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Chapter 146: Pack It All Up

In his vision, hidden beneath this dilapidated factory building was a world as vast as a labyrinth.

And merely guarding the entrance to this labyrinth were two teams, totaling thirty Ability Users, which certainly explained why Ji Xuan had described the defenses as impregnable.

"How long has this place been here?"

"Eight years. It's been eight years already, growing from a simple black market to a scale comparable to a small underground city today." As a witness to its history, Ji Xuan felt a touch of emotion about this development.

"Captain Xu, these are the people I brought." He stepped past Bai Mo, pulled a document from his pocket, and handed it to the guard team's leader.

"You know the rules. Don't cause trouble down there, or it'll be awkward for everyone."

The two were clearly old acquaintances. Captain Xu, whose surname was Xu, picked up the scanner in his hand, swiped it over the document, and after confirming its authenticity, returned it to Ji Xuan.

"Of course. Here's a bit of cash for the brothers to buy some cigarettes, don't be shy." Ji Xuan pulled a wad of money from his pocket and, taking advantage of the handshake, slipped it into the other man's hand. Having just closed a major deal, he was in high spirits.

"It seems Boss Ji has made a big killing. I'll thank you for your generosity on behalf of the brothers." Captain Xu tucked the money into his inner jacket pocket with his right hand and gently patted Ji Xuan's shoulder with his left.

"Mr. Bai, please come this way. There's an elevator behind this door that goes underground. We'll take it down."

"Mhm." He responded nonchalantly.

Ji Xuan paid no mind to his aloofness. In his many years of professional life, he had encountered numerous eccentrically tempered big shots. As long as there was business to be had, he never bothered with such minor details.

The trio descended underground. Under Ji Xuan's lead, they entered a shop imbued with a classical ambiance. Inside, all the attendants were dressed elegantly and boasted top-tier looks.

"Please, have a seat. This is a catalog of our current stock; please take a look." Ji Xuan instructed a shop attendant to serve tea to the two, while he himself retrieved a beautifully printed catalog from the back and handed it to Bai Mo.

"Thank you." He casually glanced at it twice, already having absorbed the contents of the handed-over item, then passed it to Chen Xi, who stood behind him.

"Did you not find anything to your liking, sir?" Ji Xuan felt that the other party probably hadn't paid any attention to the contents, not even looking at it seriously, but still politely inquired.

"I've taken a liking to some rare flowers and exotic herbs, but I'm curious why this market has such a large inventory of items that seem to be in demand by the Contribution Points system."

"The system offers prices that are too low. Many Adventurers prefer to sell to us, who can pay a higher price."

"Adventurers?"

"They are an organization formed by people who gained powers. Their main work is to explore what they call 'Heaven and Earth Secret Realms' – mysterious regions that appeared after the Spirit River Autumn – and bring out new items from within to sell. They refer to themselves as adventurers."

"So it's them... May I ask how much higher your acquisition prices are compared to the Contribution Points system?"

"Actually, not by much. It's just that the low-level staff of the system are rather unsightly in their practices, constantly demanding kickbacks and suppressing prices, which forces many to sell their goods to us," Ji Xuan said, his expression unchanged. He wasn't afraid of what the other party might say; after all, in Huaxia, to hold such a position, no one would believe you didn't understand the hidden intricacies.

"So that's how it is," Bai Mo said indifferently.

Sitting beside him, Chen Xi, who understood the core operation of the Contribution Points system, silently mourned for the low-level staff who had already caught the eye of the devil before her.

However, she was also curious what method Bai Mo, currently before her, would use to deal with those who harmed his interests by seeking personal gain. The vast number of low-level personnel, with their varying qualities, had always been a deeply entrenched problem in Huaxia, seemingly impossible for human effort to change in a short time.

"Pages 3, 8, 14, 26, 31, and 41 of the catalog—pack up everything on those pages for me. Settle the bill along with the Spirit Hubs."

As soon as Bai Mo spoke, the surrounding attendants' gazes instantly focused on him. They, too, experienced what Ji Xuan had just felt, shocked by his manner of purchasing.

This group of meticulously trained attendants, specialized in serving high-end clients, had already scrutinized him from head to toe the moment he walked in. His entire outfit—shirt, pants, and shoes—likely didn't total even a thousand yuan.

On the other hand, the female secretary who followed closely behind him, always trailing, was dressed head to toe in understated luxury brands, each piece starting from five figures.

They were accustomed to such strange combinations; there were too many wealthy clients who liked to "travel in plain clothes" and some young masters who enjoyed playing the game of "acting poor to slap faces." While it might be satisfying for those customers after they revealed their true status, for the attendants, it often meant a wage deduction at best, or outright losing their jobs at worst.

Their excellent service professionalism naturally prevented them from looking down on any customer. Even if they truly felt a slight disdain internally, the smiles on their faces remained bright, because those peers who judged attitudes by clothing had long since disappeared from this black market, which was frequently visited by big shots.

Even though the man before they were dressed quite casually, the mere fact that the boss used the honorable "you" (you) to address him indicated that he was absolutely not someone to offend.

"Mr. Bai, your purchasing style is truly unique. Are you sure you don't need to reconsider?" Although Ji Xuan was delighted to encounter such a generous buyer, he hoped for this kind of business to continue indefinitely. In his eyes, Bai Mo's buying method seemed entirely impulsive, like a fit of pique.

"The entire catalog consists of forty-two pages, including eight major categories, fifty-two subcategories, and one thousand one hundred and forty-one items," he stated in a declarative tone. "The six pages I've chosen contain one hundred and thirteen types of mutated flora and fauna specimens, twelve types of unknown minerals, and eight types of medicines not found on the Contribution Points network."

"Xiao Mei, Xiao Qing, you two take a few people to the back warehouse and retrieve the goods as Mr. Bai specified. Also, notify A'Biao to pack up all the Spirit Hubs in stock." Ji Xuan was speechless. He hadn't expected this refined-looking fellow to have truly browsed the entire book after just a few casual flips.

"Can I pay using Contribution Points?"

"Of course! Contribution Points are currently an even more stable equivalent than Huaxia currency, in short supply everywhere. What percentage of the payment do you intend to settle with Contribution Points?"

"All of it."

Ji Xuan paused again after hearing that, finally restraining the impulse to ask if the other party possessed that many Contribution Points. After all, asking if someone had enough money to pay served no purpose other than to sour the relationship. Besides, he remained quite calm. Someone with the strong backing of Huaxia's leadership would certainly not default on a bill of less than a billion.