Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 128 Turbulent Waters

"What has he been busy with lately?"

In the restaurant, V looked at the empty seat that belonged to Mercer and couldn't help but ask, "Does this guy only know to eat when someone brings him his food every day?"

"If you don't bring it to him, I bet he won't even remember to eat," Rebecca complained, swinging her short legs.

At home, she was wearing a simple printed white short-sleeved shirt and black shorts, with her green hair cascading over her shoulders, making her look even more like a child.

V frowned and turned to look at Lucy, who was eating silently: "Lucy, what does he do on the server every day?"

"I don't know," Lucy said honestly. "She was excitedly telling me some strange things like 'humans might really have souls,' and then she just kept doing something else."

It wasn't that Lucy was unwilling to say more, but rather that she genuinely didn't know what Mercer was up to.

All she knew was that Mercer never did anything useless, and he certainly wouldn't waste time on pointless endeavors when a whole host of troubles were right in front of him.

V sighed, threw off her apron, and looked at the food on the table: "Then let's just ignore him. We'll send him another portion after we finish eating."

"How is Hansen doing?" Mann asked while eating. "Gago asked me today whether the Gemstone Blue Banquet this month should still be held. Some people are very concerned about Hansen's current situation."

Mercer has also been making few public appearances lately, and many people are wondering what will happen to Dogtown next.

“Mercer said the situation isn’t ideal, and Hansen is very likely to lose the repechage,” Rebecca said, grinning. “That’s quite an interesting analogy.”

"Didn't they say the chances of success were high?" Jack asked curiously.

"Mercer said it was a good thing, probably because he discovered some problems in his research. Anyway, according to Mercer, even if the experiment is successful, Hansen should step down. He doesn't have time to keep fixing Hansen's consciousness data."

Lucy replied simply.

Sasha, who was enjoying her meal, looked up and said, "Does that mean we'll have to deal with the Cubans ourselves? I've heard they're really tough to deal with."

V, propping her chin on her hand, watched everyone eating heartily. Having just finished cooking for the whole family, she hadn't had an appetite yet: "Cubans? I think they're just so-so."

They brag a lot, saying things like lighting a cigar in Havana and someone's head will roll, but their top assassins wouldn't stand a chance against me, not even with one punch.

Rebecca, as was her habit, teased her: "She's an assassin, she does assassinations."

The two exchanged a few words, and then suddenly they heard footsteps approaching, and everyone turned to look.

Mercer yawned, his eyes squinted as if he hadn't slept for days, and he staggered down the corridor dressed in black.

"Oh, what a rare guest! You actually remembered to eat today?" V looked at him with some dissatisfaction, but said this without moving her hands and feet to get up and serve him rice and prepare tableware.

Mercer sat lazily in his seat, unconcerned: "Oh well, I've been busy lately. But I'll stop here for now. I won't have time to stay in the server room to study this data anymore."

Lucy looked at him: "So, have you figured out anything?"

"Almost there. We've basically figured out the process of digitizing consciousness, as well as the current limitations and problems of the Relic chip."

Mercer paused for a moment and said, "Simply put, the current Relic resurrection has a fairly high failure rate, but what prevents Relic from taking effect is actually the human brain itself."

Our previous idea of ​​replacing the original body with a cloned body may have been a shortcut. Clones grown through rapid cloning have a blank brain.

Through repeated experiments, it can be basically confirmed that the human brain will gradually adapt to data writing and develop its own defense mechanisms. It is this defense mechanism that led to Hansen's loss of consciousness and data disorder.

It is precisely this defense mechanism that prevents Relic chips from being written to.

"Stop, stop, stop! Don't talk about work while we're eating." V grumbled, throwing his plate in front of Mercer and interrupting him. "Especially this kind of technical stuff, do you really think we understand it?"

Mercer chuckled teasingly, "Alright, alright, from now on we'll try to talk about topics you can understand."

V slammed a glass of ice water down in front of him, annoyed: "I've finished my Coke."

“I remember there was still some,” Mercer glanced at the refrigerator.

“I’m done drinking!” V said decisively, sitting down next to him and picking up his chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”

Mercer could only roll his eyes, but he simply picked up his chopsticks and said, "By the way, Hansen is dead."

"Ok?"

Almost everyone looked at Mercer at that moment.

Mercer, however, spoke casually, as if discussing the weather: "The consciousness data was successfully written into his brain, but his brain nerves have already collapsed. If the experiment continues, he will need to undergo craniotomy to repair the brain nerves."
But I figured even if it worked, I'd still be drooling, so I decided to just leave it at that. There will be plenty of opportunities to experiment with related things later.

"So what should we do next? Just issue a notice or go through the formalities?" Jack asked enthusiastically, taking a sip of his beer. "Should we hold some kind of inauguration ceremony for you? Or maybe we can have a banquet at Gemstone Blue?"

"The funeral still needs to be held. In any case, I am now following the legitimate route of succession."

Mercer thought for a moment and then simply said, "Why don't we turn a funeral into a celebration and do both things at the same time?"

"You're really something, throwing a party openly at someone's funeral, huh?" V complained.

Mercer, however, said righteously, "What do you mean by 'party'? We're going to hold a lavish funeral for Hansen in Gemstone Green. We'll find a priest to perform a memorial service for him, and we'll invite all the important people here."

Let them see Hansen's corpse with their own eyes, and by the way, I'll give a formal speech and rightfully take over as the new boss of Dogtown.

The next morning, I'll have someone take it to the cemetery, and I'll write his epitaph myself. That way, it won't be a waste of his months of working for me.

"You're quite kind-hearted, huh?" V said.

Mercer chuckled: "Of course."

"That's good too. Anyway, everyone knows what's going on. Going through the process together can be considered a formal turning point for Dogtown."

Mann, however, quite agreed with Mercer's idea: "It's a good opportunity to legitimately invite clients from all over the world to come and formally re-establish contact. Those who are unwilling to come can be considered as not being our supporters."

Mercer nodded, his expression turning serious: "That's exactly what I mean—especially the Cubans. We need to get their behind-the-scenes power brokers to come over and talk to me in person."

If we can't reach an agreement, then I'll have to consider talking to larger companies instead.

The Cubans have been quiet for the past few months, but Mercer doesn't think they've really been doing nothing.

They must have known about the shady dealings between Hansen and Mercer, and during this time, some of them had contacted Hansen privately and must have noticed something was off about him.

But they didn't ask anything, nor did they take the initiative to contact Mercer. Clearly, while they were observing Mercer, they had probably been preparing for Mercer to take the initiative to "pay his respects".

Cuban crime syndicates, rather than the typical brutal and violent gangs, are actually more like the Italian Mafia.

They keep their promises, are ruthless and unscrupulous, yet they also have their own rules and pride.

In their view, if Mercer insisted on waiting for the Cubans to come to him, the scene would not be very pleasant.

"There are also large companies like Junke and Kangtao, as well as the company that was originally responsible for developing this area of ​​Taiping Prefecture."

Mercer was annoyed just thinking about it. He really didn't like wasting time on pretense with these people. He'd rather spend that time in the workshop thinking about ways to improve the prosthetic body, or with a girl like Rebecca Lucy.

But now that he's in this position, there are some things he has to do while suppressing his temper. At least until now, as the 'temporary dog ​​town boss,' he has no right to make others cater to his temper and preferences.

"What's the specific plan and timeline?" Mann asked.

Mercer said while picking at his Spanish seafood fried rice: "Morning Star will inform Gago for me and spread the word outside. She will also handle the specific timing."

My plan is to hold a banquet in Gemstone Blue within seven days at the latest, under the guise of a funeral for Hansen, and then see how things go.”

Even Mercer finds it difficult to predict what will happen next—how will the Cubans react to his rise to power? How will the military science community view the change of ownership of its pre-planned outpost? And how will other companies try to get involved in Dogtown?
We'll only know for sure when the time comes.

But one thing is certain: Dogtown's business will undergo significant changes.

Dogtown's power and dominance actually come mostly from its backers, and the identities of these backers indirectly affect Dogtown's business scope and commercial activities.

Even though Mercer had tried to make the transition of power as smooth as possible, for the other investors and supporters, Hansen being alive and Hansen being dead were still two completely different concepts. After Mercer finished speaking, he paused and said, "Let Morning Star discuss the specific security plan and event procedures with you, Gago, and me on my behalf."

“Okay.” After Mann finished speaking, he added, “By the way, all the servers for the Little Beidou facility have been moved to the underground of the stadium as planned, and the suite in Gemstone Blue has also been repaired. In theory, we can move in anytime.”

"Then let's move in after Hansen's funeral and after he officially takes over as the head of Dogtown."

Mercer, unusually excited, said, "When I first came to Night City, I only had one dream: to move into a luxurious penthouse with a private pool. Now, that dream has come true."

"The top-floor suites can meet your needs, with a swimming pool, a floating car parking area, and a terrace garden."

Mann subtly reminded him: "But the top floor area is also limited. Everyone has to be on different floors to fit in. Your suite only has one master bedroom and three guest bedrooms."

On the same floor, there are only two suites of the same class, but they face different directions. Yours is the largest; the others are smaller.

Mercer then realized the seriousness of the problem. He looked at everyone and was genuinely troubled.

He was used to everyone living together and to the fact that the living environments were all pretty much the same. But if he moved to Baoshiqing, the floors would be different, and the apartment layouts would be somewhat different.
Isn't it a bit wasteful for him to live in such a big suite all by himself?
But if he wants to live with someone else, who should he find to live with?

Mann further suggested, "And I think it would be best to leave the two suites on the top floor empty. Occasionally, high-level VIPs come, and we need to reserve a place for them, right? It's a bit much if we can only let them stay in the luxury suites."

Upon hearing this, Jack immediately raised his hand and said, "I don't like living in a house that's too big. I went to a hotel before, and the floor below the top floor has luxury suites and three-bedroom apartments! It's big enough, so I want to stay there."

I plan to live alone.
Well, mainly, as you know, I haven't seen Misty for quite a while now, and it's not convenient for me to go out and see my mom often either. If I could have a bigger house of my own, I could occasionally invite my family to stay with me for a couple of days."

Sasha, who doesn't eat much, was already lazily leaning back in her chair, digesting her food. When the topic came up, she immediately raised her hand and said:
"I also want to live in my own room. It's not that living with everyone is bad, it's just that I'm used to having my days and nights reversed, and I prefer to be alone when I'm online."

Pila went even further, saying, "Anything is fine, just don't let me live with Rebecca, and preferably on different floors."

"Huh? Then you can live in the base. Anyway, this place isn't going to be abandoned. Someone has to stay here to look after the base and the servers." Rebecca said viciously, "There's a workspace here, so you can tinker with your junk all you want."

Upon hearing this, Pila was delighted: "That's right! I'll stay at the base, you can go live in Gemstone Blue! I have no objection!"

Rebecca squinted and gritted her teeth: "What if you do something shameful at the base and someone finds out?"

“No, I always keep the door closed,” Pila said with a grin.

Mann then said directly, "I plan to move with Dorio to the lower level of the Sapphire Blue, which is the dormitory area for the Ghost Hounds."

"It's good to stay close to those hounds during normal times; it makes them easier to manage and also easier to assemble in case of an emergency."

Mercer remained silent until the very end.

Qiwei calmly said, "I don't plan to live on the top floor. I'll just live next to Sasha. I'm more used to living alone."

Lucy was silent for a moment, looked at V, then at Rebecca, and was about to speak when Mercer interrupted her.

"That's settled then. To be honest, it's not quite what I'm used to; I used to live with everyone."

Mercer sighed, then laughed: "However, since everyone has their own ideas, let's go with your ideas."

When we have meals together, we always come to the top floor together.

Mercer turned to look at Lucy and said, "I've also seen the size of the Sapphire Blue penthouse suite. To be honest, it's more than enough for three or four people, let alone us all."

It's not just a master bedroom and three guest bedrooms; there's also a dedicated security room, hacker room, workspace, and meeting room.
It's such a waste for me to live alone, and it's not safe either, so why don't you all come and stay with me?

He said without batting an eye, "V and Rebecca moving in can also solve my security problem, preventing someone from suddenly parachuting in and catching me off guard."

The hacker room in the room is a waste to leave. I usually go to the stadium. Lucy, why don't you move in too? It'll save you the trouble of spending money to renovate another one.

"I don't need to run around to get meals or anything like that."

Rebecca gave him a meaningful look, but didn't argue: "Fine, I don't like living alone in a big house anyway."

"You're already living in a luxury penthouse suite, why should I still have to be your bodyguard and nanny?"

V muttered to himself, then looked at Mercer with a somewhat disdainful gaze: "Fine, just keep working hard, so you won't get ambushed and killed while you're deep diving in your room one day."

Lucy hesitated for a moment, then simply nodded quietly.

After subtly defusing a crisis, Mercer, under the somewhat mocking gazes of the others, quickly shoveled down a few bites of fried rice to change the subject:
"That's settled then. But don't think this is the last time we'll move."

When we have money, I want to buy two plots of land myself. One plot will be used to build our own company building, and the other will be used to build an employee apartment.

"At that time, on the top floor, we'll design and build a dream home for each of us, according to our own ideas."

Watching Mercer make promises about the future that sounded like boasting, V suddenly felt a pang of emotion: "To be honest, a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have even dared to dream of living in a penthouse suite like the Sapphire Blue."

"Who says otherwise! Girl, when I was living at home and sponging off my parents, I never dreamed that I would have my own room, a room as big as a three-bedroom apartment!"

Jack remarked with a touch of wistfulness.

Everyone was very perceptive—they quickly shifted the focus of the conversation.

After Mercer finished his meal, he earnestly said, "Also, there's something I'll say in advance. Thank you all for your hard work these past few days."

After Hansen's funeral, I will officially become the boss of Dogtown, and I will never be stingy with what my brothers deserve.

I've gotten to where I am today not only because of my own efforts, but in fact, many times you have taken on greater risks than I have.

Even within the team and in daily life, V and Mann have taken on a lot of responsibility for me. You are not only my teammates and members of the team, but also my family, and part of my goals and motivation.

Now, we've finally risen from being a bunch of street mercenaries and have a foothold of our own in Night City.

Mercer solemnly said, "I will never keep this glory to myself."

“That’s so cheesy,” V said with a laugh. “Okay, let me make this clear first—we’re not doing any more commissions now, so you’d better pay me more, at least include the bodyguards’ and cooks’ share.”

"Don't worry, I'll do more than just pay you salaries."

Mercer briefly explained his idea: "Dogtown's current revenue is basically the same as that of gang warlords. The boss eats his fill, and the people below get a share."

But now that I'm in charge, we definitely can't do it this way anymore.

Rather than continuing with the warlord and gang mentality, I'd prefer to start a company directly.

"At that time, all income will go through the company's accounts. You will receive equity and dividends. I will design and arrange the specific proportions later, but I guarantee that no one will suffer losses, and no one will earn less than when you were mercenaries."

No one thought Mercer would mistreat his own people, so no one was asking about how much money they could make.

The conversation quickly returned to their usual casual chatter, and after lunch, everyone returned to their respective work stations amidst laughter and conversation.

Just one day later, everyone in Dogtown received a bombshell message.

Hansen is dead—Mercer announced this fact to all the people of Dogtown in a sorrowful voice via the town's public address system.

"I have some somber news to announce."

Early yesterday morning, Colonel Hansen, the founder of Dogtown and commander of the Ghost Hounds, succumbed to his injuries, which stemmed from unhealed wounds sustained during an attack by Arasaka several months prior. These wounds led to multiple complications, and he died despite all efforts to save him.

And the news of Hansen's death began to spread from Dogtown without any attempt to conceal it.

The complex undercurrents of Dogtown transformed into a visible torrent.

Even ordinary citizens of Night City saw news about Dog Town in Taiping Prefecture on television that night, and vaguely sensed something was amiss.

The City of Night seems to be about to change.

(End of this chapter)