Chapter 59: The Black Market’s Shadow

Xiluo’er had always felt that Kana City’s intricate network of alleyways resembled the veins of a human body. If Kana City were a complete person, then these roads and passages would represent the chaotic internal structure of that individual.

Outwardly, such a person might appear unremarkable, yet their interior would be a mess of chaos, decay, and hidden filth.

Deep within the veins of this ‘person,’ in those obscure alleyways, dark things invariably lurked. Having navigated the city’s shadows for so long, Xiluo’er had grown accustomed to such sights.

Extending this metaphor, Kana City’s black market represented the most severely diseased part of this body.

It was an undetected, malformed vessel within.

Though the city had settled into its slumber, the night market remained brightly lit, with various illicit trades operating ceaselessly within its confines.

By the time Xiluo’er entered the black market’s private discussion room, Irene was already waiting there.

Lounging lazily on the sofa, Irene yawned widely upon seeing Xiluo’er enter, then waved a hand in greeting.

“Good evening, little Cat Tail.”

Despite the late hour, Xiluo’er had prudently arranged to meet Irene at the black market, recalling Eve’s cross-country pursuit of a criminal last time.

Tonight, she intended to proceed with her plan.

Although the autumn encirclement had only just concluded, Xiluo’er knew she had little time left to waste.

While Rona’s identity was currently shrouded in many doubts, Xiluo’er dared not delay. Once a chain of suspicion formed, it was not easily dispelled. The stark contrast between her prior understanding and the current reality only intensified Xiluo’er’s desire to quickly uncover the truth.

Moreover, she no longer had the luxury of a slow investigation.

Xiluo’er still remembered the game’s original plot. Kana City, serving as a tutorial-like prologue, wasn’t overly complex. The protagonist, Eve, would simply accept quests, go about her daily life, and players would familiarize themselves with the controls. That was largely it.

After Lord Serol’s autumn encirclement quest, Kana City’s storyline would rapidly draw to a close.

Not long after, Eve would awaken one day to find the eastern district of Kana City in utter pandemonium. Rushing to the Lord’s Mansion, located in the east, she would discover Rona transformed into a monster, having murdered the city lord.

This sudden plot twist created a stark contrast with the previously lighthearted quests and peaceful daily life. Xiluo’er recalled feeling quite dumbfounded when she played that part.

It was, in a way, like being told, ‘These keys move, this one attacks. There, you’ve learned all the controls, now go try it yourself.’ Then, turning around to see a massive boss standing there, capable of annihilating you ten times over with a mere flick of their hand.

This was the first time this ‘dark, deep, and brutal’ game, disguised as a hero’s adventure, truly bared its fangs. From then on, most of Eve the Hero’s experiences on her adventurous path would be far from pleasant.

Therefore, the time Xiluo’er spent with Eve was actually before the game’s official main storyline began.

This was why Xiluo’er was seizing the opportunity to implement another plan.

When Eve was in a coma, Xiluo’er had sought out Irene once, arranging to meet her tonight at the black market. She only wondered if, given such a short timeframe, Irene had managed to prepare what she asked for.

Watching Irene’s languid demeanor, slumped on the sofa without a hint of an assassin’s bearing, Xiluo’er was accustomed to it. She didn’t even sit opposite Irene, instead asking directly, “Where are the things?”

“Mmm, all ready. By the way, little Cat Tail, you don’t have to be so serious.”

A stack of documents was casually tossed over by Irene. Xiluo’er caught them and began to examine them intently.

The specially-textured papers were densely filled with information about ‘Scar’ Red, detailing everything about him. Further pages even outlined his approximate daily routine and travel schedule from morning to night.

This was Xiluo’er’s alternative method, a Plan B prepared after the failure of the autumn encirclement. In truth, it was simply investigating from a different angle.

Since no issues were found with Rona, the focus shifted to the other end of the disappearance case: Red, the gang boss suspected of human trafficking.

Entrusting Irene of the Shadow Kill Group to investigate someone was truly a matter of specialized expertise.

However, Xiluo’er frowned, looking at the dense and detailed information on the papers.

No matter how capable Irene was, could she really have investigated a gang boss involved in illicit industries so thoroughly in the short time Xiluo’er had given her?

Thus, Xiluo’er raised the documents in her hand towards Irene, who was leisurely lifting her mask to drink the black market’s complimentary black tea.

“As expected of someone from the Shadow Kill Group. Your investigative abilities are truly impressive.”

“Ahaha, of course! We’ve collaborated so many times, little Cat Tail, you should know who I am.”

“When it comes to gathering intelligence and information, I’m quite skilled.”

Irene accepted Xiluo’er’s praise with great delight, seemingly oblivious to the hidden meaning in Xiluo’er’s words.

After a brief silence, Xiluo’er spoke directly.

“The time I gave you wasn’t enough to collect such comprehensive data, Red Spider?”

“Is it not possible that my professional capabilities are just strong enough to make me a gold-tier employee?”

“No.”

“Alright,” Irene sighed. “Always digging for answers isn’t a good habit, little Cat Tail.”

“Actually, I started investigating this long ago because… well, I guessed you might need something like this.”

“Completing a client’s request in advance—that’s the power of a gold-tier employee like me. What do you think?”

Watching the smug Irene, Xiluo’er remained silent.

Irene had indeed started the investigation early, but her claim of ‘guessing’ Xiluo’er would need this data was likely false.

This person probably needed the information herself, which was why she went to investigate.

Xiluo’er had always been curious about Irene’s commission in Kana City, but she decided against pursuing it. Since the other party never spoke of it, there was no real need for her to pry.

At least in terms of investigation, Irene had truly provided a lot of help. Regardless of her motives, this much was undeniable.

“Alright,” Xiluo’er nodded. “I’ll give you your payment next time.”

Xiluo’er had already made up her mind: next time, the very next time she saw Shadow, she would definitely apply for mission funds from them!

However, Irene merely waved her hand dismissively, appearing unconcerned about the commission fee.

“Those things don’t matter. Oh, right, come here for a moment, little Cat Tail. I just remembered there’s an issue with one part of this data. I’ll point it out to you.”

Xiluo’er stood before Irene. Then, Irene extended a hand… and suddenly struck towards Xiluo’er’s face.