Night of the Apocalypse

“I didn’t take anything back. I did see a lot of books and materials, but who has the time to take those? And don’t try to fool me; what value do those books and materials have?”

Shen Qiu deliberately put on a skeptical expression as he replied.

“Really didn’t bring anything back?”

Huang Lang looked at Shen Qiu, still not entirely convinced.

“No.”

Shen Qiu answered with certainty.

Upon hearing Shen Qiu’s words, Huang Lang slapped his thigh hard, looking as if he had missed out on billions.

“Ah! I don’t even know what to say to you; why are you so foolish? I’m telling you, those books and materials from the unknown worlds are the most precious! Don’t believe me? Let me give you an example: our current middle school physics textbook costs eight bucks. Not worth much, right?”

“Yeah, so what?”

“But have you ever thought about how many formulas are in that physics textbook, including the formula for nuclear fission? If that book were to fall into the hands of a civilization with a skewed technological tree, wouldn’t they instantly gain massive research results? Isn’t that worth much more than your jewelry? Who knows if our world is behind in technology compared to others? Do they have various technologies we urgently need?”

Huang Lang said, his heart aching.

Listening to Huang Lang’s words, Shen Qiu became increasingly resolute; those things definitely couldn’t be sold to this guy.

Not for any other reason, but for the bottom line in his heart.

Although he loved money and was in dire need of it, he had principles and a conscience.

Then Shen Qiu showed a look of regret and said,

“It’s such a pity, but there’s nothing that can be done. At the time, I really didn’t think about this. Anyone in my place would have chosen the jewelry; who would go for those worthless books?”

Seeing Shen Qiu’s regretful expression, Huang Lang eventually accepted reality and sighed.

“It’s such a shame; it’s really such a shame.”

“Enough of that; it won’t help to talk about it. Let’s continue discussing the jewelry. The price you offered is too low; I think 500,000 would be more appropriate.”

Shen Qiu got back to the point, speaking directly to Huang Lang.

“No way, the market is too bad right now; I can’t offer that much.”

Huang Lang smiled at Shen Qiu, showing no signs of yielding.

“Don’t give me that; no matter how chaotic the situation is, if you meet the right person, you can still sell it at a high price.”

Shen Qiu took a sip of his coffee and said blandly,

“You just said it yourself: you need to meet the right person. What if you don’t? I have to consider the risks and reserve appropriate profit. The price I’m offering is quite fair.”

Huang Lang responded with reasonable points.

Shen Qiu looked at Huang Lang, his gaze shifting constantly. He knew what the unscrupulous merchant was saying made sense.

However, Shen Qiu did not compromise; he wanted to test some things and gain insights into matters he had previously avoided. So he spoke up.

“I still think there’s something wrong. Your asking price is problematic.”

“Are you questioning my expertise? How about we make a bet? I’ll take you to the black market in Sky City, where there are plenty of shops that recycle gray market items. We’ll use this red gemstone ring for our valuation to determine the winner. I value this ring at 25,000. If any of them quote a price higher than that, I’ll admit defeat! I’ll buy all your items for 500,000. If you lose, then I can only give you 100,000 for these items. What do you think, are you in?”

Huang Lang looked at Shen Qiu with a smile.

“I’m not questioning your expertise; I just want to challenge my own weaknesses. As for winning or losing, I don’t really care.”

Shen Qiu replied calmly.

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

Huang Lang didn’t waste any time and immediately stood up; the two of them left the café.

They walked over to a black sports car parked by the roadside, and Shen Qiu sat in the passenger seat.

After Huang Lang started the car, he slammed on the gas, and the black supercar surged forward.

He drove onto the expressway, heading towards the inner ring.

Shen Qiu rested his chin on one hand, watching the buildings fly by as he chatted casually with Huang Lang.

“So, which ring are we heading to?”

“Let me put it this way: there are three black markets in Sky City. One is outside the ten-ring, another is within the ten-ring, and the last one is in the three-ring. The black market in the three-ring is the highest level, a paradise for the wealthy, where prices are usually the highest. I’m taking you to that black market in the three-ring.” Huang Lang explained with a smile.

“Got it!”

Shen Qiu nodded.

Several hours later, Huang Lang drove the supercar to the west district of the three-ring, an inconspicuous commercial area.

He skillfully parked the car and smiled at Shen Qiu.

“We’ve arrived!”

Shen Qiu immediately opened the door and got out. He glanced around and saw that the entire area was filled with pawn shops.

From the decorations, they all looked very upscale.

However, in this large commercial district, there were hardly any people around, making it feel quite deserted.

But upon closer inspection, he noticed several inconspicuous lookout people standing in some corners.

At this time, Huang Lang got out of the car and walked over to Shen Qiu, pointing at all the pawn shops.

“Feel free to choose! If one doesn’t work, we can try another until you’re satisfied.”

“Aren’t you worried that if I choose randomly and don’t ask your familiar places, we might ask about something and accidentally let something slip?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. The black market has its own rules. Of course, it’s not to say that people in the black market are trustworthy; after all, in the face of sufficient profit, they’ll do anything. But this ring isn’t that significant.”

Huang Lang confidently assured him.

After hearing Huang Lang’s words, Shen Qiu casually pointed to a pawn shop called “Tianxia” and said to Huang Lang,

“Let’s go with that one. You ask for the price.”

“Oh? You’re not going to ask in person? Aren’t you worried I’ll pull a fast one?”

Huang Lang looked at Shen Qiu in surprise and asked playfully.

“There’s still a bit of trust here. Besides, when have you seen a boss doing the work? You just ask for the price; I’ll just watch from the side.”

Shen Qiu prepared to be an observer. Although they hadn’t started asking about the price yet, he already had an answer in his mind. There was a high chance he would lose. However, winning or losing didn’t matter to him; he just wanted to confirm the market situation and location, as it might be useful in the future.

“Alright!”

Huang Lang didn’t waste any time and walked straight to the Tianxia pawn shop.

Shen Qiu followed behind him.

Soon, the two entered the pawn shop, where they were greeted by a young man in a black professional outfit, who smiled brightly as he approached them.

“Gentlemen, how can I assist you?”

“Hehe, I won’t beat around the bush. I recently got something good from the Gray Alliance and want to know if you’re interested.”

Huang Lang asked in a very casual manner.

“Of course, we’re interested. Our pawn shop offers the highest prices in this area.”

The young man saw business opportunities and immediately began promoting the shop with professionalism.

Without wasting any more time, Huang Lang took out the red gemstone ring.

“How much can you offer me for this ring?”

The young man’s eyes lit up when he saw the gemstone ring in Huang Lang’s hand.

“What a beautiful gemstone ring! Can we have it appraised?”

“Sure!”

Huang Lang handed the ring over to the young man.