"Bro, why did you hit me?"
Rag, wrinkling his face, a face so ugly it made Alexander unable to drink his liquor, spoke with deep resentment.
A few streams of fresh blood flowed out from the crevices of the wrinkles on his face.
Seeing that the blood flowing from Rag's face was human blood, and observing his confused expression, Alexander shook his head.
It seemed this old guy had nothing to do with the Genestealers. It was just that the ruined district whose location he had sold Alexander happened to be a Genestealer activity zone.
Thinking this, Alexander couldn't help himself and punched his face again.
Rag grimaced with that ugly face, adopting an injured look. He reached out and wiped his face, clearing away the blood, and sat back at the bar as if nothing had happened.
"Two bowls of liquor and a plate of synth-protein block."
One-Eye glanced at him, took out a dark protein block from the cabinet, and tossed it in front of Rag.
"Brother Alexander, there are four ways to prepare this synth-protein block, did you know that?" Rag said with a smirk.
"Do you know the four ways of writing the character 'hui'?" Alexander asked while sipping his drink.
"I can't even write one way."
Rag picked up the protein block and shoved it into his mouth. The viscous block moved back and forth between his coarse teeth.
"But I know, your chance to get rich is coming soon."
Hearing this, Alexander's eyebrows furrowed slightly: "Get rich? Your boss has a job for me?"
"A big one," Rag chuckled, then picked up the scarlet liquor in his cup and poured it down his throat.
He drained the cup in one gulp, smacking his lips.
"One-Eye's technique has improved again, this Amasec can't even compare!"
"Stop bragging. You've had Amasec?" One-Eye shot him a look of contempt.
"I'll drink it someday, maybe." Rag chuckled and looked at Alexander. "The boss needs a batch of weapons."
"Alright, what type do you need?"
Alexander had long ago exchanged for the 'Arbitrary Ring' artifact, which allowed him to travel freely through walls in the various buried ancient ruined districts.
Paired with his virtually infinite-capacity dimensional pocket, he had brought out many buried ancient weapons and machinery.
Gangs had the highest demand for these weapons, and the gear Alexander found was manufactured in a long-past era, with quality far surpassing the locally produced stuff in the Underhive.
Little by little, Alexander had built up a minor reputation among the Underhive gangs.
"The boss needs a batch of Agrippina-Pattern III Automatic Infantry Rifles, starting with two hundred," Rag said with a grin.
"...Okay." Alexander was stunned for a moment when he heard Rag, then nodded with a serious expression. "How about I also get you five hundred Ironclad-Pattern Terminator Power Armour suits?"
"You can get those things?" Rag opened his mouth wide, looking at Alexander in shock.
Looking into his eyes, Alexander understood that Rag had no idea what he was talking about; he just heard the names and thought they sounded formidable.
"More than that, I can even get you the power spear used by the Great Angel himself," Alexander said sincerely.
"...Brother, are you kidding me?" Rag blinked and asked.
"So you do know I'm joking?" Alexander rubbed his temples.
The Agrippina-Pattern III Automatic Infantry Rifle was a standard infantry automatic gun produced on the famous Forge World Agrippina.
This thing was barely used by the Astra Militarum, let alone the Astartes; it was mainly employed by second and third-rate Planetary Defence Forces.
But the PDF was not something a gang in the Underhive ditches could compare themselves to. Could a gang possibly use such high-grade equipment?
"With two hundred of those, is your gang planning to fight its way to the Upper Hive and present a grievance to our Governor?"
Alexander shook his head:
"Just get some home-made rifles. If you want this, you'll have to raid a PDF warehouse."
"You're absolutely right, old man, it is the PDF warehouse," Rag chuckled. Hearing this, not only did Alexander's eye twitch, but even One-Eye, drinking behind the bar, nearly spat out his liquor.
Robbing a PDF warehouse... this wasn't about being bold; it was like disturbing the Governor's grave or defecating in front of the Adeptus Arbites station. Even if the Governor was utterly neglectful, he couldn't possibly ignore something like this.
"Wait." One-Eye looked up at Rag: "You found out about the Old Sector Eight incident?"
"Old Sector Eight?" Alexander raised an eyebrow; he remembered One-Eye mentioning it earlier.
"Old Sector Eight was an old sector in the Upper Hive from over a hundred years ago. There was an outbreak of plague there, and many people died."
"The Governor at the time feared the plague would spread to the Spire, so he detonated the entire sector."
"The whole of Old Sector Eight fell from the Upper Hive, plummeting into the deep Underhive," One-Eye shook his head and said.
"Patients, residents, and the PDF troops sent to quell the unrest were all buried beneath it."
"Logically, there should still be a PDF post down there... Right, the Planetary Defence Force on this world is equipped with the Agrippina-Pattern III Automatic Infantry Rifle."
Hearing One-Eye's words, Alexander frowned:
"You want me to go to Old Sector Eight and dig up those weapons for you?"
"Well, so that's your plan, but the plague..."
In his mind flashed the words: Crucible, Garden, Virus, and Merciful Father. Combined with the sector's name, Old Sector Eight... Damn.
"It's been over a hundred years; everyone's dead. How could there still be a plague?" Rag waved his hand dismissively.
"The scavenger who found the entrance to Old Sector Eight is still alive and well, and others have gone in to explore."
"It's impossible to say there's no risk, but Old Zhou, the boss is paying handsomely for this job."
As Rag spoke, he used his fingers to gesture a number to Alexander.
Listening to Rag, Alexander felt a little hesitant.
In his memory, although this planet, Ashford, and the Hades Star System had been plagued by Tyranids, Orks, and Necrons, they seemed never to have suffered a Warp incursion?
Maybe this so-called Old Sector Eight really had nothing to do with the god stirring the crucible in the Warp?
Besides, the gang behind Rag only wanted two hundred rifles, and there might be far more weapons than that in a PDF outpost.
These could all be exchanged for currency in the dimensional pocket, or after the gang paid, he could convert the money into supplies and sell them back to the dimensional pocket.
Given the sneaky thief he encountered in the ruined district, the expanding Ark Gang, and the white figure claiming to be "Sanguinius" who warned of the approaching swarm, Alexander had to get the Arbitrary Gate set up quickly.
Thinking this, Alexander nodded slightly: "I'll take the job."
Upon hearing this, not only did joy appear on Rag's face, but even One-Eye, in his remaining eye, flashed a trace of pleasure.
One-Eye waved his hand and told Rag: "Rag, scram for a bit. I need to talk to Alexander."
"Huh? Alright." Rag carried his plate of synth-protein block and scarlet liquor and scooted into a corner of the bar.
"I have a job for you," One-Eye looked at Alexander and said.
"Why does everyone have a job for me?" Alexander couldn't help but say.
"The more capable work more; the Emperor taught us to be diligent."
One-Eye grinned, staring at Alexander and asking: "Do you know Ignis Calcas?"
"Yes, I do. The poet from the Great Crusade era, the chronicler who followed the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet." Alexander answered immediately.
One-Eye nodded: "It's normal that you wouldn't know, only the nobles of the Upper Hive would..." Wait, you know?"