Chapter 363 - 340: California’s Gun Control and Hawkeye’s Friend

In the United States, two things are essential—practically every household has them.

First, guns.

Although every state in America has its own laws and regulations, they all have one thing in common: they don’t ban guns.

Without a gun, the people of the United States feel as naked and exposed as if they were unclothed, with no sense of security at all.

Second, cars.

According to statistics from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, vehicle ownership in the United States reached a staggering 260 million in 2014. That’s practically a car for every household.

Without a car, you can barely get anywhere in America. After all, the country is vast and sparsely populated, with most people concentrated in large urban areas. You even have to drive just to go grocery shopping.

This was part of the situation that Hawkeye had explained to Wu Yun.

So, as soon as Wu Yun and his team landed, they started making arrangements for these two items.

The rental company, contacted through the privileges of an ICBC Black Card, was impressively fast. They delivered two G-Wagens in the time it took Wu Yun and the others to eat a meal.

The staff member also introduced the special vehicle modifications his company offered to Wu Yun and his team.

Wu Yun and the others watched with satisfaction as the man opened the trunk, revealing a well-hidden compartment. He said, "Sir, the trunk is equipped with a special concealed storage unit for fishing rods. Of course, it’s quite spacious and can hold a lot of gear. As for what you put in there, that’s none of our business, as long as the vehicle isn’t damaged!"

Watching the bearded man and his two colleagues leave cheerfully, Wu Yun turned to Hawkeye and asked, "Hawkeye, have you gotten in touch with your contact?"

Hawkeye glanced at the hidden compartment before casually closing the trunk. "Boss, my friend said we can go over anytime. We just need to call him before we head out. His company has an office in Los Angeles, but those branches probably only stock standard items!"

Wu Yun waved his hand. "It doesn’t matter. We’re just buying some things for self-defense, not to start a collection."

"Let’s head inside. We’ll rest for an hour, then set out!"

Sitting comfortably on a plush sofa, Wu Yun asked, "Hawkeye, didn’t you say anyone could buy a gun here? Why are we being so secretive, like we’re some kind of underground resistance?"

Seeing everyone looking at him, Hawkeye gave a wry smile. "Boss, that’s true! In Texas, as long as you’re an adult with no criminal record and all your documents are in order, you can buy any small arm except for automatic weapons. In Texas, buying a gun is easier than renting an apartment."

"But this is California, the state with the strictest gun control in the entire United States. The laws here are disgustingly, perversely strict!"

Wu Yun’s interest was piqued. "Oh? Is it comparable to Huaxia?"

Hearing this, Hawkeye scratched his head in embarrassment. "Huaxia is on a whole other level—hell mode. California can’t compare. When I first went to Huaxia, I really wasn’t used to not having a gun."

Hawkeye continued, "I lived in California for a while, so I’m pretty familiar with the system here."

"Fuck, just thinking about these laws gives me a headache."

"In the state of California, suppressors and automatic weapons are strictly prohibited. Weapon systems like .50 BMG anti-materiel sniper rifles are also banned."

"Also, in California, all weapon magazines must have a capacity of 10 rounds or less. Anything over 10 is a violation, and illegal modifications can even land you in jail. On top of that, all semi-automatic rifles must have a ’bullet button’."

Da Xiong was puzzled. "Hawkeye, what’s a ’bullet button’?"

Hawkeye picked up a bottle of mineral water, took a large gulp, and caught his breath before explaining, "How should I put this... The bullet button is part of the magazine release mechanism. It’s designed so you can’t release the magazine with your finger. You have to use a tool—like the tip of a bullet—to do it. The idea is that it supposedly slows down reloading speeds..."

Hawkeye then used the Type 56 rifle, which they were all familiar with, as an example. The bullet button is a device installed over the magazine release switch, similar to how you need a SIM ejector tool to open the SIM card tray on a phone.

Hawkeye paused, seeing Wu Yun and the others listening intently, and added, "Los Angeles is known as the City of Angels, but it’s also a Sin City!"

"When it comes to California, I’m really at a loss for words because this state’s gun laws are so fucked up. The police don’t even bother with the gang shootouts around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Needless to say, the gangs’ guns are all smuggled, while ordinary people have a hard time buying weapons to protect themselves."

"You could say these gun laws only restrict ordinary citizens. For gangsters and the wealthy, they’re practically meaningless."

Hawkeye’s expression turned pained, as if he were constipated. "If we go through the proper channels, I’m the only one here who could buy a gun. But submitting the documents and waiting for the background check would take ten days to half a month! This is America; in that time, someone could shoot us full of holes!"

"Boss, that’s why I suggest we go through unofficial channels to buy the guns. We can get it all done this afternoon."

Because Wu Yun had promised them they could buy whatever they wanted and he would cover all expenses.

So, Da Xiong chuckled and asked, "Hawkeye, can we get an RPK and some grenades from Sam?"

At Da Xiong’s suggestion, Poison Thorn also got excited.

Poison Thorn said, "Can we get a Barrett?"

Hawkeye gave a sheepish laugh, a little uncertain. "We’ll only know for sure when we go see him this afternoon. I haven’t seen Sam in two years, so I don’t know how his business is doing. But seeing as he has offices in Los Angeles, I imagine he should be able to handle simple requests like yours!"