Chapter 233: Black Market

In Yuezhou's Three Institutes, He Jiaqing suddenly opened his eyes.

A strange aura had suddenly appeared, seemingly not far from the hospital.

Who has come to Waizhou?

Could it be that I'm overthinking—could this aura be connected to "Zhao Xiaowan"?

He Jiaqing was about to go out and investigate, when the hospital room door suddenly swung open—Chen, the captain of Anxing Bureau, entered.

The doctor was explaining He Jiaqing's condition to Captain Chen; despite some recent developments, his condition showed no improvement.

Captain Chen was not particularly interested in the illness—he simply stared quietly at He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing dared not move, for Old Chen was a Kui Xiu of considerable rank.

The window was closed, yet a faint breeze seemed to drift into the room.

The aura.

Old Chen sensed the inexplicable aura too—he turned his gaze toward the window, then back to He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing cursed inwardly.

What's this supposed to mean?

Do you suspect me?

The two stared at each other for a moment—then the strange aura vanished.

Xiao Zhenggong sent men to retrieve "Zhao Xiaowan" and immediately sealed her away.

…

After Old Chen left, He Jiaqing immediately contacted Wan Jinxian: "Did you really get hold of Zhao Xiaowan?"

Wan Jinxian changed his tune: "I'm still chasing her hard."

He Jiaqing was startled: "What's happened?"

Wan Jinxian sighed: "I was tricked—Luo Zhengnan fooled me with a lizard skin. The ancient spear Yunjiao I got? I mistook it for Zhao Xiaowan."

"Who actually has Zhao Xiaowan?" He Jiaqing's voice was calm, yet it made Wan Jinxian even more tense.

"She's probably still with Luo Zhengnan."

"Where is Luo Zhengnan?"

"He's probably still at Tiemenbao."

"Still at Tiemenbao?" He Jiaqing laughed—a laugh that made Wan Jinxian shiver.

He Jiaqing said nothing more and cut the connection.

If I'm right, Luo Zhengnan has already arrived in Waizhou—and just now, that aura came from him.

…

In the villa, Xiao Zhenggong hosted a banquet to reward Luo Zhengnan.

"Old Luo, I toast you—you're the only true talent in our gang!"

"Thank you, Boss!" Old Luo raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

Xiao Zhenggong ordered more wine and dishes to be brought, showered praise, yet said not a word about the vice boss position.

What's this supposed to mean?

He signed the contract.

Xiao Zhenggong is from Puluozhou—he should know the weight of a contract.

Xiao Zhenggong is indeed from Puluozhou, but he's lived in Waizhou too long.

He knows Puluozhou people revere contracts, but he's also learned Waizhou tricks for evading them.

Like flexibility.

Like loopholes.

Like that phrase: "In principle… logically… but in reality…"

In principle, according to the contract, after the task is completed, Xiao Zhenggong must make Luo Zhengnan vice boss.

Logically, Luo Zhengnan did complete the task—he delivered "Zhao Xiaowan" into Xiao Zhenggong's hands.

But in reality, the vice boss position is no trivial matter—it concerns the gang's rise or fall—so caution is paramount; merit alone isn't enough; a comprehensive assessment and long-term planning are required.

Can Luo Zhengnan understand all this?

Yes—he's a trend-chaser.

But can he accept this outcome?

No.

He's from Puluozhou.

For Puluozhou people, a contract is unshakable.

Luo Zhengnan didn't want to stay another moment—he returned to Yaowanggou the same day.

…

The next morning, Zhu Junlong, general manager of the Chashan Hotel, visited He Jiaqing's room and brought him a bouquet of flowers.

After Zhu Junlong left, He Jiaqing seized a petal while the nurse wasn't looking and clenched it in his hand.

Through the petal, He Jiaqing heard Zhu Junlong's voice.

"Jiaqing, I just got word—Xiao Zhenggong, the young boss of Jiangxiang Gang, has taken Zhao Xiaowan."

He Jiaqing glanced at the nurse—she was barely hiding her exhaustion and had fallen asleep.

He Jiaqing pressed on: "Is the information reliable?"

"It came from a Jiangxiang Gang mole—we paid him well; it should be trustworthy."

Did the news spread this fast?

Is Xiao Zhenggong this careless?

Did someone close to him leak it?

He Jiaqing had planted many moles in Jiangxiang Gang, but none had penetrated Xiao Zhenggong's inner circle.

Who else could it be?

Could it be Old Luo?

Why would he do that?

Because Xiao Zhenggong didn't honor the reward?

Anyone's rumor can be ignored—but Zhao Xiaowan's soul must be secured quickly, or certain matters will become far more difficult.

He didn't want to lie here forever.

He Jiaqing rubbed his chin, then raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Why not use this chance to test Xiao Zhenggong's mettle?

He Jiaqing told Zhu Junlong: "Find a suitable person to invite Xiao Boss for tea."

Tea?

Kidnap?

Zhu Junlong feared he'd misheard: "You mean… kidnap the young boss of Jiangxiang Gang? The deputy captain of Anxing Bureau?"

It sounded like an impossible mission.

But He Jiaqing didn't think so: "What do you mean 'kidnap'? How could we ever do something like that? If this got out, our reputation would be ruined."

Zhu Junlong was confused: "Then what do you mean?"

"I told you to invite him for tea, ask him a few questions, then kill him—then no one will ever know."

Zhu Junlong understood He Jiaqing's meaning—but still thought it too difficult.

Since He Jiaqing said it, he would create the perfect opportunity for Zhu Junlong to act.

Back at the hotel, not long after, Zhu Junlong received a message from He Jiaqing.

Tonight, Anxing Bureau will inspect the black market in Huahu District—Xiao Zhenggong is leading the team personally.

Inspecting the black market is standard procedure for Anxing Bureau—sometimes they really investigate, sometimes it's just routine.

With Xiao Zhenggong leading, it's clearly routine—he has no intention of confronting the black market head-on.

He'd already warned the black market shopkeeper: tonight, he'd just drop by for a look.

This was indeed a good opportunity—in such routine operations, Xiao Zhenggong wouldn't bring many men or be overly cautious.

Zhu Junlong summoned a hermit and a brawler.

The hermit was a Zhai Xiu—this man was Duan Xiangwen, a fifth-layer cultivator.

The brawler was a Wu Xiu—this man was Zhong Guoshu, also a fifth-layer cultivator.

Zhu Junlong explained the plan—both immediately agreed without asking a single question.

He Jiaqing was their brother—brothers who had shared life and death; one call, and they'd walk through fire and blade without hesitation.

Besides, this wasn't even fire and blade—according to Anxing Bureau's records, Xiao Zhenggong was only a third-layer brawler; Zhong Guoshu believed he could handle it alone.

Zhu Junlong warned: "Better to be cautious—this matters deeply to Jiaqing; we must take it seriously."

The hermit wasn't good with people—Duan Xiangwen didn't want to talk to Zhong Guoshu, and Zhong Guoshu thought Duan was unnecessary.

Fortunately, Zhu Junlong was prepared—he knew the black market inside out, laid out the tactics and ambush positions clearly, and even took them both to scout the location.

At 11: 8 p. ., the black market opened on schedule.

A black market isn't just a roadside vegetable stall—even with protection, no one would dare make it this obvious.

On Yiping Road in Huahu District stood a Cultural Palace—tonight rented out for a private movie screening; this was the black market's location.

The Cultural Palace had a cinema—an old-fashioned one from last century—with hard seats that flipped up, and every time patrons entered or left, a chorus of clattering sounds echoed through the hall.

The cinema was dilapidated but sizable, with two levels and private boxes on both sides.

Those unfamiliar with the black market sometimes wondered: this cultural palace had been abandoned for years—why did anyone still come here to watch movies?

The curious might even step inside to take a look.

Can you get in without a ticket?

Yes.

The movie screen showed classic films from the 1980s and 1990s; the audience seats typically held a sparse twenty or thirty people.

Once inside the cinema, don't rush to do business. If you're truly here to buy, find a seat in the back rows—avoid the first five rows—and watch quietly for at least ten minutes.

If the movie is a wuxia film, then today's sellers are all selling weapons.

If it's a comedy, then most sellers are selling magic treasures.

If it's a romance, then most of those present are selling medicinal herbs.

If it's a romance film banned from official cinemas, then today there are elixirs for sale.

If it's a gunfight film, the situation is special: most here are hua shezi (brokers)—some can arrange travel permits, others fake identities, and still others can connect you with bodyguards or assassins.

After watching for ten or so minutes, you'll see vendors with boxes of snacks walking through the cinema; they'll approach you and ask what you'd like to buy.

The correct answer is to buy water—not soda, just plain water.

Buy a bottle of water, don't drink it, carry it with you, go to the first five rows, sit beside one of the audience members, and you can begin speaking with the seller.

Both parties must maintain the appearance of watching the movie. The seller names the item; the buyer listens. If interested in a deal, move to a private box upstairs for detailed discussion. During negotiations, place the water bottle by the door to deter interruptions.

Once the deal is made, the buyer must not pay immediately. Go downstairs and shout, "I want water." Wait for the snack vendor to come up.

In front of the snack vendor, the buyer pays, the seller delivers the goods, then sets aside one-tenth as a tip for the vendor.

Why give the snack vendor so much money?

Because he is the black market shopkeeper—this is his rightful venue fee.

Can't we just do business privately without calling him?

Yes.

But you must not let him know.

And if you receive counterfeit goods, fake money, or are ambushed, the shopkeeper bears no responsibility.

The shopkeeper had received word in advance: tonight, none of the sellers appeared at the cultural palace.

Many buyers came, but no snack vendor was seen; the first five rows were empty, and they didn't know whom to approach.

In the stalemate, Xiao Zheng entered alone.

As agreed, Xiao Zheng brought two newcomers, Dengpao and Mingxing, just to take a look, ask a couple questions, and leave.

There was no business happening tonight; watching a movie wasn't illegal. Xiao Zheng didn't even bother opening his mouth—he simply told Dengpao and Mingxing to ask a few random questions and file a report.

He found a seat in the back, yawned, and waited to finish his shift and go home.

A man walked up to Xiao Zheng and whispered: "You selling water?"

Xiao Zheng frowned, glanced at the man, and laughed: "Are you crazy? I'm not going to arrest you, and you're handing yourself to me?"

The man replied: "I'm not crazy."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp dagger pierced Xiao Zheng's rib.

"Come with me. Don't move. Don't speak."

The strike was swift, precise, and left no trace. Xiao Zheng asked: "Are you a Wu Xiu?"

The man pressed the blade harder: "I told you not to speak."

Xiao Zheng smiled: "You tell me not to speak, so I won't? How conceited of you."

PS: Just how capable is the Young Master?

(End of Chapter)