Chapter 34: The Black Market
After parting ways with Wang Yan, Zhou Ming hailed a cab and returned to his newly rented apartment.
Once home, Zhou Ming immediately took a cold shower.
As he washed away the smell of alcohol, he also cleared his mind a little.
“Didn’t expect Wang Yan to be such a heavy drinker. If it weren’t for my recent training in the Mad Python Martial Arts and the significant improvement in my physique, I might’ve really ended up lying on the floor tonight.”
Walking out of the bathroom while drying his hair, Zhou Ming couldn’t help but comment on his and Wang Yan’s drinking capacity.
After tidying up, he sat at his desk and opened the envelope Wang Yan had given him.
“January 7th, South District, No. 118 Wind and Dust Street.”
Reading the few lines written on the note, Zhou Ming slowly recited the location he needed to find.
“Didn’t think it’d be somewhere I’m familiar with—the South District.”
Although Zhou Ming had devoted most of his energy these past few days to practicing the Mad Python Martial Arts, the path of the Beast Tamer—a road that led to the heavens—had always remained close to his heart.
This time, he had sought Wang Yan’s help because Wang Yan’s father had once purchased Beast Tamer resources from the black market in Qinshan Base.
In every era, in every major city, black markets had always existed.
The goods sold there, or their sources, were usually shady and couldn’t be seen in public—hence, the black market’s existence.
Because of that, items sold on the black market were usually much cheaper than normal prices. Wang Yan’s father, relying on his business connections, had managed to access the black market and used what little wealth he had to buy Beast Tamer resources for his son.
Although the black market wasn’t exactly a secret, its location changed every time it opened. With Zhou Ming’s current network, the only person he could turn to for information was Wang Yan.
To be precise, he had to rely on Wang Yan’s father.
That was why Zhou Ming had revealed to Wang Yan that he had advanced to a Beast Tamer—even though this wasn’t a huge secret in itself.
However, owing a favor as an ordinary person and owing one as a Beast Tamer were two very different things.
After all, Zhou Ming was merely Wang Yan’s friend; he had no direct ties to Wang Yan’s father. In the adult world, sometimes one simply had to calculate these things so clearly.
Now that he knew about the black market’s operation, Zhou Ming’s future options had suddenly expanded. Doing business or acquiring resources would become much easier.
After memorizing the information on the note, Zhou Ming burned the envelope and went straight to bed.
The serpent swarm was also pre-arranged beforehand.
……
After spending two more days practicing martial arts, Zhou Ming arrived punctually at the recorded location on the evening of the 7th.
His Ironthread Snake swarm had already been released to scout ahead, and the Radar Sensory Domain swept the surroundings for any anomalies.
Within the black market itself, however, Zhou Ming didn’t send his snakes in—he didn’t believe there wouldn’t be defenses inside.
Seeing no unusual signs and noticing other people arriving one after another, Zhou Ming—dressed in a hooded outfit, wearing a mask and colored contact lenses—approached the entrance to the black market.
“Dong, dong dong, dong.”
Zhou Ming knocked on the heavy door before him, following the secret code written in the envelope.
After waiting a few breaths, the thick metal door creaked open slightly.
“What’s the matter?”
Through the narrow gap, a face full of scars and bulging flesh appeared.
“Heard there are some pretty girls here,” Zhou Ming replied, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.
“How many?”
“Seven.”
Seeing that the code was correct, the burly man with the scarred face immediately opened the door wide.
“Please, come in.”
Behind the door stood two guards in balaclavas, both shouldering rifles and pointing them at the entrance.
At the sight, a chill ran down Zhou Ming’s spine. It was the second time he had felt his life slip beyond his control—the first being when he faced the Griffin above Serpent Valley.
“Don’t worry, sir. It’s just a precaution. Please, go ahead.”
Seeing Zhou Ming’s reaction, the burly doorman offered a brief explanation.
At this point, Zhou Ming couldn’t back out. Under the man’s guidance, he entered a hallway inside the building.
“Sir, you may proceed on your own, but…”
Before the man could finish, Zhou Ming handed him ten thousand Alliance Coins.
“I’m only here to buy things.”
In the black market, selling items required paying an additional booth fee—a rule set by the forces running the place.
“Hope you find what you’re looking for,” the man said, his tone softening noticeably after confirming the money was genuine.
The hallway led to a descending staircase.
When Zhou Ming pushed open the door at the bottom, the scene beyond unfolded before his eyes.
It was an underground parking lot devoid of vehicles.
Under the lights, rows upon rows of makeshift stalls filled the space. Sellers and buyers all concealed their faces, and every conversation was carried out in hushed tones.
Around the perimeter stood heavily armed guards of the black market, all wearing masks and stationed at key vantage points.
When a newcomer arrived, the guards’ gazes immediately turned toward him—alongside a few wary vendors and buyers.
Zhou Ming didn’t linger; he blended quickly into the crowd, prompting the guards to lose interest.
The variety of goods in the black market was dazzling—virtually everything imaginable was being sold.
After a brief stroll, Zhou Ming saw stalls displaying firearms and ammunition of every kind—meant for those who operated within the base.
Some stalls even had rows of brightly colored vials laid out openly—gene serums, banned by the Blue Star Alliance from manufacture, research, sale, or purchase.
Although Zhou Ming had heard rumors that the Alliance secretly researched and used gene serums, on the surface, the law strictly prohibited them.
He glanced at the vendor wrapped in a hooded coat behind the stall, unsure where such things were sourced from. If they were homemade, the person was either a genius—or a complete fraud.
When the gene-serum vendor saw Zhou Ming pause in front of his stall, he silently extended a hand, gesturing for him to take a closer look.
Zhou Ming simply shook his head and moved on.
Having witnessed Inkband’s mutation firsthand, he understood all too well how complex and volatile genes could be.
He had no desire to turn himself into a monster.
Soon after, Zhou Ming came across stalls selling poisons and other specialized drugs.
There were even stalls dealing in exquisite jewelry—obviously stolen goods, of uncertain origin.
Beyond that were antiques from the Doomsday Era, detailed expedition maps from large hunting groups, cursed artifacts with mysterious powers, and even invitations to banquets hosted by Qinshan Base’s upper echelon.
In short, the black market had everything imaginable.
The variety alone was enough to broaden Zhou Ming’s horizons.
After wandering around a few times, his curiosity faded.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Zhou Ming made his way toward the stalls he had noted earlier—the ones related to Beast Tamers.
In a dimly lit corner stood a few rare stalls that specialized in selling Beast Tamer-related goods.
Various bottles, jars, and books were laid out across the mats, waiting for buyers to pick through.