038. New changes in simulators!

Zaire was preparing to build a secret base but once again underestimated the complexity of New York City's century-old infrastructure. The information available online only provided partial and simplified details of the underground tunnels. Even finding complete blueprints proved challenging. To obtain more detailed maps, Zaire needed to visit the New York City Library in person.

Determined to continue his search, Zaire headed to the library. He disguised himself as a college architecture student working on his thesis, which quickly earned him the 'enthusiastic' assistance of a librarian. This librarian was a lively, attractive young woman with braided hair, freckles, and an unusually voluptuous figure.

From the moment Zaire entered, she warmly grabbed his muscular arm, peppering him with questions. Once she understood his purpose, she even personally led him to the library's basement. Zaire, unfamiliar with such situations, felt awkward and unsure of how to react.

The girl's seductive glances occasionally roved over his muscular frame, her demeanor reminiscent of a succubus who seemed ready to devour him. Zaire maintained a stoic expression, trying to prevent her from getting too 'familiar.' Handling affection from the opposite sex was not his forte—slaying heretics and fighting chaos were more within his comfort zone.

Fortunately, Felicia, the librarian, didn't bother him much beyond that. After helping him find the location he needed, she tentatively asked for his phone number. Zaire hesitated for a moment but then gave her his Twitter handle instead, maintaining the delicate balance of a teenage girl's fragile emotions.

Despite his intimidating presence, Zaire was actually a gentle and sensitive young man at heart. However, after bidding the girl goodbye and entering the basement, he found himself staring at a massive stack of neatly organized blueprints.

With a groan, he muttered, "I hate data on blueprints the most…"

Hours later, after painstakingly sifting through the piles, Zaire finally unearthed some maps from the 1990s. He realized that finding more recent blueprints would take even more time.

Still full of energy, Zaire sighed as a thought popped into his mind: Should he perhaps sacrifice a bit of his dignity and invite Felicia to a candlelit dinner to win her over and get some help?

*Queens, New York*

Riding his beloved scooter through the bustling streets of Queens, Zaire felt the spring breeze on his face. He was on his way to a predetermined, discreet location for his first "legal" gun deal. The location had been chosen by Aaron Davis, whose cautiousness Zaire respected rather than resented.

Before leaving home, Zaire had taken his plasma pistol, which had been blessed through traditional rituals, as a precaution. Although he could crush a man's bones with one hand, Zaire preferred not to leave behind gruesome, twisted corpses. A clean vaporization with a single shot seemed far more humane.

Zaire parked his scooter a block away from the meeting spot. As he locked his bike and stood up, a young boy shopping with his mother spotted him. The boy's face lit up with excitement, and he exclaimed loudly, "Wow, mister, you're so tall! Aunt May! Aunt May! I want to be a giant like him when I grow up!"

"Sorry about that, sir," the boy's black-haired aunt said with an apologetic smile as she caught Zaire's eye.

Zaire nodded slightly to show he didn't mind and then smiled at the boy. "Hey, kid, if you want to grow big and strong, you need to eat well, exercise, and listen to your teachers, okay?"

After finishing his advice, Zaire nodded again to the woman and walked away. The woman, curious, watched his broad back as he walked off before turning to the boy, "Peter, did you hear that? You won't grow big if you're picky about food."

The boy's face scrunched up in response. "But Aunt May, your cooking is really…"

"Peter Parker! What did you just say?"

"Oh, I mean, your cooking is the best, Aunt May! I'm not picky at all! I'm going to be a giant!"

The talkative boy and his aunt continued down the street until they disappeared from view.

Meanwhile, Zaire, after carefully confirming his surroundings, finally located the abandoned shop called "Haunt," which had been chosen as the meeting place. He scanned the area before stepping up to knock on the shuttered door. The rhythm of his knocks varied in length.

Ding!

Zaire's phone buzzed with a new message: "Back door."

Raising an eyebrow, Zaire headed around to the back of the shop. Before he could knock, the rusty metal door creaked open, revealing a young black man with a cautious gaze. After scanning Zaire and the surroundings, the man nodded, gesturing for Zaire to enter.

Inside, the dim light filtered through, revealing wooden crates stacked on the floor, filled with guns that gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.

"You're alone?" Zaire asked, narrowing his eyes at Aaron Davis.

"Aren't you worried I might double-cross you?"

Aaron's calm demeanor and the rhythmic flow of his speech carried a certain lyrical cadence as he replied, "First of all, this is just a small deal introduced by Eugene, not worth the trouble. Secondly, I'm a law-abiding businessman. These are just cheap gang guns I've bought. I'm not involved in any criminal activities, so even if you were a cop, I wouldn't care."

"I like your honesty," Zaire said with a nod and a smile. He pulled out three thick stacks of cash and handed them to Aaron.

Aaron frowned slightly, eyeing Zaire. "There are only two hundred guns here, priced at a hundred bucks each. Twenty thousand is enough."

"The extra is a deposit, to build trust," Zaire said, still smiling. "I told you, this is a long-term deal—the more guns, the better."

Aaron nodded, accepting the cash. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back to ask, "Need me to arrange transport? No charge."

"No need, my people will take care of it," Zaire replied, shaking his head.

In reality, not a single gun would escape the voracious appetite of his simulator. After Aaron left, Zaire waited a bit longer, making sure everything was clear. Then, with a satisfied grin, he rubbed his hands together and began extracting the resources.

[Hazardous materials detected: Guns (1 hour each)]

[Hazardous materials detected: Guns (1 hour each)]

…

By the time Zaire had finished extracting all the guns, his cooldown time had exceeded 318 hours for the first time.

"An indescribable sense of satisfaction!" he murmured to himself, but just as he was basking in his triumph, his simulator suddenly began to change.

[Resource time has exceeded 300 hours.]

[New feature unlocked in the simulator.]

[Initializing—]

........

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