Munitions Empire

Recently, Gis hadn't been going to his own office much, because inside, he had killed a large number of craftsmen in one fell swoop.

The gaps between the floorboards there might occasionally still ooze red bloodstains, which he found disgusting.

As much as he was ruthless and brutal in killing, he still found those bloodstains nauseating and felt they tainted his refined tastes.

In a new room, his side was again filled with craftsmen, their faces etched with difficulty, each of them silent as if chilled to the bone.

They had all been newly promoted to managers, or rather, persons in charge. These individuals were talented in the technical field, and they were there to report on the results of their experiments in the recent period.

A craftsman, drenched in sweat, finally stepped forward after being nudged by his peers and started to explain, "Sir, we truly cannot concoct this formula... It's too enigmatic, we have no idea where to even begin."

"We've exhausted all means of reverse engineering, but its components become extremely unstable under certain conditions, yet very stable under others... It... It's too complex, we don't have any good solutions..." The craftsman's voice trailed off as he spoke.

He also knew that Shireck paid very high salaries to sustain them, these technical craftsmen, but now their technology had been surpassed by another group.

This was not good news, as it meant their wages and salaries had gone to waste. To Shireck, the money was not a pity, but the situation itself infuriated him.

Furthermore, the fact that they couldn't even reverse-engineer the opponent's technology was even more embarrassing.

Standing here at this moment, he could clearly feel his calves trembling uncontrollably with fear.

Sitting there, Gis was also calculating; he had already killed several craftsmen with formidable skills, all of whom were Shireck Company's intangible assets.

Getting rid of those people wasn't entirely due to his cruelty, but because he needed to put pressure on his subordinates, sufficient pressure to make them quickly and exhaustively reverse-engineer the opponent's technology.

Under the threat of death, these well-paid craftsmen would definitely work themselves to the bone and produce the results he wanted.

But now, after nearly a month of experimenting, these craftsmen had not come up with the desired formula for the ignition device. This meant that Shireck's technology was truly incapable of replicating this item.

Some people aren't even afraid of death, and stand here explaining, but that only means one thing: incompetence! These people are incompetent! They cannot replicate the opponent's technology; they can't produce the item Shireck wants, not even at the cost of their lives!

"Ah... it really is bothersome." Gis rubbed his forehead and waved his hand to cut off the other party's excuses. His eyes swept over the craftsmen who were silent as death, like a hawk scouring its prey.

"You... have disappointed Shireck's high expectations!" He stood up, his face turning very ugly: "Now, get out! Get out!"

A group of people, as if granted amnesty, quickly filed out one after the other from Gis's room. Gis scratched his head and spoke to himself in frustration: "You really are annoying! Incompetent and swarming in numbers, not even fit for killing..."

He couldn't possibly kill all these craftsmen because he still needed people to work in Shireck's workshops. Even though he had the impulse to kill, at this moment, he had to suppress such thoughts.

"Sir..." One of his subordinates stepped forward, ready to say something to Gis.

But his words were also cut off by Gis: "Shut up! I have already been given a deadline from above; either pay up or kill, in any case... this matter needs to be dealt with!"

"You, go to Ronin Fisallo immediately! No matter what condition you offer, make him remain neutral in the upcoming events!" Gis commanded coldly as he looked into his subordinate's eyes: "Whether he agrees or not, beg him properly!"

"Yes, Sir!" The subordinate, knowing that whatever he said his master had already made arrangements, could only swallow hard and nod slightly.

After this person left the room, Gis turned to another underling: "Prepare the carriage! Select some fine wines for me, and other gifts... only the best! I need to take a trip to Brunas... personally! Have Baus accompany me."

He had originally wanted someone from the Kingdom's military to accompany him to Brunas. But upon further thought, he felt it would be better to keep that person in King City in case of emergencies.

After all, he was just a manager from Shireck, and if he exhausted all of Shireck's pieces deployed in the Leite Kingdom, he would definitely face punishment.

So, after much consideration, he decided it would seem more sincere to have a goody-two-shoes accompany him, as a gesture of goodwill.

Upon hearing this news, the subordinate was immediately shocked and quickly tried to persuade, "My lord, in the past month, we have dispatched 5 groups of 'nails' to Brunas, but not a single group has sent back any intelligence! Brunas is obviously very dangerous now, no longer a place we can control..."

What he said was no exaggeration; Shireck indeed sent many small investigative squads to Northern Ridge. Upon entering the Brunas region, they lost all contact with Shireck and failed to send back even a sliver of useful information.

It was only with great difficulty that a team managed to send back some news, merely mentioning the area's extraordinary commercial prosperity, featuring various entertaining hotspots. These few words only added to the mystique of Brunas, serving no other purpose.

Then that very team that had managed to send back messages mysteriously vanished within Brunas, never to be found again. Everyone in Shireck knew that in Brunas, there seemed to be a secret power at play, already influencing events behind the scenes.

Gis looked at his subordinate, his face brimming with disdain, "To concoct such a grand spectacle right under our noses, if I don't go and see for myself, won't others laugh at me, Gis, for having the courage of a mouse?"

In fact, it wasn't rumors or gossip that drove him to personally visit Brunas in such haste, but the real threat hanging over his neck.

He may kill like mowing grass, but within the inner circles of Shireck, the higher-ups were very strict with those in charge like him.

Though they wouldn't kill him for a minor mistake, he would still face severe punishment if he botched his duties.

Recently, Shireck's entire setup in Suthers Kingdom and Leite Kingdom had been destroyed, and the higher-ups were already extremely dissatisfied with him for this responsibility.

However, to kill the chicken as a warning to the monkeys, after Suthers' defeat, Shireck dealt with the person responsible for the Suthers side, giving Gis a chance to redeem himself for his faults.

This opportunity to make amends was to somehow acquire new weaponry and restore Shireck to its position as the world's leading advanced weapons manufacturing group.

The order Shireck gave him was: at any cost! This command alone showed just how seriously those above regarded the matter.

Should anything go wrong again, his fate would be far worse than that of the person in charge of Suthers. Under such circumstances, he could no longer care about anything else and had to personally take action.

"My lord..." his subordinate still wanted to further advise him against it, but Gis waved his hand and interrupted him.

"Rest assured! I am going there to deliver money, not to pick a fight. With the Kingdom Minister accompanying me, it's not so easy for mishaps to occur," insisted Gis.

"My lord, please reconsider... for your safety..." The subordinate had the earnest look of someone who was genuinely loyal, a natural-born actor.

Yet Gis quite enjoyed the feeling of being cared for. He patted his subordinate's shoulder with satisfaction, appearing touched, though his words were vicious, "Working with you fools, I wouldn't even know who has defeated me if I ended up being butchered!"

"This subordinate will go prepare at once." The subordinate was not discouraged but departed the room with the same respectful demeanor.

Watching the fawning subordinate leave the room, Gis scornfully muttered, "Having to work with you lot is truly a despairing experience."

Gis checked to make sure the door was securely closed, then turned to his last trusted aide, "Go to Northern Ridge yourself... Let no one know, and if there's a chance, then..." His voice trailed off, growing fainter until it was almost inaudible, "Even though Beiji is the sharpest hound under me, in terms of ferocity, how could a dog... ever compare to a bear..."

His voice faded to the point of being barely audible, and the expression on the subordinate's face darkened as he responded in a low voice, "Yes!"

Outside in the corridor, Gis's subordinate summoned a servant, "Go to the master's cellar, fetch a few bottles of fine wine... he may have to personally go to Brunas."

"What does the lord want there..." A charming woman yawning as she passed by inquired seductively.

"What the lord does is not for us servants to question," the subordinate dared not offend the lady, who had unclear relations with Lord Gis. This widow would sometimes visit, often staying the night.

"Hurry! Go!" The subordinate dared not grumble at the Countess who had inherited her husband's nobility title, but he did scold the nearby servant in a low voice, "Don't delay the lord's business!"

The servant hurriedly rushed towards the wine cellar, while the attendant standing to the side bowed slightly, letting the two pass and glanced inadvertently towards Gis's office in the distance.

Soon, a note was secretly passed out of the manor. Not long after, a fast horse burst from the gates of King City, galloping non-stop toward the direction of Brunas.