Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 410 - 398: Cultivating the Market

Chapter 410: Chapter 398: Cultivating the Market

Paul quickly got ready to shoot and then fired.

Just after the first shot, Paul immediately exclaimed in great surprise, "The recoil is too small; this hardly feels like a .338 caliber rifle."

After speaking, Paul fired continuously and rapidly, maintaining a high rate of fire at about one round per second, each shot targeting the 400-meter mark.

He fired ten rounds in one breath and then stopped shooting.

"You can fire this gun very fast, and this is far from its limit. I want to test its accuracy."

After making his initial comments, Paul continued shooting. With nine bullets left in the gun, he shot at targets further away, one after another until he ran out of ammunition.

Paul ceased firing and then turned to Pasanin, saying, "This is a strangely positioned gun. It fires .338 Lapua Magnum rounds, but the accuracy isn’t exceptional. Yet the rate of fire far exceeds any other rifle of the same caliber that I know of. In other words, the gun’s power is more than a sharpshooter needs, but the precision isn’t enough for a sniper. So, what exactly is this gun supposed to be?"

"The precision of a sniper rifle, the rate of fire of a sharpshooting rifle, close to the power of a large-caliber rifle, the magazine capacity of a small or medium-caliber rifle—the placement is that of a super rifle, a super rifle for use by super shooters. As for the accuracy not being ideal, that’s very simple: this is just a first-generation prototype that still needs to be improved."

Frowning, Paul retorted, "Super rifle, for whom? I don’t think anyone can utilize the full performance of this rifle, so what’s the point of making it."

Pasanin smiled and said, "This gun was designed and made by our boss, so it’s tailored for our boss."

Paul’s brow furrowed further, interpreting Pasanin’s implication that their boss could exploit the performance of this rifle, whereas he couldn’t.

Excited, Xiao Ran chimed in from the side, "Let me have a try and see if it works."

Pasanin nodded and replied, "Of course, please go ahead."

Xiao Ran loaded the gun and began her shooting trial. After firing ten rounds, she stopped and said to Pasanin, "This gun really is strange."

After firing the remaining ten rounds, Xiao Ran stood up and, shaking her head, said, "It’s a good gun, but mine is better. The accuracy of this gun isn’t enough."

Spreading his hands, Pasanin said, "As I mentioned, this is just a first-generation prototype, and we’re already on the fourth generation. The fourth-generation Alexander I has already solved the issue with accuracy."

Paul nodded and inquired, "Then this must be a very perfect rifle. What kind of precision can it achieve?"

Pasanin confidently affirmed, "Very high precision."

A semi-automatic sniper rifle with great power, long range, high precision, and low recoil, which also allows for higher shooting rate—of course, Yang Yi would like such a gun, even if he had been ignored thus far.

"I would like to try it, too."

Pasanin smiled and said, "Please."

Yang Yi loaded the gun, then he hoisted the weapon, took a feel of it, and immediately commented, "The gun is heavy, but it feels quite good."

For Yang Yi, a high rate of fire in a rifle was meaningless; he needed a highly accurate rifle. But its lack of usefulness now did not mean it would be useless in the future.

After a round of trials, Yang Yi grew fond of the Alexander I prototype, because it also boasted high precision, making a semi-automatic invariably better than a bolt-action rifle.

"I like this gun, I really like it."

Yang Yi came to a conclusion and then he addressed Pasanin, "Now the question is, how can I buy this gun? I mean, the fourth generation."

Pasanin’s laughter was sincere, and then he spoke earnestly, "You can buy it, just need to wait a month."

"Good, I’ll buy it. How much?"

Pasanin hesitated for a moment, then extended a finger and said, "One million US dollars should be enough."

Yang Yi almost spat out blood, but before he could speak, Paul exclaimed in disbelief, "Why don’t you just rob someone? Are you kidding? It’s just a rifle, for one million dollars, what kind of joke is this?"

Pasanin shrugged and explained, "This is only an experimental prototype gun that won’t be mass-produced. If you want to buy it, the R&D costs also need to be factored in. In fact, one million dollars is not much. Our boss has already spent twenty million dollars on this gun. Naturally, we need to recoup some of the costs if we’re going to sell it."

Yang Yi quickly stood up and shook his head, saying, "Can’t afford it, can’t afford it."

Pasanin seemed somewhat regretful as he shrugged, saying, "Then you’ve missed out on a good gun. Let me tell you guys, one million dollars may sound expensive, but having a gun that can’t be found on the market is not just about the money. Plus, this gun is truly outstanding and fully worth the one million."

Paul had his familiar gun and wouldn’t choose a newly released gun as a combat weapon. After all, even if a new gun had superior performance, Xiao Ran felt the same way.

In fact, the market for the Alexander I rifle was extremely small as it was a rifle prepared for super shooters. Super shooters were rare to begin with, and they surely had a primary weapon they wouldn’t easily replace. Therefore, the Alexander I rifle needed to cultivate its own group of shooters.

Clearly, Pasanin saw Yang Yi as a potential customer worth developing. Paul wouldn’t buy it, Xiao Ran wouldn’t buy it, but Yang Yi, a sure-to-be-excellent shooter and super newbie, might purchase it, which is why he had offered the rifle for trial.

However, Yang Yi truly couldn’t afford it.

Chuckling awkwardly, Yang Yi reluctantly said, "Never mind then, we can’t afford it."

Pasanin appeared regretful.

As people choose guns, guns also choose their owners. Developing a new rifle isn’t enough; one must also cultivate a customer base for it.

Rifles aren’t fast-moving consumer goods that get phased out after three to five years. When a new rifle is produced, it is expected to be used for decades. There are many new guns coming on the market today, yet the best sellers are still those classic models from decades ago. So, the Alexander I rifle might be excellent and precious, but Yang Yi, who was destined to become an accomplished shooter, was equally valuable.

Paul certainly understood this, and he pulled Yang Yi aside and told Pasanin, "Look at him, Robot! You can’t miss out on him, absolutely not. If I were you, even if it meant giving him the rifle for free, I would make sure he uses my gun."

Pasanin hesitated for a while, then nodded and said, "How about this: I can ask our boss. It’s his handiwork, maybe he would be willing to sell it for a low price, but can he use this gun as his primary weapon?"

Yang Yi immediately responded, "Of course! As long as the price is right, I would be very willing to own such a rifle."