Anyway, if Mercer were in Hansen's position, he definitely wouldn't dare to use himself like this.
But Mercer also knows very well that his honeymoon period with Hansen will completely come to an end as his strength grows and his talent becomes apparent.
For Hansen, a tool that can't be controlled is equivalent to having no tool at all, so it's best to drain the value as soon as possible and then sell him at a high price.
At this moment, when Mercer stated that he didn't have any extra Relic Chips, Hansen simply said lightly:
"Got it, then you can rest for a while during this time. Once the goods are sold, we can discuss adding to the research budget afterward. You've done a great job."
And it was precisely this sentence that made Mercer's alertness skyrocket to the red line in his mind.
Mercer rubbed his face, showing a tired expression, and tentatively used a somewhat weak tone: "Is that so... alright then, I'll go back to the base to rest for a while. When there's work again, I'll come over."
"Sure, recently I've screened the Netherworld Dogs, and those scumbags secretly colluding with Arasaka have been hung at the entrance of Dog Town.
The cameras have also been doubled as per your suggestion, and we've severely cracked down on the smuggling channels in Dog Town, so you can rest easy going back."
Hansen smiled: "By the way, can your Octopus Arms be used in the weapons production workshop?
Your development of several basic firearms is doing quite well in Night City, capturing 40% of the low-end weapons market for your Glock series."
Mercer showed a confident smile: "Sure, I'll adjust the program later and write a production flow program into it."
"Great, thank you for your efforts, go back and get some rest." Hansen nodded with a smile and then turned to leave.
As he departed, Mercer's expression remained unchanged, but his heart felt heavy—something's wrong.
The kindness and gentleness Hansen showed him at this moment made Mercer realize that time might be running out for him.
Hardly hesitating for a moment, Mercer immediately sent a message to V.
[Mercer: I'm taking action.]
[V: Now!?]
[Mercer: Yes, now.]
[V: We'll set off immediately, make sure you're careful.]
[Mercer: Don't worry about me, watch out for yourselves, let's move.]
After sending the message, Mercer immediately looked at the researcher beside him.
"Where are the Octopus Arms? I need to test the maximum load one last time." After Mercer finished speaking, the researcher immediately brought over several multifunctional Octopus Arms.
Turning around, Mercer's nano Black Customer Service's reserved socket covers opened on his back, revealing six sockets from his shoulders and waist.
"Director... you should be more cautious with this alien prosthetic body. Connecting six Octopus Arms at once considering the prosthetic load on your body right now..."
A researcher hesitated, not daring to attach them, seeing Mercer as slightly insane.
Yet Mercer simply expressed calmly: "Plug them in, test."
The others exchanged glances but could only obediently insert the Octopus Arms into the sockets.
The heavy six Octopus Arms nearly bent Mercer's waist, but as soon as they were powered on, the six arms flexibly supported the ground and slowly lifted him up.
Mercer's feet floated, adapting to the strange sensation of having six more hands, quickly using the Octopus Arms to freely walk around the room.
The cover plates on his back lightly bounced up uniformly, exposing shark-like gill ventilation slits at his shoulders and chest, with a hum coming from his chest cavity. Even maintaining basic Octopus Arm usage caused his Prosthetic Eye to pop out a temperature monitor.
Mercer continued testing with a blank expression, reaching maximum speed, maximum output, including having six people simultaneously rapid-fire pistols at him from six directions at a 20-meter distance, while he only used the Octopus Arms to block while standing still.
This scene, from Mercer's perspective, was quite cool, though to others seemed inexplicably frightening—a person's back extending six claw-like mechanical arms, blocking bullets as if they were alive...
Mercer's eye temperature alarm skyrocketed to 42 degrees Celsius, yet he ignored the warning and continued testing until bullets emptied five magazines, then stopped and checked the performance of the Octopus Arms.
The Octopus Arms themselves were somewhat overheated due to high-speed operation, but their mechanical performance remained stable, and their upgraded material components from the stadium improved their performance significantly over the original version.
The maximum output of a single Octopus Arm reached a stunning 5.5 tons, implying that if Mercer swung an Octopus Arm like a whip, the terminal velocity would surpass several times the speed of sound.
Wherever they struck, they could cause extremely terrifying physical impact.
Of course, if they were swung full force like a whip, the mechanical hand components at the end would definitely be unsustainable and deform.
Nonetheless, Mercer could guarantee that each safe strike on a target would cause damage far exceeding the output force.
Theoretically, even Adam's Hammer would need immediate extensive repairs if hit hard and if struck on the head, it could directly break his metallic spine.
Mercer nodded, then had the Octopus Arms detached, waited for the armor to repair the delay issue in the Compressed Propulsion in his arms and legs, then donned the armor and directly equipped the Octopus Arms in the armor's reserved slots.