Gao Guang had five thousand US dollars on him, a substantial amount that gave him ample confidence as he followed John into the outlet mall.
The term "outlet" isn't a brand of a shopping mall, but a specific business model for a shopping center that, simply put, specializes in selling discounted goods.
However, Gao Guang had never visited an outlet in Huaxia before, as outlets, despite their steep discounts, carried branded merchandise which was relatively expensive.
On his feet, Gao Guang wore a pair of classic Warrior canvas shoes that cost 60 yuan. He thought they were great: comfortable and quite stylish.
The jacket he wore on the outside cost 89 yuan online, the T-shirt underneath was 29 yuan, sport pants 49 yuan, and the shoes 60 yuan—altogether adding up to 218 yuan.
All of Gao Guang's clothes amounted to less than fifty US dollars, so Sanchez's discerning eye was impressively accurate.
But now, inside a specialty store for outdoor gear, Gao Guang was deep in thought over two pairs of boots.
One was a pair of LOWA Zephyr mid-cut desert hiking boots and the other was from the SALOMON Assault series. Both were designed for lightweight trekking but still hefty and with firm soles, a far cry from the canvas shoes Gao Guang was used to.
However, in a rubble-strewn ruin or when needing to kick open a jammed door, one wouldn't find the boots too heavy or too hard. Once Gao Guang became a PMC, the environments he'd face wouldn't accommodate sneakers.
A pair of boots cost over three hundred US dollars, more than two thousand yuan, and it pained Gao Guang to part with the money.
Despite the pain, the purchase was necessary. In the end, Gao Guang pointed to the LOWA boots and declared firmly, "I'll take these!"
The salesperson hadn't even started to speak when John began to mutter.
"One thousand two hundred sixty-four US dollars plus three hundred twenty dollars. You owe me one thousand five hundred, um, one thousand five hundred..."
"Stop counting. It's one thousand five hundred eighty-four US dollars. Round it up to one thousand six hundred."
John glanced at Gao Guang, then took out his phone, used the calculator, and after a moment raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You're really good at math."
That was the first time in Gao Guang's life someone had complimented his math skills.
Once the amount was settled, John took out his card and placed it on the counter, offering to pay for Gao Guang.
In the United States, it's uncommon for people to carry large sums of cash around; even hundred-dollar bills are rarely used. For purchases of just a few tens of dollars, people would use a card or write a check.
Mobile payments were not an option—Gao Guang had no card and didn't want to draw attention when buying things, so the only solution was to let John pay for him and settle in cash afterwards.
As a result, John found tallying up to be a headache, and Gao Guang found spending money painful.
Five thousand dollars had been spent, one thousand six hundred of which in US currency—which converted to roughly nine thousand six hundred yuan, or rounded up, ten thousand yuan. Gao Guang considered spending ten thousand yuan on clothes, shoes, and belts to be excessive, the most extravagant he had ever been in his life.
A softshell, a hardshell jacket, two pairs of pants, quick-dry sweaters, quick-dry shirts, a dozen Merino wool socks, and two sets of the cheapest but presentable suits—actually, one thousand six hundred dollars for all these clothes was already a bargain considering anything related to tactical and outdoor activities tends to be expensive.
Gao Guang silently picked up a pile of shopping bags and then said to John, "I've got all the clothes and shoes now, can we go?"
"Let's go," John replied.
Gathering up the cards, John courteously helped Gao Guang with a few of the bags.
Gao Guang was well aware that John's eagerness stemmed solely from wanting to learn Kung Fu, which left him worried about how John would react upon discovering that his Kung Fu was merely a routine, not practical for fighting.
He couldn't just head to the company.
Despite feeling tired, Gao Guang decided he needed to test out the guns first; otherwise, finding a shooting range or gun store to satisfy his craving would not be so convenient.
In Los Angeles, while not exactly cumbersome to get around without a car, it was indeed inconvenient.
John drove a Ford Explorer SUV, and as Gao Guang buckled up, he casually mentioned, "John, didn't you say there's a Shooting Club near our company? Could you take me there first?"
"What's the rush? You can go tomorrow, and soon enough, you'll get to practice shooting often; you'll be tired of it before you know it."
Gao Guang earnestly said, "I've loved guns since I was a child, but in Huaxia, firearm control is extremely strict. I couldn't touch a gun in Huaxia, so I can't wait to get my hands on one..."
"Just to touch it?"
John turned to his side, pulled out a pistol from his waist, and handed it to Gao Guang, saying, "Here, touch all you want."
Gao Guang took the pistol and then realized that using the word 'touch' might have been a mistake, but the gun in his hands captured his attention, making him forget to correct his choice of words for the moment.
It was a 1911, much heavier than a Glock 17 when held in hand, but Gao Guang felt that the weight gave it a good feel.
"Great gun! A competition-level Kimber Custom II pistol, this is a good gun!"
Kimber was known for their semi-custom 1911 pistols that were all competition-level, representing a higher-end product on the civilian market. It was slightly larger and heavier than the Glock 17, but with a much thinner grip, so it felt even better in the hand than the Glock 17.
As an armchair gun enthusiast who discussed military topics online, Gao Guang might have been more familiar with this gun than many users, although he'd never used one. The knowledge of how to load the chamber, disengage the safety, and change the magazine was etched in his mind, and he could easily dismantle the gun into pieces without a problem.
John looked at Gao Guang in surprise and said, "Did Kimber advertise in Huaxia? You just said guns were banned in Huaxia."
"Uh, how should I say this..."
Just then, John said disdainfully, "Alright, you've touched it, now give it back to me."
Reluctantly handing the gun back to John, Gao Guang said with envy, "That's a high-end gun, really nice. How much did you pay for it?"
"High-end? Don't joke, high-end 1911s are Cabot, even higher end are the Cabot custom orders, and then the custom-made versions by famous gunsmiths. Kimber high-end... that's a joke."
John had started the car but didn't drive off. After he reholstered the gun and made his specific complaint, he finally pulled out of the parking spot.
As the saying goes, 'paper talk is always shallow.' Gao Guang realized it now. He originally wanted to discuss with John whether Kimber was considered high-end, but considering that John used guns regularly and he only read about them online, Gao Guang felt he no longer had the right to discuss it.
Gao Guang hesitated for a while before asking, "So, do you have a Cabot 1911?"
"Do I look like I can afford a Cabot? The cheapest start at three thousand dollars, and I have better things to buy with three grand."
Gao Guang was speechless again, and then he tentatively asked, "Then why don't you put a red dot sight or a holographic sight on your own gun?"
John turned his head to look at Gao Guang, then with scorn, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Heh, rookie."
Embarassed to speak further, Gao Guang felt that red dot sights were quite good, but he kept this opinion to himself. Silently, he dug out his money from a small bag, counted out sixteen hundred-dollar bills, and quietly handed them to John.
John accepted the money without any pretense, and while stuffing it into his pocket, he said, "Alright, alright, I'll take you to shoot a few rounds after we're done shopping. I'm fed up; I don't want to hear you go on without end, buddy. What's so fun about guns? Guns aren't toys; they're tools for killing!"
Rambling on, John led Gao Guang to a Shooting Club.
Though it was called a Shooting Club, it was also a gun shop, but there were two passages: one to the indoor shooting range and the other to the shop front. John originally intended to go straight to the range, but with Gao Guang there, how could he not take a look inside the gun shop?
The gun shop was a painful paradise for Huaxia gun enthusiasts.
Guns filled the walls, but Gao Guang could only look and not buy, since he didn't have an identity and naturally couldn't pass the background check required for purchasing a gun.
"Ah..."
Gao Guang let out an unintelligible sigh. At that moment, John leaned close to Gao Guang's ear and whispered, "If you teach me a few special moves, I'll help you buy a gun with my ID."
After saying that, John patted Gao Guang's shoulder, and Gao Guang's eyes lit up as he whispered, "It's a deal, let's go try out some guns now."