Lying prone in the bushes, peering eagerly through the space wormhole.
Seven or eight people coming in batches to buy his small ginseng? Afraid he would notice something odd?
So organised, so disciplined. This scalping ring is no small operation!
Jiang Nan had no intention of startling the snake in the grass. Instead, he meant to follow the thread all the way and scoop the whole nest in one go.
He watched the burly, muscular man hurry into the toilets, slip into a cubicle, lock the door, and conceal himself inside.
Jiang Nan blinked in surprise. Not here to spy?
Yet how could a flimsy toilet cubicle possibly block his view?
His title of Toilet War God was not earned lightly.
Another space wormhole opened.
The burly man placed his backpack on the toilet lid, then stripped with practised speed.
In mere dozens of seconds he was completely naked, down to socks and shoes.
Jiang Nan: (;*口*)
His eyes nearly went blind. What exactly had he just witnessed?
He would need to watch Xuexue Lang Mie countless times to soothe his wounded soul.
The man hugged his shoulders and rubbed vigorously. “Hiss, freezing, absolutely freezing! Doing this job in this weather is pure torture!”
“If only I had a different-dimension space like South God.”
The muttered words emerged in the voice of a young girl.
Jiang Nan: ???
A woman cosplaying a man? Or a man cosplaying a woman? Small pudding? Had she eaten her own Bu Ling Bu Ding?
At that moment, fine scales suddenly surfaced across the man’s skin.
Their colours shifted in waves, like a rainbow.
The bulky frame gradually slimmed, the skin grew pale and taut, hair lengthened.
In the blink of an eye, a curvaceous beauty with curly hair stood before Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan stared in shock.
This was no small-pudding transformation. What sort of special ability was this?
The curly-haired beauty, hands and feet red from cold, kept rubbing her shoulders.
She hurriedly pulled shorts, leggings, a sweater, and a ladies’ down jacket from the backpack and layered them on.
In dozens of seconds she was fully dressed, gently lifting her hair free from the collar.
Then she took out a small mirror, touched up her makeup, blinked her large eyes. “Gu Xiaowei! How can you be this pretty?”
Jiang Nan: (≖_≖‶)
So adorable.
A single punch later would probably make her cry for ages.
Gu Xiaowei touched her chin. “Level’s a bit high. Need to hurry. Still seven million left to spend.”
Under Jiang Nan’s astonished gaze, her original Platinum Three aura dropped straight to Gold Seven.
She donned a hat and mask, slung the backpack, and strolled casually toward the dormitory area.
Jiang Nan was stunned. This was even more domineering than his own small pudding. What ability was it?
Come to think of it, those seven or eight buyers of small ginseng had all been Gu Xiaowei herself.
Jiang Nan wiped away his nosebleed, teleported, and followed.
This scalping ring was clearly not as amateur as he had imagined.
He kept himself concealed and continued tracking.
When Gu Xiaowei reached the dormitory area and saw Jiang Nan was gone, she paused in surprise.
“Eh, classmate? Where’s South God? I still wanted to buy small ginseng from him!”
“Ah, South God packed up. Sister Xue won’t let him come home after ten.”
Gu Xiaowei looked stunned, then disappointed, muttering, “Quite henpecked, isn’t he.”
Jiang Nan: (๐≖‸≖) None of your business.
Gu Xiaowei could only give up. Backpacking under cover of night, she headed out of the academy.
Jiang Nan smirked wickedly and kept tailing her.
…
In a three-bedroom flat in Rongcheng Development Zone.
Gu Xiaowei kicked off her high heels and flung herself onto the sofa.
She boiled a kettle, made a bucket of instant noodles, added one sausage and two eggs.
Only then did she empty the backpack: two hundred and thirty small ginseng roots.
“Phew. Finally got stock. Worth waiting for South God all that time.”
Next she pulled out ten boxes of deodorising late-night snacks, eyes gleaming with excitement.
“So this removes the smell! If the boss knew, hehe.”
Full of glee, Gu Xiaowei carefully wrapped the haul and decided to lock it in the bedroom safe.
The moment she opened the bedroom door, her smile froze solid.
(٥ơᴗơ)
Jiang Nan stood abruptly in the room. The safe behind the bookshelf had been located. He had not even bothered cracking the code.
He had simply opened a space wormhole and reached inside.
The air fell utterly silent.
Jiang Nan pulled out a heart-shaped, multicoloured scale.
“What’s this?”
Gu Xiaowei: ???
Ji… Jiang Nan?
Hey, hey, hey!
Why are you suddenly standing in someone else’s bedroom?
With your hand already inside their safe?
Show some respect for the safe, please. People have dignity.
Hurry and apologise to the safe.
That scale is… ahhh!
Gu Xiaowei put on an apologetic face. “S-sorry, sir. I must have entered the wrong flat. Ah ha, ah haha.”
She shut the door at once. Her face had gone white with fright, her heart pounding in her throat.
South God had found her?
How? She had made sure no one was following.
What now, what now?
This was the immortal who had turned District 53 upside down and walked out alive.
A mere Platinum like her stood no chance against him.
Gu Xiaowei turned to flee, but a big green rod emerged from a space wormhole and greeted her.
Thump!
Her vision went black and she lost consciousness.
When she groggily opened her eyes, she found herself slumped on the sofa.
Jiang Nan sat beside her, slurping noodles noisily, scrolling his phone with the other hand.
Gu Xiaowei jolted awake and tried to move.
Her arms were bound. Glancing back, she saw eighteen binding-spirit handcuffs running from wrists to elbows.
[Resentment value from Gu Xiaowei +1000!]
[From Gu Xiaowei…]
So many cuffs? Are you serious?
Do you really need to be this cautious?
Jiang Nan remained silent. Gu Xiaowei’s big eyes darted frantically.
She said timidly, “That’s my phone.”
Jiang Nan grinned and looked at her.
Once bound by the spirit handcuffs, Gu Xiaowei had reverted to her true appearance.
Black shoulder-length hair, delicate features, high nose bridge, fair skin, a lovely and spirited face, large eyes brimming with life.
“Lies. This is my phone.”
“How can you prove it’s yours? Call it. Will it answer?”
Gu Xiaowei: ???
You literally took it from my pocket!
That SpongeBob case is mine!
It’s a phone. How could it possibly answer if I call it?
“If you claim it’s yours, call it. Will it answer?”
Jiang Nan shrugged. “Of course.”
Gu Xiaowei, unconvinced: “Go on then.”
Jiang Nan: “Xiao Ai classmate!”
Phone: “Here! Master! How may I assist you?”
Gu Xiaowei: !!!∑(ﾟДﾟノ)ノ
That… that actually works?
Jiang Nan: ╮(•́ٹ•̀)╭
[Resentment value from Gu Xiaowei +666!]
You don’t play like this!
Gu Xiaowei was now terrified. What exactly did Jiang Nan intend to do with her?
“S-South God, let’s talk this through calmly. I only bought some small ginseng from you. Perfectly normal transaction!”
“I haven’t done anything to wrong you. No crimes either!”
“Why capture me? How about… you release me first?”
“If you’re hungry, I’ll cook properly. Instant noodles aren’t healthy. We…”
Jiang Nan smirked. “You unlock binding-spirit cuffs pretty quickly. Unlocked six already in the time it took to say that? Tsk tsk.”
“So eager to cook for me? Who taught you that technique? Very professional.”
Gu Xiaowei stiffened. The hairpin she had been using to pick the locks behind her back stopped instantly. Embarrassment flooded her pretty face and she blushed.
Damn it!
Does South God have eyes in the back of his head?
[Resentment value from Gu Xiaowei +888!]
Jiang Nan smiled. “Running quite a large scalping operation, aren’t you? Solo?”
“No, a little Platinum like you shouldn’t have access to the higher-ups. So there’s an organisation behind it.”
Cold sweat soaked Gu Xiaowei’s back.
Oh no. South God knows?
How much does he know? How did he find out?
She forced a laugh. “South God, what strange things are you talking about? Xiaowei doesn’t understand.”
Jiang Nan grinned. “I simply wanted to meet the scalper who sells one small ginseng for three diamond-grade spirit beads.”
Gu Xiaowei’s pretty face drained of colour. “Eh? Is… is there really such a thing?”
Jiang Nan lifted a bottle of big green rod and placed it on the coffee table. “Drink this, then we’ll talk.”
Gu Xiaowei shuddered. From everything she had researched about South God, nothing in his hands was ever harmless.
She asked weakly, “Can I… not drink it?”
“If you don’t, I’ll kill you.”
[Resentment value from Gu Xiaowei +555!]
Boss!
I’m probably finished today!
