Transaction

The next evening, rain poured in torrents.

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, with little need for maintenance, it had long remained on standby, and few people came and went.

The small warehouse beside it had originally been used to temporarily store materials. Now, years of neglect had left it dilapidated, with peeling walls and a rust-eaten roof.

There were no streetlights nearby. The place was pitch-black, and the rain made it seem especially eerie.

"Damn, this shitty weather..."

Inside the warehouse, a somewhat gaunt man spat and clutched a small bundle wrapped in waterproof cloth against his chest. It contained the goods for this deal.

"Enough. Quit complaining. Let's finish this job and get out of here."

Another voice rang out, lower and deeper.

The speaker was a burly man. Even beneath his raincoat, his explosive muscles were apparent.

He stood by the door, warily scanning the empty ground outside the warehouse, shrouded by the curtain of rain, afraid something might go wrong.

During the last Great Cleanse, a lot of their colleagues had been arrested. They wouldn't be getting out for a year or two at the very least.

After that incident, many people had become especially cautious, temporarily stopping their operations to wait and see what happened.

The price of Suppressors on the market had soared, so the number of Aberrants losing control had increased as well.

They had already been struggling to stay hidden. Now that the authorities were cracking down hard on Aberrants, the two pressures had caused their numbers to dwindle considerably.

That also meant they had lost a great many "old customers." Making a deal was much harder than it used to be.

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

After Scalper reminded him, he asked uncertainly,

"What do you think... where did that woman come from? I remember everyone left at that Mobile Black Market last time got arrested.

"She got out that quickly, and she's already in a hurry for more goods after just a few days. Could she be a cop, sent out to bait us?"

"Doesn't seem like it."

Du Biao thought it over, shook his head, and absently rubbed the dagger strapped to his right thigh.

"She's dragging this out, going back and forth with all this talk. She just wants to haggle. If the cops wanted information, they'd have plenty of ways to get it. They wouldn't need to go through nobodies like us."

"Then... she really is a 'Patient'?"

"Yeah. But... those old 'Patients' know their own condition. They have a good grasp of how long the Suppressors last. And everyone knows there's only one manufacturer in the city.

"Who complains about the quality of the medicine just because it doesn't last long?"

After reasoning it through, Du Biao reached a conclusion:

"So I figure she's a new 'Patient.' She needs Suppressors to keep her problem under control, and she's also trying every which way to get information and find her 'own kind.'"

Then he spoke to the gaunt Scalper with pointed significance:

"A Gui, remember this: these half-baked newbies are the most dangerous. They don't even understand their own situation. They're liable to lose control, and they can easily drag trouble down on everyone around them.

"Be extra careful when dealing with these reckless rookies in the future."

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

If Brother Biao hadn't been perceptive and cautious, and always willing to take him along, A Gui didn't know how many times he would've gotten himself into trouble by now.

"Understood, Brother Biao. I'll do as you say."

"When she gets here, same as usual. You handle the deal while I keep an eye on things from the shadows."

"Got it."

While the two men spoke in hushed voices, neither of them noticed that

on the roof above them, Jiang Mian stood silently in the rain, wearing a Black Raincoat. She heard every word of their conversation.

The power of [Gale] formed a wall of air around her, perfectly concealing her presence.

If she wanted, she could even keep the rain from touching her. But she hadn't done that; it would've drawn too much attention.

The basic wind-control ability described in [Gale]'s introduction included every basic wind-control skill in that path. The same went for [Fierce Flame].

As long as she was willing to develop them, she could master any sort of skill.

Jiang Mian had arrived early. She'd first scouted the area and familiarized herself with the surroundings, then lain in wait here, hoping to hear something useful from them.

If I hadn't awakened [Doom], that Brother Biao would've guessed almost everything right.

Jiang Mian considered the matter silently. The man's analysis did make a fair bit of sense.

Still, this was the first she'd heard that there was only one manufacturer of these Suppressors.

After all, this was only her second time dealing with these people. It was perfectly normal that she didn't know everything.

A monopoly... That meant the source was tightly controlled, while prices and distribution were manipulated by an invisible hand.

No wonder they're so expensive...

Prices in this world were about two-thirds lower than in her previous life. By that calculation, even this inferior version of the Suppressor was a serious money sink.

That Brother Biao looks experienced and highly vigilant. He's probably an Awakened too...

Through the wind and rain, Jiang Mian faintly sensed Du Biao's presence.

She estimated that he was probably a Second-tier in the [War] sequence, with a body-enhancement ability. His strength was decent.

The other one... seemed pretty ordinary. Even if he was an Awakened too, he probably wasn't very strong.

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

With a thought, the Flowing Wind around her carried her lightly down to the ground behind the warehouse.

Then she deliberately made her footsteps heavier, treading through puddles with unhurried splashes as she circled toward the warehouse entrance.

Hearing the footsteps outside, Du Biao gave A Gui a subtle nod. Then he silently slipped behind a pile of discarded building materials and concealed his presence.

A Gui took two steps outside and looked toward the warehouse entrance.

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

The hood hid her face, and she wore a mask. He couldn't see what she looked like, but her build suggested she was a woman a little over five feet tall.

But that presence...

A Gui was a little stunned. Though he was only in the Extreme Speed sequence, ranked number 340, he was still an Awakened. He had at least a basic sense of these things.

The last time they'd made a deal, she hadn't carried this faint, oppressive aura!

Th-this couldn't be right.

Was this a newbie?

How could she have changed so much in just a few days?!

He instinctively glanced toward Du Biao, but before he could speak, Jiang Mian's deliberately lowered, cool voice cut through the darkness.

"The goods."

As soon as she spoke, she tossed him a medium-sized storage case.

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

A Gui hurriedly caught it. The case felt quite heavy in his hand. It was solid.

Jiang Mian didn't answer. She simply stood there in silence, as if to say, Don't ask stupid questions. Can't you check for yourself?

He realized he was a little too tense and said no more. Lowering his head, he opened the case.

He counted the money, confirmed it was all there, and only then handed her the small package. His tone held a hint of ingratiation.

"Here's your Suppressor. The address information you asked for is marked inside too."