dmims Chapter 49 Fully Armed
Chapter 49 Fully Armed
Lin An casually closed the heavy mahogany box with a "click," and the golden light that filled the box was instantly sealed under the thick wooden board, like a small sun being covered up.
He turned and walked to the shadowy corner, where several boxes covered by tarpaulins were piled up, casting dark shadows in the cold white light. Lin An bent down, reached out and lifted a corner of the tarpaulin, his movements extremely swift and decisive.
Two silver briefcases peeked out from under the tarpaulin, their bodies gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.
"Money is the key to getting things done." Lin An looked up, meeting Li Fulan's eyes. His tone was no longer the playful banter from before, but deep and serious. "But this stuff is what saves us."
The box was divided into several neat compartments, each tightly wrapped with high-density foam padding to prevent damage during transport. In the very center lay a sleek quadcopter drone.
"This auction is a mixed bag," Lin An said, opening the second box. "There are local nobles from Notting City, and merchants from other cities in the Heavenly Dou Empire. It's hard to guarantee there won't be some foolish idiot trying to pull off a 'murder and loot' scheme."
His eyes turned cold and sharp, and the corners of his mouth turned down slightly, revealing a chilling murderous intent.
"In this Douluo world where there are no laws, physical salvation is often more effective than reasoning. You want to talk about contractual spirit or business ethics with a Soul Master? He can slap your head into his chest."
So, comrade, we need to be prepared for both scenarios. Problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems, but if money can't solve them...
He pointed to the palm-sized drone in the first box, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Then let's use this to solve it."
"This is 'Messenger'." Lin An reached into the foam tray and took the drone out, showing it to Li Fulan. "It's been specially modified. The original motor has been replaced with a brushless silent motor, and the propellers have also been replaced with a silent model. The sound it makes when it's running is quieter than a mosquito's flapping wings. Even from ten meters away, ordinary people can't hear a sound."
He flipped the drone over, revealing the equipment inside the transparent cover beneath its belly.
"This room contains a miniature thermal imager and a soul power fluctuation detection radar. Thermal imaging is self-explanatory; it uses temperature differences to detect targets. Even if the opponent is hiding behind a wall, as long as they have body heat, it can be detected. The soul power fluctuation radar was developed by our base itself. It can sense all soul power fluctuations above the Great Soul Master level within a radius of fifty meters and can also roughly determine the opponent's soul power level."
He put the drone back in the box and took out two larger drones from the second box. These two drones were noticeably bulkier than "Messenger," completely black, and their design was not as streamlined as "Messenger's," instead giving them a clumsy and menacing appearance. Their undersides were bulging, as if something had been stuffed inside.
"These two are 'Martyrs'," Lin An's voice deepened, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes like two unsheathed blades. "I've packed them with a sufficient amount of C4 high explosive, 300 grams per unit, along with specially made metal shrapnel. These shrapnel aren't ordinary steel balls, but made of a special alloy that can interfere with soul power shields. When they explode, they radiate outwards at ultra-high speed, specifically designed to break through the protective aura that soul masters are so proud of."
He paused, then tapped the drone's bulky belly with his finger, producing a dull "thump-thump" sound.
"If things go wrong, or if we're surrounded and can't escape, detonate it remotely. This yield, this power—let me tell you, even a Soul King would be badly injured if hit by one. If two detonate simultaneously, even a Soul Emperor would have to think twice."
Looking at the familiar modern weapons before him, Li Fulan's deep black eyes flashed with a hint of nostalgia and admiration.
"You're so thoughtful." Li Fulan smiled slightly, a gentle and kind smile, the curve of her lips just right, making anyone who saw it feel like a spring breeze. But only Lin An knew that deep within those dark eyes, a confident and ruthless control over the situation was surging. "With these little guys protecting us, tonight's banquet can be even more enjoyable. Even if some fool tries anything funny, we're confident we can hold our own against them."
"It's not over yet."
Lin An closed and locked the two suitcases again, then took out a small, transparent, sealed bag from his jacket pocket. The bag was only about the size of his little finger, and inside was a capsule the size of a grain of rice. The capsule's outer shell was transparent, and one could vaguely see that it was filled with some kind of dark blue liquid, which emitted an eerie, deep glow under the light, like a solidified deep sea.
Lin An pulled a pair of medical tweezers from the drawer of his workbench, carefully wiped and disinfected them with an alcohol swab, then picked up the rice-grain-sized capsule and held it up to Li Fulan.
"Same as always. Open your mouth."
Li Fulan obediently tilted her head back slightly and opened her mouth.
"This is a potent animal sedative, highly concentrated and specially processed," Lin An explained as he carefully inserted the capsule into Li Fulan's mouth. "Originally, this stuff was used to treat elephants; one injection could make an elephant sleep for three days and three nights. We extracted the active ingredients, concentrated them again and again, and compressed them into this tiny pill."
He placed the capsule precisely inside the right molar of Li Fulan, in a very hidden spot where you could hardly feel it unless you deliberately pushed it with your tongue.
"Place it in your back molar. You don't need to worry about it normally; just eat and drink as usual. The capsule shell is specially treated so that ordinary chewing and stomach acid can't harm it."
Lin An's expression turned unusually serious. He straightened up, stared into Li Fulan's eyes, and said, word by word:
"If you encounter a danger that you absolutely cannot overcome, such as being targeted by a powerful being, or being trapped in some kind of illusion from which you cannot escape... or..."
He paused, as if considering his words.
"Or, when you feel like you're about to lose yourself in this world, bite it hard."
He reached up and tapped his temple.
"The potent drug will instantly block your nerve conduction, forcing you into a deep sleep. All senses, all conscious activity, will cease. This will 'awaken' you back to reality—or rather, escape the current dangerous dream. This is our trump card, our last resort."
Li Fulan pressed the foreign object against the tip of his tongue, feeling the smooth, hard texture of the capsule shell. It was indeed well-hidden, embedded inside his teeth. He smacked his lips, a playful smile curving his mouth, and something seemed to flash deep in his eyes.
"Thanks. But Lin An, has the dosage been increased again? Why does this pill seem a bit bigger than the last one?"
"Nonsense!" Lin An said bluntly while tidying up the tweezers and alcohol swabs on the table, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment. "Don't you even know how many random pills and reagents you've been consuming lately?"
What kind of Qi-Nourishing Pills, Soul-Strengthening Liquids, and all sorts of other soul power amplifying agents are you stuffing them into your mouth like candy?! Do you know that while those things are increasing your soul power, they're also frantically raising your drug resistance?
He stuffed the tools back into the drawer and pushed it up hard with a "bang".
"Your drug resistance is now more outrageous than a wild beast! Last time, with that standard dose, you should have passed out within three seconds, but what happened? You just sat there with your eyes wide open, talking to me about the philosophy of life for over half an hour! You even asked me what I thought was the essence of this world! I was almost falling asleep from your talking, but you were still wide awake!"
Lin An became more and more excited as she spoke, hands on her hips, looking just like a mother who was disappointed in her son.
"I'm not increasing the amount this time. I'm afraid you might encounter some danger and chew this stuff like candy, then ask me, 'Why don't I feel anything?' That would be really worrying!"
Li Fulan smiled and did not refute.
Everything is ready.
Li Fulan picked up the two silver briefcases filled with deadly weapons, weighed them in her hands, and found them to be fairly easy to handle.
He simply stood there quietly, watching Li Fulan finish tidying up and turn around.
Then, he raised his right hand, fingers together, and deftly brought it to his eyebrows, giving a perfectly standard military salute.
The movements were crisp and clean, without the slightest hesitation; it was muscle memory etched into his bones for decades. There was no mockery in his eyes, no trace of the slick, frivolous grin from before, only the trust and solemnity between comrades, the respect of one veteran for another.
"Li Fulan," he said, his voice steady and powerful.
"Although you're a pioneer... I still have to say something."
Lin An lowered his hand, his gaze fixed intently on Li Fulan's eyes. Those eyes were like two flames, burning and unwavering.
"Comrade, be careful. Come back alive."