No one expected the other team to be such cowards. The Black man who had just ordered his wolf to charge at them, shouting, "Go bite them!" immediately backed off when he saw Jing Shu's group. Their faces were cold and stony, their gear was heavy and professional, and their calm confidence scared him so badly he started mumbling something in a frantic panic.
A moment later, Xiao Hei translated for them. "Those six cowards gave up. They said you can't mess with Asians, that we're demons who use evil witchcraft. And my ferocious look totally freaked them out."
Everyone stared at him blankly while he bragged nonsense, his chest puffed out.
And just like that, Jing Shu's team successfully reserved the mission. They would come back at the shen (monkey) hour (3 PM - 5 PM) to take it. If they completed it, the black market would line up another task of similar difficulty and pay.
"Hey, let's grab lunch first and rest in the truck for a bit. That will kill enough time. I will take you to check out the fancy restaurants here in the black market. Don't be shy; this meal is on me. Food here is the safest thing you will find. Everything is licensed, and while some dishes do mix in... unidentified creatures, at least it isn't poisoned. Let's go, go, go!" Xiao Hei urged, waving his hands in wide, sweeping motions.
The so-called "restaurant" looked more like an old-school open-air food market from before the apocalypse, with long rows of stalls just like a night market. Hundreds of scratched wooden tables filled the place, every seat packed with bodies. Rough-looking mercenaries, frail scavengers, and even a few scholarly types were all crammed together. The echoing cavern walls caught the noise, making everything loud and chaotic.
It followed a fast-food setup; buy first, then find a seat. Except, there weren't any empty seats. Most people just squatted nearby, eating something unidentifiable out of dented metal bowls.
"Hey, want to try some high-protein specialties? We have got fried maggots; though since spices are rare, they are not marinated and taste a little fishy. Or maybe you would prefer premium dishes like white radish with sea salt? Oh, check this out, nutritious insect juice, or maybe some freshly squeezed human blood juice? And over there is a bread-and-lettuce sandwich, just eight black market coins each."
As Xiao Hei rambled, Jing Shu noticed the cheapest, most popular option; a lump of grey mash made of potatoes mixed with bugs and some mystery meat. It only cost one black market coin per portion and filled the stomach well. Then there was the coarse black bread, mixed with bran, so tough it was hard to swallow. A bit pricier was the mixed-grain burger, stuffed with unknown meat, for three coins.
With five to ten coins, one could eat decently. For thirty, one could enjoy a steak dinner. No wonder so many people became mercenaries; one successful mission could feed them well for a week. Add a little beer and they could live carefree for several more days. Unlike China, this place really had a high-risk, high-reward system.
The alcohol-mixed fresh blood juice cost five coins and was quite popular, even cheaper than beer. In the black market, fruit was the real luxury. The cheapest piece went for dozens of coins. Surprisingly, grain was cheaper than Jing Shu expected. As long as one found a job that wasn't too dangerous, ten coins a day could feed a whole family. The supplies here were much richer than in China too, with plenty of daily necessities. It was the side effect of a world that once overproduced.
"Hey, don't be polite, but you can only pick something under ten coins, alright? I am not made of money."
Snake Spirit ordered two grilled rats for ten coins. The charred skin crackled as he took them. Ling Ling picked a bag of rice for ten. Monkey went with three mixed-grain burgers. Tank bought a bread-and-lettuce sandwich and asked for extra lettuce to round it up to ten.
Xiao Hei looked utterly defeated, his face falling, especially when Snake Spirit handed the grilled rats to his snake. Ling Ling gave her rice to the parrot, Monkey fed the burgers to Ah Huang, and Tank swallowed his entire sandwich in one bite.
"Hey, my dear Miss Mirror, I knew you were the best, not like those guys robbing me blind—"
Before he finished, Jing Shu picked up two eggs, their shells smooth and cool, and said, "Everyone else got something. If I don't, it will look weird. I will just take these eggs then."
Xiao Hei stared at the eggs in silence.
That was how everyone officially acknowledged Xiao Hei as part of Jing Shu's team; it was his welcome ceremony.
They never did get to eat the meal. Xiao Hei was the only one who gnawed on a three-coin loaf of bread before the Mercenary Association's notice came through; something had gone wrong with the mission. The team from earlier stood nearby, watching them with smug grins, whispering among themselves. Jing Shu could hear them, but she couldn't understand a word.
A white man with one arm was talking rapidly to a black market staffer, his single hand gesturing for emphasis, while Xiao Hei translated on the side. "Oh, damn it, the mission has gotten harder. There are two armed forces at the diamond mine now, plus lots of strange, man-eating creatures. They are really strong. This guy's team got wiped out, and he is requesting to dissolve their squad and be paid for the intel."
"The staff gave him two hundred coins and raised the mission to D-tier difficulty. The new reward is five thousand black market coins. Damn it, we might not be able to take this job anymore."
Snake Spirit smiled and said, "Then tell her we have already reserved this mission. Let us try again, but for three thousand coins instead. If we fail, she can repost it tomorrow at the shen hour (3 PM - 5 PM)."
"Hey, buddy, you are smart. She agreed. Well, good luck to you all then. I will wait here for your good news."
Jing Shu's team looked at him. "Wait, you are not coming?"
"I—I am not exactly the fighting type, you know. I can't go somewhere that dangerous."
"If you don't come, we will get lost."
"If you really won't go, we will have to kick you out of the team. And when the mission is done, you won't get any of the benefits."
After struggling for a while, Xiao Hei finally said, "Hey, buddy, fine. I will at least guide the way, alright?"
The team that had chickened out earlier watched Jing Shu's group leave the underground black market with strange looks in their eyes.
The truck sped along, and Jing Shu's stomach growled nonstop. She popped a few pieces of chocolate into her mouth, chewed on some beef jerky, and held out until they reached the mountains surrounding the diamond mine. The truck couldn't go any farther, so the team did a quick resupply, ate some of their own food, geared up completely, and started hiking toward their target.
"Go scout ahead. See how many people there are, what kind of firepower they have got, and whether there are any traps."
Ling Ling sent her parrot flying, its wings snapping as it ascended. Snake Spirit released his little snake to slither off and investigate, the creature disappearing into the dry grass. Monkey's Ah Huang prowled the area, sniffing around. As the scout, Monkey had already gone ahead to check the surroundings.
Jing Shu glanced at Xiao Dou. The fat chicken still refused to get off the truck. She almost wanted to kick it down herself. Xiao Dou gave the mountains a look of disdain, as if saying, "You guys go on. It's filthy down there, and I don't want to ruin my crown or my new outfit."