Barry and George followed the group out of the conference room, retracing their steps through the vast rotunda before stepping outside to board a tour bus. The bus whisked them away from City Hall, heading towards the outskirts of the park.
Soon, the bus halted in front of a building resembling a sports arena.
Upon entering, Barry noticed a sign reading "Weapon Training Ground."
Inside, rows of shooting galleries were lined with various firearms, though rocket launchers were conspicuously absent.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound of gunfire echoed as Adams led them past the shooting area. After swiping his card at an access control point, Adams revealed a spacious room, roughly the size of four or five basketball courts.
"We've arrived. The weapons you submitted are here. Please claim them and don't mix them up," he instructed, pointing to a silver shelf laden with peculiar weapons. Barry's attention was immediately drawn to a set of metal skateboards.
Once everyone had retrieved their weapons, they settled in to wait.
"So... who wants to test first?" Adams queried, cutting to the chase.
"I'll go first," announced the Minister of Industrial Research and Development from Mirchas. A young man with deep-set eyes, hinting at Indonesian heritage, he introduced himself as Sophie Primo in earlier conversations.
Sophie stepped forward, opening a black metal case to reveal three green metal rods resembling bamboo poles.
"I researched traditional martial arts weapons. Shaolin monks often use staves, and Li's nunchaku are iconic. So, I developed electromagnetic weapons based on these," he explained, demonstrating his creation.
First, Sophie picked up two rods, giving them a vigorous shake.
"Om!" An arc of electricity surged from the ends of the rods.
"Isn't this just a stun baton?" one observer scoffed.
"I said it's an electromagnetic weapon," Sophie retorted, unfazed, aligning the electrified ends.
Under watchful eyes, the arcs connected, generating magnetic force. A blue chain linked the rods, forming a nunchaku with a flickering blue arc.
"These can function as electric staves individually or combine into nunchaku or a three-section staff," Sophie continued, attaching the third rod to form the staff.
"Finally, by pressing this button, you can adjust the magnetism and arc to create a long staff," he explained, twisting the middle rod. With a mechanical click, the blue chains retracted, forming a long black staff.
Barry, initially bored, perked up at the weapon's display. Expecting firearms, he was surprised by the unique design.
"To address attack range, we've included an electric chip. Pressing this button releases an electromagnetic dart, capable of paralyzing enemies upon impact."
The weapon primarily relied on its flexibility, using electromagnetic connections to incapacitate rather than inflict lethal damage.
"This is our company's dedicated research," Sophie concluded, demonstrating the staff before glancing meaningfully at Norman.
"Really good," Adams praised. "The designs here all have their merits."
"But let's see how they perform with Barry. It'll be enlightening," Adams smiled, turning to Barry.
"Barry, give this weapon a try. See if it suits you."
Barry shrugged, stepping forward.
To be honest, Adams' words felt like trying on clothes at a store.
"Be careful not to get shocked," Sophie advised, handing over the staff with a smile.
Barry accepted the staff, avoiding Sophie's attempt to pat his head, and stepped back, testing its weight.
Made of metal and containing electrical components, it was somewhat heavy but manageable for Barry.
Its green appearance appealed to Barry, resembling bamboo.
He tossed it lightly, twisting his wrist to spin the staff in his paw. As it spun faster, he extended his arm, the green staff whirring like a high-speed fan.
Aside from George and Adams, the sight of a panda deftly handling a heavy metal staff astonished the onlookers.
After playing with the staff, Barry grabbed its center as Sophie had, twisting in the opposite direction.
"Click!" With a crisp mechanical sound, the staff extended into a three-section staff.
Trying it for the first time, Barry handled it cautiously.
Gaining confidence, he moved more assertively. But as he increased speed, control slipped.
"Bang!"
"Ouch!" Barry yelped as one section struck his head, but he remained unharmed.
Thanks to his thick skin and resilience, his endurance was high.
The crowd chuckled at the scene.
Barry continued testing the nunchaku and other features before returning the staff with satisfaction.
A lightsaber would be even better...
"Hahaha, well done! Let's move on to the next test," Adams laughed, turning to the others.
"Next up, our alchemy company offers an automatic alchemy bag, capable of crafting various chemical spheres."
The Alchemy Company specialized in chemical technology, producing weapons like refrigerants and thermobaric bombs.
In today's local conflicts, most thermobaric bombs were sourced from the Alchemy Company.
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