Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 88 Night Visit to Biotechnology

"So, how long are we supposed to stay here?"

Once the excitement wore off, Rebecca, squeezed into the small room, started to feel a bit overwhelmed by the crowd.

The small room was about the size of a regular bedroom, but there were eight people crammed into it. Even with the built-in ventilation system on, Rebecca still felt a bit cramped.

Mercer, while disassembling the exoskeleton with his tools, casually replied, "Let's wait until it's quieter outside, and also wait for news from Panan. In any case, let's stay in the Badlands for a while."

Out of caution, Mercer did not intend to return to Dogtown until he had reached an agreement with Stott of the Military Science Institute to eliminate the 'criminal star' on their side.

Biotechnology and Arasaka's influence can't reach Dogtown for the time being, and those agents and Faraday can't hold out for long either—the companies generally don't have much patience, Mercer estimates that in two or three days, the group originally in charge of this matter will be ousted by internal strife.

When the time comes and a new person comes in, who will be willing to clean up the mess left by the ex?

Even if he's been put on the blacklist, so be it. Mercer has plenty of debts to burn. Even in the worst-case scenario, if he's exposed as the culprit behind the Arasaka Canadian base, does he think he can just let himself be slaughtered with his abilities?
Once Stott takes office, Mercer can go back and, as long as he can deal with Hansen, continue to live a carefree life in Dogtown.

What about Arasaka Biotechnology? Without the use of large-scale heavy force, even if Adam Hammer were sent over, Mercer was confident he could cooperate with V to take him down.

"Stay in the Badlands?" Dorio asked with some concern. "Can we trust those people? I just checked, and Faraday offered us three million euros."

“I think she’s reliable.” Mercer paused and said, “You all know that Rogge from the next life, right? She blew up the Arasaka Tower with Silver Hand back then, and then she wandered around with the Adca people for a few years. Arasaka didn’t offer her a low price back then.”

"Of course, I won't blindly trust those guys. The only people who know our whereabouts right now are Panan and her two old friends, Mitch and Scorpion, who are both reliable and good people."

As Mercer spoke, Rebecca pouted and said, "You see everyone as a good person."

"Tell me if my prediction is accurate or not," Mercer said with a smile, turning his head to look at her. Rebecca turned her head away speechlessly.

"In short, you'll stay in the safe house that Panan found for us in the Badlands for a while. Once I've talked to the people from the Military Science Department, we can withdraw back to Dogtown."

Mercer paused, then turned to look at Mann and said, "You two will have to make do for a while. Don't go home yet. After I've settled things with the military and returned to Dogtown, you can move to Taiping Prefecture. We can look after each other and get things done more easily."

After thinking for a moment, Mann said, "Why don't we move to Dogtown too? I'm worried that Dorio might be in danger if Agent Arasaka sets his sights on us."

Dorothy just smiled when she heard this. The burly woman said in a calm tone, "It's alright. I guess Mercer must have his reasons for saying that."

"It's simple. I'll sell the stuff to the military science department. Then it won't do any good for the people from Arasaka to arrest us. I doubt the people from Arasaka are just looking to vent their anger. Besides, anyone who investigates will know that you only cooperated with me this once."

Aside from our own people, nobody knows you've joined us. You can easily pretend you just did one job with us.

But then Mercer added, "If you feel it's not safe, you can move to Dogtown. The base isn't big, but we should be able to find you two a place to stay."

Lucy said softly, "I can let Anzu come and stay with me, and I'll make room in one of the rooms."

"Hmm, or let me think," Mercer pondered.

Mann shook his head and said, "Forget it, I was just saying. Let's just move the family to Taiping State. You're right, even if they want to cause trouble, they won't be able to find someone like me who just started working with you."

Mercer shrugged, and just as he was about to say something, his prosthetic eye alerted him to a incoming phone call.

It was none other than Mercer's "good friend" from the military academy, Meredith Stott.

During the video call, Meredith smiled and exclaimed in amazement.

[Meredis: I must say, I really underestimated you. A group of mercenaries completely outmaneuvered Arasaka, Military Science, and Biotechnology, and now they've even managed to escape. It's unbelievable.]

[A: How is it? I bet your colleague is jumping up and down in panic right now.]

[Meredis: You're right. They're in deep trouble this time. Two elite combat teams were wiped out, their equipment was lost, they didn't capture anyone, and they even made a fool of themselves on TV with Arasaka.]

[A: It sounds like you're just a little bit away from a promotion?]

[Meredis: Is that Arasaka set of equipment in your possession?]

A: Name your price.

[Meredis: I can help you stop the military's pursuit, and I can even ensure that you mercenaries receive the same treatment as that Adam Hammer from Arasaka.]

[A: I'm not interested in working for the military science department. If we're going to cooperate, fine, but don't keep trying to acquire me.]

Meredith: You probably have no idea how much money we can offer you.

[A: Then why don't you think about how much it would be appropriate to pay for Arasaka's equipment? It's a brand new super exoskeleton suit, complete with combat data from real-world testing.]

[Meredis: Are you sure you're only selling us this? Then I can't deal with Arasaka for you.]

[A: But I bet the people from Arasaka can't get into Dogtown, what do you think?]

[Meredis: What a coincidence, we can't get in either. Let's name a price.]

[A: One price, five million euros, plus a 'Diana Kuno', but you must stop the military's pursuit of me right now, and afterwards you must tell Arasaka's people that the item is in your hands, lest they continue to chase us.]

Meredith: Quite the boast.

A: But I guess you'd be happy to pay.

[Meredis: Don't forget you're still responsible for dozens of military science personnel deaths, damaged several military science armored vehicles, and ruined tens of millions of euros of military science investment.]

[A: That was your ex's negligence. Besides, you can most likely get the money back from the biotechnology company.]

I suspect that compared to the potential profits and the friendship with a formidable mercenary group, these minor unpleasantries are insignificant.

[Meredice: What if I don't agree?]

[A: Stop talking nonsense, Aunt Mei. This kind of haggling is pointless to me. If you keep this up, I'm going to find Kangtao. I'm sure Kangtao's people will like Arasaka's new stuff, as well as a group of capable military personnel and mercenaries that even Arasaka can't find.]

A few minutes later, Meredith finally gave a positive reply.

Meredith: Once we get the item, the money will be transferred to you via the chip, but the item can't be broken, and it can't be missing any key components.

As long as we get the items, and with Diana, I can guarantee that the military science team will immediately forget the losses we suffered today and publicly display our 'spoils of war'.

As for Arasaka, well, good luck to you. Also, how old are you to call me "auntie"?

[A: Okay, come find me when I'm ready. You can take the things, and after you interrogate her, I need to see her body. As for her age? I guess you'll get my ID information soon, so I'll leave it as a surprise for you.]

[Meredis: Ha, alright. You're quite vengeful, aren't you? Didn't she scheme against you once?]

She had secretly figured out the ins and outs of the matter.

The military science team commissioned Wakako, who then hired A, a daring individual, to steal biotechnology. However, A had a sudden idea and started blackmailing and threatening Diana, which ultimately led to the situation we see today.

A: Yes, I hold grudges.

[Meredis: Alright, I agree to your terms. When can I get the item back? I need to use what you send to negotiate with you.]

[A: Don't worry, we'll send them over to you once we get them.]

[Meredis: Okay, I'll wait for your message, but as soon as possible.]

Mercer did not reply.

What kind of person are you to be rushing me to do things?

He leisurely looked around. At this moment, V was already lazily leaning back in his chair, breathing to recover. It has to be said, this guy is really incredibly strong.

After running at full power several times a day, the S&P 500 doesn't seem tired at all; in fact, it looks like it hasn't had enough fun yet.

"Finished talking?" V asked, noticing that his prosthetic eye was no longer shining. "How much can we make from this deal?"

"I originally thought I'd have to sell some of the biotechnology equipment to recoup my losses, but now..."

Mercer smiled and pointed to the exoskeleton in the distance: "This thing, five million."

"Wow!" Dorio's eyes widened immediately: "How much?"

Even Mann's breathing became heavy.

Mercer spread out his palm, gestured, and then said, "According to the rules, everyone who goes out on field duty gets a share, but 40% of the team's funds will be deducted first. You can ask me for reimbursement when you move later."

"Once we move to a bigger place, I promise everyone will be able to live in a studio apartment."

V casually remarked, "This amount doesn't seem like much, tsk. I wonder when we'll be able to get that Stone Sword back."

Mercer turned to glance at her: "Our Sister V is rich now, she doesn't even feel like she has that much money."

"Anyway, no matter how much you have, it won't be enough for you. Can you leave me a few tens of thousands more this time?" V said irritably.

Mercer spread his hands, looking completely innocent. Pila laughed heartily, and Qiwei couldn't help but chuckle as well. Rebecca changed the subject, asking him with a smile, "Where's Sasha? Why didn't she come this time?"

"She went to help us prepare things for tonight's operation."

Mercer simply said, "We're going to kidnap Diana Kuno tonight, so we need Sasha to create an opportunity for us beforehand."

“Tonight? I thought we were going to be hiding in the safe house for days.” Rebecca frowned.

Mercer nodded: "You all go and deal with Diana Kuno. Only V and I need to go. The fewer people there are, the lower the risk of being exposed, especially since you are very conspicuous in terms of both size and hair color."

"It's always like this. My green hair is conspicuous, but her white hair isn't?" Rebecca's little face showed a hint of dissatisfaction, and she said, shaking her leg, "Why don't you two just form a team by yourself? It feels like we're just accessories."

“If we really form a group, you won’t be happy. Alright, alright, Panan sent a message. Let’s pack up and get ready to go to the temporary safe house to lay low for a while.”

As Mercer spoke, seeing her squinting and looking like she was about to pounce on him and scratch him, he quickly changed the subject.

“You bastard,” Rebecca gritted her teeth, jumping up and hooking herself on Mercer’s back, giving him a rear-naked choke: “Next time! Next time you have to take me out alone! If you think V is so great, then I’m quitting!”

"Okay, okay, be gentle!" Mercer almost strangled her from behind.

Rebecca pouted and jumped off his back: "All you do is pretend all day. I hit Pila much harder than this, and he didn't even cry out in pain."

“Is it possible that he can’t shout?” Mercer said, turning to look at Pila, who simply nodded with a sorrowful expression.

"Huh!?" Rebecca turned her head back and immediately clenched her fists in anger. The two chased each other and ran out of the house.

Mann slightly curled the corners of his mouth, turned to look at Dorio, and Dorio looked back at him. The two smiled at each other.

"Give me a hand and get the exoskeleton to the vehicle. We'll put it in the house for now, and then I'll sell it to the military science department later."

Mercer said, and V rolled up her sleeves without saying a word. But this time, she wasn't the only one who could move things. Mann and Dorio each lent a hand, and they lifted the nearly 200-kilogram exoskeleton and easily put it on the car.

The group waited outside the car for a while, and then the sound of a car engine came from the distance in the tunnel.

After Panan drove up in his car, he got out and excitedly walked up to Mercer, grabbed his hand, and bumped shoulders with him: "Wow, man, you really went all out today!"

After she finished speaking, she glanced at the people behind Mercer, then smiled and greeted Mann and Dorio: "Newcomers?"

“Yes, Mann, a retired special forces soldier, and Dorio, a good girl with an athletic background,” Mercer introduced briefly.

Panan laughed heartily: "Just call me Panan, Adkado."

She turned to Mercer and said, "You're planning to stay in the safe house for a few days? Are you sure you can manage? You've really made a name for yourselves today, with a three million euro bounty. I've seen quite a few people in the camp talking about your names."

“I reckon the price will go up even further,” Mercer said with a smile, but then added cautiously, “How many people know about the safe house? We need to keep it well hidden for at least the next day or two.”

"Don't worry, the place I found will be a secret. It's not a house that Adcado uses. The water and electricity have been prepared in advance, and we've stocked up on enough food and drinks for you guys for a week."

Panan said confidently, "That place is only occupied by Scorpion, Mitch, and I know. When you get there, just relax and stay there. Now, only those idiots who wander around at night occasionally go there."

The Night Wanderer is a local branch of the Chaotic Blade Society in Night City.

"You're not talking about that ghost town near Stone Ridge Mountain, are you?" Mercer thought of the location.

"Yes, that's the place. Everyone there has long since left. It's become a place for all sorts of people to conduct secret transactions. Basically, no one comes here anymore."

Even if someone comes, as long as you stay quiet in the room, no one will notice or care about you, and no one will come looking for trouble.

The rooms I found for you have basements. If you're worried about safety, you can stay in the basement most of the time. I'll check the basement ventilation system and fix it if it's broken.

I did consider finding you a house in Adcado, but... it seems I was right to be cautious. When I was leaving, I heard them talking about your bounty, and I was really afraid that some idiot would succumb to temptation and sell you out.

"Oh, don't worry about your goods. We've already unpacked and stored them all at the camp with someone watching over them. You can pay the final payment when you need them delivered to Dogtown."

As she spoke, Panan called everyone to descend the mountain along the road. The ghost town she mentioned was actually not far from this tunnel.

The town was located roughly halfway between the outskirts of Night City and the Badlands Plain, but due to the economic decline and security problems brought about by the war, it had long since become an uninhabited ghost town.

Panan led them to a two-story building in the ghost town. After turning off the engine and getting out of the car, he opened the garage door of the two-story building and said, "You can leave one car here. I, Scorpion, will help you drive the other one away."

"Two cars, I'll need one of them tonight," Mercer said, looking around.

The town truly looked deserted; the doors of the gas station and supermarket showed signs of vandalism, but they had clearly been emptied out long ago.

Only one large building, which was probably a general store, looked relatively intact and clean, presumably because someone would occasionally come here to 'borrow' it.

Panan shrugged: "Unless you're really unlucky, this place is usually only lively for a few days a month."

"Whatever, if those idiots from the Night Wanderers don't have eyes, I'll open a few for them." After Mercer finished speaking, Panan couldn't help but laugh.

"That's true. In fact, if those guys hadn't been so unlucky, they wouldn't have come here to die these past few days."

Panan is now genuinely convinced.

She had seen Mercer and the others when they first arrived in Adcado. Back then, these guys even had to rely on the campers to provide them with tents, and Mercer had to squeeze into a small tent with Lucy.

Look at these guys, they've only been around for a month and they've already grown into a very professional mercenary team.

Having established their own base in Dogtown, and having abducted biotechnology and military science personnel right in the street, completely outmaneuvering those professional agents, and still not showing any signs of stopping. Panan felt a pang of longing, but thinking of Adcardo, he could only sigh inwardly and glance enviously at Mann and Dorio.

"Come on, let me give you a brief explanation of how to live in this house."

Panan turned his head to signal them to follow. They could go directly into the house from the garage. It was a standard American two-story house, with the living room, open kitchen, dining room, and bathroom making up the first floor.

The second floor only had a few empty rooms with mattresses on them.

Fortunately, the TV on the first floor was still there, and it could even receive news when turned on, although pay channels were no longer available.

There was no hot water, but the fact that there was tap water filtered by a water filter in this godforsaken place was already a pleasant surprise. After briefly looking around the room and arranging their accommodations, Mercer and his companions would be staying in this godforsaken ghost town for the next few days.

But perhaps it was the month he spent in Night City that made Mercer accustomed to resting in such an abandoned room, and he surprisingly felt quite good.

At this moment, we sat in the living room chatting and laughing with everyone, boiled water and made coffee on a portable gas stove to share, and had some snacks before Panan got up to say goodbye.

"I have to go now. I'll go back and keep an eye on some things for you. Take care of yourself. If anything happens, just run straight to the camp. I may not have any other skills, but I can still manage to sneak you guys out of Night City."

Panan spoke earnestly.

Mercer smiled and nodded, "Alright, I'll be counting on you when we're on the run."

She reached out and patted Mercer's chest, raising an eyebrow: "Let's go."

"Contact me if you need anything." Mercer waved to her, watched her leave, and then returned to his room.

After a whole day of lying in ambush and the thrill of escaping a city-wide manhunt, even the usually energetic Rebecca felt a bit lethargic and unwilling to move.

Mercer also put in a rare effort, and simply squeezed onto the sofa in the living room with Rebecca and the others to watch TV. The TV was still reporting on their day's events.

News 54 accused Mercer and his gang of vicious robbers, claiming that their blatant robbery seriously affected the stability of Night City. They also accused Arasaka of developing secret weapons and bringing substandard firepower into Night City.

Meanwhile, a talk show sponsored by companies like Comto amused viewers by showing Arasaka and the military intelligence agents staring blankly at an empty car.

Ara Saka's news program, which was supported by the military, accused the military science department of making baseless accusations with indignation.
The streets were in chaos, with gangsters and street thugs searching for someone on a whim, all for the three million dollar bounty Faraday had offered.

It wasn't until evening, when it was already dark, that Mercer stretched and slowly got up, saying, "V, let's go, time to get to work."

V, who had been lying on the sofa with his eyes half-closed, suddenly perked up: "Let's go!"

She looked so energetic that you'd never guess she'd driven the S.A.S ...

After saying goodbye to his family, Mercer got into the van with V.

These two cars haven't had time to be equipped with an AI-compatible autonomous driving system, so V has to drive, and Mercer sits in the passenger seat.

Neither of them took the city-wide manhunt to heart at all.

After driving into Night City with an unimpeded path, they arrived at the Biotechnology Hotel.

At this moment, Sasha, chewing bubble gum and blowing pink bubbles, sat on a small suitcase, swaying back and forth on the street opposite the building, looking like an ordinary citizen waiting for a taxi.

Mercer had V drive the car to her side and rolled down the window.

After Sasha saw his face clearly, she said with some surprise, "I've never seen you show your face in public before."

"So didn't I ask you to prepare two masks for me?" Mercer said casually, "Did you wait a long time?"

"It wasn't long. You guys had a really exciting time today. My heart was pounding when I watched the live stream! Well done, A."

Sasha smiled, turned her head and greeted V. Her way of greeting was quite unique. Unlike ordinary people who just waved, she stretched out her palm to her face and hooked her fingers, like a kitten rubbing its face with its paws.

After exchanging greetings, she picked up the small suitcase she was sitting on and handed it through the window.

"Alright, just don't let anyone find out you're hanging out with us, unless you also want to squeeze into this shabby house with us for a few days."

Mercer smiled as he took the suitcase, opened it, and looked inside. There were two sets of repairman's clothes and hats, as well as two identity cards.

"No problem, but you're really bold to actually come back and attack the biotechnology director."

As Sasha spoke, she looked at Mercer with eyes that seemed to sparkle like little stars, and a smile played on her lips: "How about we go up together later?"

"Don't bother coming. The evacuation plan I prepared today can't accommodate too many people. If you want to work on biotechnology, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

After saying this with a smile, Mercer looked around and said, "Alright, this isn't the place to talk. Once things calm down, I'll treat everyone to a meal and we can have a good chat."

In short, get in the car first. You can drive it away and park it somewhere later. You can send it away after things have settled down.

“Okay!” Sasha pulled back from the car window and opened the trunk. “I thought I’d have to walk back.”

"You've worked hard; you'll get a share of today's pay."

As Mercer spoke, Sasha simply shrugged and sat in the empty, converted back carriage—she didn't know how much money she could make from this job, so she just said, "It's just small work, any amount will do."

"Okay, then I'll just give you whatever I think is appropriate," Mercer agreed with a smile.

After saying goodbye to V, Sasha stepped on the gas and left the scene.

V looked curiously at the repairman's uniform inside the suitcase.

"You think you can infiltrate with something like this?"

“That’s right, we’ll rely on this.” Mercer said confidently, “I’ve already scouted the building’s structure and Diana’s location. Without this, we’ll have to fight our way up.”

I bet you don't want to experience being chased by the company again late at night.

V looked around and said, "I'll go change my clothes first. You keep an eye on things for me."

“Okay, I’ll drive the car to the side entrance of the hotel used by the mechanics.” Mercer said, making room for V to go to the back of the car to change clothes.

Sasha raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at V, then at Mercer—the two of them seemed quite natural.
She didn't think V was a casual girl, but seeing V come to the back and readily take off her coat and pants to change, it seemed like she was used to it.

After V changed into a simple gray work uniform, put on the property management company hat, and wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, Mercer couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" V stared at him with displeasure.

"A bit quiet, or perhaps a little silly, how should I put it, it suits you quite well."

After Mercer finished speaking, she raised her fist and punched him on the shoulder: "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and change your clothes, then we can talk about the details."

Mercer, however, made no attempt to hide it and immediately started changing seats.

V first instinctively turned her head away, then realized something was wrong and turned back, only to see Mercer suppressing a laugh, revealing the black customer service suit underneath his clothes.

"Damn, you scared the hell out of me!" V glared at him angrily.

Mercer, however, smiled and said, "Go ahead and look. I've seen yours before anyway. Don't worry about such a small thing."

"Who wants to see a little brat like you who hasn't even grown all his hair yet?" V said, feigning disdain.

Sasha just covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Oh~"

Mercer drew out his words, but knowing when to stop teasing her, he quickly changed the subject before she could get angry:

"What we're about to do is very simple."

This morning, Sasha pretended to be a customer and checked into the hotel. She reported the elevator malfunction to the hotel customer service, and then intercepted the person before the property management sent someone to the hotel.

What we need to do now is disguise ourselves as maintenance workers coming to fix the elevator—Sasha has already altered our ID cards, so we'll just walk in through the side door and pretend to be repairing the elevator to go upstairs.”

After Mercer finished speaking, V asked in confusion, "Then why don't we just pretend to be customers and go in?"

"Because the top floor of the biotechnology building has a separate elevator that is not open to the public and is only available for use by the senior management of the biotechnology building."

Mercer paused for a moment, then said, "Besides the elevator, there isn't even an escape staircase on the top floor. Moreover, the rooftop of this building can only be accessed by taking that elevator to the top floor. It can be said to be a completely independent safe house within the hotel."

Diana Kuno was terrified. Ever since she found out we were alive, she has gathered a huge number of military and biotechnology agents to protect her. Now, from the elevator entrance to the top floor and the rooftop, there are military and biotechnology agents everywhere.

We need to find a suitable reason so we can quietly infiltrate.

"If we follow your logic, what if we get exposed? We'll have no choice but to go down this elevator, but we'll probably be riddled with bullets as soon as the elevator doors open."

V scratched her face. The work clothes were a bit too big for her, so she had to roll up the sleeves to make it easier to move around.

"So we won't take the elevator. I have a special idea." Mercer looked up at the night sky and gave a mysterious smile: "I'll show you something exciting today."

"How exciting? More exciting than what happened this morning?" V snorted, then tossed him a mask with a look of disdain: "Alright, I'll just get to work, so, let's go now?"

"Make sure you remember your fake identity. When you go inside and the biotechnology watchdog asks you questions, don't give yourself away."

Mercer turned to look at Sasha, who smiled and pressed one hand to her cheek, her prosthetic eye gleaming, as she sent a file to his network access bay.

After reviewing it, Mercer sent the V portion to her brain-computer interface.

After reading the message, V looked at him suspiciously: "My alias is Bonnie, and yours is Clyde? Something feels a bit strange."

“Not surprising.” Mercer glanced at her. “Even your animal instincts can fail one day, huh?”

"Bullshit! There must be a story behind those two names. You'll have to tell me all about it later." V just glared at him, not believing him at all. Just by looking at the smiles Mercer showed when they were going over the information, she knew that there must be a story behind those names.

Mercer shook his head helplessly, turned to look at Sasha, and spread his hands, saying, "This woman is really hard to fool."

Sasha, equally curious, peeked out from behind: "Is there really a story behind this?"

"No. Okay, to put it simply, they were a pair of notorious thieves in history. They were regarded as heroes who 'robbed the rich to help the poor' because they robbed banks, but in reality, they were just a gang of robbers."

Mercer pointed at V, then at himself, and smiled with a hint of self-deprecation: "Doesn't this fit our current situation quite well?"

These two names come from the classic old movie "Bonnie and Clyde", which is also translated as "Bonnie and Clyde" in China.

Before time travel, Mercer was eagerly awaiting the game "GTA 6," whose protagonists were based on the movie and its historical counterpart.

V nodded with satisfaction, watching Mercer put on his mask before the two of them got out of the car.

Mercer waved to Sasha, signaling that she could drive away, while he himself put his ID card hanging from the rope around his neck, holding a set of repair tools, and looked quite the part.

He wasn't worried that the prosthetic metal on his neck would be noticed by others. After all, in this world, no matter what you do, the prosthetics you wear are very unique. There are plenty of NCPD members who have three eyes, let alone a repairman with a metal neck.

V and Mercer took a few steps before belatedly glancing at him: "Bonnie and Clyde? Are those two a couple?"

"?" Mercer turned his head, a speechless expression on his face, then V tried to cover it up by saying, "What! I was just asking!"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Mercer leaned over and, to his surprise, found that he could now look V in the eye.

"Damn, what are you doing coming over here? You little brat." She gave Mercer a disgusted look and pointed at him with her finger, acting like a seasoned woman who knew all about his tricks.

"I'm not interested in little kids, so don't even think about it!" V stood firm, resolutely drawing a line between them.

Mercer leaned back strategically, his face scrunched up: "You're really a bit too confident. What's the point of dating you? I'm worried that if I talk to other girls, you'll break me when I get back."

"Heh, good to know. Someone like you, always flirting with Rebecca, exchanging glances with Lucy, and seemingly having an ambiguous relationship with Qiwei. If you dare to seduce me, watch out!"

V brandished her fist menacingly: "I hate scumbags the most."

"Screw you, my first love is still around, what kind of jerk is he? It's just that I'm too charming. Sigh, this is so frustrating."

Mercer spoke with an air of seriousness, but inwardly he was somewhat amazed: How did this woman figure out that there was something going on between him and Qiwei? He felt that his relationship with Qiwei hadn't changed at all recently.
V frowned as she stared at him, looking him up and down—was this guy actually telling the truth?
The two of them playfully entered through the side door, where they found a separate security room that also served as a maintenance room.

At this moment, besides the two hotel security guards, there was also a cold-faced biotechnology agent sitting inside. Seeing the two people enter chatting and laughing, he coldly stretched out his hand to stop them and asked, "Identities?"

"Property maintenance workers, you called this morning to request that the elevator be repaired."

After Mercer finished speaking, the other party scanned him with his prosthetic eye with a cold expression: "Take off your mask."

Mercer obediently did as instructed, and the name scanned by the other party was that of a 21-year-old youth named 'Clyde'.

The agent looked at him several times—21 years old? This Asian man has a youthful face.

Mercer even took out the tag hanging around his neck, which the agent took without hesitation and stuck on an identification device in the security room. Only after the identification was verified did the agent hand the tag back to Mercer.

"Why are you so late?" the agent continued to press.

"The city was in such chaos this morning that the original repairman was hospitalized due to a traffic accident, so we had to ask the repairman responsible for other buildings to finish his work before he could come and work overtime."

Mercer sighed and put his mask back on: "I have to work overtime even though I have a cold. If you have any objections, we can go back and rest. We'll wait until the maintenance worker who was in charge of your building is discharged from the hospital before we can talk about the elevator."

"Alright, enough nonsense. Remember, don't wander around, don't disturb other customers, and don't use the elevator."

After the agent finished speaking, Mercer made a face of irritation and laughter: "Can't we use the elevator to fix it?"

"This is for testing purposes only. You are not allowed to move around freely or stray too far from the elevator, understand?" The agent himself felt that he might have gone a bit too far.

He could never have imagined that the seemingly naive young man and the seemingly refined woman with black-rimmed glasses in front of him were the core members of the Fire Seed Squad who had caused chaos in Night City during the day.

Mercer simply nodded obediently: "Okay."

Then, they were allowed to enter the lobby, which was no coincidence—after exiting the security room through this side door, all they had to do was turn right, and the elevator door, guarded by two security guards, would appear in front of them.

Under the guise of a repairman, he timidly opened the elevator, stepped inside, and waited for the doors to close. Then, Mercer turned and exchanged a glance with V, and they both smiled faintly.

Plans are in order!
(End of this chapter)