Their conversation also caught the attention of Tony and the others nearby.
"You guys chat. I have something to take care of." Upon seeing Merlin, Hammer stopped shamelessly pestering Tony and quickly headed toward Merlin and the others.
On the way, he casually took a glass of wine from a waiter, skillfully tossed down a tip, and, after that smooth sequence of movements, arrived before them with a warm smile and his glass raised.
"Hi! Mayor Christian, Mr. Fisk, Sheriff George, and... our future scientist, Merlin."
"Hello, Mr. Hammer." Merlin politely returned the greeting.
His impression of Hammer was fairly good. He belonged to the rather amusing sort of person.
"So, how have your considerations been going lately? Hammer Industries is absolutely your best choice. We have the finest teams and resources. Your talent can only reach its full potential with me."
Well... he was amusing, and his skin was thick enough, but sometimes he really did speak at inappropriate moments.
"Uh... you'll have to ask Sheriff George about that." Merlin tugged up the corners of his mouth in a smile, then tilted his head toward George beside him.
With an elder standing right there, it was somewhat improper for him to handle things that way.
Although many parents in Eagle Country did not interfere too much with their children's choices, children were still young. Some matters still needed to be handled by their elders.
Quite a few people in this city had been talked out of their dreams.
Contracts could be used to make people honor their promises, but they could also become weapons for binding talented people.
"Ah, sorry. This child's talent is simply too astonishing. It made me a little... uh... impatient." Hammer seemed to realize that he had been too hasty and hurriedly smiled apologetically at George.
Not long after Hammer joined the conversation, Tony and the others came over as well.
After everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while, Mayor Christian finally brought up the real matter.
"I saw the Miniature Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter Merlin exhibited at the Tech Expo, and I think this weapon is highly suitable for police departments."
"The city's crime rate has been steadily rising lately, and traffic problems have become increasingly severe. Some criminals have even deliberately provoked the police, using their superb driving skills to lead them around like dogs. It is an insult."
"But the police cannot be experts at everything. They can only helplessly endure that humiliation."
"And just when I was troubled by this, Midtown High School's Tech Expo gave me a huge surprise."
"With an Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter, I believe this situation can soon be resolved, and it will make police work much more convenient."
After a lengthy speech, Mayor Christian smiled at Merlin and finally got to the point.
"One of the reasons I invited everyone here today is precisely this matter."
"I intend to equip every police force in Apple City with one, but as for the order, you will have to ask our protagonist."
With Sheriff George here, he did not need to worry too much about these matters. All he had to do was make his position known.
Obadiah and the others immediately turned their gazes toward Merlin and George.
Many of those present were arms manufacturers, but police project orders could also bring considerable profits.
Although the number of orders for the Miniature Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter would not compare to wartime orders, as a high-tech product, its unit price was not low.
It could also earn them a certain amount of prestige.
In the end, George was surrounded by Obadiah, Hammer, and the others. After Merlin stated that he would listen to George in all matters, he slipped away to look for food.
With his intelligence increasing, his body's consumption had accelerated as well. Coupled with absorbing so much knowledge, his stomach had already begun to complain.
"Kid, want some juice?" Just as Merlin wandered around the dining table in search of food he liked, a figure suddenly approached him.
"No, thank you. My stomach needs food more." Merlin replied without turning around.
"Then do you like games? I'm sure you play Morality and Rule of Law. I saw your Miniature Electromagnetic Pulse Gun and Atomic Gun. They're almost exactly the same as the ones in the game."
Hearing that, Merlin cut off a slice of ham, placed it on his plate, and turned around.
"Oh, Mr. Stark." Seeing the middle-aged man behind him with a sexy little mustache, faint dark circles under his eyes, and an arrogant air, he greeted him in surprise.
"You play that game too?"
"No, I just downloaded it and haven't had time to play. How is it?" Looking at the child before him wolfing down ham, Tony put away his arrogance and sharp tongue.
He was generally rather tolerant of children.
"It's great! The technology behind the Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter and Atomic Gun I developed was inspired by it. There are very few games on the market that can compare with it now."
"Especially the game's diverse gameplay, freedom, and thought-provoking story..."
When it came to the game, Merlin became excited.
Stark did not interrupt him and listened quietly for a while. After Merlin stopped, he finally asked, "Do you know what happened in Brooklyn last night?"
"Of course."
"Then what do you think of the game vehicles that appeared during it? Has this game launched an offline mode? Is someone providing players with weapons and vehicles?" He stared at Merlin, trying to glean something from his eyes.
This was the rough conclusion he had reached after gathering information all day, but he could not yet confirm it.
He guessed that it might be something similar to the Onion Website.
However, too little information had been revealed so far, and he could not determine the other side's purpose.
Still, some of the technology involved had greatly piqued his interest.
And aside from the two people from yesterday, the only person connected to it was Merlin standing before him.
"Offline mode..." Merlin scratched his head, thought for a moment, then nodded. "The game has indeed been launching an offline mode lately and has already started recruiting players."
"There really is one!" Stark's eyes lit up. He had not expected it to be real. Then he quickly asked, "How do I become a player?"
Merlin deliberately glanced around cautiously, then leaned closer and whispered, "It depends on luck. An invitation works too."
"I happen to have an Invitation Code. Do you want it?"
Merlin only intended to choose the first batch of players. After that, he would use the Invitation Code system so they could choose their own teams.
"How much?"
"Uh, it's free. I'm a technical worker in the game, and all my research funding is provided by the game. An Invitation Code is useless to me."
"I'll give you a string of numbers. Just remember it."
"RG003."
"Add your identity information, then enter that string of numbers into the opening section of any computer, and you'll be able to enter."
"A technical worker?" Stark easily memorized the string of numbers, then looked somewhat surprised at what Merlin had just said.
Before you continue