This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 287: Two Weeks of Changes

Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Two Weeks of Changes

At 1:30 p.m., Six-Shot Revolver Gun Shop.

Chen Ke got out of the taxi and looked up at the front entrance of the gun shop, sensing some changes had taken place. The gun shop was closed today, and after a closer inspection, he noticed that the sign had been taken down.

Chen Ke walked around to the back yard and saw two black bodyguards standing by the iron gate, with a blue van parked inside and its double back doors wide open.

The black bodyguards recognized Chen Ke and nodded at him, then stepped aside to make way.

Chen Ke squeezed through the crack of the iron gate and as he passed by the van, he noticed a layer of dust had accumulated on the outside of the vehicle.

It seemed that since the bank robbery, they had ceased all activities and had been in hiding ever since.

Chen Ke entered the gun shop through the back door. The platforms and shelves inside were still there, but the guns that were hanging had been put away.

In the aisle, many corrugated boxes were stacked up. Chen Ke glanced inside and saw they were filled with small boxes of ammunition. There were also tin boxes of rifle bullets neatly placed in a cool spot.

"Chen Ke!" Pihom happened to come out from behind the Red Door and greeted Chen Ke upon seeing him.

Chen Ke nodded at him and walked over.

"What’s happening with the gun shop? Are you closing it down?" Chen Ke asked.

Pihom waved his hand, hands on hips, and shook his head.

"This business is no longer viable. Haven’t you been watching the news lately?" Although Pihom said this, his face seemed somewhat pleased.

"I don’t watch the news. I never do," Chen Ke shrugged.

"The United Federation has been in a bit of a slump recently, especially Opportunity City. You must have heard, some cities in the Federation have started to experience strikes and widespread unemployment," said Pihom.

Chen Ke shook his head, "I don’t know, why did this suddenly happen?"

"Didn’t I tell you before? There are foreign forces impacting the Federation’s financial markets," Pihom said.

"Are you sure it’s not just the aftershocks of the ’08 credit crisis?" Chen Ke asked.

"I don’t know much about finance, Chen Ke, but my instincts tell me that this time it’s going to be much worse than last year," said Pihom.

"Let it be. The higher-ups will handle the problem, and the worst it could be is just a few more Opportunity Cities..." Chen Ke said nonchalantly; the country’s economy was none of his business.

"That’s exactly the issue, Chen Ke. Half of the spiritual ability enterprises in Opportunity City have received acquisition offers, and they seem to be trying to buy back their shares," Pihom said.

"There hasn’t been a wave of unemployment here, has there? How shall I put it... What does this have to do with us?" Chen Ke leaned against the empty gun rack and asked.

"It means opportunity! Pressured by the capital market, those spiritual businesses have to act more aggressively, and now they’re smuggling Holy Diamonds more frequently every week," Pihom said, rubbing his hands.

"I get it... You mean, we rob them?" Chen Ke gestured with his hand.

"We haven’t been active for a long time, and it seems the County Police aren’t investigating the bank heist anymore. The money laundering window has reopened due to the underground market’s activity..." said Pihom, nodding his head.

"I suppose you already have a plan... right?" Chen Ke asked.

"Currently, there are a few targets we could hit, but we haven’t drawn up a detailed plan yet, because I was planning to discuss it with you guys first before deciding," Pihom said with a smile.

"Back to the topic of the gun store... Are you sure you want to close it down? Without the gun store as a cover, a bunch of men coming and going from a deserted shack... you know what I mean," Chen Ke said.

"There’s no customer traffic for a gun store in the Opportunity City Lower District, Chen Ke. I’m not going to lie, the only person who’s bought ammunition from me so far... was you," Pihom said.

"How’s Opportunity City these days? At least I think Raffi Road is still quite lively, and there hasn’t been a wave of unemployment," Chen Ke said.

"A lot of people have moved away. Raffi Road and Holy Oak might end up being the only places with inhabitants. Honestly, I’m starting to hate this city; it’s become a bit cold-hearted," Pihom replied.

Chen Ke sighed. When he had taken the taxi to the gun store earlier, he had already noticed that the streets of Gun Tie District were even more deserted, and at least 80% of the shops along the street had closed down.

With no pillar industry and all the land monopolized by the Spiritual Businesses, the future of Opportunity City would become a "quarantine zone" not fit for living, scattered with black boxes for these Spiritual Business investigators to enter and retrieve Holy Relics and materials.

However, it wasn’t just Chen Ke who knew this; the top brass of these Spiritual Businesses must also be aware of what was truly valuable.

The Great Void. That was what they really wanted to explore, to complete the cycle and gain loot far more precious than any Holy Relics, but the average person probably didn’t have the ability to complete that cycle.

"Come on, down here. Remember you mentioned wanting to switch guns before?" Pihom reminded him.

Chen Ke certainly remembered. He wanted a pistol with an integrated suppressor, to avoid the hassle of screwing it on and off every time he used it. Plus, a gun holster wouldn’t fit a pistol with an attached suppressor; it was just too long.

"Model 67? Has Priskin finished modifying it for me?" Chen Ke asked with a smile.

"It’s been a lot of work since that gun is so old and had many issues, the biggest problem being its lack of power. We spent quite some effort balancing the silence effect and firepower," Pihom explained.

The two men walked down the familiar alley to the safe house, which looked different now, with many decorations packed up and the television on the wall taken down.

"Are you moving?" Chen Ke couldn’t help asking.

He saw Hall sitting in the corner on a stool, playing with a PSP, so he greeted Hall, who nodded in return.

"We’re scouting for a new place, probably heading south. There’s no opportunity left in Opportunity City, Chen Ke," Priskin said, emerging from the small house holding a small box.

Chen Ke didn’t say anything. He still had unfinished business here; he had yet to meet the patriarch of Si’s consortium face to face, and without concluding this matter—even if the patriarch didn’t have the answers he sought, he must know something worth revealing.

And then there was Diana, living on Raffi Road, and also an employee of the Administration Bureau—she was very unlikely to move. And Sam...

It’s not easy to make a couple of friends, and the thought of leaving this city made Chen Ke somewhat reluctant to let go.

"Of course, it won’t be so soon, Chen Ke. I haven’t mentioned it because we don’t even know where to go yet. Unless Gun Tie District turns into black boxes overnight, we won’t be leaving anytime soon," Pihom said.

Priskin handed the box to Chen Ke, which indeed contained the modified Model 67 pistol.

Just as Pihom had said, to balance the sound suppression and firepower, and to maintain the original length of the gun, many parts had been replaced, with some components even custom-crafted by Priskin himself.

The entire gun was re-fitted with polymer materials, and the originally short handle had been remodeled, changing both its material and style.

The most notable feature was the sleeve of the Model 67 pistol, which was also part of the suppressor— the original was cylindrical, but it had been changed to a square shape, making the barrel thicker than before.

"This gun now fires DVC05 subsonic bullets produced by Fei Huang, with an effective range of around 150 meters. Of course, the optimal combat range is still within 50 meters... because the gun, due to power and silencing, isn’t very accurate at medium range," Priskin explained.

Chen Ke handled the gun for a moment—it was about the same length as a full-sized Glock 17, only the ammunition might be hard to come by. Those subsonic bullets were nowhere near as common as 9mm ones, and the magazine could only hold a maximum of 9 rounds.

"It might not be suitable for head-on combat, but if you want to silently snuff someone out, then this is good enough," Chen Ke assessed.