he pried her arm off, she groggily opened her eyes.
She didn't speak, just stared at him blankly for a moment like a dazed fool. Then, as if remembering something, she broke into a grin like a little idiot. "Morning!"
"Morning." Mercer was finally able to shift her to his side. But before he could get up, Rebecca wrapped her arms and legs around him again, hugging him tightly.
Rebecca snuggled her face against his, her lips planting several kisses on his neck and the side of his face without letting go.
"So clingy?" Mercer said with a laugh, deciding to roll over and pull her into his arms as well.
"I think I forgot to shower last night... Carry me," Rebecca's voice had a coquettish, wheedling tone it usually lacked.
Mercer simply picked her up in his arms. "You sure? I might have to get in a morning workout before heading to work. Don't you go begging for mercy."
Rebecca instinctively loosened her grip, but then she put on a fierce expression. "You cheated last night! You knew it was my first time and I couldn't handle it...
Anyway! Last night doesn't count! Once I've recovered, we'll go again!"
But Mercer just patted her with a smile. "Oh? It doesn't count just because you say so? Then let's have another go right now..."
With that, Mercer postured as if he was about to settle the score with her. Rebecca, knowing when to yield, could only grit her teeth and relent, putting on a pitifully obedient expression.
"Mercer~ Don't bully me!" She was already cute to begin with, and when she deliberately acted all cute and pitiful, Mercer found he was a complete sucker for it.
So, he chuckled triumphantly, carried her to the bathroom, and after a quick shower together, tossed her back onto the bed.
Watching Mercer get dressed, she continued to laze around in the blankets. "Come back early, 'kay? And remember to call in sick for me."
"Can you even handle it? You were talking so tough yesterday, and today you're not even going to work?" Mercer teased, but he couldn't resist leaning over to kiss her before he left. It strangely felt like saying goodbye to a new bride.
Rebecca just smiled, not refuting him. Just you wait until I'm rested and recovered, she thought. What's so impressive about bullying a virgin?
So, she just shared an intimate kiss with him for a moment, then contentedly rolled over to go back to sleep, completely blowing off work.
Mercer's attire was quite simple these days: just a netrunning suit with a business suit over it. If he weren't more or less the boss of Dogtown now, he'd probably still be dressed in his old hoodie and sweatpants.
Walking out of the room and into the living room, Mercer saw V and Lucy, both with placid expressions; neither of the girls showed any hint of anything unusual.
"Yo, up bright and early," V, of course, couldn't resist a bit of snark. "I thought you'd be taking another day off today."
Lucy didn't speak, just kept sipping her coffee.
"A day off for what? For having a few drinks? You underestimate me," Mercer said, deflecting as he sat down at the dining table and started eating breakfast.
"Is that so?" V looked at Mercer with a half-smile. Lucy remained silent, continuing to drink her coffee, but her gaze on him was somber, saying everything without a word.
Mercer cleared his throat and suddenly said, "Oh, right, our new batch of equipment is almost ready for production, including the standard-issue individual combat armor for netrunners.
My goal is to have all of us switch to the latest super armor before the plan to snatch Silverhand's Relic biochip begins, to ensure the plan is foolproof."
V didn't deliberately dwell on the previous topic; she couldn't quite put a finger on her own feelings right now. Was she jealous?
What was there for her to be jealous of? Impossible. Weren't she and Mercer just good buddies? What was there to be jealous of in a perfectly platonic relationship!
She just felt it was a bit unfair to Lucy... but Rebecca was her good friend too. Now she was stuck between a rock and a hard place...
"New equipment? My Gyrfalcon can be upgraded too?" At this thought, V decided to push the matter of Mercer and Rebecca aside and stop thinking about it.
Mercer nodded and smiled. "That's right. The compression thruster will be upgraded, so you'll fly faster and run faster. It'll also have the latest Anti-EMP System, and the armor thickness can be increased a bit.
You guys have always been envious of my Octopus Arm, right? Now, after upgrading the AI Operating System, the AI can independently operate two Octopus Arms for support, enhancing your close-quarters combat capabilities.
The ranged weapons have also been optimized. The original cheap shoulder cannons and micro-missiles will all be upgraded to stronger, more intelligent weapons.
For example, the micro-missiles will be replaced with bomb drones. After being launched from the back, the drone missiles can perform a secondary ignition in mid-air, seek targets on their own, and lock onto enemies to fire under the control of their internal AI program.
There are also some new unmanned devices that can link with your armor and be controlled remotely through the built-in AI program..."
Mercer looked at Lucy and said with a smile, "The individual combat armor for netrunners is almost developed too. Its appearance is similar to my own Devil May Cry series armor. It's mainly focused on netrunning tools and unmanned devices, and it can greatly improve heat dissipation. You can even deep dive directly from within the mech..."
After Mercer finished, Lucy just gave a listless "Mm" and then picked up her coffee. "I'm full."
Watching Lucy turn and head upstairs to her room, Mercer stopped talking. Seeing V's teasing, mocking gaze, he could only shrug. "Anyway, that's about it."
V was considerate enough not to twist the knife and changed the subject to the Relic. "About the Relic... I didn't get a clear explanation from you yesterday. What's the situation now?"
"Basically, Yorinobu feels he's in a very dangerous situation and doesn't dare to hand the thing over to us directly. We might have to go get it ourselves.
But... I'm a little worried Yorinobu might sell us out. If he feels he's in danger of being suspected by Saburo, selling us out to protect himself isn't an option he'd rule out."
Mercer spoke frankly. "So we have to see how things play out. The worst-case scenario is that we might have to reverse the order of our operation."
"Reverse the order..." V was stunned for a moment, then said in astonishment, "You mean we go after Saburo first?"
"Correct."
Mercer's expression grew serious. "From the looks of it, Alt is actually quite willing to offer us some help in dealing with Saburo.
Considering that, saving Silverhand becomes less cost-effective. Rather than getting Silverhand, only to become Saburo's target and possibly walk right into a trap...
I'm more inclined to make a move on Saburo directly. While our weapons and equipment are being upgraded, while the enemy's guard against us isn't at its highest, and while Saburo doesn't even suspect that he himself is our ultimate target... we strike.
As long as we take care of Saburo, I believe solving the issues with Silverhand and Mikoshi won't be difficult. We might just have to say the word to Yorinobu, and we'll get our hands on the thing and complete our deal with Alt.
After that, I'll use this favor to exchange for more resources from Alt and Yorinobu. If everything goes smoothly, our territory won't be limited to just a tiny Dogtown."
Mercer put down his utensils, turning to look out the living room's floor-to-ceiling window. From his penthouse, the tall buildings outside the open-air balcony seemed rather small in comparison.
"The previous decision to go for Silverhand's Relic first was because I wasn't sure about Yorinobu's and Alt's attitudes. If we could get Yorinobu to trade the Relic with us willingly, we could also force him to our side.
But now it seems Yorinobu doesn't have the courage to make that choice. Since he's unwilling to pledge his allegiance, we can no longer trust him."
Mercer said with regret, "Without such a preem inside man, assassinating Saburo will only be more difficult... but as things stand, this seems to be our best bet for success.
If I can't find the right time and opportunity to assassinate Saburo, then I'd rather choose to give up."
Mercer made a calm judgment. "Alt, Mikoshi, Silverhand, Yorinobu, to hell with them all. I have to take care of you guys first. Even if Saburo Arasaka's goal is to destroy the world, I can't be bothered."
This was Mercer's final decision.
The reason he wanted to save this city and change this world was that he hoped to live a better life with everyone.
But to risk everyone's lives, to risk losing everything to be a superhero... Mercer couldn't do it.
When he saw Rebecca's smiling face that morning, Mercer understood; these girls didn't care about Saburo, Yorinobu, or any world crisis.
All Rebecca wanted was to be with him. All V wanted was for their big family to be happy together. Lucy just craved a sense of security, clinging to him because she didn't know where else to go to find peace of mind.
Jackie had his mother and his girlfriend; his dream was just to become a big name and then build a happy family.
Pilar's mind was filled with nothing but lewd thoughts. If he wasn't running with them, he'd probably get himself killed at Lizzie's.
And Maine and Dorio were very satisfied with their current lives. Sasha only hated Biotechnica, and Kyoko was still just a young girl who hadn't even figured out her own future...
Mercer couldn't selfishly drag everyone back into the fire with him.
So, he had now made up his mind. "So, you guys don't have to worry too much for now. I'll assess the risks. If I don't see any hope of success, or if the probability of success is too low...
We'll just live our own lives. Once we've earned enough money, we can all leave Night City and go somewhere safe..."
V looked at Mercer, her expression complicated for a moment. After a long pause, she nodded. "I'll follow your lead."
Usually, it was others who said that to him. This seemed to be the first time Mercer himself had shown any intention of backing down.
Mercer nodded, then changed the subject. "I've also been researching a new operating system recently. On one hand, Rebecca, Maine, and Jackie all have the potential to equip a Sandevistan, but the strain on the nervous system is too great, and they might not be able to handle it mentally.
But while the Berserk OS is stable, it wastes some of their potential. So I want to find a middle-ground replacement. If the development is successful, this new OS could even become a groundbreaking new product.
I'm thinking of trying to develop it first. Once it's successful, I might consider partnering with a major corporation like Kang Tao to sell it... so I'll probably be quite busy during this time. You'll have to help me take care of everyone at home.
V, I think you have a lot of potential, and I'm not just talking about being a heavy or a bodyguard... When you have free time, you could get more involved in management and things like that..."
"Stop, stop!" V looked at him, displeased. "I'm already tired enough worrying about this whole family. Don't find more work for me to do."
Mercer could only shake his head with a smile and drop the subject. "Then I'm off to work."
"What about Lucy? You're really not going to try and cheer her up?" V looked at him teasingly.
Mercer sighed. "There's no way to... I'll deal with it when I get back tonight."
"If you ask me, why don't you just tell her straight? You and Rebecca are already like this, so why keep stringing her along..." V said.
But Mercer pretended not to hear. He took a sip of NiCola and stood up. "Gone. Took a night off yesterday and fell way behind schedule."
"Hey! You player..." V watched Mercer walk away, pouted, and started to clean up the house.
After a moment, she thought about something, tiptoed into Mercer's bedroom, and, as expected, saw Rebecca burrowed under the covers, fast asleep.
The girl was even smiling in her sleep. She was clearly truly happy.
"Tsk..." V felt an indescribable feeling in her heart, but in the end, she just pouted and raised her voice rudely, "You're not eating?"
"Not eating, not eating! Don't bother me while I'm sleeping..." Rebecca mumbled, turning over to continue sleeping. "I just fell asleep, don't be so loud."
"Yo, I can't tell, he really went hard on you, huh? Didn't pity your small frame at all?" V said.
Rebecca, with her eyes still closed, said smugly, "Jealous?"
"Me? Jealous of you? What a joke. A guy like him, there's barely any meat on him to touch..."
V was being stubborn, but Rebecca opened her eyes and looked at her with a grin. "Is that so? I was just thinking it's pretty pathetic that an old woman like you is still single. I was thinking maybe I could lend you Mercer to have some fun once in a while.
We're sisters, after all. I use him for two days, you use him for one. Using him together sometimes is fine too. I don't mind, and he'd definitely be happy to."
"Screw you!" V cursed, her face turning a little red. "If I wanted to have fun, I wouldn't need you to share! You have no shame!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah~ No good deed goes unpunished. Then don't bother my sleep! I have to get my revenge tonight! Don't annoy me!" Rebecca huffed and turned over to sleep again.
V clicked her tongue, walked out of the room with a look of annoyance, and then, as if lost in thought, pondered for a long while before sighing. She changed her clothes and headed to the training base at the EBM Petrochem Stadium for work.
—--
Mercer's research progress began to skyrocket.
With ample financial support, Mercer was advancing multiple experimental research projects simultaneously.
With Morning Star's help, he hardly needed any assistants; the Octopus Arms waving in his workshop had practically become extensions of his own mind. Mercer would even enter a deep dive state, using the processing power to accelerate his own brainpower.
Not long after he officially took office, several advanced laboratories and workshops, completely controlled by AI and remote devices, were constructed.
Mercer also gradually adapted to working in Cyberspace, calling upon server processing power, and, in a state of accelerated thought, simultaneously operating multiple devices.
This method of research practically allowed him to function as several people at once. Even more incredibly, with the support of processing power, he could engage in unbelievable multi-threaded thinking, advancing multiple research projects at the same time.
New individual combat armor, a new operating system in development, updated Octopus Arms and similar multi-functional mechanical arms, bots, weapons, drones, unmanned devices... and outside the lab, Dogtown finally established its own power plant. Using the nuclear engine from the cargo airship that had crashed in the stadium, Mercer employed a simple and crude method to greatly increase its power generation.
Although it was still a far cry from a real nuclear power plant, it was more than enough to supply electricity to the small district of Dogtown.
And the words Mercer had spoken at his inauguration ceremony were not just empty talk; he had developed a completely new, large-scale smuggling route.
First, he took advantage of Pacifica's unique coastal location, which was naturally convenient for sea transport.
Then, using large cargo AVs with engines he developed himself under Polaris's guidance, he would fly the vehicles out to international waters off the harbor for remote loading and unloading.
Loading the goods directly onto the vehicles in international waters and then flying them straight to Dogtown for unloading drastically reduced transportation costs and time.
Since the entire route only went out to sea via Pacifica and then returned through the airspace over the sea, even if Night City's authorities noticed Mercer's activities, they were completely unable to respond.
Because the NCPD couldn't get in, and other personnel, including those from the City Hall administration, didn't dare to just wander into Pacifica. How many lives did you have to mess with Dogtown's business in Pacifica?
If Dogtown sent someone to kill you and then retreated back into Dogtown, you'd be helpless even if you knew who did it. The NCPD didn't have the muscle to go head-to-head with Barghest in Dogtown.
As for the major corporations, who would be willing to take on security duties for Night City?
And the trade network formed by the Aldecaldos also expanded at an extremely rapid pace.
The goods Mercer smuggled in through the port were picked up by the Aldecaldos from Dogtown, transported directly out of the city, and sold in other states.
The entire profit chain gradually became very complete.
Dogtown was responsible for importing large quantities of goods, the Aldecaldos were responsible for transportation, and the Cubans in various states were responsible for receiving and distributing them in other markets.
In just a few months, Dogtown's sales market had expanded by more than tenfold.
The European sellers were also very happy. They loaded their goods onto ships openly, and didn't even need to dock to unload. Mercer would just retrieve the goods in international waters with his large aerodyne vehicles, saving them the trouble of even doing airdrops.
The entire Dogtown seemed to have had its fast-forward button pressed at multiple speeds. As a large amount of capital flowed in, many investors also realized the profitability of Dogtown.
As Barghest's power continued to expand, especially after the mass production of unmanned devices further enhanced Dogtown's security...
Those rich people also preferred to indulge themselves in such a safe, lawless zone.
Thus, many investors began to approach Mercer. Some of the construction companies and corporations that were originally responsible for Dogtown's development even expressed their desire to reclaim ownership of the unfinished buildings and redevelop them.
Mercer was essentially making a no-cost deal. Even the ownership of The Black Sapphire had been forcibly seized by Dogtown. Now that these original investors saw Dogtown's development and wanted to come back, Mercer welcomed them with open arms.
Of course, there was one condition; pay up.
You bought the land from City Hall before? This building belongs to you? Sorry, Dogtown doesn't listen to City Hall, nor do we abide by City Hall's legal documents. If you want to come back, buy it again, pay again.
Some investors gave up because of this, but others gritted their teeth and chose to take the deal. Some even set their sights on assets that didn't originally belong to them, such as the abandoned medical center and other facilities in Dogtown, which some European investors were very interested in.
After Mercer promised installment plans and other guarantees, the reconstruction of Dogtown finally entered a positive cycle.
Investors began to rebuild some of Dogtown's entertainment projects, trying to turn it into a true den of opulence.
Mercer was happy to see this happen; the more entertainment facilities were built, the more rich people would come to spend money.
He was earning from land rent, protection fees, electricity bills, and connections.
As for the homeless people or gang members who originally lived there, they were naturally cleared out by men sent by Mercer himself.
—--
Time flew by, and as 2075 passed, 2076 quietly arrived.
Yorinobu Arasaka had also finally arrived in Night City, carrying the Relic biochip that contained Silverhand's consciousness.
But just as Yorinobu Arasaka was happily waiting for Mercer to come to him of his own accord...
Mercer's sights, however, were set on a certain fellow across the ocean; one whose name he had long heard but whom he had never met.