Trouble

"Let's go. Let's just wander around."

"Who knows, maybe we'll find something interesting."

Zane's eyes glinted slightly as he smiled and set off with Panta in another direction.

Meanwhile, in a hidden corner, someone silently watched him leave, curiosity flickering in her gaze.

"Someone from Titan Technology?"

"No… According to the Public Security Bureau, that guy earlier was the new representative from Titan Technology."

"Then who's this person, treated so respectfully by the head of Titan Technology?"

Jane tilted her head and spun a small dagger on her finger. The glint of cold steel flickered like a chill through her thoughts.

"Whatever. It's not my business. No point being nosy. I've got work to do..."

"Figuring out how to approach the Mountain Lion Group is a headache on its own..."

She stretched with a lazy sigh, shook her head, and disappeared into the crowd.

...

"Hmm? Hmm hmm? (Boss, what are you waiting for?)"

Zane leaned against the wall of a narrow alley. At the sound of Panta's voice, he shook his head and stepped out into the open.

"Someone was watching us."

"Too bad they didn't follow."

He'd already sensed the gaze back when he was speaking with Deck. That sixth sense of his—sometimes spot-on, sometimes dead quiet—had kicked in again.

Unfortunately, the person hadn't followed him, so he still had no idea who it was.

Plenty of people in the crowd wore masks, so who knew how they'd even picked him out?

But it didn't really matter. The Masked Fool identity was meant to attract attention anyway.

He continued wandering through the underground black market. As a vast trading hub, the place had all kinds of goods.

After all, when a Hollow disaster strikes, countless items are left behind—spanning every aspect of life.

And all of it, one way or another, could become part of a raider's profit chain.

After weaving through several alleys, Zane stopped at a quieter little shop.

The reason was simple—the layout looked a lot like the one where that old man had been.

"Tea... Right, I need to see Zhu Yuan tomorrow about the cat café business. Might as well use the time to pick up a few tricks from Qingyi."

"I'll bring her some tea—she'll probably like that."

He hadn't spent much time around her, but he knew enough to be sure of her love for tea.

"Welcome, sir! Looking for anything in particular?"

"All our teas are top-shelf. Take this one—Liu Feng tea, found in a wealthy man's Hollow residence. On the market, it's worth a thousand Dennies per gram!"

"And this one? Taken from a private collection deep in a Hollow—it's a relic from the Old Capital. It might not taste great after all this time, but as a collectible? Absolutely first-class!"

"If you're looking for teaware, we have that too. Every material, every era—ancient to modern."

"Whatever you need, we'll do our best to make it happen!"

The shopkeeper sprang into action the moment Zane walked in, laying it on thick with enthusiastic sales talk—he was ready to sell the whole shop if it meant making a sale.

After all, how much he earned depended entirely on how much Denny's stock he could move.

"I'm here to buy some tea, these..."

Zane frowned slightly. He didn't know a thing about tea—how was he supposed to tell what was good or bad? Listening to the shopkeeper rattle on was like trying to read in the dark.

"Whatever. Just give me one of each."

He waved a hand. Only kids make choices.

He'd buy them all and let Qingyi figure out which were worth keeping.

The shopkeeper's face lit up. He rushed to grab and package the tea, moving quickly, as if afraid Zane might change his mind.

While he worked, he asked,

"You look new here. First time visiting?"

Zane nodded, and the shopkeeper's hands moved even faster. These days, everyone in the black market had sharp instincts. A generous newbie like this? No way he was letting him get away.

Soon, Zane was holding two large bags of tea.

Enough to last Qingyi a year or two if she drank it daily.

Zane checked the bags—nothing out of the ordinary—then pulled out the card Deck had given him.

The shopkeeper accepted it and quickly processed the payment.

But when he saw the balance, his hand paused slightly. Something flickered in his eyes.

"Sir, you've purchased quite a lot. Perhaps I could ask my boss to throw in a little something extra?"

"No need."

Zane shook his head, his expression calm.

The shopkeeper hesitated.

"Well, uh, sir..."

"I said no."

Zane's tone stayed level, his face unchanged.

The shopkeeper looked like he wanted to say more, but Zane waved a hand and the card, engraved with New Eridu's emblem, slid back into his palm.

The Ether dust clinging to it dispersed.

"You know what? If you're going to make this so troublesome, forget the tea. I'm not paying, and I don't want your little bonus either."

He turned and walked away. Panta sensed something was off and hurried after him.

"Hey, kid! Don't get cocky! This is the underground black market—there are rules here!"

The shopkeeper slammed his hand on the table, glaring.

He wasn't joking. This was a lawless zone. Some delicate-looking guy acting all high and mighty? Unacceptable.

When Zane didn't even flinch and kept walking, the shopkeeper shouted again.

"Leave a toll, or you're not walking out of here in one piece!"

He pulled out a strange device, lifted it to his mouth, and blew.

A sharp sound rang out, high and piercing—clearly a signal.

Zane heard it, sighed, and stopped.

How irritating.

He just wanted to shop in peace.

People die for wealth, birds for food...

Heavy footsteps echoed through the alley. Several Raiders swaggered forward and blocked his path.

More emerged from behind the store, sealing off the exit.

One of them, armed with a gun, raised it and sneered at Zane.

"Listen up, kid. No one messes with us around here. Hand over your money if you know what's good for you!"

"Your life or your cash—you know which matters more."

People nearby paused to watch. A few stall owners and merchants leaned in to chat and enjoy the show.

Clearly, this shop had pulled this trick more than once.

The black market followed one rule—might makes right.

And if Zane looked like easy prey, the others wouldn't hesitate to join in and claim a piece of the prize...

"Raider gear, huh..."

Zane gave them a quick glance and scoffed.

"Tch. Let me guess—too much time in the Hollows scrambled your brains?"

"You're lousy at business, but when it comes to dying, you've got talent."