Shuda Xu glanced up at the doorplate, then tilted his head and signaled the man beside him to step forward.
The armed officer moved up and knocked. While one man knocked, the others readied their weapons, braced for anything.
Soon, the door eased open.
Shuda Xu removed his glasses and studied the figure in the doorway. His cybernetic eye shifted as it scanned the man before him.
"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised you didn't run."
Shuda Xu smiled faintly and spoke slowly — if the man wasn't fleeing, there was still room to talk.
"I don't see any reason to run, Mr. Kang Tao."
Roland returned the smile. Dealing with someone who at least pretended to play by the rules felt a lot better than hawking stolen tech to desperate gangsters.
"My name is Shuda Xu. To cut to the chase — I need contact information for the weapon's maker. Since you didn't leave, I assume you're willing to sell that intel, yes?"
Shuda tucked his sunglasses into his breast pocket and fixed Roland with a look.
"You already have the creator's contact, don't you, Mr. Shuda Xu?"
Roland answered, meaningful, and revealed his mechanical arm.
Shuda froze for a beat. His cybernetic eye flickered as it scanned Roland's augmentations, then his smile widened into something that looked more genuine.
"Never expected… to find someone like you here. But how am I to trust what you say?"
Shuda Xu's skepticism remained. "Roland Vimers — father from these parts, mother from across the sea, born in the slums, no higher education… and you say you built a smart firearm of this caliber? No offense — I'm just stating my doubts."
Shuda stared at the man. If true, Roland was a revolutionary genius of smart-weapons; if false, he'd pay for the lie.
"You've seen the weapon on my arm, yes?"
Roland raised his arm. With a small motion an arm blade slid out, and the armed men behind him snapped to alert.
"With your eyes, you should see this isn't any commercial prosthesis — even the alloy is new. And regarding the Milus II Rifle in your hands, I doubt anyone knows its strengths and flaws better than I do."
Shuda fell quiet for a moment, then laughed. "Well, well. To think such talent would come from a place like this. Gold shines wherever it's found."
"Even gold needs someone to wipe off the dust, or it stays hidden, doesn't it?"
Roland replied with a smile, and Shuda's grin grew broader.
The man was perceptive, and clearly willing to work with the company.
"Mr. Roland, choosing Kang Tao was a wise move. Your weapon is astounding — flawed in places, but its brilliance holds. What are your terms?"
Had Shuda confirmed Roland as the inventor? Not quite. But whether Roland made the gun or merely had close ties to its maker, the man was clearly involved enough to be useful. Shuda was willing to take the goodwill and make a deal — this could hardly be a loss.
"My terms are simple. I want money. And if possible, a long-term cooperation."
Shuda considered, then smiled. "I have a better offer: join Kang Tao. With your tech, you'd silence a few mouths inside the company. I can secure you a €5 million annual salary, profit-sharing, and Trauma Team Platinum Membership. What do you say?"
"A tempting offer. But my ambitions lie elsewhere, so I must decline. Still, I believe we can cooperate in the future."
Roland shook his head and declined the recruitment.
Shuda's eyes tightened for a moment, then he resumed a friendly expression. "You're confident… Aren't you worried I might do something here?"
"If I'm willing to talk with you here, I have my reasons. Do you think I'm that foolish?"
Roland's smile didn't waver. Seeing that, Shuda relaxed.
"Very well. Then tell me what you meant by cooperation?"
"You'll see in time. For now, let's talk price."
Roland smiled mysteriously and cheerfully produced the Milus II Rifle.
Some time later Roland left with a satisfied smile. Shuda took a long drag from his cigarette. The blueprint had sold for €5 million.
The price was a touch lower than he'd hoped — the weapon outperformed any smart gun on the market. Safety issues were manageable; minor tweaks would fix them. A safer batch could be sold at a premium to corporate security and trauma teams, and less secure variants could be sold cheaper to civilians.
To Shuda, the real value wasn't the gun itself but the level of tech it represented — especially the smart targeting system. If they fully unlocked that system, he suspected it would accelerate development of the Zhuo-style project in their labs. So €5 million was a sound investment. As Roland put it, he wasn't padding the price — he was making a friend and leaving a positive impression for future deals.
Roland thought himself lucky. He'd guessed Black Bear might be testing weapons for Kang Tao, but hadn't expected to draw someone so high-ranking.
Shuda was pleased as well. He hadn't recruited Roland into Kang Tao, but the man seemed intent on building something of his own. The thought made Shuda chuckle softly.
"Ah, young people… they always have their own plans. Hmm — keep an eye on them. When they start to falter, we'll step in. That should handle it."