Chapter 66: Only a fool would stop

After sleeping through the afternoon, Fang Mingxi found herself unable to fall asleep again that night. She lay in bed, eyes wide open, watching the hours crawl by.

The appointment was set for 8 a.m., but Fang Mingxi could not wait that long. At 4 a.m., she opened her panel and entered the small dark room as scheduled.

She first opened the map, intending just to see if anything had changed. To her surprise, two red dots suddenly appeared.

One red dot marked Hongqi Town, the other marked Tongluo County. Beside them appeared a new line of text:

[Host manually illuminates the map. The Tongluo County map has been updated. Future maps will update in one of two ways.]

[1: The host manually illuminates subsequent city maps.]

[2: When black-market trade reaches the target value, a city map will randomly update.]

Fang Mingxi: !!!

No way! So now they are giving her a shortcut because they know it is unrealistic for her to manually light up every map?

The black-market trade target was easy enough. Once a new map was illuminated, she could sell goods there every day. Even if people questioned the source of her goods, there were two locations now, so she could switch cities daily without a problem.

Without a second thought, Fang Mingxi clicked on the map and appeared near the black market in Tongluo County.

It was still dark, and the streets were empty. Only when she reached the black market entrance did she see people.

The usual rule applied: there was an entry fee. But the Tongluo County black market had raised its price to two mao just to get in.

Fang Mingxi was no longer the broke girl she had been at the start. She handed over the two mao and entered, first looking for a good spot to set up.

The black market here was also in an alley, but unlike the maze-like alleys of Hongqi Town, it only had entrances at the front and back.

Fang Mingxi had chosen a spot in the middle. Just as she set down her basket, her right eyelid twitched violently.

She rubbed the twitching eyelid and lifted her basket again.

Left eye twitches mean money, right eye twitches mean misfortune. Superstition or not, at this crucial moment, she could not help but believe it.

Feeling that something bad might happen today, she continued forward until she stopped near the exit.

From this spot, she could observe the left-side entrance and escape if needed.

As Fang Mingxi settled in, more people gradually arrived at the black market.

Most of them covered their faces with scarves, but Fang Mingxi stood out as the only one unmasked.

Everyone stared, shocked by her boldness. This girl is really brave, they thought.

The black market was relatively safe, never discovered before, but no one would expose themselves completely. What if someone recognized her and reported her?

A flicker of sympathy appeared in some eyes but quickly disappeared.

Better not get involved. It is safer to stay silent.

Ignoring the stares, Fang Mingxi spread a woven straw mat on the ground and placed the black matsutake mushrooms on it. She then took out a few bunches of wild cress.

She had dug up the wild cress in the mountains two days ago. It was perfect for mixing with tofu or scrambled eggs, but she preferred frying it in scallion oil. The aroma alone could make noodles irresistible.

No sooner had she displayed the wild cress than the people nearby could not wait any longer.

“Girl, how much for this wild cress?”

Fang Mingxi: “A fen per jin.”

The price was reasonable. The older men and women on either side bought two jin each. Word spread quickly, and soon everyone in the black market knew there was wild cress for sale here.

Purely wild vegetables were a rare treat. Wild cress also removed gamey smells, making it highly sought after for households with limited seasonings.

For those encountering wild cress at the black market, it was like a young maiden arriving at her first wedding, completely new.

As people flocked to buy, the wild cress sold out before dawn.

Only one customer, not a seller, managed to squeeze through and grab the leftovers. She wanted to fetch more, but once she stepped out, she could not get back in and had to give up.

The wild cress was gone in a flash, while the black matsutake mushrooms remained untouched.

By 5:30, Fang Mingxi decided to head back for the day. She would try selling the mushrooms tomorrow.

As she stood to pack up, a buzzing noise came from the alley, followed by a flock of bird calls. Everyone who heard it immediately moved.

People hurriedly packed their things, strapped on their baskets, and fled the black market.

“Run! The police are here!”

“What? How did the police find this place?”

“Stop asking, just run! If you don’t, you will get caught!”

Fang Mingxi hastily packed up, her earlier bad feeling now confirmed, trouble had come today.

Fortunately, the wild cress was sold, leaving only a few mushrooms on the ground. She grabbed the mat with the mushrooms, rolled them into her basket, and darted out of the alley.

Once outside, she realized something was wrong. People were approaching from both sides, forming a blockade.

It was an ambush.

Fang Mingxi immediately dove into the opposite alley. The pursuers saw her back and ran after her.

“Stop! We’re the police! Don’t run!”

Only a fool would stop. Fang Mingxi activated her panel, confirmed no one was watching, and clicked to return, vanishing from the alley in an instant.

The next second, several police officers and men wearing red armbands ran into the alley. They searched to the end but found no trace of Fang Mingxi.

There were no nearby yards, and the alley ended with a wall. Normally, there was nowhere to escape.

Yet in this perfect setup, a living person had disappeared without a trace. Truly a strange occurrence.

Had they seen a ghost in broad daylight?

Unable to find her, the police had to move on and catch others. But Fang Mingxi’s strange disappearance had delayed them, so by the time they returned to the black market, most people had fled.

Empty-handed, the lead officer punched the wall in frustration.

That girl… better not be found next time.

…

Fang Mingxi returned to her body, heart still racing from the chase.

Her pulse pounded in her ears like a drum.

It had been terrifying. Even prepared as she was, the real sense of danger made her tremble.

She had been unlucky. Months of selling in Hongqi Town had passed without incident, but today, trouble struck immediately.

Fang Mingxi climbed out of bed, trying to calm her racing heart. She vowed to trust her instincts next time. Just a moment’s hesitation today could have meant capture.

Her system kept her composed, but she was not ready to risk her face in front of the police.

She climbed onto the windowsill and peered out, roughly gauging the black market’s location.

Her decoy body had appeared near the clothing factory, proving the black market was not far from the guesthouse.

Next time, she would need to scout the route carefully. Rushing back to her body wasted precious opportunities every day.

Pulling her gaze back from afar, Fang Mingxi looked down at the scene below.

A cattle cart slowly stopped beneath the guesthouse, and two people climbed down.

They were standing right under the streetlamp, and Fang Mingxi suddenly recognized them.