Semi-Automatic Rifle and Armor-Piercing Rounds

Ding! You had provided Second Lieutenant Rudosen with 38 PDF dog tags. Favorability Lv.0 had increased to Lv.1.

New products unlocked: PDF Semi-Automatic Pistol, 800 Fertilizer Coupons; PDF Automatic Gun, 3,200 Fertilizer Coupons; PDF Ballistic Armor (Level 3), 1,500 Fertilizer Coupons; PDF Ballistic Helmet (Level 3), 1,000 Fertilizer Coupons.

Special product: Middle Hive identity registration, 100,000 Fertilizer Coupons.

Hint: Hive City registration was tightly controlled. Every gate had genetic scanners. Without a matching identity, you could not enter this area.

Second Lieutenant Rudosen seemed to have certain connections and could enter your identity into the Hive City genetic system, upgrading you to a Middle Hive citizen, but it would cost a large sum of money.

Li Qinwu's breathing grew heavier. A Middle Hive identity—it was actually a Middle Hive identity!

Since arriving in this world, he had only been active in the Lower Hive and on the surface. He had never been to the Middle Hive.

What was in the Middle Hive?

As far as he knew, everyone who could live in the Middle Hive was considered high-quality population on this planet. They all had citizen status and earned more than 2,000 Fertilizer Coupons a month.

Li Qinwu really wanted to take a look around the Middle Hive. Maybe he could buy some items to upgrade his Hideout.

But the price... it was just too expensive. One hundred thousand! He only had forty thousand in savings right now, not even half.

He had to figure out a way to make more money!

After taking the dog tags, Second Lieutenant Rudosen switched on the desk lamp, sat down by the field table, and opened his notebook to record the names on the tags. He needed to submit them so the planetary governor could issue compensation.

Li Qinwu used a dagger to turn the potatoes on the electric stove so they would heat evenly.

"Say, Old Sen, I've run into a bit of trouble lately and need some useful hardware. Can you do me a favor?"

Rudosen paused, then continued writing down the names.

"Tell me."

Li Qinwu picked up a potato and scraped off its skin with his dagger.

"The Chemical Gang and the Fertilizer Gang in the Lower Hive are about to go to war. Nipall from the Fertilizer Gang gave me five thousand to work as muscle, and I decided to take the job.

"But the Chemical Gang has these Augmented Humans with iron plates nailed onto their bodies. Ordinary bullets can't penetrate them. Do you have any spare Armor-Piercing+ weapons you can give me?"

Rudosen turned around and studied Li Qinwu seriously, as though confirming whether he was telling the truth.

Li Qinwu used his dagger to pick up a roasted potato and handed it to him.

They looked at each other for several seconds. Second Lieutenant Rudosen accepted the potato, took a bite, then fetched a weapon case from the corner of the tent. Opening it, he revealed a rifle with a long barrel.

As Second Lieutenant Rudosen inspected the rifle, he said, "A PDF Semi-Automatic Combat Rifle. It fires standard 8.9×55mm rounds. This rifle uses a heavy long barrel and can fire high-pressure Armor-Piercing+ rounds. Within three hundred meters, it can punch through fifteen millimeters of armor."

Li Qinwu whistled and reached out to take the rifle, but Second Lieutenant Rudosen pulled it back.

"I've repaid the favor you owed me."

Li Qinwu nodded.

"Repaid."

Only then did Second Lieutenant Rudosen hand him the rifle.

Li Qinwu took the rifle and stroked it fondly.

It had a black polymer stock and handguard, along with a long barrel. It looked somewhat like an M14 Rifle used by the American military during the 3K Era, though its design was more angular.

He quickly used the system to inspect the weapon's attributes.

Name: PDF Semi-Automatic Combat Rifle

Reference Value: 4,500 Fertilizer Coupons

Weight: 5.5 kg

Vertical Recoil Control: 71

Horizontal Recoil Control: 61

Ergonomics: 51

Weapon Stability: 51

Accuracy: 89

Hipfire Stability: 42

Effective Range: 800 m

Muzzle Velocity: 1,550

Fire Mode: Semi-Automatic

Rate of Fire: 450

Ammunition Caliber: 8.9×55mm

Stopping Power: High

Li Qinwu asked, "What about ammunition?"

Rudosen handed over three fifteen-round magazines and two boxes of ammunition, fifty rounds per box, for a total of one hundred rounds.

"These are high-pressure heavy Armor-Piercing+ rounds, also called AP Rounds. They can only be fired from the Semi-Automatic Combat Rifle. If you use them in an Autogun, it'll jam.

"But the Semi-Automatic Combat Rifle can fire regular ammunition too, without any problem."

Li Qinwu took the ammunition and checked it with the system.

Name: 8.9×55mm High-Pressure Heavy Armor-Piercing+ Round (AP Round)

Reference Value: Approximately 200

Armor-Piercing+ Level: 5

Hint: Among the PDF series, AP Rounds are relatively valuable high-Armor-Piercing+ ammunition and can pierce most light armor.

However, this ammunition generates excessively high chamber pressure and cannot be fired from an Automatic Rifle. It requires a dedicated semi-automatic rifle with a heavy barrel, so it is not particularly popular among PDF infantry.

Li Qinwu grinned as he put away the rifle and ammunition. Now things were secure. The Chemical Pigs only had a layer of sheet iron over them, definitely less than ten millimeters thick. The AP Rounds would punch right through.

Afterward, the two squatted beside the electric stove, eating roasted potatoes and chatting.

Li Qinwu asked, "How much compensation does the planetary governor give?"

Second Lieutenant Rudosen's gaze dimmed.

"Fifteen hundred Fertilizer Vouchers."

Li Qinwu sucked in a breath. He was stunned. That little?

On Agri-World 496b, a farmer earned two hundred Fertilizer Coupons a month, while a Middle Hive citizen earned two thousand a month. Damn, people were already dead, and the compensation for their families was not even equal to one month's income for a citizen?

People said the PDF were the planetary governor's lapdogs, but he had not expected the planetary governor to really treat everyone like dogs!

No wonder the PDF's discipline was so poor. No wonder the rebels had been able to occupy all the land outside the Hive City.

After they finished all the roasted potatoes, Second Lieutenant Rudosen pulled a folding bed from the corner, unfolded it, and lay down to sleep.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll have one of my men take you into the Middle Hive. Don't wander around. Once you're inside, go straight to the Great Elevator and head down to the Lower Hive. Don't cause me trouble."

Li Qinwu lay down as well, propping up his chin as he asked, "Do you have any more jobs for me?"

Rudosen thought for a moment. "My regiment commander gave me an assignment. In a while, I'm supposed to clear out Water Supply Lake to the west. There's a rebel camp there.

"Before the war, Water Supply Lake was an important water source for the surrounding lands and had lots of pumping equipment. The rebels control it now. They say nearly a thousand rebels are stationed there.

"I heard that two companies of PDF infantry died there. Given the rebels' combat ability, that should have been nearly impossible. There seems to be something there.

"I need you to investigate Water Supply Lake within half a month and find out what's there."

Li Qinwu considered it for a while before asking, "Any other information?"

Rudosen continued, "Yes. A soldier who escaped said he heard twisted screams. Uh... and the ground was frozen."

Li Qinwu's pupils contracted. Twisted screams—Chaos Corruption? Frozen ground—a Psyker?

He remembered that some weaker Psykers could not control all their Psychic Power, and the energy leaking out would cause freezing.

With two companies of PDF infantry dead there, it looked like there might be a Chaos Wizard near Water Supply Lake!