Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 31 Farewell Dinner, A Phone Call to Roger
In the end, Mercer decided to take them to the camp’s small restaurant to eat and chat.

The small restaurant in the Adcado camp was basically a mobile food truck with some simple tables and chairs outside.

The food consisted of classic fried meat, French fries, and some salad and porridge made from some unknown vegetables.

Mercer took a bite of the fried meat; it looked like fried chicken, but tasted...
The meat inside tasted more like a starchy sausage, but strangely, it actually had a protein flavor and some juice.

Well, Mercer won't delve into what ingredients it's made of, lest he find it unpalatable.

The group tacitly ate first, and only after everyone had almost finished eating did Mercer leisurely speak.

"Alright, we've eaten enough. Shall we chat?" Mercer took a small can of Coke, poured it into a glass, and even added ice cubes. He took a sip and squinted his eyes with satisfaction.

"..." Lyon opened his mouth repeatedly, but seeing Lucy's somewhat indifferent expression, he couldn't say anything.

In the end, Tetsuya Daichi sighed and said bluntly, "I want to become a wanderer with Leon."

His words surprised Lyon, who turned to look at him.

Tetsuya Daichi simply looked at Mercer and said seriously, "On one hand, I feel I can't be of much help, and on the other hand..."

He sighed and then said, "I really don't want to live that kind of life of constant fear anymore."

Tetsuya Daichi said sincerely:

"Leaving them in the wilderness, although dangerous,..."
I don't know, but the closer I get to Night City, the more inexplicable panic I feel. The city is full of companies and gangs, which makes me feel very uneasy.

I don't want to live like that again. Mercer, I'm sorry.

I long for the dust and sand of the wilderness rather than returning to the concrete jungle. Sorry.

"And me, actually, I'm just scared." Leon also frankly expressed his thoughts.

"I've heard you say a lot, about wanting to take down Arasaka and become a big shot in Night City."
At first, I felt quite inspired, but after fighting several battles along the way, I realized I wasn't cut out for it at all.

Leon dared not look Mercer in the eye, and simply lowered his head to speak to himself:

"Do you remember the first time I got injured, the time I encountered the Chaotic Blade Gang and got a hole punched in my shoulder?"

To be honest, I couldn't sleep that night, tossing and turning, constantly thinking—what if that shot had been a little off, piercing my heart instead, or smashing my head?
I don't want to die, Mercer, I...
sorry. "

Young people often have a misconception that they won't be the ones to die when they go to war.

This illusion often vanishes the moment the first bullet hits.

Only those who can withstand this disparity and accept it are qualified to continue stepping onto the battlefield.

Unfortunately, Leon is not that kind of person, at least not now. Everything he has experienced along the way has left him feeling exhausted.

Now that he had finally found a free place to live and a relatively safe place to stay, Lyon no longer had the courage to actively step into danger.

Lucy wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. She just pursed her lips, looked away, and sipped her iced coffee.

Kyoko made no attempt to hide her sadness, turning to look at Mercer, then at Lucy, before finally lowering her head.

As the youngest sister, everyone instinctively puts her in the safest place, whether in daily life or in dangerous situations.

This feeling of being protected made Kyoko feel like she was living in a warm, large family.

They escaped from Arasaka together, endured a long journey together, and now that they've finally reached their destination, they're about to break up.
Mercer simply nodded coolly: "Okay, then you two stay here and have a good talk with Cassidy later to see how you can stay."

Seeing that he showed no intention of stopping her, Xingzi could only bite her lip, her mind a jumble, and remain silent. Mercer, however, turned to look at her.

And you? Staying here too?
That's not a bad idea. You're still young, so it's not too late to make a decision in a few years.

Staying in Adcador is much safer than in Night City.

"I...I still want to follow you."

As Anzu spoke, she didn't sound very confident: "I haven't figured out what I want to do in the future. But I don't want to be separated from you and Lucy."

People have varying degrees of closeness. Compared to her close brother Leon and Tetsuya Daichi, she is closer to Lucy, who is also a girl, and to the mature and reliable Mercer.

"Okay, then you can stay here for now. I'll bring you over once I've settled on a place to stay in Night City."

After Mercer finished speaking, he paused, then turned to look at Lucy:
"I'll go into town with Panan first thing tomorrow morning. She knows the roads well, and she can drive me away if things get dangerous. You can stay at the camp for a few days until I've settled things out."

"Okay, you have to be careful."

Lucy didn't say much. She felt that the two of them had already talked about everything they needed to talk about and understood each other's thoughts, so there was no need to go on and on.

Mercer nodded, then casually sipped his cola: "Alright! We've finally arrived at our destination. Everyone, cheer up. I'm going back to my tent to contact some people."

“You can use my computer,” Lucy said. “It’s in my backpack on my bed.”

"Okay." Mercer smiled and downed his cola in one gulp. "That's settled then. Everyone, find something to do."

The farewell dinner ended simply like that.

Lyon seemed to have something to say, but the earth stopped him and said to Mercer, "Although we plan to stay here, if you need manpower in the city, Lyon and I will help you. Whatever it is, I will go."

"understood."

Mercer didn't even turn his head, just waved and went back to his tent.

After the farewell dinner, Mercer didn't show any emotion regarding their choices.

The reason he brought this group of children to Night City was simply because he wanted to do something; he wanted to save these young and innocent lives.

And now, the goal has been achieved.

After that, everyone has their own choices—adults are always more accustomed to parting than children.

After Mercer connected to Night City's network using Lucy's computer, he began searching for the information he wanted. After some searching, he first prioritized his plans for going to Night City the next day.

The first person he needs to meet is Dr. Victor, whom he also has a very good impression of in the game.

He is a rare, conscientious prosthetic doctor in Night City.

In the game, when the protagonist V is penniless and near death, Victor is willing to let him do business on credit.

In this city of night, a doctor who is willing to lend money to marginalized travelers for surgery is truly a living saint.

And, most importantly, his skills are outstanding.

In some of the game's endings, Vee is even targeted by a large company like Zeta Technologies, which forcibly acquires his clinic and makes him an employee of the company.

It is clear that their skills are far superior to those of the common quack doctors in Night City.

He's technically skilled, and his character is even more impeccable—who could be more suitable than him to install Mercer's new prosthetic body and research new cybernetic implants?
The phone rang only a few times before it was answered.

"Hello?" A mature, husky male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Dr. Victor, I would like to schedule an appointment with you for tomorrow morning to install or research some prosthetics."

Mercer's tone was relaxed, and hearing his voice, which was almost identical to that in the game, felt strangely familiar.

“Well, most people wouldn’t make an appointment in advance to come to a shady hospital like mine.” Victor’s voice was gentle, but you could hear the wariness in his voice. Mercer said casually, “Don’t worry, I’m new to Night City, so I need to get a feel for things first. You’re alright, but some middlemen are hard to meet without getting their contact information beforehand.”

"Really? Then can I ask about this batch of prosthetics in advance?" Victor asked cautiously.

"I stole it, and I've tweaked the software a bit myself."

However, some require specialized equipment, especially a thorough screening of the hardware, to avoid any potential pitfalls.
I can discuss the specifics with you when we meet tomorrow. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know in advance.

Mercer chuckled and added, “In Night City, you’re the only doctor I can trust. Don’t worry, if you find it difficult, I won’t make things hard for you.”

Am I really that famous?

Anyway, that's all for now. Let's do it tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.

I've made time for you; you should know the exact location.

Victor didn't refuse again. He would know the details once they met. At least from the phone call, Mercer didn't seem like an unreasonable person, and his voice sounded a bit immature.

"Thanks, Vee. See you tomorrow. By the way, my name is Mercer, you can also call me A."

Mercer hung up the phone, imagining Victor's bewildered expression on the other end—he was probably thinking, "Why is this guy on the other end so familiar?"
After a moment of contemplation, Mercer dialed another number.

"Who is it?" A somewhat cold and hard female voice came from the phone.

“Rogge, Queen of the Next Life. Nice to meet you. My name is Alex Mercer. You can call me Mercer, or by my code name, A.”

Mercer's new name comes from the protagonist of a game he used to play, Prototype.

"A-ge" is the nickname given to Alex Mercer, the protagonist of the game, by most people who have played the game.

Since we're already copying, we might as well go all the way.

And A and V are such a good match! It sounds like they're destined for great things.

“A? Never heard of it.” Roger’s tone was blunt: “My time is precious.”

“Your old friend asked me to do something, and after thinking it over, I realized it would definitely be good for you, and I do need a capable person to help me out.”

The Queen of the Next Generation is not someone anyone can just meet whenever they want, so I can only greet you uninvited first.

I'll tell you the specifics of what I need to do in the next life tomorrow night.

It has to do with another old friend of yours, Johnny. I think you know which Johnny I'm talking about.

Mercer's words silenced the person on the other end of the phone. After a few seconds, the person coldly gave a time: "Tomorrow night at eight o'clock, see you in the next life."

"no problem."

Mercer said casually, "If possible, I would also like to issue you a request—I need someone to help me insert a chip into the server of the Night City Hall."

"We'll talk about it when we meet."

Roger neither agreed nor refused, but warned in a stern voice:
“I know you’re not very old, so let me make this clear in advance—I hate people who try to be mysterious. If you’re just using his name to mess around, then you’d better not come to see me.”

"You won't be disappointed," Mercer said, and then hung up the phone.

The Queen of the Next Life. She really has a powerful aura, huh?

After that, Mercer simply edited an email address and then selected to send it to a group.

A:

I'm a new Edgewalker A, currently building a professional Edgewalker team in Night City. So, just to let you know in advance, I only accept jobs that pay quickly and are short-term, with no limit on difficulty.

Currently available remote services include: remote network attack and defense, remote real-time network technical support for special operations, ICE upgrades, system maintenance, and program development and cracking.

The field mission will take a while; we will notify you again once the team is formed.

Interested parties may send their requests to this email address or call (details omitted).

First-time commissions receive a 20% discount. We can handle tasks requiring multiple hackers. Interested parties can book anytime; we accept assignments whenever available.

I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration in the future~XD】

The targets of mass messaging include:

Wakako Okada, a top middleman in the Japanese neighborhood.

Domingo's used car dealer and middleman, 'Old Captain'.

Regina Jones, a former FTF radio reporter in Watson District.

Father, a high-ranking middleman in the Valentino gang in the Haywood district.

'Hanz', the middleman between Dogtown and the Peace District.

As for other scoundrels like DeShawn, the fat black guy who sold V in the game, or Faraday, who killed David and his gang in The Edgewalker, he had no intention of getting involved with them at all.

Mercer didn't want to wait until he made a name for himself before people contacted him—he was short of money, visibly short of money, so he had to actively look for work.

After completing a few deals and gaining a reputation, other middlemen will naturally come to him to take on jobs.

In addition, Mercer also recruited several henchmen, or rather, field agents.

His plan wasn't just to hide behind the scenes and play with network technology; he wanted to build a top-notch edgewalker team.

Currently, his options include V, who is just over eighteen and still struggling at the bottom of society, and Mann's team from the already well-known "Fringe Walker" anime.

In addition, there are legendary drivers such as Falco, who is currently freelancing but has not yet joined the MAN team.

It's unknown whether Qiwei, the hacker, was ever sold to a black market or escaped.

And the cat-headed hacker 'Sasha' who only exists in the background of the anime and for whom no specific information can be found yet.

Of course, there's also Panan, whom he's already eyeing, and Lucy, who has decided to join him on a big mission.

Mercer focused on finding characters who had appeared in games and anime, which greatly saved him time in selecting reliable candidates.

In this way, he and Lucy could provide technical support remotely, while Qiwei and Sasha would provide on-site hacking support, and a large number of skilled thugs would be on the front lines.

Of course, Mercer didn't forget his good buddy Jack from the game.

Unfortunately, Jack is still messing around with Valentino's gang, so he needs to figure out a way to get him to come down the mountain.

Judging from his performance in the game, Jack is a formidable player, just a bit unlucky.

After much deliberation, Mercer decided to contact the easiest person to fool first.

Who else could be so easily fooled?

Of course, it's our Miss V, who's been idling around all day these days!
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(End of this chapter)