Chapter 71: Accidentally Entering the Black Market

Luo Qiao checked the sun and realized there was still some time before the noon bus. Thinking it was a good opportunity to take another stroll around, she glanced at her clothes. With a thought, she entered her space. The clothes she had washed yesterday were already dry.

Finding a secluded spot in the space, she changed back into her original clothes. Wandering aimlessly on the street again, she entered a narrow alley. Inside, she noticed peculiar groups of people scattered about.

Upon closer observation, she realized they were engaged in transactions. It turned out she had accidentally stumbled into the black market. But why hadn’t anyone stopped her? It was surprisingly easy to enter.

Thinking about the black market, Luo Qiao suddenly remembered the fate of her fish. This place was actually perfect for selling those fish of hers. All she needed to do was find the person in charge of the black market and hand over her goods to them.

Having figured things out, she retraced her steps out of the alley and found a place to disguise herself. In the bedroom of her space, there were various cosmetics and powders. After a short while, she emerged looking like a simple rural woman.

Returning to the entrance of the alley, this time someone stopped her—a middle-aged man. She directly told him she was looking for their boss, with a big business proposal.

The man scrutinized her for a while and seeing no sign of guilt, he said, “Wait here.”

After saying that, he hurried away.

Luo Qiao thought that her earlier entry might have been due to such situations, letting her slip through.

Not long after, the chubby man returned and said, “Follow me.”

Luo Qiao was led through a series of twists and turns into a courtyard. This courtyard was already away from the alley she had just left, but it was still close to that alley.

After the chubby man knocked on the door and led her inside, he said to the people inside, “This woman said she has something to discuss with the boss. I’ll leave first.”

The person who opened the door in the courtyard led Luo Qiao to a room further inside and lightly knocked on the door, “Boss, the chubby guy has brought her.”

A magnetic voice from inside the room responded, “Let her in.”

The door opened, and Luo Qiao followed inside.

The room was very neat and simply furnished. A man in his mid-twenties emerged from the inner room and said, “You’re here to discuss a big deal with me?”

Luo Qiao replied, “Yes, hello.”

The man scrutinized Luo Qiao for a moment, then waved his hand, saying, “Please, have a seat.”

Drawing on her experience from many lifetimes, Luo Qiao continued, “My surname is Luo. May I ask how I should address you?”

The man seemed surprised for a moment and asked, “You came here to do business with me without knowing who I am?”

Luo Qiao smiled and said, “To be frank, I accidentally wandered into that alley earlier. I saw people trading and decided on the spur of the moment.”

The man’s face showed a peculiar expression as he said, “I’m surnamed He. Let’s discuss the big business you mentioned, Comrade Luo?”

Luo Qiao carefully opened her backpack, ensuring not to expose its contents. Before returning, she had already placed the fish basin from her kitchen space into the backpack. Luckily, it fit just right. If it’s any larger, it wouldn’t fit.

She pulled out a large black fish from inside, weighing about a pound and a half, surprising both men in the room.

Luo Qiao asked, “Do you accept live fish like this?”

He Yujie suppressed his excitement and asked, “How many do you have?”

Luo Qiao replied, “I can’t guarantee how many I can catch each time, but how many are you looking to get?”

He Yujie said, “These fish don’t look like river fish. River fish can’t be this big, and I’ve never seen this species in the river.”

After thinking for a moment, Luo Qiao suggested, “How about this? It’s getting late, almost noon. Why don’t we cook one now here, taste it first, and then we can discuss further?”