Chapter 31: MIni Flintlock

Chen Xie was quite satisfied with the service provided by the nervous girl. Throughout the process, she remained somewhat tense, the reason unknown, but it was not hard to see the caution and conflict in her eyes. It was precisely this discovery that made the sensitive Chen Xie very straightforward. A girl who had just graduated from school, working in such a place, encountering some clients' extra service harassment, was said to be quite normal.

Back at the sales office, Chen Xie saw Yang Lili standing at the door, smiling and standing elegantly. "Society really can temper a person," Chen Xie thought to himself, remembering how proud the class literature committee member used to be.

Chen Xie, who always advocated being kind to others, naturally smiled, jumped off the electric scooter, and said, "Sorry, sorry, old classmate, I was a bit rude just now. I was thinking of treating you to dinner tonight to celebrate our reunion."

In Chen Xie's memory, he was a quiet boy with little influence on those around him. Yang Lili did not expect Chen Xie to take the initiative, nor did she plan to snatch this deal. She just wanted to leave a good impression for the future. For this purpose, she waited here. If she had just entered society, she wouldn't have done this. After countless setbacks, change was inevitable.

"Chen Xie, you're too polite. I was waiting here to ask if you need any help with the house purchase," Yang Lili said. Her observational skills were good, and Qiu Lihua's ability to hide her excitement was poor; anyone could see the joy on her face.

"Mr. Chen, I'll go find the manager," Qiu Lihua said hurriedly, appearing a bit anxious and impolite. This was a sign of inexperience, and Yang Lili kindly reminded her, "Qiu Lihua, why don't you invite the guest in to rest? The manager won't run away, why are you in such a hurry?"

Seeing Qiu Lihua's embarrassment, Chen Xie smiled and waved casually, "No problem, let's go in together." This reaction surprised Yang Lili. Chen Xie's demeanor was completely natural and authoritative, as if to say, "This is a trivial matter." The three of them went in and sat on the sofa, and Chen Xie gestured for Qiu Lihua to go about her business.

"Old classmate, where are you making your fortune?" Yang Lili asked, and Chen Xie, who was well-prepared, replied, "I'm doing some logistics business with friends, and I've had some luck, earning a bit of money. By the way, I've chosen the house, and I really need your help with the renovation."

Yang Lili straightened her back and her eyes brightened, "Oh, what kind of help can I provide?"

Chen Xie's eyes quickly swept over the protruding area, capturing the slight undulations.

"I'm too busy with business to find someone to do the renovation. If Lili has time, could you help me find a renovation company and keep an eye on things? I often have to travel, and it's quite normal for me to be away for one or two months. I really don't feel comfortable without someone to supervise."

This was a reasonable request, and there was nothing to criticize. Moreover, Yang Lili did not think Chen Xie had fallen for her so quickly.

"Is your girlfriend also very busy?" she asked cautiously. Chen Xie smiled bitterly, "I don't have a girlfriend. It's not about high or low standards; you know my situation. In the past, others didn't look up to me, and later, I was too busy with work to find one."

Yang Lili instantly showed her brightest smile, adjusted her posture modestly, and secretly blamed herself for eating too much at noon. "Is my little belly going to stick out?"

"Recommending a renovation company is easy. Our model house was done by a company I contacted. I can help supervise, but you have to treat me to a good meal, or it would be too unfair."

This request was impossible to refuse. A girl who claimed to be dieting but continued to enjoy food was something Chen Xie always considered a commendable quality. Yes, cuteness index +1.

This was a brief but very relaxed chat. Chen Xie hadn't enjoyed such a relaxed time in modern society for a long time. When Qiu Lihua and the manager hurried over, Chen Xie frowned slightly and shrugged at Yang Lili.

"Mr. Chen, Lihua has already given me a detailed report. My maximum discount is two points. I wonder if you are satisfied?" The manager was a very capable woman, looking to be in her thirties, wearing a well-fitted OL outfit, with stockings as standard.

"Two points? Alright! Can we sign the contract now? I have a lot of things to do recently, and I need to get this done this afternoon." Chen Xie's straightforwardness made Qiu Lihua feel as if she had been struck by happiness, making the world seem more colorful.

The procedures were processed quickly, and mobile banking transfers were very convenient. However, when Chen Xie's domestically produced phone, which he had bought for over a thousand yuan, appeared, it sparked some well-meaning speculations. For example, money is indeed saved, or that he was so rich but still supported domestic products, or that the tastes of rich bosses were really varied.

In fact, this phone was given to Chen Xie as a gift for topping up his phone credit.

Sitting next to Wu Qing was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, who sat quietly like an invisible person, not intending to speak. When facing Chen Xie again, Wu Qing became much more confident. In the past twenty minutes, she had sneakily glanced at the man thirty-three times.

Across from the man was the virtual beauty Wu Qi, still wearing sunglasses, looking very cold and cool.

The conversation took place in the office of She Tian Company. Wu Qing gave a detailed introduction of the product production situation. Five hundred crossbows, half of which had already been produced. She hinted that they could pay a bit more.

Chen Xie was very interested in the man, who was named Fang Gang. He had a chiseled face, steady and resolute, which appealed to women like Wu Qing. Dr. Chen was not gay; he was interested because the man had brought a flintlock gun.

"The money issue can be discussed later. Introduce the flintlock gun first."

Wu Qing promptly shut up, moved to the side, and looked at Fang Gang with loving eyes.

Fang Gang, who had been quiet, suddenly seemed like a different person, picking up the flintlock gun and starting to talk non-stop.

"Based on your requirements, rifled, front-loading, flintlock gun, I can't help but recommend this 1849 French Minie flintlock gun." Fang Gang skillfully disassembled the gun into a pile of parts in a few moves.

"What you see now is a modern industrial replica. Each part is a standard piece, making it easy to disassemble and reassemble." He reassembled the gun with a few quick movements, tightened the last screw, and continued, "The caliber is 17.8 mm, using Minie bullets, with a maximum range of 1000 meters and an effective range of 550 meters. I've done these experiments, and the condition for accurate shooting is the addition of an optical sight. From the perspective of a hobbyist, the optical sight is not necessary, and the 550-meter accurate shooting data is somewhat redundant. Personally, 200 meters is about the limit of normal human vision, and beyond that distance, even with good eyesight, it's hard to hit the target accurately."

At this point, Chen Xie couldn't help but interject, "Isn't it said online that half of the Japanese veterans could hit targets accurately at 800 meters?"

Fang Gang gave Chen Xie a look of utter disdain and said coolly, "You can try it yourself. See if you can spot a human-shaped target 800 meters away. Not to mention a head hidden behind cover."

Chen Xie wisely changed the subject, "Let's get back to the gun."

Fang Gang nodded, not intending to argue, and continued, "The key to the Minie rifle is the rifling and the bullet." He pulled out a box from his bag, opened it, and revealed a round-headed cylindrical bullet.

"The rifling, animal fat, cork, and the bullet being slightly smaller than the caliber are the key factors that made rifled guns replace smoothbore guns, solving the problems of poor gas seal and slow loading. These are known to hobbyists, but the remaining issue is the legal problem." Fang Gang added humorously, implying that even front-loading flintlock guns are regulated in China, and manufacturing and selling them is illegal.

Chen Xie's heart rate suddenly accelerated, and his good mood plummeted. He subconsciously glanced at Wu Qi.

Wu Qi, who had been silent and cold, now looked at Chen Xie and said coolly, "Are you sure you want to ask for help?" Chen X