When He Xi left the Adventurer Guild, the night breeze carried a hint of chill.
Hulk said, "I'll take the Spined Boar materials to a merchant I know tomorrow and sell them all at once. Then I'll divide the money and bring your shares over."
Belt immediately perked up. "No problem, Captain! I've been waiting for that money. The mission reward will be gone after a few nights of drinking."
Laila shot him an exasperated look, then said to Hulk, "Captain, mind if I go with you tomorrow when you sell the goods to that old man? I still think that fox squeezed us way too hard on the price of those Demonic Wolf pelts last time! You're too honest, and you're bound to lose out when you haggle. This time, I'll go and keep an eye on things myself. He won't get so much as a single extra copper nail out of us."
"Ahem."
Hulk coughed awkwardly at her words.
But he knew Laila was always blunt, and she really was good at bargaining.
"Sounds good. Come by my place tomorrow morning. Same address as before: 43 Firefly Lane."
Belt chimed in at once. "I'll come too. The more of us there are, the more intimidating we'll be. Let's see if that old geezer still dares to pull any tricks!" He paused, then looked around at everyone with an eager smile. "By the way! Once we've sold these materials and gotten our shares, how about we all go unwind at a tavern sometime? My treat!"
But Belt's suggestion sank like a stone.
Hulk was looking down at his money pouch, He Xi was thinking about his plans for tomorrow, and Zoya seemed not to have heard him at all.
An awkward silence fell.
The smile froze on Belt's face,