When Mercer woke up in the morning, he felt like he was being squashed by a big, furry dog—hot and heavy.
The moment he opened his eyes, what he could see was Rebecca sprawled across him, her hair all over the place, more than half of her body pressing down on him, her arms and legs like hooks holding him tightly...
Lucky for him, his body was literally sturdy, or he probably wouldn't have been able to breathe while sleeping.
Mercer didn't rush to move, instead he quietly opened his eyes and watched her for a while. The girl had kicked the blanket aside, with only half covering the two of them. Luckily, he'd turned on the central air conditioning in the room to maintain the temperature before going to bed.
He cautiously tried to get up, but as soon as he freed her arm, she opened her eyes groggily.
She didn't speak, but stared at him a bit dazedly before finally remembering something, smiling like a silly girl: "Good morning!"
"Good morning," Mercer said, finally able to move her to the side, but before he could get up, Rebecca stretched out her arms and legs again, hugging him firmly to her chest.
Rebecca pouted like a spoiled child, pressing her face against his, her lips kissing his neck and cheek several times, refusing to let go.
"So clingy?" Mercer said with amusement, turning over to hug her as well.
"I think I forgot to shower last night... carry me there." Rebecca's voice was more coquettish and playful than usual.
Mercer readily picked her up: "Are you sure? I might need a morning workout before heading to work, don't ask for mercy."
Rebecca instinctively loosened her grip a bit but then put on a fierce look: "You cheated yesterday on purpose! Knowing I couldn't adapt the first time...
Anyway! Yesterday doesn't count! I'll be back in shape, and we'll try again!"
Mercer, however, chuckled and patted her: "Oh, you say it doesn't count and it doesn't? Shall we have another go right now..."
With that, Mercer struck a pose as if ready to duel her, Rebecca wisely backed down, biting her lip and looking pitifully cute at him: "Mercer~ don't bully me!"
She was already pretty adorable, and deliberately acting cute and pitiful, Mercer couldn't resist, so he laughed twice, took her to the bathroom where they had a quick wash, and then tossed her back onto the bed.
Watching Mercer get dressed, she lazily curled up in the covers: "Come back early, remember to ask for leave for me."
"Really, you were so stubborn yesterday, now you're skipping work?" Mercer joked, unable to resist leaning in for a kiss, feeling a bit like he's saying goodbye to a newlywed wife.
Rebecca didn't refute him, laughing brightly—I'll talk when I've had enough rest. Bullying a young maiden is no prowess!
So, after she kissed him warmly for a moment, she contentedly nestled down for a nap, putting work aside.
Mercer's clothing was actually quite simple, just a set of Black Customer Service attire, with a suit over it. If he weren't somewhat of a big deal in Dog Town, he'd probably still be wearing his old sweatshirt and sweatpants.
Upon exiting the room and arriving in the living room, Mercer saw V and Lucy with expressionless faces—the two girls showed no sign of unusual behavior.
"Hey, up early," naturally, V couldn't resist a catty remark: "I thought you'd be taking a break today again."
Lucy didn't speak, only sipping her coffee quietly.
"Taking a break for what? Had a bit of alcohol, so I need rest? You're underestimating me." Mercer dodged the topic, fooling around, and began eating breakfast at the table.
"Really?" V, with a half-amused smile, looked at Mercer, while Lucy stayed silent, continuing to drink her coffee, her eyes watching him intently without speaking.
Mercer coughed lightly and suddenly said: "Oh, right, our new batch of equipment is about to be developed—including the standard personal armor for hackers.
My aim is to have everyone equipped with the latest Super Armor before initiating the Silver Hand Relic Chip project, ensuring the plan is foolproof."
V didn't continue to fixate on the previous topic—she couldn't quite describe her mood; jealous? What would she be jealous of? Impossible, she and Mercer were just good pals, clear as day, nothing to be jealous about!
She just felt a bit indignant for Lucy... but Rebecca was also her good sister, making her feel caught between a rock and a hard place...
"New equipment? Can my Mao Jun upgrade too?" Remembering this, V decided to push Mercer and Rebecca's matters aside, shelving them for now.
Mercer nodded and smiled: "Yes, the compression engine will be upgraded, fly faster, run faster, plus the latest EMP counter system, with a certain enhancement to armor thickness.
You guys have always envied my Octopus Arm, haven't you? Now with the AI operating system upgraded, AI can independently operate two Octopus Arms for auxiliary purposes, enhancing your melee combat capabilities.
At the same time, ranged weapons have been optimized, upgrading all the cheap shoulder cannons, mini-missiles to stronger, smarter weapons.
For example, mini missiles will be replaced by drone bombs, launched from behind, further ignited in air, autonomously seeking targets, locked by the internal AI program for activation.