Transaction

The next evening, a torrential downpour.

Huan Dun Construction Materials Co., Ltd., Warehouse No. 4.

The company's main business was supplying construction materials for the city walls. In recent years, due to low maintenance demand, it had been on standby for a long time, with very few people coming and going.

The small warehouse next door was originally used for temporary material storage, but now, neglected for years, it was somewhat dilapidated—peeling walls, a roof riddled with rust.

There were no streetlights around, leaving the area pitch black, appearing especially eerie in the rain.

"Damn this shitty weather..."

Inside the warehouse, a slightly gaunt man spat, clutching a waterproof-wrapped bundle against his chest—the goods for this transaction.

"Alright, quit your bitching. Finish this job and we'll clear out fast."

Another deeper, rougher voice rang out.

It belonged to a burly man. Even through his raincoat, his explosive muscles were visible.

He stood by the door, warily scanning the rain-shrouded open space outside the warehouse, afraid of any unexpected trouble.

During the last "Great Cleanse," quite a few of their peers had been taken in, and they wouldn't be out for a year or two at least.

After that incident, many had become extra cautious, temporarily halting operations to watch the situation.

The price of Suppressors circulating on the market had skyrocketed, and as a result, the number of Aberrants who had lost control had increased significantly.

They were already struggling to stay hidden, and now the authorities were cracking down hard on Aberrants from both sides, drastically reducing their numbers.

This also meant they had lost a large chunk of their "old customers," making each deal much harder to pull off than before.

"Brother Biao, the agreed time is almost here."

The gaunt Scalper reminded him, then asked uncertainly:

"What do you think... that woman's background is? I remember last time, the ones left in that Mobile Black Market all got caught.

She got out so fast and is already rushing for more goods just a few days later. Could she be a cop sent out to fish for leads?"

"Doesn't seem like it."

Du Biao thought for a moment, then shook his head, his right hand unconsciously rubbing the dagger strapped to his leg.

"Too long-winded. All that back-and-forth talk is just trying to haggle. If the cops wanted to dig for info, they'd have plenty of ways without going through small fry like us."

"So... a real 'Patient'?"

"Yeah. But... those old 'Patients' know their own conditions well and have a steady handle on how long the Suppressor lasts. Besides, everyone knows there's only one manufacturer in the city.

Who would question the quality of the medicine just because the effect is short?"

After reasoning it through, Du Biao concluded:

"So, I figure she's a new 'Patient,' desperate for a Suppressor to keep her problem in check, and at the same time trying to fish for info and find her 'Same Kind.'"

Then, he said meaningfully to the gaunt Scalper:

"A Gui, remember this—these half-assed types are the most dangerous. They don't even understand their own situation, they're prone to losing control, and they're liable to drag trouble onto others.

From now on, when dealing with greenhorns like that, be extra careful."

Listening to Du Biao's analysis, A Gui's eyes showed genuine admiration, and he felt much more at ease.

If it weren't for Brother Biao's sharp eye, caution, and willingness to keep him around, he would have been screwed over countless times by now.

"Got it, Brother Biao. I'll do whatever you say."

"When she gets here, same as usual—you handle the deal, and I'll watch from the shadows."

"Alright."

Just as the two were whispering to each other, neither noticed

that on the roof above them, Jiang Mian stood silently in the rain, wearing a Black Raincoat, having overheard their entire conversation word for word.

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The power of [Gale] formed a wall of air around her, perfectly masking her aura.

If she wanted, she could even completely block out the rain. But she didn't—it would be too conspicuous.

The basic wind-control abilities described in [Gale]'s summary included all the foundational wind-control skills of this path, and the same went for [Fierce Flame].

As long as she was willing to develop it, she could master any skill.

Jiang Mian had arrived early, first scouting the area to familiarize herself with the surroundings, then lying in ambush here to see if she could pick up any useful information from their conversation.

'If I hadn't awakened [Doom], then that Brother Biao would have been about seventy or eighty percent right.'

Jiang Mian mused inwardly. His analysis did make some sense.

But as for there being only one manufacturer of these Suppressors, this was the first she'd heard of it.

Counting it up, this was only her second time dealing with these people, so it was only natural she didn't know.

Exclusive monopoly... That meant the source was tightly controlled, with prices and circulation manipulated by an invisible hand.

'No wonder it's so expensive...'

The prices in this world were about two-thirds lower than in the Previous Life, so even this degraded version of the Suppressor was still burning a hole in her pocket.

'That one called Brother Biao seems experienced, highly alert, and should be an Awakened...'

Jiang Mian's perception pierced through the wind and rain, faintly catching Du Biao's aura.

She estimated he was probably a Second-tier [War] sequence, a physical enhancement type—decent enough.

The other one... was pretty ordinary. Even if he was an Awakened, he shouldn't be strong.

The conversation below fell silent, and Jiang Mian knew it was time.

With a thought, the Flowing Wind around her lifted her lightly, setting her down on the ground behind the warehouse.

Then, she deliberately made her steps heavier, treading through the puddles with a "patter, patter" sound, unhurriedly circling toward the warehouse entrance.

Hearing the footsteps outside, Du Biao nodded subtly to A Gui, then quietly stepped behind a pile of discarded building materials, concealing his aura.

A Gui took two steps forward, gazing toward the warehouse entrance.

A figure in a Black Raincoat walked in from the doorway.

The hood covered her face, and she wore a mask, so her features weren't visible—only her silhouette suggested a woman just over 1.6 meters tall.

But this aura...

A Gui was a bit stunned. He was only Sequence 340 [Extreme Speed], but he was still an Awakened with basic perception.

Last time they traded, she hadn't had this faint, oppressive pressure!

This... this wasn't right, was it?

Was she a rookie?

Just a few days had passed, and she'd changed this much?!

He instinctively glanced toward Du Biao's direction, but before he could speak, Jiang Mian's deliberately adjusted, cool voice cut through the darkness, flatly saying:

"The goods."

As the words fell, she tossed over a medium-sized storage box.

"The money... is it all here?"

A Gui hurriedly caught it. The box had a solid weight in his hands.

Jiang Mian didn't answer, simply standing still, as if to say, "Obviously—can't you check yourself?"

Realizing he was too tense, he said no more, lowered his head, and opened the storage box.

He counted the amount, confirmed it was correct, then handed over a small package, his tone carrying a hint of fawning:

"This is your Suppressor, and the address info is marked inside."

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