Hooked

After three rounds of coast guard inspections, Feng Xue and Mang Ke finally transferred to a yacht off the coast of Bailin Country without incident, and returned to Bailin Country with a certain "rich second generation" who had been having fun at sea for several days.

"Hello, do you have a reservation?" In a typical karaoke bar on a commercial street in QY City, Bailin Country (I never expected that a place name I just wrote down would actually exist), a waiter calmly greeted the arriving guests.

"Yes, Number Seven Private Room. In addition to the reservation, please order two mixed fruit juices, a seasonal fruit platter, and two pounds of crayfish from next door."

Upon hearing the man's order, the waiter's eyes flickered slightly, then he immediately flashed a professional smile, "Okay, please follow me."

Upon entering the private room, Mang Ke slumped down as if finally letting out a sigh of relief. Feng Xue, however, walked to the karaoke machine and randomly selected a few songs she had heard when she came to Bailin Country. To her surprise, the karaoke machine actually had the background music she used back then!

"Goodness, no copyright fees, huh?" Feng Xue grinned. Mang Ke wanted to say something more, but just then, there was a knock on the Room Door of the private room. A middle-aged man dressed as a waiter walked in carrying a bowl of crayfish. However, as the Room Door closed, his expression suddenly turned serious:

"Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Mang Ke, and also, this gentleman."

"If you weren't holding a crayfish bowl while saying that, I'd feel like I was on a secret rendezvous." Perhaps having spent too much time with Feng Xue, Mang Ke had picked up a bit of her sarcastic habit. Feng Xue paused slightly, then quietly tossed the salt aside.

The waiter was also taken aback by the lady's comment, but he maintained a serious expression, as if waiting for something. Mang Ke seemed to realize that his timing was inappropriate, but he still took a deep breath and said:

"Please verify your identity."

"I am Fish Token, ID: ddd2114398." The man quickly recited a string of numbers, and at the same time, in front of the three of them, he took out a black and hard terminal that was the same as Mang Ke's and dialed a number.

"I didn't expect you to be so fast."

A slightly unfamiliar voice came through the microphone, but it quickly transformed into the aged voice we had spoken to before.

"Mang Ke, how's 'Dawn' doing?"

Mang Ke quietly pressed the button on her watch, and only after confirming there were no errors did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. She immediately asked, "Teacher, 'Dawn' is in my hands. Should I give it to Fish Token?"

"That's right, just give it to the Fish Token." The old professor's tone was slightly strange, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start. Mang Ke didn't sense this oddity and said directly:

"When can I go back?"

As soon as the question was asked, the communication suddenly went silent, but as if worried about misunderstanding, the old professor quickly spoke up:

"The Ideal Country is cracking down hard right now. Your identity has been leaked by a traitor, so it's best not to come back anytime soon."

"Ah..." Mang Ke's expression showed a slight disappointment, but then the unfamiliar voice from before rang out from the communicator—

Is Mr. Feng Xue here?

"I'm here, what's up?" Feng Xue, who had already started peeling crayfish, asked indistinctly. The man paused noticeably before continuing:

"Although the deal has been reached, we'd like to know your plans for Dawn No. 1, after all..."

"I understand, I understand. There's nothing wrong with saying it. I plan to use this thing to build a mecha and participate in the God Selection Arena in June." Feng Xue's words were simple and direct, so direct that they silenced the person on the other end of the communicator. After a moment, the other party finally said:

"You mean you possess the technology to manufacture matching machines?"

"That's none of your business." Feng Xue curled her lip indifferently, but her tone suddenly turned dangerous.

"Or are you planning to double-cross us?"

"Of course not, but since you are currently at a classified location, we hope you can stay here for a while, just two days will do. After all, we also need to get our subordinates transferred. You should understand that this is for the benefit of both of us."

"Of course, but is it alright if I make a couple of calls? Of course, under your supervision." Feng Xue's tone remained calm, and the man on the other end of the communicator readily agreed.

"This is your freedom."

"Then it's settled."

Watching Feng Xue take the replica Power Reactor to the accommodations arranged for him, Mang Ke, led by Fish Token, arrived at a room where she would begin a new mission—

Write a report about everything that happened these past few days.

"Haa~~" In the early morning, Feng Xue, who had a good sleep, checked her income and found that there were a few more "unknown sources" [amounts]. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly. After having a simple breakfast, Mang Ke and had dark circles under her eyes, appeared in front of her.

"What did you do last night?" Feng Xue asked knowingly, looking at Mang Ke's face, which could achieve a smoky eye effect simply by applying white powder. Upon hearing this, Mang Ke's resentment was obvious, but she still gritted her teeth and said:

"Writing a report... By the way, um... do you need any mechanics?"

"Oh?" Feng Xue raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile appearing on her face. Although Mang Ke was slightly nervous, she resignedly spoke:

"I can't go back to China for the time being, and there's no use for me here... Anyway, I'll just say it straight: the higher-ups are eyeing your wildly imaginative ideas, and I'd like to learn from your unconventional approach. So, could you take me on a trip? Not to brag, but I'm a professional in mecha design!"

"Sure!"

"What?" Mang Ke hadn't expected that a proposal casually mentioned by the higher-ups would be approved so easily, but Feng Xue was completely unconcerned.

"Are you kidding? I'm participating in the God Selection Arena Tournament! Why wouldn't I take the free job as a professional mechanic? Besides, the mecha design philosophy of Bailin Country is completely different from the system from the Ideal Country in Palinna. Unless you completely abandon your existing design philosophy, there's no point in learning it, right?"

"It's not like we have our own design philosophy," Mang Ke, shrugging.

"Palin's technology is just outdated technology from Ideal Country. It's just copying it. What difference does it make who we copy? What if we find a way out? The only technology we can consider advanced right now is that imitation Power Reactor. If you can develop an excellent design for that Power Reactor, only a fool would continue using that garbage that's useless except for power! And even if we can't copy it, we can just keep copying Ideal Country."

"What you said makes a lot of sense; you truly are a professional!"

Regarding the "hand-holding" technique, this is a relatively old "skill," and it is commonly seen in the trading of medicinal herbs, antiques, and some other markets where it is not convenient to speak openly.

Simply put, it involves covering both hands with wide sleeves of a robe when shaking hands, and then negotiating prices through the touch of hand gestures.

There are many reasons for doing this.

First, as mentioned in the book, you need to determine if the other party is an insider. The methods of making contact often differ in different markets. By observing these differences, you can determine the other party's background. A more conventional approach is to determine if the other party is a newbie who can be taken advantage of, while a more shady approach is to determine if the other party is an undercover agent or a reporter.

Secondly, it's for the sake of secrecy. Whether it's medicinal herbs, antiques, or anything else, prices often fluctuate greatly. For example, if an item in an antique market costs 200,000 yuan, and you only offer 2 yuan, the owner will say it's too little, and you'll have to offer at least 50 yuan... In the end, whether the transaction goes through or not, passersby will basically know the prices of the items at that stall.

Similarly, in the medicinal herb business, you might give a discount to a regular customer, but it would be bad if others heard about it and demanded a discount as well, not to mention the issues of age and quality.

However, by using a bargaining mechanism, these problems can be avoided. Even if the product doesn't sell in the end, the true price won't be revealed during the haggling process. This can be considered a kind of industry monopoly to some extent, greatly increasing the difficulty for newcomers to enter the industry.

As for why buying and selling antiques is now done so openly, as if everyone wants to know...

Let me put it this way, if I don't make a big fuss, how will you know I got my money from selling antiques?