After downing the whiskey in a few gulps, Evelyn took a deep breath, braced herself, and said, "I'll... give it a try, but you have to give me half the money upfront. Once I meet your target, you must pay me the remainder.
Also... we need Susan as a witness. If you're planning to trick me and send me to my death..."
Evelyn emphasized, "I'm on good terms with many of the Mox girls."
This remark made even Rebecca chuckle—did anyone really think they'd be scared of the Mox Gang?
But Evelyn believed that no matter how powerful a group of mercenaries might be, they were still just mercenaries. If the Mox vouched for her, even if they had ulterior motives, they would have to hold back a bit.
Mercer nodded without hesitation: "No problem, let's get Susan to back us up."
Only then did Evelyn feel somewhat relieved. She licked her lips and said, "It's a deal then!"
Rebecca suddenly sat up straight, staring intently at her: "We can pay upfront, but that part of the money needs to stay with the guarantor to prevent you from running off without doing the job."
Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Alright."
Mercer immediately sent a message to Susan, with whom he had just exchanged contact information.
Soon, Susan arrived at the booth. Without wasting words, she asked about the situation before looking at Evelyn and saying:
"Are you sure you've thought this through? You need to know that, sometimes, just passing on a message can be a life-threatening move."
Evelyn glanced at Mercer, who was lounging on the back of his chair, legs crossed.
"I can only say, there's a high probability nothing will go wrong, but not a hundred percent." Mercer finished speaking, and Evelyn bit her lip and nodded.
Without further ado, Mercer wired the 150,000 Euros advance to Susan: "Once you take the money, I'll start moving forward formally. Very soon, some professional brokers will come to verify your situation.
To others, you'll just look like a lucky girl who found a wealthy sponsor, so you should know what to say and what to keep quiet about. Got it?"
Evelyn took out a ladies' cigarette and nodded emphatically: "I understand. From now on, I don't know anything about any commission or task. I just wait to meet that big shot and insert the Sex Doll Chip you prepared for me... correct?"
"Correct." Mercer nodded, saying: "Afterward, you can go about your business. Once you receive the balance, your name will still be listed with those brokers. I believe soon enough, you'll meet a lot of big names and start becoming famous."
Evelyn licked her lips and lit the cigarette: "No problem. Phew... anything else you need from me?"
"That's it, for now. You can go about your business for the time being. Just wait for my message."
Mercer wouldn't assign Evelyn any tasks—for her, just showing up with the chip at a meeting with Yoshinobu was enough.
Mercer did consider choosing someone else, thinking how in the game, this woman seemed ridiculously foolish. But then he realized that only someone so naive would unquestioningly agree to meet with Yoshinobu.
Someone slightly more cunning might bolt upon hearing Yoshinobu's name, causing significant trouble with any last-minute changes of heart.
As for the whole getting famous thing, Mercer was just joking. If she got lucky, she might earn more leveraging the fame of being "Yoshinobu's choice." If not, she'd continue working at the casino.
As for her safety? That would depend on Yoshinobu's whims. If Yoshinobu thought eliminating her would secure their conversation, she'd be doomed. If he saw no need, she'd survive.
People die for wealth as birds for food. Earning 300,000 Euros isn't as easy as merely meeting someone—for instance, at her first encounter with V, had she been offered 300,000 Euros, Mercer could've convinced her to assassinate the New American President.
As for Evelyn's claims of earning tens of thousands of Euros yearly at the casino, Mercer just took it as empty talk.
Maybe Evelyn earned that much, but could she save it? Maintaining a Sex Doll isn't cheap, and she had cosmetic surgery loans, rent, and utilities to contend with. Could she even save a few tens of thousands of Euros annually?
Having settled the deal with Evelyn, Mercer decided to call it a day and tasked Venus with coordinating with the professional brokers in Night City online.
Basically, it was about spending money. Spending money to have those brokers add Evelyn's name to their lists. All the detailed paperwork would be tailored according to Venus' analysis of Arasaka Yoshinobu's preferences.
Then, all that remained was to wait for Arasaka Yoshinobu to arrive in Night City.
Whether Yoshinobu would appreciate this meeting style was anyone's guess.
...
Japan, Tokyo Suburbs, Arasaka Mansion.
Arasaka Yoshinobu sat cross-legged in his room, wearing a kimono, quietly gazing at the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard, which had begun to wither.
The approaching footsteps from behind did not disrupt his focus; Arasaka Yoshinobu merely picked up a sake cup beside him, drank it all, and continued watching the cherry blossom tree until the footsteps halted at his side.
Arasaka Hanako, dressed in a snow-white kimono, gracefully knelt beside him, a tray in her hands carrying some side dishes and a pot of hot tea.