6: Chapter 6 The First Trading Station

The convoy stopped twenty meters away from Chen Mo.

A dozen or so vehicles fanned out, their headlights all aimed at him, blinding him so severely he could barely open his eyes.

This was not a friendly gesture; it was a show of force.

Using light sources to blind someone, preventing them from gauging numbers or positions.

Chen Mo did not move.

He merely raised his left hand to shield his eyes, his right hand still gripping the cleaver.

The door of the modified off-road vehicle at the front opened.

A bald man in his forties stepped out, wearing a black leather jacket with a string of beads made of unknown material hanging around his neck.

He held that golden lamp in his hand, walking slowly toward Chen Mo.

He stopped at a distance of five meters.

"Alone?" the bald man asked.

Chen Mo did not answer.

His Pupil of the Sequence activated in the shadows, his golden vision sweeping over the bald man.

No golden lines; it was not a Ghost Shadow, but a human.

But there was something in the car behind the bald man.

Not a Ghost Shadow, but some kind of… item.

An iron box sat on the seat, radiating a dense, solidified golden light.

"I'm talking to you." The bald man raised the lamp slightly, the light hitting Chen Mo directly in the face.

Chen Mo squinted. "Yes."

"Just you? No teammates? No vehicle?"

"The car broke down," Chen Mo replied curtly.

The bald man glanced back at the Santana, which had been corroded into a hollow shell, and whistled.

"This car is completely totaled. What did that to it?"

"I don't know."

Chen Mo wasn't lying; he truly didn't know what that black, viscous substance was.

The bald man stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Fine. Whether you really don't know or are just pretending, the fact that you survived alone in a place like this until the start of Ghost Night, and even killed something, means you've got skills."

He turned back: "Follow me. I'll take you somewhere."

Chen Mo did not move.

The bald man walked a few steps, then looked back at him.

"What? Afraid I'll scam you?"

"Why help me?" Chen Mo asked.

"Help you?" The bald man laughed aloud.

"It's not helping, it's a trade. You have fragments on you, right? I can see the light in your eyes; you've killed at least five f-grade fragments."

Chen Mo was silent for a second.

"I do."

"That's all that matters. I'll take you to the Trading Post. You can trade your fragments for whatever you need—cars, fuel, food, weapons, they have everything."

The bald man pointed to the golden lamp in his hand.

"Know what this is? This is something I traded for at the Trading Post. A lamp that can illuminate Ghost Shadows, traded for one e-grade fragment."

Chen Mo's gaze fell on the lamp.

Pupil of the Sequence automatically activated…

【Item: Guide's Lamp (e-grade)】

【Effect: Illuminates Ghost Shadows within a ten-meter radius, preventing them from actively attacking】

【Duration: Until fuel runs out】

【Current Fuel: 37%】

【Value: Approximately 5 f-grade fragments】

Five f-grade fragments.

The bald man said he traded one e-grade fragment for it, and since one e-grade equals five f-grade, it checked out.

"Where is the Trading Post?" Chen Mo asked.

"Not far, ten minutes by car."

The bald man turned and walked toward the off-road vehicle.

"Whether you get in or not is up to you, but let me warn you: Ghost Night still has over five hours left. Without a car or supplies, you won't survive an hour in a place like this."

Chen Mo watched his back.

Pupil of the Sequence swept over the off-road vehicle again. Aside from the glowing iron box, there were no other anomalies.

There were three other people in the car—two men and one woman. They were all human, and all armed.

He glanced at his own totaled Santana one more time.

Then he took a step and walked toward the off-road vehicle.

The bald man opened the passenger door.

"Sit in the front."

Chen Mo sat in.

The moment the door closed, he felt the three people in the back looking at him simultaneously.

Gazes of scrutiny, gazes of assessment, as if they were looking at a piece of cargo.

He did not look back.

The off-road vehicle started, turned around, and drove back along the village road.

"My name is Lao Gao," the bald man said, gripping the steering wheel and staring ahead. "And you?"

"Chen Mo."

"Chen Mo… Alright, got it."

Lao Gao fished a cigarette out of the glove box and lit it.

"First time entering a Trading Post?"

"Yes."

"Then let me tell you the rules."

Lao Gao exhaled a puff of smoke.

"The Trading Post is a neutral zone. No fighting allowed. This is an ironclad rule. Whoever starts a fight dies. It's not me saying it; it's the rules. Someone didn't believe it once and slashed someone else inside the Trading Post. He ended up vanishing on the spot, not even leaving behind any fragments."

Chen Mo listened without speaking.

"So rest assured, no one can touch you inside the Trading Post. But once you leave the Trading Post's perimeter, it's every man for himself."

Lao Gao glanced at him. "Since you're alone, you'd better be careful."

"I know."

"Good that you know." Lao Gao looked away.

"Also, there's a guy named Lao Zhou at the Trading Post. He's the manager there. Don't let his smiling face fool you; that guy is extremely shrewd. Keep your guard up when you trade with him."

Chen Mo tapped his fingers on his knee.

The man with the lantern at "Trading Post No. 7."

"Does he have a scar over his left eye?" Chen Mo asked.

Lao Gao paused. "You've seen him?"

"At another Trading Post."

"Another one?" Lao Gao's expression turned somewhat peculiar. "You've been to a Trading Post before? Which one?"

"No. 7," Chen Mo didn't hide it.

Lao Gao was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed aloud.

"No. 7? You mean that fake post?"

"A fake post?"

"Yeah, fake." Lao Gao flicked his cigarette butt out the window.

"There is only one real Trading Post, the one we're heading to right now. That No. 7 you're talking about is something impersonating a post, specifically to lure in rookies. Once you go in, you don't come out."

Chen Mo's fingers stopped.

He recalled the lantern-carrying Ghost Shadow, the "Knocker."

He remembered the final wave from Lao Zhou and Sister Lin. Was it a warning, or a farewell?

"How did you escape?" Lao Gao asked.

Chen Mo did not answer.

He was thinking about the details of that Trading Post.

The map Lao Zhou handed him, the recording Sister Lin played.

And when the "Knocker" appeared, why didn't they warn him?

Or perhaps, had they warned him?

Lao Zhou's final gesture—pointing to his watch, then pointing to the sky.

That wasn't telling him time was running out; it was telling him:

That Trading Post is fake. Run.

The corners of Chen Mo's mouth twitched.

"What are you smiling at?" Lao Gao asked.

"Nothing," Chen Mo said. "Just remembered something."

The off-road vehicle continued forward.

The fog gradually thinned, and streetlights began to appear on both sides of the highway. Real streetlights, emitting a normal, warm yellow glow.

Ten minutes later, Chen Mo saw the Trading Post.

It wasn't the dilapidated gas station from Lao Zhou's, but a real, fairly large service area.

Three buildings stood side by side—a gas station, a convenience store, and a three-story building.

All the lights were on, their glow covering the entire service area, keeping the darkness and fog at bay.

At least thirty vehicles were parked in the parking lot, ranging from standard family sedans to modified off-road vehicles, pickup trucks, and even a heavy-duty truck.

Figures were walking between the buildings.

"We're here." Lao Gao parked the car in an empty spot.

"Get out. Let me show you what a real Trading Post looks like."

Chen Mo pushed the car door open and stepped onto the solid concrete ground.

He looked up at the neon sign above the main entrance of the service area.

【Trading Post No. 1 · Neutral Zone】

【Welcome All Survivors】

【Violence Prohibited · Violators Will Be Erased】

Chen Mo took a deep breath and followed Lao Gao into the convenience store.

The convenience store was larger than he had imagined.

The shelves were still there.

They weren't stocked with merchandise, but with all sorts of strange and bizarre items.

Weapons, ammunition, fuel drums, medical kits, and some items he couldn't identify at all.

People were weaving between the shelves, picking out items.

Someone was sitting on a chair in the corner, silently eating compressed biscuits.

People were queuing in front of the checkout counter, holding golden fragments in their hands.

Behind the checkout counter stood a middle-aged man, in his forties, thin, wearing glasses, and in the middle of a trade with someone.

Lao Zhou.

But not that Lao Zhou.

This Lao Zhou didn't have a scar over his left eye; he looked more refined, and more… normal.

He looked up, saw Chen Mo, and nodded slightly.

"New face," he said. "Welcome."

Chen Mo walked over.

"What do you need?" Lao Zhou asked.

Chen Mo thought for a moment.

"A car. I need a car that runs."

"We have cars."

Old Zhou took a notebook from under the counter and flipped through a few pages.

"There are three options available now... A pickup truck with a modified chassis; it can handle off-roading, but has high fuel consumption."

"A van; it has a lot of space and can carry cargo, but it's slow."

"And a sedan, similar to the one you had before; it's fuel-efficient, but its protection is poor."

"What about the prices?"

"The pickup truck is twenty f-grade fragments, the van is fifteen, and the sedan is ten."

Chen Mo thought for a moment.

He currently had twenty-four fragments. He could afford the pickup truck, but after buying it, he wouldn't have any money left for fuel and other supplies.

"How is fuel calculated?"

"Five liters per f-grade fragment, the same as outside."

Old Zhou said: "But I suggest you don't refuel here. Turn right outside the door, and there's a self-service gas station. It's half the price and only accepts cash."

"Cash?"

"Yes, real cash—RMB, USD, anything works."

Old Zhou pushed up his glasses:

"You thought only fragments could be used as money in the Ghost Realm? Cash works too, but it can only buy ordinary supplies. If you want to buy good things, you still have to use fragments."

Chen Mo thought for a moment: "Do I have any other sources of fragments?"

"Yes." Old Zhou pointed to a corner deep inside the supermarket: "See that door?"

Chen Mo looked in the direction he pointed—at the very back of the supermarket, there was a black iron door with no markings on it.

"That's the black market."

Old Zhou lowered his voice:

"There are things inside you can't imagine, but the prices are also expensive, and—"

He paused: "People who go in don't always come out."

"What do you mean?"

"It means there are no rules in the black market."

Old Zhou looked at him:

"The rules of the neutral zone only cover this supermarket. Once you step out that door, it's a different world."

"You can go in, you can trade, but no one guarantees you'll come out alive with your items."

Chen Mo stared at the door.

The Pupil of the Sequence automatically activated... In his golden vision, that door was wrapped in dense, tangled lines.

Those lines were not static; they were slowly wriggling like the tentacles of a living creature.

【Special area detected: Black Market】

【Entry requirement: Possess at least 5 f-grade fragments】

【Exit condition: Unknown】

【Recommendation: Enter with caution】

Chen Mo withdrew his gaze.

"I'll consider it."

"Suit yourself." Old Zhou said:

"Come find me when you've decided. Oh, right—"

He handed over a slip of paper.

"This is your room number, third floor, 305. Stay in your room during the Ghost Night and don't come out. The door will lock automatically and won't open until dawn."

Chen Mo took the slip of paper.

"Free?"

"The first time is free. From then on, it's one f-grade fragment per night."

Old Zhou smiled: "Welcome to the Trading Post, newbie."

Chen Mo took the slip of paper and walked toward the back of the supermarket.

He didn't go to the black market; instead, he went to the third floor first.

305 was a single room, not big, but clean.

A bed, a table, a chair, and a window.

Outside the window was the parking lot, the area illuminated by the lights.

Chen Mo closed the door and sat on the bed.

He took out the twenty-four fragments and placed them on the table.

The fragments emitted a soft golden glow under the light, and the flowing threads inside seemed alive.

He picked one up and brought it close to his eyes.

The internal structure of the fragment became clearly visible in his golden vision.

Those flowing threads weren't moving randomly; they had a pattern, like...

Like... they were breathing.

Chen Mo put down the fragment and lay back on the bed.

He stared at the ceiling, replaying everything that happened tonight in his mind.

This world has rules, but the rules are not unified.

Who set those rules?

He remembered that golden heart in the sky.

The Source of the Sequence.

All Chosen Ones are connected to it, all fragments come from the Ghost Shadow, but where do the Ghost Shadows come from?

He needed more information.

And the fastest place to get information—

Is the black market.

He sat up and put the twenty-four fragments into his pocket.

He went out, went downstairs, walked through the supermarket, and stood in front of the black iron door.

Chen Mo reached out and pushed the door open.

Behind the door was a corridor, very dark, with only a little light at the end.

He stepped inside.

The door closed automatically behind him.

There was no sound in the corridor, only his own footsteps.

The walls on both sides were black, cool and smooth to the touch, like some kind of metal.

After walking about fifty meters, he saw the source of that light: an open door, with voices coming from inside.

Chen Mo walked to the doorway and looked inside.

It was a room, not big, with a round table.

Three people were sitting around the round table.

An old man, a woman, and a person wearing a black robe whose face couldn't be seen.

The old man raised his head and looked at Chen Mo.

"Newcomer?" His voice was hoarse. "Sit."

Chen Mo didn't sit.

"I want to buy information."

"What kind of information?"

"About the Old Driver," Chen Mo said.

"I heard he's alive and knows many rules."

The old man was silent for a second, then laughed.

"The Old Driver... that's an old acquaintance."

He reached out a hand.

"One E-grade fragment, or five F-grade ones."

Chen Mo took out five fragments and placed them on the table.

The old man collected the fragments and gestured for him to sit.

Chen Mo sat down.

"The Old Driver—no one knows his real name; the nickname is because of the heavy truck he drives."

The old man said:

"He was among the first batch of people to enter the Ghost Realm. He survived until now not by luck, but by his brains. He knows many rules—hidden rules, rules that aren't written down anywhere."

"Where is he?"

"Don't know," the old man said.

"But he appears every once in a while to find people to cooperate in exploring a certain place. Those he approaches either get rich or die."

"How can I get him to approach me?"

"No way," the old man shook his head.

"He finds you, you don't find him. But there is a rumor... if you stay on Highway 13 for three days, he will appear on his own."

Highway 13.

Chen Mo remembered the "safe zone" mentioned in that recording.

"Thank you." He stood up.

"Wait." The old man called him back.

"One more piece of information, free of charge: The Old Driver is not alone. There is something else in his truck, and that thing... is not human."

Chen Mo stopped in his tracks.

"What do you mean?"

"It means if you meet him, don't just look at him—look at his passenger seat."

The old man smiled: "Good luck."

Chen Mo walked out of the room and headed back along the corridor.

He pushed open the black door and returned to the supermarket.

The supermarket was still filled with the same people and the same shelves.

Old Zhou was still behind the checkout counter, ringing up a customer.

Chen Mo walked over.

"How was it?" Old Zhou asked: "Any gains?"

"Yes," Chen Mo said: "I'm buying a vehicle."

"Which one?"

"The pickup truck." Chen Mo took out fifteen fragments.

"The remaining five are for twenty liters of fuel."

Old Zhou took the fragments and pulled a set of keys from under the counter.

"On the right side of the door, the third one, the silver-gray one."

He handed the keys to Chen Mo.

"Go refuel it yourself, turn right outside the door."

Chen Mo took the keys.

"Also," Old Zhou called him back.

"About Highway 13, you'd better not go."

Chen Mo looked back at him.

"That place..." Old Zhou paused, "Few who go there come back."

Chen Mo was silent for a second.

"I know," he said.

Then he turned around and walked toward the door.

Behind him, Old Zhou's voice pursued him.

"Newbie, come back alive."

Chen Mo didn't look back.

He pushed the door open and walked into the night.

The silver-gray pickup truck was parked in the parking lot, gleaming coldly under the lights.

Chen Mo walked over, opened the door, and sat inside.

The steering wheel felt much better than his original one, and the seats were more comfortable.

He started the engine; the roar of the engine was low and powerful.

The fuel gauge showed: 8%.

He drove the pickup truck, pulled out of the self-service gas station, and filled it up.

Then he turned the vehicle around and drove toward the exit of the service area.

In the rearview mirror, the lights of Trading Post No. 1 grew more distant and dimmer.

Ahead was the direction of Highway 13.

Chen Mo stepped on the accelerator and charged into the night.