Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao, carrying large bags, were led by the robed man to the center of the Tyrannosaurus Rex Base City, in front of a magnificent cluster of colossal stone buildings.
At the very heart of this architectural ensemble stood a colossal statue of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Gentlemen, pass through the gate ahead and proceed further in to reach the Tyrannosaurus Rex Trading Hall!"
The robed man gestured towards a gate about twenty meters away, flanked by two sentries and several armed guards.
"Oh, alright~!"
Ye Feng surveyed his surroundings before taking Xiao Xiao by the hand and walking forward with the robed man.
Before long, the three arrived at a vast and opulent hall, which was indeed the Tyrannosaurus Rex Trading Hall.
The hall was teeming with people, none of whom appeared to be ordinary. They clustered in groups or milled about individually, observing and discussing by various counters. Flashes of light occasionally flickered…
"Retrieving items from fragments of spatial rifts?"
Ye Feng surmised, recognizing the familiar glow.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, amidst the bustling crowd, Ye Feng spotted a familiar young woman – Han Qiuli.
As Ye Feng saw Han Qiuli, she also happened to look over, a hint of surprise on her face.
Upon noticing the robed man beside Ye Feng, she furrowed her brow slightly. After whispering a few words to an elder beside her, she quickly approached Ye Feng and his companions.
"Miss, Commander Xu sent me to discreetly protect our honored guests. I didn't expect to be mistaken for… a follower!"
As Han Qiuli reached the trio and was about to speak to Ye Feng, the robed man quickly interjected.
"This guy..."
Hearing this, Ye Feng's heart skipped a beat.
He had intended to use the robed man's shadowing as leverage to gain some favor from Han Qiuli later. Unexpectedly, the robed man had preempted him, leaving Ye Feng feeling somewhat at a disadvantage.
"This gentleman is here to inform you that what you requested has arrived!"
After a brief pause, the robed man added.
"Alright, I understand. You may attend to your duties,"
Han Qiuli nodded at the robed man, who then turned and left without any hesitation.
"Follow me!"
Subsequently, led by Han Qiuli, Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao entered a room far quieter than the Tyrannosaurus Rex Trading Hall.
Beside a tea table, Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao sat together, with Han Qiuli opposite them.
"We were rather abrupt yesterday, and I apologize. Speaking of which, I haven't had the pleasure of knowing your names yet!"
Han Qiuli said as she poured green tea for Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao.
Ye Feng, of course, had altered his appearance, making himself look a bit older though not significantly so.
Xiao Xiao, with makeup, appeared as a young man much younger than Ye Feng, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He had also used the pocket money Ye Feng gave him to buy a fun voice changer from the [Trading Channel].
Hence, Han Qiuli naturally addressed them as "young gentlemen."
"Oh, my name is Zeng A Niu, and he is Zeng Dou Ya, my younger brother!"
Ye Feng casually made up names and did not touch the tea.
"Zeng A Niu?"
Hearing the name, Han Qiuli appeared quite surprised.
"Oh, you can also call me Water Spinach!"
"Our Zeng Family Village used to be known for its water spinach and bean sprouts, hence these names. It's a pity that after the Great Cataclysm, not only water spinach and bean sprouts, but the entire Zeng Family Village is gone~!"
Ye Feng added, as if suddenly remembering something.
As he spoke, Ye Feng's expression turned melancholic. Xiao Xiao also lowered his head in coordination; they had practiced this dialogue with paper and pen the previous night…
"Life is unpredictable!"
"The world after the Great Cataclysm is even more brutal. A thought can change seas, a glance can transform fields..."
Han Qiuli seemed to empathize with Ye Feng's "grief" and offered words of comfort.
"Let's not dwell on sad memories. The most important thing now is to survive well!~"
Ye Feng sighed lightly. "You were lucky. That old man, for reasons unknown, returned midway!"
"Old man?"
Upon hearing this, Han Qiuli frowned slightly, interrupting Ye Feng, her expression filled with puzzlement.
"Oh, the mysterious person I told you about yesterday. For some reason, he found me last night, smelling of alcohol, and said a lot of nonsensical things to me!"
"So I took the opportunity to tell him about you wanting sanitary napkins… Speaking of which, I'm annoyed! Why did you send someone to follow me? If that old man had returned unexpectedly, I wouldn't have known I was being tracked!"
"Cough, cough!~"
Han Qiuli cleared her throat. "Young Master Zeng, you've misunderstood. He himself just stated that he was sent by Uncle Xu to protect you discreetly."
"After all, you were carrying a large sum of money yesterday, and sanitary napkins, a rare commodity only found in Mithril-grade and above treasure chests, were openly sold in the market. It's easy to attract unwanted attention!"
"If necessary, I can have him apologize to you!"
Han Qiuli quickly explained to Ye Feng.
"Attract attention... indeed, there was a fellow yesterday evening..."
Hearing Han Qiuli's explanation, Ye Feng paused and decided to accept the explanation, not pressing the matter of an apology.
After all, one must know when to stop exerting pressure in negotiations, especially when one's side is clearly at a disadvantage.
"Let's get down to business!"
Ye Feng picked up the bags from the floor and placed them on the tea table. "Regarding the one hundred packs of sanitary napkins you mentioned yesterday, I asked the old man last night, and he didn't have that many. I counted, and there are eighty-two packs in total. Please make your offer."
Ye Feng wasn't foolish enough to produce exactly one hundred packs. It would surely raise suspicions from Han Qiuli and her associates. How could there be such a coincidence!
"Alright!~"
Seeing the plastic bags on the table, a smile spread across Han Qiuli's face. She immediately began counting.
After a moment, Han Qiuli finished counting. "Indeed, eighty-two packs!"
"Young Master Zeng, I can grant you the qualification to explore the Red Shore Ruins, and the price for the complete Arcane Yuan Coins is not an issue. However, regarding the equipment..."
Han Qiuli didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
"It's fine if there's no equipment. I saw many people selling items in your trading hall. I'll go take a look later."
Ye Feng understood immediately and nodded.
"Very well. Here is your pass to the Red Shore Ruins, which you will explore the day after tomorrow. Please keep it safe!"
With that, Han Qiuli handed Ye Feng a token engraved with peculiar runes.
Immediately, Han Qiuli waved her hand, and several lights flashed, revealing several Arcane Yuan Coins on the table…
Ye Feng briefly counted them and put them into a black leather bag.
After all, he didn't want to reveal his spatial storage, as that would cause trouble. They might suspect he was hiding something…
Then, Ye Feng bid farewell to Han Qiuli and walked out of the room with Xiao Xiao.
…