Chapter 18: Mischief (Includes 6k Nutrient Solution Bonus)

Chapter 18: A Wicked Heart (Includes 6k Nutrient Solution Bonus)

Yan Wanqiu looked at the items in Xie Chi's shopping cart.

Basic necessities like chandeliers, nightstands, beds, and double-door refrigerators were still pretty normal, but when he saw the matching pink heart-shaped mugs, couple's photo albums, matching plush pajamas, and even ambiance-scented aromatherapy that Xie Chi had bought, even Yan Wanqiu almost lost his composure.

"Is there any chance..." Yan Wanqiu searched for the right words, "that you won't really get much use out of this stuff?"

There was no way he'd use this gross, sappy crap with Xie Chi.

Hearing this, Xie Chi's smile dimmed a little, but he insisted: "He'll like them. I just checked the StarNet, and this is what couples normally do. Besides, Ji Chou and I are already basically married."

Yan Wanqiu: "..."

Xie Chi continued: "And you're not my wife, so who are you to say we won't use them?"

Yan Wanqiu: "..."

Shi Peijue: ?

He'd been interrogated by Yan Wanqiu on the very day he entered the camp, shaking like a leaf as he spilled everything about his past and what he knew. This afternoon, Yan Wanqiu had dragged him in again to grill him about the black market.

After learning that he knew Mr. Ai from North Street, Yan Wanqiu had brought him along as a guide. In exchange, he'd become the camp's head mechanic and get his own workshop for electromagnetic gun research.

For that reason, Shi Peijue hadn't actually had the chance to interact with anyone in the camp, nor did he know much about Xie Chi.

At this moment, he looked from Xie Chi to Yan Wanqiu, stunned both that Xie Chi dared talk to Yan Wanqiu like that and that Xie Chi actually had a wife.

How old was Xie Chi even? Eighteen? Nineteen?

Having spent a day in the camp, Shi Peijue had already learned Xie Chi's identity. This captain of the Shadow Guard had grown up by Yan Wanqiu's side since childhood, always busy with affairs—there was clearly no way he could have dated freely.

...So was Yan Wanqiu just handing out wives to his inner circle to keep them loyal?

Shopkeeper Wang, seeing the two men left speechless by Xie Chi, broke the silence: "Xiao Shi, do you know this Mr. Xie? Did you come to see me about something?"

"Oh, right." Shi Peijue snapped out of it. "There is actually something. Brother Xie here saved my life. I came here because..."

Shi Peijue glanced at the crowd drawn by Xie Chi's flashy spending, then said to Shopkeeper Wang: "Can we talk inside?"

A moment later, in the VIP room.

Yan Wanqiu sat on the sofa, watching Xie Chi pull out wad after wad of cash, the corner of his mouth twitching.

His pheromones were stable and his mood calm—the only intimidating things about him were his cold aura and blood-red pupils.

So although Shopkeeper Wang sensed that Yan Wanqiu was no ordinary person, he wasn't too scared. He couldn't hide his delight as he ran the bills through the counter, while looking at Shi Peijue with a familiar tone: "Xiao Shi, it's been so long since I've seen you. Where have you been lately? Your shop never even opened before you vanished. What brings you here this time?"

Shi Peijue scratched his head and smiled sheepishly: "The Night Owl Syndicate grabbed me in secret before. Brother Xie just got me out. This time I came to see you, Brother Wang, about His Highness here..."

Shi Peijue gestured to Yan Wanqiu next to him: "This is His Highness, Second Prince Yan Wanqiu. He wants to meet Mr. Ai about a potential partnership."

Shopkeeper Wang froze mid-count. His face went white as a sheet, and he looked at the white-haired man beside Shi Peijue in terror: "Y-Y-Yan Wanqiu? What do you want with Mr. Ai?! Our North Street has never had any beef with your people! Your men who came to the black market this morning were ripped off by the South Street folks!"

Because the black market was all about making money, it had stayed neutral and kept an eye on Yan Wanqiu's rise. Since it was far from Yan Wanqiu's camp, many profit-driven shopkeepers didn't even know what he looked like.

But his name? Everyone knew it.

An exiled criminal, a bloodthirsty killer with a hair-trigger temper.

Just recently, Yan Wanqiu had single-handedly wiped out everyone in the Night Owl Syndicate's casino.

According to witnesses, within ten meters of the casino, there wasn't a single intact body.

Shopkeeper Wang felt like he was a dead man. He forgot to count the money and, looking like he was at a funeral, tried to return it: "I didn't even rip off this Xie guy! I even gave him twenty percent off!"

Yan Wanqiu wasn't surprised people feared him like this. He said calmly: "That's not why I'm here. I'm here to talk business with Mr. Ai."

Shopkeeper Wang was stunned and looked at Shi Peijue.

Shi Peijue nodded. "His Highness really is here to work with Mr. Ai. Brother Wang, just go tell him. I'll vouch for him—if anything happens, it's on me."

Although the black market was chaotic, it had a complicated pecking order and set of rules. For an outsider like Yan Wanqiu to meet Mr. Ai, he needed at least one North Street shopkeeper to vouch for him.

If Yan Wanqiu truly had ulterior motives, the guarantor would be hunted down and killed as well. Shi Peijue was a total coward who was terrified of dying—if he wasn't absolutely sure Yan Wanqiu was legit, he'd never have said that.

Shopkeeper Wang relaxed a little after hearing that.

He quickly finished counting the last of the money, stood up, and said in a formal tone: "I'll go find Mr. Ai. Please wait here a moment, Your Highness."

Yan Wanqiu nodded.

Shopkeeper Wang sent someone to serve tea and refreshments to the three, recorded the delivery address for Xie Chi's goods, and then excused himself.

Xie Chi didn't touch the tea or snacks. He looked at Shi Peijue and asked, puzzled: "You know people in the black market?"

Shi Peijue smiled awkwardly: "Not really, just a bit more familiar with the North Street folks. I grew up under my master on the edge of North Street. After my master died, I was going to open a repair shop there. I greased some palms and got to know a few big shots I could talk to."

"Today, when the prince grilled me himself and learned I had a shop on North Street, he asked me to bring him to see Mr. Ai."

As he spoke, Shi Peijue sneaked a glance at the expressionless Yan Wanqiu.

Actually, Yan Wanqiu had also asked him to quietly dig up info on what Xie Chi had been doing with Yan Baiyue along the way, but that kind of talk wasn't good for boss-subordinate relations, so he kept his mouth shut.

Xie Chi nodded: "Then never mind."

Shi Peijue didn't understand: "Huh? Forget what?"

Xie Chi stood up: "I promised Uncle Nie and the others I'd help them take back the defective stuff they bought this morning. Since you don't know the South Street folks, never mind—I'll go handle it myself."

Shi Peijue panicked: "Brother Xie, the black market rule is all sales final. Going to return goods like that is basically picking a fight!"

Xie Chi looked puzzled: "Who made up this rule? Is it a law of Snowstorm City?"

Shi Peijue: "...No, it's just an unwritten rule of the black market."

Bringing up laws in Snowstorm City was way too civilized for this place.

Xie Chi understood: "So it's just the black market folks ganging up to bully solo buyers. No big deal—I can beat them all."

Shi Peijue: "..."

This wasn't about whether he could fight!

Your boss is trying to make nice with the black market, and you're about to go trash someone's shop—does that make any sense?!?

Just as Shi Peijue was agonizing over whether to muster the courage to remind Yan Wanqiu to stop Xie Chi, Yan Wanqiu beat him to it.

"Where's Yan Baiyue? Why haven't I seen him?"

Xie Chi froze for a moment before recalling that person: "He thought returning the goods was too low-class and split off from me at the thermal ore field. Does Your Highness need him for something?"

Hearing this, Yan Wanqiu's mood, which had been pent up all night, finally lifted a little.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Nothing."

Xie Chi, confused by the smile, tested the waters: "If Your Highness has nothing else, I'll go return the goods first?"

"Hold on." Yan Wanqiu stood up too. "I'll come with you."

Xie Chi stopped mid-step and politely declined, "That's not a good look, is it? It's a bit low-class and might hurt Your Highness's image."

His gun was hidden away—if Yan Wanqiu came along, how could he pull it out in plain sight?

Yan Wanqiu had already grabbed Shi Peijue and was heading for the door, chuckling softly, "It's fine, I don't mind your low-class vibe."

"Send the shop location to Shi Peijue and have him take us there."

Shi Peijue, being carried like a baby chick by Yan Wanqiu: ?

Wait, he's coming too?

.

Ten minutes later.

Shi Peijue, not daring to complain or show any anger, led Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu to the first shop.

It was an antique shop. On the wooden table outside the entrance were scattered rows of wooden bracelets and necklaces, while shelves on both sides displayed small pine bonsai in vintage-style flower pots.

Next to them, an electronic screen displayed prices.

"Premium Fortune Pine imported from the main star, natural bonsai to calm the mind, free antique pot included, special price: 3999/pot"

Blizzard City was covered in snow year-round, with greenery a rare sight; only a few conifers grew in the warmest basin. These pots of lush green pines stood out sharply in the black market, and a crowd had already gathered around to inspect them curiously.

"Harrison, does the main star really have stuff like this?"

"This kinda looks like a little pine tree..."

"Can it survive in Blizzard City? Won't it freeze to death when the ice-sealing season hits?"

The alpha in the shop, a bald, burly man, looked up impatiently at the remarks and snapped, "Don't touch if you're not buying! Don't worry, it'll outlive you—when you freeze to death in the ice-sealing season, it won't even blink!"

The crowd dispersed with laughter. Four thousand wasn't a small amount, and most were just gawking.

Seeing this, the bald man said offhandedly, "Yesterday, one of Yan Wanqiu's people bought a pot. If you ask me, folks from the main star know quality."

At that, the crowd, which had been about to leave, stirred with some buzz.

Though most had never seen Yan Wanqiu, everyone knew this prince had been banished from the main star.

If Yan Wanqiu's people had bought it, then it must be real, right?

In the crowd, a young man hesitated for a long time. Just as he gritted his teeth and reached for his money, a clear voice suddenly came from the side.

"Excuse me, coming through."

The young man instinctively stepped aside and saw a black-haired youth carrying a pack half his height and a white-haired man emerge from the crowd.

It was Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu.

Xie Chi, for ease of movement, wore only plain long sleeves and pants, even a bit thin, but Yan Wanqiu beside him, dressed to meet Mr. Ai, had an air of refined elegance.

The bald man, sharp-eyed, saw the two heading straight for him and assumed they were big spenders. Rubbing his hands, he approached: "What can I do for you two?"

Xie Chi shook his head. "Not looking for anything. We're here to return something."

"Return something?!" The bald man almost thought he'd misheard, staring at Xie Chi in disbelief.

Xie Chi had already set his backpack on the ground, pulled out a Fortune Pine bonsai identical to those on the shelf, and handed it to the shopkeeper, speaking earnestly: "What you sold is fake. This isn't a main-star Fortune Pine—it's just a local pine seedling. It'll grow taller than a house later, useless as a bonsai and a safety hazard. That's false advertising. This morning, someone from our camp bought this pot from you, and now we want to return it. No need for the tenfold compensation—just refund the money for this pot."

At those words, the whole place went silent.

In the black market, selling fakes, robbery, and dining and dashing were common, but someone politely asking for a refund was a first.

Some people had already recognized Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu.

"Isn't that the kid who dropped over two hundred thousand at Old Wang's place by the intersection?"

"What camp? Is he from Yan Wanqiu's camp?"

"Yeah, yeah, and the guy next to him—I heard he's Yan Wanqiu!"

"Damn! And Harrison was lying to me that main-star folks bought it too—now the main-star people themselves are here to call it fake!"

Amid the murmurs, the bald man's face flushed red, then darkened, and finally went completely black.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing bulging muscles, and with a fierce glare, an aggressive alpha pheromone radiated from him: "You looking for trouble?"

"No." Xie Chi said sincerely. "I'm just here to return something. This is main-star law—please act according to the rules."

"Bang—!" The bald man slammed the table, utterly dismissing the pale-faced youth as a threat, and sneered, "Talking law with me in the black market? You think I'm a pushover?"

The onlookers, loving a spectacle, jeered and egged him on: "Harrison, just refund the money already—his guardian's here. The Second Prince is right there; don't disrespect him."

Harrison was indeed provoked and immediately drew a gun from his waist: "Main star? Prince? Daring to cause trouble on Viper's street—I'll make sure you never leave the black market today!"

As he spoke, dozens of burly men emerged from the shop, all tall, muscular alphas armed with guns, glaring menacingly at Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu.

Xie Chi's expression turned cold. "You're sure you won't refund?"

Harrison gritted his teeth: "No damn way!"

Xie Chi sighed and set the bonsai on the ground. "Then there's no other choice."

Before his words even faded, his figure had vanished from where he stood.

Harrison's pupils contracted, and he instinctively released pheromones indiscriminately to defend himself, but in the next second, he heard the youth's slow, drawling voice right by his ear.

"Too weak."

Harrison felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and the gun in his hand dropped involuntarily—in an instant, Xie Chi had disarmed him.

Without any hesitation after grabbing the gun, Xie Chi aimed straight at Harrison's thigh and pulled the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After three gunshots rang out, Harrison collapsed, screaming, completely unable to move.

Xie Chi, his face blank, hoisted Harrison up one-handed to use as a shield, and before the dozens of thugs even had a chance to hesitate about pulling the trigger, he'd already fired off several precise shots at their limbs.

Yan Wanqiu had told him on the way over not to kill anyone, so Xie Chi had to do things the roundabout way.

The whole thing went down in under a minute.

In just a few heartbeats, the whole menacing crew was on the ground, leaving only the handsome black-haired youth standing there, face unreadable.

Xie Chi crouched, grabbed the bald guy by the collar, and yanked his head up, asking again, "Can you refund me now? I made a promise to Uncle Nie and the others. You're making this really hard for me."

Harrison glared at Xie Chi through gritted teeth but didn't dare run his mouth anymore.

The kid in front of him was freakishly strong, and his ruthlessness put even the black market veterans to shame.

Harrison had zero doubt that if killing him wouldn't have started a war between the black market and Yan Wanqiu's camp, Xie Chi's bullet would've gone straight between his eyes.

The commotion drew every eye in the place. People cleared a wide berth, watching it all go down.

"Who the hell is this guy? His aim is so clean and brutal."

"One of Yan Wanqiu's people... I don't know the specifics. The black market doesn't give a damn about Yan Wanqiu's business."

"Old Wang's shopkeeper said he's some kind of shadow guard..."

"Huh? The Second Prince has a sidekick with him?"

Shi Peijue, cowering behind Yan Wanqiu: "..."

Wuwuwu, he wanted to back out of the circle and watch from the sidelines too.

Yan Wanqiu never even got a chance to step in. He caught the scent of blood tangled with a mess of alpha pheromones in the air, then glanced at Xie Chi, crouched there with blood smeared up his sleeve, and gave a faint frown. "Alright, Xie Chi, don't actually kill anyone."

"I know. I remember." Xie Chi brushed off his sleeve, stood up, pulled up his payment QR code, and kicked the bald guy.

"I brought your plant back. Transfer the money. Now."

The bald guy shot him a venomous glare but finally transferred the money, seething the whole time.

Only then did Xie Chi crack a satisfied smile, dimples barely showing. "See? That's all it took. Didn't have to make it so difficult and get yourself beaten up—Shi Peijue, take us to the next place."

The area went quiet for a beat, but Shi Peijue didn't answer.

Both Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu felt something was off and spun around, only to find Shi Peijue with a big-bearded alpha's hand around his throat, going "wuwu" as he struggled.

The big-bearded guy had a gun pressed to Shi Peijue's head, and behind him were over a hundred armed alphas who'd silently boxed Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu in.

Harrison, still sprawled on the ground, looked up with glee and shouted, "Boss Viper! These two are the ones who trashed the place! Kill them!"

At that, the big-bearded man's face went dark as he fixed his gaze on Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu. "The Second Prince sure has a lot of free time, coming all this way with a shadow guard to my black market, hurting that many of my men, just to return a potted plant?"

Yan Wanqiu stayed perfectly calm, not a hint of tension despite being surrounded. "Viper, you started this."

After Xie Chi left, he'd called Nie Huaiyi into his hall and grilled him about what happened during their black market shopping trip.

Once he found out every single counterfeit item they'd bought came from Viper's shop on South Street, Yan Wanqiu immediately knew something was up.

Nie Huaiyi's crew of nearly twenty hadn't exactly kept a low profile at the black market. Even with the worst luck, there was no way every single one of them bought fakes.

That could only mean someone had quietly told the sellers to mess with his people on purpose.

Yan Wanqiu had over three hundred personal guards under him, plus allies from the surrounding towns, and with the thermal ore mining going on, his territory was only going to get bigger.

In the summer, Yan Wanqiu could still pay wages from the cash he had on hand and let his people buy their own supplies, while the rest of the guards tightened their belts with him and rationed what he'd brought.

But once the freeze set in, food mattered just as much as energy.

If they had nothing but energy and paper money and no food stockpile, the black market would have them over a barrel. Yan Wanqiu had long planned to partner with the black market to stock up on food, but as an outsider facing their cold indifference and tangled politics, he'd kept his distance and watched.

Now, with Shi Peijue showing up and Nie Huaiyi's crew running into trouble, the stark difference in how Mr. Ai and Viper treated him was clear. Yan Wanqiu figured the time was right to make his move.

That was the whole point of him coming to the black market.

—Put the fear of god into Viper, then go talk to Mr. Ai.

Even if Mr. Ai wasn't interested in cooperating at first, it didn't matter. North and South Street had always been at each other's throats, and Mr. Ai would definitely want to one-up Viper. Yan Wanqiu was confident he could convince him.

He could also swing by and see what Xie Chi and Yan Baiyue were up to, since they'd been busy enough to not come home all night.

Xie Chi had no clue about any of Yan Wanqiu's scheming. He hadn't even stopped to think about why Yan Wanqiu had suddenly shown up at the black market. Right then, he just added, dead serious, "It's not just one potted plant. There are eleven counterfeit items total, all bought from you. I brought them all, and they all need refunds."

Viper choked on his words.

Shi Peijue was already crying.

Bro! He was still being held hostage!! Can you guys save him first before you go around pissing off Viper?!

Viper looked from Xie Chi to Yan Wanqiu and sneered, "I don't give a damn who you are. You step into the black market, you play by our rules!"

"I did play by the rules," Xie Chi said. "Isn't it just that whoever's tougher gets to call the shots?"

He pointed at Harrison, who still hadn't gotten up from the ground. "I'm tougher than him, so I'm in the right."

Viper's face turned purple.

Yan Wanqiu suppressed a laugh.

Usually, it was he who got choked up by Xie Chi's peculiar logic, so seeing others rendered speechless by Xie Chi's retorts filled him with immense satisfaction.

Provoked multiple times, Viper was finally completely enraged. He waved his hand and said, "Fine, if you want to reason with me, you'll have to get through my men first!"

The hundred-plus thugs behind Viper immediately raised their guns and tightened the encirclement step by step.

Xie Chi's expression turned serious.

He was wearing a thermostatic combat suit. If he were alone, he could guarantee escaping without fatal injuries, even pulling out his hidden machine gun to fight back.

But now he had Yan Wanqiu beside him, and Shi Peijue was still being held hostage. Neither of them had combat suits for protection, and Shi Peijue was especially weak.

In this era, even being hit in a major artery by a bullet meant a very slim chance of survival.

Xie Chi looked at Yan Wanqiu beside him.

Yan Wanqiu remained as composed as ever, appearing confident about breaking the deadlock.

Xie Chi quietly moved closer to the Tyrant and whispered, "Did you bring any weapons?"

Yan Wanqiu glanced at him. "I only brought Shi Peijue."

Xie Chi: "...So what do we do now?"

Yan Wanqiu watched Xie Chi's nervous expression, deliberately paused as if thinking, a mischievous glint in his eyes, then smirked: "I'm stuck too. This is trouble you stirred up—I'll be going down with you."

Xie Chi: "..."

And he's acting so calm when he's got no plan!

And even if Yan Wanqiu wanted to go down with him, he didn't want to die. If he died, Ji Chou would become a widow.

His wife loved him so much and was so gentle and virtuous—if she became a widow, she would definitely be bullied.

As the circle closed in around them, Xie Chi gritted his teeth.

Damn it, if only he had a quantum gun or an electromagnetic gun, Viper would already be lying on the ground like Harrison by now.

With the situation critical, Xie Chi no longer cared about exposing his hidden stash of weapons. He reached into his backpack, about to pull a gun out of his spatial storage.

Just then, a clear, gentle voice rang out.

"Viper, these people are my guests. How about doing me a solid?"