Within the family, Red Hand is a very important member. If there's no evidence, even if I arrest him first, there might still be a lot of complications."
Mercer, hearing this, didn't waste words: "Give me an email address, I'll send it to you."
After Derek sent the address using a communication app, Mercer immediately sent the video Qiwei had captured with the camera to his inbox.
"It's sent," Mercer said, and Derek immediately replied, "Please wait a moment, I'll get back to you as soon as I've watched it."
Before Mercer could respond, Derek had already hung up. It was clear that although he seemed calm on the surface, his heart was probably raging with fury.
Mercer sat in Sol's tent sipping coffee, chatting briefly with Sol about the matter. After a few minutes, Derek called back.
"Thank you, Mercer, you've been a huge help... Without you, we probably would never have suspected that Red Hand betrayed us."
In the video call, Derek stood up and gave Mercer a slight bow before saying, "This intelligence is very important, and your kindness will never be forgotten by the Red Ocher Tribe."
"Besides you, the people of Sillan Town have also been poisoned by the biotechnology people for drug testing. I plan to expose these two news items after some time, so please bear with it for a while longer."
After Mercer said this, Derek could barely contain the anger in his eyes: "Alright, I promise you, we will endure it for now! But those bastards from biotechnology... this matter cannot just end like this!"
"Rest assured, I'm just waiting for a more opportune moment. You won't have to wait long for the exposure," Mercer could understand his anger.
The elder said solemnly, "The Red Ocher Tribe repays kindness and avenges grievances. Child, whatever you need help with from the Red Ocher Tribe, just speak up. After we deal with Red Hand, you're welcome to visit our tribe."
Mercer replied with a smile, "Alright, I won't interrupt your purging of the traitors. I'll soon expose the biotechnology scandal through the media and then we'll see how things go."
"Okay," Derek agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Mercer turned to look at Sol.
Sol still had a heavy expression, lost in thought. After a while, he turned to Mercer and said, "You're about to move out?"
"Yeah, I commissioned some people at the camp to tidy up the base for me. After that, we'll move to Dog Town."
After Mercer spoke, he gratefully added, "Also thanks to the Adcardo people, for giving us a place to stay as newcomers. If the Adcardo people ever need any help, just let me know."
Mercer wouldn't take the hospitality of the Adcardo as an 'entitled' treatment after wandering with Cassidy.
Sol smiled: "I trust your sincerity, Mercer. You seem like someone capable of great things. I believe you'll soon establish yourself firmly in Night City."
As the leader of the Adcardo, my only hope for your help in the city is to see if you can provide some stable income opportunities for the Adcardo people."
"I'll keep an eye out. If there's a suitable opportunity, I'll definitely prioritize helping our own people."
Saying this, Mercer offered his perspective and suggestion: "But I feel the Adcardo should consider how to transition.
I greatly respect your views on freedom and agree with your life philosophy.
But in today's Night City, or rather the world, it never treats those who just want to work hard for a better life warmly."
After Mercer finished speaking, he looked at Sol and sincerely said, "Just staying in the wilderness, it's hard for you to find stable income. Maybe finding a way to run some businesses in Night City and carving out a territory could recover some of the current decline."
Sol sighed: "I know... but there's a reason everyone stays here, Mercer. If we leave the wilderness and enter Night City, we won't be the Adcardo anymore."
Mercer didn't say more, thinking that he indeed couldn't see how staying in the wilderness and continuing the current lifestyle could maintain the tribe today.
Perhaps the tribe's difficulties concealed other issues. As an outsider, even if he wanted to repay a kindness, he had to wait for them to ask first.
Mercer chatted a bit more with Sol, then left his tent, looking up at the relatively clear sky with a somewhat relieved mood.
The base was purchased, the team was mostly assembled, and he had money in his pocket... it seemed like he really was about to put down roots in Night City.
The urgency and anxiety seemed to ease significantly at this moment.
No need to worry about tomorrow's meals or where to live later; the biotech deal was enough to keep him from worrying about food and drink for a while.
For once, Mercer didn't immediately return to his tent to tackle those seemingly endless tasks. He pushed programming, learning, and thinking to the back of his mind.
He sat alone by the camp's food truck, ordered a Coke, enjoying the wind, watching the dust roll across the land in the breeze.
Until Venus, which had been quietly resting in his Network Access Vault, suddenly sent him a message.
[Venus: Detected that the Magic Puppet Program you placed in Night City Hall has begun to run.]
[Mercer: On my way.]
Mercer's spirits lifted.
The program entering a running state meant that the Magic Puppet he left on the city hall server had detected network transmission activity.
And for the city hall's registration database to engage in network transmission, it likely meant that the NCPD was updating data from the city hall's server!
That also meant...
NCPD's database! Here I come!