Transaction

Hanks hurried over in long strides.

He came up to An Kai.

After looking Reed and his three companions over, Hanks said with professional assurance:

"Three at tier one, stage two. They look like warriors. They should fetch three gold coins each."

"Whoa! Now this is good merchandise. A tier-one, stage-three wizard! You don't see those often. He'll fetch ten gold coins!"

"That works out to fifteen lower-grade magic stones. I didn't bring enough today, so come back with me to collect them."

Having named his price, Hanks beamed with delight!

That little rascal An Kai never disappointed!

Hanks could easily make five gold coins in profit by reselling this lot!

He could even hold his head high in front of Widow Wang!

An Kai was rather happy to see Hanks again, too.

After all, Hanks was the person he had talked to most in Nameless Town.

Of course, friendship was friendship, and business was business.

Even brothers had to keep their accounts straight, let alone two men who weren't brothers.

"Forget it, Hanks. You can't afford this deal."

An Kai spoke slowly, pretending he was looking out for Hanks.

Hanks grew furious at that. As a middleman, how could he stand having his means questioned?!

He thumped his chest and raised his voice. "I can't afford it?! How big a deal could a brat like you possibly have?! I, Hanks, could handle a hundred magic stones without batting an eye!"

"A hundred? What a load of hot air. How come you never bragged this much back in town?" An Kai wasn't buying any of it. He picked his nose and scoffed...

Reed was starting to panic. From the sound of their conversation, had he become merchandise?

Who exactly was this bushy-browed, wide-eyed old man?

He had shown up and immediately started deciding Reed's fate...

Reed was terrified. Living in Chaos City, he knew all too well how miserable a slave's fate could be...

As the two argued until their faces flushed, Reed cautiously spoke up. "Um... sir... let's hurry and leave..."

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

The instant Reed spoke, An Kai and Hanks roared at him in unison...

Looking at An Kai's disdainful expression, Hanks frowned. "Boy, spare me the useless act. Just tell me what the deal is. A hundred lower-grade magic stones is no problem!"

"These four are for sale, but not at the price you offered."

At that, An Kai dropped his mocking expression and spoke seriously.

Hearing An Kai's words, Hanks merely furrowed his brows slightly without arguing. They had done business more than once or twice, and he knew An Kai must have a reason for saying that.

Of course, the brat would definitely exaggerate that reason...

"All four have Bounty Tower memberships. Their remaining credit can be exchanged for around a hundred lower-grade magic stones. Including the value of the four themselves, I'll charge you a hundred and ten lower-grade magic stones altogether!"

An Kai spoke unhurriedly, pretending it pained him deeply to give Hanks a discount of five lower-grade magic stones...

Reed wanted to point out that they didn't actually have that much, but when his gaze happened to fall on the sharp sword in An Kai's hand, he chose silence.

Because Reed had no doubt that exposing An Kai's lie would get him hacked to death...

Hanks's eyes lit up after hearing An Kai's explanation.

He hadn't expected these four charcoal-black fellows to have Bounty Tower memberships!

That part of what An Kai said was true.

But as for how many magic stones their memberships could get them, Hanks would swear on Widow Wang's fidelity that An Kai was lying!

When in doubt, cut it in half!

That was Hanks's approach to business...

Without even thinking, he countered, "Fifty-five lower-grade magic stones. Not one more!"

"Deal!"

An Kai agreed so readily that Hanks's heart sank. He knew...

He had been fleeced...

Before naming his price, An Kai had set his bottom line at forty lower-grade magic stones.

To him, accompanying Reed and the other three to the Bounty Tower to exchange their credit for magic stones was quite risky...

After all, he knew absolutely nothing about the Bounty Tower.

He couldn't be sure nothing unexpected would happen, either.

If someone was willing to take them off his hands, he was willing to accept a small loss.

To his surprise, the final price hadn't cost him anything. He had even made a profit!

The four were worth fifteen magic stones, and their Bounty Tower credit could get around thirty more. That meant An Kai had made a net profit of ten magic stones!

That was truly a fortune!

A competent middleman never let a loss show on his face...

Hanks kept his expression neutral as he calmly took the vine binding Reed and his three companions from An Kai...

"Come on. Follow me home to collect them. Your Sister Wang has been missing you, too..."

An Kai hesitated for a moment, but still followed Hanks.

With his increased strength and his knowledge of Hanks, he felt confident he could handle any unexpected developments...

Such as Hanks trying to rob him...

Leading Reed and the other three along, Hanks walked ahead. When he passed his stall, he simply gathered everything up in a haphazard bundle...

He happened to glance at An Kai and noticed the ring on his hand.

After inwardly remarking, Lucky brat, he warned, "Don't wear that on your hand."

Following behind him, An Kai paused in surprise, then understood. He pulled a thin offshoot from the vine binding Reed and his companions.

Then he threaded it through the storage ring and wore it against his chest beneath his clothes...

Walking behind Hanks, An Kai trusted him a little more...

Inside Chaos City, the streets paved with gray bricks and stone were spotless.

According to Hanks, the mysterious lord of Chaos City was a clean freak who couldn't bear the sight of anything dirty.

If anyone offended the city lord's eyes, the city lord would subject them to torture...

At best, they would be left permanently disabled or lose a layer of skin. At worst, they would lose their lives.

Faced with a choice between losing their lives and staying clean, the city's residents had chosen cleanliness...

As they walked down the street, Reed and his companions fretted inwardly...

They were afraid, too-afraid their filthy state would attract that clean-freak city lord's attention...

According to Hanks, the houses and shops on both sides of the street were all built from obsidian.

Their layout was neat and orderly, a far cry from the filthy, chaotic, rundown Chaos City An Kai had imagined...

Hanks's home was very close to the city gate, only about a minute's walk away.

Hanks claimed it was convenient for doing business, but judging from the property listings An Kai had seen, Hanks probably lived here because it was cheap...

It seemed Hanks wasn't doing all that well...

When they reached Hanks's home, An Kai didn't go inside. That was another habit of his.

He never entered an unfamiliar residence.

Hanks didn't insist. He went inside alone and brought out fifty-five lower-grade magic stones.

He pressed them into An Kai's hands with considerable force!

Widow Wang came out as well and asked about Nameless Town. An Kai brushed her off with a few vague remarks, saying he hadn't been back...

Then he declined Widow Wang's invitation, seconded reluctantly by Hanks, to stay for a meal.

He turned and headed out of Chaos City...

[Skill points +55.]

Before they parted, Hanks told An Kai that if he wanted work to earn some magic stones, he could come to him.

An Kai nodded. In his estimation, they probably wouldn't meet again for another year or two...

His destination on this trip was his secret base.

Staying in Chaos City to cultivate would bring unforeseen trouble...

Three days later.

An Kai arrived at his second secret base in the desert...