Roland sketched a quick plan, then took out the exoskeleton arm to have a closer look. After all, from what he knew the PROJECT worldview lined up closely with cyberpunk—lots of people used Cyberware implants—so if this was a PROJECT product, it had to have something special.
"[PROJECT Type I Exoskeleton Arm] was manufactured using the most advanced technology of its time, aimed at combat-oriented users. It houses an energy shield and compact blades, supports numerous arm-specific plug-ins on the market, maximizes user strength without risking mental overload, includes a compact power source, and blends seamlessly with your arm for optimal concealment. For genuine quality, choose PROJECT Corporation."
Roland set it on the table and inspected it. An arm like an opened suit of armor lay quietly on the surface, faint blue light flickering from within.
"How do I use it?" he asked Lissandra.
"Simply place your hand inside. I've already calibrated it to match this world's tech," came the calm reply.
Roland nodded and slid his modified arm into the socket. The instant his skin touched metal, the prosthetic tightened and adhered to him. Its light dimmed; from the outside it now looked like an ordinary cybernetic arm.
Roland lifted his hand and turned it this way and that. "Incredible tech..." he muttered.
He shrugged on a jacket to hide the arm—this thing didn't look cheap, and scavengers still existed here, even if they weren't as brazen as in other places. Then he grabbed the Carmel Electromagnetic Rifle. Though called a rifle, it could retract to forearm length and seemed like it might be stowable inside a mechanically modified body—if you had the right mods. Roland didn't, so he carried it.
"Well... time to get something done."
Stretching, he took out the Milus II Rifle, which he'd bought with Blue Essence. It had been expensive—five hundred essence for one weapon. The Milus used a magnetic feed; the magazine attached under the barrel and folded, and both barrel and stock could collapse. That folding and compacting was probably why its safety rating was lower.
Collapsed, it reduced to roughly the size of a large handgun—very concealable. Roland planned to use it as a demo sample: sell the idea to a street gang and ride their reputation for a bit.
...
After a while he left the apartment, surveyed the block, then slipped into a narrow alley. A man in a white suit and red shades strode past toward the nearest gang turf.
As Roland approached a bar, the door guard stepped out and blocked him. Roland calmly presented the Carmel and the Milus.
"Freeze!"
Two bouncers drew pistols and pointed them at him.
"Hey, hey, don't get jumpy. See? I've got my weapons out—no hostile intent. I just want to talk business with your boss." Roland wore a businesslike smile. The two exchanged a glance; one studied Roland's outfit and then nodded.
A moment later the guard stepped back and tilted his head toward the entrance. The other holstered his weapon. Roland let out a relieved breath—he'd been a little shaken; being stared down with a gun wasn't exactly calming.
Inside, the bar was quiet—practically empty except for a handful of obvious gang members with obscure tattoos and gaudy hair. The real giveaway: every one of them held a gun.
A burly man pointed, and Roland saw a man in a black suit lounging on a sofa. The man waved him over.
Roland smiled and walked up. "Hello, my name is Vimers. It's an honor you'd see me."
"Cut the crap. My time's limited. If I wasn't in a good mood, you'd already be out," the man snorted, leaning forward and fixing Roland with a cold look.
Roland kept smiling. "Okay, I'll be brief. I work for a small company under a large corporation. I'm here to propose a collaboration."
The man stiffened before asking, "How am I supposed to trust you?"
"You don't have to trust me. I'm not here to trick you. By the way—could you have your men return my weapon? You can remove the bullets." Roland smiled and made the request.
The man paused only briefly, then nodded. He waved and Roland's weapons were handed back.
Roland picked up the Milus II and unfolded it slowly. "As you can see, this is our company's new product—a brand-new smart firearm."
The man's eyes sharpened. After a short silence he rose, smiling now. He knew the rifle carried high-tech weight; combined with Roland's manner, it suggested the man had corporate backing—likely Kang Tao—though he was hiding it.
"My apologies. Reintroducing myself—Victor Huang." He extended a hand. Roland shook it.
"And what brings you here?" Victor asked, cautious but polite.
"If I'm not mistaken, your Viper Gang has been getting pushed hard by the Black Bear Gang lately, right?" Roland asked.
Victor didn't deny it—he nodded. Word was that Black Bear had gotten a new batch of weapons, which let them dominate.
"Then our cooperation can start here. We need test data on this weapon, so..." Roland's smile turned more sincere.
Victor's expression cleared with understanding. He nodded. "So you're giving this weapon to our gang?"
Roland smiled. "Yes. You can test it first. I'm confident in its performance."
"...What do we owe you?" Victor asked.
"For now, nothing. If you like it, you can order more later." Roland handed Victor a business card with only a name and phone number.
"Fine—let's make this a smooth cooperation." Victor smiled. If someone asked for nothing, it made him suspicious in a good way.
Roland picked up his other weapon and left.
"Boss, can we trust him?" a gang member asked.
"If we can't, what then? For now it's the best option." Victor picked up the Milus II, examined it, and spat a little. "Smart firearms don't come cheap. If he chose us to test and suggested procurement... maybe production cost isn't that high."
"Tonight, have Zhao take this weapon to test on those Black Bear punks," Victor ordered.
"Yes, understood."