Chapter 31: Modification

Li Mochen did not answer. He closed his eyes, gripping the gun handle, and carefully sensed it.

The magical arrays of America were completely different from the immortal arrays of the Original Dome Realm. Yet both systems had general patterns to follow in the use of spirit and magical energy.

Li Mochen had not undergone systematic study, so naturally he could not become an expert in magical arrays, but he could roughly judge the specific abilities of this handgun and how powerful they were.

This salesperson had not exaggerated anything, but whether it was the enhancement of bullets or the knockback effect, both were somewhat weak, essentially negligible.

However, you get what you pay for. For a magical handgun worth only 23,000 gold shields, one could not ask for more. At least the amplification effect of its magical array was relatively outstanding, greatly enhancing the power of magical bullets. Even the muzzle velocity of ordinary bullets could reach three times the speed of sound, and in his hands, it should be enough to threaten many outlaws who were not too powerful.

Next, Li Mochen picked up several other handguns, examining them one by one. But in the end, he turned back and chose the Alloy Hammer 3541. However, what he wanted to buy was not the one sold in the store.

"This type of gun, I want one without a criminal record or factory ballistic record. Can you provide that?"

He had to consider the possibility of using a firearm against humans under certain special circumstances.

"You're an expert!"

The salesperson laughed: "If it's the Alloy Hammer, we do have one in stock, modified and processed by a professional magical technician after leaving the factory. But the price might be a bit high, 27,000 gold shields, no discount. Can you accept that, customer?"

Li Mochen's face twitched. He thought he should check a few other gun shops for prices. 27,000 gold shields was really too much, almost the price of a legally purchased gun.

"Sir, if you want to buy this gun at a cheaper price, there might be someone in this black market who can offer a much lower price than us. But I think you shouldn't only consider the price factor. The gun's condition, reliability, after-sales service, the authenticity of the criminal record and factory ballistic record, and even the police, must all be taken into comprehensive consideration. And in this regard, our Black Mamba Firearms Retail Company has always been reputable."

The salesperson said, proudly spreading his hands: "In the black market of Laurel Street, not every gun shop like ours has clearly marked prices. Nor can every gun shop withstand pressure from certain government agencies. I think the word 'trust' should be priceless, shouldn't it? Especially for a newcomer like you just entering this world."

Li Mochen fell into deep thought, then said decisively: "A flat price of 25,000 gold shields, and give me 20 primary freezing bullets and 20 primary molten bullets. If I can't buy it at this price, I'll have to find another way."

"25,000 gold shields?"

The salesperson hesitated: "Then may I ask if you have a driver's license? I want to know if you have legal gun purchase qualifications."

Li Mochen was puzzled: "I have my driver's license, and I also have gun purchase qualifications."

In America, the driver's license was similar to the appointment documents, identity cards, tooth plaques, feather talismans, and travel permits of the Original Dome Realm.

This country had no household registration system. Governments at all levels in America generally obtained citizen information and Social Security numbers from the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles).

So in America, almost all adult citizens had a driver's license, which served as their identity proof. Whether boarding a plane or staying in a hotel, they had to show it.

But wasn't this Black Mamba gun shop a seller of illegal firearms?

"Then it's a deal!"

The sales assistant gave a slight smile, then made a gesture toward the rest area inside the store: "Please give me your driver's license and have a seat over there. I'll fetch the item for you shortly."

Li Mochen's lips twitched slightly, thinking that his opening price might still be too high. But there was no help for it—whether himself or the original owner, both were newcomers to this underground world and couldn't accurately gauge the true value of a gun.

He could only infer a rough estimate from the gun's materials and comparisons between various gun shops, knowing that the cost-performance ratio of firearms at this Black Mamba Gun Store was fairly reasonable.

According to the original owner's memories, this gun store indeed had an excellent reputation. Many gangsters in Atlanta bought their first gun here, and there were many repeat customers, making it an undisputed leader in the underground gun market.

It wasn't the type that offered great value for money, but the prices weren't too outrageous either.

Correspondingly, this gun store was notorious in the local police department and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation, America's federal investigative agency).

Many unsolved shooting cases in Atlanta had leads pointing here, yet all ended inconclusively. This was what Li Mochen valued most.

When Li Mochen took out his driver's license and handed it over, the sales assistant's expression turned serious. He gave Li Mochen a deep look before walking toward the back door of the store.

About ten minutes later, he brought back another Alloy Warhammer 3541.

The gun looked to be in good condition, with all parts relatively new and no obvious signs of wear. Li Mochen immediately shot the sales assistant a questioning look—this didn't seem like it had been modified at all.

The latter remained composed and took out a stack of documents: "Mr. Wiltonshire, this is your second-hand gun purchase contract. Please sign it. Note that it's legal, with a proper invoice from Red Dragonfly Firearms Retail Company. We're providing consignment services here."

Then he pulled out another receipt, headed with "Cajun Gun Modification Shop," for an amount of three thousand gold shields: "Next, you can take this receipt to the Cajun Gun Modification Shop on the second floor of the garage. They'll replace the gun barrel for you. One thing must be mentioned: this gun was modified by you privately after purchase. We won't acknowledge anything else. I think you understand, sir?"

"Private modification?"

Li Mochen already understood the gist. In this way, even if the gun later got involved in legal trouble and the investigation traced back to Black Mamba Gun Store, the latter would have a solid firewall to shed legal responsibility for the gun.

This was likely a precaution against being betrayed by customers. If his guess was correct, that Cajun Gun Modification Shop would probably only exist for a few days.

Come to think of it, while waiting earlier, he had noticed that most buyers here didn't take guns directly from this store.

So that's it. A fictitious gun modification shop—enough to free the store from liability for selling illegal guns. No wonder Black Mamba had been around for so many years.

"You can rest assured, sir. Our Black Mamba Firearms Retail Company never breaks its word. We guarantee that no government agency will obtain your personal information from us. After you replace the gun barrel, you can come back here to use our trial shooting service. Oh, by the way, do you need more bullets? We have all types of magical energy bullets in various models, a complete range."

Li Mochen looked at the sales assistant's bright smile and understood in his heart. He probably now knew what Americans meant by 'the smile of an arms dealer.'

He then shook his head and put away his thoughts: "I also need thirty primary freezing bullets, fifty primary molten bullets, and five intermediate molten bullets."

"Understood!" The sales assistant quickly calculated on an electronic calculator: "Primary freezing bullets and primary molten bullets are ten gold shields each, intermediate molten bullets are one hundred gold shields each. That totals one thousand three hundred."

Li Mochen sighed again, thinking that this was the terrifying aspect of industrialization in the Western world.

These magical energy bullets were similar to the rune arrows in their world, but in the Primordial Dome, they were all handmade, far from being as cheap as magical energy bullets.

Earlier, when he learned from the original owner's memories that these primary magical energy bullets, inscribed with simple magical energy arrays, were already mass-produced on assembly lines, he had found it incredible and unbelievable. But now, it seemed it was absolutely true.