When Rebecca swaggered in, carrying her Iron Gall with an arrogant gait, everyone, be they bodyguards or passersby, instinctively made way for her.
The group didn't bother with a private room; Mercer asked the smiling manager for a large booth, and without a word, he led them to the biggest booth on the club's first floor.
This booth could seat about twenty people, making it spacious and comfortable for Mercer's large group.
Whiskey, beer, or vodka, everyone picked what they liked without caring about the price, setting up a row on the table.
The manager gingerly asked if they needed some girls or exciting Mewtwo—the result was Rebecca stuffing her Iron Gall into his mouth before Pira, whose eyes lit up, could speak, firmly refusing.
They chatted and laughed while drinking, while Mercer stuck to his old habits, sipping a cola with ice alone in the main seat, legs crossed, listening to them brag and occasionally chiming in with a laugh.
After playing for a while, dice and poker scattered across the table, it finally reached the time for their meeting with the Voodoo Gang.
The Voodoo Gang's boss, Hua Tiao, swaggered into the club with seven or eight equally armed Voodoo Gang thugs. He immediately spotted Mercer's group having a good time in the largest booth.
He twitched a little at the corners of his mouth, thinking this group really showed him no respect, but outwardly he just maintained a calm, breezy smile as he walked over.
Before he arrived, his voice did.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting, A."
Hua Tiao strolled over with a smile, but didn't sit down. Mercer was there to discuss cooperation, not to show off, so he gave Rebecca, who was half draped over him, a little look.
She pouted, sat up, and nodded her head towards Pira: "Hey, move over there, let the Voodoo Gang's boss have your spot."
Pira got up, sized up Hua Tiao with a pleasant face, looked at the thugs behind him showing their gangster demeanor, and without saying anything unnecessary, simply moved to another seat, leaving the spot next to Mercer vacant.
Rebecca showed no intention of giving up her spot, and Hua Tiao didn't mind either—in these settings, a boss chatting with a girl was nothing out of the ordinary.
He smoothly took a seat on the left sofa.
Among the other Voodoo Gang members, only a brawny guy sat down, while the rest stood menacingly around the booth—these scruffy guys just standing there didn't really look like good guys.
"What do you want to drink? It's on me," Mercer said, masked, so Hua Tiao couldn't read his expression, only hearing his relaxed tone.
"I'm not much of a drinker either... we're both hackers, you know," Hua Tiao said, relaxing against the backrest without rushing to discuss business, instead getting chummy with Mercer's group.
His easygoing demeanor was surprising for a gang leader, speaking courteously with V including Rebecca, which earned him a good impression from the others.
The rest of the Voodoo Gang must have been warned by Hua Tiao beforehand, so they remained mostly quiet on the side, not really partaking in the conversation.
It was evident that, though Hua Tiao appeared weak before Mercer's group, he held considerable respect among his own.
The muscular guy beside Hua Tiao was a standard street thug, drinking his fill and swearing, even drinking Hua Tiao's share since he didn't drink, making the atmosphere quickly become harmonious.
Once Hua Tiao felt the atmosphere was just right, he turned laughingly towards the less talkative Mercer and probed, "I heard you're holding a technical director position at Netherworld Dog?"
"Just a title, you've got good intel," Mercer replied.
"Haha, Dog Town's that small, news flies... you sure have skills, taking out Military Science's and Biotech's transport teams, then flipping Arasaka's goods to Military Science, and now you've got Hansen's director title.
To be honest, hearing all that made me think I might've gotten it wrong, I initially thought you were just a professional hacker group,"
Hua Tiao said, seemingly impressed, which subtly indicated he did investigate Mercer thoroughly.
The reason Hua Tiao knew Mercer sold the exoskeleton to Military Science was due to a press conference held a few days ago by Military Science, where they showcased Arasaka's exoskeleton to accuse Arasaka of using heavy weaponry in Night City.
The bickering went on fiercely, with Military Science trying to ship their heavy equipment to Night City; the verbal spat continued without cease, but in the end, Military Science would likely only gain some advantage in public opinion.
Be it Arasaka or Night City, neither would allow Military Science to bring heavy weaponry into Night City, which would only escalate into another armed confrontation.
Military Science knew this, so they were just trying to extract some benefits from Arasaka and Night City.
Mercer, in response to Hua Tiao's compliment, opted for some polite reciprocity: "You're not bad yourself, seizing an opportunity in Dog Town, and within just two years, building a gang from scratch that can rival the Voodoo Gang of Taiping Prefecture.