Chapter 13 The Calm Before the Storm

The conflict between the R&D department and Han Xiao became a popular topic of conversation within the Thirteenth Bureau. The members of the various departments didn't know Han Xiao's background and assumed he was just an ordinary mechanic with no backing, so they couldn't understand how he dared to challenge the organization.

In the following days, everything was calm. Han Xiao made no moves, and the members of the Thirteenth Bureau assumed he had decided to swallow his anger and settle the matter peacefully.

Although they knew this was a forced choice, they couldn't help but look down on Han Xiao a little. The R&D department's attitude also surprised everyone. Although the department's inventions were often criticized, their internal conduct had always been relatively moderate. Why were they so aggressive this time?

Li Yalin was surrounded by strange gazes from the agents these days, which made her scalp tingle with anger. Moreover, Han Xiao's phone was unreachable, so she could only sulk in silence.

While the rumors spread like wildfire, Han Xiao had been busy these past few days.

He had earned nearly 100,000 Aquamarine dollars from selling folding battle knives. After deducting the material costs for purchasing high-energy bullets, he still had 70,000 left.

Han Xiao used 30,000 to buy a batch of materials for folding battle knives, and in the past few days, he had been working day and night to create a large number of folding battle knives, totaling a hundred.

"The quantity is about enough."

Han Xiao found a box, packed all the folding battle knives, put on a mask to cover his face, went to District Eight, and found an underground arms dealer.

The social environment on Aquamarine Star was turbulent, and war could break out at any time. The six nations had implemented gun control, refusing to sell firearms to civilians. Without special identification, carrying weapons was impossible to pass through city checkpoints, and the same applied to players.

The six nations were divided into camps, and players often received missions to cause trouble or assassinate in other countries. They usually bought weapons from local arms dealers or entrusted them to transport equipment. The locations of every arms dealer and intelligence dealer were valuable information summarized by countless players in his previous life. In an important city like West Capital, Han Xiao knew the backgrounds of those arms dealers very well.

He went to Matthews, a veteran arms dealer whose backer was a large arms dealing organization—the Farrian Group. They did a lot of business, buying and selling between various countries, warlords, and factions, and even had channels to obtain missiles, tanks, and fighter jets.

The Farrian Group, a large arms dealer, was very popular in this chaotic world. Their biggest customers were those vagrant warlords, and even the six nations occasionally placed orders with them.

…

Matthews was happy to receive suppliers who came to his door. Han Xiao successfully met Matthews, took out the batch of folding battle knives, explained the operation method in detail, and stated his intention to sell.

Matthews could naturally see the advantages of the folding battle knives. Although melee weapons were not very popular, the advantages of the folding battle knives were concealment and suddenness, which would definitely be loved by intelligence agencies around the world.

"Can you supply them long-term?"

Han Xiao smiled, "Are you interested in buying the blueprints?"

Matthews was stunned. Blueprints were a mechanic's livelihood. Controlling the blueprints meant controlling the source of goods. Unless it was absolutely necessary, no mechanic ever sold blueprints. Matthews was overjoyed, thinking he had encountered an ignorant fool. Suppressing his excitement, he said, "Name your price."

"There are a hundred folding battle knives here, five thousand each, and the blueprints are another one million."

Matthews gasped. Five thousand for each knife? One million for the blueprints? Why don't you just rob someone!

"One price, no bargaining."

Matthews immediately swallowed the idea of bargaining and frowned, thinking about the benefits.

Han Xiao was calm. He was confident that Matthews would agree. The folding battle knife blueprints weren't worth much, but this point could be used to his advantage. He could directly sell the blueprints without any heartache, sell them to other forces, and there was a considerable profit hidden within. He could also bundle and sell a large batch of folding battle knives, just like Han Xiao was doing now.

This deal could only be done once, but if he could provide it to multiple customers at the same time, so that those forces didn't have time to inquire, he could make a fortune. And the Farrian Group happened to have this condition. They had a large number of customer channels.

Matthews figured out the key and nodded, "Deal!"

Money and goods were exchanged. Matthews was generous and asked someone to open a dark web account with 1.5 million on it. He personally handed the account slip to Han Xiao. The six national banks were not connected to each other. The dark web account was the designated bank for transactions in the underground world, which could be used all over the world and was highly confidential.

Han Xiao immediately logged into the account to confirm, entered his fingerprint and iris password, and then tore up the account slip.

"If you have any business in the future, remember to look for me." Matthews took out a black gold card, "This is the Farrian Group's VIP card. We have strongholds in most cities. If you need weapons, they will provide you with the best service."

Han Xiao took the card and put it away.

Arms dealers were also a sales channel. He wouldn't always limit himself to Star Dragon's intelligence agencies. When his wings were full, he would leave Star Dragon, and it would be helpful to get along with these arms dealers.

Money was only one aspect of what Han Xiao needed. He needed more experience in manufacturing machinery. If the Thirteenth Bureau had chosen to buy his blueprints from the beginning, Han Xiao would have considered it, but the R&D department didn't have the idea of doing business with him. It seemed that he was being targeted, but in fact, Han Xiao understood that he was just being used as a bridge for two factions to compete with each other from a distance. He was not interested in those messy demands for benefits and political tendencies. He only cared about the benefits he got. Although Han Xiao wanted to make money peacefully, he wouldn't back down if someone provoked him.

Han Xiao smiled secretly.

Since the research department had seized the invention rights of the folding battle knife, they had to take on the corresponding responsibility. How did that saying go? If you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight… well, it doesn't seem appropriate here, but the meaning is similar.

The voices of the higher-ups wouldn't be consistent. Maybe the conservatives were holding their breath. He just provided the ammunition. If he was an ordinary agent of the Thirteenth Bureau, his current behavior would be a lose-lose situation, but unfortunately, he wasn't…

Old Gao, I gave you a free bionic prosthetic limb. Please do your best.

…

The director of the R&D department was in high spirits these days. When he met the director of the intelligence department in the corridor, he spoke first, smugly:

"The target you chose to cooperate with is just a soft egg. We were a little tougher, and he compromised. I think we should strike while the iron is hot, control him, and interrogate him for all the information he has."

The director of the intelligence department was not angry at all. His eyes were strange, and he gave a fake smile. He patted the director of the R&D department on the shoulder, "Good luck."

The director of the R&D department was puzzled. Good luck? What does that mean?

He didn't have to wonder for long. He soon found out.

The director informed him to go to his office for a private conversation. The director of the R&D department rushed over.

"Director, you're looking for me?"

"The R&D department's report was approved yesterday. The folding battle knife is now your invention."

The director of the R&D department was overjoyed and said polite words, "Thank you for the trust of the higher-ups."

The director smiled ambiguously and said lightly, "Don't be happy so soon."

"What's wrong?" The director of the R&D department rolled his eyes, thinking he had guessed the thoughts of the higher-ups. He didn't care and said, "Don't worry about Han Xiao's reaction. He wants to cling to our Thirteenth Bureau. We can ask him for anything, and he doesn't dare to cause trouble."

"Oh, is that what you think?"

The director of the R&D department nodded.

"That's good." The director chuckled, took out another document, and suddenly threw it in the face of the director of the R&D department, sternly saying, "You are suspected of using your power and selling arms. I'm so disappointed in you!"

The director of the R&D department was dumbfounded.

What the hell? Selling arms?!

I'm a dignified director. If I'm short of money, I can just embezzle public funds. I'm stupid to sell arms!