Chapter 148: The Laser Energy Gun

Seeing the freshly brewed tea on the table, Lin Feng did not hesitate to pick up the teapot, pour a full cup into an empty glass, and, despite the steam rising from the scalding liquid, took several hurried sips. After downing several cups in quick succession, he finally set the empty cup down with satisfaction and exhaled deeply. Having run all the way back without a moment to quench his thirst, Lin Feng now felt relieved.

“Why are you here in Yanjing?” Elder Lin, who had just sat down, asked curiously.

“Ah, it’s a long story. I’ve come to discuss something important with you,” Lin Feng replied with a sigh, recalling the difficult problem Zhao Ze had thrown at him.

Elder Lin was taken aback by the troubled expression on Lin Feng’s face—a look he had never seen before, not even in the face of formidable enemies when Lin Feng usually remained calm.

“Lin Feng, what’s wrong? Has something serious happened?” Elder Lin stood up, panic evident in his voice.

“No need to worry, Elder. It’s nothing grave, just some personal matters I want to discuss. There’s no cause for concern!” Lin Feng reassured him as he noticed Elder Lin’s growing anxiety.

Relieved, Elder Lin sat back down but still seemed a bit unsettled, feeling that Lin Feng’s predicament had somehow brought shame upon him, and he couldn’t help but glare at Lin Feng once more.

“Well, speak up. What kind of problem has brought you all the way from Zhanhai City to Yanjing to seek our advice?” Elder Lin asked sternly.

“This matter concerns my uncle as well. I’d like to talk to him too. Could you ask him to come back for a while?” Lin Feng requested.

Elder Lin looked at Lin Feng for a moment, then rose and went to his study to call Lin Chuanming, informing him to return home and briefly explaining the reason.

Before long, Lin Chuanming, summoned by Elder Lin, hurried back to the Lin family estate. Lin Feng, upon seeing his uncle arrive, gave Elder Lin a meaningful glance and led the way into the study.

“Alright, spill it! You mysteriously called your uncle back here—this personal matter of yours must be quite serious!” Elder Lin asked anxiously as the three entered the room.

“Yeah! Lin Feng, how can I help? Your company handles business affairs. If it were business matters, you should be talking to your father since he oversees the Lin family’s commercial interests,” Lin Chuanming added, looking at Lin Feng with curiosity.

If this had been a business issue, Lin Feng wouldn’t have needed to rush back home; he was fully capable of handling it himself. Unfortunately, this problem wasn’t something business could solve.

“Elder, Uncle, could the military sell me some weapons and equipment?” Lin Feng asked the two men in the study, his words startling.

“What? You want to buy weapons?” Lin Chuanming’s eyes widened in shock. Elder Lin said nothing but looked at Lin Feng with the same astonishment.

“Uncle, do I look like I’m joking?” Lin Feng said, exasperated by his uncle’s surprise.

“No, but why does a businessman like you need such things? Besides, you know that firearms are banned in China, and the military manages these strictly. The army wouldn’t sell to you,” Lin Chuanming said firmly, hoping to dissuade Lin Feng.

Seeing his uncle’s resolute stance, Lin Feng persisted, probing, “Is there really no way? What if I offer something in exchange?”

“Well… that’s beyond my authority. I can’t decide on that,” Lin Chuanming replied hesitantly.

“What do you plan to offer? If it’s something valuable, the military might make an exception. But even if they do trade with you, the weapons you get won’t be too advanced. What use would you have for them?” Elder Lin finally interjected. As the head of the Lin family—one of Yanjing’s ten great clans—and one of the few remaining elders of the nation, he spoke with confidence.

Lin Feng leaned forward eagerly and said, “Elder, please don’t worry about how I intend to use them; I assure you it won’t be within the country. I want to buy in large quantities and maintain a long-term relationship with the military, so I thought I’d see if such a deal is possible.”

Elder Lin regarded Lin Feng thoughtfully, seemingly guessing something but choosing not to press. Instead, he asked, “Such transactions have no precedent. It all depends on your sincerity. What are you willing to offer in exchange? If it’s truly valuable, I might be able to help you try.”

Lin Feng’s eyes lit up. “Rest assured, it’s something far beyond your imagination.”

“What exactly is this valuable thing? Stop dangling it and say it outright!” Lin Chuanming, suddenly intrigued, urged Lin Feng.

“Heh, a secret! Elder, you should talk to the higher-ups. The item I’m offering is a weapon. If the military can develop it for full deployment, China’s army would sweep the world!” Lin Feng teased, throwing out a tempting bait.

“What? Lin Feng, are you serious? You’re not joking?” Elder Lin fixed Lin Feng with a serious gaze, knowing his character well.

Lin Feng nodded firmly and mysteriously. If the Chinese military could be fully equipped with laser energy guns, as Mo Tian had provided, it would indeed dominate the world. Against current Earth technology, such weapons would be as easy to wield as slicing vegetables.

Elder Lin grew excited, and once he was certain Lin Feng was serious, he quickly grabbed his phone and called Elder Xie, asking him to come to the Lin residence to discuss an urgent matter.

If what Lin Feng claimed was true, this weapon could indeed enhance China’s military power significantly. As the exchanger, Lin Feng would surely be appreciated by the state, and the Lin family’s officials might receive national favor.

Elder Xie arrived swiftly, no doubt sensing the urgency in Elder Lin’s voice. Within an hour, he appeared hurriedly in the Lin family study.

“What? You’re saying Lin Feng wants to negotiate with the military to buy weapons on a long-term basis?” Minister Xie was shocked by Elder Lin’s words.

Receiving a confirming look from Elder Lin, Minister Xie rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Elder Lin, you haven’t lost your mind, have you? You’ve lived this long and still don’t know the rules. The state would never sell such things to an individual.”

Turning his gaze sharply to Lin Feng, he scolded, “What are you trying to do? Rebel? Why would you, a good citizen, think about buying weapons and negotiating long-term deals with the army? Such thoughts are outrageous.”

Disappointed, Minister Xie turned to leave, believing Lin Feng must have had important business to discuss, only to be met with such nonsense.

Seeing Minister Xie attempt to depart, Lin Feng called out, “Minister Xie, what if I offer something in exchange? Something very important to your military.”

Annoyed, Minister Xie waved him off. “No amount of trading will work. Give up now!” With that, he raised his leg to leave the study.

Elder Lin quickly stepped forward to calm Minister Xie, but the two elders ended up arguing. Just as Minister Xie was about to leave, Lin Feng shouted after him, “Minister Xie, I thought Elder Lin’s mention of a trade might get you interested. Your attitude was more stubborn than I expected! No matter. I’m just trying to negotiate as a fellow Chinese citizen. If you’re not interested, that’s fine—I’m sure other countries would welcome me.”

Hearing this, Minister Xie grew annoyed and turned back to say, “Don’t bother. This is impossible no matter what.”

“Heh, if China rejects a weapon that could sweep the world, I must have underestimated you all. Fine, I’ll talk to the United States or Russia’s military. Maybe they’ll trade several corps worth of equipment for it,” Lin Feng called after Elder Lin as he stepped toward the door.

His words had the desired effect. Hearing about a weapon capable of overwhelming the world, Minister Xie’s interest was piqued, and he returned to the study to ask, “Since you’re here, why not tell me what you’re offering as a bargaining chip?”

“I’m not interested in telling you. You should leave now. Sorry for disturbing you today—I’ll make it up to you another time. I don’t like the United States anyway, so I’ll head to Russia to negotiate with their military. They might be interested,” Lin Feng said with an air of bravado.

Minister Xie, irritated by Lin Feng’s teasing and refusal to reveal the secret, gritted his teeth in frustration.

Lin Feng continued to provoke him, standing up and grabbing his laptop bag from the study as he packed, muttering to himself, “Who would’ve thought China would turn down a laser energy gun? A single energy cell can fire 5,000 shots—equivalent to 5,000 bullets. One laser can pierce over ten centimeters of special steel plating, and it would only take a few shots to penetrate the deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier. Looks like Russia’s getting a bargain!” With that, he shook his head theatrically and prepared to leave.