Hello, Welcome to Merit Supermarket (SUPERMARKET)
"Mr. Meng, is this the delivery person you recommended?"
The scruffy, sunglasses-wearing receiver asked while looking at the data in his hand.
Mr. Meng, sitting across from him, hummed in acknowledgment and continued sipping his tea.
Due to the influence of "Teacher" behind Mr. Meng, the receiver at the dock treated him with considerable respect, completely unaware that Mr. Meng had already turned over a new leaf.
"I understand. I’ll make sure to recognize their faces when the time comes. However, I hope their first operation goes smoothly. Things are already chaotic enough here," the receiver said while casually extinguishing his cigarette with his fingers before handing the documents to his subordinate.
After settling this matter, Mr. Meng left the dock.
The receiver watched him leave, only turning to his subordinate once Mr. Meng was completely out of sight. "Did you memorize those people?" he asked.
The subordinate nodded, though his face showed some confusion. "Boss, are you suspecting Mr. Meng?"
The receiver scoffed. It wasn’t that he suspected Mr. Meng; he had his own ulterior motives.
However, he decided not to reveal this for now to avoid any leaks.
Instead of answering his subordinate’s question, he asked another: "Have you thoroughly searched the dock? Are you sure nothing else will go wrong?"
The subordinate remained puzzled but obediently nodded in confirmation of his boss’s orders.
"Alright, don’t ask too many questions. It’s not good for you. Just remember that I won’t harm you." the receiver said.
‘Once the goods arrive tomorrow… once tomorrow comes, life will get better.’
His subordinates trusted him deeply.
When the receiver told them not to ask questions, they truly stopped thinking about it.
The next day, as planned, Huo Yunxi, accompanied by three police officers disguised as new deliverymen, arrived at the designated location.
They were all equipped with special tracking devices and listening devices.
Huo Yunxi’s listening device was the same model as Mr. Meng’s, with a built-in tracking feature. As long as he was alive, Jiang Chenyi would always know his location.
Upon arriving at the parking lot of the foreign trade building, they noticed several SUVs with their doors wide open and parked at the agreed-upon spot.
The boxes meant for the goods were neatly laid out in the back of the vehicles, quietly awaiting the arrival of the "cargo".
Aside from the cars and boxes, three people were already there—veterans transferred from elsewhere within the organization that were tasked with guiding the newcomers this time.
When they saw Huo Yunxi and his three companions, the veterans first scrutinized them with a critical eye. After a thorough inspection with a device to confirm they carried no listening devices or weapons, they relaxed slightly.
"You’re the people Mr. Meng recommended, right? The goods will be here soon. No matter what you see, don’t make a fuss, understand?" the leader said while handing them a few cigarettes, and his expression was neither warm nor cold.
Huo Yunxi borrowed a light and, while smoking, asked softly, "Brother, this is our first time. We’re not entirely sure… what exactly are these goods?"
The man glanced at Huo Yunxi, noting that he was an unremarkable middle-aged man. Then he looked at Huo Yunxi’s hands and, upon seeing the calluses, suddenly asked, "What did you used to do?"
Huo Yunxi seemed slightly wary, taking a small step back and shrinking his shoulders, appearing somewhat timid. "Why… why are you asking that?" he replied.
The man squinted and smiled, but Huo Yunxi could feel the coldness emanating from him. "Just asking, what, can't I ask?"
Huo Yunxi shrank back even more, giving off the impression of someone who was easy to bully.
"I... used to be a bricklayer..."
A bricklayer? That would explain the calluses on his hands, but still...
The man's vigilance didn't wane as he continued to ask, "Then how did you get introduced by Mr. Meng? The person who introduced you... wouldn't be some kind-hearted, honest man."
In this line of work, you wouldn't expect to find good people.
As soon as he finished speaking, the group of men all shrank back slightly. Huo Yunxi's eyes reddened, showing a hint of grievance but the man noticed a trace of ruthlessness deep within Huo Yunxi's gaze.
"I worked for a contractor for a year and didn't get a single penny. My mother was almost starving to death, so... we beat the contractor to death, took the money, and ran away..."
As for how he met Mr. Meng, Huo Yunxi explained according to the prepared story: "Mr. Meng saved us. He said there was a job that could give us a lot of money..."
For money, and being a fugitive with a murder case, as long as they were paid, they would work obediently... these were indeed excellent candidates.
After probing their "background", the seasoned men relaxed most of their guard and patiently explained the job of a courier to them.
The job was actually quite simple—pick up the "goods" at the agreed location, pack them into boxes, then drive to the destination and hand the boxes over to the receiver.
For each trip, as long as the "goods" were safely delivered to the destination and the "goods" were still alive, they would earn three thousand yuan per "goods."
Although there weren't goods to transport every day, sometimes a few people would have to transport more than ten boxes. On average, each person could earn over ten thousand yuan. Even if they only did three or four jobs a month, they could still make more than fifty thousand yuan.
Of course, it was impossible for them to only have three or four jobs a month.
At this point, the seasoned men all smiled meaningfully, but they didn't continue further, only telling Huo Yunxi and the others, "You'll find out after you've done a few more trips."
When the seasoned men mentioned that there were at least three or four jobs a month, the eavesdropping police officers were trembling with anger.
According to these men, they had to transport "goods" at least three or four times a month, and each time there were usually no fewer than five people. This meant that many people went missing in the capital and its surrounding areas every month.
But why were there so few reports filed at the police station?
Jiang Chenyi heard their doubts and silently turned his gaze to Mr. Meng, who indeed looked guilty.
The Captain and the others thought deeper and, recalling what had happened to them, realized that the police officers at the local stations might have also been deceived by other fake Celestial Masters!
They felt both ashamed and furious, wishing they could quickly uncover all the people hiding in the shadows, but this wasn't the right time to dwell on the issue.
As they continued to eavesdrop, they soon heard other footsteps, and at the same time, the seasoned men spoke up, "Alright, let's get moving. The goods are here!"
In Huo Yunxi's eyes, they didn't see any goods appear, only the sound of heavy footsteps, as if carrying something weighty.
Then, after the footsteps stopped in front of them, several burly men suddenly appeared in their sight.
Was this what the veterans meant when they said, no matter what you see, don't be surprised?
Huo Yunxi quickly regained his composure. He keenly noticed that each of these men had a talisman attached to their bodies, looking very similar to the ones Mr. Meng had used before.
So, it must be these talismans that concealed their figures.
He instantly recalled the locations where the six girls had been captured—the cinema, the market, the library, and even the airport. Only now did he understand how the abductors had managed to avoid the nearby personnel.
It wasn't just him; the other three police officers also grasped the methods this organization used to kidnap people.
These men placed the victims on the ground: "We'll leave these goods to you to handle. We need to leave quickly."
Without waiting for Huo Yunxi and the others to respond, they walked straight out of the parking lot and soon disappeared from sight.
What they didn't know was that the moment they turned to leave, Huo Yunxi had already prepared some pollen and flicked it onto their bodies, then tapped his neck twice with his finger.
Upon receiving the signal, Jiang Chenyi immediately notified the police hidden in the foreign trade building to release the butterflies they had prepared. The butterflies would follow the pollen.
The veterans took their last puff of cigarettes and then, along with Huo Yunxi and the others, stuffed the "goods" into suitcases.
This time, there were eight victims—six women and two men. Regardless of gender, all six were quite attractive.
They seemed to have been drugged as they show no resistance throughout and their bodies limp.
Once packed, they got into the car and headed towards their destination.
The receiving point had been changed to a new dock with the specific location of which even Mr. Meng wasn't entirely clear about. Only the veterans knew.
The lead car was driven by a veteran, with Huo Yunxi and the others following closely behind.
This was also a test. If they couldn't keep up, the veterans wouldn't take them along anymore.
As they set off, the police, based on their route, continuously speculated about the final destination.
But soon they realized that these people were taking detours, clearly trying to prevent anyone from following them.
After driving for several hours, the cars finally stopped.
Seeing the location on the map, Jiang Chenyi immediately set off.
Alone and carrying an umbrella, he used the power of the Supermarket to reach the destination directly.
Though uncomfortable, the speed was indeed fast.
He closed his eyes to steady himself, then slowly emerged from the corner before walking as silently as a cat.
By this time, Huo Yunxi and the others had already met with the receiver.
The veteran and the receiver seemed to be acquaintances.
While the two of them chatted, Huo Yunxi and the others subtly observed the surroundings and the people opposite them.
There was only one receiver, but he had four subordinates.
Huo Yunxi noticed that the eyes of the people opposite them occasionally fell on the newcomers.
It seemed like caution, but also like scrutiny, and their scrutinizing gaze carried a hint of hostility.
There are only a few docks in the capital, and the police assigned to Huo Yunxi had already familiarized themselves with the situation at all the docks in the city.
After meeting Huo Yunxi's gaze, one of them quickly blinked—he knew exactly where they were!
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Huo Yunxi and his team handed over the boxes.
Then, it was time for the delivery personnel to make their exit.
"Let's go," the seasoned veterans beckoned to Huo Yunxi and his team with their eyes fixed intently on them.
It seemed like they were testing their reactions.
As police officers, they naturally didn’t want to leave, especially with so many ships docked at the harbor. Who knew which vessel the victims would be loaded onto?
While Huo Yunxi was hesitating, his hand seemed to be tugged by something, and his fingers twitched slightly.
His hand touched something cold, and the object traced a character on his palm—Jiang.
Jiang, as in Jiang Chenyi.
He had already arrived by his side.
Facing the veterans' probing, Huo Yunxi decisively turned around, and the others followed suit without hesitation.
Seeing the new delivery personnel so compliant, the veterans were completely reassured.
After Huo Yunxi and his team left, Jiang Chenyi, who remained behind, observed the people in front of him and noticed something off about their expressions.
The way these people looked at Huo Yunxi was... no, the way they looked at the delivery personnel was like they were prey—not just the newcomers, but the veterans too!
Jiang Chenyi quickly turned around, intending to warn Huo Yunxi, but the premeditated receivers acted faster than he could.
Bang, bang, bang!
As the gunshots rang out, Huo Yunxi's body reacted faster than his mind. He lunged forward, tackling his companion to the ground and dodging the bullets aimed at them.
The veterans, after a moment of shock, quickly regained their composure and drew their pistols from their waists before firing at them.
The police officers were completely caught off guard by the internal strife among the gangsters.
Because they were unarmed, they were like sitting ducks on the dock!
The only saving grace was that Jiang Chenyi was still on the scene.
With the black umbrella blocking some of the bullets, Huo Yunxi quickly led the others to take cover in a corner.
Even so, one officer was accidentally shot in the calf during the scramble.
After they were relatively safe, Huo Yunxi checked the wound. However, as soon as he touched it, a familiar wave of loathing surged through him.
The last time he had felt this way was when he encountered Karmic Sin.
Realizing that this emotion was emanating from the wound, Huo Yunxi immediately tensed up.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was paying attention, he pressed down on the injured area, used a small knife he had obtained from the Boss earlier to cut open the flesh, and forcibly extracted the bullet.
The man’s face turned pale from the pain, but he managed to stay silent. Only after his calf was wrapped with torn clothing did he collapse onto his companion’s shoulder while gasping for breath.
"There’s something else on that bullet. If it stays in the flesh for too long, something bad will happen," Huo Yunxi explained to the others after removing the bullet.
Jiang Chenyi’s gaze also fell on the bullets scattered on the ground.
Sure enough, there was a thin layer of Karmic Sin on them.
Talismans, Karmic Sin—could these be the creations of that Black-robed man again?
He looked at the injured veteran members. Aside from the first one, two others were also wounded. It seemed… they were about to lose.
No!
After assessing the situation, Huo Yunxi, with the help of Jiang Chenyi, quietly maneuvered behind the receiver with one of the officers.
Then, while they were fully focused on attacking the veterans, they launched a sudden ambush.
"Ugh!" The receiver grunted as Huo Yunxi’s knife plunged into his kidney.
He tried to raise his gun to fight back, but Huo Yunxi effortlessly snapped his wrist, causing the gun to fall to the ground.
Then he pressed a knife against the receiver’s neck.
With their Boss held hostage, the others immediately stopped their attacks.
The veterans hadn’t expected such a dramatic turn of events!
After enduring over ten minutes of relentless attacks, they finally couldn’t hold on any longer, so while clutching their wounds, they slowly collapsed.
The only uninjured member of the veterans, seeing his two companions covered in blood, didn’t hesitate to fire several shots at them.
Two shots to the chest, one to the head—even the King of Hell would shake his head.
After killing his two companions, he quickly turned his gun on the receiver man’s subordinates, using the same method to ensure they were thoroughly dead.
Seeing his men fall one by one, the receiver man went berserk, trying to resist.
But Huo Yunxi’s strength was no joke. No matter how much the man struggled, he couldn’t break free. Seeing that the man was willing to risk his life, Huo Yunxi simply knocked him out.
The veteran walked over to him and patted Huo Yunxi’s shoulder approvingly. "Not bad. Is that strength natural, or did you train it by moving bricks?"
Huo Yunxi obediently handed the receiver over to the veteran, quickly reverting to his usual timid and meek demeanor. He hunched his shoulders and whispered, "It’s natural…"
This was the first time Jiang Chenyi had seen Huo Yunxi shrink back like this, and he curiously moved closer.
When Huo Yunxi felt the warmth emanating from Jiang Chenyi, his muscles instantly tensed up.
This momentary reaction, in the eyes of the seasoned veteran, was interpreted as fear, and his wariness of Huo Yunxi diminished significantly.
‘Forget it, so what if he’s strong? Someone like this is good material for a subordinate.’
The receiver was unconscious, all his men were dead, and out of the seven delivery men, only five remained, with one of them injured.
The seasoned veteran first instructed one of them to take the injured man and leave ahead. Then, he and the remaining two carried all the boxes and the receiver to a corner of the dock.
Immediately after, he made a phone call.
To prevent Huo Yunxi and the others from overhearing, he deliberately walked a distance away. Unfortunately, Jiang Chenyi was still nearby when he made the call.
After listening to the conversation, Jiang Chenyi realized that this seasoned veteran was no ordinary delivery man.
This person was likely a trainer, responsible for training members for different roles. He had only been temporarily assigned as a delivery man due to a shortage of manpower.
At the same time, he was also there to test the newcomers brought by Mr. Meng and to confirm Mr. Meng’s loyalty to the Black-robed man.
In other words, this man was probably a minor figure of authority within the organization.
Jiang Chenyi gazed at him with a faint, triumphant smile on his face.
‘Thanks to the internal strife, Huo Yunxi could now board the ship smoothly!’
“Yes, Mr. Meng is fine. I’ll take them on board now.”
Since he could be trusted, it didn’t matter whether he was a delivery man or a receiver.
After returning, based on the information from the call, the seasoned veteran led them to a yacht.
Jiang Chenyi followed closely and, upon seeing the yacht, quickly boarded it while the seasoned veteran wasn’t paying attention.
Huo Yunxi and the other man noticed the yacht shift unnaturally and immediately felt relieved.
‘Good, Jiang Chenyi was on board. They were in the clear now!’
The group carried all the luggage onto the yacht. By now, the dock was in complete chaos. The seasoned man heard distant screams, likely because the bodies had been discovered.
The police would probably arrive soon.
Thinking this, the seasoned man quickly steered the yacht out to sea, aiming to leave the area before the police arrived.
Jiang Chenyi sat at the stern of the yacht and reached out to poke Huo Yunxi, who was sitting in front of him.
When Huo Yunxi turned his head slightly, Jiang Chenyi began writing on his back—I’ve already sent our real-time location to the police. They’ll catch up slowly from behind.
However, at this critical moment, Huo Yunxi’s mind was preoccupied with something else.
It’s so itchy… The itch on his back seemed to spread to his heart…
He tried to suppress the sensation, but his ears turned red without him realizing it.
When the seasoned man glanced back, he noticed not only Huo Yunxi’s red ears but also his red neck. “Bro, are you nervous?”
The other officer also noticed something was off and looked at him with confusion.
Huo Yunxi covered half his face with his hand, lowered his head, and muttered, “I… this is my first time on a yacht like this. I’ve only ever seen rich people ride them before…”
Ah! So it’s excitement!
The veteran laughed heartily, saying as he chuckled, "What's there to get so excited about? It's just a yacht! Later, I'll take you to meet the Boss. There are plenty of wealthy people there. You saved my life today, so I’ll make sure to get you a boat."
Huo Yunxi hummed in acknowledgment, but his head remained lowered. He could feel Jiang Chenyi leaning down to observe him, with the warm breath of the other person brushing against his ear.
Only when the itching sensation in his body subsided did he dare to lift his head.
By then, they had already moved far from the dock and were sailing near a remote stretch of coastline.
Just as they were wondering where they were headed, the veteran led them around the coast. As they turned a corner, the three of them caught sight of a cruise ship.
The cruise ship seemed to be waiting for them. As the yacht approached, a brief whistle sounded from the ship.
The veteran also took out his own whistle and blew a corresponding signal.
After confirming the code, they were allowed to approach the cruise ship, where guards were already stationed at the stern.
When they saw that it was the veteran who had arrived, the people on the stern showed expressions of surprise. "Wen Ai, why are you the one bringing people over?"
In the next moment, they noticed the unconscious cargo handler and the bloodstains on both parties.
They quickly realized that something major had happened!
Wen Ai, the veteran's name, tossed the cargo handler onto the ship and handed over the pistol he had taken from the man to the others. "This gun was aimed at our brothers."
"Old Gou and Xiao Yun are dead. Out of the four newcomers I brought, one was injured, and I sent another to the hospital. If it weren’t for this person here, you might never have seen me again."
Wen Ai pushed Huo Yunxi, who had been standing at the back, forward, with his face filled with gratitude.
Once Huo Yunxi stepped onto the ship, he felt extremely uncomfortable and was almost overwhelmed by the stench!
Jiang Chenyi was still on the yacht, observing the cruise ship before him.
In his eyes, the entire cruise ship, from top to bottom, was enveloped in Karmic Sin.
In other words, even if he fired a missile at it, not a single innocent person would be killed, right?
Huh? That’s a great idea!
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