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“Refund?”
The air was momentarily still. The shopkeeper emphatically retorted:
“This is impossible!”
“Or do you think I’ll have someone tear down your破store!”
Mu’en responded with a cold laugh.
“Or do you think I can’t?”
“…Given the level of wealth the customer has previously displayed, it should indeed be possible.”
The shopkeeper said with difficulty:
“But I really don’t have the money at the moment. Even if I wanted to refund, I can’t.”
“Would you not have money?”
Mu’en didn’t believe it.
Would such a shady store not have money?
“Or how about this, I’ll compensate the customer in another way.” Observing Mu’en’s determined manner, the shopkeeper, seemingly not wanting to cause trouble, thought for a moment and said.
Mu’en raised an eyebrow. “What kind of method?”
“The customer has come to the black market, surely not just to bother me, right?”
The shopkeeper looked around and leaned toward Mu’en, lowering his voice and softly said:
“If you want to find good things in this black market, information is the key. Coincidentally, I usually have quite reliable news.”
“News…”
Mu’en’s thoughts moved. He was currently indeed worried about not knowing where to find Dragon’s Blood. If he could obtain relevant information from the shopkeeper, it would indeed be much more valuable than that trifling 130,000 Amil.
“Explain in detail.”
Mu’en, now interested, leaned in.
At this moment, he smelled a faint fresh fragrance, somewhat familiar, but also seemingly interfered by the breath-hiding black robe, making it unclear just how familiar it was.
“In fact, this information was obtained through my private channels. If it weren’t for a generous customer like you, I generally wouldn’t mention it.”
The shopkeeper took out a crumpled piece of paper. On the gilt paper, one could vaguely see the pattern of a red-eyed bat.
There were not many words on it, just a brief message saying “Secret Auction, sincerely inviting all to participate” and the like.
“This is…”
“An invitation.”
The shopkeeper mysteriously said:
“Soon, the black market will hold a secret auction. This is the auction’s invitation, or you could say an entry ticket.”
“Auction?”
Mu’en’s eyes lit up, “What good stuff will there be?”
“As for that, I’m not entirely clear either. However, the organizer of this auction is one of the biggest tycoons behind this black market. The items he puts up should not be bad.”
“Tycoon…”
Mu’en rubbed his chin.
It indeed sounded like a great opportunity not to be missed.
“If that’s the case, I’ll take it.”
As he said this, Mu’en reached for the invitation, but found that the slender fingers holding the invitation were like iron clamps, refusing to let go.
“Unwilling? Then the 130,000 Amil…”
“Not exactly… but the number of auction entrance spots is limited, exceedingly precious. I went through great trouble to obtain it. There’s only one, and if you just take it like this, wouldn’t I be too disadvantaged?”
“What do you want?”
“Another hundred or so thousand Amil?” The shopkeeper tentatively said: “Fifty thousand would also do?”
“You’re dreaming!”
Mu’en forcefully snatched the invitation from the shopkeeper’s hands and coldly laughed:
“I haven’t even asked you for compensation for emotional distress yet!”
“But…”
“There’s nothing to ‘but’. I’m leaving first!”
Carefully stuffing the invitation into his bosom, Mu’en, fearing that this unscrupulous and mysterious shopkeeper still had some amazing tricks up his sleeve, quickly fled.
Once outside, Mu’en’s steps became much lighter.
To get benefits from this unscrupulous shopkeeper was harder than taking from the mouth of a tiger, and utterly exhilarating.
…
“The address on the invitation should be here, right?”
After leaving the mysterious little shop, Mu’en directly followed the address on the invitation to a relatively prosperous area of the black market.
There were also many people obscuring their forms on both sides of the road, directly sitting on the ground to sell various strange things.
Based on Mu’en’s past experience, there would surely be many hidden treasures among the small roadside stalls. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the protagonist, nor did he have a bearded old man pointing him in the right direction. He had nothing but some money that could buy basically anything.
Thus, he could only be a sucker in auctions where prices were exorbitant but with no fake goods.
“Eh, strange, is it really here?”
Having found the place, Mu’en scratched his head in puzzlement.
Because the location indicated by the invitation was actually a magnificently decorated, conspicuously luxurious building, one that was clearly rare even throughout the entire black market.
Isn’t it supposed to be a secret auction? Why make it so conspicuous?
“Hello, sir, please take one of these.”
Just as Mu’en was puzzled, a sensually clad beautiful woman in a short skirt approached. She was holding a stack of papers and handed one to Mu’en.
“Flyer? Sorry, I’m not buying property, nor am I drinking bubble tea, nor am I looking for a club with young models.”
Mu’en automatically tried to refuse, but then glanced at the content of the leaflet and was suddenly stunned.
The big bat on that flyer, why does it look so familiar?
“This… this is?”
“It’s the auction flyer.”
The beauty explained: “After the cleaning operation, the entire black market was heavily hit. Therefore, to revive the economy of the black market, our boss specially organized this auction. Many items in the auction are the boss’s private collections, absolutely worth looking forward to!”
You black market, reviving what kind of economy?
No, the point is not this, but…
“Limited spots?”
“Huh? Oh, the spots are somewhat limited due to the venue’s capacity, allowing only five hundred people to participate simultaneously.” The woman looked somewhat puzzled at Mu’en’s question but still answered sincerely.
“Secret auction?”
“Isn’t that right? Do you know the name of our auction? The boss said that since it’s being held in the black market, it’s better to have some mysterious elements. Therefore, no detailed auction items were announced, and the name was given a strange twist.”
“…”
Mu’en’s hands started to shake:
“invitation?”
“Did you notice it, sir?”
The woman proudly said: “The boss said that since this is the first auction after the reopening of the black market, it needed to be more solemn. Hence, each flyer was designed to look like a real invitation. Can you see the gilt words? They are indeed written with real gold liquid!”
“…”
“Is something wrong, sir? Don’t you want one? Although it’s just a flyer, it’s still necessary to enter the auction with this.”
The woman continued to push forward a flyer.
“No… sorry, I already have one.”
“Had one?”
The woman was surprised, looking at Mu’en as he drew out the “invitation” with a trembling hand.
Her face immediately turned frosty.
If you already have one, why not say so earlier?
Making me waste all that talk.
On purpose?
It must be because he’s attracted to my beauty, so he was trying to flirt and make moves.
I’ve seen too many of people like you in the black market.
Hiding and skulking around here thinking about these kinds of things, but probably not even touched a girl’s hand in normal life!
“Pervert!”
The woman spat lowly and left with a swaying waist, leaving only a disdainful back to Mu’en.
“…”
In the disdainful gaze of the beauty,
Mu’en was silent.
Confounded.
Pondering.
Realizing suddenly.
Understanding.
Then extremely angry.
Damn it!
That black-hearted swindler!
I’ve been fooled by her again!
