Chapter 24: The Great Wave

After the handshake, Mercer glanced left and right, casually picked up an unopened can of "Monkey Business" drink from the edge of the bar, and took a sip. His brows furrowed tightly.

"What kind of shitty taste is this? It’s sweet like fucking corn syrup... Does anyone actually like this stuff?"

"Oh~ looks like the Arasaka employee cafeteria is just as bland as the rumors say."

Cassidy reached over and took it, taking a large gulp without a care. "Ha! Not bad. High-sugar drinks are a good thing in nomadic life."

"...What about some Small Cola? Not the cherry-flavored one."

Mercer searched for a good while, only finding a can of Ceres Cola. He looked at it with disdain for a moment, but eventually opened it and took a few gulps. Hmm, it tasted like store-brand cola—and he was a staunch advocate for the real stuff!

"I’m going to go load the cargo for you... Once everything is packed, just drive off. We’ll meet up at the highway over there. By the way, my advice is to take the same road I was captured on. These Raffen Shiv groups usually have one team responsible for one highway, so they don’t overlap."

Cassidy shook his head helplessly at Mercer’s picky attitude, reaching out to take the Ceres Cola he was now handing over voluntarily. The can featured the color scheme of the American flag—a patriotic drink for old-school Americans—and he finished the can in a few gulps without any complaints.

"If you’re picky, I’ve got some Small Cola and real water in my truck. I’ll bring them to you in a bit."

His words made Mercer beam. "Good brother, thanks."

Although the Small Cola in this world was more like the Mexican version of the original, with a slight difference in taste from what he was used to, compared to the other messy garbage in this world, Small Cola remained his favorite.

"...Good brother?"

Cassidy looked at his face, which was at most fourteen years old, and chuckled, speechless. Eventually, he nodded and went out to drive and help move the cargo, incidentally grabbing the coat Mercer had pulled off for Anzu.

Meanwhile, while the two were chatting, Lucy and Leon had already thrown all the guns, ammunition, and miscellaneous valuables they could find into the pickup truck.

Mercer searched the cafeteria one last time and found seven rolls of banknotes, totaling seven hundred Eurodollars. He shoved the money into his jacket without hesitation, and then, along with Lucy and Leon, moved all the food and water the Raffen Shiv had hoarded into the pickup. These supplies were enough to last them at least a week.

"Retreat. We’ve got the vehicles, we’ve got the supplies, and we even picked up a reliable guide. We’re really lucky."

Mercer contentedly had Leon sit in the pickup, while he climbed into the "Peregrine Wolf," which had belonged to the Raffen Shiv sub-leader.

After using the key found on the corpse to start the engine, the data-infused bulletproof metal turned transparent like rippling water, looking exactly like ordinary glass, which left Mercer in awe.

Lucy silently opened the passenger door and slid in, wearing a somewhat clean orange jacket. The jacket was two sizes too big for her; with the zipper pulled up, it looked almost like a dress, like a little girl wearing her mother’s clothes—well, she was indeed just a child right now.

Mercer started the engine and drove off, but then had to adjust the seat, pushing it all the way forward so he could barely floor the gas pedal. He had almost forgotten that he looked like a kid, too.

"Do you trust that nomad?" Lucy turned her head and asked him.

"Yeah, I think he’s a decent guy."

Mercer nodded, and Lucy said worriedly:

"I heard that there are quite a few bandits among the nomads... Most robbers, the ones who commit serious crimes, are expelled from their clans and become members of the Raffen Shiv."

"Cassidy doesn't seem to be one of them, but I don't think there's anything wrong with you being vigilant. You can keep an eye on him with me."

Mercer agreed with her caution; after all, people change. The Cassidy he had seen in the game might just be the tip of the iceberg. People are complex creatures, and he felt there was nothing wrong with keeping a guard up. Trust is built slowly.

"...Yeah."

Lucy nodded, then leaned back against the seat, let out a long sigh, and opened the window with a scrunched-up face. However, she was immediately hit in the face by sand from the wind, which seemed to have grown much stronger. She quickly closed the window, her little face even more wrinkled.

"This guy's car smells really weird..."

"Those lunatics are always on drugs... You kids aren't allowed to touch that stuff." Mercer said, a look of contempt on his face. "Although in this world, if you have money, it's probably impossible to ruin yourself, but believe me, once you get hooked on that stuff, you’ll quickly turn into an idiot or a lunatic. If you see someone who can't live without it, then that person is definitely not someone reliable."

"I know," Lucy understood. "The most important thing for a netrunner is to stay clear-headed."

"Wise choice... By the way, do you prefer Small Cola or Ceres? Or something like Monkey Business?" Mercer’s topic jumped around.

"Me? Um..." Lucy gave him a few stealthy glances before whispering, "Ceres?"

Mercer gave her a speechless look, but couldn't help laughing. "Smile more. You’re actually quite cute when you smile, kid."

"Ha... here we go again. Every time you say something complimentary, do you have to add a 'kid' or 'child' as a prefix?"

Lucy lay half-reclined, feeling very relaxed, her body tilted slightly toward him.

"Uh-huh, otherwise I’d feel like I was committing a crime... You know what I mean, I don't want you to misunderstand."

Mercer’s words left Lucy full of question marks. She then looked at him with some disdain and chuckled. "Huh? Are you giving me a 'nice guy' card in advance?"

"Tch, that’s why I’m afraid of a kid like you misunderstanding... Let me put it this way: my preference is for all pretty girls aged eighteen and up. It’s not that pretty girls under eighteen aren't... it’s just basic morality."

Mercer sighed. It would be fine if he were truly a fourteen-year-old boy, but at heart, he was a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old adult. He wasn't lying to Lucy. He wasn't picky; he liked the hot-headed loli-mom image of Rebecca in *Edgerunners*, and he was also fond of the wild, sexy Panam in the game. To be honest, he even thought David's mom was still quite charming...

As for Lucy, a top-tier heroine in the anime, cold and alluring—of course he liked her more. But thinking someone is beautiful and cute is one thing; getting involved with the current Lucy would make