Just as Mercer was using the Soulkiller Program to alter and brainwash Colonel Hansen's consciousness.
What happened in Dog Town eventually leaked out through various channels.
Even though Mercer monitored nearly all the personal terminals of the Netherworld Dog with the ctOS System, some things didn't need to be leaked from within the Netherworld Dog.
The sudden martial law in Dog Town, Hansen's disappearance, and Spark Team members abruptly appearing in key positions throughout the Netherworld Dog all hinted at a major event occurring in Dog Town.
For a moment, all parties were employing various tactics, inadvertently testing Mercer's latest anti-submarine equipment—resulting in the capture of one Agent Arasaka, two Military Science agents, one Kangtao agent, one Internet Supervision agent, and several spies.
They even sealed off two tunnels.
And the various anti-submarine equipment and capabilities Mercer suddenly showcased caught the attention of many interested parties.
Takemura Goro suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure and difficulty.
The harsh words he said earlier, the so-called capitulation in ten days, were merely intended to put psychological pressure on Mercer, not to be taken seriously.
Takemura was very aware that under such significant pressure, especially when it concerned the life and death of oneself and companions, this arbitrary ten-day timeframe he mentioned would significantly impact Mercer's decision-making.
Often the more urgent and aggressive the enemy, the larger the flaws they reveal.
In fact, Takemura had initially found the best way to capture Mercer alive—he and Hansen successfully established contact, and the other party promised to cooperate in capturing Mercer alive, even including other Spark Team members.
Arasaka needed to provide valuable trade agreements and military support, offering protection to Hansen when necessary.
In Takemura's view, it was a complete win-win situation: Hansen got rid of a major worry, albeit losing some research capabilities; honestly, what real talent could a mere Dog Town produce?
The resources Arasaka could spare were more than enough for Hansen to indulge in riches, not to mention this could allow Arasaka's influence to further penetrate Dog Town and directly confront Military Science.
Talent like Mercer should be serving Arasaka, especially after Arasaka Saburo heard of Mercer's achievements and showed great interest in his software and hardware development capabilities.
Many believe he is among the rare super geniuses who can advance the Relic technology and Soulkiller Program, making him a priceless asset Arasaka Saburo, who is aging and with little time left, would capture at any cost.
This, in turn, made Takemura feel even more challenged—capturing someone alive is entirely different from killing them.
If Arasaka truly decided to kill Mercer, Takemura would personally advise Arasaka Saburo that such a promising young genius should be dealt with by sending carrier planes for an aerial bombing mission until the target's death was confirmed.
No heavy fire ban would matter; once Mercer is dead, there's plenty of time to argue with Military Science over this matter.
At present, neither side is ready to start a corporate war; as long as both maintain face and don't directly attack each other, they'll likely tacitly choose to brush over it with a media campaign.
In fact, Takemura was already sufficiently surprised by Mercer and his crew's capabilities.
He couldn't imagine that a bunch of street thugs could escape unscathed under his leadership of a group of elite agents with the action also supported by Adam's Hammer.
Had he not cautiously deployed, technically, what is considered heavy weaponry with large EMP weapons, he might have been outsmarted by Mercer in a head-on confrontation.
The combat capability, equipment strength, and fighting spirit displayed by the opposing side proved their level of challenge, and now Mercer had the upper hand by taking out Hansen...
This forced Takemura to think about how to complete the task personally assigned by Arasaka Saburo.
After much consideration, Takemura decided on a psychological strategy—spreading rumors in Dog Town about Mercer's rebellion, ingratitude, betrayal of Hansen, and dissatisfaction from Dog Town's backers with Mercer.
Once the Netherworld Dog's morale was disrupted, with Mercer's reputation and the added enticement of Arasaka's lucrative rewards and witness protection plans, Mercer would definitely be left uneasy.
Moreover, offering bounties not just on Mercer but also on his companions would make them all paranoid; a mercenary group fighting just for money, relying on loyalty, how long could they hold out?
First, disrupt Dog Town's situation, break Mercer's solid defense, then find the right opportunity; that was the superior strategy.
Meanwhile, perhaps he could use the people around Mercer against him...whether through bribery or kidnapping.
Takemura devised a plan and immediately put it into action.
Firstly, he announced a bounty on Mercer himself.
The price was a staggering thirty million euros—limited to a live capture.
Secondly, for V, he put out a bounty of ten million euros, also limited to a live capture.
V's combat performance when facing Adam's Hammer was very intriguing; many within Arasaka believed she might have the potential to become another sharp blade at Arasaka's disposal besides Adam's Hammer, worthy of investment.
For others, such as Mann and Rebecca, the bounties ranged from three million to five million, dead or alive.
Under such huge rewards, fools are bound to rush in, and Takemura knows he won't need to take action himself as trouble will continually find them.