Chapter 33: Rules of the Trade

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“Also, to ensure that this Ghost Market transaction proceeds smoothly, you must comply with the following requirements.”

“First, please transfer the participation deposit into the designated account before noon. The funds in that account will be used for this Ghost Market transaction. The minimum deposit is ten million yuan, and the maximum is one hundred million yuan. No additional funds may be added midway. Any remaining deposit will be returned after the transaction concludes.”

“Second, you may not inquire into the origins of any item being traded, nor the identity or background of its seller.”

“Third, all participants must use code names and may not reveal their true identities. Every participant must wear a special mask for the entire duration of the event and must not attempt to investigate the identities of the other participants.”

“You are required to observe all three rules. Any violation will result in your immediate expulsion from the Ghost Market, forfeiture of your deposit, and permanent placement on the Ghost Market blacklist.”

With that, the person on the other end hung up without another word.

A moment later, a link appeared on Xu Yi’s phone. He tapped it and entered an entirely new interface.

The interface prompted him to enter an invitation code.

Xu Yi opened the invitation letter Elder Gu had given him and, as expected, found the code inside.

After entering it, the page redirected him once again.

This time, a transfer system appeared, requesting the amount he wished to send.

Xu Yi frowned. He currently had a little over thirty million yuan in savings.

The Ghost Market organizers had imposed a limit on the funds that could be used to prevent the wealthy from forcing their way through with money.

But since the organizers had set the upper limit at one hundred million yuan, they evidently believed that even someone bringing that much money into the Ghost Market would still be unable to disrupt the market.

Xu Yi guessed that most participants would probably bring sums close to the maximum.

By that measure, his thirty million yuan was clearly insufficient.

Just then, Elder Gu called.

Xu Yi explained the situation.

“I was just about to call you about that,” Elder Gu said calmly. “Your analysis is correct. Thirty million is indeed somewhat lacking.”

“Here’s what I can do. I’ll give you fifty million to use. However, I have two conditions.”

“First, after the Ghost Market transaction ends, every item you acquire must be personally appraised and handled by me.”

“Second, after the appraisal, if more than ten items prove to be genuine, all the proceeds will belong to you. I won’t take a single cent. But if there are no more than ten genuine items, I’ll take half of the value generated, and you must return the fifty million yuan.”

“How does that sound?”

Xu Yi smiled. This was exactly like someone sending him a pillow just as he was about to doze off.

To others, it might have seemed like a gamble, with opportunity and risk existing side by side.

But to Xu Yi, who possessed X-ray vision, this was no different from being handed free money. There was only opportunity, with virtually no risk.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Yi replied, “Then thank you, Elder Gu!”

A sigh of relief came from the other end of the line.

“Then let’s see how you perform tonight. I look forward to hearing good news.”

They ended the call. One minute later, an additional fifty million yuan appeared in Xu Yi’s account.

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Xu Yi immediately transferred eighty million yuan into the Ghost Market’s designated account.

The interface redirected him once more, bringing him to the final step: entering a code name.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Yi entered his chosen name:

Treasure Hunter.

…

At seven fifty that evening, a G-Wagen came to a steady stop at the edge of Antique Street.

“Do you remember everything I told you to do?” Xu Yi asked Zeng Lili, who was sitting in the driver’s seat.

Zeng Lili nodded earnestly. “Boss, don’t worry. I know the three rules of the Ghost Market perfectly. Leave the identification of the merchandise to me. The final decision and payment are up to you.”

She was wearing a bulky outdoor jacket that completely concealed her striking figure.

Xu Yi nodded. “Then let’s go.”

Bringing Zeng Lili along had been part of Xu Yi’s plan from the beginning. He knew practically nothing about antiques, and Lili made up for that shortcoming.

The two got out of the vehicle and walked toward Number 38 Antique Street.

Number 38 was a sealed warehouse built of gray bricks. It had no windows and looked exceedingly mysterious.

Inside, three staff members wearing white masks watched Xu Yi and Zeng Lili from behind a long table.

“Please present your invitation,” one of them said.

Xu Yi took the invitation from inside his coat and handed it over.

The staff member scanned it with a device, then nodded.

He handed Xu Yi and Zeng Lili two blue masks and a phone.

“Treasure Hunter, please surrender your phones and communication devices. They will be returned after this transaction concludes.”

“In addition, once you enter the venue, do not remove your masks until the event is over. These masks are specially made and equipped with voice changers. The phone contains the rules for this transaction and serves as your payment instrument.”

“Finally, we wish you a pleasant outcome.”

Xu Yi nodded without speaking.

After accepting the masks and phone, he took out the phone and began reading the transaction rules.

The rules of the Ghost Market were not complicated.

First, there were three types of identities at the Ghost Market, distinguished entirely by mask color.

Those wearing white masks were staff members. Those wearing black masks were sellers. Those wearing blue masks were buyers.

Each seller had a fixed stall, and buyers could inspect the goods on-site before making a purchase. The process was much like an ordinary transaction outside the Ghost Market, with the price determined through negotiation between buyer and seller.

The Ghost Market would take a five percent commission from every completed sale.

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The two put on their masks and headed upstairs.

Only after entering did Xu Yi realize how enormous the place was. It was at least the size of a soccer field.

The venue was dimly lit, and all kinds of tents had been arranged throughout the hall. According to the rules, these tents served as the sellers’ permanent stalls.

For the moment, however, every tent remained sealed and unopened.

Quite a few people had already arrived, most of them wearing blue masks. They stood in scattered pairs, and no one spoke to anyone else.

Xu Yi activated his X-ray vision and swept his gaze across the crowd. He did not recognize a single person.

Before long, eight o’clock arrived.

Xu Yi’s attention sharpened instantly. In a low voice, he said, “It’s starting.”

The lights throughout the venue came on all at once, and the formerly dim hall was suddenly as bright as day.

A broadcast sounded throughout the venue.

“Welcome, everyone, to the East Sea Ghost Market. This transaction will last a total of four hours. Please observe the rules of the Ghost Market. We wish you all a pleasant trading experience.”

As the announcement ended, all the sealed tents opened simultaneously.

Inside each tent sat a person wearing a black mask, surrounded by an assortment of objects.

Xu Yi and Zeng Lili walked toward the nearest tent.

A black-masked man sat inside, clearly the stallholder. Various bottles, jars, and ornaments had been arranged across the floor.

There were porcelain pieces, calligraphy and paintings, bronze artifacts, and nearly every other kind of antique imaginable.

As Xu Yi and Zeng Lili approached the items, a mixed odor of soil and faint decay immediately entered their nostrils.

Zeng Lili frowned, but she still stepped forward dutifully and began carefully examining the merchandise.

Xu Yi remained where he was, but a flicker of understanding passed through his eyes.

So that was it!

Elder Gu had said that the items appearing in the Ghost Market came from unknown, illicit sources and could not be exposed to the light of day.

The reason was that these objects had been obtained through tomb raiding.

Though the stallholder wore a mask, an aura that warned others to keep their distance emanated from him.

A hoarse electronic voice came from beneath the black mask.

“You two, everything here is genuine. So be careful and don’t go touching things recklessly. If you break anything, you’ll be paying for it. Heh heh!”

“Tch!”

Xu Yi acted decisively and immediately activated his Heart-Piercing Vision on the two of them.

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