Chapter 2: The Underground Deal—A Hidden Deception

Exiting the Supernatural Abilities Bureau, Maoyu felt an inexplicable pull guiding him. Compelled by some unseen force, he turned into a dimly lit alleyway.

Deeper into the alley, the noise grew louder, revealing a hidden underground market. The air was thick with dampness and mildew, while the yellowish light cast a glow over countless stalls brimming with all manner of strange and bewildering items. Maoyu murmured to himself, “Wow, this place is really wild…”

Maoling clutched Maoyu’s sleeve tightly, her eyes wide with fear as she glanced nervously at the diverse crowd around them. Quietly, she said, “Brother Maoyu, this place is so scary…” Maoyu patted her hand reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here!” he said, though inwardly he felt uncertain. This place looked like a chaotic mix of all sorts of people—one wrong move could spell disaster.

They wandered through the market, eyes dazzled by the so-called “heavenly treasures.” Names like “Millennial Lingzhi” and “Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng” made Maoyu think wryly, This sounds like something that just walked out of a video game.

Suddenly, a stall caught Maoyu’s attention. On display was a stone radiating a faint glow, surrounded by a small crowd listening intently as the vendor enthusiastically extolled its virtues.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Step right up and see! This is a once-in-a-century supernatural essence stone! Absorb its power and your abilities will skyrocket—guaranteed to launch you straight to the top! Miss this chance and you’ll never find another like it!” The vendor, Qian Hao, a slick, oily middle-aged man, spoke with spittle flying as he promoted the stone.

Maoyu’s interest piqued. A supernatural essence stone? Isn’t that exactly what I need? He pushed through the crowd to examine the stone closely.

Spotting a potential “big fish,” Qian Hao grew even more eager. “Young man, I can tell by your bones—you’re a rare supernatural prodigy! This essence stone was practically made for you!”

The onlookers chimed in, “Yeah, kid, your forehead’s shining—it’s a sign this stone is meant for you!”

Maoyu listened with growing suspicion. This spiel felt all too familiar—could this be a scam? He hesitated before asking, “How much for the stone?”

Qian Hao held up five fingers. “Not much, just five million!”

“Five million?!” Maoyu gasped inwardly. That’s ridiculously expensive!

Seeing Maoyu’s hesitation, Qian Hao quickly lowered his voice. “Listen, kid, this is already a rock-bottom price! I wouldn’t sell it if I wasn’t desperate for cash!”

Maoyu sneered inwardly. Classic con artist tactics! Just as he was about to refuse, he noticed a tiny crack on the stone’s surface…

He reached out and touched it, frowning. “This stone…” His fingers traced the surface, his brow furrowing deeper. The texture felt nothing like the genuine supernatural essence stone the system had described.

The system had said a true essence stone should feel smooth and warm like jade, emitting a faint, pleasant fragrance. But this one was rough to the touch, with a sharp chemical smell.

Qian Hao noticed Maoyu’s change in expression and his smile stiffened. “Young man, what are you—”

The crowd buzzed with chatter.

“I think this guy’s trying to lowball, huh?”

“Five million for a rock is steep.”

“Hey, what do you know? This is a supernatural essence stone! Even if you had the money, you couldn’t buy it elsewhere!”

Just as Maoyu was about to confront Qian Hao, the vendor suddenly pulled out a so-called “certificate of authenticity” from under the stall, waving it proudly. “Look here, young man! This has been certified by an authoritative agency. Who dares say my stone’s fake?” The crowd, seeing the certificate, leaned toward Qian Hao, thinking Maoyu was making baseless trouble.

Maoyu’s heart tightened, but he remained calm—he trusted his identification device implicitly. Taking a deep breath, he said loudly, “Mr. Qian, do you really think a certificate proves it’s authentic?” He paused, scanning the crowd. “A true supernatural essence stone feels smooth and warm like jade, gives off a fresh fragrance, and—” Suddenly, Maoyu pulled a palm-sized device from his pocket. At that moment, the surrounding light seemed to focus on the device and the stone. “It also emits a specific energy signature!”

He aimed the device at the stone. “Beep—” The sound rang sharply in the silent crowd. On the screen flashed a bright red character: “Fake.”

Qian Hao’s face drained of color, lips trembling, unable to utter a word. Maoyu’s gaze was firm and cold, while Qian Hao’s expression was one of terror and despair, like a criminal facing judgment.

“What else is there to say?” Maoyu pocketed the device, eyes icy as he stared at Qian Hao. “I’m exposing your scam today!”

“Wait!” A voice suddenly called out from the crowd…

“Wait!” A rough voice boomed as a burly man with a rugged face pushed through the crowd. A thick gold chain hung around his neck, clearly a man not to be trifled with.

“Kid, how dare you ruin my brother’s business?”

Maoyu showed no fear, sneering. “What, you wanna buy this fake stone too?” He shook the device in his hand. “This is the latest ‘Authenticity Detector’ developed by the Supernatural Abilities Bureau—no cheating allowed, tenfold compensation if fake!”

The big man’s expression darkened as he glared fiercely. “You little punk, don’t bite the hand that offers you wine! Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are!” Maoyu shot back without hesitation. “Even if the king himself showed up, fake is still fake!” He turned to the crowd. “Everyone saw it—the stone’s fake! Qian Hao’s a con man!”

Though trembling with fear, Maoling bravely stepped in front of Maoyu, spreading her arms protectively. “You’re not allowed to hurt Brother Maoyu!” Maoyu felt a warmth swell in his heart.

The crowd echoed in agreement. “Yeah! Qian Hao’s a fraud!” “Give us a refund!”

Qian Hao’s face was deathly pale, realizing he was done for. He glared at Maoyu fiercely, then tried to slip away.

“Trying to run?” Maoyu grabbed Qian Hao’s collar. “No one leaves until this is settled!”

At that moment, a man in uniform approached—it was the market manager.

“What’s going on?”

Maoyu quickly recounted the events and showed the manager the detector’s results.

The manager’s face darkened as he scolded Qian Hao, “Qian Hao, how dare you sell fakes here! According to market regulations, you’re fined ten million and permanently banned from this market!”

Qian Hao collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

Maoyu stood tall, a triumphant feeling washing over him. The crowd admired him, giving thumbs-up. “Well done, young man!” “A true hero among youth!”

Maoling excitedly jumped up and down, clutching Maoyu’s arm with admiration. “Brother Maoyu, you’re amazing!” Maoyu smiled warmly at her radiant face.

Though he had exposed the scam, Maoyu didn’t feel at ease. Looking around, he realized most of the resources here, like Qian Hao’s stone, were of dubious authenticity.

Frowning deeply, he pondered: Where could he find truly genuine resources to enhance his abilities?

The underground market buzzed on, but Maoyu’s heart grew heavy. He knew the road ahead would be long and arduous.

Suddenly, an idea sparked within him.

Grabbing Maoling’s hand, he hastened toward the market’s exit.

“Maoling, let’s go!”

“Where to, Brother Maoyu?”

“To…” Maoyu paused, then said, “Phoenix Tower.”