Sol shook his head and sighed.
Mercer nodded and then immediately added, "The smuggling business being swallowed by Dog Town is a done deal; Dog Town's existence aligns with the interests of all parties.
Compared to using Wanderers for long-distance runs, using professional hovercars to air-drop to Dog Town is safer, more efficient, and cost-effective.
Now the reconstruction of Taiping Prefecture has been halted, and all companies have basically completed the reorganization of Night City in the past year.
Next, the economy of Night City will probably recover quickly, but this recovery is for the commercial activities of city people, and for you, the disappearance of a large number of construction orders is inevitable.
Working in factories isn't a good option for you either; to put it bluntly, working for factories is no better than being a corporate dog, and being a corporate dog is a dead end."
Mercer spread his hands, looking at Sol's somewhat complex expression, and sighed lightly, "Why not do what you used to, farming?"
"We've tried, but there's also a tribe called Red Ochre here, and they're farming near the water source.
However, I've heard they're not very content because ever since the war ended and the focus of biotechnology shifted back to Night City, they have been clamoring that the ownership of that water source and land belongs to them."
After Sol finished speaking, he looked a bit agitated: "Mercer, do you think there's really no other way out for us wanderers in Night City?"
Mercer said, "I actually think mercenary work suits you, you don't have to stay in Night City all the time; work when there is some, and go wherever you want when there isn't.
But considering there aren't many Adcardans who like the life-risking business, I'd say... maybe wait a bit longer."
"Wait?" Sol's eyes widened slightly. "Do you have any news?"
"I plan to take root in Night City with my people later, and sooner or later we'll secure some profitable businesses, which require not only technology but also manpower.
Just like I mentioned before, work like selling program chips - we can handle the programming, but distributing them would require some Adcardans to get involved."
Mercer didn't hide his plans, directly sharing part of them: "Apart from that, there's selling second-hand implants, or some products I cobble together in the future, all needing people to distribute and even open shops.
If the Adcardans are willing to get involved, nothing else said, I reckon just these two businesses can support twenty or thirty people.
Or, if you're bold enough, whenever I have big contracts in the future I'd call you to join, though risky, completing them means making a fortune together."
Mercer didn't dare to overpromise; he needed an on-site assessment to determine the scale of the ventures.
"I see... thanks, it's at least a path." Sol couldn't hide his disappointment, but Mercer felt helpless about it.
The reason the Wanderers are called Wanderers is not only because they are displaced, with nowhere to go but also because they mostly yearn for freedom, making them hardly integrate into city jobs enthusiastically.
Not wanting to screw bolts in factories, unwilling to be corporate dogs, and not keen to seize territory and expand like gangs, now with the major family business taken over by Dog Town, without change, waiting means death.
Mercer thought that if he were Sol, he should consider leading the family in transformation, seizing business from the city's gangs, even controlling just one city district would suffice for the family's livelihood.
If nothing unexpected happens, Sol will soon be hit hard by the harsh reality, and by 2077, a family of hundreds will be reduced to just dozens.
By that time, Sol would even consider turning to biotechnology... I mean, if you're going to join them, do it early; when you're strong in numbers, negotiating collaboration gives them pause for consideration due to your manpower.
Going to them when you're at your wits' end, isn't that just waiting to be used as guinea pigs by the biotech people?
That's truly being muddle-headed.
However, the Red Ochre Tribe Sol mentioned suddenly sparked something in Mercer's mind.
"The Red Ochre Tribe often activities outside the checkpoint at Sillan Town, don't they?" he asked Sol.
Sol nodded: "Yes, they usually farm by the reservoir not far from there."
"No wonder... I get it now." Mercer realized.
Sillan Town is the small town where Wanderer V briefly stops to repair cars before entering Night City in the game.
And in Wagako's intelligence, the information about frequent biotechnology activities near Sillan Town led Mercer to associate it with a side quest in the game.
In that side quest, Joanne Koch, the director of biotechnology, under the guise of 'testing cold medicine,' tricked the Red Ochre Tribe people into a special experiment.
This led to seventy deaths, and the enraged Red Ochre Tribe had someone post a bounty, with V going to take out the woman.
Sol's information suddenly made Mercer realize that what the biotechnology is doing in Sillan Town might not be as simple as Wagako and her client think.
Many thoughts flashed through Mercer's mind, but in the end, he just said, "Sol, don't rush, I'll also keep an eye out for work suitable for the Adcardans in the city."