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Chapter 32: Char Corporation
Chapter 32: Char Corporation
Are the holes in the target quite large?
Upon hearing the female police officer's question, the range manager in charge of changing the targets couldn't help but pause in surprise.
Does this mean that the young man not only hit the target by chance but also did so more than once?
Skeptical, the manager picked up the binoculars hanging around his neck and took a look at the target range. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his face was filled with incredulity.
Long-range shooting, and he hit the target with six shots?
That young man fired at the 500-meter long-range target, and he only took around twenty shots? He managed to achieve almost a third of the shots on target?
This... The police department isn't a military department specializing in firearms. While they might be on par in terms of combat, finding someone who can shoot this accurately is quite rare.
In the entire King's City, there are over thirty thousand people across all police stations, and those who can shoot long-range targets with guaranteed accuracy are so few they could probably be counted on two hands!
That young man from earlier, how old was he? Could it be that he started handling guns from the womb?
"?"
Watching the manager's expression change repeatedly, as if discovering that Teddy was pressing the Tibetan Mastiff to unleash a barrage of attacks, the female police officer couldn't help but frown deeply. She then explained, "You don't need to be nervous. I just saw that person shooting and asked casually. I don't mean to cause him any trouble.
Practicing such a dangerous thing may not be good, but as long as he doesn't use it during missions, it's none of my business!"
"Huh? Oh, oh!"
The range manager, barely registering what the female police officer was saying, snapped out of his shock. He recalled his previous conversation with his colleague, and his dark face instantly turned red with embarrassment.
The young man had the confidence to request the 500-meter target, and he was indeed capable of hitting it. But the manager, feeling superior due to his age, had strongly advised him to switch to the 250-meter target. Later, he didn't even bother to check the target and directly assumed the young man wouldn't hit a single shot. Now, thinking about it, he felt utterly ashamed.
Mumbling incoherently, the embarrassed manager awkwardly left and hurried back to change the target. Meanwhile, the female police officer took the opportunity to check the registration form at the entrance of the shooting range.
"The previous person... Leon?"
S
Lian... Why is it someone from the Lionheart Duke's family again?
The next morning, just as dawn broke, the diligent worker Leon set out once more, accompanied by the chilly autumn wind, on his way to work.
It wasn't that Leon had to wake up so early; rather, the distance from the Veteran Alley, where his family lived, to the city administrative zone where the Cleanup Bureau was located, was about five kilometers. To cover this distance on foot would take around an hour, so he had no choice but to get up early.
As for why he didn't take the tram or steam carriage and other public transportation... One could say that while public transportation is nominally 'public,' the high fees of one copper wheel every three kilometers directly excluded over half of the residents in the King's City from using it.
Leon, who worked at the Cleanup Bureau, earned over sixty thousand copper wheels annually and could afford this transportation. However, the 'Haut' cigarettes he bought for the Black Sheep were incredibly expensive, costing three silver wheels per pack. After spending all his outdoor allowance of two gold wheels, he was left with almost no money.
Walking for an hour in the cold wind was indeed challenging, but compared to the hardship of having no money, it was still a happier choice. Moreover, walking to work seemed to have some benefits... At the very least, he could enjoy a cup of warm coffee.
"Boss, one strong coffee and two slices of toast."
Lyon, a regular customer, skillfully squeezed into the coffee stall's tent, his body hunched against the cold wind. He carefully untied the scarf around his neck and found a spot closest to the stove to sit down.
The coffee vendor, a familiar face to Lyon, nodded in acknowledgment. The vendor tightened his apron visibly but secretly pulled out the drawer containing the ham slices, allowing the aroma of the heated meat to escape. With a mischievous smile, he asked, "How about some butter? Do you want to add ham?"
Lyon hesitated, gazing at the vendor's mischievous smile.
A cup of coffee without butter would only cost half a copper coin, but adding butter would require a whole copper coin, and adding ham would cost an additional half coin.
Lyon had only spent two copper coins on transportation from home to the Cleanup Bureau. If he added butter and ham, he would have essentially walked five kilometers for nothing.
But...
The warm, sweet scent of butter filled the air, and the sizzling sound of ham fat melting under high heat was tantalizing. The aroma of the melting fat was so enticing that the word "no" suddenly became a struggle to utter.
"Today's not as cold as yesterday, and there aren't many customers. I've cooked more ham slices, so I might not sell them all..."
As if reading Lyon's internal struggle, the vendor, with a jovial face, chuckled and offered a deal, "How about this... If you add ham today, I'll give you a discount of half a copper coin. Consider it a special price for a loyal customer, and you'll be helping my business too. What do you say?"
Lyon's resolve wavered as he smelled the enticing aroma. He patted his empty wallet and glanced at his thin arms before gritting his teeth and nodding firmly.
There were only three days left until the Cleanup Bureau's payday. After deducting the cost of treating the Red-Haired Chief to a drink, Lyon estimated he would still have seven or eight gold coins deposited. He could afford these two copper coins!
Moreover, after picking up the new anomalous creature from the Red-Haired Chief later, Lyon had to go to the Water Supply Company for an investigation. He probably wouldn't be able to eat at the Police Department's free mess hall for lunch, so he needed a good breakfast to have the energy for his fieldwork.
"Alright!"
The vendor nodded with a wide smile and took out the remaining ham slices. With nimble hands, he drizzled some homemade sauce on the bread and placed it on the stone slab above the charcoal stove. Lyon, who had been frugal for years, felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
To ease his discomfort, Lyon raised his head and averted his gaze from the two "copper coins" heating on the stone slab. He struck up a conversation with the vendor to pass the time.
"Boss, what's your name?"
"Char, the Char from Char Corporation."
Someone running a small stall outdoors must be a social person. The vendor, with a mischievous smile, replied, "Guest, no need for formalities. Just call me Old Char."
Char Corporation... Char Company? That name belonged to the Water Supply Company, the bastards who polluted the public water pipes!
(End of Chapter)
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