[A/N: Hi everyone, the story's starting to speed up.
More characters, more interactions, but the problem is that some of them didn't appear in your visions. Why is that?]
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In the morning, on a call with Ron.
"I don't want to bother you", I said.
"Relax, it's not a bother. You can get into trouble if you don't know how to deal with these people. Besides, if what your informant says turns out to be true, I'll buy some more guns too", Ron told me.
"Okay, I'll bother you about this then. He'll send you a list of what I need", I said in a resigned tone of voice, although my face showed a smile.
"Sure, no problem", he said playfully. "But on one condition", I added after a dramatic pause.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy", I thought after hearing him. "Tell me what I should do", I said in an annoyed tone of voice, although I knew he was just pretending.
"It's nothing special. Today is my youngest daughter's birthday, and I need someone to make her happy at the party", Ron told me.
"What do I need to do?", I asked. "I'm warning you right now. I don't have any special abilities like magic, nor am I a comedian, so I don't know how to make your daughter have fun", I warned him so he wouldn't get his hopes up.
"Hahaha… It's nothing like that. I need you to watch her and keep her company", he said after laughing at what I had said.
"How old is she?", I asked.
"18", he replied.
"She's young, I don't know if I can connect with her with this age difference", I said, a little worried. Although I didn't know if it was because I was chaperoning Ron's daughter or because I was at a party with complete strangers.
"Don't worry, you'll just be her date. Besides, you're handsome, and that's all I need for my daughter", he said reassuringly. "However, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not setting you up with my daughter. It's just a job", he warned me, or rather, threatened me.
"I know. It hadn't even crossed my mind", I said, calming his worries. "He seems like the overprotective dad type", I thought after hearing his warning.
"I hope so… Okay, back to the call. I need you to send me a list of the guns you need, or the type of guns you need, and I'll recommend a few", he said, changing the subject, as the situation was getting a little awkward.
"Okay, I'll send you the type of guns I'm hoping to get. However, I also need a lot of ammo", I said, hoping he could help me with that.
"Hmm… I can obviously get you ammo. It's just that you should know that the most expensive part of a gun isn't the gun itself, but its ammunition, so it's going to be expensive", Ron warned me about the high price.
"I know. But I need to be prepared", I replied.
"Then no problem. I'll also include gun cleaning and maintenance supplies on your list", Ron advised.
"Right! Also, I need gun silencers", I said after remembering how valuable these could be to avoid attracting the attention of zombies.
"I'll add it to the list. If that's all, I should hang up. I haven't had breakfast yet", he said in a hurried tone.
"Just one last thing, and it has to do with your daughter's party", I said.
"What about the party? Don't tell me you've already changed your mind", he said seriously.
"It's not that. I just don't have a formal suit", I explained my concerns. "Should I buy one?", I asked.
"Hmm… that's a good question. I think you should come in a dress like the Korean models do. My daughter listens to that music, and I think she quite likes that kind of fashion", Ron told me after considering his daughter's tastes. "If money is an issue, I'll give you back what you spent", Ron commented.
"You don't need to pay me anything back. I will investigate their clothing fashion and buy something a little formal. I owe you, after all", I told him.
"Thanks, Alex", he said gratefully. "I just hope that in a few months we will be laughing about this conversation and that this was all just a crazy bald driver", he said in a downbeat tone.
"I'm not Statham!", I retorted.
"I know, I was just making fun of you. See you in the afternoon… Hahaha", he said, laughing loudly, before hanging up. I looked at the screen, a little bewildered; I hadn't thought he'd hang up on me so abruptly.
Without wasting any time, I started writing a detailed message about what I wanted. I would only give him general details about the weapons, though, since I don't know much about the subject. I also remember seeing a section about weapons in that Discord group, where they discussed the specifications of the weapons and rated them using various criteria, which I didn't understand.
"What is cadence?", I thought after remembering some of the terms they used in the group.
First, I asked for a type of pistol that was easy to use, didn't have a large caliber, and was easy to learn. Since I didn't know much about pistols, I described something like those used by the police or the military. Also, if I get the same type of guns used by law enforcement, it might be easier to get ammunition when they run out, and I wouldn't suffer the classic problem of having ammunition incompatible with the weapon I have on hand.
The second thing that came to mind was weapons like AK-47s, which could fire many rounds in a short period of time. I asked, as with the previous type, if they were standard-issued police or military weapons. Also, as with the previous example, I asked for ease of use as a requirement for this high-caliber weapon.
I also asked for heavy machine guns. This came to mind when I remembered a little about the base I visited in my dreams the night before. To keep that type of base secure, I think they should use this type of weapon. I left the choice of this weapon directly to Ron, and wrote in the message that he could do without this type of weapon if it was too dangerous to obtain.
The next thing I asked him for were the famous snipers. Just imagining myself holding such a powerful weapon in my hands made me fantasize about achieving a long-range shot of hundreds of meters, like in the movies. I also asked him for some shotguns, which I also have no knowledge of, but I do know that their ammunition is very different from other weapons. They use a type of long-range bullet, and I believe they use cartridges.
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[A/N: Please don't criticize me for my poor knowledge of guns hahaha]
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I wrote to Ron to purchase silencers or some necessary components for all the types of weapons I requested earlier. And in case they are very expensive or difficult to obtain, we could place a special order for just a few units, and the rest of the weapons could be purchased without modifications or external components.
"Right! There are more types of weapons", I thought after reviewing what I had written to Ron.
At the end of the message, I added a question about spears, knives, or swords, along with bows or crossbows. All these types of weapons were fairly quiet, and while a bow required considerable skill and experience, a crossbow could be a very economical alternative for ammunition, compared to pistols or high-caliber weapons.
After checking that the message was well-written, I sent it directly to him. Then I got up from the couch to begin today's preparations. I spent so much time talking to Ron that I didn't realize I'd almost merged with the couch. I felt quite uncomfortable, even having a persistent tingling sensation in my legs. "It reminds me of when I used to spend entire afternoons playing", I thought, feeling a bit nostalgic.
The first thing I would do today would be to visit the places I had selected to rent. I'll check them out and try to identify what improvements could be made to each space. I'll try to prioritize locations that are easy to modify, not too far from each other, as they can serve as temporary bases.
2 hours later.
I had already visited several of the locations within the city. There were a few very good houses; some had high, fortified walls, with metal gates that were difficult to reach. Some had alternative energy systems, such as solar panels, or even their own generators for emergency power. All these houses were easy to secure, and the modifications required would be minimal. However, the drawback to most of them was the price.
On the other hand, the affordable houses I had found were less secure; the security improvements would be numerous, but not difficult to achieve. These, in turn, lack alternative energy systems. However, their locations were much closer to my house and could serve as backup points in case of an emergency.
I stopped the truck at a fast-food restaurant, since my desire for fast food hasn't waned, and I must spend the entire afternoon checking out the places on the outskirts of the city, so filling up quickly is a necessity.
"Hello?", I answered my cell phone while eating a hamburger. It was an unfamiliar number.
"Is this Mr. Alex?", the voice on the other end asked.
"Yes, it's me. What do you need?", I responded with another question. "Your voice doesn't sound familiar", I thought after hearing the man's voice calling me.
"This is Alan, the manager of the bank's appraisal department. I'm calling because you requested an express appraisal, and I'm 10 minutes away", he told me in detail.
"Oh… Sure, Alan. Is there anything I can do for you?", I asked.
"I just need to clarify a couple of points", he said in a professional tone.
"Tell me", I said politely.
"First. You won't be at the property location, right?", he said, maintaining the same tone.
"Exactly. Some family acquaintances will assist you, since there's no one available to guide you around now", I explained.
"Okay. Second, the property to be appraised consists of a plot of land and a main solid-material building, a secondary solid-material building, and some auxiliary and recreational facilities, correct?", Alan asked.
"Correct. That would be the general description of the land", I replied.
"Just to clarify. The appraisals of the properties and additional facilities will have a different appraisal depending on the material they're made of", he advised me in the same professional tone.
"Yes, I've already been informed of that", I said.
"Okay. The last thing would be the vehicles. From what I understand, there are three vehicles", Alan told me.
"Yes, there are three vehicles. Two trucks and a car", I confirmed.
"Just like real estate, the cars will be appraised based on their condition, maintenance, and year of manufacture. The corresponding depreciation will be adjusted to the resulting value", he explained.
"Yes, I was informed of that as well", I said.
"So, everything is clear. On Monday, you'll receive the corresponding appraisal value; you've already been informed of the costs for this type of non-routine appraisal. If the appraisal is convenient for you, you can sign the paperwork the same day you're informed, and you can receive the money the next day", he explained, detailing the details. "I don't want to bother you any further. Have a good afternoon", he said, maintaining the same tone.
"Thank you very much... Goodbye", I said, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of information I'd received. Talking to someone who maintained such a monotonous voice for so long felt a little uncomfortable. "For a moment, I thought he was an artificial intelligence", I reflected.
I saved the number to my contacts; in case he decided to call again. I stared at my phone for a while, deep in thought. All I could think about was the money I could make and how that money would help me prepare.
"Phew... I hope I don't regret spending so much on these resources", I muttered, sounding worried.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Thank you all so much for your support.
Alex is starting to gain confidence, but he'll also start to doubt the decisions he makes.
Thanks to the people who commented and donated power stones.
Read my other novel called Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time.
You can find it on my profile.
It's very good, recommended by Tolkien himself (just kidding).]