Chapter 71 Reconnaissance

At quitting time, the first day passed smoothly. But the highlight of the day was what? Getting paid.

Starting a business is tough, and going solo isn't easy. The most practical problem: the salary was deposited into the company account, and Arthur didn't know how to withdraw money from the company account.

Feeling troubled and lost, Arthur had to withdraw cash from his personal account, using the remaining $20,000 savings to pay the salary.

After that, Arthur wanted to consult Grant's opinion, asking him to help choose a cost-effective rifle. But after some thought, he gave up on the idea.

Every circle has a hierarchy of disdain. If you use a semi-automatic, you'll be looked down upon by those using fully automatic. If you use a low-end, cheap product, those using high-end products will naturally feel superior.

And this rifle, it wasn't that expensive, but the expensive part was the accessories. A grip could cost hundreds, a magazine another hundred, add a good scope, and it could easily cost thousands. So, while modifying a rifle may not significantly improve its performance, it certainly burns through your money.

Arthur wasn't at the point of showing off, so he decided to be honest and just buy a regular mass-produced rifle.

But as a military enthusiast, there had to be some pursuit.

For Arthur, that pursuit was at least getting an HK416 or SCAR, nothing lower in class. And he was determined not to modify it, not to change anything. The gun would remain as it came from the factory.

So, Arthur went to his familiar shooting club. Upon the enthusiastic recommendation of the salesperson, he initially chose a civilian AR15, worth $1,500. But when he learned that he could purchase a military version of the M4 that fired fully automatic in the company's name, he promptly switched to the military M4 full-auto version, which didn't cost much more, totaling $5,500.

Initially, choosing the M4 would have sufficed, but upon learning about the military version of the HK416, Arthur slightly increased his budget and switched to the HK416. It didn't cost much more, around $8,000, a friendly price.

What? You say the military purchases the HK416 for only $1,500? And in the civilian market, it sells for only $4,000?

Come on, do you think the gun shop is doing charity?

With the current market conditions, buying a fully automatic military version of the HK416, and one that's in stock, for only double the price is something to be happy about.

If it weren't for Arthur having a company that could legally purchase a military version of the HK416, he wouldn't have been able to buy it even for $80,000.

After a sincere recommendation from the salesperson, Arthur decisively abandoned the original heavy 255-gram steel magazine from HK and switched to Magpul's PMAG polymer magazine, a lightweight, fully automatic, reinforced, and customized version that wasn't expensive, only $100 each. Don't mention the original price; they won't sell at that price because these magazines are currently in short supply.

You can't just use one magazine; you need at least five or six at a time. And at home, you need several spare ones, starting with ten.

After buying the magazines, you can't just carry them in your hands, so you need to put them in a backpack. It wouldn't be appropriate to rummage through a bag during a battle, so you need a chest-mounted ammunition pouch.

The gun is already top-notch, so why embarrass yourself with the cheapest equipment? It has to be top-notch.

The magazine was changed, but the grip wasn't. However, a scope was definitely necessary since all the others were using one. And since it's for combat, it can't be a regular scope, it has to be a holographic sight.

So, an EOTech EXPS3-4 it is, not expensive, only $700.

In the end, even though he didn't turn his HK416 into a Christmas tree, he added a few things, but Arthur's company account balance wasn't enough to pay for it all. So, he put down a $5,000 deposit and arranged to pick it up the next day.

The next day, Arthur worked another day, earned another $7,000, and then picked up his rifle. The total cost was $12,000, and paying for it was a bit painful.

On the third day, Arthur went to work with his new rifle.

But as a military enthusiast, there had to be some pursuit.

Actually, Arthur wanted to show off his new gun, but Mike had already seen him playing with it all night, and Grant... if he could say anything nice, that would be strange.

"You bought a gun, huh? Really? You bought this gun? Didn't you get ripped off?"

Arthur's face immediately turned ugly, but he decided to endure it. So, in the locker room, he steadfastly changed into his tactical gear, put on his bulletproof vest, and then put on his newly bought combat vest.

Grant was using a simple civilian AR15, at most a $2,000 one, with no accessories on the gun whatsoever. His handgun was a common Glock 17, nothing special.

So, Grant was jealous, for sure.

Suited up and ready, standing guard in the designated area, Grant was there, sour grapes in his mouth.

Grant shook his head, talking endlessly. He could easily cite ten examples of cost-effective rifles. But at this moment, Mike suddenly said, "Only poor people talk about cost-effectiveness."

"What did you say?"

Grant paused for a moment, then looked astonished. "What did you just say?"

Mike, looking deep into his designated area, said, "Only poor people talk about cost-effectiveness. Rich people only ask if it's good or not. Only poor people make choices. Rich people say I want it all..."

Although Arthur wasn't rich, he found Mike adorable at that moment.

"Enough!"

Grant, infuriated, said sternly, "Even if you're rich, you shouldn't spend recklessly. It's idiotic behavior."

Mike smiled faintly. "You're smarter than the rich, you understand more than the boss. Well, as long as you're happy."

It was the first time Arthur had seen Grant rendered speechless, the first time Grant had been unable to retort.

After pondering for a long time, Grant finally said, "You talk like you're wealthy. Do you understand the life of the wealthy?"

Mike raised his head slightly, gazing into the distance. "At least I had the potential to become a star, so I understand. Do you?"

Grant was defeated. He was good at trash talk, but not at arguing. As he struggled to find a rebuttal against Mike, Sam's voice suddenly came through the earpiece.

"There's activity outside the gate, one team, observe."

As soon as there was mention of activity, the arguing ceased.

After a moment, someone reported over the radio, "Two individuals running, wearing tight sportswear, no weapons visible on them, one male and one female, both under thirty, approaching from west to east, no other suspicious individuals, over."

The person guarding the gate quickly reported the observation results. Since it was just two joggers, both in tight sportswear, there shouldn't be any problem.

But Sam immediately said, "Take photos of them for the record. I want to see if they are residents nearby."

Identifying the identity of joggers in Beverly Hills was much easier than in other communities.

Arthur couldn't help but whisper to Grant, "Is everything okay? I think this situation is quite normal, right?"

Grant whispered back, "It's not normal, definitely not normal. This is Beverly Hills. If someone openly approaches for reconnaissance, no one can do anything to them."

At that moment, Sam's voice came through the radio again.

"After comparing the photos, confirm that the two joggers are not local residents. Team Two, follow them and see where they end up. Note: If there is no threat, do not intercept or inquire. The FBI will take care of it."

The atmosphere did get tense, but Arthur and the others couldn't see what was happening on the road, and unless it was reported over the radio, they wouldn't know the developments.

After waiting quietly for a while and no one reported the situation, Arthur couldn't calm his nerves, but he wasn't qualified to ask Sam what was happening.

Just as Arthur was getting anxious, Grant suddenly said, "Drone! Boss, report the situation, a drone is approaching from the due south!"

Arthur looked up but didn't see the drone. Without hesitation, he grabbed the communicator on his headset and whispered, "Team Five, we have a drone approaching from the due south."

Grant pointed to the sky. "It's at about three hundred meters altitude, visible to the naked eye, not a small micro drone. It's still approaching us, it must be a reconnaissance drone!"

Arthur immediately relayed Grant's words, and Sam quickly responded, "Got it, I'm on my way over, keep an eye on it."

Aerial reconnaissance, the atmosphere finally became truly tense.