CHAPTER 402: CHAPTER 348 MILITARY SALES DEAL_1

This sight, this scene...

If outsiders were unaware of the relationship between the three individuals, they might indeed believe Yan Xing was an arms dealer, peddling weapons to Marquis Anderson, commander of the Wildwind Highlands Legion.

However, it was common knowledge that the situation between Eternal Domain and Storm City was on a knife-edge.

If both sides continued their arms race incessantly, war would surely break out come spring.

Under such circumstances, Yan Xing was actually looking to sell weapons to Marquis Anderson.

Moreover, these were the active-duty equipment of his own military forces.

What was he trying to do? Had he gone mad?

Of course, Yan Xing hadn’t gone mad.

He was broke!

The current Yan Xing only appeared superficially prosperous; in reality, all his previously accumulated family wealth had been depleted.

This included the one million Gold Coins plundered from the Orc Treasury; everything had been poured into restructuring the army.

Before the troops set out, provisions go first. When the cannons fire, thousands of Gold are spent in an instant.

The daily food expenses alone for an army of one hundred thousand front-line and second-line troops amounted to a colossal sum. Furthermore, in preparation for war, the Eternal Domain’s army underwent extremely intense training, necessitating high-quality rations to meet equally high standards.

Clothing, boots, helmets, armor, canteens, medicine, field rations... all had to be ordered from the real world.

Then there was the cement, rebar, and barbed wire needed for constructing defensive lines.

Tens of millions were spent, disappearing without so much as a ripple.

And, due to his inherited "insufficient firepower syndrome," Yan Xing, in his effort to minimize losses in defensive battles, did his utmost to stockpile light and heavy machine guns, along with small and large-caliber artillery, cramming them into every company, battalion, and regiment.

Many weapons that Eternal Domain’s Alchemy Laboratory couldn’t produce were acquired from the real world through connections.

Fortunately, Renlun Investment Bank had many friendly contacts, allowing him to obtain some obsolete weapons more cheaply.

But "cheap" was relative; they certainly weren’t selling them by the pound.

Additionally, the core components for producing vehicles, aircraft, and Gryphon Armor all had to be purchased.

Eternal Domain’s ability to assemble a battle-ready army in such a short period was, frankly, achieved by throwing money at the problem.

Once war began, Storm City would undoubtedly impose a full blockade on Eternal Domain. Eternal Domain itself would also tighten control over personnel entering and exiting its territory, and the inflow of funds faced the possibility of being slashed in half.

This was also why Yan Xing had previously intended to manufacture transport planes in large quantities.

Meeting Marquis Anderson this time, Yan Xing was suddenly struck with the idea of selling him some weapons.

The rifles produced by Eternal Domain could indeed hit targets over a thousand meters away. However, without professional scopes, their true effective firing range was within 400 meters.

Most combat engagements occurred within 200 meters.

Selling Marquis Anderson 1,000 rifles and 20,000 rounds of ammunition wouldn’t significantly impact the overall war situation, but Yan Xing could secure a solid 2 million Gold Coins from it.

The production cost of a single rifle in Eternal Domain was merely one-twentieth of a Gold Coin.

Two million Gold Coins were enough for Yan Xing to equip an additional main force of 50,000 troops.

Yan Xing stated his price and awaited Marquis Anderson’s reply.

Seeing that Yan Xing wasn’t joking and was genuinely serious, Anderson considered it carefully.

The asking price of 2,000 Gold Coins per rifle was somewhat higher than he had anticipated. However, considering his relationship with Yan Xing, the price wasn’t exorbitant.

After all, these were Alchemical Weapons.

Moreover, the Mages of Cloud Tower apparently hadn’t figured out how Thunderous Swamp managed to produce such precise, yet inexpensive, Alchemical Weapons.

If an Alchemist were to craft one, the barrel alone would require about a full day of meticulous forging and careful engraving.

What astonished the Mages of Cloud Tower most was that rifles from Eternal Domain could be disassembled, their parts interchanged with those from other rifles, and then reassembled into fully functional firearms.

Although Cloud Tower also had its own standard metrological indicators, achieving the level of standardization seen in Thunderous Swamp, to the point of mass-producing any alchemical equipment, was impossible for them.

To gain a deeper understanding of Thunderous Swamp’s Alchemy Technology, the Mages of Cloud Tower hoped Marquis Anderson could procure more weapons and equipment from Eternal Domain.

However, Anderson had already exhausted many methods just to acquire a few rifles.

Now, Eternal Domain had become even more vigilant, making it exceedingly difficult to obtain a large quantity of their weapons anytime soon.

"Lord Yan Xing, are you truly willing to sell me the rifles currently in use by Eternal Domain?" Anderson asked, seeking confirmation.

Yan Xing laughed. "Sell them? Why wouldn’t I? Marquis, haven’t you always purchased woven bags, flight goggles, and various vehicles from my Eternal Commerce Guild? To me, rifles are just another commodity."

"Alright, I’ll take one thousand! Lord Yan Xing, when can you deliver?" Anderson placed his order decisively.

Two million Gold Coins was a significant sum, more than he could personally afford, but Cloud Tower had ample funds.

Goblin Alchemy Factories were spread throughout the world. The Mages of Cloud Tower, who armed the Wildwind Highlands Legion with vast quantities of Alchemical Weapons, wouldn’t bat an eye at this expense.

To them, this amount of money was but a drop in the ocean.

Technology, on the other hand, was priceless.

Yan Xing hadn’t expected Marquis Anderson to accept the 2 million Gold Coin price for the lot without even haggling.

Such extravagance... compared to my own empty pockets.

"For the goods requested by the Marquis, I will naturally prioritize their supply. One thousand rifles and twenty thousand rounds of ammunition can be dispatched from Eternal Domain immediately; they will arrive in Nuta City by tomorrow.

"I wonder if the Marquis is interested in Eternal Domain’s Beak Eagle Transport Planes? Using transport planes to move personnel and supplies is far more efficient and convenient than using airships."

When it came to business, Yan Xing’s enthusiasm surged.

However, he also knew what he could sell and what he couldn’t.

These transport planes are bulky. Even if Anderson were to acquire them, they wouldn’t pose any significant threat to me on the battlefield.