[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-27":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starlight Professional",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2308687,4512,"Chapter 27: Black Market","starlight-professional-chapter-27",27,"\u003Cp>“I’ll drink to you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wei lifted his soda cup again: “We bio-engineered humans live too hard—like weeds in a crack, fighting for every ray of sunlight and drop of rain… After today, I’m going all-in on the college entrance exam. From now on, we’re not friends—we’re rivals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. To rivals!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing raised his cup too, though he felt a flicker of surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kid Liu Wei actually wants to cut ties with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Male friendship…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wei walked off quickly, as if this gathering had been nothing more than a final farewell to the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, only Fang Xing remained, eating every last bit of the barbecue: “This was expensive—can’t waste it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned home as usual, but only after closing his door did his expression turn grim: “Liu Wei…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d only suspected before, but from today’s behavior, this former best friend of the original owner was likely tied to some faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the fact that he voluntarily severed ties suggests he’s not entirely without character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the arena duel? Friendship has no place there—it’s a fight to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I had the power, I should help… but right now, I can barely save myself…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sighed and lay down to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing boarded a maglev train, carrying a single-shoulder backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scope of Chickenshadow Star is enormous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ninety-nine point nine nine percent of its surface has transportation and network coverage; only areas with chaotic magnetic fields, ruins, or wilderness remain as wounds on the planet’s civilization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the black market exists precisely in these places!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond Maple City lies a ruined urban zone—originally struck by a cult of the evil god, leaving half the city crippled, with lingering dangers: pollution and radiation…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Federation could clean it up, but rebuilding a new city costs less than restoring this one—it’s not worth it. So they built a new Maple City, and the old district slowly decayed into a haven for scavengers and the undocumented, eventually giving rise to the black market…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you think darkly, could the high-ups of Chickenshadow Star have deliberately preserved these ‘wounds of civilization’ to cultivate the black market?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing gripped his wristband, pondering silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final stop. Please remain seated and hold on while disembarking in an orderly manner…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed without notice; the maglev train arrived at its terminus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stepped off and found himself at the edge of Maple City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He began walking, then increased his pace, dodging surveillance cameras and slipping into alleyways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this black market trip, he’d left all electronic devices at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he moved through the darkness, the muscles and tendons of his face rippled—he altered his appearance, then donned a black mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he emerged from the alley, Fang Xing had changed clothes entirely: now he wore a leather jacket, a baseball cap, and a pitch-black mask, slipping into the border between the new and old districts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old district, abandoned and unmaintained, was littered with collapsed walls and broken structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light breeze stirred up wisps of dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roads were shattered; once a commercial street, now most signs were half-destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stepped on a faded poster of a once-famous actress—the sound startled several hyenas lurking in the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closer inspection revealed these hyenas differed from ordinary dogs: some had two heads, others four eyes, eight legs…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mutated creatures…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing recalled relevant information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the deformed descendants of local fauna mutated by the combined effects of evil god pollution and radiation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though far from meeting the standard of lower servants, some might possess strange abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead three-headed hyena growled softly, apparently deciding Fang Xing was too dangerous—or perhaps already full—and turned away, leading the others off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing passed through the commercial street and entered a residential district, surveying the half-collapsed buildings until he found a convenience store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the ruins, a convenience store still operating looked utterly conspicuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ding!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stepped through the store’s entrance, a green flash lit up, accompanied by a mechanical voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Clean. No tracking or communication devices on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the counter, a round-faced youth smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore the store’s uniform, his hair half-brown, holding an old-fashioned comic book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly set the comic down: “Welcome to ‘Worry-Free Convenience,’ customer. What would you like to purchase?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, a communication device.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing scanned the row of communicators on the counter and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the black market, communicators were always unregistered or stolen accounts—safer for contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem. How will you pay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth picked up a black wristwatch and smiled: “Ten thousand star credits. Cash or equivalent barter only.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it’s robbery—no, robbery doesn’t even compare to black market prices.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s gaze casually drifted to a basic nanite protective suit on the shelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its price tag read one hundred thousand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, a standard nano-protection suit wasn’t worth that much—but one stripped of the manufacturer’s backdoors? That’s the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you take gold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing pulled a fist-sized piece of dog-head gold from his backpack: “Valuate it. Put any surplus into the new account…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper took the gold, ran a quick scan: “Low purity… net gold weight: 2340 grams. Gold price: 176 star credits per gram. Total: 411,840 star credits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty percent handling fee, minus ten thousand star credits. Remaining: 319,472 star credits—deposited into your communicator account!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing took the communicator, added the shopkeeper’s contact, and walked to the back of the store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, another ruined street stretched out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though desolate, occasional figures moved through the ruins, each radiating an unmistakable aura of danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This feeling… reminds me of the lone cultivators in Qinglin Market…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing glanced around and felt a faint sense of familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gold, of course, was bought from the cultivation market using spirit sand—easily obtained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, turning large amounts of gold into spirit stones would be difficult, likely met with harsh price cuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Weapons, potions, assassin guilds, entertainment venues…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wandered briefly, forced to admit: the shops here were surprisingly complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over thirty thousand star credits—I’m practically rich.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a spark of excitement, Fang Xing entered a firearms shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner was a burly man who looked dangerous, clad in an exoskeletal armor—easily fourth realm strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Fang Xing enter, he didn’t even glance up, focused solely on polishing a rifle barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s eyes landed on the Swift Dragon laser rifle he’d once coveted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath its silver-white frame, a small label read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【‘Swift Dragon’ Laser Rifle, secondhand, 90% new, human-target capable, 2,000,000 star credits】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two million?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s pupils contracted. He glanced at other weapons—this laser rifle was among the cheapest in the store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry to bother you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped back several paces and walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Careless. The black market’s prices are truly brutal—thirty thousand star credits? Just pocket change…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still thinking this, he entered another shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the guidance from his purchased star credits, he entered a partially collapsed ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside stood only a wooden table, behind which sat a woman wrapped head to face, her palms exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing glanced and noticed intricate blue tattoos covering her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The aura here feels off… dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself, walked forward, and pulled out a chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient wooden chair groaned under his weight; the tattooed woman suddenly smiled: “Customer, you’ve come to this shop seeking solutions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I need to launder money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing said seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to abandon the bio-engineered Fang Xing identity—not yet, not too drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t want to suppress his martial progress, so by the time sophomore year started, he’d need an explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without income or massive nutrient solution support, how could his realm advance so rapidly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he needed to launder black money into legal income, then purchase a batch of nutrient solutions through official channels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What scale?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tattooed woman’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Several hundred thousand…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That little money…” The tattooed woman slumped back, looking bored: “Turn left at the door, go gamble a few rounds—I’ll take 30% as handling fee…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No gambling dens!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing was speechless—he was still a minor; that route was clearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That amount? Starting a company and fabricating cash flow would be overkill…” The tattooed woman smiled: “Clearly just a small client.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought for a moment, then replied: “We acquired a lottery company—we can arrange for you to win a small prize. A few hundred thousand in winnings won’t raise eyebrows, as long as you pay your taxes properly—the Federation won’t care at all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That… could work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing rubbed his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blue Star Federation banned minors from gambling, but imposed far looser restrictions on lotteries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, his money was so little it didn’t even qualify as a minnow—no one would bother investigating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled deeply in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least now, he could surge ahead during sophomore and junior year without seeming suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it blew up later, as long as he got into university, got certified as a ‘Professional,’ and joined the privileged class, this small matter wouldn’t matter at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect! Handling fee: 50%!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tattooed woman grinned, revealing a mouth of jet-black teeth—suddenly, Fang Xing felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if his heart were bleeding: ‘So damn rip-off!’\u003C\u002Fp>",1566,"2026-06-20T11:03:20.053Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1223c0e4570b86afae041a4f1737dbb3f85c62ff11401ffc20529867ce202259","starlight-professional-chapter-28","starlight-professional-chapter-26",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]