10 Void Abyss Coins: The First Pot of Gold

"15, 14..."

Faced with a gun aimed at him and an oppressive countdown, Su Yi froze.

This was nothing like anything he had encountered before.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the gunman was a middle-aged man with a Mechanical Prosthesis.

Then he discovered that, although he was an NPC, he could see other NPCs' status panels from a player's perspective!

[Name: Iron Beetle]

[Faction: Mantis Trading Company]

[Rank: Distribution Manager]

[Void Abyss Projection: Not Activated]

[Level: 7]

[Health: 1500]

(He is angry because he can't find a suitable business partner.)

At that last hint, Su Yi's eyes lit up. So that's where my cheat is!

Iron Beetle... I know him. He's one of Mantis's trusted men, and he admires people who stay calm under pressure.

With that hint, Su Yi's mind raced. Fortunately, years of sales experience quickly gave him an idea.

"My lord, if you want to kill me, your gun needs a suppressor," Su Yi said.

Iron Beetle paused, gun still in hand.

It was the first time he had seen someone try to sell a suppressor to the person about to kill him.

As if Su Yi were the one holding the gun on him.

Seeing him hesitate, Su Yi drew on all eight years of his salesmanship and the game knowledge in his head.

"The Kedi Star electromagnetic kinetic pistol. Seven-millimeter caliber, eleven-round magazine, effective range of eight hundred meters."

"Because its core component is a two-hundred-year-old Starshine Type magnetic generator, it makes a tremendous amount of noise."

"A cramped room has poor soundproofing. A loud gunshot could easily cause unnecessary trouble."

Su Yi paused and forced a composed smile onto his face.

"So, my lord, you need a suitable suppressor."

"Why not try the seven-millimeter Darkstar Type suppressor? Made from Thousand-Eye Resin and Bone Peptide Alloy, it costs you only a hundred meters of effective range while making the shot quieter than one of my farts."

As he spoke, Su Yi strained with all the strength in his gut and squeezed out a modest fart.

"See? With one of these, you could kill someone without alerting your enemies or disturbing your neighbors' sweet dreams."

Su Yi spread his hands. "Who would care about a sudden fart?"

Su Yi delivered the whole pitch in thirteen seconds, leaving Iron Beetle stunned.

The fifteen-second countdown ended. Iron Beetle did not fire.

A voice came from the shadows. "That doesn't seem like a reason to trust you."

Su Yi smiled. "A lowlife like me isn't worthy of your trust."

"All I can do is prove my value. Just give me one chance. One chance!"

"I'm confident I can bring you enough profit in the future."

At that, Iron Beetle stepped out of the shadows, gun in hand.

He had a long, fierce-looking face and looked about forty. An extra Mechanical Prosthesis extended from his left shoulder, and he wore a suit of light gray exoskeleton armor.

His thin lips parted slightly, revealing a mouthful of silver-white alloy teeth. When he spoke, his unpleasant, raspy voice carried a faint electrical buzz.

"Not bad, kid. You've got a way with words."

"You're the first person I've seen try to sell a suppressor to the man holding a gun to his head."

Su Yi smiled. "Thank you for the compliment, my lord. A man does what he must to get by."

A light flashed in Iron Beetle's right prosthetic eye. "A lackey of Mad Dog's? Why are you here instead of collecting debts?"

Su Yi answered without hesitation. "My lord, let's be frank. Who in our line of work doesn't want to climb the ladder, make something of himself, and earn a name?"

"Unfortunately, Mad Dog has blocked every path I have."

Iron Beetle nodded slightly and set his gun on a nearby table.

"Take it for fifteen Void Abyss Coins. If you sell it today and bring me four hundred Void Abyss Coins tomorrow, I can give you a batch of goods."

Su Yi took a deep breath as he looked at the gun. "Deal!"

He took off a shoe, pulled a ten and a five from beneath its sole, and handed over the notes, each rippling with strange purple energy.

It was one of the ways he had prepared for a search by Mad Dog.

Void Abyss Coins were themselves a manifestation of divine power.

They were not printed. They were extracted from the Void Abyss through human labor, in a process rather like mining Bitcoin.

Iron Beetle took the money and waved a hand.

Su Yi tucked the gun into his coat. Then someone blindfolded him and led him away.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in an alley near the main street.

With no one around, Su Yi took out the Kedi Star, expertly disassembled it, and checked it over. The gun was in decent condition, everything worked, and nine rounds remained in the magazine.

Now I just need a customer.

Guns were not banned in Rootvine District, but their origins and the number a person could own were tightly regulated.

Most of the time, people did not simply need a gun. They needed one they could buy easily, with no questions asked.

After hiding the gun, Su Yi left the alley and made his way to bustling Rust Street.

It was Rootvine District's rowdy entertainment strip.

Everywhere he looked, men and women with varying degrees of cybernetic modification thronged the street.

Glaring neon signs and glittering disco balls shone over scantily dressed women soliciting customers, filling the street with restless desire.

"Well, if it isn't Boss Constantine! What are you in the mood for tonight?"

A heavily made-up middle-aged woman came over with a smile.

Up close, the smell of tar from her cigarette mingled with cheap perfume in a particularly pungent combination.

Su Yi grinned. "Mary, I've got business today. I'll come see you in a couple of days!"

With that, he pushed into the crowd and headed on.

Back when he played the game, this area had more random quests than anywhere else.

Su Yi's goal was simple: find someone who had been wronged and had drunk too much.

He soon found his target.

At a street corner piled with trash, several thugs were beating a young man.

Two others held a young woman between them. The more she cried and struggled, the more brazenly they laughed.

After beating the young man, the five thugs dumped him in the garbage, his face covered in blood, and dragged the woman deeper into the alley.

Scenes like this were common here.

As Su Yi watched, the young man struggled to sit up. He panted heavily, his eyes full of venom and rage.

[Name: Farn Moke]

[Faction: Ironclad Gang]

[Rank: Accountant]

[Void Abyss Projection: Not Activated]

[Level: 2]

[Health: 105/200]

(Furious, he regrets forgetting to bring his gun today.)

Su Yi pulled his hat low over his eyes and face, then walked over. "Need a hand, friend?"

Farn glanced up at Su Yi, struggled to his feet, and said flatly, "No."

He tried to walk away.

"By the time you come back with a weapon, it'll be too late," Su Yi said.

Farn turned his head toward him.

Su Yi showed him the Kedi Star inside his coat.

"Kedi Star electromagnetic kinetic pistol. Seven-millimeter caliber, eleven-round magazine, effective range of eight hundred meters."

"At close range, it can turn a man to pulp."

A fierce light flared in Farn's eyes.

"There are nine rounds left," Su Yi continued. "More than enough for the five animals in there."

Farn's eyes reddened. "What do you want for it?"

Su Yi smiled. "Twenty-five Void Abyss Coins and your friendship."

Farn's eyes blazed red. "Deal!"

He pulled two tens and a five from an inside pocket and handed them to Su Yi.

Su Yi handed over the gun. "Good luck, my friend."

Farn nodded and charged into the alley.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shrill screams and desperate pleas followed the gunshots.

Neither the shots nor the cries for mercy caused much alarm.

If you were going to shoot someone, you did it in an alley. That was the unspoken rule everyone here followed.

Anyone who broke it would learn the consequences from the Patrol Bureau sergeant.

Su Yi had no interest in watching the rest, but he did not leave.

Farn's connection to the Ironclad Gang had given him a whiff of opportunity.

Leaning against the street corner, Su Yi was pleased with himself. He had just turned fifteen Void Abyss Coins into twenty-five.

A good start is half the battle.