"Wow, in this wasteland, hot during the day and cold at night, and you could sleep in an abandoned house? You're tough."
"Why didn't you stay in a motel? Were you broke?"
Mitsuhide could absolutely guarantee that he had only said this casually.
But when he saw the resentful look in Panam's eyes, he realized his big mouth had messed up again.
He almost forgot that Panam had left the Aldecaldos tribe in anger, and in the beginning, she really didn't have the money for a motel.
"Haha, just kidding, just kidding."
Seeing Mitsuhide's awkward, laughing expression, Panam curled her lip but ultimately decided against saying the highly charged words she had in mind.
After all, they had just gone through life and death together. Never mind, never mind...
"Hey, buddy, time to wake up. If you open your eyes yourself, we can be gentle. But if you keep playing dead, I'm going to slap you."
The car twisted and turned, traversing a sandy dirt road, until they arrived at the abandoned shack Panam had mentioned.
Mitsuhide hauled the tightly bound Anders Hellman out of the car, dumped him onto a half-collapsed sofa inside the shack, and spoke.
"Ahem..."
Hearing this, the "unconscious" Anders Hellman had no choice but to stop feigning death, opening his eyes awkwardly.
The little guy was still pretending.
Seeing the man's reaction, Mitsuhide let out a cold chuckle.
He had noticed the guy was awake back in the car. Why else would he be so eager to question their never-before-met 'friend'?
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Anonymous, and this lady is Anonymous. We have some routine questions, and I trust you will happily choose to cooperate with us."
Mitsuhide casually pulled up a chair and sat down. He clearly didn't want any preamble and immediately began his interrogation.
"Hmm, those are truly great names."
The embarrassed Anders wanted to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but unfortunately, he was bound so tightly he couldn't move a finger.
Clearly, Takemura's binding technique had also undergone corporate training.
"What do you want to ask? Go ahead. I will tell you everything I know."
Although the start was rough, Anders still managed to sigh in relief.
After all, it was good that they wanted to ask him questions.
At least he wasn't dealing with ordinary thugs who didn't understand the value of all the corporate secrets stored in his head.
If that were the case, his life wouldn't be guaranteed.
He considered himself a refined man.
And refined men can only converse with people who are equally intelligent and understand the value of refinement.
"Very good. Don't worry, we don't want your life. We might even start a pleasant collaboration."
Mitsuhide slightly reassured Anders, whose suit was now dusty, and turned on the recording device.
The information he needed to know next was the most crucial.
"Anders Hellman... I really went through a lot of trouble to find you."
Mitsuhide felt a lot of emotion looking at this man, dressed in an expensive suit, sporting gold-rimmed glasses, and exuding an elite aura.
"Alright, no more pleasantries. You are the designer of the relic chip. Now hurry up and tell me everything about the relic!"
"The relic? Oh my god, you should have said so earlier. You made me worry for nothing."
When he heard Mitsuhide say 'relic', the guy sighed in relief, though Mitsuhide didn't understand why.
"If this is a business negotiation, you can have the data, provided your boss offers more than the Kang Tao people."
"Business? No, you're wrong. This is more than just business."
Anders clearly misunderstood, thinking Mitsuhide was sent by some corporation.
"Fine, whatever you say."
"The relic chip—I dare say it's the most outstanding work of my life. It can store a person's engram, allowing you to talk to deceased loved ones. Think about it, what a powerful commercial slogan."
"Arasaka is already mass-producing this thing. I suggest you buy a set too. It's better to have it than not, right?"
"Hey, stop interrupting! Did I bring you here to advertise?"
Seeing Anders still being so uncooperative while tied up, Mitsuhide frowned, and his tone grew harsh.
"You know what I'm talking about. Not the garbage circulating on the market. I'm talking about the new experimental version, the one containing Johnny Silverhand!"
"Wait, the new experimental version? Johnny Silverhand? Where did you get that information?"
Anders couldn't figure out how this Arasaka Corporation secret had casually come out of the mouth of this strange Mercenary. He stroked his chin, unable to answer immediately.
"Heh heh, do you realize the seriousness of the situation now? Tell me honestly."
Mitsuhide sneered and tapped the back of the chair he was leaning on, reminding Anders that what followed was no joke.
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