At the moment the conversation ended, everyone in the office turned to look at Chen Qi.
They all doubted what Chen Qi had said, yet no one stood up to expose the blatant scam.
After all, a young, noisy man being deceived could turn into interesting gossip in the taverns.
"Cough cough…"
The relatively higher-status office boss coughed twice to catch Levin's attention.
After listening, Levin blinked his golden eyes and said softly,
"You wouldn't be deceiving me, would you? Do you have a legitimate Hunter's license?"
Chen Qi was momentarily stunned.
He had planned to bluff Levin, given that Levin's demands were unreasonable, essentially an impossible task.
Therefore, the real test here was of one's eloquence.
But unexpectedly, his ship actually met all the conditions!
At sea, whether it was the pigeon logistics' travel ships or the Seal logistics blessed by the so-called Emperor's twenty-sided dice, their vessels could not compare to his Ghost Ship.
Even if their speeds were close, Chen Qi's inherent traits made his ship far safer than ordinary vessels.
I really don't have a Hunter's license... Chen Qi thought for a moment and took out a VIP card from the black market:
"I have no interest in deceiving a novice who frequents the office. Of course, if you want to board this ship, you must pay a higher reward."
"A higher reward..."
Levin clenched his wallet:
"The place I'm headed to is an unprecedentedly good location, involving secrets of the legendary Deep Sea Hunter. It's a big deal, but I can only negotiate this business with the captain behind you."
Chen Qi fell silent for a moment, estimating the time:
"Of course, I only deal in big business, no problem, meet me at the dock on the east side of Black Mine City tomorrow night at twelve o'clock, there will be someone to pick you up, how about that?"
Levin stomped his foot and patted his waist.
An extremely difficult matter had suddenly been resolved, leaving him with an uncomfortable feeling in his body.
But if there really was a ship that could get him to his destination, the benefits he would gain would certainly be beyond imagination.
He turned his gaze to the newspapers scattered on the floor.
The Black Whale Group, the Dream Beast, the Black Pig Shark, Blade Storm...
Lately, the sea was filled with dangerous news, and as a second-order Transcendent venturing away from home, he would surely encounter an unprecedented maritime disaster without a good ship.
Moreover, he was a second-order Transcendent from a prominent family; in dire situations, merely mentioning the name of his family in the background would make most people choose to stop.
I can't be fooled that easily... Levin was confident in his own strength as he held the mechanical saw meat knife at his waist:
"No problem, I can pay you at least two hundred thousand in reward, and as for the subsequent payment, I'll need to discuss that with your captain!"
Levin said coldly, in his eyes, only the esteemed captain behind Chen Qi was worthy of discussing compensation matters with him.
"No problem, sir, trust me, you'll be satisfied,"
Chen Qi agreed readily to Levin's terms.
Levin's eyes were sharp:
"Then I'll see you tomorrow at the eastern docks, and upon seeing the ship, I will make a down payment!"
After reaching an agreement, Levin left the office.
"It's a deal."
Chen Qi clapped his hands and took one last look at the commission from the Flower Witch on the wall before leaving the office.
...
...
After dealing with the black market matter, Chen Qi shed the outer layer of the Hunter's Clothes that served as a disguise, his boots stepping over the muddied streets.
He needed to make some preparations to fulfill Levin's commission the next day.
Perhaps, this could also be an opportunity to test the performance of the Ghost Ship mode.
Previously, due to the Black Whale Group, he had not tested the Ghost Ship's overload mode.
Moreover, although Levin appeared simple-minded, he was not as easy to deal with as one might imagine.
"Wait a minute…"
Chen Qi suddenly thought of something.
Levin, hailing from a prominent family that had ventured out into the world, might still be harboring many great secrets.
Though he seemed naive, in reality, the passionate Levin was very tight-lipped,
If he could extract these secrets, perhaps he could uncover more clues.
Compared to a chef, the identity of a Black Hunter might allow him to pry open Levin's mouth more easily.
Moreover, an ordinary houseboat managing to traverse dangerous seas was bound to raise suspicions.
After all, Levin was just a stranger.
"The identity of a Black Hunter…"
Chen Qi mused to himself.
However, this approach could also expose him to risks.
But as long as he could control Levin, he could minimize these risks.
Let's try it, if I can make use of the Black Hunter identity, it could be beneficial for future developments.
After deciding on these matters, Chen Qi found himself at the docks before he knew it.
It was now dusk, the time when countless ships were returning to port.
The sound of waves created by the ships crisscrossing the sea surface rose and fell in succession.
Across from the ships, an investigator from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau was bellowing at the top of his lungs:
"Attention all who are heading out to sea, the Black Pig Shark raised by the Black Whale Group has been spotted in the oceanic regions, and it has severely injured the Witch!"
"To everyone, if you gather information about the Black Pig Shark or other strange creatures while out at sea, the Meteorological Bureau will provide different rewards!"
The lighthouse keeper also spread his arms and said:
"Yes, for the safety of everyone in Black Mine City, please inform the Meteorological Bureau immediately if you encounter any special circumstances at sea."
Black Pig Shark, Meteorological Bureau, the severely injured Witch…
The Blade Witch?
No, the Blade Witch had not shown her full power yet.
Driven by curiosity, Chen Qi approached the investigator and asked:
"Sir, may I ask what happened out at sea? I am about to set out myself."
The investigator looked towards the tattered ships on the horizon, his eyes filled with fear:
"You're going out to sea soon? Unless you have the protection of a company, I recommend you stay safe within the city. After all, you only have one life.
Even the famous Flower Witch was gravely injured by the Black Pig Shark."
"Gravely injured? The Black Pig Shark? What's happening out at sea?"
Chen Qi asked anxiously.
The investigator clenched his fist, his eyes brimming with anger:
"The Black Pig Shark, a monster trained by the Black Whale Group, a hunter of the dark night, a blood hunter. Everyone who is an enemy of the Black Whale Group ends up hunted by them.
Not just the Witch, but the navy, Seal Logistics, the little Red Riding Hood of the Blood Blade Pirate Group, even my fellow weather-detecting colleagues from the Meteorological Bureau, all had their ships shattered by the Black Pig Shark and became corpses atop the sea.
If it wasn't for the Flower Witch and her paralyzing potion, she would have been buried at sea by now."
Chen Qi faintly recalled something.
The Black Pig Shark was not a wild sea beast but a pet of a Beast Tamer from the Black Whale Group, a terrifying bloodthirsty hunter of the sea.
This constituted one of the research findings of the Black Whale Blood.
The Black Whale Group had long been studying methods to control marine creatures, but due to various reasons, had made no progress.
However, with the onset of the Crack Tide, they discovered the perfect substance—Black Whale Blood.
With Black Whale Blood, they could even manipulate the symbols of storms at sea, such as the Storm Dragon, as well as the creatures the Flower Witch initially encountered, the symbols of the sea vortex, the creatures of Black Earth.