After Venus finished speaking, she jokingly added, "Perhaps compared to Dog Town, Military Science might find you even more valuable."
Mercer frowned, speaking with some discontent, "Don't these guys know how Hansen died? They still think they can force me to work for them, and aren't afraid of ending up like Hansen..."
Venus smiled and said, "From the perspective of Military Science, you and Arasaka have irreconcilable differences. In the mind of a normal person, the possibility of you daring to offend Military Science isn't high—even though the Cubans are strong, it's clear that New America and Military Science are not on friendly terms with them."
It's more than unfriendly, it's predictable that if the Fifth Corporate War ends with Military Science and New America as victors, then New America's next move in rebuilding itself will inevitably involve Cuba.
Mercer propped his chin up with one hand, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Venus used the gathered intelligence to analyze and suggest to Mercer, "Since you've already decided to deal with Arasaka Saburo, once that's done, Arasaka Yoshinobu would be a far more suitable collaborator than Military Science.
For now, just feign compliance, find an excuse to delay, and when the situation reverses, Military Science and New America wouldn't be a concern.
If we can gain Yoshinobu's support, from a commercial competition standpoint, we won't have to worry about Military Science's sanctions and suppression."
Mercer didn't speak, but after a moment of contemplative silence, he suddenly said, "Is it possible for us to get Lark over here?"
Venus immediately followed his line of thought, "Considering Lark's current physical condition and the Black Wall technology she holds, without special circumstances, New America would be hesitant to send her out on a mission."
"What if Li De, as an agent, requests aid?" Mercer suggested.
Venus nodded in understanding, "Given Li De's blatant loyalty to New America, President Miles might agree to Li De's request, but we need to find a legitimate reason."
"Let's use the rogue AI and possible Black Wall-related technical issues at the Little Beidou Facility as reasons to request support.
At the same time, let Military Science know about Lilith, and later, we can pin Lark's disappearance on her..."
Mercer made up his mind — rather than waiting for Lark's unreliable 'I have an idea,' it's better to take the initiative and catch Military Science off guard.
Since Military Science has intentions for him, he might as well play along.
"When do we act against Li De?" Venus evidently had already deduced Mercer's current plans and decisions.
Mercer replied matter-of-factly, "Since they plan to enter the Little Beidou Facility... we'll act after they've entered, and shift the blame to Lilith.
If even that doesn't provoke Military Science into bringing Lark over, then we'll have to prepare for Lark to fend for herself, and find our own opportunity to go to the Moon—time waits for no one."
His plan remained straightforward—once Li De enters the Little Beidou Facility, strike them with the Soulkiller Program, then manipulate Li De's consciousness data to seek help from New America.
If everything goes smoothly, perhaps Lark could be directly dispatched to Dog Town.
Venus fell into contemplative analysis, then suddenly proposed, "Perhaps we can stage a drama."
"A drama?" Mercer questioned.
Venus's tone was gentle, but the plan she proposed was audacious.
"If you and Lark temporarily disappear, Military Science and New America would inevitably react, with the worst case being a direct military conflict with Dog Town.
But if we involve New America's decision-makers in this incident, letting them see firsthand that the source of all problems stems from Lilith on the Moon and not Dog Town, perhaps we could secure aid from Military Science during our lunar mission and return."
Venus presented an assessment starkly different from Mercer's, "While you think the plan to have Lark hold President Miles hostage carries too much risk, my data evaluation suggests this is actually most advantageous for us.
Especially if we manage to involve President Miles in our lunar project..."
"You're going crazy too..." Mercer said, exasperated, but his next question directly indicated his position: "What are the odds of success? The risks? We need a strategy with the minimal impact on Dog Town's safety."
"If an accident occurs to you on the Moon, Dog Town's safety would be nonexistent. Currently, Dog Town's status and safety are all predicated on you being its manager."
Venus calmly analyzed, "Thus, rather than considering the risks to Dog Town within the plan, prioritize the success rate of your plan as a core variable."
"...This could directly trigger the Fifth Corporate War, even turning Dog Town into a battlefield!"
Mercer emphasized his words again.
But Venus remained calm, stating, "If things unfortunately escalate that far, initiating the Fifth Corporate War while Arasaka and Military Science are unprepared might not be bad for our rise and future development.
You know, even if Arasaka Saburo is dealt with, Arasaka Yoshinobu would undoubtedly continue to stir up the Fifth Corporate War to achieve his life's goal of eliminating corporate giants via war.