“I’m here today because I’d like to do some business with you,” Hua Ru said after they had each finished a few cups of tea, getting straight to the point.

Wang Yuanhu sat in his chair like an immovable mountain, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at Hua Ru.

There was something about this girl that struck him as unusual. She reminded him of those sheltered noble daughters from the classics, the kind who would never set foot outside their family estates. But that wasn’t quite right either, since these days, there were no such reclusive young ladies. Most of them were wild, getting into trouble long before they even reached adulthood.

That was precisely why the girl before him felt so peculiar.

In both speech and demeanor, she carried herself like a refined noblewoman, nothing like the crude, spoiled rich offspring he often encountered. Yet it was this propriety that made her suspicious. After all, she traveled alone, with no bodyguards in sight.

Was she a runaway from her family, inspired by TV dramas to elope with a lover? Or maybe she’d stormed out in a fit of anger, determined to start her own business and prove herself?

Wang Yuanhu couldn’t quite figure the girl out. Unsure of her real background, he decided to hear her out, especially if she turned out to be well-connected. If that were the case, he might even do her a favor, even at a slight loss.

“Oh? And what kind of business did you have in mind?” He glanced at the case that had just been handed to his trusted bodyguard.

The burly man in black opened the briefcase without touching the contents, placing it on the table where both could see.

“Mr. Wang, do you have a knife?” she asked, avoiding a direct answer.

Wang Yuanhu signaled to the man in black, who left briefly and returned with a fruit knife.

“Do your best to damage this suit. Use whatever method you can think of,” Hua Ru instructed.

The moment she spoke, both men realized her intentions.

Was she trying to sell protective clothing? Could it be that ordinary methods couldn’t damage this suit?

Under Wang Yuanhu’s intrigued gaze, the man in black spent a full two minutes trying to rip or slash the suit… but the fabric remained completely unscathed, without so much as a scratch.

“I know a resourceful friend who has access to unusual materials. The materials can be made into all sorts of things, like this suit. Ordinary blades can’t pierce or cut it. It also has built-in spaces for ballistic inserts, allowing the suit to stop standard firearm rounds,” Hua Ru explained, sounding every bit like a seasoned salesperson highlighting the product’s value.

“Oh? Bulletproof?” Wang Yuanhu’s interest was visibly piqued. “You, come here.”

He beckoned to another bodyguard across the room. “Put this on.”

Then he exchanged a look with the man in black. The latter stepped away for a moment and returned with a long case containing several firearms. He took out a handgun, racked the slide, and leveled it at the other guard now wearing the blue suit.

“Miss, are you sure your product can actually stop bullets?” Wang Yuanhu asked, a trace of concern in his voice. Truth be told, he was fairly impressed with the suit. He believed it could handle standard ammunition, otherwise, she wouldn’t have come here with such confidence.

“As long as it’s not armor-piercing rounds, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Hua Ru replied, her confidence in the Dark World item unwavering.

With the bulletproof plates fitted inside, the blue suit looked slightly bulkier. The man in black stepped behind the test subject and, without hesitation, fired a single shot. The gunshot was deafening - so loud it made Hua Ru, who had never heard a real gun fired before, flinch.

The suit caved in slightly but didn’t tear. The bullet had flattened into a small metal disc and penetrated no more than a millimeter.

The test subject let out a loose breath. Obviously he’d been tense just now.

Next, the man in black picked up the famous AK-47 assault rifle.

Wang Yuanhu turned to Hua Ru. “Is this still alright?”

“No problem,” she answered casually.

Just then, several more people rushed into the room. The earlier gunshot had been too loud to ignore. Wang Yuanhu didn’t scold his guards for the intrusion. Instead, he smiled and politely ushered them back out.

Testing resumed. Beads of sweat now dotted the test subject’s forehead, whether from the cold or nerves, it was hard to tell.

Even a grade-schooler knew the AK-47’s reputation. Mythologized or not, it was a legendary firearm. Firing it at a live person wearing nothing but a soft bulletproof vest, from less than two meters away… it was undeniably nerve-racking!

“Miss Yu, it’s not too late to back out,” Wang Yuanhu said abruptly, his words carrying a hint of warning.

The underlying meaning was clear. If the test subject died, the responsibility would fall squarely on Hua Ru.

“Do you really think I came here to do ordinary business with you?” she shot back, her tone bordering on arrogance. She was practically begging to be taken down a peg.

The AK-47’s bark was different from the blast of heavier artillery. Whereas mortars roared with a deep thunder, the rifle’s shots were crackling and piercing. Both were loud, but in very different ways.

The test subject exhaled again. His complexion remained steady.

A quick inspection showed that this time, the bullet had finally broken the outer fabric of the blue suit, and the inserted plate now had a small hole about four millimeters deep. When questioned, the man reported no issues. No broken bones, no internal injuries like when hit by a palm in wuxia novels. Only some red marks were visible on his skin.

Unconvinced, Wang Yuanhu insisted on several more rounds, even firing the rifle himself, but the outcome remained unchanged. The blue suit now had over a dozen bullet holes, yet the test subject was completely unharmed. Well, almost. A rectangular red mark was visible on his back, left by the rigid insert pressed firmly against his body.

"This should be impossible! Common knowledge says bulletproof vests either fail to stop bullets or break your ribs even when they stop a bullet. How could you be completely fine?" Wang Yuanhu was visibly stunned.

Could it be some trick? To confirm the tests on the suit, he fired at a solid wood door nearby. The bullet tore clean through the timber, proof the gun was working perfectly.

"Well now, this is interesting!" Wang Yuanhu's curiosity burned even brighter. He took the vest and examined it closely for a long time, but couldn't detect anything unusual about the material. "How about we try a Barrett next?"

"Mr. Wang, I really must advise against that," Hua Ru interjected quickly. "Someone could die."

The test subject breathed a sigh of relief. He was dismissed, and even given a few days off.

When he reached the front gate, a crowd had already gathered, drawn by the sound of gunfire.

Among them stood an elderly man in a traditional white lab coat, hands clasped behind his back, flanked by attendants. He carried an air of importance. The test subject bowed respectfully as he approached.

"What's Old Wang up to in there? Causing such a commotion," the elder remarked with curiosity, though he made no move to enter.

The test subject recounted everything that had happened inside without holding anything back. The other man's status commanded such respect that secrecy wasn't an option.

To corroborate his story, he even removed his shirt, revealing the marks on his back. By now, those marks had darkened into bruised patches, evidence that even gear from the Dark World had its limits. After all, it was soft armor, not hardened plating. Even these supernatural products could only do so much.

The elder in the lab coat glanced curiously toward the building but still didn't enter.

Bulletproof vests that could stop bullets weren't exactly rare. Nothing particularly surprising there. But coming all the way to gang headquarters to sell such gear? That seemed unusual.