Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 100 Troubled Times
Outside the Ritz Bar, a black Jun Mizutani sports car slowly pulled into a parking space. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, an excited man leaned out of the car and whistled at the scantily clad girls carrying baseball bats at the entrance.

The girls from the Mox gang standing at the door exchanged smiles upon seeing Pila's signature hairstyle and exaggeratedly long arms. One of them, a girl with pink and purple hair in a bun, even took the initiative to greet her.

"Hey! It's been a while. I thought you were dead."

Rita Wheeler sized up Pila, who then opened the car door with a grin, got out, and swaggered toward her: "I have an appointment to discuss a deal, and the other party specifically requested to come to Ritz."

"Oh~" Rita's gaze fell on Mercer behind Pila, who was wearing his signature mask. With just a pale hockey mask, the girls from the Mox Gang immediately recognized him.

Now, Faraday's wanted bounty has become nonsense, and everyone knows he has run away, but the reputation of the Fire Seed Squad has soared in the past few months.

Mercer, who always appears in public wearing a mask, has not shown his face for the past few months, but his unique, somewhat cheap yet frightening hockey mask has long become a symbol of his identity.

So, despite it being their first meeting, Rita respectfully put down her baseball bat and said in a very friendly manner, "Hey, I bet you're his boss, the famous A, right?"

“Yes.” Mercer had barely finished speaking when a recklessly modified, black and red Gudera 66 finally drifted into the parking space.

V got out of the car with a sour face, pulled a hundred-euro bill from his pocket, and Mercer unceremoniously reached out and took it: "Are you convinced now?"

"Damn it! Pila definitely skimped on the materials in my car!" she muttered indignantly, while Rebecca, in the passenger seat, jumped out of the car, shouting, "I told you I'd drive!"

"It doesn't matter who drives. Driving is a skill. Do you really think that quick reflexes make you a good driver?" Mercer smugly stuffed the money into his pocket. He turned his head and saw Pila shamelessly flirting with Mox's sisters and telling jokes.

"You didn't cheat by using Polaris, did you?" V was still a little unconvinced, but he just muttered to himself, accepting his defeat.

Mercer didn't even bother with her—if you're bad, practice more.

Rebecca felt ashamed seeing Pila drooling over the girl, and almost kicked him away: "I didn't come here to play with you today, hurry up and go inside."

"Damn! I haven't been out in ages! I've been dragged around by the boss all day, doing all the hard labor and working as his assistant."

Pila muttered to herself, but faced with Rebecca's iron fist, she could only raise an eyebrow at the laughing Mox sisters, make a gesture to stay in touch, and then lead Mercer and V inside.

To be honest, the way he walked into Liz made him feel like he was coming home. From the waiters to the bodyguards at Mox's place, and even many of the customers greeted him.

Seeing how adeptly he was at navigating social situations, Mercer couldn't help but chuckle: "I think if this guy opened a bar, he'd do a pretty good job."

"Forget it, if I really let him open a bar, he'd probably burn himself out in a month," Rebecca said irritably.

The group entered the bar, found a booth, and V asked the waiter to bring over a bottle of Rabbit God whiskey and also ordered a can of iced cola for Mercer.

After sitting in the booth for a short while, a big shot, a rare sight at Mox Bar, actually came over and greeted us.

Susan Quay, or Susan Q.

As the then-leader of the Mox gang and the current head of Ritz Bar, she doesn't usually show her face in public and often stays in her studio.

This is a Black woman with obvious cybernetic modifications and a distinctive personality, sporting a thick head of spiky curly hair that makes her easily recognizable.

"Everyone in the Fire Seed Squad, we've heard so much about you. Pila told us he was working with you guys, and to be honest, we all thought he was joking. Anyway, welcome to Liz."

She smiled and said gently, "Whether you play Mewtwo or just drink today, it's all on my tab. Consider it making friends."

But as far as I know, apart from Pira, it seems like this is the first time for most of you here? Should we find some cool guys and pretty girls to have a few drinks with you?

Pila chuckled and waved her hand, "No need, those guys aren't into that kind of thing."

As he spoke, he winked and gestured for Susan to look at Mercer's left side with Rebecca and his right side with V sitting there. Susan immediately understood and smiled, saying, "Got it, so you're here to discuss business? Should we move you to a private room inside?"

“Not for now, but thanks anyway, Susan,” Mercer said politely.

Susan smiled slightly: "That's good. I'm usually inside, so you can contact me anytime if anything happens."

She proactively sent Mercer her contact information, and after Mercer accepted it, he said very politely, "No problem. If Pila ever sneaks over to play, I'll trouble your people from Mox to keep an eye on him."

"Hahaha! We definitely have to keep a close eye on him then, he's practically a VIP at our bar." Susan laughed heartily, then ordered another case of beer and a bottle of high-end whiskey to be brought over before leaving without disturbing him any further.

Mercer couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement: "We're so famous now? Even a gang leader has to come out and greet us personally?"

"Of course! While you were staying home as a shut-in for a few months, we were busy beating up the Tiger Claw Gang, the Sixth Street Gang, and the Whirlpool Gang. Now, no matter where you go, you can't recognize any unfamiliar faces that call me Sister V."

V said smugly, showing off, "Last time when I went to the Wild Wolf Bar with Jack and Mann, a few girls from the Valentino gang came up to me and said I was their idol."

"Heh, so you stupidly spent money to treat them to a free meal and drinks all night?" Mercer glanced at her, then read the answer from her expression and chuckled, "You're so easy to fool."

"Go to hell! Do you think I'm being ripped off for treating someone to a few drinks?" V glared at him angrily, while Mercer just shrugged and said, "Who knows? All I know is that normally, it's the fans who spend money on their idols."

The two started arguing again, while Rebecca quietly moved closer to him. After a few sips of whiskey, she started groping him, occasionally letting out a slightly scary giggle.

Mercer has gotten used to it—if he goes out one day without a warm, soft little girl to hold in his arms, he probably would feel uncomfortable.

He's grown quite a bit taller, probably around 1.78 meters now. Rebecca, on the other hand, is tiny, and when she's huddled next to him, she looks like a big dog—it's kind of adorable.

The group chatted and laughed for about ten minutes before a woman with delicate features and short blue hair walked in with an elegant demeanor.

She was dressed impeccably, in a pink fur coat and jewelry around her neck; anyone who didn't know her would mistake her for a female celebrity.

But V only glanced at it before looking away, and it was all fake—she wasn't just talking about the clothes.

Then, the woman glanced around and immediately spotted Mercer, who was wearing a mask, sitting on the sofa with Rebecca in his arms, drinking cola and giving off an incongruous vibe.

She approached him with a bright smile and said, "Sorry, I didn't expect you to arrive so early."

“Have a seat.” Mercer gestured for her to sit down, and then introduced her to the people around him: “Aveline Parker, she recently switched from Liz and is now the top star at Genting.”

"I wouldn't call myself a top star, I've only just started to gain some fame." Evelyn spoke quite modestly, but the smile on her face clearly revealed a more genuine side.

Mercer simply chuckled twice: "Tinder Squad, V, Rebecca, Pila."

Mercer gave a brief introduction, but Pila had been staring at him for a long time and quickly made room for her, gesturing for her to sit next to him.

Evelyn simply smiled and sat down in the empty seat opposite him, putting her bag aside. Her voice was gentle: "It's rare for someone to take the initiative to ask me out. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about discussing business in such a formal way."

I know you are all important people, and I am just a lowly sex doll, so…

She looked at Mercer tentatively and said cautiously, "What exactly do you want me to do? If it's just my old job, I'm fine with it, but if it's something else, I'm really not brave enough."

If you're not brave, then there are no brave couples these days.

Mercer knew that this woman was typically greedy and stupid. Don't be fooled by her current cautious demeanor; it was all just an appearance.

Mercer then smiled and said, “I want to get in touch with a big shot, so I need someone to help me get close to him and make the connection.”

Upon hearing this, Evelyn immediately felt reassured. She smiled and said, "I see. Then I think I can probably handle it. But... who is your target?"

Mercer simply said calmly, "A senior executive at a company."

"Uh, does she have a specific identity?" Evelyn didn't want to jump into a hole.

Mercer simply said quietly, "You don't need to care who the client is. All you need to do is insert the sex pair chip, and when we arrange for you to be with that big client, you can turn the chip on when you're alone."

"No, I know you're a hacking expert. Once this chip is activated, I won't have any say or action to myself. What if you want to use me to assassinate me and I don't want to die!"

Evelyn immediately refused, looking at Mercer warily.

Mercer calmly replied, "A commission of 300,000 euros, and we will make you a true star in Night City, the top star in Cloud Peak."

You should know that not every sex doll is qualified to be on the recommendation lists of those famous agents, but I can pay to get you on them.

“What use are these things if I’m dead?” Evelyn said, but V laughed.

She said sarcastically, "Alright, girl, if you really didn't want to do it, you would have turned around and left long ago."

Evelyn glanced at V with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Mercer, however, calmly replied, "I can assure you that our goal is simply to exchange a few words with that important figure. Of course, your risks are also objectively present."

But if there were no risks, where would you get the 300,000 euros to earn, and where would you get people to support you?

We can assure you that we're not using you for any assassination attempt; we're just using your body to speak a few words with him face-to-face. Since you've decided to come to Mox's, we can find someone you trust to vouch for you.

Evelyn asked with a shifty look in her eyes, "Which important person is it?"

“You’re not in a position to ask right now,” Mercer said bluntly. “All you need to know is that it’s a high-ranking executive in the company. You’ll find out the rest when you carry out your mission.”

Mercer didn't intend to let her know too much beforehand, lest this woman have any inappropriate thoughts.

With this kind of woman, you have to use both carrot and stick, a combination of kindness and severity, before she'll obediently work for you.

Three hundred thousand euros is no small sum for Evelyn, who has just started working at Genting Highlands. But more important than the money is another matter that Mercer mentioned.

After hesitating for a moment, she confirmed, "Even if you're just using me to talk to big shots, what if I help you this time and ruin my reputation as a sex puppet? Who will come to me in the future?"
As you all know, those big shots hate sex dolls that leak secrets, which is why they require us to wear sex doll chips to serve them.”

“If everything goes smoothly, no one will know what you did. That big shot won’t say anything, and neither will we. On the contrary, you can use that big shot’s fame to become a real celebrity overnight.”

Mercer confidently stated, "What do you think those famous sex dolls are all about? To put it bluntly, it's all because they slept with those big shots."

Furthermore, we've put you on those agents' lists, and we won't remove your name once we've used you up. If you're truly capable, seize this opportunity; you might even get to know more important people in the future.

How much money do you earn working for Genting now? At least half of it is taken away, right? Haven't you ever thought about building your own network and big clients so you can work for yourself in the future?

These words really struck a chord with Evelyn.

She is a rare type of sex doll who has a plan for her future—starting by saving money at the Ritz Bar, she invests it in herself, from her skin to her face, everything is high-end and of good quality.

Then she moved from Liz to Genting, which is where she is now. Her goal is clearer: to make money while trying to build relationships with some regular customers at Genting.

Once I've accumulated enough clients, or if I'm lucky enough to meet a big boss who'll mentor me, I'll go out and start my own business!
Not only will every penny earned be yours, but being a long-term partner of a big shot is much more carefree and enjoyable than working in Genting Highlands!

Originally, Evelyn planned to work hard in Cloud Peak for at least two more years or even longer before she would have the opportunity to try to break out and go solo. But now, Mercer has directly placed a springboard in front of her.

Evelyn's expression shifted between uncertainty and elation. Finally, she gritted her teeth and gave an offer: "Five hundred thousand euros!"

V chuckled, then turned to Mercer and waved, saying, "Let's find someone else. This woman's gone mad—500,000 euros? Does she think she's made of gold?"

Evelyn retorted confidently, "Please, I can earn at least tens of thousands of euros a year at Genting now. If I mess up while working for you guys, I can forget about working in this industry and might have to come back to Liz to make a living."

And you want me to risk my life? What if things go wrong during your negotiations with the big shot? I might lose my life!
On one hand, there's a career that can earn me hundreds of thousands of euros a year; on the other, there's my life! 500,000 euros—that's my life's work!

Mercer simply said calmly, "I can pay you half upfront, but do you dare ask me for the balance?" Mercer's words made her instinctively glance at the Morgans' bodyguards around her, but Mercer merely leaned forward slightly, looked at her, and said:

"Don't be too greedy, Evelyn. Three hundred thousand euros. Even if things go wrong, you can easily start a new life in any new city with this money."

If I really wanted to buy your life, would you dare sell it?

Mercer's words made Evelyn open her mouth, and then Mercer said in an unyielding tone, "I'll repeat myself, this job isn't as dangerous as you think. If you can do it, then do it; if you can't, then we'll find another girl who wants to make money."

We've taken on the responsibility of hiring you for our team; if we were to trick you into going to your death, our team's reputation would be ruined.

You can go and ask around about our reputation yourself. Even with that guy Faraday who tricked us into going to our deaths, we only turned against him after we completed the mission.

"If we really wanted to lie to you, we would have already passed the work on to the middleman and sent them to find a scapegoat. So, our willingness to talk to you face-to-face already shows our sincerity."

Mercer's words left Evelyn somewhat skeptical, but before coming, she had inquired about some information related to the Fireseed Squad.

It has to be said that this mercenary squad, which has been regarded by many as the 'next legend', is now considered by many to be the mercenary squad in Night City that is closest to becoming a legend.

Well, if they suddenly die, or pull off another big job that shocks the whole city, they could probably be considered legendary mercenaries, perhaps a little short of the level of Morgan Blackhand and Silverhand.

But compared to legendary mercenaries like Sunrise in recent decades, they are truly in no way inferior.

Evelyn nervously rubbed her hands, unable to give an answer for a moment. She looked at the whiskey on the table: "May I have a sip?"

V nodded nonchalantly, then picked up an empty glass, added ice, and poured herself a glass of whiskey.

After finishing her whiskey in a few gulps, Evelyn took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and said, "Then I'll give it a try, but you have to give me half the money first. Once I meet your target, you'll have to pay me the balance."

And we need to find Susan, the boss, to be a witness. If you're lying to me and deliberately sending me to my death…

Evelyn emphasized, "I get along well with many of the girls in Morgans."

Upon hearing this, even Rebecca couldn't help but laugh—no one thought they would be afraid of the Mox Gang, right?

But Evelyn felt that no matter how powerful a group of mercenaries were, they were still just a group of mercenaries. With Mox as their guarantor, even if they tried to do something, they would definitely have to restrain themselves.

Mercer nodded without hesitation: "No problem, then let Susan be our guarantor."

Evelyn finally relaxed a little, licked her lips and said, "Then it's settled!"

Rebecca suddenly sat up straight and stared at her intently: "We can pay first, but this money needs to be put with the guarantor, so you don't run away before you've even done any work."

Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

Mercer then sent a message directly to Susan, with whom he had just exchanged contact information.

Soon after, Susan arrived at the booth. Without wasting any time, she asked about the details and then looked at Evelyn, saying:
"Are you sure you've thought this through? You know, sometimes even just passing on a word to someone can get you killed."

Evelyn glanced at Mercer, but Mercer simply crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

"I can only say that, most likely, there won't be any problems, but it's not 100% certain." After Mercer finished speaking, Evelyn gritted her teeth and nodded.

Without saying a word, Mercer transferred 150,000 euros to Susan as a prepayment: "Now that you've received the money, I'll officially begin the process. Soon, some professional agents will come to verify your situation."

In other people's eyes, you're just a lucky person who hooked up with a rich guy and found a wealthy person to support you, so you should know what to say and what not to say, right?

Evelyn took out a cigarette and nodded emphatically, saying, "I know. From now on, I don't know anything about commissions or missions. I just need to wait until I meet that important person and insert the sex doll chip you prepared for me, right?"

“That’s right.” Mercer nodded and said, “After that, you can go about your business as usual. After you receive the final payment, your name will still be listed with those agents. I believe that soon you will meet a lot of big shots and start to become famous.”

Evelyn licked her lips and lit a cigarette: "No problem. Hmm, is there anything else you need?"

"That's all. You can go about your business for now and wait for my updates."

Mercer wouldn't give Evelyn any tasks—for her, simply being able to bring the chip and meet Lai Xuan was enough.

In fact, Mercer had considered whether to find someone else, since the woman's appearance in the game was incredibly stupid. But then he thought that perhaps only someone as stupid as her would be foolish enough to go see Lai Xuan for him.

Someone even slightly smarter would probably run away as soon as they heard Lai Xuan's name; changing their mind at the last minute would be a huge problem.

As for becoming famous, Mercer was just kidding. If she's lucky, she might be able to earn more money by leveraging the fame of being "appointed by Lai Xuan". If she's unlucky, she'll just continue working at Genting.

As for her safety? That actually depends on Lai Xuan's thoughts. Perhaps Lai Xuan thinks that killing her will make their conversation safer, then she's doomed. If Lai Xuan thinks it's unnecessary, then she can live.

People die for money, birds die for food; 300,000 euros is not a sum that can be easily obtained by meeting someone once—if Mercer had given her 300,000 euros when they first met, he could have tricked her into assassinating the new US president.

As for Evelyn's nonsense about earning hundreds of thousands of euros a year at Genting, Mercer just laughed it off.

She might be able to earn that much, but how could she possibly save it all? The cost of maintaining a sex doll is not cheap, and there are also the loans from her previous plastic surgery, rent, food and water bills, etc. Add it all up, can she possibly save a few tens of thousands of euros a year?
Having finalized the deal with Evelyn, Mercer decided to call it a day and leave the communication with the professional agents in Night City to Morning Star Online.

To put it bluntly, it's about throwing money at it. They pay those agents to add Evelyn's name to their profiles, and then all sorts of random things, like her resume, will be custom-made according to Qimingxing's analysis of Arasaka Yorinobu's preferences.

After that, all we need to do is wait for Arasaka Yorinobu to arrive at Night Castle.

I wonder if Lai Hsuan will like this way of meeting?
A luxurious mansion in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan.

Arakasaka Yoriyuki sat cross-legged in his room, dressed in a kimono, quietly watching the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard, which had now withered.

The hurried footsteps behind him did not make him waver for a moment. Arasaka Yorinobu simply picked up the sake cup beside him, drank it all in one gulp, and continued to look at the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard until the footsteps stopped beside him.

Hanako Arasaka, dressed in a snow-white kimono, gracefully knelt down beside him, holding a tray with some snacks to accompany her drinks and a pot of hot tea.

"It's getting cold, let's have some tea instead."

Her voice was soft and gentle, not at all like that of a woman in her fifties or sixties; she sounded like a young girl.

“Sake can warm the heart.” Arasaka Yorinobu, however, remained unmoved as he looked at the cherry blossom tree, placed his sake cup beside him, and stared for a while before finally turning his head to look at Arasaka Hanako, whose expression was serene.

"What? Does Father want me to do something now?"

As soon as Arasaka Yorinobu finished speaking, Arasaka Hanako simply said softly, "No, it's just that you haven't sat at home in a long time, and I don't know when the next time we'll sit here together will be."

Arasaka Yorinobu's expression softened slightly, but then he just smiled mockingly: "I thought you had heard some news again and were planning to come and warn me."

"Well, rather than a warning, I am indeed somewhat worried."

Hanako Arakawa calmly turned to look at him: "Although Father didn't say anything, you and I both know very well that at a time like this, anyone who might approach you could drag you into hell."

Brother, don't go too far. Father won't give you a second chance; you and I both know that.

Arasaka Yorinobu simply chuckled twice: "I don't know what you're worried about. I am now the undisputed successor to the Arasaka Group. Are you worried that I will destroy my own company? Destroy my own future?"

He sneered, "Whether anyone wants to see me or not, Night City is where Arasaka's future lies. If you choose to stay home just because you're afraid of being suspected..."

Arasaka Yorinobu gave his sister a meaningful look: "Or perhaps you want to take over the management of the Arasaka Company in Night City for me?"

“Of course not, I prefer to stay at home. Night City is just another place of heartbreak for me.” A hint of sadness flashed in Hua Zi’s eyes.

Lai Xuan paused for a moment, then changed the subject: "In short, the Arasaka Company in Night City has been in a lot of trouble lately, and someone has to go and check on the situation."

The accidental leak of the Prosthetics project and the theft of the Relic chip, which has yet to be recovered, have led to my father's deteriorating health.
We must stabilize the situation and be prepared at this crucial moment.

"I understand, brother. If you need any help, you can ask me anytime." Hua Zi's docile demeanor caused a complex look to flash in Lai Xuan's eyes.

His feelings for Hanako were a complex mix of love and hate. He loved her because she was perhaps the only family member in the world who would still genuinely care for him. He hated her because her obedience to Saburo Arasaka outweighed everything else about her.

She is a good younger sister, but also a pitiful puppet manipulated by Saburo Arasaka's fear. If Yoriyuki were to stand against Saburo again, she would not hesitate to plunge a dagger into Yoriyuki's heart for Saburo's sake.

Yes, that's who she is.

Lai Xuan looked at Hua Zi for a while, then looked away and said, "I received a message from the intelligence department that a new group of powerful mercenaries in Night City is very likely related to the theft of the Canadian base."

I need to go there myself and verify the situation.

"Oh? You found those kids?" Hua Zi clearly remembered the theft in Canada—so many Relic chips were stolen in one go; it was practically a crime.

In an effort to recoup its losses, the Arasaka Group mobilized almost all of its spies planted in other companies, but to no avail; it was as if the Relic chip had vanished into thin air.

Therefore, the agents within the group analyzed that these chips might be in the hands of the group of hackers who disappeared that day. Thus, tracking down the whereabouts of these hackers has become the core task of Arasaka's intelligence department.

Not long ago, an agent from Arasaka's counterintelligence department unexpectedly sent a message saying that they had found a person with a very high degree of matching information. After the intelligence department verified the information, this finally led to Lai Xuan's trip to Night City.

Yes, even Mercer himself probably didn't expect that he and Lai Xuan would now be mutually attracted.

“Well, Arthur Jenkins said that one of his young women has unexpectedly discovered a potential match, with a high probability. However, due to the high level of danger posed by the target, I will personally oversee Night City this time to ensure the successful recovery of the Relic chip.”

After Lai Xuan finished speaking, he slowly stood up and said, "I know you have been doubting me, but it doesn't matter. I will prove with my actions what kind of leader the current Arasaka Group needs."

My father is getting old, and our plans in New America have been repeatedly thwarted. We are even on the verge of losing Night City. If we are completely driven out of New America by the Military Science Institute, our group's future will be on a downward spiral.

Now, all my father can think about is the Relic chip. Sigh, we can't let our only future pillar industry benefit someone else.

Hua Zi also stood up, but did not leave with him. He just watched him walk away while talking, bowed slightly, and said with his head down, "I understand. Then I wish you good luck in your martial arts and that you are careful."

"Yes, Father's health hasn't been good lately, so I'll have to rely on you to take good care of him," Lai Xuan said.

Hua Zi nodded slightly: "Yes."

After they parted, Hua Zi sat down again in front of the cherry blossom tree, gazing at the withered trunk. After a long while, she let out a soft sigh.

"Xiaotian." Her voice had barely faded when she said that.

From the shadows of the wooden walkway outside, a man in a suit stepped out of the darkness and bowed ninety degrees: "Here!"

"You should go too. Be careful and make sure you see what's going on in Night City for me."

After Hua Zi finished speaking, he paused for a moment, and then said, "Father will most likely send Adam Hammer and Takemura to Night City with my brother, but I believe my brother will not give himself away in front of them."

So you need to be careful not to expose yourself.

"Hi!" Oda bowed and then disappeared into the darkness again.

Hua Zi reached out, feeling the breeze in the courtyard, and sighed softly.

These are turbulent times.
(End of this chapter)