The Art of Doing Things Properly

Xue Ming sat behind the bar, lining up a row of glasses to prepare drinks for his hangover-stricken companions.

The golden milk soup poured into the cups one after another, creating swirling patterns.

Without even looking up, he got straight to the point.

How should this [insurance payment] be calculated?

Hasben never expected the other party to obediently hand over the money and settle the matter.

He had originally planned to cause some trouble and get the leader of the [Nameless] gang to show up so he could get some information, but now he was in a difficult situation.

"Uh, I..." Hasben hesitated, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

The two young men from the same village were anxious, but they couldn't help the squad leader in the slightest.

They came from satellite towns and impoverished mountain cities. They had finally made it to the big city, but they had never seen a thousand cunning people before.

Jiang Xueming flicked his fingers, and the cups and saucers slid across the table like obedient dogs, heading to the water dispenser next to the porch, where they were neatly arranged in a straight line.

He then said to Hasben.

"Are you new here?"

Hasben: "Yes"

Jiang Xueming: "Have you consulted your colleagues in the group about this?"

Hasben: "I've heard of it."

Jiang Xueming: "What standards are used to collect insurance benefits?"

Hasben: "It should be."

Jiang Xueming: "Don't say 'should' -- these are the rules, and rules can't be changed or guessed at will. I've seen this kind of rule before at the Mimir Hot Spring Market."

At this point, Xue Ming took out his notebook and quickly made notes in the accounts.

"For example, near the Mimir Hot Spring Market and the square by the station, the insurance premiums for the surrounding restaurants and lodging establishments are 7%, collected monthly by the Red Stone Rock Band. They might take 30% of that as a commission for the Guangling Zhixi Rapid Reaction Force."

Hasben grasped at a straw. "Yes, yes."

Jiang Xueming continued, "The insurance premiums for the clothing industry and weapons suppliers will be much higher, after all, they are not industries that directly affect people's livelihoods. Apart from taxes, they have to pay 18% of their income in insurance premiums every month. The Red Stone Rock Band and Guangling Zhixi will guarantee the safety of these businesses. In the event of any personal or financial damage caused by non-natural disasters or force majeure, they will be compensated at full price."

He bit the pen and explained in detail to Hasben.

"Different regions have different payment methods. For example, in remote, unknown areas, the amount of insurance premiums will increase accordingly, and the farther away from the station, the more expensive it will be. So, Hasben, do you know how safe Nine Realms Station is? What percentage of my revenue should I pay you?"

Hasben replied without hesitation, "Twenty percent."

"Yes, it's the highest tier." Jiang Xueming clapped lightly and put down his pen. "Because this club is involved in the modification and production of military equipment, I need to pay 20% of my after-tax operating income to the garrison at Nine Realms Station every month. So here's the question, Hasben, what are you trying to do by coming to my shop that hasn't even opened yet?"

Hasben took out a cigarette from his pocket, about to light it, hoping to use nicotine to calm his tense heart.

"Smoking is not allowed here; the smoking room isn't finished yet," Jiang Xueming said calmly.

Hasben didn't care about anything else; what was there to worry about on a construction site? He then lit a cigarette and continued talking to Jiang Xueming.

"Your bricklayer has been working here for more than half a year, and we've been in charge of safety here. He's put in a lot of hard work, so we should give him some money as a token of appreciation."

Jiang Xueming reached out and stubbed out the cigarette in Hasben's mouth.

--Two black marks were burned onto the white gloves.

"This is against the rules, Hasben. Whether it's smoking in the store or asking me for this fee in advance, it's against the rules."

In a split second, Hasben activated his spirit form, intending to confront the Gunsmith's Smoke-Extinguishing Hand.

But the suddenly appearing steel arms tore his weak and powerless spirit apart as if grabbing a block of tofu.

A sharp, piercing nerve pain shot through his forearm; he broke out in a cold sweat, his face turned pale, and he watched helplessly as Xue Ming took the cigarette from his mouth.

The gunsmith slowly pulled a spare ashtray from under the bar, extinguished his cigarette completely, and finally spoke.

"I know what this money represents. Different regions require different funding structures to support the missions and operations of armed personnel—purchasing weapons, rallying morale. But rules are rules, just like the full set of equipment you're wearing."

He pointed to Hasben's headband.

"Triangular hemostatic bandage."

He pointed to the helmet.

"You bought the unofficial survival light yourself."

Pointing to the main weapon.

"The gun light, tail fin, and holographic sight are sold separately."

Pointing to the secondary weapon.

"Flame extinguishers and hanging flashlights cost money."

The mounting plate pointing to MOLLE.

"GPS navigation, Rangers encrypted IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) markings, blast level indicator."

The straps point towards the waist.

"Six extended magazines, all equipped with quick-release baseplates."

Pointing to the body armor beneath the carrying equipment.

"It's made of rock wool, and it's not the standard bulletproof vest issued to Guangling Zhixi."

Pointing to leg hangers and waist hangers.

"Two knives, one a utility knife for cutting rappelling ropes and defusing bombs, and the other a combat dagger."

Finally, they returned to Hasben's two friends.

"Your first sentry is the one on the left, who has a lightweight CQB stock. The other one has a long sight added to his rifle, and the barrel has also been replaced. He's your sniper."

Jiang Xueming finally said--

"--These all cost money. I know this money is important, and I respect your profession. Every penny I pay will become part of your fighting strength, but we have to follow the rules, right?"

Hasben frowned, nodded, and found this gunsmith quite troublesome.

Jiang Xueming changed the subject. "You want to know about the [Anonymous] leader?"

Hasben, like a fish caught on a hook, immediately pressed, "Yes!"

Jiang Xueming: "She doesn't like being discussed or showing off in front of many people; she has social anxiety."

Hasben: "Can I know her name?"

Jiang Xueming: "I'm afraid that won't work."

Hasben muttered to himself, "What am I going to do? What am I going to do?"

That damned gunsmith was like an impenetrable wall, leaving him no opening.

--I was thinking of just finding some excuse to cause trouble, but this guy is too slippery. If Hasben's team really makes a scene in this bar, and Ming De blames them, he might lose his job.

Jiang Xueming: "You have a mission? Are you investigating the person in charge of [the anonymous group]?"

"Wow—" Hasben gasped.

Jiang Xueming: "It's easy to guess."

Now that things had come to this, Hasben had no intention of hiding anything. The young man was indignant, as if he wanted to bleed himself dry, and pulled out a wad of crumpled money from his waist bag.

"Can you do me a favor? Please, buddy?"

Jiang Xueming: "What do you mean by giving me money?"

Hasben changed to an obsequious expression; he couldn't even manage a professional, fake smile.

"I'd like to ask you about her, and it would be best if you could bring back a few photos."

Xue Ming straightened out the Hui Stone Currency one by one, tucking each corner out. When he saw the bloodstains on the coins, he felt a pang of pain in his heart.

"Then you can start asking around."

Hasben took out his phone to take notes, but his right hand was still trembling uncontrollably due to nerve pain. Jiang Xueming poured him some "Worry-forgetting Tea" to help repair the nerve damage.

"Take it slow, drink it, it'll make you feel better."

Hasben nervously patted the back of his hand, threw the NBC protection machine onto the table, trying to subdue the unruly hand. Hearing the gunsmith's instruction, he drank the tea in one gulp.

"This is from the VIP tea room?"

Jiang Xueming: "Yes."

After finishing his tea, Hasben, like a disgruntled child, added two more Hui Stone Currency to the table.

"Here you go! It's your turf, so do it your way!"

Xue Ming smiled and gave the young man a live demonstration of what a fake, business-like smile looks like.

"Please tell me."

Following the instructions of the important person on his phone, Hasben asked each question in turn, "What's her name? Her surname?"

Xue Ming: "We call her [Big Sister]."

Hasben: "What's your real name?"

Xue Ming: "You'll have to pay more."

Hasben immediately grabbed his underlings, and amidst the disgruntled and conflicted expressions of Xiao Zuo and Xiao You, he rummaged through his pockets and back pockets, scraping together seventy-two dollars.

Xue Ming: "Not enough."

"Not enough?" Hasben slammed his fist on the table. "Don't push your luck, gunsmith!"

"Don't push your luck, Mr. Hasben!" Jiang Xueming leaned on the bar table, like an enraged tiger, her eyes suddenly turning bloodshot, and she forcefully yelled at the young man, making him sit back down in his chair.

"Why are you smoking in the club?" Before she could finish, Xue Ming had already grabbed Hasben's cigarette case. "Mr. Hasben, why?"

Before the other party could answer, Jiang Xueming had already taken out one of them.

"I've told you about our rules here, but you still break them, time and time again."

With nimble fingers, she passed the cigarette from her little finger to her Thumb, repeating this motion from left to right, before Xue Ming putting it in her mouth.

"You can indulge in your verbal sparring like this, you can come in politely, you can say to me, 'Gunsmith, hey! I'd like to buy some information,' you can sit down casually, you can tell me that you're short on cash lately, you just arrived in Eleventh District, you have a lot of things to do, and everything requires money—you're poor, you can't find a suitable headband, so you can only use a triangular bandage to cover the skull wound—your hair is beautiful, only that one scar remains, after drinking White Lady's products, that tuft of red hair hasn't had time to grow back, right?"

Hasben was breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot, but the bloodshot returned in a short moment.

Jiang Xueming continued, "Remember [Anonymous]'s rules. Make sure you understand them: inquiring about [Big Sister] will cost a lot, a lot of money. Who do you think she is? A top singer in a nightclub? Or some idol star?"

"Am I her agent? Or your paparazzi? Mr. Hasben, you're not offering enough."

"I understand." Hasben removed the slings and placed his main weapon on the table. "Is this enough?"

Jiang Xueming brought over the AR15 and gently tapped its plastic trigger lock. "May I inspect it? It looks to be in good condition."

Hasben: "Okay."

The two lackeys' expressions immediately changed.

"Team leader!"

"This can't be sold!"

Xue Ming skillfully unlocked the weapon and began inspecting it. In just a few seconds, he disassembled it into parts along with the spirit's two arms.

The wear on the bolt and the copper slag on the primer were so glaring to Hasben's eyes. When the clearing lever was pulled out, the steel bar had already turned white, and half of the diamond coating had fallen off.

Its flashlight's strobe light is broken, and the laser-assisted aiming light is not clear enough; it has been used for a very long time.

Hasben nervously explained, "I know it looks old. But I'm the team's commander and main attacker, it absolutely is."

"An excellent main weapon," Jiang Xueming interrupted.

Hasben paused for a moment, then began to nod.

Xue Ming then finished assembling the gun, turned to the side, and aimed.

"The fishbone grip area has been polished. You didn't install a foregrip or stop, which is correct—in environments requiring frequent and intense firefights, the connecting parts of the equipment will wear out, affecting your shooting accuracy. Its stock fits snugly against the shoulder, and you added some leather."

Hasben: "Yes, yes."

Jiang Xueming pulled the bolt, cocked the bolt when empty, and then struck the release button. The gun's locking action was clean and crisp, without any malfunctions.

"Although some oxide and plating have come off, making it less attractive—it's extremely deadly. You're an excellent soldier, Mr. Hasben."

"Thank you." Hasben's heart finally settled back into his stomach, and he immediately asked, "Gunsmith, are my weapons valuable? Can I trade them for the Big Sister's real name?"

Jiang Xueming returned the AR15.

"I'm sorry, no."

Hasben asked in surprise, "No way?"

Jiang Xueming shook his head.

"No, because I don't know her real name either. I can't answer that question. You can continue asking by referring to your phone's notes."

Hasben nervously held his phone and then read from the script.

What does she like? What should I say if I want to give her a gift to please her?

Jiang Xueming: "Pink things."

Hasben: "Could you be more specific?"

Jiang Xueming: "Firearms, things that can kill people."

Hasben immediately started typing on his phone, preparing to send these messages back to the Sunflower Movement's Senate.

"--Don't rush." Jiang Xueming immediately grabbed Hasben's hand.

Hasben was sweating profusely with anxiety. "Gunsmith, what do you mean by this? I've already wasted so much time on this! I..."

Jiang Xueming lowered her head and said, word by word, "Listen to—me."

Hasben had no idea what the [nameless] butler was up to, so he could only play along and continue asking questions.

In which region is she most active?

Jiang Xueming: "Ming De treats [Anonymous] as a special operations team. This special operations team may be involved in any block or any matter."

Hasben: "What's the next mission?"

Jiang Xueming: "Forty-Eight District."

Hasben: "Specifically..."

Jiang Xueming: "That's enough."

Hasben: "If it's convenient, could we arrange a meeting with her? My boss wants to see her."

Jiang Xueming: "If you want to convey this message, bring up your secondary weapons."

"No, no, no, boss!" Xiao Zuo immediately clutched his waist pouch and tightened his grip on the quickdraw holster. "This is my wife, my lover! My second life! I am absolutely loyal to her!"

For the vanguard sentries, there are often situations where they need to empty their main weapon magazines to suppress fire and disengage from urban combat. For Xiao Zuo, the pistol is his second life.

"Hand it over!" Hasben snapped. "Hand it over! This job is crucial for us! It's our pledge of loyalty! If you can finish it, I'll buy you a new one!"

Finally, the three law enforcement guns were neatly placed on the table.

Jiang Xueming disassembled them one by one, and then found a pair of boots and a piece of titanium alloy scrap under the bar.

The Sig Sauer 1911 is also a modified version of the STI 2011, and it is the gun used by law enforcement officers in US Federal courts. It costs around three thousand dollars.

The weapons these young men carried were valuable; they were men who risked their lives and would never neglect their armor.

Xue Ming took the vodka that Drill Boy Diamond had given him from the liquor cabinet and poured it into a glass.

He disassembled the three guns one by one, cleaning and degreasing all the components, including the pins, springs, and hammers. Then, he shouted "[Fragrant Dream]" to mill the parts, replicating three brand-new pistols in the same way.

The giant steel cat was extremely unwilling. After finishing its work, it returned to Xue Ming's body without saying another word.

Jiang Xueming put the three rusty old guns under the counter, put the spring parts back into the new guns, and pushed them toward Hasben and his two companions.

"This is a gift from [the anonymous] to the valiant warrior."

Hasben exclaimed in surprise, "Gunsmith, are you kidding me?"

Xiao Zuo's eyes are about to pop out of their sockets--

"--The all-steel version of Staccato can only be bought in the underground world for over four hundred dollars, and bringing it down from the surface is extremely difficult. This one is made of titanium alloy."

Hasben: "Hey! Wake up!"

Xiao Zuo was already drooling. "Gunsmith! Is this for me?"

Jiang Xueming: "Yes."

Xiao Zuo picked up the gleaming silver gun and pulled the slide, hearing a crisp click.

"I'm sorry! Honey, you can only be my ex-wife now!"

Hasben looked on with suspicion as he picked up the overly exquisitely crafted secondary weapon. It was very light and responsive. However, the cold grip felt sharp, but that could be easily fixed with a few sheets of sandpaper.

"What exactly do you want? These things are far more valuable than the money I paid you."

"That's why I told you to take your time." Jiang Xueming carefully gathered the banknotes Mr. Hasben had handed him and slowly pushed them back. "You have complete faith in the information you bought with money, and you want to send it back immediately, eager to use it as your pledge of loyalty to your boss."

Hasben: "You lied to me?"

Jiang Xueming: "No, remember another rule of [the Anonymous]: gunsmiths don't lie."

Hasben: "Then what do you mean by performing these rituals?"

Jiang Xueming placed the boots in the center of the table and then spoke.

"I gave you the gun for free, and you're already suspicious. Humans are strange creatures. I think you should be more cautious and tactful, Mr. Hasben. Please treat every word I say to you as a bargaining chip in your struggle for a better life. Don't just hand it over so easily. Nobody appreciates something given away for free."

Hasben retrieved the blood-stained banknotes, and looked heavily at the gunsmith. "Thank you."

Jiang Xueming took out a gift box, put the boots inside, and placed a piece of leftover cake on the instep of the shiny new leather boots. It was Meteor's birthday cake, and no one had finished this ten-pound cake.

"This is a gift that our Big Sister asked me to bring to your boss."

Hasben's expression changed drastically. "What? What does this mean?"

Jiang Xueming: "She wore these boots when she wiped out the Rose Sect in London, United Kingdom. Coincidentally, just like your guns, the women's shoes are also from the brand Staccato, designed by sixty artisans and manufactured through two hundred processes. Just like [Anonymous], they are very disciplined and meticulous."

The gift box slowly moved forward and finally closed its lid.

"Say a few more words to your boss—a newbie like you can't get information about the Big Sister with either money or energy. You can only get a pair of boots. You can hire a private investigator to analyze the pheromones in the shoes and the size of her feet, and judge how tall and heavy this woman is by the footprints and sweat. But for the gunsmith to say another word about the Big Sister is an insult to [Anonymous]."

"As for your boss wanting to meet the Big Sister, then please have him come to our club in person—and eat this cake; it's the birthday cake of the Nameless Elder."

The gunsmith gently patted the gift box, and finally, with a calm demeanor, uttered the most rude thing to Hasben.

"The Big Sister asked me to pass on a message to your boss—"

"--If you want to go on a date with me, kneel down first and lick your shoes clean."

Hasben and his two younger brothers walked out of the club, looking dejected.

The squad leader hugged the gift box and murmured to himself, "Overbearing."

Xiao Zuo hugged his new wife tightly, clearly smitten, and said to the captain.

"Hey! Why think so much? Boss, this thing we have can sell for at least five thousand yuan. We've made a killing!"

Xiao You stared at the cake box, completely baffled.

"Captain, I have a question."

Hasben: "What's the problem?"

Xiao You immediately said, "Is that nameless Big Sister secretly in love with our boss?"

Hasben thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure out the sniper's thought process.

Xiao You pointed at the cake and said.

"Otherwise, why would she reward the boss?"