Big Earnings

Gao Yi was already waiting in the mansion's reception room.

Under Veil's arrangements, various factions had closely inspected the combat suit and observed its performance. Within two days, Gao Yi had met with a large number of organizations.

Nearly all of them showed interest in the CMC series combat suit.

Among them, Gao Yi had two most promising trade targets: the Imperial Navy and the Adeptus Mechanicus.

The criminal syndicates of Landing Port also sent representatives, but Gao Yi turned them all down for now.

He would have liked to sell to them, but first, his production was limited—his own forces also needed equipping. The workshop could only accommodate four Barracks at most. To expand output, he'd have to tear out some of the ship's original structures and build elsewhere.

But with Inquisition personnel expected to board later, Gao Yi figured it was best not to draw too much attention.

He'd wait until returning to the Capital World for large-scale mass production.

Second, if the Imperial military didn't even have this gear while criminals got it first, Gao Yi had no doubt they'd come knocking on his door.

The Navy proposed trading in Throne Cents, but Gao Yi refused.

Currency was fine for ordinary trade, but in times like these, it was the most useless thing.

And what did the Navy have that was most valuable?

In the Expansion Zone, they didn't even have enough warships for themselves—buying those was out of the question.

Beyond warships, the Navy's greatest assets were their seasoned crewmen and naval soldiers.

Thanks to the dangers of the Expansion Zone, the threat of xenos, and the flood of explorers seeking fortune, the number of naval soldiers far exceeded the number of ships.

A massive surplus of crewmen without vessels gathered in Landing Port and other worlds.

Some joined Rogue Traders, some joined expeditions or the Adeptus Mechanicus' Explorer Fleet, and others even ended up in criminal organizations.

When Gao Yi proposed trading equipment for employment contracts of trained soldiers within the Imperial Navy's roster, the Navy's representative agreed without hesitation. Better to let those idle sailors join Gao Yi's ranks than have them sit around or work for crime syndicates—it would also benefit the Navy.

After intense debate and negotiation, the final deal was one CMC-400 combat suit for a contract of 300 professionally trained soldiers.

Both sides felt they'd come out ahead. Gao Yi's production cost for the suits was extremely low, and he gained ready-made combat power. The Navy, meanwhile, traded 300 ordinary soldiers for a precious set of Power Armor.

They initially reached a deal for 300 suits, along with a follow-up long-term supply agreement.

The agreement even stipulated that if Gao Yi continued to deliver on time and with quality, he could receive support from the nearby Imperial Navy—provided it didn't violate Imperial law.

With four Barracks' production capacity, it wouldn't take long to fulfill the order.

But when the Navy tried to buy the Marauder Firebat, Gao Yi flatly refused, claiming he didn't have enough for himself.

He needed to keep some bargaining chips for future deals—he couldn't just hand over all the good stuff at once.

The Adeptus Mechanicus, on the other hand, sent a Magos directly to negotiate.

"Rogue Trader, I am Dominus Magos Osti of the Explorer Fleet. Per the accord—Knowledge is Truth, the highest clause—I have been dispatched to complete a transaction of knowledge with you."

Gao Yi looked at the figure before him, supported by four mechanical legs, listening to the voice emitted through a processor. He genuinely wondered how much flesh-and-blood was left in that body.

Every interaction with these seemingly emotionless beings made Gao Yi deeply uncomfortable. He was grateful that Pavian on his ship hadn't had his brain completely replaced by machinery.

His speech wasn't so cold and lifeless either. Generally, the higher-ranking a Mechanicus member, the more extensive their mechanical modifications.

"Magos Osti, I'm happy to trade with you, but trade must be equal. I need some material things in return."

"Praise the Omnissiah. I am pleased you are willing to share valuable knowledge. Such thinking is rare among those who have not yet embraced the sacred machine. Most people fail to understand the importance of knowledge. The Explorer Fleet is willing to pay a sufficient price for this knowledge."

"Magos Osti, I must explain one thing: what I'm offering is not the manufacturing technology, but samples!"

"Rogue Trader, am I to understand that you are deceiving me? My information receptors have already received word that you have sold many suits of equipment to the Navy. I could simply request one from them—why should I pay a price?"

"What I sold the Navy was only the most basic CMC-400 combat suit, without even weapons. The 400 is just the entry-level model. The Navy doesn't have the 660 or other variants."

"That is not enough to convince me. I believe the Explorer Fleet is capable of reverse-engineering some technology from that basic model. We don't need to replicate it exactly—just studying the underlying technology is sufficient, is it not?"

The Adeptus Mechanicus was not the Navy. The Navy had no research capability. After seeing the combat suit's performance, Gao Yi was sure they'd come back for more. Business with the Navy was a long-term affair—he didn't need to gouge them. But the Mechanicus was different.

He couldn't gauge their research ability precisely, but it probably wasn't bad.

Ultimately, it was the infighting and factionalism within the Mechanicus—scholars hoarding their own research and knowledge—that slowed technological progress.

What the Mechanicus needed wasn't the suit itself, but the technology within it.

Compared to mortal armies, the combat suit offered far less immediate combat power boost to the Mechanicus.

Their Protectorate Army already had more fitting equipment. Selling finished products held little appeal for them.

Seeing that he couldn't sway the Magos, Gao Yi decided to pull out something serious.

"Since Magos Osti isn't interested in the combat suit, perhaps you'd be interested in this?"

With that, he called for Veil to bring in a sealed, ornate chest. Gao Yi had even deliberately inlaid it with gold and gems to make it look more precious.

Osti sneered inwardly at the sight. Flesh-and-blood beings could never escape such superficial things and vanity. What good thing could be inside?

Gao Yi opened the chest, and inside lay the Medic's Ray Gun.

"A weapon?"

"That's not a weapon!"

With that, Gao Yi aimed it directly at Osti and pulled the trigger.

As the green beam shot toward Osti, he instantly tensed up.

This left Gao Yi completely stunned—just how many weapons was this guy hiding under his robe?

Melta, Plasma, Chainaxe, Autocannon, Flamer, Power Sword.

Good grief, no wonder they said a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus wasn't an infantry unit but a monstrous beast—this was a walking artillery platform!

"Osti! Calm down! That's not a weapon!"

Gao Yi's shout, combined with the fact that the beam had indeed caused no harm, finally made Osti settle.

"No anomalous programs detected, no energy reactions detected... the Sacred Protocol registers no intrusion. By the Omnissiah, what's happening to my body?"

Osti realized that as the green beam continued to shine on him.

All the metallic components on his body were slowly repairing themselves?

Even as a Magos-level member of the Mechanicus, with all his implants and modifications built to the highest standards—rare, high-strength materials—any metal still suffered from fatigue, just a matter of time. Even with meticulous maintenance, wear and tear were inevitable.

Yet under the influence of this beam, his scant flesh and all his metallic frame were gradually restoring.

Even the deepest cracks and damage in the metal were mending back to their original state.

At that moment, Osti felt more vibrant than right after his final transformation.

He sensed countless nanites swarming over him, but once they finished repairing his body, they vanished completely.

"What in the world is this, Rogue Trader?"

Osti felt a long-lost surge of excitement!

"Its name is simple: the Nanite Healing Gun. It can repair both metal and flesh, but it has its limits—the target can't be too large. Magos Osti, what do you think this is worth?"

"Rogue Trader, please forgive my earlier rudeness. The Explorer Corps desperately needs this item!"

"Then it depends on your sincerity. If the price is too cheap, I think that would be an insult to such precious knowledge, wouldn't it?"