"Mercer-san!"
When Yoshinobu saw Mercer, the first thing he did was give him a big hug with great enthusiasm.
If the outside world knew that Yoshinobu, who had just announced his father's death, could embrace his father's enemy... uh, benefactor and laugh so happily, one can only imagine the uproar it would cause.
After the hug, Yoshinobu immediately smiled and invited Mercer to sit on the sofa, then took out an expensive bottle of champagne and a... canned iced cola.
Mercer smiled as he lifted the cola: "Thanks for the treat."
"Haha, Mercer's preference for cola over fine wine is well-known, please have a seat!"
Yoshinobu smiled as he spoke to V and Rebecca, who stood with arms crossed in full armor by Mercer's side: "Why don't you two sit down and have a drink as well?"
Rebecca casually removed her helmet: "I'm in! V shouldn't drink, once he starts, he doesn't stop."
V rolled his eyes under the helmet but nodded slightly, politely declining: "I'll pass for now, need to make sure the boss is well-protected."
"Hahaha, alright, won't force it." Yoshinobu didn't insist—everyone knew well that Mercer couldn't possibly trust him completely at this moment, you could even say he was quite cautious.
Backstabbing is not uncommon, even in the case of killing Saburo, Yoshinobu didn't actually help much.
But Yoshinobu knew he had to show some attitude.
Regardless of anything else, judging from Mercer's resume and character, personal ambitions, he saw Mercer as an incredibly potential-rich ally worth forging a deep connection with.
Yoshinobu didn't waste words and directly took out a briefcase, placing it on the table. Inside the frost-emitting case lay a Relic Chip.
"Silver Hand's Relic." After speaking, Yoshinobu paused and said: "As for the Divine Chariot, you can go whenever you want, it's part of our agreement."
"Since I'm here, might as well handle it today... I won't hide it from you, what's interested in the Divine Chariot is Otter Cunningham."
Mercer's candor wasn't unexpected for Yoshinobu; he'd long analyzed who would be so persistent about their Divine Chariot. At this moment, he simply nodded with a smile: "As long as the servers aren't damaged, those consciousness data, Otter can take them if she wants."
But then, Yoshinobu shifted the conversation: "But we won't give up the Soulkiller Program. Of course, we approach this soul-manipulating taboo with great caution, merely storing it as crucial technological reserve...
Like those obsessed with the Black Wall in Military Science, we may not use it, but we can't do without it. On this point, I hope Mercer-san can help me reach a consensus with Miss Otter."
Mercer was noncommittal about this; he simply said: "I can have a talk with Otter, but how it unfolds is between Arasaka and Otter."
Yoshinobu smiled slightly; what he needed was simply Mercer not siding with Otter on this matter.
Mercer came to the Ganbi Building to meet Yoshinobu, and of course, it wasn't just to wrap up previously agreed matters.
He came seeking collaboration, or rather, investment.
So, after discussing the basics, Mercer proactively brought up the topic: "I wonder, where does Your Excellency Yoshinobu plan to lead Arasaka's enterprise in the future?"
"If you ask for the specific core strategy, I can probably only outline it vaguely, but if you're asking about my personal philosophy and aspirations..."
Yoshinobu Arasaka grinned: "You know, I really detest this world monopolized by capital—what's next might align closely with your ideas."
At this point, Yoshinobu Arasaka lifted a champagne glass, looking earnestly at Mercer and said: "Honestly, when you first approached me, I didn't quite take what you said seriously.
Whether it's due to my understanding of mercenaries or Dog Town, I found it hard to believe someone like you would emerge... but now, I believe.
No lunatic would drop everything they currently have just for money and risk losing it all to execute such a mad assassination."
Yoshinobu Arasaka raised his glass, looking into Mercer's eyes: "This drink, consider it a toast to you."
He downed the champagne in one gulp, then smiled at Mercer: "Enough about what I'm going to do, what about you? After returning to Dog Town, what are your plans? From what I hear, you've really crossed Miles."
He glanced at V and Rebecca, teasing: "Don't be fooled by her calm and strategic appearance, but she has quite a temper, different from ordinary women. When she gets truly angry, who knows what crazy things she might do."
Mercer merely smiled slightly: "As long as Miles isn't a fool, she'll know exactly what terrifying power I hold now. If she wants to go crazy, I don't mind taking her and New America down with Dog Town."
Yoshinobu probed: "Speaking of... how did you do it? Orbital Aviation has recently paused all its aviation services, and I'm not hiding it, but I'm really curious, what did you do to Orbital Aviation?"
"The actual controller behind Orbital Aviation hasn't been those High Knights for a while, but an AI named Lilith. This anti-human AI was too dangerous, so I seized the opportunity and dealt with it."
Mercer touched upon it briefly before changing the topic: "Back to the earlier question... what to do after returning to Dog Town? I mean, probably take a few days to rest and then wrap up the unfinished projects."