When Sam Li asked about the W-Engine and Drive Disk, Zhu Yuan was stunned.
"You're an agent of Hare's House—how do you not even know what those are?"
For ordinary citizens of New Eridu, it was understandable to have little exposure to W-Engines and Drive Disks.
But for an agent of Hare's House, who frequently operated near the Hollow zones, weren't these essential gear?
She had heard that Hare's House was drowning in debt.
Maybe they couldn't afford S-class W-Engines and Drive Disks, but surely they could at least provide B-class versions? If they were too stingy to even equip their employees with those, then the boss of Hare's House was being downright miserly.
Even if Sam Li was just a desk worker who didn't need combat gear, he should have at least seen other agents using them.
Noticing the confused looks from Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, Sam Li explained, "I only joined Hare's House recently."
Zhu Yuan immediately understood. "Ah, that makes sense. I was wondering—no matter how stingy their boss is, they wouldn't risk their employees' lives like that."
She took a sip of coffee and continued, "W-Engines and Drive Disks were developed as specialized equipment to handle Hollow disasters. Take the W-Engine, for example—it might look like a toy, but it's an indispensable weapon for dealing with Hollows. Even Senior Qingyi and I have to carry one at all times.
"As for the Drive Disk, it looks just like an ordinary disc, but in reality, it grants all kinds of enhancements to the user, boosting combat capabilities significantly…"
With that, Zhu Yuan delved into the origins and evolution of W-Engines and Drive Disks, explaining their types, ranks, and various effects.
In short, New Eridu had refined this technology to its peak, forming a well-established system. Breaking through its limitations was nearly impossible.
Or… perhaps that needed to be reconsidered.
With the recent discovery of a new attribute, it was possible that the current W-Engine and Drive Disk system was no longer as complete as they once thought.
After listening to Zhu Yuan's explanation, Sam Li immediately grasped the concept.
This setup… wasn't it just like the weapons and artifacts from Teyvat?
Back on Earth, he had played Genshin Impact long enough to be intimately familiar with this kind of system.
Looking up at Zhu Yuan, Sam Li asked, "Where can I buy W-Engines and Drive Disks?"
His power system came from Teyvat, but this was New Eridu.
He wanted to see what would happen if he equipped himself with their technology.
Hearing his question, Zhu Yuan shook her head. "W-Engines and Drive Disks are strictly regulated equipment, only issued to the Public Security Bureau, the Anti-Hollow Special Operations Department, the Defense Force, and other official agencies. They aren't sold to the public."
Because of this, most ordinary people who saw a W-Engine or Drive Disk would assume they were just toys or regular discs.
But just then, Qingyi suddenly spoke up.
"After searching through a sea of people a thousand times, I turn around—and there he stands, where the lights grow dim."
Qingyi's lips curled into a sly smile. "What I mean is, even though they're officially controlled, plenty of W-Engines and Drive Disks still find their way onto the black market. Your boss at Hare's House definitely knows where to get them—go ask her."
The authorities had long been aware of black-market dealings involving W-Engines and Drive Disks.
They had been trying to crack down on it, but so far, no effective solution had been found.
Nowadays, even obscure hobby shops in remote corners of the city were daring enough to sell W-Engines disguised as toys. Their audacity was growing by the day.
Just as Zhu Yuan finished her cup of coffee, her phone rang.
It was a video call from Seth.
"What? A theft on Ninth Street? Got it, I'll head there with Senior right away."
Zhu Yuan immediately turned to Qingyi. "Senior, there's been a theft on Ninth Street. Seth and Jian haven't been able to find any clues. Let's go check it out."
Qingyi nodded. "Alright!"
With that, the two prepared to leave in the patrol car.
Then, they suddenly remembered—they hadn't paid their bill.
"Master Tingman, we've got a case to handle. Just put it on my tab, and I'll settle it when I pass by tonight," Zhu Yuan said hurriedly.
Before Master Tingman could even finish noting it down, Zhu Yuan floored the accelerator, and the patrol car sped off, disappearing at the end of Sixth Street.
As he finished recording the bill and was about to return to grinding coffee, Sam Li called out to him.
"Master Tingman, I'm a friend of Zhu Yuan and Qingyi. Could you add my name to their tab?"
Master Tingman hesitated. "…"
After a brief moment of contemplation, he sighed and added Sam Li's name next to Zhu Yuan and Qingyi's.
Ever since arriving in this world, Sam Li had visited Master Tingman's café several times and planned to keep coming back daily. Not just for the coffee, but also to listen to the "storytelling" program on Master Tingman's radio.
With a birdcage in hand, Sam Li strolled down the main street of Sixth Street, casually taking in the sights and making mental notes of all the shops along the way.
Aside from Master Tingman's café, there was a ramen shop, a trendy toy store, a convenience store, a modification shop, an audio-visual store, a video rental shop, an arcade, and even a lottery newsstand…
What surprised him the most were the convenience store and the lottery newsstand.
The staff? Three Bangboos and a purebred husky. One glance at that goofy expression, and it was obvious—it was 100% purebred.
Over the next few days, Sam Li visited each shop one by one… and made some rather startling discoveries.
For instance, the "toys" in the trendy toy store? They were actually W-Engines.
The discs being sold in the audio-visual shop? They turned out to be Drive Disks.
Weren't these things supposed to be under strict government control?
Why were they being sold openly in toy and music stores?
And that was just the beginning.
The ramen shop, the modification shop, the convenience store… From the outside, they all looked normal. But in reality, every single one of them was running some kind of shady business.
Even the most inconspicuous place—the video rental store—was suspicious. Sam Li noticed a young brother-sister pair constantly darting between the lobby and the storage room, yet never actually carrying anything.
Anyone who's played games before would recognize this type of NPC instantly—definitely up to something sketchy.
An entire street filled with black-market shops, and not a single one operating legally.
Sam Li really wanted to ask Zhu Yuan and Qingyi:
"You patrol this street three times a day—how have you not noticed anything suspicious?"