Joe Ga and his group arrived at the hotel booked by 'Spur', and after resting for a night, they headed to the defense expo early the next day.
The opening ceremony was quite grand...
All sorts of performances showcasing Texas features took turns unfolding in the convention center's plaza.
Cowboy culture seemed to be deeply ingrained here, and gun spinning had become part of the performances.
However, what left the deepest impression on Joe Ga was not the showgirls in hot pants performing with revolvers, but how lax Texas was towards gun control.
Joe Ga had paused for just a moment and had already seen at least twenty people with pistols on them.
Although he didn't understand why those people's pistols were all hanging visibly at their waists, Joe Ga thought it was pretty outrageous nonetheless.
It was like heading out to a market back home and realizing that many of your fellow attendees were carrying machetes — how could that not make one anxious?
And that wasn't even the most outrageous part...
Only after the performances ended and the crowd dispersed did Joe Ga realize that the previously spotless northeast corner of the convention center's plaza had turned into a makeshift arms flea market overnight.
Compared to the formal exhibition inside the convention center, this flea market was very 'unserious'.
Joe Ga, holding Nis's hand and curious, came over to take a look and then saw a big-bearded man in a checked shirt leading a little girl, who looked no more than four or five years old, to a booth selling sports pistols. He picked out a small pistol with a pink grip for the little girl...
Watching the man patiently ask the girl if she liked it and, getting an affirmative reply, also teaching her how to load the magazine and chamber a round...
Joe Ga, seeing that the nearby police officer seemed unconcerned, wrapped his arm around Nis's shoulder and said with a smile, "I'm starting to place.
When I have kids someday, I'm going to teach them how to use a gun to protect themselves, especially if it's a girl."
Nis hadn't expected the gun culture in America to be even more open than in Liberia, where despite the chaos, usually only the head of a household would have a gun.
If New York showed Nis prosperity, then Texas truly opened his eyes; people's habits here suited the taste of Devil Bird...
Looking at several men bringing their daughters to choose guns, Nis nodded in agreement and said, "Telling girls how to protect themselves is every father's duty."
Joe Ga looked at the first little girl, who had expertly fitted a gun holster around her waist and then slipped the unloaded pistol into it, and nodded with a grin, "If we're only comparing this point, I'm definitely the best dad in the world."
He then looked at the policeman next to him and asked with a smile, "Hey, buddy, is this really legal?"
The police officer, a middle-aged man with a mustache, furrowed his brow and said to Joe Ga, "Why would it be illegal for a father to buy his child a present? There are no bullets sold here; it's only dangerous if the gun is loaded..."
Joe Ga continued to inquire, "So, can we buy guns here?"
The mustachioed police officer, showing patience, replied with a smile, "If you're not an American, then you need a green card or a student visa, just register and you can buy a gun."
Upon hearing this, Joe Ga whistled and exclaimed, "I place!"
With that, he pulled Nis into the makeshift flea market set up with temporary tents.
Joe Ga of course had no interest in the guns there, but the atmosphere was quite amusing, and among those obviously second-hand firearms, there were actually some gems.
Joe Ga spotted a set of M1911 pistols crafted by an expert, as well as a few Remington high-end hunting shotguns that were clearly not cheap.
Regrettably, he didn't meet the identity requirements to purchase a gun, and buying in the name of his company would be too troublesome. He could only scan the detailed data of those guns he liked and make them himself later.
Just wandering around, Joe Ga and Nis had spent nearly two hours outside.
By the time they entered the actual exhibition venue, the chilly air conditioning, cool-toned decor, and various concept weapon models suddenly accentuated the sense of technology.
The Austin defense expo was just a small-scale event, not as high-end as Joe Ga initially thought.
He had seen the list of participating companies and it included famous ones like 'Raytheon Company', 'Ingalls Industries', 'General Dynamics Corporation', 'L3 & Harris Group'...
He had thought it would be a high-tech extravaganza!
But when he walked in, it seemed more appropriate to call it an exposition of personal weaponry rather than a defense expo.
The first booth upon entry belonged to the renowned 'Sig Sauer Company', with a few models in camo hot pants holding the latest model of rifles for photos and browsing.
While Sig Sauer's new rifle was beautiful, Joe Ga couldn't grasp the significance of the 6.8 mm caliber.
It wasn't until he heard the enthusiastic sales pitch of the exhibitor that he realized Sig Sauer was competing with the new rifle for a United States Department of Defense project, and it dawned on Joe Ga that the 6.8 mm caliber modular replica of the SCAR shown to him by 'Professor' from Yuginebert Company might not be entirely meaningless.
Joe Ga personally wasn't too keen on Sig Sauer's products, but Nis took an interest in their latest CROSS PRS (Precision Rifle System) sniper rifle.
The 610mm heavy stainless steel barrel and the balance of power and weight were the only aspects Joe Ga could truly appreciate.