by <unknown>
Of course, that was not a problem for Han Xiao now, since he literally had no competitors. He intended to develop a large clientele, starting with Division 13.
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Proceed with talent fusion:
[Basic Weaponry + Basic Assembly]
Y/N
(This combination will use 10,000 experience)
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Confirm.
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Congratulations! You have discovered [Foldable Machete]!
Proceed with talent fusion:
[Basic Weaponry + Basic Material Composition]
Y/N
(This combination will use 10,000 experience)
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Confirm.
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Congratulations! You have discovered [High-Explosive Gunpowder]!
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Han Xiao’s eyes lit up. [High-Explosive Gunpowder] was one of the better discoveries possible. Not only were its applications manifold, it was not hard to craft at all with the required knowledge. It had been one of the most traded goods back in the game.
The [Foldable Machete], on the other hand, was a disappointing discovery. As its name suggested, it was simply a machete with a foldable blade. It was clearly a weapon for beginners, and Han Xiao could have easily come up with something like this even without the blueprint!
If only I had discovered some long-range weapon instead of this… At least I got something decent.
Nevertheless, as it was something new to Aquamarine, it was not completely worthless. Just because all Mechanics learnt the same knowledge did not mean that they would create the same things. Before Han Xiao had transmigrated, tons of discoveries and inventions were still being made on a regular basis. Granted, not all of them were practical, but they at least gave rise to possibilities.
Han Xiao would have to make do and work with these two blueprints. During his time in the Germinal Organization, he had managed to accumulate 60,000 experience. He would definitely be able to earn much more here in Stardragon after joining Division 13.
Suddenly, the interface lit up.
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Class-A Mission: [Fall of the Germinal]
Progress Rate: 1.6%
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Looks like Division 13 has made their move!
Han Xiao was surprised by the number. Logically speaking—with how massive and powerful the Germinal Organization was—even destroying one of their bases shouldn’t have that much of an impact on them as a whole.
In the game, the war between the Germinal Organization and the Six Nations had mostly been a back and forth, with neither side being able to hold a clear advantage. There was, however, a point of time in which the Six Nations were able to corner the Germinal Organization, and victory seemed all but assured. Yet, they were unable to end the war as the Germinal Organization had a trump card up its sleeve: Protocol Doomsday.
Hence, completing the mission would be impossible… unless Han Xiao could somehow shut the protocol down.
The doomsday protocol was a last resort, and although it saved the organization from destruction, many Germinal members were disillusioned and swayed as a result. Most of the people who join the Germinal Organization are people who hold a grudge against the Six Nations, and believe in the promise of a new government. However, none of them would truly want to see the world burn. If I could expose the truth…
Han Xiao shook his head. It was way too early for him to be thinking of such things.
…
A few moments later, Feng Jun finally returned. He brought Han Xiao back to the interrogation room where the intelligence minister came to talk with him again.
“The locations of the bases have been confirmed. We believe in your sincerity now. The higher-ups have decided to make you a member of Division 13!”
I did it! Inwardly, Han Xiao sighed in relief.
Looks like getting on good terms with the tall oldie has paid off, he thought to himself. He knew that the tall old man definitely had a hand in this.
“…And the department has decided that you will join covert-ops. You will be assigned to a squad.”
What‽ Han Xiao’s expression spoke of his grievances.
The dawn of the new era had seen the loss of countless lives, resulting in a lack of manpower and talent. While this resulted in the Six Nations having to loosen their recruitment criteria across the board, the covert-ops department could never be compromised!
This definitely has to be the tall old man’s doing! thought Han Xiao. Does he like me that much?
Of course, being able to join covert-ops was a good thing. Not only would Han Xiao be able to get to know stronger, more influential people, he would also be able to directly partake in key events that would occur in Stardragon!
The interface lit up.
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You have unlocked reputation with a new faction!
Your reputation with Stardragon Strategic Defense Division has increased by 300!
Stardragon Strategic Defense Division (Division 13): Neutral (300/1000) – Level 1 Clearance
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There were 8 levels of reputation: Hated, Hostile, Opposed, Unfriendly, Neutral, Friendly, Honored, and Revered.
300 Reputation was ‘Netural’. Most factions required a ‘Friendly’ reputation to access contribution benefits.
Feng Jun passed a black mobile phone to Han Xiao as he coughed, saying, “From today onwards, I will be your liaison. Never turn this off.”
“Oh, okay. It’s not actually important, right?” remarked Han Xiao aloofly.
“Why are you always so unpleasant to talk to‽”
It was a plain looking phone with a plain looking interface, and was only capable of making calls and sending messages. Han Xiao played with the phone in his hands as he asked, “It’s secure, right?”
“Rest assured. It’s encrypted.
“One more thing,” interjected the intelligence minister. “I hope that you can give us your machinery blueprints, including the ones for the Lightweight Mechanical Arm and that rover you used.”
Although giving them the blueprints would earn him contribution points, it would also result in him losing monopoly over them. Division 13 would definitely mass produce them.
Han Xiao shook his head in refusal, and the minister simply shrugged.
At the end of the day, what they truly valued was the intel that Han Xiao possessed. If he was unwilling to give them the blueprints, then so be it.
“Oh right. What if an agent makes a private order with me?” he asked.
“We have no rules against that,” answered the minister, to Han Xiao’s delight.
Feng Jun proceeded to pull a black bag over Han Xiao’s head once more.
Chapter 37. Dirty Mind |
The car stopped, and Han Xiao was pushed out with the black bag still over his head. When the car began to speed off, Han Xiao removed the black bag to find himself a few streets away from the workshop.
When he looked up, he could see several glistening moons in the night sky.
“Tsk. Why all the secrecy?” he muttered to himself.
Nevertheless, Han Xiao was feeling quite pleased for having accomplished his goal. He hummed merrily as he made his way back to the workshop. It was only when he reached the entrance that it dawned on him that going missing for 3 days would be hard to explain.
Han Xiao stepped inside the workshop to see an anxious Lu Qian pacing back and forth.
For some reason, she became enraged at the sight of him.
“Why did you only come back now‽ Do you know how worried I’ve been?
You’re a foreigner! I thought something might have happened to you!”
Han Xiao put on his ‘huh, did something happen?’ expression and stared at her blankly.
“What exactly were you doing?”
“Taking a stroll.”
“Can you at least try to come up with a better excuse‽”
“I thought… it’s quite a good excuse?”
“A gunfight at the junkyard was reported on the news yesterday. I thought you got caught in it or something and…” Lu Qian began nagging.
Being nagged at did not irritate Han Xiao at all; on the contrary, it gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling.
However, Old Man Lu appeared to ruin the moment.
“You came back alive? How disappointing.”
“I’ll get you a mobile phone over the next few days. The cost will be deducted from your salary,” said Lu Qian.
“There’s no need. I already have one,” replied Han Xiao as he whipped the black mobile phone out.
Although they had told him not to share the number with anyone else, screw Division 13!
When he saw the black phone, Old Man Lu gave a start. He pulled Han Xiao away to a corner.
“This is a Division 13 phone. You joined Division 13?”
“So you know what this is.”
“Hmph. Since you’ve joined Division 13… get the hell out of my workshop!”
“You can leave if you want to; I’m not leaving.”
“How dare you talk to me like that‽ Why would you even want to-”
Old Man Lu suddenly paused.
“Are you… trying to woo my granddaughter?” He glowered.
“No!” Han Xiao hastily answered.
Suddenly, however, Old Man Lu’s expression grew strange.
“Hey Little Han, now that I think about it… my granddaughter is not that young anymore. What do you think about her?”
Han Xiao immediately stiffened up.
“Old Lu, as the saying goes, a stolen melon is not sweet!”
“But at least you would have a melon! Besides, we need a boy to carry on the family name.”
We‽ Don’t drag me into your family tree!
“…”
“Heh heh. Strike while the iron is hot! There is only so much I can help you with,” he added while patting Han Xiao on the shoulder before heading upstairs, leaving Han Xiao utterly bewildered.
Old people who want descendants are scary!
Han Xiao turned around, and to his horror, Lu Qian had been standing behind him the entire time. She stared at Han Xiao with big, bright eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“This is a misunderstanding!”
“J-jerk!” Lu Qian covered her blushing face and ran upstairs.
“It’s not like that…”
…
For Luo Xuan, the next few days were restless ones. He was afraid that Han Xiao would join the logistics department and steal the limelight from him.
When it finally got to his head, he went to find a director to ask about Han Xiao.
“His information is classified,” the big-bellied logistics director, who always wore a smile on his face, said when he asked. “All I can tell you is that he’s joined Division 13.”
Luo Xuan’s heart sank when he heard the news.
“Will he join logistics, or research?”
The director shook his head.
“Neither. He’s joined covert-ops. He’ll start in a few days.”
The news stunned Luo Xuan.
How could some unknown guy who popped out of nowhere be directly recruited into secret ops? I’ve worked my ass for so many years, yet I’m still in research?
This is unfair!
…
One week after the junkyard incident, the underworld bosses of the six other districts gathered together to discuss an important issue, the disappearance of Raccoon.
Through piecing together bits of the puzzle, they were able to uncover that Division 13 had a hand in it, and this shocked all of them.
What exactly did Raccoon do to incur the wrath of the mighty lion?
“Raccoon must have offended Division 13 somehow. He is probably dead already,” declared the boss of District 2, who had initiated the meeting.
All of the bosses present had grave expressions. Although they usually acted high and mighty in front of their subordinates, they all knew that Division 13 could easily wipe any one of them out. They were really just small-time hoodlums.
After all, the Western Capital was the seat of the government, and they were just sewer rats hiding around. In fact, they could not even be compared to the intelligence and firearms brokers in the slums! At least those people had powerful backers.
“Who wants to take over District 7?” asked the District 2 boss.
Everyone remained silent.
“No one?”
Although the bosses usually fought amongst one another for territory, none of them dared to take over District 7 without understanding why Division 13 had taken action.
“Fine, then we will leave it open to new blood.”
Now that Raccoon was removed from the picture, there would definitely be ambitious people in his gang rising up to seize power. Of course, it was not that they were willing to let a new rival emerge. Instead, as the situation in District 7 was still unclear, they were just waiting to see what would happen. It would not be too late to get rid of the new boss as soon as everything stabilized.
…
Han Xiao’s life in the workshop returned to normal. After a few days, he asked for an advance of his first month’s pay to order some materials from Division 13.
At present, he was examining a dark red bullet lying on his palm. It was carved with flame patterns.
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[High-explosive Bullet]: Causes an explosion in a 3 meter radius upon hitting the target.
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Although it was a very simple description, it was actually extremely powerful.
High-explosive bullets incorporated extremely flammable incendiary gels and gases that could ignite far easier than traditional armor-piercing ammunition. They would explode immediately upon coming into contact with air, and the bullet itself would also be consumed in the explosion, leaving nothing behind.
The method to craft the incendiary agents was described in detail in the blueprint, and although Han Xiao was not able to understand it well, as he had not learnt [Basic Chemistry] yet, he was still able to craft it by following the instructions.
From handgun bullets to sniper bullets, over the next few days, Han Xiao crafted dozens of high-explosive bullets.
He also used some good quality metal to craft a 2.5kg, 0.65m Foldable Knife with 13-19 Damage. It was an entirely black knife with a triangular-tipped edge, and while it was not really ideal for combat, it did have some practical uses.
Han Xiao used the experience he gained from crafting the high-explosives and the foldable knife to raise [Machinery Affinity (Novice)] to Lv. 4.
[Machinery Affinity (Novice)] had a level cap of 5, which would take Han Xiao 15,000 experience. His [Basic Shooting] was now Lv. 8, and that would take another 45,000 experience to level up. In all, Han Xiao just needed 60,000 more experience to gain 2 more talent points.
Each of the Six Nations possessed different types of advanced knowledge that they used to entice powerful people to work for them. On Planet Aquamarine, there was only advanced knowledge for three of the five main classes: Pugilist, Mechanic, and Esper.
While no beginner planet possessed advanced knowledge of all 5 main classes, newcomers were always sent to planets based on their inputted preferences.
While Division 13 possessed advanced Mechanic knowledge, it was only accessible to ‘revered’ allies.
There was still a long way to go before Han Xiao became revered with Division 13.
Ever since the night that Han Xiao returned to the worksho
p, Lu Qian had not once looked at him directly in the eye, and would blush and run away from him after just a few sentences, making Han Xiao feel extremely irked. It did not help that Old Man Lu would pop up from time to time to give him knowing looks.
As for Lu Qian herself, she actually had mixed feelings about Han Xiao.
Of course, she did not hate Han Xiao. However, it was not like she liked him either.
Instead, she was more worried that Han Xiao would pack up and leave if she rejected him. After all, where else would she able to find such a good (cheap) employee?
Suddenly, Han Xiao’s mobile phone lit up.
The message read: ‘The paperwork has been completed. Report today. – Feng Jun.’
“Finally.”
Chapter 38. Covert-Ops Squad |
Stardragon Tower was a top-secret government facility where the headquarters of Division 13 was located at. The inside of the tower was like a maze. Han Xiao followed Feng Jun through passageways and tunnels for half an hour before finally reaching the HQ. This time, he wasn’t blindfolded.
“This place is so damn hard to access,” complained Han Xiao.
“That’s why it’s safe,” replied Feng Jun as he swiped his security pass over the sensor to unlock the giant automatic gate.
Han Xiao stepped through the gate into an extremely spacious hall bustling with people. To his surprise, despite being underground, Division 13 HQ was both well-lit and well-ventilated.
Feng Jun handed Han Xiao his security pass and a mouth mask.
“It’s better not to reveal your face to too many people. Wear this.”
Han Xiao was about to put it on when he noticed that there was a picture of a naked bodybuilder printed on it. He frowned and turned to see Feng Jun stifling his laughter.
“Why are you looking at me? Put it on quickly!”
“Hmph.”
Han Xiao suddenly yanked Feng Jun’s arm to rip out a piece of fabric from his sleeve.
“This thing suits you better,” he casually said as he tied it over his face and threw the custom mask back at him.
Feng Jun almost broke out into tears.
“This is my newly issued uniform…”
Suddenly, Han Xiao felt someone watching him. He looked around to find an unfamiliar young man wearing a white coat glaring at him hatefully.
