Chapter 43: A Difficult Choice
In the vast underground warehouse, standard melee weapons were piled everywhere, the newest item being the scale not far away.
Su Xiao picked up a war blade that resembled a horse-slaying saber. This weapon was about 1.5 meters long, a typical long battlefield weapon, suitable for wide sweeps and armor penetration.
The blade's edge had several nicks, and the grip wrapping was stained with sweat and blood that couldn't be washed off. This thing had definitely seen combat.
Overall, this war blade was no longer usable in battle. Forced use might cause it to shatter in just a few swings. The only reason to buy it was its good steel. After smelting, the military-grade steel could be resold at a decent price.
Su Xiao couldn't predict the future. No one could have expected these second-hand weapons to be in such a state. His previous bottom line was that they just needed to be functional. Now, it seemed he had underestimated the greed of the Vassal Alliance officials.
Under these circumstances, the weapons the Vassal soldiers had recently replaced were this poor. No wonder Brigadier General Leitz dared to sell these second-hand weapons externally.
Even so, Brigadier General Leitz only sold to insiders. These military-retired weapons were too sensitive in many ways. If not for his empty pockets, Brigadier General Leitz wouldn't have even considered selling them.
Without Su Xiao needing to speak, Kaiser understood. He stepped forward with a small microscopic instrument, took a fragment of the war blade for observation, then dripped a reagent on it to check the oxidation reaction.
"Those vampires in the Alliance, have they gone mad? Brigadier General Leitz, are you sure your soldiers were still using these weapons two months ago?"
Kaiser looked shocked. This remark hit Brigadier General Leitz right where it hurt.
"Those are pus maggots squirming in a shit pit. They only care about stuffing their own pockets..."
Brigadier General Leitz stopped mid-sentence, realizing he wasn't familiar enough with Su Xiao and the others to continue. His resentment toward the Alliance officials was clear, as they always made things difficult for him.
If it were wartime, the Alliance officials would flatter Brigadier General Leitz. But now that the war with the humans had ceased, the Vassal Alliance officials held more power.
"These weapons... scrap metal, give me a price."
"Brigadier General Leitz, I'm sorry, but we can't price them. Please don't look at me like that. These rolled steel are indeed scrap metal, heavily corroded by mechanical pollution. The warriors who used these weapons must have ventured deep into contaminated areas many times. The oxidation is severe. Even if melted down into molten steel, the cost to refine them back to their original steel grade would be unimaginable."
Kaiser shook his head regretfully as he spoke. Hearing this, Brigadier General Leitz's expression darkened. They had used these weapons for so long that even the steel dealers in the gray world wouldn't take them.
"A lower price..."
"Brigadier General Leitz, I understand your situation. Winter is coming, and many places need money, but business is business. It was a pleasure meeting a friend like you. If there's a chance, we'll cooperate next time."
Kaiser signaled Baha with a glance. Baha and Bubu Wang took down the gifts from the vehicle. As they say, even if the deal falls through, goodwill remains.
That was the talk. Su Xiao's current thought was to leave immediately and not waste time here.
Su Xiao and the others exited the warehouse, got into the vehicle, and drove out of the compound. After some twists and turns, they reached the main gate, where several Vassal soldiers stopped them. The squad leader was inside the guard booth, nodding repeatedly through the glass window.
After a moment, Su Xiao learned what was happening. Brigadier General Leitz wanted them to return, but didn't specify why.
They turned back. Brigadier General Leitz was still in front of the warehouse, but now at Warehouse No. 3. This warehouse had been heavily guarded before, but now the soldiers stationed there had withdrawn.
Brigadier General Leitz didn't say much. He signaled the young officer behind him to open the door. Another female officer had already left.
Su Xiao and the others entered the warehouse. Rows of weapon racks nearly three meters tall lined the interior. On each rack, heavy cold weapons were placed diagonally. The warehouse was filled with the smell of anti-rust oil.
Su Xiao glanced at a cowhide paper strip wrapped around one weapon. The seal number ended in 0615, indicating it was stored on June 15th. Without needing to think, this batch of cold weapons had just been issued recently.
Having used old weapons for so long, Brigadier General Leitz must have secured a large batch of new weapons this time, to avoid being caught without replacements if targeted again.
Though he guessed the situation, Su Xiao's expression was "grim." As Kaiser walked, his legs went weak. If not for the young officer supporting him, he would have collapsed. Li Xiniwei stood outside the warehouse, smoking, pretending to see nothing. Truly, everyone was an actor.
"B-B-Brigadier General Leitz, th-th-this... isn't something that can be sold. We dare not buy it either..."
Kaiser seemed so frightened he could barely walk. Without the young officer's support, he would have collapsed.
The Vassal Alliance had laws. Selling or purchasing military supplies, especially weapons, was punishable by death.
Ask yourself, Su Xiao, Kaiser, and Li Xiniwei—who cared about Vassal laws? Apart from the few words on the cover of the Vassal war-related criminal law books, Su Xiao had violated almost everything inside.
Su Xiao and the others' current demeanor was typical of smugglers operating in the gray world. They showed an attitude of being willing to touch slightly borderline things, but not daring to take on anything too extreme.
Seeing this, Brigadier General Leitz's expression darkened, but he felt more at ease. If these smugglers melted down the weapons he sold and sold them as high-grade steel, as long as he covered his tracks and balanced the inventory, there would be no problem.
"These are all retired 'scrap metal.' Give me a price."
Brigadier General Leitz took out a flat flask, unscrewed the cap, and took a drink. The expensive watch inadvertently revealed was one of the gifts Kaiser had brought this time. Greed knows no bounds.
"Th-th-this..."
Kaiser was "terrified" and couldn't even price them. Seeing this, the young officer supporting him narrowed his eyes. Catching that gaze, Kaiser's breath caught.
Truly, Kaiser's acting was top-notch.
"Still... by the kilogram?"
"Are you joking? Although these are 'scrap metal,' they are relatively new 'scrap metal.'"
The young officer took over the negotiation. Clearly, if problems arose later, he would be the scapegoat.
The warehouse contained nearly 100,000 various cold weapons. For the Hammer Troops' establishment, this stock wasn't excessive.
"Big merchants like you usually trade with Living Ore, right?"
The young officer spoke, and Kaiser nodded repeatedly, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
"Regardless of type, 1.3 kilograms of Living Ore per weapon," the young officer said, patting the weapon rack beside him, then added, "Buy 10, get 1 free."
Hearing this, Kaiser's expression was especially "torn." He looked to Su Xiao for "help."
Su Xiao nodded imperceptibly, meaning: 'Buy it. We won't leave today otherwise.'
Though Su Xiao wished he could buy another 100,000 weapons, he couldn't show it.
The Vassal Alliance's situation could be summed up in one phrase: arrogance breeds blindness. The previous victory over the humans led Vassal officials to believe the Alliance was in its early prosperity. At least their generation wouldn't clash with humans again. As for the next generation of officials, who cared?
Why was Brigadier General Leitz so indignant when mentioning Vassal officials earlier? Was he the righteous one? No. It was because the Vassal officials were feasting, and Brigadier General Leitz hadn't even gotten a sip of soup. When he opened his mouth for a taste, a Vassal official spat phlegm into it. Under these circumstances, how could Brigadier General Leitz not hate them?
The transaction's follow-up was handled by Li Xiniwei. Su Xiao and Kaiser paid with a Living Ore collateral check from the Ring City Bank. To hold such a check, one must store an equivalent amount of Living Ore in the Ring City Bank.
This was Kaiser's preparation. Details determine success or failure. Several gray-market merchants directly bringing a large batch of Living Ore to trade with an Alliance officer? Only an idiot would do that.
Using the Vassal Alliance's currency was also inappropriate. Collateral checks, as hard currency, were the best choice. They fit the gray merchant's style and made it easier for Brigadier General Leitz to handle the aftermath.
After delivering the collateral check, Su Xiao and Kaiser didn't stay for the loading. They left quickly. This was normal. Given their disguised identities, leaving promptly was the appropriate move.
The rest was left to Li Xiniwei. He had the identity of a Trial Court Inspector Judge, so Brigadier General Leitz wouldn't renege.
That morning, Su Xiao took a vehicle to Freedom City, then used the teleportation array in Warehouse No. 1 of Freedom City to return to Warehouse No. 2 near the base camp.
Borderlands District. Su Xiao walked out of Warehouse No. 2. A gentle breeze brushed his face. The sky was cloudless. He was in a good mood. With 100,000 standard cold weapons, the first batch of Wild Boar Warriors could finally be armed.
Currently, there were 4,057 Wild Boar Warriors. Not many, but Su Xiao still had 2,830 units of Living Ore.
From a distance, Su Xiao saw that the Doom Fortress was much taller than before. Originally, it hadn't reached the height of the mountain wall behind it. Now, it was nearly level with the mountain range. Calculating the time, the Doom Fortress should have advanced to T0 level, becoming the fourth Indestructible Fortress.
Compared to Freedom City, even when expanded, the Doom Fortress was much smaller. Their sizes weren't on the same scale. This was likely due to the Evolution Nest's influence.
Su Xiao entered the first floor of the fortress, and a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[Doom Fortress has advanced to T0 level.]
[Doom Fortress's external armor defense increased by 129 points, building health increased by 170%, external defense rank +2.]
[Living Ore conversion rate increased from 100 units per natural day to 1,000 units per natural day.]
[Due to the Doom Fortress's advancement, the Evolution Nest has gained the following improvements.]
[Evolution Nest can now accommodate up to 5,000 soldier-type units at once (size must not exceed a certain limit).]
[Evolution Nest can now complete a batch of soldier-type units/summons/this world's Aberrant Beasts' evolution every 2 hours (previously 3.5 hours per batch, reduced to 2 hours per batch).]
[Due to the fortress rank increase, you may choose two of the following fortress rewards.]