In the hall,
Leon stood in the center, one hand behind his back, his left hand stroking the projection in front of him, his brow furrowed.
Research on Zerg genes had yielded some results, though not particularly optimistic.
As a strange force that suddenly appeared in the universe, the complexity and secrecy of Zerg genetics were extraordinary, and even Grey Wind couldn't crack them quickly.
Grey Wind told him that Zerg genes seemed to have a genetic lock similar to quantum encryption, and if brute force was used, the genes would become chaotic.
Furthermore, the ordinary Zerg samples provided by the Vanguard Corps couldn't reveal anything. Upon death, their genes would instantly disintegrate into a pile of basic chemicals.
Even if the Vanguard Corps desperately tried to capture a living Zerg, it would automatically perish once it lost contact with its queen. If they wanted useful biotechnology, they would probably have to start with the Zerg queen.
"
Brother Aozaki, you're so mean! We're comrades, after all, and you actually let a soldier block my door and force me to undergo military training. This is truly torturous."
"Hey, you're just kidding. You got a special place at the National Defense University for no reason, an opportunity many people wouldn't even think of, and you still sneer at it."
The Monkey sneered, "You're not someone who's easily fooled. This game isn't easy. Maybe one day they'll get mad at you and trap your consciousness in virtual reality. Without the government's help, you'll die in this virtual world."
"Oh my, is it that serious?" John was shocked.
The Monkey spread his hands. "You only care about food and not punishment. Have you forgotten what happened last time?"
John flinched and backed away.
As the two of them were talking, Aozaki interrupted them with a glare.
Leon was not far away.
He stared at something, his brow furrowed, as if oblivious to them.
The two men immediately fell silent upon seeing their commander.
They had read the game rules upon entering, which repeatedly emphasized that they were prohibited from discussing anything related to the real world in front of game characters, nor were they allowed to use sensitive terms like "NPC." Serious violations would result in a permanent ban.
"Dear Commander, are you in trouble? Is there anything we can help you with?" Monkey asked hesitantly, clenching his right fist.
Leon's expression surprised him. Getting such an expression from such a powerful boss was certainly a difficult task. If he could complete it, he would be rewarded with powerful equipment. Researching it secretly would be very profitable!
Aozaki, who was observing the genetic helix diagram through the projection, had a vague suspicion, though he wasn't entirely sure.
Perhaps the Commander's next mission would involve the Zerg again.
Waving the projection, Leon, with his hands behind his back, glanced at the three of them.
But he immediately shook his head.
He was overthinking.
Although advanced equipment could significantly increase the three of them's combat effectiveness, facing the ferocious Zerg, their presence would only be a burden.
As the main force responsible for the destruction of major empires, their combat power should not be underestimated.
And they were extremely cunning. The last orbital bombardment taught the Space Queens that there were species more powerful than themselves. They simply drove the Zerg underground.
Even using orbital bombardment to protect the young players, they were unable to penetrate the Zerg's defenses against the hive's capture of the Queens.
They had previously considered using the Zerg to train the young players and human forces, but ultimately, as a last resort, they resorted to neutron annihilation and wiped out the entire planet.
Realizing the Zerg's potential for biotechnology research, it seemed plans would need to be changed.
"You guys can't help, so just hang around the mothership."
Leaving the three confused young players behind, Leon turned and left the hall.
Why was this game so unreliable? There were no missions for players to complete?
Could this not be an RPG, but a business simulation?
"What's your plan?"
Aozaki stared at Monkey.
He spread his hands, "The higher-ups gave me the opportunity to explore the aircraft carrier's structure."
Aozaki understood immediately, while John watched their antics with some confusion.
"Then I'll go to Planet G-4 to earn merit."
After that, the two men parted ways.
John looked around and finally caught up to Aozaki.
"Brother Aozaki, what are you doing so mysteriously? Tell me... Is this a secret mission from above? We're teammates, after all, so let's share..."
John continued asking questions along the way, feeling like the two had come on a secret mission.
Aozaki replied, "Stay out of this, kid!" Amidst John's uncertain expression, they arrived at the space capsule on Planet G-4.
Reinhardt, who was directing the deployment of troops in defensive positions, saw the two arrive and requested weapons and equipment.
This time, Master chief petty showed no respect for them.
"Excuse me, both of you, but word has come from the Empire that any soldier directly under the Empire who requests equipment must pay Contribution Points."
Leon wasn't bothered by the bug that allowed players to exploit it last time, but considering that players would demand everything in the future, would the Vanguard still be able to fight?
"..." The two of them.
"How much are those infantry fighting vehicles selling for?"
chief petty pondered.
He knew from the above that the Empire's common currency in the future would be contribution points. Their equipment, including their personal belongings, would belong to the Empire and couldn't be easily given to Imperial soldiers.
This was somewhat incomprehensible to him.
They were all family, so why was the Empire so harsh on its soldiers, and the higher-ups wouldn't give them equipment?
"Ten thousand?" chief petty asked hesitantly.
The two men's faces darkened.
This price was enough for them to buy nano-colonization suits. You're selling an infantry fighting vehicle from a pre-interstellar civilization for the price of a purple nano-colonization suit. Just kidding, right?
"Ahem... how about 5,000?"
This price was still unacceptable to the two men. Their ideal price was no more than 1,000.
"Do you have any individual heavy weapons?"
Aozaki compromised.
Although infantry fighting vehicles were powerful, they also had many problems. Once they stopped firing, they became disposable equipment, far simpler, cheaper, and more reliable than individual weapons.
"Guards!"
chief petty called out.
Shortly after, a soldier armed with a rifle entered the tent.
"Commander, any instructions?"
chief petty pointed to the two men and ordered, "Take two Imperial comrades to the armory to select equipment. The price will be as listed."
He had expected this: he was just a rough soldier leading troops into battle. He would leave the buying and selling to his superiors. If the other party found it too expensive, he could have them contact the Human League headquarters.
"Yes."
The two soon arrived at the armory. The humble john chuckled at the pile of equipment.
This equipment was nothing compared to their current equipment, but its aesthetic design was so captivating that no boy could resist it, let alone one who had never held a gun in his life.
Aozaki walked over to the triple-barreled Gatling gun, lifted it with one hand, and tested it.
It felt just right.
He hadn't expected this action to make the guard beside him grimace.
After all, even though this equipment was a personal weapon, he needed a suitable custom-made exoskeleton to carry it!
Aozaki glanced at the price; it wasn't bad, only 100 contribution points, plus a box of ammunition for 150.
"Don't choose a heavy sniper rifle. We'll have to fight those insects at close range later, and a single-shot heavy sniper rifle isn't practical."
"Oh, oh, oh..."
John immediately put the heavy sniper rifle away and, after careful consideration, chose a grenade launcher with a hundred grenades.
Finally, he spotted a four-barrel and a single-barrel rocket launcher in the corner. Without thinking, he strapped it to his back, then took eight spare bullets and slung them at his hip.
"Ahem..."
The guard stared at John, at a loss for words.
He was probably afraid of fire.
Perhaps he felt it wouldn't affect his movement, so he stuffed the grenades into the grenade pouch slung across his chest... a walking explosives warehouse.
Aozaki didn't stop him.
They would be operating alone this time, so they needed to carry as many firearms as possible without sacrificing their mobility.
"I'm ready, Brother Tiger,"
Aozaki nodded, tucking two large-caliber hand cannons into his waist holsters.
At this point, he was no better than John.
A special strap secured the Gatling gun to his left waist. On his back was a large ammunition box, half a meter wide and one and a half meters long. A large-caliber rifle cartridge was slung across his chest.
Click.
He loaded the drum magazine in his hand and signaled John to prepare for battle.
There were no tactics involved in fighting insects; firearms were everything.
After paying, the two men left the ammunition depot amidst the guards' twitching mouths...