Poverty makes me capable of anything.

"Ella, if you want to watch TV, watch it yourself," Anran said.

"Ah."

Ella nodded. She had been sitting next to Anran while she watched TV, nodding from time to time. I wonder what she had learned.

Anran got up, walked to the door, and just as her right hand touched the doorknob.

A door not far from her suddenly opened, and when she turned her head, she saw the sprightly old man, Gray, walk out.

It's finally out.

Their conversation lasted for an hour.

Following Gray came Colin, who was in a wheelchair, and Eudora, who was pushing a stroller.

"If there's nothing else, you can go now," Colin said.

Gray asked in surprise, "It's so late, aren't you going to invite me to stay for dinner?"

Colin made no attempt to hide his disgust: "Does the R&D center only train these kinds of unwelcome guests who actively ask their hosts to cook for them?"

“Uh…” Gray’s smile froze. “You really don’t hold back.”

"Since we can't reach an agreement, there's no point in talking about friendship anymore," Colin waved his hand.

Gray sighed, "I really didn't expect you to get hurt in this war."

"Maybe it's fate. It's neither good nor bad, at least I can enjoy my retirement life earlier, while you have to continue serving the Imperial government." Colin was surprisingly optimistic.

Yudora smiled behind him, her smile as warm as that of a wife.

Gray gave a wry smile: "There's nothing I can do. The Empire may have a thousand faults, but 1886 can't afford any more chaos. I'd like to retire and enjoy my old age, but the current R&D center can only be kept afloat by me."

His back suddenly looked somewhat hunched at that moment.

Anran felt absolutely no affection for Number 1886, nor did she feel any empathy for Gray and Colin.

Her current guiding principle is to prioritize strengthening herself.

An Ran pushed open the door and walked out.

She went straight into the workshop.

The sheath for the mechanical spring knife is not yet finished.

Anran picked up the scabbard and continued polishing it. Completing this scabbard would also reward her with dozens of experience points.

"Hello there!"

Gray's voice suddenly rang out from behind.

An Ran turned around and looked at him warily.

This old thing is never repaired; we need to take precautions.

Gray said, "Don't be nervous, I just have something I want to discuss with you."

"Speak," An Ran said without changing her expression.

“I heard from Colin that although you’re not his disciple, you’ve mastered most of his blueprints. Here’s my deal,” Gray stepped forward. “It’s simple. If you’re willing to sell those blueprints to me, I can get you into Twin Moon City’s research and development center.”

Join the R&D center?

Not interested in.

An Ran asked listlessly, "How much are you planning to spend on these blueprints?"

"How about 1 piroximates? The money isn't the important thing. After you join the R&D center, I will personally train you, and you can use all the automated equipment in the R&D center for free. Those devices are much better than what you have here. Once you advance in your level, all kinds of information from the R&D center will also be available to you." Gray smiled and offered what he considered a very tempting offer.

He simply couldn't understand An Ran's thoughts at all.

1 pesos?

After hearing the amount of money, An Ran pursed her lips.

Who are you trying to fool?

It costs hundreds of thousands of pelu to go to the Azure Forest; 1 pelu is practically nothing.

Enron would never sell these blueprints for 1 pirru. If they were sold, the R&D center would definitely be able to mass-produce them. How would they make money by selling things then?

An Ran looked at Gray with disdain: "So, what do I need to do after joining the R&D center?"

“With me protecting you, you can just go to get off work on time every day. After all, I’m the director, hahaha!” Gray laughed loudly, putting his hands on his hips.

He laughed like a child weighing over 100 pounds.

If I have to go to get off work and leave work on time, how can I have a "friendly" interaction with players?

Not only was the pay low, but personal freedom was also restricted. An Ran felt that unless she was out of her mind, she would never join this research and development center.

However, the information Gray revealed was not entirely unappealing to Enron.

Advanced equipment and more comprehensive data are things Anran desires.

Colin's equipment is fine for making simple things, but it's difficult to take it any further.

"How about it? This is a good deal, isn't it?" Gray said.

“It’s pretty bad,” An Ran said.

"Uh……"

Gray's face stiffened; he wondered if he had misheard something. "Little girl, is there something you're unhappy about?"

“I’m not satisfied with anything,” An Ran answered truthfully.

"Uh……"

Gray scratched his white beard: "It's okay, it's okay. Can I ask you if you have any ideas?"

An Ran asked, "Can you give me 50 pesos?"

"..."

Gray's forehead began to sweat: "No."

If he rashly gives out that much money, even if he is the director, he will be impeached.

He immediately interjected, "Little girl, money isn't the point. Getting into the R&D center is something many people dream of. Think about it, with me protecting you, as long as..."

"No!" Anran interrupted Gray, "Money is the key!"

An Ran maintained a firm stance that she wouldn't discuss anything without money.

Gray sighed. Everyone in this house was a freak!

He turned to leave.

But An Ran suddenly stopped him: "Actually, we can still cooperate."

“Really?” Gray turned around immediately.

Chapter 10 Legitimate Transactions

“How so?” Gray asked.

An Ran calmly stated her conditions: "I can do without money, and I won't join your R&D center..."

"..." Gray was stunned.

Then how can we even begin to discuss this cooperation?

"but."

Here comes the crucial point, Gray's eyes narrowed slightly.

During this brief conversation, he discovered that the girl in front of him possessed an unusual maturity. She was very opinionated, vigilant, and not the kind of person who was easily fooled.

An Ran continued, "I can give you the blueprints..."

Gray remained calm and composed as he continued his story.

"But this is done in different time slots."

An Ran has already come up with a cooperation plan. To be honest, she doesn't have any trump cards left, and she is at a disadvantage from the start in this deal, so she has to make some sacrifices.

"What do you mean by time slots?" Gray asked, puzzled.

“Every now and then I will give you a blueprint of Colin. In return, I hope you can allow me to use the equipment in the R&D center freely during this period.”

An Ran's request wasn't unreasonable, but she was still quite apprehensive.

She's too weak now; dealing with these officials, she has virtually no ability to protect herself.

If Gray had been ruthless enough to simply rob them, Enron wouldn't have been able to keep those blueprints at all.

In this brief encounter, Anran realized that although Gray and Colin exchanged sharp words, their past relationship must have been quite special.

Given this relationship, Gray is unlikely to do anything too outrageous.

However, it's better to be safe than sorry.

An Ran doesn't hesitate to speculate about the NPCs in this world with the utmost malice.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re doing?” Gray stroked his beard, and from his tone, Anran knew he was tempted. “Wouldn’t you have gained more by agreeing to my previous proposal?”

“I don’t like feeling restricted.” An Ran shook her head.

As she said, time was of the essence, and she could not stay in one place.

Unless this place can bring her great benefits.

Gray carefully examined An Ran, and finally nodded: "Okay, I agree to your suggestion. Let's set the time interval first."

"One a week?" An Ran asked tentatively.

Gray pondered for a moment: "Okay, of the blueprints Colin has, I actually only want four: [Colin's Long-Range Sniper Rifle], [Exoskeleton Armor], [Three-Axis Power Unit], and a [Auto-Aim Code]."

Do you only need four drawings?

That means there's less than a month left.

An Ran lowered her head and pondered. Her expression suddenly changed slightly, but she was hidden in the shadows of the workshop and Gray did not see it.

She had the first two blueprints, and the third blueprint was part of the "Ella's Manufacturing Blueprints," but An Ran had no idea where the "Aimbot Code" was.