Mercer stared at Adam's Hammer's sturdy mechanical body, not at all nervous, but rather curious like a researcher, even feeling tempted for a moment to move closer for a better look.
The high-tech mechanical body of Adam's Hammer greatly intrigued him, and Mercer also wanted to study whether his brain had become just a clump of brain tissue.
As for Arasaka Yoshinobu, after gazing at Mercer for a while, he suddenly laughed, "Have you seen enough? Alright, that's all, you can leave now."
Adam's Hammer looked expressionlessly at Arasaka Yoshinobu, then at the woman in the distance who seemed calm and sexy, and appeared very curious about him. Without a word, he turned and walked back to the elevator, and after opening the doors, he entered.
Damn it, what a waste—called me here just to be stared at by that woman?
When the elevator doors closed, and Adam's Hammer departed from the top floor, the smile on Arasaka Yoshinobu's face gradually faded.
"Who exactly are you?"
Mercer tilted his head, and after a while, he began to smile: "A staunch anti-corporate fighter, a hacker master yearning for world peace.
Meanwhile, I'm also an escaped experiment from your Arasaka Canada Base, a guy destined to oppose Arasaka Saburo...
A freedom fighter against capitalism, a warrior trying to change this world single-handedly...
Well, to put it simply—I'm just an ordinary person who hates the Arasaka Group, Military Science, and biotech companies with a passion, wishing them all to go to hell, but no one seems able to handle them.
So, I had to come myself."
His expression turned serious, and locking eyes with Arasaka Yoshinobu, he said, word for word: "Arasaka Yoshinobu... there's no time for idle talk, no time to build trust with you.
To be frank, according to the information I have, you don't have much time left.
You need to decide whether to join me and resist, to change this world.
Or choose to accept your fate and wait for death to come?"
"I'm going to die?" Arasaka Yoshinobu found the last two sentences somewhat absurd, but he couldn't overlook Mercer's self-introduction.
Anti-corporate freedom fighter... Ha, once upon a time, he thought of himself that way too.
"Why do you think Arasaka Saburo keeps you around? Do you think he's truly unaware of your thoughts? Do you think he's really forgiven you?
And that he's planning to hand over the Arasaka Group to you, a son determined to destroy Arasaka's century-old foundation?"
Mercer let out a cold laugh and spoke bluntly: "He's regarded you as his spare body. Do you know what he truly desires?
He wants to use the Relic Chip to overtake your body, to continue his empire with pure Arasaka blood! You are the stepping stone for his ambition to live forever and rule the world!
Understand? Once the development of the Relic Chip is completely finished, and Arasaka Saburo confirms the chip's foolproof nature, all that awaits you is death!"
Arasaka Yoshinobu's expression shifted slightly: "What nonsense are you spouting? If he wanted to achieve that goal, cloning a body of himself isn't impossible..."
Mercer interrupted him directly: "Then everyone would know Arasaka Saburo has mastered the secret of immortality. Can you imagine what would happen to Arasaka? Could he still enjoy immortality alone?"
Arasaka Yoshinobu's breathing became heavy.
"Arasaka Saburo wants individual immortality—not to become everyone's target, and certainly not to share this technology to benefit others!
He plans to use your identity as a cover to conceal the true intentions, and only when dominion over the world is secured will he openly use cloning technology to be an immortal emperor forever!
Do you think, with his character, he'd randomly clone another body to use? Or would he prefer to use his daughter's body to continue his life?
It's you! Only you possess the purest Arasaka bloodline, born from his union with his beloved wife, leader of Arasaka's current hawkish faction. Even if he takes over your body, nobody would suspect.
Because your recent behavior indeed resembles that of a hawkish leader, craving war and expansion, which is exactly what Arasaka Saburo plans to do after taking over your body!"
Mercer's words stirred a sudden fear in Arasaka Yoshinobu's heart—Arasaka Saburo's aged face flickered before his eyes, a nightmare, an inescapable shackle.
"No! Don't even think about it!" Arasaka Yoshinobu stood up abruptly, gritting his teeth: "Where did you get this information? Don't tell me you guessed!"
"With your skills, can't you deduce if this is true or false yourself?" Mercer retorted: "Who do you think he'd share this with? Who would know his thoughts?"
"You mean... Hanako!?" Arasaka Yoshinobu exclaimed in shock: "How did you learn this from Hanako..."
"Let's say I'm just hypothesizing, a lie, or more like a speculation—what do you think is the likelihood of Arasaka Saburo having such thoughts?"
Mercer questioned, as Arasaka Yoshinobu trembled, sinking into silence.
Mere mention of this by Mercer triggered an instinctive judgment, or premonition—what Mercer said was the truth.
Arasaka Saburo could really be the man to do such a thing!
Just by Mercer's words lighting the fuse, countless evidence supporting Mercer's 'speculation' swirled in his mind—the more he thought, the more chilling the prospect became.