Finally, I've figured it out!

After settling matters with his mailbox, Xiao Bai hurried back to the Tavern's Trading Zone and approached a seller he'd been eyeing. He initiated private messaging to begin negotiations.
After a spirited back-and-forth, both parties compromised. Xiao Bai secured a nearly brand-new Precision Rifle for 260 Contribution points.
Whether it was effective or not didn't matter; he was buying it for Absorption. He wanted to test if he could extract corresponding components from relatively intact equipment and then reassemble them into the latest model.
Therefore, he specifically requested that the seller disassemble the rifle into parts before shipping it.
He had already tried smashing fully assembled items he owned, but that method yielded only a few consolation parts at best. He was curious to see what he could actually Absorb from disassembled components.
Fortunately, the seller was also from C City. A few hours later, three wooden crates stuffed with foam debris were delivered to Xiao Bai's newly rented warehouse by a Forklift Robot.
An alert immediately popped up on Xiao Bai's warehouse management app. Tapping it brought up a live feed from the surveillance camera, along with options to command the Forklift Robot to open the crates and perform inspections.
Xiao Bai tried it out. The robot retracted its forks, extended another mechanical arm, and lifted the lid. It then granted Xiao Bai access to the arm's camera and controls, allowing him to inspect the contents up close.
After testing it, he found it remarkably convenient, which eased his resentment over the rental cost somewhat.
"You know, expensive things really are expensive for a reason..."
After a quick inspection of the goods, Xiao Bai instructed the robot to withdraw. He then took out his 'Letterbox' and established a 'Vortex' connection between the warehouse and his storage space.
However, the ripples in the air caused by the Vortex were invisible in the surveillance footage until Xiao Bai extended his mechanical arm. Suddenly, a segment of mechanical structure materialized out of thin air, which was rather startling.
To avoid alarming anyone, Xiao Bai deleted the surveillance footage after retrieving all the parts. With that, he completed the delivery.
"It's a shame the Absorption Ray has a distance limit and can only be emitted from my chest. If it could come from my Mechanical Arm, I could directly store these parts in my Storage Space—it would be so much more convenient."
Xiao Bai grumbled, then gathered the five sets of components together. He rubbed his hands, eliciting a series of creaks and cracks.
"Now, it's time to witness a miracle!"
With that, he deliberately lifted the Little Milk Cat with his Mechanical Arm and placed it on his head, hoping it would bring him some luck. Then, he activated the Absorption Ray and swept it over the components.
The parts transformed into a pile of scrap metal, accompanied by a Panel Notification:
[1 Recyclable Part absorbed.]
Xiao Bai's heart sank at the sound.
But another notification immediately followed:
[1 Precision Rifle Component absorbed.]
Xiao Bai froze for a moment, then let out a triumphant shout:
"Yes! The 200+ Contribution wasn't wasted after all! I finally figured it out!"
The Little Milk Cat on his head seemed to be infected by his elation, waving its tiny paws and mewing softly.
"Good, good, good. You've earned a reward today. I'll treat you to some cat canned food later."
Xiao Bai spoke happily, glancing at the newly acquired components to see how many more he needed to assemble them.
"Damn, nine more sets of components? This demand is getting a bit too urbanized, isn't it?"
"But there are actually three synthesis directions: a standard rifle that only consumes parts and alloys; a bio-rifle that uses chitin; and an intelligent rifle that requires electronic components and computational chips."
"Kids make choices, but adults take everything!"
"If I could get more basic materials or other components, would there be even more options?"
"It's a pity I don't have enough components to see the final products of the other two options. I need to get some more. Fortunately, there's a good place to farm contributions right now."
Xiao Bai prepared to go to Virtual Battlefield to farm some more contributions, but he didn't forget about the Little Milk Cat. He first went to the shopping platform and bought him some "9.9 yuan" toys with free shipping, then picked out a cartoon-style cat tree and snapped up a batch of cat cans.
Only then did he open the simulation program and say with a smile:
"Newbies, your Top Big Shot is back!"

"Big Shot, how do you practice your shooting skills? I also picked the Precision Rifle, but I can't hit anything!"
"Big Shot, let's play another round! My entire semester's credits depend on you!"
"Big Shot! Add me as a friend! I'll do anything!"
"What kind of awakening allows you to say something like that?"
Faced with his four teammates' desperate pleas, Xiao Bai remained cold-hearted and exited the room, starting a new matchmaking session.
The "Raven" moniker had gained some weight. Not only was he no longer the object of ridicule as before, but he even encountered a humorous scene where all five mechs in the room had identical builds, prompting everyone to copy the setup.
Xiao Bai went on a killing spree, quickly claiming the Top Big Shot spot in ten scenarios. When he matched again, he found himself in a scenario he'd already played.
"Only ten scenarios prepared? That's not enough for grinding!"
Xiao Bai grumbled, then clicked "Ready." The four teammates immediately began chattering again:
"Wow! It's actually Raven Big Shot! So cool! Big Shot, Big Shot, let me be your support, okay?"
"I'll do recon, I'll do recon! I saw someone in the public chat say that if you encounter Raven Big Shot, you can only see the monsters if you play recon."
"Big Shot, add me as a friend? I'm a girl, and I can fly..."
"Damn it, at least use a voice changer if you're gonna pretend to be a girl!"
Xiao Bai didn't respond. He simply waited patiently for them to finish talking, then swiftly completed the process.
Since it was his second run, he was naturally more familiar with the mechanics and effortlessly refreshed his record, shaving several minutes off his previous time.
However, he didn't receive the top-tier reward again.
"What's going on here? Are you trying to ruin my fun?"
Unhappy, Xiao Bai opened the game's "Feedback" section and vented, complaining about the low difficulty, lack of scenarios, and insufficient rewards.
He didn't expect a response, but perhaps due to the reputation of the "Raven" name, he soon received a reply from a game administrator:
"My apologies for failing to satisfy you, Big Shot..."
The administrator then explained that the Simulation Program was primarily designed for beginners and students. Even the current difficulty level was causing most users to cry out in frustration, demanding it be lowered.
Regarding the number of scenarios, the pursuit of extreme realism required extensive time for adjustments and refinement. New scenarios would not be available for some time.
As for contributions, the project had been allocated limited funding. Higher funding would only be approved after further improvements.
Finally, the administrator recommended trying PVP, where the contribution rewards were substantial, and there were many skilled players.
Xiao Bai expressed understanding but politely declined the suggestion.
Because his 'Anchor' was fully charged.

Chapter end