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墨書 Inktalez
The Old Man with Grizzled Hair might have some trouble with his legs, so he moved slowly, and the half-meter-long high horn he held was particularly eye-catching.
Fatty was quite a character, and just now, Li Nan had already made his intentions clear, so it seemed he wouldn't change his mind. People like Fatty were really endearing; even though he didn't want to leave, he insisted on waiting until Li Nan asked him to stay before coming up with a far-fetched reason to justify it.
However, Fatty's nature also indicated that he meant no harm. Even though he knew staying in this camp and by Li Nan's side might not lead to good outcomes, he still stayed without hesitation. Perhaps part of it was for the camp, and perhaps part of it was for Li Nan, but if Fatty didn't speak up about it himself, others would find it hard to know.
Fatty carefully held the white porcelain urn, gently sealing it with a soft cloth before turning back to his quarters. After all, Brother Three had left him only this one urn of ashes, and he didn't want it to be damaged in any way.
Seeing Fatty turn to leave, Li Nan didn't say much more. It seemed that once Fatty had spoken, there was no turning back; he had already committed and would not go back on his word. At this stage, Li Nan simply didn't have enough people at hand. To fully protect the camp, they needed to maintain absolute initiative. Therefore, conflicts would inevitably arise between Li Nan and the other two leaders in the camp, and they would need personnel from all sides.
Li Nan wanted to keep Fatty not only because of the lack of manpower but also because he genuinely liked him as a friend. For both personal and practical reasons, he wouldn't easily let Fatty go.
Watching the long shadow that Fatty cast behind him, Li Nan couldn't help but feel sentimental. "What a loyal guy Fatty is!"
After turning around, Li Nan approached the old man who had been playing the horn and singing Qin opera. The old man seemed hard of hearing; even after Li Nan called out several times, he remained unresponsive.
In the end, Li Nan had to catch up and tap the man's shoulder before he finally stopped.
The old man with half-white hair turned around and looked at Li Nan with confusion. "What do you want?"
Hearing his tone, Li Nan knew his earlier guess was correct. He lowered his voice and asked, "What should I call you?"
The Old Man didn't recognize Li Nan. After sizing him up and realizing there didn't seem to be anyone like him in the camp, he replied dismissively, "Old man’s surname is Qin; I'm Qin Old Man!"
Li Nan adjusted his address: "Qin Old Man, I want to ask you something. Do you know if there are any craftsmen in this camp skilled in blacksmithing or forging?"
The face of Qin Old Man was lined with the marks of time, and his teeth were a yellowish brown. However, this did not detract from his image as an elder; in fact, he appeared more approachable than those smooth-skinned young men.
Qin Old Man opened his mouth and said, "Are you looking for a blacksmith?"
Li Nan nodded and tentatively replied, "Yes, but I don't know if you have any connections!"
Qin Old Man smiled and said, "I'm just a blacksmith. What do you need from me?"
Li Nan chuckled inwardly, realizing he had guessed correctly. Although Qin Old Man looked to be in his sixties or seventies and was quite thin, he seemed to have little energy left to spare. Despite hearing his Qin opera and suona playing earlier, those skills wouldn't earn him a living in the camp. It appeared that he must have some technical skills.
At his age, it seemed he could only do some artisan work. Earlier, Li Nan had noticed that there were quite a bit of iron filings lodged in the creases of Qin Old Man's hands, which prompted his inquiry.
Li Nan was contemplating finding a blacksmith when unexpectedly, Qin Old Man approached him.
Li Nan smiled and asked, "I wonder what kinds of things you can forge?"
At this moment, Qin Old Man began to boast a little. "Don't let my age fool you; my skills are still sharp. I can make all sorts of common tools like pliers and scissors, as well as spare parts. Otherwise, at my age, Dragon Boss wouldn't give me a meal!"
Li Nan wasn't interested in those small items and instead asked Qin Old Man, "Can you make weapons?"
Qin Old Man was taken aback and then stared intently at Li Nan. "What do you want to do? I can't just make weapons or knives on the side; if Dragon Boss finds out, I might lose my livelihood!"
Li Nan seemed to understand the implication behind Qin Old Man's words. It appeared that he could indeed make cold weapons but was afraid to do so due to Liu Long's influence. At this moment, Li Nan smiled and said, "Qin Old Man, do you know who I am?"
Qin Old Man continued to scrutinize Li Nan, estimating that the other person was around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and with no facial hair, he probably wasn't a big shot. He replied, "How would I know who you are? But this matter is none of my business!"
Li Nan maintained his smile, "Since the old man doesn't recognize me, why did you come here to play the suona earlier?"
Qin Old Man waved his hand, "I know who you are. I'm here to send off Wang Family's Third Son!"
Li Nan was taken aback and finally realized that Brother Three had mentioned before that his real name was Wang San, and this old man actually knew Brother Three's true name!
Qin Old Man continued, "As for Wang Family's Third Son, he was a good person. If it weren't for him saving me on the street back then, this old body would have been chewed up by those Ghosts. It's a pity that good people don't live long; that kid was so young and just passed away!"
With a sigh of sentiment, Qin Old Man seemed to have come voluntarily to play the suona for the funeral. Thinking of this, Li Nan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness; perhaps the beauty and ugliness of humanity coexist in one place, depending on how one chooses to discover it.
Clearing his throat, Li Nan said, "I am Brother Three's brother. My name is Li Nan!"
Upon hearing "Li Nan," Qin Old Man shuddered and then trembled as he said, "You are the new third Host in the camp? Did Wang Family's Third Son give his position to you?"
Li Nan nodded, "Yes, but don't worry, Qin Old Man, I am Brother Three's brother. How Brother Three acted before will not change with me, Li Nan!"
Seeing that Li Nan didn't seem to be lying, Qin Old Man felt reassured. "Since you are someone personally chosen by Wang Family's Third Son, you must be reliable. By the way, what weapon were you planning to forge?"
Knowing that Qin Old Man had trouble hearing, Li Nan raised his voice slightly. "It's quite difficult for you; I won't trouble you with this matter!"
Qin Old Man waved his hand. "Others' matters may be difficult, but you're different. Wang Family's Third Son saved my life; I must repay him. What do you want to make?"
The temperament of Qin Old Man is truly that of a real man, very straightforward. Therefore, Li Nan did not beat around the bush, "Can you make a big knife? A blade seventy centimeters long and one finger thick, make it heavier and sharper!"
Qin Old Man immediately agreed without hesitation, "What's so difficult about that? Back in the day when my ancestors were in Qin Chuan, they were renowned blacksmiths. They could forge all kinds of weapons—swords, spears, halberds—what can't they make?"
Li Nan smiled, "I didn't expect that not only is Qin Old Man good at playing the suona and singing Qin opera, but he's also a master blacksmith!"
Qin Old Man chuckled, "Anything like the Heavenly Sword or Dragon-Slaying Blade can be made; my skills are unmatched!"
After receiving some compliments from Li Nan, Qin Old Man seemed to get a bit carried away. Li Nan then asked, "I don't need any Heavenly Sword or Dragon-Slaying Blade; just forge me a good broad-bladed long knife. It should be heavy, and can the blade edge be specially treated?"
Qin Old Man countered, "How should the blade edge be specially treated?"
Li Nan raised an eyebrow, "An ordinary blade can only cut meat and chop wood. I want something special—can it cut through steel and iron?"
At this moment, Qin Old Man's expression turned troubled: "A blade forged from ordinary steel definitely can't achieve the effect of cutting through steel and iron. However, there is one material that can do it; it's just that we don't have it here in our camp!"
Li Nan immediately asked, "What material is that?"
Qin Old Man replied word by word, "High-Strength Titanium Alloy. A blade forged from that stuff would be on par with the Heavenly Sword and Dragon-Slaying Blade!"
In fact, after several encounters with danger in this city, Li Nan had realized a serious issue: the weapons he had were hardly effective against those Mutated Monsters, especially those tough-skinned Ghosts. Bullets were ineffective, and swords were hard to damage them. If he encountered such creatures again in the future, their weapons would basically be no better than firewood sticks. That's why Li Nan wanted to take a different approach and specifically sought out an expert to create a few cold weapons.
Li Nan then asked Qin Old Man, "Can a blade forged from High-Strength Titanium Alloy easily cut through the bulletproof vests available on the market?"
Qin Old Man shook his head, "I don't know much about bulletproof vests or armor. I only know that there was a wealthy man who brought me a piece of High-Strength Titanium Alloy and asked me to forge a dagger. After it was made, that dagger could pierce through a steel plate as thick as two fingers!"
Li Nan exclaimed, "So that's how it is! That should be more than enough!"
It turned out that this titanium alloy could be forged into powerful weapons, something Qin Old Man had done before, so there shouldn't be any issues with the forging process; they just lacked the raw materials.
At first, Li Nan only had a screwdriver as a weapon, which later upgraded to a climbing pick. Then he crafted several spears from rebar, followed by a compound bow, a Desert Eagle, and that Vigo Knife. Now, he had discarded the first three items, but the longbow, pistol, and saber were still quite challenging to use against Mutated Animals. He firmly believed in the saying that one must sharpen their tools to do good work, so he needed to acquire a weapon capable of breaking through the defenses of those Copper-Headed Iron-Skinned Monsters. Thus, this was the best time to gather supplies.
Li Nan asked Qin Old Man, "Do you know where I can find high-strength titanium alloy in this city?"
Qin Old Man shook his head, "I don't know about that!"
After pondering for a moment, Li Nan said to Qin Old Man, "I'll go look for this material. If I manage to get my hands on it, I'll make sure to deliver it to you right away. I'll be counting on you then!"
Qin Old Man smiled, "Alright! Alright!"
(Regarding the ability of High-Strength Titanium Alloy to create cold weapons that can cut through steel and iron, this point is debatable. With my limited knowledge, I can only fabricate stories to this extent; I hope for your understanding!)
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