The apocalypse descended, the safe zones were established, and the United Government was formed.
All of this had only happened ten years ago.
Ten years, for humanity, was just a fraction of a lifespan.
Even the primary workforce had yet to complete a generational shift.
The method of profit distribution had not been passed down through multiple generations to solidify its stability.
All these realities stacked together highlighted one issue.
Inside the safe zone, things were far from as stable as they appeared on the surface.
Superficial order was not enough to resolve the fundamental chaos.
If one's knowledge ran deep and wide enough, they would realize—
The seemingly well-organized safe zone was murky beneath the surface, like muddy water.
Clean places had clean trading venues, and dirty places had dirty trading venues.
The black market.
Qin Siyang had heard this term countless times.
But this was his first time seeing it.
"Principal Zhang, is the black market underground at this construction site? That's pretty strange. Aren't they afraid of safety issues?"
"You're overthinking it. The black market isn't underground—it's inside the construction site. This place operates as a construction site by day, building skyscrapers, and after work ends at night, it becomes the venue for the black market."
"Huh? The black market… is set up on a construction site?"
Qin Siyang had assumed the black market would be in an extremely hidden place.
Like the basement of a casino, a shady bar—basically, somewhere low-class and discreet.
In his understanding, a black market location needed to meet two requirements: first, it had to be hidden; second, it had to be safe.
A construction site was neither hidden nor safe.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't imagine the black market being this blatant, this casual.
"The black market trades in things that the United Government doesn't allow, right?"
Zhang Kuang chuckled, "Of course. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called a black market. It'd just be a second-hand marketplace."
"But in such an openly visible place like a construction site, wouldn't the police investigate?"
"Investigate?"
Zhang Kuang and Ling Tianming exchanged a smile.
Zhang Kuang said, "The black market isn't run by gangsters."
"Everyone who comes to the black market, whether they're buying or selling, has powerful backing."
"If the police crack down on the gangs, the gangs disappear the next day."
"If the police crack down on the black market, the police disappear the next day."
'The black market is that ruthless?'
Qin Siyang licked his lips and took a closer look at the unremarkable construction site. Suddenly, he felt a sense of awe.
He asked again, "So this construction site is just a commonly agreed-upon location for black market transactions?"
"No. This Tengfei Company primarily operates the black market, and the construction business is just a side gig."
"Huh? They specialize in running the black market?"
"Speaking of which, you actually know the owners of this company."
"I know them?"
Qin Siyang looked skeptical.
Could he really know such powerful figures?
"Tengfei Company is run by the Zhao brothers. Zhao Sifang's father, Zhao Longteng, and the president of South Glory University, Zhao Longfei."
"Zhao Longfei… is running a black market?"
"Yep. The initial funding for establishing South Glory University came from the wealth Zhao Longfei accumulated through the black market."
"That's also why Zhao Longfei has absolute authority at South Glory University."
"But the Zhao brothers are quite business-savvy, and their management skills are top-tier. Under their leadership, South Glory University has now secured a spot in the top four universities."
Qin Siyang was once again shaken to his core.
'That scar-faced Zhao Longfei… is this powerful?'
Ling Tianming added, "Actually, it's not really about top-tier management skills. The key is that Zhao Longfei understands people."
"Zhao Longfei almost never interferes with the research directions of the university's professors. As long as they produce research results on time, he doesn't care what they focus on."
"This gives the professors at South Glory University the freedom to fully devote themselves to their fields of expertise, which is why the university has made breakthroughs in both sequence research and god technology, rapidly rising to the top."
Qin Siyang felt even more fortunate.
Getting on good terms with Zhao Sifang was definitely a brilliant move.
As the three of them walked through the construction site, Qin Siyang's mind was racing with thoughts.
The safe zone was indeed chaotic.
And chaos required order.
To maintain the illusion of stability and order in the safe zone, the United Government prohibited many things and enacted a series of strict laws.
For example, any United Government employee caught embezzling ten bottles of sequence magic medicine would be sentenced to death.
Qian Wenzhao had almost died because of this law.
But who would have thought—
The closer one got to the core of the safe zone, the more lawlessness prevailed.
It was ironic.
At that moment, he noticed a faint red light screen appearing in front of him.
"What's this?"
Zhang Kuang explained, "This is a Stealth Barrier, a God-Hunting Weapon developed by the Zhao family. Once inside, it blurs your aura, appearance, and voice, allowing you to trade anonymously in the black market."
"That impressive? They actually developed a God-Hunting Weapon just to serve the black market?"
"The black market is the Zhao family's foundation. Of course, they'd take it seriously."
Qin Siyang scratched his head, "But before entering the construction site, there wasn't a stealth barrier. Won't people still be able to track us when we leave?"
"They've already done their best. As for what happens after a black market transaction, that's not the Zhao family's problem. If you're capable, don't let yourself be found. If you're not skilled enough to stay hidden and get recognized, well… that's your problem."
"But even if you're recognized, you don't need to worry."
"Why?"
"The Zhao family's black market has a solid reputation."
"The black market is an extremely lucrative business. Many groups tried to get involved in the beginning. But in the end, the Zhao family unified the black market in the core zone. Because they prioritized trust and security."
"There was once a case where someone was spotted trading contraband in the black market and later reported to the Sequence Ability Management Bureau by their enemy."
"But before the authorities could even arrest them, the informant was already dead. And their corpse was dumped right at the bureau's entrance, causing a huge commotion."
"The bureau had to clean up the mess and act as if nothing happened. Meanwhile, the reported person is still alive and well today."
"Since then, no one dares to mess with the Zhao family's black market."
Listening to Zhang Kuang's account, Qin Siyang felt like he was hearing a sci-fi story.
'A single family… bold enough to directly challenge the Management Bureau?'
'That fearless?'
Qin Siyang instinctively found it hard to believe.
"Principal Zhang, you're not making this up, are you?"
Ling Tianming smirked, "It's a true story. Because that person who got reported… was Old Zhang."
"Holy shit! For real?"
Zhang Kuang scratched his messy hair, looking a little awkward.
Qin Siyang instantly understood.
'So it is true.'
"Alright. Since the black market is this safe, I can rest easy."
The three of them stepped into the light screen.
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