It seems no matter where go, can't escape the fate of being carded!

Currently, Zhou You was in a room at the guesthouse. From his window, he could see the parking lot where their two trucks were heavily guarded by a military unit, supposedly to prevent theft.

But to Zhou You, who would dare to steal them? How many could even lift them with mere human strength? Without the right tools, one couldn't even pull out a hair, let alone dismantle them.

Shao Qi sent a list to Zhou You's chatbox, telling him, "Take your time to check. I'll take a shower first."

Zhou You's phone pinged with a notification. Opening it, he saw the document sent by Shao Qi. His contact list only had Shao Qi as a friend, making it seem quite lonely.

The list wasn't long, split into four groups labeled ABCD, with three items in each group. Just by the names, he had no idea what they were, prompting him to search online.

This online search was like opening doors to a new world. He saw countless diverse weapons. Ancient humans had limited metallurgical techniques, with only a handful of weapon types. Modern technology offers not only firearms but a vast variety of cold weapons.

Some uniquely shaped weapons weren't designed for combat but served as auxiliary tools, like Shao Qi's "Sky Silk Net."

Out of curiosity, he looked up the price of the Sky Silk Net. It wasn't available for purchase online, but there was a demand for it in the second-hand market with a bidding price of 100,000 points.

He rushed to retrieve the Sky Silk Net from his backpack, placing it prominently to avoid misplacing such a valuable item. Shao Qi had generously given it to him without a second thought—such a big spender!

When Shao Qi came out after his shower and saw Zhou You not engrossed in his phone but fiddling with something on the bed, he asked curiously, "Made your choice?"

"Nope. I have no clue what's what."

"So, what are you doing?"

Zhou You neatly repackaged the gun containing the Sky Silk Net, making it look inconspicuous. Satisfied, he replied, "You gifted me such a valuable item. I ought to take good care of it."

"It's no big deal. I provided the materials. Only had to pay a bit for the crafting."

Chapter 064: Transactions

After his shower, Shao Qi only wore shorts. Having grown accustomed to the rugged life in the military, where men showered together without a second thought, he felt no discomfort.

Sitting next to Zhou You, he inquired while drying his hair, "What kind of weapon are you considering? I can offer some suggestions."

Currently equipped with lightweight daggers and throwing knives, Zhou You desired a heavier, long-range weapon. Recalling Zhou You's impeccable shooting skills, Shao Qi suggested, "How about a crossbow? There's a modified version that can shoot a hundred arrows consecutively, each made of meteorite iron. It comes with a scope and is quite compact, making it a popular choice for ranged combat."

Zhou You pondered, "Can a crossbow really compete with a gun? Even a basic machine gun can fire thousands of bullets. Why would anyone buy a crossbow, especially at such a high price?"

"That's because this meteoric iron is extracted from the only extraterrestrial meteorite known to the world. Its hardness is unparalleled, allowing it to be reused, unlike firearms and ammunition which are consumables."

"Sounds impressive. Are there other weapons made from this meteoric iron? Perhaps swords or knives?"

Shao Qi tossed his towel onto a nearby sofa and accessed a website. The first image on the homepage was of a long blade. With a handle about a meter long, the blade itself was slender and distinctly different from traditional swords.

"Yong'an... The name does resonate with the nation's spirit, though it's a tad old-fashioned."

The person who named it shot him a discreet glare before saying, "The meteorite wasn't large. It was discovered in a desert and kept as an ornamental stone for decades. It was only recognized after the apocalypse. After crafting the Yong'an, the leftover bits were too precious to waste, hence they were made into crossbow bolts. There are only three of such crossbows in the world."

"Why always three? Is it that all the masters have an affinity for the number 'three'? Wasn't the 'Dragon Slayer' sword, worth a hundred thousand points, also limited to three?"

"How did you know?" Shao Qi reclined on the bed and laughed, "You've heard of Master Fan, right? Yong'an is his masterpiece. He's quite fond of the number 'three'. Many call him 'Fan San' (Fan Three)."

"So how does Yong'an compare to the Dragon Slayer? Which is better?"

Shao Qi handed him the phone, suggesting he check for himself, "The Dragon Slayer is just a gimmick. How could it possibly compare to Yong'an?"

Zhou You clicked on the image, revealing a full page of information. One segment estimated the Yong'an sword to be worth tens of millions, stating it was priceless. It also mentioned that the owner was Marshal Shao, who had once pacified the world with this blade.

"Marshal Shao's sword?" Zhou You looked at Shao Qi in surprise and tentatively asked, "Would there be a chance for me to see this sword in the future?"

Shao Qi turned to him with a teasing smirk, "If you ever meet Marshal Shao, then certainly."

"Aren't you a senior engineer in the Central Corps? With your status, you must have met Marshal Shao, right?"

Shao Qi wrapped himself in a blanket and yawned, "Why would I want to meet him? We're not close."

Zhou You returned to the webpage, which turned out to be a weapons leaderboard. The crossbow Shao Qi introduced was ranked ninth, with its material being the reason for its placement.

He scrolled through the top ten, noticing the list mainly featured swords, spears, and knives. Most of these weapons were owned by influential figures of the major martial schools.

These individuals were highly revered martial artists. For instance, Han Xi of the Emei school wielded a spear called the 'Red Tassel', ranked fourth. Zhang Huaisen of the Wudang school possessed a sword named 'Feihong', coming in second. Surprisingly, third place was a dagger named 'Yu You'. Its design was sleek, and he realized his dagger was inspired by it, but just by the images, the difference in quality was apparent.