"Sir, what would you like to look at first: smart firearms, melee weapons, or bullets?"
"Bullets."
The robot led Gao Gong to a display case, swiped its palm over the magnetic strip, and slowly opened the bulletproof glass.
"T1 incendiary rounds. They use a new integrated steel-core-and-explosive structure. When they detonate, they not only produce flames but also scatter steel shrapnel."
"T5 armor-piercing rounds. Their warheads are made from quenched high-carbon steel and can penetrate the hides of radiation beasts below Class D."
"W6 sniper rounds. Compared with ordinary sniper rounds, they have an 11% higher critical-hit rate. Their specially designed blood grooves accelerate bleeding."
"Black tracer rounds. They can release poisonous smoke that drives away beasts. They're a specialty of our security corps."
"Virus rounds..."
Gao Gong fell into thought.
In terms of purchasing power, one contribution point was equivalent to ten mechanical coins.
Ordinary bullets were practically worthless. There was no need to buy them from the military supply depot; he could simply place an order at an ordinary weapons shop.
Some special ammunition was more expensive. One contribution point could only buy one round.
The rounds the robot had just introduced all belonged to the mid-grade category, the kind used by Nightless City's security and peacekeeping forces.
Even when these bullets struck a Reaper, they could inflict additional damage.
These bullets cost two contribution points each.
Gao Gong did not hesitate. He bought one hundred of each type. There were seven types of ammunition in total, and he spent 1,400 contribution points in one go.
"No more bullets. Show me Nightless City's latest cybernetic implants."
"Of course."
Each of the three major military contractors had a different style. Tiber Defense Systems focused on firepower construction and excelled at installing large-caliber guns and cannons on cybernetic bodies: built-in rocket launchers, shoulder-mounted mini-cannons, palm flamethrowers, and more. Even their melee cybernetics were brutally aggressive. Siege-hammer mechanical legs, retractable chainsaw blades, blazing whips, and gorilla arms were all signature products of theirs.
Their primary customers were not individuals but the mechanical armies of the various mechanical cities.
Marubeni Global Security, meanwhile, dominated land, sea, and air operations. It pursued mobility and focused on battlefield adaptability. Its cybernetics leaned more toward enhancing survivability: bionic lungs that increased lung capacity, adrenaline enhancers for temporary bursts of power, metabolic editors capable of digesting toxins, and so on.
Its product line was also the most extensive.
Gao Gong stood at its booth for a long while. With his contribution points, he could buy one or two small implants.
Or he could build one himself.
"Give me one roll of load-bearing monomolecular wire, one handheld ejector, and one combat-grade battery."
"Sir, we offer implantable energy wire, high-temperature wire, and Viper Wire here."
"No. I want this one."
The robot did not try to persuade him again. It quickly gathered the equipment, costing another 600 contribution points.
"Gao, are you planning to build your own equipment?"
Gao Gong turned around and found a rather alluring red-haired woman wearing a denim jacket. But when she turned around, she became somewhat horrifying.
Only half of her alluring face was flesh. The other half was an implanted metal face, and only half her hair remained, shaved into a mohawk.
"Three-Handed Daisyra, are you here to buy weapons too?"
Daisyra amicably extended two hands. Her right hand, like the right side of her face, had undergone mechanical modification. She had two mechanical arms on the right and one normal arm on the left.
Gao Gong hesitated. Daisyra gave him an apologetic smile and withdrew the upper hand.
"An old problem with my neural coordinator."
Gao Gong laughed and shook it.
Two-Handed Daisyra was the captain of the Fleabane Hunting Squad and also a rather famous mechanical hunter in Automobile City.
"You're not trying to recruit me too, are you? I've already had quite enough to drink today."
"Of course not. You're strong, but our team has fixed members. Forcing you into the team wouldn't be suitable."
Daisyra said seriously, "But we can share intelligence."
"Share battlefield intelligence?" Gao Gong pondered for a moment. As an old hand in Automobile City, he knew the styles of every hunting squad very well. Some were overbearing, some underhanded, some liked to seize the spoils, and some would stab their teammates in the back.
Fleabane had a fairly good reputation locally.
"Sure." Gao Gong readily agreed. His gaze swept over the maglev trailer behind her, which held several large-caliber weapons.
"Looks like your squad plans to make a big haul while you have the chance."
"Of course. We can't be mercenaries all our lives, can we?"
Gao Gong nodded. The two exchanged communication codes. Daisyra was about to say something else when a sweet voice rang out.
"Daisyra, are you ready? We're leaving."
A short girl squeezed between them. She first bowed deeply to Gao Gong, then said, "You must be the famous Gao Jun. My name is Keiko Matsushima. I'm fifteen this year, and I like women."
Keiko Matsushima raised her head. Her large, round eyes suddenly flared with a killing intent unique to swordsmen.
"Gao Jun, Keiko likes Daisyra, so you have to keep your distance from her. Otherwise, Keiko will have no choice but to slice you up."
"Keiko, don't be rude!"
"Oh." Keiko pouted unhappily, then pointed at Gao Gong. "But he doesn't look like a good person, Daisyra."
"All handsome men are bad people. That's what my mother told me."
Gao Gong looked at Keiko Matsushima's waist. She had two samurai swords hanging on each side, and the scabbards were equipped with devices resembling electromagnetic activators.
Her arms were slender and pale, which did not match her rosy face.
"Highly realistic artificial arms, the grip-controller type from the Demi-Human District."
Keiko Matsushima's expression changed. She had not expected a bumpkin to recognize the origin of her cybernetics at a glance.
The Demi-Human District was one of Nightless City's districts. A river separated it from the city's other districts, and most of its inhabitants were natives of the continent. Their martial spirit was exceptionally strong.
So they're city people who came to strike it rich in the desert. No wonder they're so ambitious.
"Let's keep in touch if we get the chance." Gao Gong smiled at Daisyra, then lowered his head toward Keiko Matsushima. "Did your mother ever tell you that lolis with flat chests aren't good lolis?"
Keiko Matsushima flew into a rage. She leaped up and tried to kick Gao Gong in the knee, but Daisyra caught her by the back of her collar with three hands and dragged her away like a piece of luggage. Her cries could still be heard from far away.
"Daisyra, let go! That man is too rude! I'm going to cut him to pieces!"
"Can't you be quiet for a moment?" Daisyra's helpless voice drifted back.
"Oh, right. I also ordered some parts. Sorry for the trouble, but help me place the order."
Gao Gong smiled. He did not take the little incident seriously. He handed the robot a sheet of paper covered in mechanical components.
These were not for him but for his "future" teammates.
"Of course."
The robot went to exchange Gao Gong's contribution points for the parts, while Gao Gong had no intention of looking around any longer.
Although more than 2,000 contribution points was no small sum, compared with the hunting results of those famous hunting squads over a long period, it was nothing special.
The cybernetics here were decent, but he trusted the blueprints he had produced himself more. Who knew whether these military contractors had left back doors in their cybernetics?
"Hello!"
A "cat" suddenly jumped onto the counter and looked him up and down.
"Your body is excellent!"
"What makes it excellent?"
The cat's eyes swept over him, then it nodded seriously. "The system is well balanced and stable. That's very good."
"Oh."
"Are you interested in buying our weapons?"
"Your company? Which company are you from?"
"Mas Fengmang, of course. You've visited the shops of the other two companies but haven't visited our exhibition area."
"I just didn't have the money."
Gao Gong laughed awkwardly. Who would dare use your company's cybernetics? At least theirs are only experimental weapons. Your company experiments directly on human subjects.
"Not having money is no problem. I'll lend you some. Just return them after you're finished using them," the "cat" said.
"You're that generous?"
"Of course. Our main purpose is to collect weapon performance data."
"Then I get to decide how they're used?" Gao Gong's heart stirred.
"Of course." The "cat" looked at Gao Gong as though he were an idiot. "Besides, how else would you use a weapon? You just use it directly, of course."
"All right. Pick two for me. I'll return them after I'm finished using them, but let me make this clear first: if they break, don't ask me to pay for them."
"Don't worry. Our company has always sincerely served our customers. We offer returns, replacements, and repairs. Our favorable-rating rate in Nightless City is infinitely close to 100%."
If they kill all the customers who refuse to give favorable ratings, wouldn't every rating be favorable?
Thinking of Mas Fengmang's future conduct, Gao Gong was certain those favorable ratings had been forced out of people.
A short while later, Gao Gong left the military supply depot in his battered off-road vehicle, carrying a large bag of bullets, a pile of mechanical components, and two exquisitely packaged boxes.
He first transported the pile of things to his secret base, then drove to Little Finger's black market shop. He found that no one was there, so he went to the Rose Gasoline Bar, only to find that no one was there either.
Fortunately, Little Finger had left someone to pass on a message.
"Brother Finger said the things you ordered, Brother Gao, have already arrived. They're in the warehouse. There's also a big item, but it'll take a few days."
Gao Gong had them bring the things out. They were ten crates of nutritional paste, and even the off-road vehicle could barely fit them all.
As for the big item Gao Gong had ordered, it was naturally the armored combat vehicle he had been yearning for.
There was no way to acquire this military-controlled item through normal channels, but that was what the black market was for.
He had combined the profits from his own hunting with the profits from the first batch of "skins" before he could order this "prematurely retired" military vehicle.
"All right, I'll be going now."
"Take care, Brother Gao."
Gao Gong drove all the way to the outskirts of the metropolitan zone. Following Huang Yuanli's instructions, he lit a special oil-tree leaf nearby.
The fire was not large, and neither was the smoke, but the signal could still reach the electronic bee's special organ.
Before long, a pockmarked face cautiously poked out from behind a tree.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Gao?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm a member of the Cable Tribe. Sister Li asked me to come here."
"She asked you to come? Where is she?"
The pockmarked man's eyes flickered. "She... she's very busy right now and couldn't get away."
Before you continue