Armed to the Teeth

Shen Jingchuan chuckled inwardly upon hearing this, and replied:

"The ginseng has been found, and it's of Higher Vehicle quality, but it's difficult to extract. They'll go after the protective equipment is ready."

I should be able to get one or two; if successful, I can deliver them to you.

Professor Wen was delighted to hear this, and after giving a few more instructions, he hung up the phone.

Less than fifteen minutes later, an unknown number dialed.

After the call connected, the man's voice on the other end was calm and capable:

"This is Mr. Shen, right? I'm Wang Qisheng, the general manager of the protective equipment factory. Elder Wen just finished speaking with me on the phone, and I already know about your customized protective gear."

"Thank you, General Manager Wang."

Shen Jingchuan went straight to the point:

"Regardless of cost, we need the lightest and strongest material. What's the best choice?"

"We often make props for movies and TV shows, but those are mostly for show. From a practical standpoint, titanium alloy layered with high-strength fiber is the ultimate protection for cold weapons."

Wang Qisheng answered decisively:

"Its strength is 30% higher than that of quenched steel, and its weight is only slightly more than half that of steel. It can withstand all kinds of blows, including knife cuts, spear thrusts, and blunt force trauma. A full set of armor and helmet weighs only about eight kilograms, less than one-third the weight of ancient iron armor, yet its protective ability is twice as high."

"What about ventilation and joint flexibility? Don't make it stuffy, and don't restrict your weapon's movement."

"The armor plates are all separate, overlapping pieces with ventilation seams. The lining is made of three-dimensional mesh fabric, and chainmail is used to fill in the gaps under the armpits and on the sides. It's both blade-proof and breathable, so it won't feel stuffy even in the hottest summer days. The shoulders, elbows, and knees are all segmented, movable pieces, so bending your arms and lifting your legs won't be restricted, and your wrists and ankles are as flexible as fabric. The quick-release buckles mean you can put it all on in just over two minutes."

"Where's the vest?"

"Same configuration, with hard panels for vital areas and soft panels for the sides, so it doesn't hinder the horse's running. The whole set weighs less than 20 kilograms, a good horse can carry it all day without any problems, and there are also ventilation areas."

Shen Jingchuan thought for a moment and then asked:

"Could you please not be so conspicuous and be a little more low-key?"

"Yes, all armor and vests can be fully covered in cowhide, making them look like ordinary leather armor, while also providing additional protection, sun protection in summer, and warmth in winter."

General Manager Wang added, "It will increase the weight a bit, but we can use thin cowhide, so the increase won't be too much."

Shen Jingchuan immediately made the decision:

"Six sets of men's protective suits, seven vests, plus one women's slim-fit small size suit—no compromises on protection. Expedited service, to be completed within fifteen days. Money is not an issue."

"No problem, I'll put you in line and get you priority on the production line. Once it's finished, it'll be delivered directly to you by special vehicle. Just send me the dimensions."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Jingchuan felt relieved.

This configuration would be a game-changer in the Great Qian. Ordinary swords and arrows wouldn't be able to penetrate its defenses, and it's so light that it can be used for long-distance travel.

Shen Jingchuan dared not delay. With a thought, he returned to Great Qian, mounted Big Black, and headed straight for the Lin Household Escort Agency.

Lin Weiyuan was in the courtyard checking the cargo manifest with Lin Shan and Lin Yue when he rushed in, and they were both a little surprised.

Shen Jingchuan didn't beat around the bush and said directly that he wanted to take their measurements and make several sets of protective armor.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue immediately curled his lip and circled around him twice. "Young Master Shen, are you really going to make us armor? Didn't I tell you? We don't need that heavy stuff for escorting goods; we can't even walk very far in it."

"Stop arguing, stand still and take measurements."

Shen Jingchuan said with a smile:

"Whether you can wear them or not, you'll know once they're finished. This is a secret craft passed down in our Shen Household; it's very light, yet it can still withstand swords and arrows. We need to arm you all for safety on this long journey."

Lin Weiyuan stroked his beard and waved his hand. "I'm too old for that, and I rarely go on long escort missions anymore, so there's no need for me to go through that trouble."

Let's do it together.

Shen Jingchuan said without giving a chance to argue, "You'll need this when escorting valuable goods in the future; it's better to be prepared."

As they were talking, Ju'er came over from the backyard with tea. Shen Jingchuan stopped her and asked her to measure Lin Qingyao's body according to the measurements he had given her, making sure she measured her shoulders, arms, chest, and legs. Ju'er agreed and quickly returned to the inner courtyard with the measuring tape.

After measuring each of the three men, Shen Jingchuan went to the stables and measured the neck circumference, chest circumference, and body length of each of the Lin Household's four mounts.

After finishing with the Lin Household, he hurriedly returned to his own residence, took the measurements of the groom Liu Hu, and then measured the three Whirlwind Horses, Big Black, Little Black, Treading Snow.

His gaze swept over the chestnut horse in the corner, and he paused, taking a quick measurement as well—this horse was considered robust among ordinary horses, though not as good as the Whirlwind Horse, but it was always good to have one on hand, and he wouldn't be short of a pair.

By the time all the data was recorded on paper, it was nearly noon. He had a quick meal with his family, then, without lingering, said he was going to practice his martial arts. He returned to his room, and in a flash, he was back in a modern courtyard house.

He sat down to catch his breath, then organized the dimensions on the paper into an electronic file. He added Zhou Qisheng on WeChat and sent him all the data for the seven sets of body armor and eight sets of vests, adding a final note:

"General Manager Zhou, the sizes are all here. Give me a total price, and I'll transfer the payment directly."

About twenty minutes later, Zhou Qisheng replied with a message, along with a detailed list:

"Mr. Shen, please expedite production according to our top-of-the-line TC4 titanium alloy + UHMWPE composite solution:"

- Each set of A-grade armor costs 38,000, and 7 sets cost a total of 266,000.

- Each vest costs 27,000 yuan, and 8 vests cost a total of 216,000 yuan;

- Express delivery fee, antique leather covering, and discreet delivery by private car will cost 18,000.

A total of 500,000.

Shen Jingchuan glanced at it; the price was nothing to him. The fact that they were willing to do it and even expedited it was a favor.

He didn't haggle, he just replied:

"Okay, send me your account details, I'll transfer the money now. Delivery must be made in fifteen days."

Zhou Qisheng replied readily:

"Don't worry, I'll definitely do a great job on the task assigned by Elder Wen, delivering it on time and with high quality."

Putting down his phone, Shen Jingchuan leaned back in his chair. Five hundred thousand for seven sets of armored vehicles and a sense of security in the Great Qian world—it was a worthwhile deal no matter how you looked at it.

We've got protection, but we can't just stand there taking hits, right? The next step is to procure weapons.

During this period, Shen Jingchuan only learned some basic sword and spear techniques from Chief Escort Lin Household. He didn't know any other weapons. Now that he had a sword, he decided to get a suitable spear.

Since transmigrating, and with the food nourished by the Ring space every day, his strength has grown stronger and stronger. He even finds the eight or nine-pound iron spear on the Lin Household's weapon rack too light. He should have a long spear custom-made.

He browsed several shops online, and they were all sword factories in Longquan, specializing in craft collectibles. According to regulations, they could not be sharpened and were only used for martial arts ornaments and film props.

As he flipped through the pages, he immediately took a liking to the design of the tiger-head gold-inlaid spear. The tiger's head had its mouth open, holding the spear tip in its mouth, making it look exceptionally majestic.

He directly contacted customer service to report his parameter requirements, and finally confirmed that: the gun barrel was made of 4130 chromium-molybdenum seamless steel pipe with an outer diameter of 30 mm and a wall thickness of 5 mm, and the outside was fully covered with oil-impregnated black cowhide; the gun head was made of spring steel forged with tiger head patterns and fitted with brass for the gun hilt, and the total length of the gun was 2.8 meters.

After the customer service representative calculated the weight, they said that the whole gun would weigh over nine kilograms, and asked if it was too heavy.

Shen Jingchuan simply said that he intended to display it at home as a collectible, and the customer service representative understood without asking any further questions.

The final price was 1,800 yuan, including labor and materials. Since it was a custom-made item and there was no stock, the production time would be seven days. Shen Jingchuan transferred the deposit and instructed the other party to make sure that the materials were genuine and not to cut corners. The customer service representative readily agreed.