Chapter Thirty-Two: Humiliation and Desire

At seven o’clock that evening, Chen Qing and Karans escorted Jiang Wan along the northwest street, and this time, as they stood at the corner, the previous misunderstanding did not repeat itself.

They chose a restaurant tucked into a street corner, one with private rooms. Sitting in the innermost booth, they gazed out the window—this was the worst seat, and also the most neglected.

Pushing open the casement, all they saw was a pitch-black, deserted alley that, at least, did not reek of filth.

Chen Qing stood sideways at the window, holding food taken from the table. His gaze drifted outward through the panes; no one passed by outside, but inside the alley, people occasionally moved in and out of its farthest reaches, the very spot that should have been the most deserted, the corner leading to obscure side roads.

He chuckled, joking with the visibly tense Jiang Wan at the table, “Your work isn’t very thorough, is it? Look down there.”

Jiang Wan rolled her eyes, smiling faintly, yet her hand clutching the bowl was stiff, her knuckles whitening.

“No need to be so nervous,” Chen Qing said, returning to his seat. Karans, absent for over ten minutes, had still not come back, giving him time to comfort Jiang Wan. “That place… it’s more down-to-earth than you imagine. In fact, inside, not many are owners of non-heritage items or have endured the trials of the back rooms.”

She was silent for a moment before countering, “Am I so obvious? Even you can see I’m nervous?”

Chen Qing smiled but said nothing, watching her bloodless fingertips. He was about to urge her to relax when Karans’ knock sounded, ill-timed.

He turned; Karans pushed open the door, bowed respectfully, and addressed them, “Please, sir, madam, your appointment time has arrived.”

His voice was soft, and the waitstaff outside the private room had already been dismissed.

Within minutes, Chen Qing and Jiang Wan stood before a portal at the alley’s end.

They reached out, and in a daze, found themselves transported.

Jiang Wan raised her eyes; forced to open them wider by the spectacle before her, she saw dazzling streams of light spilling into every corner, heard the thunderous music roaring in her ears. Yet as she looked, her expression soured.

She gazed into the distance—several hundred meters away at the dance floor, the figures’ movements shrank to insignificance.

Watching them, she saw their actions jerk and twitch like zombies, dull-eyed, moving listlessly to the music. Drool soaked their clothes, they stripped off garments, indulging in unspeakable acts in shadowed corners.

They made no attempt to hide, venting their desires without restraint.

“They…” she began, but Chen Qing’s figure had already arrived behind her.

He followed her gaze, his brows knitting; they hadn’t been like this last night.

Silent, his expression betrayed his distaste.

“We’ll talk later.”

But Chen Qing shook his head, casting a warning glance at Jiang Wan.

She shuddered, remembering her primary task.

If a mission involved others, it should be handled by others. Every skill has its specialist; hers was not this.

Jiang Wan sighed, taking a deep breath. She nodded, complying with Chen Qing’s words and suppressing her turbulent thoughts. They watched Karans enter last and close the door.

They followed him into their previous private room, where everything was arranged as expected. Chen Qing and Jiang Wan took their seats at the head, while Karans moved to the workbench, quietly manipulating several keys to reveal the station.

Chen Qing looked at Karans. “When will my mission reward arrive?”

Karans paused, apologized, then began searching on the workbench. “It’s available now, sir. But I must inform you, the other party has proposed an extra trade.”

Karans frowned, his gaze questioning.

“What kind of trade? Can I refuse?” Chen Qing asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

“You can. This is an extra task assigned to the recipient post-completion: I must remind you of the offered reward. For this mission, the other party will provide a second D-grade solid bead.”

“And the task condition?”

“To meet you, face-to-face.”

Chen Qing eyed him for a moment, silent, making the room’s atmosphere awkward.

“Decline it.”

“Yes. Understood. May I ask why, sir?”

Karans looked at Chen Qing, sweat beading on his brow. He’d never understood why this youth, barely twenty, possessed such presence.

He was only staring at him, after all.

Karans shook his head and continued, “Considering you and the other party have reached an agreement, as the intermediary and your steward—”

He hesitated, then resumed, “As the intermediary and your steward, I hope to facilitate this trade. Especially since the condition is so simple.”

Chen Qing smiled, replying, “If the condition were to buy a bottle of water from the supermarket, I’d accept. Do you know the difference?”

Karans shook his head.

“The difference is simple: one needs me, the other humiliates me.” He glanced at Karans, but seemed to explain to Jiang Wan, “What can he only say to me face-to-face? I doubt it’s anything good. We’re strangers; any good fortune wouldn’t fall to me.”

Chen Qing laughed at himself, “Most likely, after meeting, he’ll propose an irresistible reward, offer it up front, and the condition will be to explore a back room.”

“And me? I’d probably die in there.”

He sighed, “If I know I can’t resist the temptation, why should I bite the bait?” He looked at Karans, smiling, “If you were a fish, would you leave after nibbling only the chum? No, the fish only eat more and more, until everything is lost.”

Karans paled, nodded, and started working at the station.

Soon, a box arrived via pneumatic tube. Semi-transparent, its contents hovered suspended in midair.

It defied physics, floating perfectly in the center.

Chen Qing marveled at its brilliance.

Karans, seeing the box settle, hurried his movements. He pulled several tools from a drawer, meticulously inspecting the anti-counterfeit marks from the club.

Those marks, bestowed by non-heritage items, were still visible to mortal eyes.

After barely half a minute, Karans nodded, addressing Chen Qing, “Sir, your D-grade solid bead is confirmed; it arrived unopened, anti-counterfeit marks verified. The club will bear all consequences for any forgery related to this reward.”

Before finishing, he accelerated, set aside the inspection tools, donned rubber gloves, and respectfully picked up the box.

The mere three steps to Chen Qing made his face flush; the box weighed a thousand pounds in his hands, making him strain to drop it, yet its weight made him hesitant to set it down hastily.

Chen Qing smiled gently, waiting until Karans placed it on the table before breaking the seal and retrieving the item.

As he touched it, the material’s information flooded his mind.

“D-grade solid bead—taken from Mobius’s Hound, a corporeal creature. Legend says it is formed from the beast’s solidified bodily fluid, possessing unique effects.”

He blinked, consciousness snapping back. He looked at Karans, mouth opening but words failing.

Clearly, the club had added an explanation atop the material.

He sighed, then turned to Karans, “The person you mentioned who can fix my network issues—is he in the club now?”

Karans affirmed, tapping at the station. After a moment, he smiled at Chen Qing, “He’s not here, but will arrive in three minutes. Would you like to meet him personally?”

Chen Qing thought a moment, then shook his head. “I’d like to explore the club. Are there any taboos?”

“None, really.” Karans shook his head, eyes on the workstation. “Just don’t force entry where you’re not allowed, and don’t pry into others’ information. That’s all.”

Chen Qing nodded, glancing at Jiang Wan. Seeing her understanding, he said to Karans, “Since that’s so, when he arrives, brief him on what’s needed. Then come find me; Jiang Wan and I will wander the dance floor.”

He spoke, hesitated, then set aside the mask he’d planned to wear.

“What is it?” Jiang Wan asked, curious. In her mind, Chen Qing could easily wear ten masks.

“No.” He looked at the genuine ‘mask’ in his hand, shaking his head.

“If I hide myself, some things might be exposed instead. So… let me be a newcomer who happened to appear in the club.”

He smiled, took Jiang Wan’s hand, and walked into the night.