"What kind of cooperation? How do we cooperate?" Uncle Shadow asked with great interest.
"I help you take down the Eight-Faced Buddha, and you destroy his base. How about that?" William, used to eliminating threats thoroughly, smiled as he suggested.
"That won't work. Our people can't go to the Thailand-Cambodia border for such a mission," Uncle Shadow shook his head and probed, "Is there a possibility to cooperate on what you just threw out?"
"Forget it. I was thinking of showing you something to sell, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work," William casually responded. This idea was just a tentative test, so it wasn't a big deal if it didn't work out. He reached into his pocket and took out a Black Edge Generation 2 drone from his storage space.
"Do you know how much I could sell this for in the USA or Britain?"
"How much?" Uncle Dao, staring at the drone no bigger than a finger, couldn't hide his admiration. Although China had drones, their technology was still somewhat lacking.
"The Black Edge Generation 2 drone. Its highest technological content is the super battery and intelligent system that I invented. Fully charged, it can fly for five hours at a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour. It can take pictures and record videos, and the transmission range between the controller and the drone is 15 kilometers. The more advanced version even has intelligent control and satellite guidance," William smirked. "I'm planning to sell it for 20 million dollars per set, with a minimum order of 100 sets."
"Hah! You wish," Uncle Shadow looked at William as if he were an idiot. "Do you think I'm a fool?"
"Of course not," William grinned. "Okay, I was just joking. I showed you this to let you know how advanced my tech is. Even if you could afford it, I wouldn't sell it to you. This is for my own use only. Not to brag, but just talking about the battery alone, your current technology couldn't reproduce it."
"What I recommend is the simplified Black Edge Generation 1. It's a bit bigger, about the size of four fingers," William said, gesturing with his hand. "It can take pictures and transmit footage, but the battery is weaker. Fully charged, it can fly for 25 minutes, with a range of 3.2 kilometers. Including the controller, it only weighs 2.3 kilograms, making it the perfect tool for special forces."
"How much?" Uncle Shadow gave William a sidelong glance. Money was a realistic issue, and this wasn't an era when China could easily afford expensive military technology.
"One million dollars per set," William smiled.
"Still too expensive. We don't have that kind of money to spend on this," Uncle Shadow sighed and shook his head.
"No rush, let me finish. I'm not asking for money. Even if I sold you 100 sets, that's only 100 million dollars, which is nothing to me. What I want in return are ancient Chinese artifacts, sapphires, chicken-blood stones, or Hetian jade. And give me operational clearance; I might take action in Macau to eliminate the Eight-Faced Buddha."
Uncle Shadow thought for a moment, then nodded. "That can be considered. I'll need to report it to my superiors. I'll let you know once I have news on operational clearance and cooperation. However, you should give me a sample."
"I don't use that stuff, so I don't have a sample on hand. If you're sure you want it, just let me know. It'll only take me about ten minutes to make one. Also, from now on, I only recognize you. Anyone else who contacts me, I won't acknowledge. So next time we meet, you'd better not have any official identity. It's better to play it safe than to be exposed as special forces."
"That's not up to me, but if the equipment is as good as you say, my retirement is 100% guaranteed."
"Haha," William laughed, pleased with the compliment. "By the way, I didn't catch your name."
"My name? That's an old question. Just call me—"
"Wait, don't give me some old-fashioned nickname like 'Shadow.'"
"Shen Cheng," Uncle Shen said. "I've used that name before, though not for long."
"Alright then," William tossed a basic phone to Shen Cheng. "If you need me, just press 1. Bye, I've got to find the Eight-Faced Buddha."
A gunfight had broken out at the yacht terminal, so William's plan to enjoy a yacht experience was out of the question. As soon as he stepped out of the waiting room, four men in suits with badges gestured for him to follow. With no obstacles, he was soon seated on a luxurious speedboat heading toward the Asian gambling city.
Sitting on the boat, William thought about the earlier conversation. It was a bit of a pity. He had intended to sell the stealth combat suit, something not too crucial, to China as a sort of repayment for certain feelings, but given China's current desire not to be caught in any compromising situation, he'd have to wait until next time.
Upon arriving at the Asian gambling city, William disembarked only to see Gunnar walking toward him, visibly agitated.
"BOSS, I need your help."
"What?" William asked, puzzled. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes," Gunnar replied anxiously. "I just got a call. My daughter Sophia was almost kidnapped. If it weren't for the bodyguards I hired, she would have been taken. I'd like to send her to your castle for a while and take some leave to handle certain matters."
"No problem. Send your daughter to London immediately. I'll have Abigail meet her when she arrives."
William's quick agreement didn't surprise anyone. Before William could ask further, Barney explained, "BOSS, the person behind the attempt on Gunnar's daughter is likely Viktor Popovich, a Serbian with current nationality in Russia. He traffics women from Thailand and Eastern Europe to the USA. After the last mission, Gunnar visited New Jersey to see Sophia and got involved in a shootout where he killed Viktor's son, Andrei. This time—"
William interrupted Barney, looking directly at Gunnar. "No need to explain. Gunnar, handle your business, and remember: if you have a vendetta, take out the whole family to avoid future problems."
"Understood, BOSS," Gunnar nodded firmly. Having suffered once, he wasn't about to risk a second time.
"Wait," William stopped Gunnar, then turned to Road and Caesar. "You two go with Gunnar. I don't want to hear about him getting killed. Sunday will arrange a private jet for you. Head to the airport now."
"Got it, BOSS," Road and Caesar responded without hesitation. Gunnar, about to decline, saw Barney shake his head.
"Alright, BOSS wouldn't send Road and Caesar if he wasn't sure. The sooner you go, the sooner you can take care of things," Barney said.
"Understood. Thanks," Gunnar replied, deeply grateful to William. Some words didn't need to be said aloud. He took Caesar and Road with him and left.
After seeing them off, William turned to Barney. "I'm still short on people. Do you have anyone suitable?"
Barney thought for a moment. "I know a fixer who has files on a lot of good people, but they're expensive."
William shook his head. "Price doesn't matter. It won't cost much. But you know I don't trust outsiders. I mean someone you trust 100%."
"There is one person I trust," Barney replied. "But I'm not sure which prison he's in right now. He's a great asset, but I don't even know if he's still alive. I trust the Doctor, but not like I trust the current team. After all, the Doctor's been locked up for six years."
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