Chapter 257: Selling Guns but Not Bullets
"How is it, sneaking around, are you done with your call?" That lazy guy looked at Zhang Yang and came over, "Is it because you don't have enough money? Let me tell you, no credit, okay?"
Zhang Yang glanced at him speechlessly, still feeling that this guy in front of him was very unreliable. Who sells guns like this? It was ridiculous, completely different from what was shown on TV.
"At least let me find a place to check the goods." Zhang Yang thought for a moment and said.
"Check the goods? You don't trust me?" That man looked shocked, as if Zhang Yang checking his goods was some huge crime.
"Brother, look at the TV, the movies. Who buys and sells guns like we do?" Zhang Yang lowered his voice, "I at least need to make sure the box isn't filled with bricks, right?"
"Fine, take it yourself and see." The man looked impatient, lifted the box, and handed it to Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang took it, weighed it with his hand—it was indeed heavy. He quietly opened a small gap. What entered his sight was a black metallic component.
"How about it? Steyr SSG69, effective range maybe around 800 meters, weighs about four kilos empty, perfect for weaklings like you—good for hunting, shooting wild boars, whatever." The sleazy pretty boy introduced it sneakily in a salesman's tone.
"The gun is disassembled?" Zhang Yang closed the lid and frowned.
"Nonsense, you think I'd swagger around carrying a fully assembled rifle? Do you know how big that is? How am I supposed to take the bus with it?"
"You… you took the bus here?" Zhang Yang couldn't help admiring him. Just how bizarre did one have to be to pull this off?
"Yeah, otherwise what? You think I'd walk carrying over thirty jin?"
"Alright, alright. You know Ao Tian… uh no, that Xia… what was it again?" Zhang Yang tried to recall but couldn't remember Ao Tian's name. He clearly remembered it had something to do with Xia. "Xia Wa-wa? Forget it, he's a sleazy guy anyway… just like you." Zhang Yang added that part silently in his heart.
"Donggu Xia, whatever. Stop asking so much, the goods are here. Cash for goods, I need to get back to sleep."
"But…"
"But what? I didn't walk half the day here just to scam you."
"No, the gun is disassembled. I don't know how to assemble it."
"Don't know how? Aren't you supposed to be some gun expert?" The lazy guy looked shocked, "Then do you know what SSG69 is?"
"Yes. Designed and produced in 1969 by Austria's top arms company Steyr-Mannlicher. A light sniper rifle using NATO standard rounds, 7.62mm caliber, empty weight 3.9kg, 4.6kg with magazine, 1140mm total length, 650mm barrel, 4 right-hand twist rifling, muzzle velocity 860 m/s, effective range 800 meters, equipped with a 6x Kahles SF69 scope, muzzle energy 3567 joules, and even at 1200 meters it can still reach 180J of energy—while killing someone only needs about 72J. Lightweight, easy to carry, cheap, about 3000 euros. A must-have tool for killing or arson."
"Pa-pa-pa!"
"Not bad, not bad!" The guy clapped, "Since you know so much about the SSG69, that's enough. Sure, assembling it is a bit tricky, but for veterans it's nothing."
"But this is my first time seeing a real gun."
"Damn, don't tell me you've only played it in CF."
"Yeah."
"Then why are you buying it?"
"To kill… and maybe hunt."
"Kill your sister! You can't even assemble it! No wonder that bastard didn't want to hand it over himself. So besides selling guns, I'm supposed to provide training now? Damn it!" The sleazy pretty boy stomped around angrily.
He looked at Zhang Yang like he was a walking disaster. After a long time, he finally asked in annoyance: "You drove, right?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go. I'll take you somewhere." The sleazy pretty boy, Wang, picked up the case with a helpless expression.
He directed Zhang Yang from the back seat. After more than an hour, they finally arrived at an abandoned construction site in the suburbs.
"You can call me Lao Wang, or Handsome Wang, or even Earth Dragon. Don't ask anything else."
That was all the sleazy pretty boy ever introduced about himself.
Ao Tian, Earth Dragon—one in the sky, one underground—quite the pair. Zhang Yang wasn't interested in asking who he really was. He wouldn't believe he was some ordinary arms dealer anyway.
"Alright, we're here." Earth Dragon squinted, checked the surroundings, and pulled out a pack of cheap cigarettes. He took one, bit it, but didn't light it.
"This is an abandoned kiln site. It's been deserted for years. I'll reluctantly teach you here." Earth Dragon opened the box and skillfully began assembling the sniper rifle. "I'll teach you how to put it together. The gun isn't long, but leaving it assembled is a pain—it gets in the way."
Despite looking sleazy, Earth Dragon was extremely focused. In no time, the complicated SSG69 was fully assembled. He looked at Zhang Yang, disassembled it again, then handed him another pile of SSG69 parts.
"Kid, pay attention."
He repeated the steps. "This is just a basic assembly. These parts aren't fully broken down. If they were, even an hour wouldn't be enough. No need for a rookie like you to learn the advanced stuff."
Zhang Yang spent about two hours learning and finally mastered assembling and disassembling the SSG69 by noon.
Then came the shooting lesson.
"See that? A fist-sized rock 100 meters out. That's my target…"
Earth Dragon lay prone, squinted, slightly raised his head to confirm again, and gently pulled the trigger.
"Bang!" A crisp shot rang out, but the rock didn't move.
"Ahem… this is beginner level. Don't think sniping is like in the movies—aim, pull trigger, instant headshot. There's…"
"I know. There are many variables—wind speed, scope magnification, temperature difference, heartbeat, trigger pressure, timing, and whether the target is moving. If moving, you must account for their speed. Even a month of lessons won't cover everything."
"Oh? You know quite a bit. Shoot one and let me see." Earth Dragon glanced at him and smiled.
Zhang Yang had never touched a sniper rifle, but he learned Advanced Shooting Technique. He was familiar with firearms and confident in his shooting skills. But sniper rifles were different from assault rifles or pistols—techniques were different. He might talk big, but real application was another story.
But looking at the sniper rifle, he still wanted to try.
He took a deep breath, calmed himself, controlled his heartbeat, copied Earth Dragon's posture, lay down, looked through the scope. The target filled three Y-axis bars…
"Bang!" The rock exploded instantly.
Earth Dragon froze—this guy said he never used a gun? Damn!
"Again, target at 200 meters…" He didn't believe it.
"Bang!" Another hit.
"Three hundred meters…"
"Bang!" Hit again.
"Damn it, Donggu Xia! You lied about being a newbie!" Earth Dragon rolled up his sleeves angrily.
"My turn!" Watching Zhang Yang show off, he couldn't help but perform too. He rolled up his sleeves, lay down. Zhang Yang glanced and saw that this sleazy guy was clearly a veteran—the sharp killing aura wasn't something ordinary people had.
Zhang Yang had sensed it from the start. The guy looked sleazy, but that faint killing intent in his eyes showed he'd killed plenty. He and Ao Tian were the same type. Since he didn't want to reveal his identity, Zhang Yang wouldn't expose him.
As expected, once serious, the guy was no joke. After Zhang Yang missed the 400-meter target, Earth Dragon landed multiple hits at 500 and 600 meters.
Later, excited, he set up a finger-thick twig at 100 meters and shot it clean off.
"How is it? My skills aren't bad, right?" He proudly looked at Zhang Yang.
"Not bad, but the problem is this gun uses NATO standard 7.62mm bullets. You used them all. What am I supposed to do with an empty gun?"
"Heh, kid. I said I sell guns. I never said I sell bullets."
"What?" Zhang Yang nearly spat blood. "Then why did I buy the gun?"
"You know Pan Ningning, right? I gave you the gun. Bullets? Ask her. She has them… though she…"
He stopped mid-sentence and swallowed the rest.
"Pan Ningning?" Zhang Yang thought. Wasn't she Tang Qiqi's sister?
He almost forgot. Pan Ningning was ordered to protect him. But these days, he hadn't seen her at all—not even sensed her. Ao Tian said Spade Eight was getting restless. Zhang Yang bought the sniper rifle to deal with them, yet this sleazy guy said he should get bullets from her?
How? Ask for what, exactly?