Chapter 21: A Good Opportunity

"Well, if that's all, I'll take care of it."

"I've understood the details. I'll report directly to their battalion's command center."

"Thank you."

"It's a small matter. Is there anything else?"

Not hearing He Kui's usual departing footsteps, Sule lifted her head again.

"Director Sule, I heard that a batch of transport vehicles was recently hijacked in May City?"

"Mm, but it was just ordinary waste merchants' delivery trucks, so it's not a big deal. Were any of your goods on board?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just that I recently got some money and wanted to ask you if you have any good methods?"

He was worried about being robbed—not just his goods, but also the risk to his personal safety.

"Methods…"

As an A-level engineer, Sule had people to help her with such matters. As for He Kui, being a naturally talented individual, he hadn't spent much time at B-level.

"Here, take this."

Sule opened the bottom drawer of her desk with her fingerprint, revealing a small handgun no bigger than a palm.

"A gun!?"

"You've never seen one in military school?"

"I have, but I can't carry one now."

He was familiar with this kind of gun; given the right materials, he could assemble one in ten minutes. However, guns were prohibited here, possibly because each Coordinator was regarded as a valuable asset, or perhaps because having firearms was too dangerous and could lead to terrorist attacks, putting everyone at risk. Several materials used to make guns were absolutely forbidden for ordinary people to possess.

"Don't worry. I'll help you register it. Just return it tomorrow."

He was tempted by the gun, but He Kui still felt a bit hesitant.

"Come on, don't be so indecisive. Take it before I change my mind."

"Alright!"

Having a gun would certainly give him an edge. While top Coordinators could dodge bullets, ordinary people couldn't.

"Remember to return it after use."

"Understood. Thank you."

He carefully accepted the gun, checking the safety and other settings before securing it tightly to his waistband and covering it with his clothing.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go."

"Okay."

Achieving his goal, He Kui clocked out and quickly made his way toward the Waste Merchants' Guild at the port.

"Boss, how much for the materials for your micro-magnetic levitation devices?"

"Originally, it was 1,000 per unit, but since there's an abundance of materials now, I can let it go for 975."

The boss greeted him with his usual cheerful demeanor.

"I'll take thirty units, along with thirty units of materials for the Haro, the blast shield, and the radar."

"Got it! Just came down from the front lines, huh?"

It was rare to see someone spend so generously right after returning from the front lines.

"Yes."

"Congratulations then!"

"It's not much to celebrate, but I know you guys work hard to clean up the battlefield."

"That's how we earn our living. It's not about hardship. With your discount, the total comes to about 42,075. Let's just round it to 42,000."

The boss calculated quickly and skillfully.

"Sounds good."

He Kui swiped his card, and just like that, a significant portion of his 100,000 was gone.

However, these materials would last him about ten days, and selling them later should allow him to break even. The magnetic levitation device was an upgraded version for transport robots and was needed for his ongoing research on magnetic levitation Haros. From what he understood, these materials were popular even within the Earth Alliance, so even if he couldn't sell them immediately, their value wouldn't drop too much.

"By the way, if you need money urgently, I have a lucrative opportunity for you."

He wasn't surprised that the boss, who usually haggled over prices, had guessed he was short on cash. He continued to ask, "What opportunity?"

"Mercenary work. With the increase in warfare, they're in desperate need of engineers with battlefield experience. As a B-level engineer, you could earn 20% of the pay for each mission—at least that much."

The boss held up seven fingers.

"Seventy thousand for one mission, which is two thousand more than the big battles at the World Tree. But considering the risks, being a mercenary engineer is far more dangerous than being a researcher."

He had no intention of switching careers, so He Kui immediately shook his head in refusal.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in the battlefield."

Seeing He Kui's firm rejection, the boss didn't press further. Mercenary work was indeed risky but offered quick returns; unlike the major battles at the World Tree, which might not occur for a year, mercenary jobs were constant. For those unafraid of danger and ambitious, it was an excellent opportunity to make money and expand their connections within both factions.

After leaving the port, He Kui loaded bags of materials onto his small robot and began his cautious journey back to the urban area, carefully concealing the handgun at his waist.

The boss might have seen it as a great opportunity, but he didn't know that He Kui had a system and lacked the ambition to make a name for himself on the world stage. Moreover, he was afraid of danger.

Looking at the remaining 50,000 in his ac

count, He Kui decided to indulge a bit and treat Shi He to a hot pot dinner with real meat that evening!