Early the next morning, the entrance to Jiangbei University of Finance and Economics was bustling. Many students passing by instinctively slowed their steps, their eyes fixed on one particular spot.
Some could barely keep walking and simply stopped by the roadside to watch.
A latest-model red Porsche 911 was parked outside the university gates. This was a genuine luxury car worth tens of millions. Anyone who knew a little about cars understood that the ones the wealthy students usually drove to campus were nothing beside it.
But the luxury car wasn't even the main attraction. It was the person inside.
Tight jeans outlined long, slender legs, paired with a simple white T-shirt and hair tied into a ponytail. Her fresh, brisk air, combined with exquisitely beautiful features, left people practically dumbstruck.
"Oh my god, does this goddess go to our university? How come I've never seen her before?"
"She's so badass! Her looks could rival Goddess Youwei's!"
"They have completely different vibes, but if we're just rating their looks, they're absolutely on the same level."
"And there's something really special about her. Standing near her makes me feel so safe and calm. Oh my god! I really want to ask for her WeChat, but I'm a girl."
"You crafty lesbian..."
The students chattered among themselves.
Chen Xue sat in the car, looking composed, though an almost imperceptible blush crept onto her cheeks.
She was usually too busy dealing with paranormal incidents to bother dressing up. On a whim, she'd put on some light makeup before coming over today, never expecting it to cause such a stir.
No girl would be unhappy with all that praise and envy. Chen Xue seemed nonchalant, but in truth, her ears were pricked, listening closely.
As the crowd grew, however, she began to feel a little uncomfortable. She glanced into the rearview mirror, seemingly searching for someone.
Before long, a figure strolling along while munching on a steamed bun and drinking soy milk came into view.
Chen Xue felt relieved, but also slightly annoyed. Seriously? You kept me waiting this long because you went to buy buns? A sly gleam suddenly flashed in her eyes.
When Jiang Chen passed the 911, she honked twice and slowly lowered the window.
Chen Xue leaned halfway out, flashing a slightly predatory smile. "Little Jiang, why haven't you come over to my place these past few days? What, getting too big for your boots? Did I give you too much money last time?"
She scolded him sternly, hoping to get a little payback.
Jiang Chen nearly spat out his soy milk.
Holy crap!
What's been going on lately? Why are the girls around me awakening their sugar-mommy instincts one after another?
Did my system come with a buff that attracts rich women?
He bared his teeth, feeling thoroughly exasperated. The worst part was that he couldn't even find anyone to complain to about this. If he brought it up with his buddies, not only would they offer no sympathy, they'd actually envy him...
"Cough... cough, cough..." Jiang Chen choked a couple of times. Hearing the excited gossip around him, he hurriedly pulled open the door and climbed in. "Then let's get going, Chen Xue. I've got class during the second period this afternoon. If we don't hurry, I'm afraid I won't make it!"
Seeing Jiang Chen flustered, the crowd had started laughing, hooting, and jeering. At his words, their mocking noises abruptly caught in their throats.
Everyone gave Jiang Chen a thumbs-up, wearing looks of pained disbelief.
When it comes to being outrageous, nobody beats you!
No wonder a rich woman this gorgeous took a fancy to him.
Wait! A gorgeous rich woman?
Once that sank in, a powerful wave of envy rose in many of their hearts.
Fuck! That's right!
This rich woman is so damn gorgeous. What right did we have to laugh at him?
Turns out we were the clowns all along!
As the 911 roared away and vanished around the corner, the students were left wearing complicated expressions...
By a window on the third floor of the October Café.
Lin Youwei reclined in a brown wicker chair. The coffee in front of her had already gone cold, untouched. She held a magazine, staring out the window without blinking.
After the 911 drove away, she calmly picked up the cold coffee, brought it to her lips, tipped back her pale throat, and downed it in one go.
It was the bitterest black coffee, without sugar, two or three times more bitter than traditional Chinese medicine.
Yet Lin Youwei's expression didn't change in the slightest after drinking it. She put down the magazine, rose, and left.
Several clearly indented fingerprints marked its cover.
On her way downstairs, she made a call. "Xiao Chan, I've been thinking about buying a car lately. Help me pick one. What car is more expensive and better than a 911...?"
Meanwhile, inside the car, Jiang Chen shook his head helplessly at the thoroughly red-faced Chen Xue.
He hadn't wanted to pull a stunt like that either, but she really had started it.
"Didn't you say nine? You're early." Jiang Chen spoke first to break the awkward silence.
She'd messaged him in the early hours, saying she had something good for him. She hadn't given any details, only told him to meet her at nine.
With nothing to do that morning anyway, Jiang Chen had agreed.
"Hmph!" Chen Xue huffed petulantly and rolled her eyes at him. "Is arriving early a crime now?"
Jiang Chen: "..."
"You dirty-minded smooth talker! You're so young, yet you've already mastered all those filthy jokes!" Chen Xue said, sounding rather miffed.
She'd already graduated and considered herself his senior. She'd spoken earlier with the intention of teasing a younger guy, only to have him turn the tables on her.
Naturally, she still felt a little embarrassed.
Having lived two lives, Jiang Chen knew better than to leave a young woman squirming. He nodded. "Yes, yes, I'm a bad influence. So can you tell me where you're taking me now, Chen Xue?"
Hearing him address her, Chen Xue blushed again. But remembering their business, she regained her serious demeanor. "The Black Market. Have you heard of it?"
Jiang Chen's eyes lit up.
Naturally, he knew about the place.
There were always transactions that couldn't bear the light of day. Places like this had sprung up in various cities, allowing Unusual Persons to trade out of sight of the Netherworld and the Dao Alliance.
Here, you could pay with money or Underworld points.
The people behind the Black Market naturally had ways to keep the Netherworld from tracing the points exchanged in these transactions.
But because those methods were so troublesome, the Black Market generally only opened for trading once every seven days. On market day, plenty of people brought out the good things they'd been saving up!
As a result, it was usually packed.
And without an acquaintance to show them in, ordinary Unusual Persons couldn't enter the Black Market.
Jiang Chen hadn't expected Chen Xue to have connections like these. If he'd known sooner, he wouldn't have bought those elixirs. He could have saved his points and perhaps picked out a suitable magical artifact at the Black Market.
After all, prices at the Black Market were bound to be much lower than those in the Underworld App's store.
But it was too late now. Both bottles of elixirs had already been hand-delivered to him.
Before long, Chen Xue parked on a bustling shopping street. Behind it stood an upscale residential complex. She led Jiang Chen inside, showing a card before the security guard let them through.
Once inside, Jiang Chen followed Chen Xue around several turns without entering any of the buildings. Eventually, they went out through the back gate. Just as he began to wonder what was going on, the scenery around him changed dramatically.
Hidden beneath the surrounding high-rises was a street that looked like something from the 1990s. Stalls lined both sides, and people streamed back and forth, much like an early-morning produce market.
Yet the wealth of any single person here would have stunned people outside.
Jiang Chen's eyes flickered. He could tell that Chen Xue hadn't led him around in circles for nothing. Only by following those specific paths before leaving through the complex's back gate could they reach this place.
"Is this one of those legendary... formations?"
Before you continue