Munitions Empire

Luff was seeing this side of Tang Mo for the first time, because when Tang Mo taught him tactics and trained them, that serious expression was just like that of a devil.

So, he stood there dumbfounded, watching Tang Mo’s exaggerated actions as if he were venting something.

Wes was also seeing Tang Mo in such a state for the first time, because the last time Tang Mo had gone to Baron Stela to pitch the K1 Quick Gun, he had been noticeably more restrained and composed.

Therefore, if possible, Wes really wanted to cover his own eyes and pretend he didn’t know this silly Tang Mo.

Even John, who had just felt that Tang Mo had a complex and deep-hidden temperament, was now frowning, thinking that he might have misjudged the person.

But Tang Mo was completely oblivious, stretching out his hand to take a revolver from the box, weighing it in his hand, and handing it to John in front of him.

Then, he began demonstrating how to load this type of handgun, loading bullets with one hand and pressing them one by one into the chamber with the lever under the barrel with the other hand.

His movements were smooth, and it didn’t take long for John to watch his series of actions, then watch him skillfully put a percussion cap on the column at the rear of the chamber for each bullet.

"Six bullets! You get to fire six times in a row! If both guns are loaded, I alone could sweep all the people on the deck!" shouted Tang Mo, raising the gun and aiming it at the sky, introducing it seriously.

"Of course, it has its drawbacks, requiring a long preparation before firing! But! To be able to provide you with continuous firepower to shoot six times at a critical moment, it’s not too much to say it’s a groundbreaking weapon for individual combat!" Tang Mo pointed the handgun towards the sea and asked, "Want to give it a try?"

"I can deduce some clues from your complex loading process, but... can it really fire six times in a row?" asked John, a bit incredulous, or perhaps he found the idea truly astounding.

If Tang Mo had really invented such a weapon, it would overturn all the weapons in the world! Every country’s arsenal would have to be replaced, and a vast market that would astonish people was about to emerge.

And the man in front of him, known as Tang Mo, was holding the pass to this market, the key to the door to this market!

"Bang!" Tang Mo pulled the trigger, firing a shot, and smoke billowed from the barrel, rolling like an ethereal ink painting.

"Bang!" Under everyone’s gaze, Tang Mo immediately pulled the trigger a second time without any preparation. The pistol’s hammer was driven, eventually striking the percussion cap, igniting the gunpowder in the chamber.

The smoke tumbled out again as another bullet flew from the barrel, and this second shot left almost all the elves present dumbstruck.

"Bang!" Tang Mo didn’t pause and fired another bullet smoothly and naturally. It was as if he had released a spell that had frozen all the elves standing on deck.

"Three shots!" Tang Mo pulled his arm back, turned the barrel around, and offered the handgun sideways to John, as though he were recommending an old friend to try some newly grilled kebabs, "Three more to go, do you want to have a go?"

"This is magic! It must be... it must be magic..." remarked the captain standing behind John, swallowing saliva, repeatedly reminding himself not to believe what was happening before his eyes.

And John, seeing the revolver Tang Mo handed to him, subconsciously took it, yet for a moment did not know what he should do.

He looked at Wes, who stood somewhat awkwardly behind Tang Mo, and then at the similar handgun hanging from Wes’s waist.

Then he looked at Luff, at the handgun hanging from Luff’s waist, and at the handguns hanging from the waists of the young soldiers beside Luff...

It turned out the three men Tang Mo brought up were armed with such dangerous weapons that they could, with just a command from Tang Mo, draw their guns and wipe out the more than twenty elf sailors standing on the armed merchant ship to take over the deck.

Indeed, such a dangerous troop was standing right in front of him, and if he, John, had such weapons, he could also surprise his adversaries.

Thinking this, he transitioned from fear and caution to excitement in an instant—at that moment, he even somewhat understood Tang Mo’s earlier exaggerated self-indulgence, because if he had gotten his hands on such weapons, he too would be very excited and want to share his joy with others.

For instance, going to meet an adversary with this kind of handgun and excitedly sharing one’s new weapon, three people against ten, counter-killing the opponents, pointing the gun at their heads and watching their eyes fill with fear and despair.

Or maybe, using twice or even thrice exaggerated language to present the "treasure" to His Majesty the King, with a fool’s body language—undoubtedly, one’s status would similarly skyrocket, wouldn’t it?

In short, the adrenaline even began surging in John, who adjusted his grip on the handgun and made an aiming posture.

Then, just like Tang Mo, he aimed at the sea and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" He pulled the trigger repeatedly, the weapon in his hand responding to his actions, one shot after another.

"Click! Click!" The bullets had been expended, yet the cylinder continued to rotate under the action of the mechanism, and the hammer kept striking the firing pin. The simple and reliable mechanism worked seamlessly, much like a clock.

However, without bullets, the sound of the gunpowder exploding no longer echoed. Only the mechanical clicking noise remained, blending unobtrusively with the sound of the sea.

After carefully placing the pistol into the grooved wooden box, John looked up and said to Tang Mo, "I know this thing isn’t cheap, but I’m not short on Gold Coins... Ready to make a fortune, Mr. Tang Mo?"

"The only thing I’m always ready for," Tang Mo replied humorously as he once again picked up the bottle of beer and, overstepping bounds, poured it into the cup in front of John. He then set down the bottle and raised his own cup.

John didn’t mind at all and naturally picked up the glass in front of him, clinking it against Tang Mo’s, "You are the most valuable visitor I have met since I led the fleet here."

"I hope our business can grow bigger and our friendship can grow deeper!" Tang Mo toasted and then drained the beer from his cup in one gulp.

The smile on John’s face deepened, as he raised his glass, "Indeed! You are my friend now, Mr. Tang Mo! My best friend in the Leite Kingdom!"

He too downed the beer in his glass in one gulp, set down the cup, and said, "Next time I come, I will bring the best Moonlight Wine from the Elf Race! I’ll treat you to some real fine wine!"

Then, this Elf noble, who also held a significant status in his own country, placed his hand on the box that Tang Mo had brought, which contained the Revolvers, and continued, "Do you have enough carriages... to carry Gold Coins, my friend?"

"Carriages?" Tang Mo glanced at the massive armed merchant ship docked at the harbor, equipped with muzzle-loading cannons, waved his hands dismissively, and said with a laugh, "My friend, are you selling your ship?"

"Hahaha!" John burst into hearty laughter, "That’s a good deal! I can sell you my ship! As long as the price is right!"

"That’s excellent!" Tang Mo rubbed his hands together as if anticipating a feast, "How many ships do you have?"

"Fifteen," John replied with a smile.

"I want to buy ten," Tang Mo threw out a number.

"That’s not going to be cheap, my friend," John didn’t refuse but remarked, "I suspect you’ll need to give me some extra Gold Coins for that."

"I can trade with other things." Tang Mo spread his hands and offered, "In exchange for your ships and all the Gold Coins on them."

"Are you joking? Do you know how many Gold Coins I have here?" John was taken aback and then kindly reminded Tang Mo, "The value of this sea transport is almost enough to buy you an Earlship in Brunas!"

"What if I sell you the production technology for the K1 Quick Gun and this Revolver?" Tang Mo pointed at the wooden box and smiled, "You won’t just be taking a few guns, but a complete... production technology!"

"..." John looked at Tang Mo as if he were seeing a monster, staring at him for a long time. The smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a serious contemplation.

"Why?" In the end, not refusing or agreeing, John inexplicably asked what seemed like an absurd question.

"Making money together is what friends do, right?" Tang Mo of course did not plan on being brutally honest.

"You know that reason won’t convince me," John pressed on with his questioning.

Tang Mo pondered for two seconds and phrased it differently, "I’m facing the Shireck Consortium alone, and as you know, that’s a lot of pressure... So, I want more money, more materials, and the support of various friends."

"..." John fell silent as well. Of course, he knew about the enormous pressure Tang Mo faced for daring to challenge Shireck.

"So, if someone in another Kingdom also stands up and challenges Shireck... it could alleviate a lot of my pressure," Tang Mo pointed at himself, "Of course, I’m sharing the profits, tempting profits... It’s an exchange of interests. Making money, of course, involves taking some risks, doesn’t it?"

"Let me introduce myself again... I am Augustine John, son of Earl Augustin Tural, the second in line to the Augustin Family of the Poplar Kingdom!" Once again, John reintroduced himself.

"Tang Mo!" Tang Mo felt there was nothing impressive about stating his own title, so he simply repeated his name.

John stretched out his hand in a welcoming gesture, "Now, we can discuss the details of our cooperation!"

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