He directly stated the crisis of the situation: "The other party using the unmanned devices of Dog Town for attack is just a warning. They pulled you down from the plane, with no intention of letting you safely withdraw."
After speaking, Mercer coldly added: "I need to contact some friends to see if there's a way to solve this wandering AI threat.
President Miles, you have twelve hours to negotiate. I will restore your communication capabilities as soon as possible, hoping you find a win-win solution.
If by the end of the time a good method isn't found... I can only choose to temporarily agree to the request of that Lilith and send Lark to the Moon, seeking a peace guarantee."
Miles said nothing, but a suddenly furious expression appeared on the face of one of the agents behind her: "You only fear that sneaky wandering AI, and not New America?
Whether they have moon-push devices is still doubtful, but New America's capabilities..."
"Are you threatening me?" Mercer sneered dismissively: "Then come on, throw a nuclear bomb at Night City and show me if you have the guts to start the fifth corporate war now."
After speaking, Mercer raised his hand signaling Rebecca to take Lark up: "I give you time to consider. Now, I need to find a way to protect my own home.
Moreover, these two guys... Whatever happened, please confirm with them. Until the crisis is resolved, President Miles had better stay here to avoid mishaps."
After speaking, he turned and walked away.
Li De and Alex, brought by V, remained in a coma, even though Mercer and Miles kept chatting, they never woke.
Whereas Rebecca, who understood well, grabbed Lark. The elevator of the top suite opened, eight high-level robots with weapons slowly walking into the room, dispersing to stand in various parts, ostensibly bearing the responsibility of protecting Miles.
Mercer left with V and Rebecca, while Lark helplessly looked at Miles with pleading eyes, but Miles just remained silent, letting Rebecca take her away.
Watching Mercer, Rebecca, and V, with Lark, take off from the balcony and leave Gem Cyan, Miles sighed, yet could still express gratitude: "This single soldier armor sure is convenient..."
Then she glanced at Li De and Alex who were still comatose: "Wake them up."
An agent immediately stepped forward for inspection. Shortly after, an interrogation chip was taken from Li De's head. Without the chip's suppression, Li De quickly awoke.
He groaned muffledly holding his head, taking a while before his mind rebooted, showing not panic, but sharp and calm gaze.
Surveying his surroundings, until focusing on President Miles, Li De showed a shocked expression: "Madam President?"
"What exactly happened inside the Little Beidou Facility?" Miles straightforwardly queried the issue without delay: "Mercer mentioned a wandering AI escape which resulted in Dog Town's network security anomaly."
Li De quickly sorted through his thoughts, and at this moment, Alex, beside him, was also awakened, responding similarly to Li De, while Miles posed the same question.
"According to the Intelligence Bureau's mission requirements, we, along with Military Science agents, infiltrated the Little Beidou Facility to locate the wandering AI placed in the Neural Matrix Device and verify if Dog Town is utilizing our wandering AI capture technology.
However, within the Little Beidou Facility... there lies a wandering AI."
After Li De finished, he promptly added: "It wasn't the AI operating within the Neural Matrix, but rather a wandering AI that suddenly appeared in the Little Beidou Facility's server when we activated the Neural Matrix Device and examined its AI data.
The opposition directly opened all servers and network devices, utilizing the unmanned devices within the Little Beidou Facility, catching us off guard.
Military Science agents responsible for checking AI data instantly fell comatose from the network attack; Alex and I planned immediate retreat, yet didn't anticipate the opposition's forced hack via the signal-sending device in the Little Beidou Facility.
Once we lost consciousness, waking again, we were already controlled by the Netherworld Dog, the opposition conducted an interrogation on us."
At this point, Li De's expression turned gloomy: "The opposition mastered very advanced interrogation technology, its interrogation chip surpasses our Intelligence Bureau's interrogation chip by a level."
Miles sighed and then simply confirmed: "Can you verify the identity of that mysterious wandering AI? We need details - could it possibly be the Netherworld Dog people faking the AI attack on you? Or is the wandering AI actually controlled by the Netherworld Dog?"
"I can't confirm." Li De truthfully stated: "We barely mounted any decent resistance before being taken down; facing the wandering AI's hack, our ICE was almost utterly powerless."
Li De pondered, adding details: "But judging by the server room remaining intact, equipment complying with the location indicated in documents, the usage of the Little Beidou Facility seems improbable.
Alternatively, the opposition anticipated our actions, restoring the facility."
Miles, silent and contemplative, squinting her eyes, after a while, asked: "Do we have confidence in forcing a retreat?"
"No." Li De said truthfully, sighing: "Dog Town's development pace is rapid. Judging from my short-term observation of Dog Town, the security intensity here even surpasses our standard military base...
Ubiquitous cameras, unmanned devices, our intended departure demands at least a highly skilled network hacker helping us to screen out Dog Town's tracking...
You know, Dog Town is suspected of possessing a high-intensity intelligence monitoring system, ranging possibly even beyond Night City..."
Alex commented in a faint tone: "The mission failed, but my retirement conditions aren't changing—I've had enough."
She irritably sat up, extending a hand toward the nearby agent: "Give me one."
Miles nodded expressionlessly, another agent handed her a cigarette.
Alex took a puff and then stated: "From my covert observation in Dog Town, this newly appointed Director Mercer is a far more troublesome and ruthless character than Hansen.
Unsure about his technical backing, or whether this kid is genuinely a super genius, Dog Town now possesses an excessively terrifying number of overt unmanned devices.
Judging from information gleaned from conversations of Netherworld Dog frequenting the bars I visited, this guy evidently is cautious. The armed forces we visibly see in Dog Town aren't his real skill.
In actuality, he holds a strong grip over the entire Taiping Prefecture, his actual sphere of influence possibly exceeding Taiping Prefecture."
Alex sighed: "He maintains good relations with multiple gang forces in Night City, like that Valentino Gang in Haywood District, his collaborators and the Voodoo Gang in Taiping Prefecture largely being his nominal little brothers.
The Animal Gang within the Taiping District readily heed his words; furthermore, he maintains deep cooperation with the Adcardo Wanderers, also keeping good ties with Night City's councilors..."
Alex offered sensible advice: "In Dog Town, we better act sincerely—however… President Miles, why did you come here?"
Miles briefly recounted her encounter, and then Li De's expression slightly changed: "Lark has already been taken away?"
Miles nodded, calmly continued: "Currently, we have two problems needing resolution.
First, the Black Wall technology absolutely mustn't fall into outsiders' hands, including the AI capture technology within the Little Beidou Facility.
Second, ensuring the first point, how we can safely withdraw."
Upon hearing, the room fell silent.
The objectives sound seemingly straightforward.
But...
How to realize them?