There's no doubt that Petrol Town is the core of Automobile City, but today, Petrol Town has undergone a few small changes.
The previously empty gate is now manned by several Security Corps inspectors.
What they're inspecting are the prey of the Mechanical Hunters.
The factory's military supply warehouse has reopened, and some precious military materials are now for sale; but in exchange, every Mechanical Hunter must bring back an E-level Radiation Beast carcass every day.
If there's no harvest, well, sorry, Petrol Town will not let you in.
In this Radiation Zone, the only outcome without supplies is death.
"Look again, look carefully! This is the tail needle of a Self-destructive Scorpion, a standard E-level beast carcass."
"What about its other parts?" the inspector coldly asked, his arms both replaced by mechanical hands, repeatedly checking the prey.
"The blood of the Self-destructive Scorpion is all flammable chemical liquid. Being able to save one tail needle before it exploded is already not bad." A Mechanical Hunter with a metal skull said, widening his eyes.
The inspector pondered.
"Let me see." A figure approached.
"Okay, Leader."
The inspector stepped aside, giving way to a young man in military attire with a high degree of mechanical modification, all the way up to his neck, which had been turned into a mechanical body.
Zhao Mechanism cast a glance and sneered, "The tail needle of the Self-destructive Scorpion is equivalent to a detonator. You tell me, if the Self-destructive Scorpion you killed exploded, then why does this needle have no signs of explosion?"
The metal-skulled hunter was about to argue, but before he could, the two heavy-duty robots guarding the gate lifted him from both sides and tossed him out.
The metal skull was furious, cursing, "You all begged me to hunt Radiation Beasts. Without us, you think you can live peacefully?"
Bam!
Zhao Mechanism didn't waste a second, directly drawing his pistol and shooting him in the head.
The metal skull's head jerked back, and he fell to the ground lifeless.
The surrounding Mechanical Hunters looked visibly shaken, subconsciously reaching for their weapons.
Zhao Mechanism spoke calmly, "It's only right for Mechanical Hunters to sweep the beast packs. In the military supply warehouse, the carcass of a killed beast can even be directly exchanged for resources."
"With such generous treatment, if you all don't strive desperately, then you don't deserve to live in this Oasis."
Zhao Mechanism swept his cold gaze around, and no one dared to meet his eyes.
"Remember, Mechanical Hunters are a bunch of shameless scum. In the future, any prey that fails inspection will not be allowed through!"
"Yes, Leader!"
Not long after Zhao Mechanism left, a dilapidated off-road vehicle arrived at the gates of Petrol Town. Seeing the obedient queue of peers, it paused for a moment, clicking its tongue:
"Such obedience, what a rarity."
Soon, the inspector reached Gao Gong.
"The prey is in the back, go check it out yourself."
An inspector was about to check when another colleague stopped him, saying, "No need for this one, let him pass."
Gao Gong grinned, raised his index and middle fingers, and pressed on the gas, driving away.
"Why, didn't Leader Zhao just say—"
"This person is different. He's a seasoned hunter."
"So what?" the person said somewhat defiantly.
The other shook his head, "Apart from anything else, just this week, he hunted 30 E-level beasts. Do you think he'd have no harvest today?"
"30, just him!? So many!"
The inspector was quite shocked, knowing that even an armed team from the Security Corps might not capture as many prey in a week.
"He's a Lone Wolf, with no partner, always acting alone. Masters like him are who we want to recruit."
After a pause, he added, "Soon, small beast packs will start moving here, and he's very valuable."
The inspector nodded thoughtfully.
Gao Gong drove his now somewhat old off-road car through Petrol Town.
Petrol Town had visibly become desolate.
After all, most of the consumers are still wandering outside.
Driving all the way to the Rose Petrol Bar, he found the door tightly closed. He honked at Little Finger, who was sulking and smoking on the steps.
Little Finger glanced at him, got on the passenger seat without any ceremony.
"During the war, the bar isn't allowed to operate," Little Finger sighed, flicking his cigarette butt out the window.
"Makes sense."
"But the military supply warehouse provides liquor service instead."
"Looks like they have some connections," Gao Gong pulled out a cigarette box, offering one to him.
"They can't keep it closed for long!" Little Finger scoffed, "Our local operations can't be crushed by a few upstarts."
"And what about you? With the war starting, isn't it the perfect opportunity for a Prosthetic Doctor like you to make a fortune?"
"Ah, don't even mention it," Little Finger said gloomily, pulling out a medal engraved with a powered metal skull.
"A Security Corps medal, so you've been recruited? Congratulations," Gao Gong chuckled, "Looks like you'll be on the front lines soon."
"No profits, and now I have to risk my life!" Little Finger lamented angrily, "If I'd known it'd end like this, I shouldn't have left the Other Shore of Freedom!"
"Other Shore of Freedom, aren't you from Nightless City?"
Little Finger realized he had slipped up, his face froze, and he quickly changed the subject, "What are you doing at the bar?"
Gao Gong smiled and didn't press further, "This car isn't in great shape. I'm looking for Sister Rose to see if there's a way to get a military-grade armored vehicle."
"Sister Rose isn't here, and those military-grade vehicles are super expensive. Don't even think about it without a six-figure sum in Mechanical Coins. Do you have that kind of money?"
"I don't need a brand new one, a second-hand one will do."
"I'm talking about the price of a second-hand one."
"Tsk."
Seeing Gao Gong looking at him in a strange way, Little Finger's face changed, "Don't look at me, I don't have a car, and I definitely won't lend you money."
"I'm not borrowing money from you. I wanted to discuss a business deal with you."
In the end, Gao Gong's mention of a 'new surgical procedure' intrigued Little Finger.
Though he didn't think the other could come up with a second surgical plan in such a short time, out of curiosity and having nothing better to do, Little Finger led him to his black market shop.
"Doctor Finger."
"Get lost!"
Little Finger pushed aside the soldier at the door with a dark face and walked in with frustration.
The two Security Corps soldiers looked at each other and shrugged.
After all, a Prosthetic Doctor is high-tech talent, unlike a Mechanical Hunter, who is treated poorly.
"Excuse me, make way."
Gao Gong followed closely behind, a bag in his hand emanated an indescribable stench.
As the soldiers were about to speak, Gao Gong pushed the door open and locked it behind him.
"What shall we do?"
"Just turn a blind eye."
Gao Gong glanced around. Besides the surgical table he returned, there were at least a dozen kinds of high-tech surgical equipment, and he nodded with satisfaction.
"I need a protein extractor and a plasmolysis separator."
The former is responsible for extracting the special protein from worm glands, and the latter for separating metallic antibodies from the protein.
The operation isn't complicated—if you know the formula.
"What are you standing there for? Come and lend a hand."
"You want me to assist you?" Little Finger pointed at himself, incredulously.
"Yes, and bring me a stool while you're at it."
"If you can't get anything out, I'll have someone get rid of you later!" Little Finger gritted his teeth.
Half an hour later—
"Impossible, impossible! How did you do it? You actually intercepted it!"
Little Finger observed the changes in the cells under a microscope. When radio waves swept over the cells, antibodies were clearly produced.
But for Gao Gong, it was much simpler.
The system panel explained everything.
[A biological serum with effects similar to an electromagnetic shielding coating]
"Do you know what this means?" Little Finger suddenly turned his head, staring at him.
"It means Mechanical Hunters no longer have to worry about being grabbed in close combat."
"It means Classical Stream mechanical hunting will make a comeback."
"It means, to some extent, we will change the course of desert warfare."
"And it means I'm going to get rich."
Gao Gong shrugged, "At least I can afford a car now."
Little Finger's face was flushed, pacing back and forth, his mouth moving nonstop, though his words were inaudible.
Unable to hold back, Gao Gong interrupted him, "I advise you not to overthink."
"What do you mean! Are you trying to hog it all?" Little Finger shouted angrily, "Do you want me to kneel and beg you?"
"Uh, no need, no need."
Gao Gong rubbed his nose, "The biggest problem is the scarcity of raw materials. A Desert Worm only has one gland, and a single gland can produce at most one dose of serum."
"Which means, this thing can't be mass-produced in the short term."
"Desert Worms, Desert Worms! We have to notify the people below immediately to catch the worms, catch them all! Otherwise, they'll be gone!"
"Though it can't be mass-produced, the experts among the Mechanical Hunters definitely know its value and wouldn't mind spending big on one to save their lives."
"That's right, these experts may be willing to please me, but having them fully commit to working for us is still extremely difficult."
Little Finger slapped the table excitedly, "With this, these people will be at our mercy!"
As long as these experts shine in the upcoming hunting tasks, it will naturally lead to the revival of Classical Stream Mechanical Hunters.
Gao Gong had mentioned leading a revival of cold weapons hunting, and he wasn't just talking.