Colonial Suit

Inside the armored suit store, Bloodshot quietly browsed the armor. Outside the door, a group of small-time thugs lay sprawled haphazardly on the ground.

Beside him, Robbie smiled as he picked up each piece of armor and read the descriptions, flipping through them with great interest. The store owner, an old man with gray hair, didn't seem to notice them, still carefully wiping down a set of armor.

Just like the first time he saw him, this white-haired old man seemed perpetually meticulous. His expression was focused, and even though he was only wiping down a set of ordinary armor, he did so with the care and tenderness of someone tending to a work of art. The armor shone brightly under his care, as if it were brand new.

But Bloodshot knew that the armor was actually long past its prime. It was just the owner's own memory.

"Boss, I'm here to bother you again," Bloodshot said with a smile.

"Do you want me to say you're welcome?" the owner replied without looking up. "There are descriptions in front of each set of armor, and there's a water dispenser in the corner if you're thirsty. No food. If you're planning to rob me, take a look at the notice on the door. This store only accepts star coins and credit points for payment. The situation has been very 'chaotic' lately, and if you're a cosmic mercenary, it's best not to let anyone outside know you bought something here. If you're a star pirate or a death mercenary, this store doesn't offer credit."

"..." Bloodshot was speechless for a moment. This boss was as 'unique' as ever.

"This... we need some supplies. And armor."

"You want to shop?" The owner finally stopped what he was doing and looked up at Bloodshot. "Even if you've been to this store before, don't expect me to give you a discount."

"I know," Bloodshot nodded earnestly. "But the armor I require might be a bit high-end."

"In that case, why don't you go to U9?" The owner put down the towel in his hand and took out a cigar from the counter, putting it in his mouth. Then he lit it. "If I'm not mistaken, you guys should all be gathering at U9 right now."

Bloodshot shook his head, not answering the question, and instead asked, "At least fifth-world armor, custom-made. Is that possible?"

"That will cost a lot of money," the owner muttered a few times, then waved his hand. "Forget it, I don't care about your 'messy' affairs. But you should know that Camille is a tourist planet, and your request is a bit too much."

"You can do it, can't you?" Bloodshot revealed a hint of a smile.

"..." The owner stopped talking, just constantly puffing out smoke. He didn't even look at Bloodshot. Bloodshot wasn't in a hurry either, slowly browsing the store, occasionally exchanging views on certain items with Robbie.

At the door, Jack was 're-educating' the small-time thugs, tirelessly, conscientiously and responsibly...

In this strange atmosphere, time passed slowly. Finally, after Bloodshot and Robbie had messed up the placement of three sets of armor, the owner finally couldn't bear it anymore. He suddenly snorted and flicked his finger...

The burnt-out cigar butt flew out of the store door and landed on the face of one of the small-time thugs, burning him and causing him to let out a scream.

"From the first time I saw you, I knew you would cause me trouble. Sure enough..." the owner muttered. Finally, he stood up and walked to the back of the store. "Come with me. But let me say this first. When you leave here, it's best to have selective amnesia. Because what you're about to see is beyond your current reach."

"My lips are always sealed," Bloodshot replied with a smile. Then he gave Robbie a look.

Robbie understood and nodded, went to the door and instructed Jack, then conveniently closed the armored suit store door.

Behind the store was a downward staircase. Bloodshot followed the owner for a short while and came to a heavy alloy door. Bloodshot swore that this was definitely the most complex and heaviest alloy door he had ever seen. The password alone had nearly a hundred digits. And after passing the password, there was also iris and fingerprint verification, and finally a genetic sample comparison. Cumbersome and meticulous. Such security measures were almost impossible to crack, and Bloodshot could hardly believe that a simple armored suit store would have such tight security measures.

Robbie's footsteps came from behind, and he followed down too.

The owner's movements were very skilled, it seemed he opened this door often. But he paused when he was about to complete the gene comparison, and looked back at Bloodshot.

"Remember your promise."

"I will," Bloodshot replied seriously.

The owner nodded silently, then opened the alloy door.

A spacious hall immediately appeared before Bloodshot's eyes. The hall was brightly lit, and the walls were covered with finished and semi-finished armor. Countless parts were scattered on a long table on one side of the hall, some still emitting dazzling sparks of electricity. But this wasn't the most shocking thing. The most shocking thing was that there were several brand-new sets of armor that had already been debugged in the hall, and on the shoulders of these armors were the symbols of some high-level mercenaries! The symbols of Comet-level mercenaries!

"This is... a private workshop?" Robbie, who was behind him, opened his eyes wide.

But no one answered him. The owner just glanced at him lightly and walked into the hall. There were still several people working in the hall at the moment, but no one looked up.

"Welcome to my workshop, I am Besk, a three-star designer. If you know anything about armor design, you should have heard of this name."

"The genius designer Besk!?" Robbie opened his mouth wide, almost choking on his saliva.

Looking at his surprised look, Bloodshot subtly nudged him, then asked in a low voice, "Is he very famous?"

"That depends on which aspect. In terms of combat, this guy is an idiot. But in terms of armor design and assembly, he's a pervert! Although he's only three-star, he can design armor that even Meteor-level mercenaries praise. He's a genius, a true genius!" Robbie replied quickly. A look of excitement flashed in his eyes.

"It's just that he only runs a private workshop and never works for a large company. So most people don't know him, only those big clients who have been ordering from him all year round spread the word."

"Private workshops are more cutting-edge armor customization institutions than many large companies. You need to know that the real cutting-edge armor will only come from private workshops. And no matter how you customize them, those large companies are just mass-produced goods."

I see, Bloodshot nodded. A piercing gleam also appeared in his eyes.

He had long felt that this boss was not simple, but he didn't expect him to have such a big background. He could actually provide Meteor-level armor design, which was really amazing.

No wonder he was unwilling to take his business. With a designer of his level, his identity was really insignificant in his eyes. And now T6 was a war zone, and he also had to bear the risk of exposure. Besk bringing them here could be considered a small favor.

Thinking of this, Bloodshot's expression became serious. He said softly, "Thank you."

"If you can turn your thanks into star coins, believe me, I'd be more willing to accept it," Besk replied impatiently. Then he casually threw a form in front of Bloodshot.

"Just describe the armor you want and you can leave. If you need a reference, I have enough samples here. But let me say this first. You can make requests, but how I design it is my business. If you want to change my design, leave as soon as possible. I don't welcome people who don't respect my work."

Confident, domineering.

The white-haired old man in front of him seemed to have changed in an instant. If he was still an ordinary store owner above, then here, he gave Bloodshot and Robbie the feeling of a king. A king standing in his own kingdom, wielding power!

This was a true master, absolutely confident in his own field, a genius-level figure who was as good as his word. Compared to him, the designers Bloodshot had seen before were simply playing house. They had no confidence at all.

But the more this was the case, the more trustworthy he felt. Bloodshot and Robbie exchanged glances and both saw the smiles in each other's eyes.

"Okay!" Bloodshot agreed readily.

Then someone came forward to take Bloodshot and Robbie to do tests. Because Besk's armor was always custom-made, the requirements for each person's body data were extremely high. Every millimeter had to be recorded. Height, weight, finger spacing, grip strength, stride length, sprint speed, load-bearing capacity, movement accuracy... After a series of tests, even a melee warrior like Bloodshot with extremely high physical fitness couldn't bear it, let alone Robbie, who was good at firearms.

By the time the two of them completed the test, their bodies were already soaked with sweat. Robbie was sitting on a chair next to the hall, drinking energy drinks in large gulps. But he didn't want to move at all.

The analysis report was quickly sent to Besk's hands, and his expression showed surprise after just one glance.

"It's really surprising, I didn't expect your physical fitness to be so high. Then it seems that ordinary V-level armor may not be very suitable for you. To exert your strength, you need at least IV-level equipment. Are you really just a trainee mercenary?"

"I think that's easy to tell," Bloodshot stood quietly beside Robbie, his expression unchanged.

His answer was not polite. But the corners of Besk's mouth curled up slightly, and he casually threw the report on the workbench.

"As expected of Hensel's legacy. His temper is as bad as that guy's."

"You know Lord Hensel?" Bloodshot was really surprised this time. He never thought he would hear Hensel's name from Besk's mouth.

But Besk didn't answer him, but said to himself. "I have no obligation to answer you. But I'll take your business. The customization time will take five days, as for the price, I'll send it to your private email later."

"Then... how much will it cost?" Bloodshot was silent for a while, then asked tentatively. He only remembered at this time that he actually didn't have much savings now. Ordinary armor might not be a problem, but if it was custom-made armor designed by Besk, he probably couldn't afford it.

"A lot..." Besk showed a strange smile. It was as if he had seen a big tycoon. "But you don't have to worry, no matter how much money, your patriarch Hensel will pay for you..."