The conflict between the R&D Department and Xiao Han became the hottest topic within Bureau 13. Members from other departments, unaware of Xiao's background, assumed he was just an ordinary mechanic with no powerful connections. How dare he challenge the Bureau?
The following days passed without incident.Xiao made no move, leading Bureau 13 members to believe he had decided to swallow his pride and let the matter drop.
Though they recognized this as a reluctant choice, they couldn't help but underestimate Xiao slightly. The R&D Department's stance also puzzled everyone. While their inventions were often criticized, their internal conduct had always been relatively proper. Why were they being so aggressive this time?
Li Yalin spent these days surrounded by the strange stares of agents, making her scalp tingle with irritation. Moreover, Xiao's phone was unreachable, leaving her to stew in frustration alone.
Rumors swirled wildly, yet Xiao hadn't been idle.
He'd previously sold folding combat knives, earning nearly 100,000 Blue Planet coins. After deducting material costs for high-velocity bullets, he had 70,000 left.
Xiao spent 30,000 on materials for another batch of folding combat knives. Working day and night for several days, he forged a large quantity—a full hundred blades.
"That should be enough."
Xiao packed all the folding combat knives into a crate, donned a mask to conceal his features, and headed to District 8 to meet with an gang firearms dealer.
The social currents on Blue Planet were turbulent, with war threatening to erupt at any moment. The Six Nations strictly regulated firearms, prohibiting civilian sales. Without special credentials, carrying weapons through city checkpoints was impossible—even for players.
The Six Nations formed distinct factions, and game players frequently received missions to infiltrate enemy territories for sabotage or assassination. They typically purchased weapons from local arms dealers or commissioned them to transport equipment. The locations of every arms dealer and intelligence broker were invaluable intelligence compiled by countless players in his past life. In a major city like West Capital, Xiao knew the backgrounds of these arms dealers inside out.
He approached the veteran arms dealer Matthews, whose backing came from the major arms-dealing powerhouse—the Farian Group. Their business was vast, dealing in arms across nations, warlords, and factions, even possessing channels to procure missiles, tanks, and fighter jets.
Major arms dealers like the Farian Group were highly sought after in today's chaotic world. Their biggest clients were the wandering warlord factions, and even the Six Nations occasionally placed orders with them....
Matthew was happy to receive visiting suppliers. Xiao met with him smoothly, presenting this batch of folding combat knives. He explained their operation in detail and made clear his intention to sell.
Matthews readily recognized the folding combat knives' advantages. Though melee weapons weren't particularly popular, their concealability and element of surprise made them highly desirable to intelligence agencies worldwide.
"Can you supply them long-term?"
Xiao merely smiled. "Interested in acquiring the blueprints instead?"
Mathews looked stunned. Blueprints were a mechanic's bread and butter—controlling the blueprints meant controlling the supply. Unless absolutely necessary, no mechanic ever sold blueprints. Mathews felt a surge of excitement, thinking he'd stumbled upon a clueless novice. Suppressing his thrill, he asked, "Name your price."
"I have a hundred folding combat knives here. 5,000 each. The blueprints are a separate million."
Matthew sucked in a sharp breath. 5,000 per blade? A million for the blueprints? You might as well rob me!
"Final offer. No haggling."
Matthew instantly swallowed his desire to bargain, frowning as he weighed the potential profit.
Xiao remained calm. He was confident Matthews would agree. The folding combat knife blueprints weren't valuable, but that very fact made them perfect for exploitation. He could sell the blueprints outright without a second thought, then resell them to other factions for a hefty profit. Bundling them with a large batch of folding combat knives, just as Xiao was doing now, would maximize the deal.
This deal could only be struck once, but if he could supply multiple clients simultaneously—leaving them no time to investigate—he'd reap massive profits. Farian Group fit the bill perfectly, boasting extensive client networks.
Matthew understood the deal and nodded. "It's a deal!"
Cash on delivery. Matthew, flush with cash, had someone open a darknet account with 1,500,000 deposited. He personally handed the account slip to Xiao. Banks across the Six Nations weren't interconnected, but darknet accounts served as the designated banking system for the underground world—universally accepted globally with extremely high confidentiality.
Xiao logged into the account on the spot to verify it, registered his fingerprint and iris passwords, then tore up the account slip.
"If you ever need business again, remember to come find me." Matthews pulled out a black-gold card. "This is Farian Group's VIP card. We have bases in most cities. If you need weapons, they'll provide you with the best service."
Xiao Han took the card and tucked it away.
Arms dealers also represent a market channel. He wouldn't remain confined to Star Dragon's intelligence agency forever. Once he had grown strong enough, he would leave Star Dragon. Cultivating good relations with these arms dealers would be highly beneficial.
Money was only one aspect Xiao needed. What he required even more was experience in manufacturing machinery. If Bureau 13 had initially chosen to acquire his blueprints, Xiao might have considered it and possibly agreed. But the R&D department had no intention of doing business with him. Though it seemed he was being targeted, Han Xiao understood he was merely a pawn in the politics between two factions. He cared nothing for their tangled web of interests or political leanings. His focus was solely on securing his own gains. While he preferred peaceful profit-making, he wouldn't back down if provoked.
Xiao smiled inwardly.
Since the Research Department had snatched the invention rights for the folding combat knife, they'd have to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. How did that saying go? To wear the crown, you must bear its weight... Hmm, maybe that wasn't quite right here, but the meaning was similar enough.
The voices at the top wouldn't be unanimous. Perhaps the conservatives were just holding their breath. He'd merely provided the ammunition. If he were an ordinary Bureau 13 agent, his current actions would be a lose-lose situation. Unfortunately, he wasn't...
Old Gao, I gave you a free bionic prosthetic. Step up to the plate....
The R&D Director was riding high these days. When he bumped into the Intelligence Director in the hallway, he spoke first, smugly declaring:
"The guy you chose to cooperate with is nothing but a pushover. We just had to push a little harder, and he caved. My advice? Strike while the iron's hot. Take him into custody and squeeze every last bit of intelligence out of him."
The Intelligence Director, however, showed no anger. His eyes held a strange look, his smile forced and hollow. He patted the R&D Director on the shoulder. "May the gods be with you."
The R&D Director looked utterly bewildered. Pray for your own good? What did that mean?
He didn't have to wonder long before finding out.
The Director summoned him to his office for a private meeting. The R&D Director scurried over eagerly.
"Director, you wanted to see me?"
"The R&D report was approved yesterday. The folding combat knife is now officially your invention."
The R&D Director beamed with delight, offering polite platitudes. "Thank you for the trust from higher-ups."
The Director gave him a faint, ambiguous smile. "Don't get too excited just yet."
"What's wrong?" The R&D Director's eyes darted around, thinking he'd guessed the higher-ups' intentions. He shrugged it off. "No need to worry about Xiao's reaction. He's clinging to our Bureau 13's coattails. We can do whatever we want with him. He wouldn't dare cause trouble."
"Oh, is that how you see it?"
The R&D Director nodded.
"Good." The Director chuckled, then pulled out another document and suddenly flung it at the Director's face, barking, "You're suspected of abusing your authority and trafficking arms! You've disappointed me!"
The Director stared blankly.
What the hell? Arms trafficking?!
As a full-fledged department head, if I needed money, I could just embezzle public funds. I'd be an idiot to resort to arms trafficking!