novelraw Chapter 639: Cooperation
Chapter 639: Cooperation
Chapter 639: Cooperation
Half a month was enough time for a person to grow accustomed to another city.
The sky over Mist Capital remained forever gray. Eric could no longer remember the last time he had seen the sun.
Every morning when he crawled out of bed, the view outside the window was identical to the day before.
The days turned like the endlessly rotating gears in the factory—monotonous, repetitive, and without end.
But recently, a small, insignificant change had appeared in his life.
That used bookstore.
Even Eric himself could not explain why, after getting off work every day, he would unconsciously turn into that alley and push open the creaking wooden door. He had never spent a single coin in that shop.
He had flipped through a few of the old books, but he could not recognize most of the characters. Even when he could, he did not understand them.
He was not cut out for reading. Yet he still wanted to go.
The young shop owner sitting in the rocking chair had a very strange aura about him.
But what exactly that aura was, Eric had thought about for a long time without finding an accurate word for it.
It was probably the feeling that “there was a layer of something separating him from this world.”
The man was clearly sitting right there, clearly speaking to you, yet you always felt his attention was elsewhere, looking at things you could not see.
Eric had been told by his mother since childhood that he was “too sensitive.”
He could sense things others could not: who was in a bad mood, who was lying, who carried something “unclean” on them.
This sensitivity had helped him avoid several major accidents at the factory and allowed him to live safely until the age of twenty-six in this Strange-infested city, suffering only a few broken fingers.
So when he first stepped into that used bookstore and sensed the indescribable aura on Jie Ming, his first reaction was not fear, but curiosity.
A young man about the same age as him, running a black clinic disguised as a used bookstore, yet carrying an aura that even a high-perception person like him could not see through.
What exactly was this person’s background?
Eric did not know, but he wanted to find out.
Thus, over the past half month, after getting off work at the factory every afternoon, he would detour into that used bookstore on his way home.
It was usually before dusk.
After all, he did not dare wander outside after dark.
But during the period before dusk, the sky was still bright and the gas lamps on the streets were already lit—safe enough.
He would push open the door, nod at Jie Ming in the rocking chair, then stand in front of the bookshelves for a while, casually flipping through old books he barely understood. Sometimes he would chat for a bit, sometimes he would simply stand in silence for ten or so minutes before going home.
Jie Ming never chased him away, but he also never showed particular enthusiasm.
Most of the time, Jie Ming simply sat in that rocking chair, holding a newspaper and reading it slowly.
He would occasionally turn a page, occasionally lift the teacup on the table for a sip of water, occasionally raise his head to glance at the sky outside the window.
The two of them would remain like that—one sitting, one standing—separated by an oil lamp and a pile of old books, each in their own silence.
Today was the fifteenth day.
When Eric pushed open the wooden door of the used bookstore with practiced familiarity, the sky had already begun to darken.
Most of the gas lamps on the street were lit. Their orange-yellow light pierced through the thick fog, casting blurry halos on the damp stone-slab road. As usual, Jie Ming sat in the rocking chair, holding a newspaper.
He glanced up at Eric, gave a slight nod in greeting, then continued reading.
Jie Ming actually did not mind the young man.
He did not need to obtain any intelligence from Eric. During the day, even with relatively mild expansion of his spiritual power, Jie Ming could cover the entire city and gather all kinds of information.
The reason he was willing to interact with Eric was because of the latter’s rare high-perception talent, which had given Jie Ming an idea.
Eric stopped in front of the bookshelf and casually pulled out a book.
He flipped through two pages, realized he could not absorb a single word, stuffed it back, leaned against the bookshelf, and shoved his hands into his pockets. “When are you going to get electricity wired in here?” he asked.
Jie Ming’s hand paused while turning the newspaper. He looked up.
“Electricity?”
“Yeah.” Eric pointed at the oil lamp overhead. “You run a bookstore and light an oil lamp every day. What if you accidentally set the books on fire one day? The whole shop would be gone. Besides, who still uses oil lamps nowadays? Even the bakery on the next street has switched to electric lights.”
Jie Ming glanced at the oil lamp, then at Eric. The corners of his mouth curved slightly.
“I’m used to it,” he said.
“Being used to it doesn’t mean you should risk your life,” Eric shook his head. “If you find wiring electricity troublesome, I can ask around for you. Old Jack downstairs is an electrician. He doesn’t charge much.”
Jie Ming did not respond. He simply turned to the next page of the newspaper.
Eric had grown accustomed to this attitude and did not mind. He continued speaking on his own, “Also, the lighting here is too dim. When customers come, they can’t even see the books on the shelves clearly. Even though your shop… isn’t really selling books, you should still make the act complete.”
Jie Ming glanced at him but said nothing.
Eric wisely closed his mouth, though he could not hide the smile at the corners of his lips.
Over the past half month, he had figured out Jie Ming’s temperament.
This person did not like others prying into his affairs, but he was not averse to Eric’s behavior of “dropping by to chat about random things.”
Just as Eric was about to find another topic, the door sounded.
The door hinge creaked, and a figure walked in from the twilight.
Eric turned his head.
The person who entered was a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He wore a dark gray trench coat and carried a medium-sized suitcase. His appearance was very ordinary.
Neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, with features that had no distinguishing traits—the type that would disappear into a crowd and never be found again.
But the instant Eric saw him, his body instinctively tensed.
He could not say why.
The man’s clothing, posture, and even breathing rhythm all seemed like those of an ordinary traveler.
Yet his intuition was frantically sounding alarms: something was wrong with this person!
It was a deeper sense of dissonance.
Like seeing someone wearing their left shoe on their right foot. At first glance it seemed fine, but something always felt off.
Eric subconsciously took half a step back. His shoulder bumped into the bookshelf, making a faint sound.
The man turned his head at the noise. His gaze landed on Eric, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a standard polite smile.
“Good evening,” he said, his voice calm.
Then his gaze moved past Eric and landed on Jie Ming in the rocking chair.
The gaze lingered for a very short time—so short that an ordinary person would not notice—but Eric caught it.
That gaze was not how a customer would look at a shop owner. It was… how a subordinate would look at a superior.
Eric’s heartbeat quickened.
He suddenly realized his current situation.
He was just an ordinary worker. He should not be in this shop at this time.
This person had clearly come to see Jie Ming, and not the “used bookstore owner” Jie Ming, but the “black clinic doctor” Jie Ming. He should leave.
But the man’s gaze returned and fell on Eric again.
He examined Eric with eyes that looked at an item of uncertain value.
“This is…” The man looked toward Jie Ming, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
Jie Ming did not answer.
He put down the newspaper in his hand and stood up from the rocking chair.
His movements were slow, but Eric noticed that the moment he stood, the air in the room seemed to grow “heavier.”
“Eric,” Jie Ming spoke, his voice as calm as usual. “It’s already very late.”
Eric was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the meaning.
It’s already very late. You should go back.
“Ah, yes, it’s getting dark soon.” Eric forced a laugh, walked out from beside the bookshelf, and headed toward the door. “I almost forgot, I still have to help my aunt move some things on the next street tonight. You two chat, you two chat.”
As he passed the man with the suitcase, he did not look at the other party’s face.
But his perception told him that the man’s gaze remained glued to him until he walked out the door.
The wooden door closed behind him.
Eric stood on the damp stone-slab road, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
He looked down at his hand. His fingertips were trembling slightly.
But… it did not seem to be from fear.
He clenched his fist hard and subconsciously glanced back at the tightly closed wooden door.
Through the crack, he could see the oil lamp’s light flickering gently.
Eric shook his head and turned toward his apartment building.
He did not want to know what that person had come to see Jie Ming about, what was in that suitcase, or what the two of them were going to do next.
Although he was indeed curious, and although he could probably guess what the other party wanted from Jie Ming the black doctor, he knew it was best not to think about things one “should not think about.”
This was the most important principle he had learned from living twenty-six years in Mist Capital.
Inside the used bookstore, the oil lamp’s flame flickered gently in the breeze.
Jie Ming stood beside the bookshelf, watching Eric’s figure disappear through the door crack. He then turned and looked at the man carrying the suitcase.
The moment Eric left, the man’s expression changed.
The polite smile turned into an almost fawning, ingratiating one.
His shoulders sank slightly, his back curved in a subtle but real arc, making him look as if he had suddenly become several centimeters shorter.
“Mr. Jie Ming,” he lowered his voice, his tone carrying careful attentiveness. “Good evening, good evening.”
Jie Ming did not respond to the greeting. He simply nodded and turned toward the wooden door behind the bookshelves.
“Come.”
He pushed open the wooden door and walked down the narrow staircase.
Behind him came the man’s cautious footsteps and the soft sound of the bookstore’s wooden door being closed and bolted. It seemed the man had not forgotten to secure it.
The lighting in the underground clinic was much brighter than upstairs.
Several gas lamps hung on the walls. Their white light illuminated the entire room brightly but not glaringly.
The examination bed, medicine cabinet, and surgical instruments were all as neat as they had been half a month ago.
Jie Ming walked to the medicine cabinet and took out a metal box from the deepest part.
The box was not large, about the size of two palms. It had no markings on the surface and was finely crafted, with rounded edges.
He placed the box on the examination bed and opened it.
Inside, ten sealed glass test tubes were neatly arranged.
The liquid inside the tubes was a deep blue, faintly fluorescent under the light.
The mouth of each test tube was doubly sealed with wax and metal bands. Labels with numbers and dates were attached.
The man’s eyes lit up the instant he saw the test tubes.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Only then did he cautiously approach, his gaze never leaving the tubes.
“Mr. Jie Ming, these are…”
“They’ve been processed,” Jie Ming’s tone was flat, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. “The original base material you provided was too poor. At most, I optimized the formula structure. The success rate after consumption should increase by about five percent.”
“Five percent…” The man’s voice trembled slightly.
He reached out. His fingers hovered above the test tubes for a moment, as if hesitating whether to touch them.
In the end, he withdrew his hand, took out a pair of thin leather gloves from his pocket, and carefully put them on.
Only then did he cautiously pick up one test tube and hold it up to the light for careful examination.
The blue liquid flowed slowly inside the glass tube. The fluorescent sheen on its surface displayed a delicate, silk-like luster under the light. The man stared at the liquid, his pupils slightly dilated.
“You know, Mr. Jie Ming?” His voice became somewhat dreamy, as if talking to himself. “The original version of this drug had a success rate of less than five percent. Out of ten injections, nine died. But the one who survived could bend iron rods with bare hands and run fast enough to catch a speeding carriage.” He put down the first tube and picked up the second.
“On the black market, one tube of the original sells for this much.” He raised three fingers. “Three hundred silver coins. And even then, it’s often unavailable. Even if you have the money, you might not be able to buy it. Those great Spirit Medium families control the supply. What leaks out are all defective products.”
He examined the test tubes one by one, his movements as gentle as if he were stroking a baby’s skin.
“You’ve given me ten tubes, and the success rate is increased by another five percent.” He turned to look at Jie Ming, the fawning smile on his face deepening. “Do you know what this means? It means these ten tubes in my hands are worth twenty or thirty tubes of the original. Those rich people with connections who want power but don’t dare take too much risk… they will fight to buy them.”
Jie Ming leaned against the medicine cabinet with his arms crossed, watching him expressionlessly.
“Where’s the money?”
“Oh, right, right, the money.” The man snapped out of it and hurriedly put down the test tube. He bent down and picked up the suitcase he had brought.
The suitcase’s latches sprang open. Inside were neat stacks of paper bills and rolls of coins.
The paper bills came in various denominations and colors, bundled with rubber bands.
The coins were stored in several small cloth bags tied with strings.
The man pushed the suitcase toward Jie Ming. “This is the full payment for this batch. Please check it. As per your instructions, the coins and bills are all old money and small change. There is absolutely no risk!”
Jie Ming glanced down but did not count.
“The materials?”
“I brought them, I brought them.” The man took out a small cloth bundle from the inner pocket of his trench coat and respectfully handed it over. “The several materials you requested last time—I managed to get all of them. This one was hard to find. I had to go through several channels to obtain it.”
Jie Ming took the cloth bundle, opened it, and glanced inside.
Inside were several irregularly shaped fragments, grayish-white in color with a faint sheen on the surface.
He turned one fragment over under the light to confirm the material, then nodded.
“What about the situation outside the city?”
The man’s expression became more serious. “It’s not peaceful. New Stranges have appeared in several towns to the east recently. The Official Spirit Medium Association has already sent people to handle it. The exact grade is still unclear. Some say Hazard Grade, but others say it might be Disaster Grade because the losses were quite heavy.”
“Any other news?”
“There’s also… recently some people have been seen outside the city wearing black robes, acting suspiciously. The authorities are investigating, but they haven’t found anything yet.”
Jie Ming committed the information to memory and nodded.
Seeing that he had no further questions, the man’s expression returned to that careful, attentive fawning look.
He placed the ten test tubes back into the metal box one by one, closed the lid, then unbuttoned his trench coat and stuffed the box against his body. Although the box was not large, it still created a noticeable bulge under his clothes.
The man covered it with the front of his trench coat and checked again. After confirming no obvious traces were visible, he let out a satisfied breath.
“Then, Mr. Jie Ming, I’ll take my leave first.”
He bowed deeply toward Jie Ming with exceptional respect. “I’ll bring the next batch in a few days.”
Jie Ming did not see him off. He simply nodded.
The sound of the man’s footsteps went up the stairs, followed by the sound of the bookstore’s wooden door opening and closing, and then the footsteps gradually fading away on the stone-slab road.
The basement fell quiet once more.
Jie Ming looked down at the suitcase beside his feet.
The paper bills and coins were neatly stacked inside, ranging from gold coins to silver coins, along with some smaller-denomination bills of darker colors.
To be honest, Jie Ming did not actually need this money very much.
If necessary, he could use alchemy to directly create various coins out of thin air.
Although this plane’s currency had various anti-counterfeiting techniques, with his alchemy skills, producing coins that were completely indistinguishable from genuine ones was effortless.
Even gold and silver coins made from precious metals could be created as easily as turning over his hand.
But a doctor with such technology and strength who wanted nothing would be far too conspicuous.
Therefore, he had made a deal with this broker.
He helped them optimize prohibited gene drugs and increase success rates. In return, they paid him generous compensation, procured various research materials for him, and gathered information inside and outside the city.
Each took what they needed.