Hello, Welcome to Merit Supermarket (SUPERMARKET)
Perhaps it was the tacit understanding of having carried a rocket launcher together, but just as Jiang Chenyi entertained the thought of firing a missile, Huo Yunxi seemed to sense something and glanced back at the yacht.
He couldn’t see where Jiang Chenyi was, but Jiang Chenyi felt the other’s gaze land precisely on him.
Jiang Chenyi: …
As expected of someone who’s been in the military. If this were a blind shot, it would definitely be accurate.
But he dismissed the idea.
Firing a missile was out of the question. Although he had plenty of Merit, if he were to fire a missile, he would immediately lose a third of his Merit!
‘Forget it, these people aren’t worth spending so much Merit!’
After seeing them all being taken away, Jiang Chenyi finally stepped from the yacht onto the cruise ship.
With the Black Umbrella shielding his figure, he could first explore the entire cruise ship—mapping out the layout, the distribution of armed forces, and most importantly, the evidence of the Perfumer’s crimes.
He leisurely made his way deeper into the cruise ship. Meanwhile, the police were also rushing to the location indicated by the tracker.
However, the further they went, the more alarmed they became.
This ship seemed to be heading out of domestic waters, and toward the high seas!
If they really went to international waters, their plan wouldn't be as easy to execute, and no one knew what awaited them out there.
Just as the police were at a loss, the team leader received a phone call. As the person on the other end spoke, his expression grew increasingly strange.
After hanging up, the Captain asked curiously, "Team leader, who was on the phone?"
Seeing the team leader's grave expression, he instinctively suspected that some high-ranking official might have ordered them to halt the operation!
This thought didn't come out of nowhere.
Because Mr. Meng, a subordinate of the Black-robed man, had already managed to deceive the capital's police. It was possible that the other side had similar "students" who were in charge of other officials in the capital.
Moreover, from Mr. Meng's earlier words, they knew that behind the Perfumer stood many wealthy businessmen. What if there was collusion between officials and businessmen... right?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was the case. So, before the team leader could answer, he proactively stated, "Team leader, if we don't solve this Human Aroma case, they will become even more brazen in the future. As police officers, we... ouch!"
Before he could finish, the team leader gave him a hard knock on the forehead.
"What are you thinking?!” The team leader glared at him in exasperation before his grave expression turned into one of emotion. "I had no idea Mr. Jiang had such a significant background!"
The call was from the central authorities, who explicitly demanded that the police spare no effort in pursuing the criminals. They had already arranged for the coast guard to assist, and if necessary, they could deploy even larger weapons.
Weapons larger than coast guard ships... the team leader felt a momentary daze!
Moreover, it was clearly stated that they must ensure the safety of Huo Yunxi and Jiang Chenyi! Especially Jiang Chenyi, who was purely mortal!
If the injuries are too severe, death is a real possibility!
Upon hearing this, the Captain showed the same expression as the team leader.
He pinched his chin, glanced around to confirm that everyone else was focused on the tracker, then quietly leaned closer to the team leader and whispered, "Brother, brother! Can you give me a hint about who is protecting those two?"
Who has such immense influence that it could reach the central authorities?
The team leader chuckled and glanced at the Captain.
This guy had been brought up under his guidance and was a comrade who had faced life and death together. Often, as long as it wasn’t particularly classified, he could share some information.
But this time, no!
The team leader knocked the Captain’s forehead again, producing a crisp sound. "Why ask so many questions? Just focus on your job. You’ll know when the time is right!"
The Captain pouted but obediently stopped pressing for answers.
After seeing him return to his post, the team leader stepped outside, lit a cigarette but didn’t put it in his mouth and just let it burn slowly.
As the scent of smoke drifted with the wind, he recalled the voice on the phone.
The person had personally told him that Liang Yuanan had requested the central authorities to protect that young man.
The reason? That young man had pulled an elderly man on the brink of death from late-stage cancer back from the gates of hell!
Leaving aside the almost miraculous act of resurrection, consider the person he saved.
That was Old Liang!
The Father of Soybeans in the country!
Without him, the soybean sniper battle back then would have been lost, and the cost would have been unbearable for them at the time.
Old Liang had diligently cultivated soybeans for the nation for decades, not only breaking the monopoly but also becoming a sharp blade against international grain monopolies.
And the sharpest blade at that.
Thus, Jiang Chenyi, who had saved Old Liang from the brink of death, naturally garnered significant attention.
Not to mention, he had also prevented the tragic massacre of the entire He family.
Coincidentally, He Lianhua was in charge of the nearby sea area. Upon learning that Jiang Chenyi was heading out to sea, he had been eager to repay the life-saving favor.
The Celestial Masters Association’s Supervisor Gu Sheng, Minister Pei from the National Food Department, the Father of Soybeans Liang Yuanan, the new missile development expert Gu Qin, and the He family—all were Jiang Chenyi’s most powerful supporters.
With the central authorities also curious about Jiang Chenyi’s abilities, it was certain that the young man couldn’t be allowed to suffer any harm.
The team leader speculated that the reason these people hadn’t stopped Jiang Chenyi from boarding the ship was to test his abilities.
But testing aside, injuries were absolutely not allowed!
As the team leader watched the images on the monitor, a sense of worry gradually grew in his heart.
‘Heaven above, with so many people watching, please ensure that kid doesn’t get into trouble!’
The team leader didn’t know about something called a "flag". If he had, he would never have uttered those words.
At that moment, Jiang Chenyi and Huo Yunxi were on the ship—one on the top deck, and the other in the lower deck.
Huo Yunxi had been taken by Wen Ai to meet the owner of the cruise ship, the perfumer they had been longing to see.
This was somewhat unexpected for Huo Yunxi, but it also made him sense something unusual—wasn't it said earlier that this Perfumer preferred high places? This cruise ship isn't particularly high.
Moreover, the receiver had used bullets tainted with Karmic Sin...
Huo Yunxi keenly sensed that there seemed to be significant internal issues within this perfume organization.
Sure enough, upon learning of the receiver's betrayal and the peculiar nature of the bullets, the masked Perfumer flew into a rage.
"I knew he was up to no good!" he angrily slammed the table, leaving a faint handprint on its surface.
Huo Yunxi lowered his head while glancing at the handprint out of the corner of his eye, then frowned as if he had seen something dirty.
The reason the handprint appeared on the table wasn't due to the man's strength, but rather because his hand seemed to be coated with a thin layer of impurities.
Huo Yunxi secretly glanced at his companion, noticing that the other's expression showed no sign of abnormality.
Was it that he didn't find the handprint problematic... or that he hadn't even noticed it?
Huo Yunxi averted his gaze and continued waiting for the Perfumer to vent his anger.
The Perfumer firmly believed that the Black-robed man was behind the receiver's actions.
Although he was furious, he wasn't surprised, which was why he had purchased this cruise ship early on and set up his perfume laboratory here.
"Although it's not as good as the previous one, there's no other choice now." the Perfumer's voice was sharp, and prolonged listening was rather uncomfortable.
Wen Ai asked him what they should do next, only to hear him sneer.
"Don't worry, there's more than one Celestial Master in this world. The Celestial Masters Association has been keeping a close watch recently, so I sought help from someone else. As long as I have my Human Aroma, those Celestial Masters won't be able to refuse me! Besides, I've already made contact with them, and they've arranged everything I need!"
As he spoke, his tone grew increasingly smug.
Huo Yunxi noted the mention of Human Aroma... Was this the same Human Aroma he had smelled before?
His intuition told him that perhaps it wasn't the same.
Huo Yunxi silently memorized the Perfumer's words, planning to relay them to Jiang Chenyi later.
Meanwhile, after seeing the situation on the lower decks, Jiang Chenyi once again entertained the thought of dropping a missile directly onto the ship.
The first and second floors of the cruise ship had been completely transformed into perfume laboratories.
Using a password and iris scan "kindly" provided by a staff member, he successfully entered the workshop. Upon seeing the transparent containers filled with human bodies, the suppressed rage within him nearly erupted.
Jiang Chenyi could tell that the people in these containers weren't entirely dead.
They still retained their consciousness, but like comatose patients, their bodies were completely immobile and were forced to watch themselves become materials for perfume day after day.
Even if they were rescued, their minds would undoubtedly suffer severe damage.
Standing at the entrance, he looked at the dozen or so laboratories before him, each containing one or two containers. Without exception, the people inside were beautiful virgins, and their auras were remarkably pure.
In that moment, Jiang Chenyi suddenly understood what this Perfumer was truly aiming for.
The "Human Aroma" sold to ordinary wealthy merchants was merely a defective product. The true "Human Aroma" was not just a bottle of perfume but also a potent medicinal tonic!
Clean aura—concealing and suppressing the Karmic Sin on one's body;
Beautiful appearance—maintaining one's youthful visage.
As for whether it involved extending lifespan, Jiang Chenyi wasn't entirely sure at the moment, but... based on human greed, he leaned toward believing it did!
Jiang Chenyi even suspected that the true "Human Aroma" wasn't meant for ordinary people.
Unfortunately, he couldn't contact Huo Yunxi at the moment, or else his conjecture could have been verified.
He walked step by step deeper into the laboratory.
At this time, there weren't many people inside, perhaps because the personnel hadn't fully relocated yet, or perhaps because there weren't many trustworthy individuals left.
But regardless of the situation, it was advantageous for Jiang Chenyi.
He examined the laboratories one by one and found that the outermost ones were merely storage areas for materials. The actual production room was still further inside.
However, he couldn't enter the production room. It seemed only the Perfumer was allowed in there.
Jiang Chenyi stood at the end of the corridor, watching the laboratory still engaged in "juicing" and silently captured the horrifying scene—this would serve as evidence to judge the Perfumer's crimes!
He didn't care whether the Perfumer went to prison or not. Even if the Perfumer died at sea, some things couldn't remain hidden forever just because of their death.
Then, Jiang Chenyi's eyes flickered.
"Supermarket, let's make a trade."
【What do you want to buy?】
"Of course, hallucinogenic drugs."
These photos alone weren't enough; he needed to know more.
【Transaction successful. Six hundred Merit Points deducted.】
Jiang Chenyi received something resembling a bubble machine that was already filled with the hallucinogenic drug. All he had to do was blow it out.
This drug wasn't just meant to knock people out; it also created a false dream and made everyone inside believe they were working as usual.
What came out of the device wasn't bubbles but a fine mist.
This mist was light and dense, and when it landed on people, hardly anyone noticed it.
By the time they realized their surroundings had become damp, it meant they had already fallen into the illusion.
Jiang Chenyi waited until their eyes turned vacant before lowering his Black Umbrella and began inspecting the information on their computers one by one.
Soon, he had a long string of experimental data in his hands.
With this data, none of the people here could escape death!
The only regret was that the data didn't contain information about related products. It seemed he still needed to enter that final room.
Thinking this, Jiang Chenyi prepared to leave.
However, before leaving, he had a gift for these people.
He snapped his fingers, and golden patterns reappeared on his neck. Then the Golden Abacus suddenly appeared in his hand.
This time, the Golden Abacus wasn't used to smash people. He dismantled it before placing each bead on the researchers' bodies.
Upon touching them, the thumb-sized abacus beads immediately transformed into thin golden threads.
These threads then coiled around their necks—this was not only a mark but also a delayed explosive.
He couldn't guarantee that everyone on the ship would be successfully captured. If any of them managed to escape... he would lose sleep over it.
After marking the targets, he headed upstairs.
The cruise ship was quite large.
Apart from the two lower decks, there were five upper decks that catered to all daily needs.
On this cruise ship, it wasn't just the Perfumer alone. There were also many wealthy businessmen on his side that ready to deal with the Black-robed man.
Jiang Chenyi, holding his umbrella, walked up deck by deck and recording the faces of all the wealthy businessmen involved. Whether they were foreign merchants or not, he marked them all.
For this, he not only used up all his abacus beads but also spent over a thousand Merit Points.
[You’re not even upset about it?] The Supermarket could sense Jiang Chenyi's emotions.
His previously furious mood had now calmed down.
When making deals with himself, he spent over a thousand Merit Points without hesitation. In this case, apart from the Black Cat, Jiang Chenyi hadn’t made any deals with others. He had been continuously spending his own Merit throughout the entire process.
But Jiang Chenyi just laughed when he heard the Supermarket's remark. "It doesn’t matter."
Whether this case could be traded or not didn’t matter. Spending his own Merit Points didn’t matter either. He had only one thought in mind now.
‘Everyone on this ship, all of them, can go to hell!’
Jiang Chenyi: “(•‿•)”
As he moved from the lower decks to the upper ones, he continuously assessed the Merit and Karmic Sin of the people around him.
And without exception, all of them were enveloped in Karmic Sin, with barely any visible Merit.
In other words, everyone on this ship was a villain.
He was seriously considering whether to spend a third of his Merit to exchange for a Missile.
If these people died... it wouldn’t be much of a loss.
In fact, it might even help purify the domestic environment.
When he reached the fourth deck, Jiang Chenyi saw Huo Yunxi and the others. They had changed into new clothes, apparently having been promoted.
He followed Huo Yunxi and trailing him all the way to one of the rooms.
As soon as the door closed, Huo Yunxi's first glance fell on the sofa. "Jiang Chenyi?"
In the next second, a young man with his legs crossed appeared on the previously empty sofa. "How is your perception so sharp? It’s like you’re cheating!"
Seeing it now was one thing, but back on the yacht, it was way too perceptive!
Huo Yunxi wiped his face and removed the mask. Since Jiang Chenyi had appeared, it meant there were no surveillance cameras here.
Jiang Chenyi handed him a map, which he had drawn himself.
It not only showed the layout of each deck but also the distribution of bodyguards, mercenaries, and the location of the large armory.
"I suspect this cruise ship isn’t the main base."
His words piqued Huo Yunxi's curiosity, but after looking at the map, Huo Yunxi understood why Jiang Chenyi had said that.
According to Jiang Chenyi's investigation, he hadn’t seen any Celestial Master-like figures on this cruise ship.
If the Perfumer was really in conflict with the Black-robed man, the latter wouldn’t be without countermeasures. So, the Celestial Master the Perfumer had contacted must be somewhere else.
Moreover, the firepower on the ship didn’t seem to be substantial, and the number of weapons in the armory wasn’t particularly large either.
Just by looking at it, it was clear that this was not on the same scale as the large organization they had encountered before.
Huo Yunxi knew a bit more about this than Jiang Chenyi.
"You're right. The real headquarters is in international waters. The people he's colluding with are on another ship."
In addition to this, Huo Yunxi had something else to say: "I suspect that what they're planning isn't just about making perfume."
Oh?
According to the information Huo Yunxi had gathered, the Celestial Master who was opposing the Black-robed man didn't belong to the Perfumer but to another organization. He was merely borrowing their resources.
So, that ship wasn't just for the Perfumer to make perfume; there were other illicit activities going on as well.
Jiang Chenyi's eyes gradually narrowed and growing colder by the second. In an instant, he thought of some rather unpleasant things.
"What are you thinking about?" Huo Yunxi suddenly asked.
Jiang Chenyi met his gaze and hesitated for a moment before recalling a case he had once witnessed and sharing it with Huo Yunxi.
"On the day I came of age, my father took me aboard a ship—a vessel laden with sin."
It was also in international waters, also a large cruise ship, and in fact, that ship was even bigger than this one. On board, a group of well-dressed wealthy businessmen were throwing a party.
They were celebrating, celebrating the wealth and fresh organs they were about to acquire.
"It was a ship specifically designed to provide young bodies for the wealthy."
Freshly harvested and ready for exchange, as fresh as could be.
Hearing this, Huo Yunxi's heart tightened.
In his era, such things hadn't happened... or perhaps they had, but he just didn't know about them.
With so many similar elements, Jiang Chenyi worried that the enemy's headquarters might also be a body-harvesting ship.
Huo Yunxi's brows furrowed as he pondered a question: "If we go into international waters, the police won't be able to follow us."
But if they didn't go into international waters, how could they board the real headquarters?
The two exchanged a glance and suddenly thought of a solution.
“I think..."
"I was thinking..."
They spoke at the same time and then laughed. Huo Yunxi sat down beside him while still chuckling. "You go first."
Jiang Chenyi shook his head with his eyes brightening. "Why don't we say it together? Let's see if we're thinking of the same method."
They looked at each other and spoke in unison: "Let the police/Ah Yao handle the transaction."
Ah Yao was the police officer who had come aboard with Huo Yunxi.
Even if his Merit alone wasn't enough, there was still Huo Yunxi! And the police on shore!
‘At worst... at worst, he could just make another transaction with the Supermarket for teleportation, right? QAQ’
‘It's not that big of a deal... QAQ’
Seeing the aggrieved expression on Jiang Chenyi's face, Huo Yunxi immediately understood what he was thinking and almost burst out laughing.
He had never tried the Supermarket's teleportation function, so he didn't know what it felt like.
But if Director Zhou from Chashan City could handle it, then he... probably could too.
Fortunately, Jiang Chenyi didn't know what Huo Yunxi was thinking, or he would have immediately pinned him down and made him experience it firsthand.
Since they had to wait until they reached the headquarters to act, Jiang Chenyi didn't wander around anymore. As for the top deck, according to Huo Yunxi, only the Perfumer should be up there at this time.
"I think I'll go take a look."
Jiang Chenyi really wanted to see what this Perfumer was all about.
However, Huo Yunxi's words quickly dissuaded him: "The higher-ups need the person to verify their identity in person. When I left, the Perfumer said not to disturb him."
Well, that settles it—no going up there!
With no other choice, he had to continue waiting with Huo Yunxi until the ship sailed into international waters.
Still, he felt it necessary to inform the police about their plan. Otherwise, if they got anxious and saw them leaving the territorial waters, they might act rashly. What then?
As it turned out, his concerns were justified.
Seeing the cruise ship about to enter international waters, He Lianhua was already considering whether to fire a warning shot to force it to stop.
It must be said that sometimes Jiang Chenyi and the He family think alike.
Fortunately, that shot was never fired.
A mysterious call came through to the team leader. At first, the team leader was on high alert, but then he heard Jiang Chenyi's voice: "Hold your fire. We have another plan."
Jiang Chenyi quickly explained his plan over the phone and, without waiting for the team leader's approval, hung up.
This left the team leader no time to inform him that the area was being monitored by the coast guard and navy.
"That kid, always so impulsive." the team leader sighed.
He then personally notified the coast guard to continue guarding the territorial waters and await further instructions from Jiang Chenyi.
After giving his instructions, Jiang Chenyi lay down on Huo Yunxi's bed, quietly waiting for the final moment.
The ship was sailing at a decent speed, perhaps eager to return to its true headquarters as soon as possible.
When night fell, Jiang Chenyi looked out through the small window of the room, but all he could see was the vast expanse of the sea.
Huo Yunxi had just finished washing up when he noticed Jiang Chenyi crouching by the window and suddenly asked, "By the way, do you still need to wash up?"
Jiang Chenyi froze!
Huo Yunxi had been issued two new sets of clothes since he was recruited, but... Jiang Chenyi had snuck onto the ship!
The young man widened his bewildered eyes and turned his head to look at Huo Yunxi in a daze.
He wouldn’t have to go back and fetch something, would he...? No way!!!
Jiang Chenyi's utterly miserable expression completely amused Huo Yunxi, but he was worried the soundproofing wasn’t great, so he didn’t dare laugh out loud. Instead, he pinched his thigh hard to suppress his laughter.
It wasn’t until the young man turned to him with a deadpan expression and lifeless eyes that Huo Yunxi finally stopped, though tears of laughter were already welling up in his eyes.
"Alright, alright, I’ll go get you a set of clothes." he said while ruffling Jiang Chenyi’s hair before the latter could react, and then left the room wearing his mask.
Huo Yunxi found Wen Ai’s room and quietly asked for an extra set of clothes.
Without asking why, Wen Ai immediately had his subordinate hand over the new clothes.
However, just before Huo Yunxi left, Wen Ai flashed a meaningful smile and said, "Kid, how about I show you something good?"
The honest and simple-minded man hunched his shoulders awkwardly with his eyes filled with confusion.
A glint flashed in Wen Ai’s eyes as he slung an arm over Huo Yunxi’s shoulder, ready to lead him away.
Huo Yunxi tightly clutched the clothes in his arms, shivered, and quickly shook his head. "N-no... I... I need to get back..."
With that, he ran back to his room in fear.
Wen Ai’s subordinate, seeing how timid Huo Yunxi was, showed a hint of disdain. "Brother Wen, why are you even bothering with someone like him?"
It’s not like he was being asked to die, so why was he so scared?
Wen Ai chuckled and glanced at his subordinate. "You don’t understand. People like him are easy to use."
It’s fine if they’re timid, as long as they don’t falter at critical moments.
When Huo Yunxi returned to the room, he tossed the clothes to Jiang Chenyi.
Seeing him run back, Jiang Chenyi asked curiously, "What? Was there a Tiger chasing you? Why’d you run so fast?"
Huo Yunxi rolled his eyes and repeated what Wen Ai had said to him.
"Something good?" Jiang Chenyi’s radar was going off like crazy.
On a ship like this, whatever Wen Ai called "something good" was definitely not good.
"Drugs? Prostitution?" Besides these two, he couldn’t think of anything else.
Huo Yunxi thought for a moment and added, "Gambling?"
It was usually these three things.
Jiang Chenyi scoffed, "I should’ve just fired a Missile at him back then..."
His criminal intentions were still alive and well!
Huo Yunxi looked at him helplessly.
How could someone born in peacetime have such extreme methods, even more so than him?
He placed a hand on Jiang Chenyi’s shoulder and said in a low voice, "Don’t act recklessly. What about the people below? Aren’t you going to save them?"
"......"
Jiang Chenyi froze before casting a resentful glance at the other person before shaking off his hand and striding towards the bathroom.
It had been so long, and he thought he had gotten used to the sound of the other's voice. But why did it become unbearable again when the tone dropped slightly?
In the future, he must forbid Huo Yunxi from lowering his voice when speaking!
Huo Yunxi had no idea why Jiang Chenyi was in such a bad mood, and could only attribute it to his frustration over not being able to launch a missile.
He lay on the bed before quietly pondering the next steps in their plan. Even when Jiang Chenyi finished his shower and came out, he remained lost in thought.
It wasn’t until the blanket was pulled away and his waist was poked that he snapped out of his reverie.
"Move over! I have no space to sleep!"
The bed prepared for the crew was only about one and a half meters wide, which was barely enough for one grown man, but two men made it a bit cramped.
Jiang Chenyi felt uncomfortable.
It was his first time sharing a bed with someone.
Huo Yunxi, on the other hand, felt fine. He had endured much worse situations, and having a bed to sleep on was already a luxury.
The two men lay quietly with their eyes closed, but neither of them fell asleep.
Jiang Chenyi felt the warmth emanating from the person beside him and couldn’t help but mutter in his heart: Thank goodness it’s not summer, or else being this close to Bell would definitely wake me up from the heat.
In the future, he absolutely wouldn’t share a bed with this person during summer!
And another thing… this person isn’t even human, so why is his body temperature so high? He remembered that Spirits were supposed to be attribute-less!
Amidst his wandering thoughts, Jiang Chenyi finally began to feel a hint of drowsiness.
But then, a loud explosion instantly jolted him awake.
Jiang Chenyi slammed his hand on the blanket and cursed with a string of colorful language.
"Who the hell woke me up! I’m going to blow them to pieces!"
This was the fifth time he had muttered about launching a missile…
Translator:
Just let Jiang Chenyi fire his missile 😂
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