Chapter 233: Heavenly Curtain |
"You want to enter the black market? Easy. If you just want to buy things normally, go to this website."
White Night showed his phone to Guan Shan across the table.
On the screen was a webpage with a black-themed interface. It looked like a forum, with posts mostly about buying and selling requests.
White Night continued mysteriously, speaking in a low voice, "This forum is also part of the black market, only visible to Espers. The black market ensures transactions proceed normally as a third-party guarantor. Regular people see a 404 not found page when accessing it, so there's no need to worry about security."
A website dedicated to trading Panspirit Objects?
Guan Shan glanced at it, memorizing the URL, then shook his head. "I need to find 'Venom.' You know I have to go to an offline auction. Are you promoting this site for a commission?"
He rubbed his chin. "I remember when you were preparing to rescue me from the 'room,' you got the 'spatial disruptor' from Su Ling. Recently, I learned from Xiao Touming that one of the current black market overseers is named Su Ling."
White Night's expression froze, his mouth twitching in frustration as he put his phone away. "Should I say it's not surprising for a journalist to be so sharp about these things?"
Guan Shan chuckled. "You're too enthusiastic, and you were the one who provided the information on 'Venom.' Now you're pushing this site; your motive is too obvious."
Guan Shan rolled his eyes. "I'm busy."
The subtext being, I'm not as idle as you!
White Night didn't push further. "Alright then..."
Guan Shan couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you still in school? Don't you have classes?"
They were meeting in a café within White Night's university dorm area. The place was secluded, surrounded by lawns and trees, making it very quiet and empty.
White Night took a sip of his coffee, completely unfazed. "I skipped."
Guan Shan: "..."
How bold!
So straightforward...
White Night chuckled. "With my ability, acing a few exams is a piece of cake. But I'm not interested in studying. In high school, I didn't understand the importance of keeping a low profile and got dragged into competitions."
He grimaced. "You don't know how awful that was. When I refused, the teachers signed me up anyway. I was so mad I climbed over the school wall that night and disappeared for three days. Only when they couldn't find me did they leave me alone."
"Since then, I've 'fallen from grace,' always just passing exams, and they couldn't do anything about it."
Guan Shan found this both amusing and exasperating. What a troublesome student.
But for an Esper, this didn't seem too far-fetched.
It wasn't a waste of talent either, because White Night's high scores were due to his "Unlock" ability.
If he chose to focus on studying and competitions, he would soon hit a limit due to his ability's level. Continuous upgrading of his ability was the only way to maximize its potential.
However, as far as Guan Shan knew, White Night had already tried various ways to enhance his ability after the Special Security Group tried to recruit him, but with little success.
His ability, like Lin Shuman's "Invisible Presence," likely required a breakthrough through inspiration. Further progress depended on luck.
Guan Shan waved his hand. "Alright, back to the point. How do I enter the black market?"
White Night instantly turned serious. "To attend a black market auction, you need to become a member. The black market is just a term; its official name is 'Hermes' Staff.' Domestically, it's just an agency, with the headquarters overseas."
"To become a member, you need two official members' recommendation letters, then register offline at the black market's Shanghai branch and prove your financial capability. But note, the black market can't guarantee your privacy won't be leaked. They claim otherwise, but in reality... well, you get it."
White Night patted his chest. "Don't worry, with me around, membership and hidden identity are easy. I've already had Sister Su Ling set one up for you at the Liaoshen branch."
He pulled out a dark green metal card from his pocket, grinning. "Top tier. How about that?"
Guan Shan took the card and examined it. It looked luxurious, with gold, jade, and diamond inlays representing three tiers. His card was the highest level.
White Night then handed him a document. "This card uses a fabricated identity for registration. Don't worry, this person doesn't exist in reality. All the information is computer-generated, including the appearance. But his resume is as real as it gets."
"Also, I have an optical camouflage mask. It can't be used for disguise, but everyone at the auction hides their identity. Just use it to cover your face for safety."
Guan Shan glanced at the identity information. The name was Li Zhao, a small-time businessman with the ability of "shallow mind control."
He nodded, impressed by the detailed profile. It felt like a real person. The photo showed a face that bore at least a 60% resemblance to Guan Shan, or rather, it was an AI-generated blend of his own features.
This was convenient. Even if his face was accidentally exposed, he could explain it away with the slight differences in the photo. Clever indeed.
"Thanks."
Guan Shan accepted the card and the optical camouflage mask—a thin, smooth, comfortable piece with a touch switch on the edge to change preset states.
White Night laughed heartily. "No need to thank me. You're my life-saving brother. These things are worth nothing compared to my life."
Guan Shan chuckled. "Then I won't return these."
White Night grinned. "I wouldn't take them back even if you did."
This overly righteous guy really practiced what he preached about loyalty.
Guan Shan didn't stand on ceremony. After all, he had truly risked his life to save the group trapped with him. He wasn't someone who expected nothing in return.
Guan Shan then took out the strange "067" ID card from his pocket, placing it on the table. "Do you know where this card comes from?"
White Night's pupils contracted sharply. "Heavenly Curtain?!"