038 Black Mountain Gold Store

After this exchange, Song Chi began a new round of shopping—more precisely, purchasing.

The tungsten gold war shield and tungsten gold spear had been particularly popular at the last trade fair. This time, he bought 10,000 copies of each, spending a total of 1,000 strands of zero-order floating land origin. The Xinghai Universal Translator wasn't needed, as he had already bought one before.

For the basic gene optimization solution, he acquired 1,000 tubes, costing 1,000 strands of zero-order floating land origin. Additionally, he obtained 10 intermediate gene optimization potions for 100 strands of zero-order floating land origin.

He did not purchase a Life Core this time. During the last market transaction, he had discovered that the currency used by zero-level aliens to trade was primarily the Life Core. Once the trade was over, most of the resources he earned were Life Cores, making it unnecessary to stock up in advance.

Furthermore, he bought five sets of basic civilian exoskeletons, each equipped with ten durable batteries. If used in an overloaded state, these would last for several months, costing 110 strands of zero-order floating land origin.

The exoskeleton device was mainly for testing. As a complex mechanical creation, proficiency in its use was essential; otherwise, it could hinder actions rather than enhance them. The welcome of such devices still needed to be assessed through future transactions.

All of the above cost him a total of 2,210 strands of zero-order floating land origin. Considering the funds left over from the last market transaction and the harvest from his recent alien star field exploration, he now had nothing in his hands. Even the Floating Land Origin obtained from selling the batch of fine gold on the black market was used up in the Eagle Machinery Shop.

However, he did not touch the 32 strands of the first-order floating land source exchanged for the first-order peak Gold-Eating Vine Life Crystal, planning to reserve them for subsequent strengthening of the [Dark Matter Energy Shield Generator].

As a general enhancement resource for the first-order fire airship "Nether Energy Airship," the first-order floating land source, though common, had a value far higher than the zero-order floating land source.

Although the official exchange ratio between the two in the Principality of Morning Star was 1:10, it was often priceless. Stable first-order floating land sources could be sold on black markets, usually at exchange ratios of 1:14 or 1:15, and even as high as 1:20 in some transactions.

In the Eagle Machinery Shop, the price offered was also 1:10, and Song Chi wouldn't make such a loss-making transaction.

While Song Chi was on his buying spree, a different scenario was unfolding in the southern suburbs of Jiangyuan City, Dongshan Forest Park, at the Jiangyuan Black Market.

The Black Mountain Gold Store, a shop on the outskirts of the black market specializing in purchasing various metal mineral resources, bought minerals that couldn't be sold openly at 65% of the market price, and then resold them at 75% to large machinery stores. With this 10% price difference, the Black Mountain Gold Store's annual income was substantial.

The large volume contributed to the success. Jiangyuan City, with a population of over 20 million and tens of thousands of Xinhuo airships, had grassroots employees from Huanfulu Mining Company secretly intercepting private goods every month. The amount of mineral resources flowing into the black market was staggering.

Therefore, even a peripheral shop like the Black Mountain Gold Store made considerable annual profits.

Of course, the main reason was the store's solid backing. As an industry of the underground force "Heishan Society" in Jiangyuan City, ordinary forces didn't dare to provoke it, and those capable of suppressing it didn't bother.

But today was different. Several figures were quietly monitoring everything inside and outside the Black Mountain Gold Store from a corner of the street.

These people had been targeting the Black Mountain Gold Store for nearly ten days, yet the store and the Heishan Society were unaware, indicating the stalkers' considerable backing. In a corner at the back, a man wearing a black hat received a message from his communicator. His lazy expression changed instantly to one of deep respect, though he maintained a calm exterior.

"The target is determined; it's at the Black Mountain Gold Store. Let's do it!"

"Received!"

Following the order, several figures scattered throughout the street moved simultaneously. They released the first-level aura pressure, and a faint light flashed between their eyebrows, summoning ten astonishing terracotta warriors around each figure.

These four individuals were all first-class fire captains, and their ships were equipped with special parts like "Terracotta Trees."

This commotion caught the attention of the first-class psionic airship captain in the Black Mountain Gold Store. Realizing something was wrong, he attempted to summon his ship.

However, the attackers were well-prepared and wouldn't let him escape. The forty first-order terracotta warriors quickly surrounded the Black Mountain Gold Store, attacking the first-order fire captain whenever he tried to rush out.

Forty versus one, with the attackers having the initiative, meant the battle's outcome was predetermined. In less than ten seconds, the senior Black Mountain Society member, despite reaching lv14 in the guidance skill, was subdued by the terracotta warriors.

After the attack, the four figures quickly retreated, showing no interest in the thousands of tons of mineral materials in the Black Mountain Gold Store.

Two minutes later, the black market patrol arrived in a kinetic speed car. After a fruitless search, they left helplessly. The Black Mountain Society's subsequent reaction wasn't a concern for the black market patrol.

While the Black Mountain Society wasn't weak, it couldn't compare to the major forces in Jiangyuan City. Its industry was confined to the periphery of the black market, unable to penetrate the core area, which was the essence of the entire Jiangyuan black market, where at least 90% of resources were traded annually.

One basic condition distinguishing first-rate from second-rate forces in Jiangyuan City was whether a force had its own industry in the core area of the black market.