Chapter 163: A Miao Of Cat Street
“I followed the address provided by the president and successfully contacted an organization in [Cat Street]. They have a black market merchant who can provide the various individual arms you need, known as ‘Cat Street’s A Miao’. They not only provide individual arms but also a large number of other illegal businesses. Because the content was too exaggerated, I was worried about encountering a scammer and didn’t confirm the negotiation intention right away, but instead chose to inquire about ‘A Miao’s’ information nearby.”
Yuan Zhu was puzzled: “How exaggerated? Isn’t it just a black market merchant?”
Zheng Hao tried hard to recall: “I didn’t meet A Miao in person, but in a [Cat House] bar, I met the other’s capable subordinate, who is also the bar boss. The other party was suspected of boasting and exaggerating, saying that the services [Cat Street] can provide cover: private arms customization, thermal weapon tactical training, border (coastline) smuggling, contraband smuggling, blasting mercenary services, counterfeiting, theft fencing, robbery and escape route planning and subsequent intelligence erasure services, anti-language blessing rituals, special types of alcoholic beverages, rare animal trafficking, private detectives… After you hear this, would you choose to believe it or suspect it?”
Yuan Zhu nodded without thinking: “The other party is lying!”
Zheng Hao nodded: “That’s what I thought at the time. So I didn’t rush into deep conversation, but instead investigated and inquired about [Cat Street]’s information through other channels.”
“Oh? Do you have other channels?”
“I was previously interested in ‘safe and stable’ [supernatural powers], so I actively joined the [Wish Association]. As a result, the main priest of [Old White Feather] had no real skills and relied entirely on evil sacrifices with no safety to please unknown evil spirits. The risk was too high, so I didn’t continue in depth. Besides the [Wish Association], I also investigated other secret organizations, but the levels and thresholds were too high for me to qualify to join. However, I got to know a very capable detective. I spent a small sum to hire this guy.”
Yuan Zhu: “Any results?”
Zheng Hao: “According to the investigation, this [Cat Street A Miao]’s reputation has always been very good, with extensive supernatural abilities and wild connections. She travels back and forth between [Taixi] and [Running] year-round, each time bringing back large amounts of contraband, and regularly holds internal black market transactions in the [bar]. Almost all the service projects boasted by that boss have been verified.”
“However, [Cat House] does not actively participate in robbery, kidnapping… and other criminal activities, but provides peripheral services. Including but not limited to: helping robbers plan escapes, preparing escape vehicles in advance, arranging ships. [Cat House]’s main business operations are concentrated in: contraband liquor sales, counterfeiting, fencing, intelligence investigation, smuggling, people smuggling, rare animal trading, arms… and other fields.”
Yuan: “So capable, and active between two cities, running business back and forth. Hasn’t she been targeted by the [Security Bureau]?”
Even an innocent sacrifice like himself would be caught by investigators and taken to the Security Bureau for testing. How could such a heavy offender who has done all kinds of bad things escape unscathed?
Zheng Hao: “A Miao is a very smart person who never personally participates in illegal actions, but commands from behind the scenes. At the same time, [Cat House]’s business sounds exaggerated and takes any order. But it acts very restrained, never crossing the line, and controls the business scope within three streets near [Cat Street], never expanding. [Cat House] sells contraband liquor, holds black markets regularly, and provides long-term and stable ‘fencing’ services, all without going beyond [Cat Street], but attracting people from other districts to consume here.”
“As for small-scale trade smuggling, arms deals, smuggling people across lines, arranging escape routes for some external gangs, erasing traces… these are A Miao’s unique skills. Many underground forces have tried to usurp or replace her business, or ambush and snipe in secret, but all ended in failure. Over time, everyone has tacitly accepted [Cat House]’s current status.”
Yuan Zhu: “So this [Cat House] has the ability to provide the goods I need, and the reputation is reliable.”
Zheng Hao affirmed: “That’s right. Afterwards, I went back to [Cat House] and revealed the need for a large batch of arms. The other side said they have the ability to take this business, but showed distrust towards me. In addition, that bar boss also said that ‘A Miao’ is not currently in Running, he has no authority to make decisions and must wait a week until A Miao returns to meet in person.”
Yuan Zhu: “You said that A Miao went to Taixi?”
“Yes, the other party is in Taixi picking up goods. It is said that a batch of near-sea smuggling supplies and a group of smugglers are about to arrive. In addition, the other party has several commissioned missions to execute.”
Yuan Zhu: Isn’t this just perfect? I also plan to go to Taixi for tourism tomorrow.
So he asked: “Then if I take the initiative to go to Taixi to talk, wouldn’t that show more sincerity?”
Zheng Hao quickly replied: “I’ve considered this point. [Cat House] said there is no problem. If you want to go to Taixi for a face-to-face meeting, you can directly go to District 16 and inquire about a company named [Lei Shen Industry]. A Miao has signed a long-term contract with this arms company and has a good relationship. As long as you make a meeting request to any salesperson, they can notify A Miao.”
“Going directly to Taixi for negotiation has another hidden benefit. [Lei Shen] is the arms source for Cat Street, an enterprise involved in arms and vehicle manufacturing. The bar boss boasted this to me and used [Lei Shen]’s name to gild himself, showing [Cat House]’s strength. A Miao is going to Taixi this time to pick up a batch of goods from [Lei Shen]. If you go in person, you can personally visit and experience this company’s products, and select the weapons and equipment you like on site.”
Hearing this, Yuan Zhu’s heart stirred. He could bring Meng Xiyue as an advisor to inspect the products together. The other party obviously understands better the needs and pain points of [Insect City] residents, and by the way, go chat and haggle prices.
Yuan Zhu suddenly said: “That’s not right! According to what you said, [Cat House] is actually [Lei Shen]’s illegal underground dealer in Running City, right? This [Lei Shen Industry] is in Taixi, so close to Running, why not come directly to sell?”
“I know a bit about this.”
Zheng Hao explained: “Compared to surrounding cities, our [Running] seems to have some special features, implementing a ‘strict entry, loose exit’ policy. Plus the city hall’s ‘local trade protection’ rules, prohibiting external companies from casually entering Running to do business, requiring applications and approvals.”
“Therefore, arms companies like [Lei Shen] cannot openly sell arms to Running. Although we are backward and poor here, we also have smooth politics and harmonious people, no reason to dump arms and increase social governance risks. It can only be people like A Miao who secretly transport the goods in through special means to sell. But strangely, the arms flowing out from [Cat Street] rarely appear on the market, as if they evaporate into thin air.”
Hearing this, Yuan Zhu’s face under the mask turned awkward. You actually have the nerve to say that this ghost place Running has smooth politics and harmonious people?
Sewer goblins are rampant, spatiotemporal turbulence appears frequently, midnight randomly spawns exotic creatures, large groups of rampaging gangs and hunting teams hunt freely, Misty Mountains wild animals overflow. Any residential area casually suppresses a [Disease Garden]. Who knows how many [gardens] this city hides? Suburban manors can casually stage ‘Pinduoduo group annihilation grand sacrifice’… He knows them like the back of his hand, after all, all personal experiences!
Especially today, he walked all the way from the residential area to the warehouse area, relying on the brand new mental perception boost (detect evil/pollution radar) brought by the [soul crystal], and scanned batch after batch of varying strong and weak ‘pollution energy signal sources’ along the street.
These signals are not the accumulation caused by ordinary people suffering pollution erosion year after year. But ordinary people actively accepting pollution source effects without professional guidance. They belong to the most primitive supernatural beings (demonic transformation) reserves.
The specific degree is like during the [Little Xihong Realm] period, he, Lu Rang, Mai Lili these ordinary citizens, being forcibly issued [uniforms] by the [Happy Home], subtly polluted state.
Initially contacting power of pollution, but these ‘pollution signals’ are far less stable than [uniforms], more like wild goblins that ate ‘diseased crops’, with huge hidden dangers.
In other words, the other side of politically smooth and harmonious Running City has at least 5% of the ordinary population, for different purposes, secretly and actively contacting different pollution roots.
Thinking of the holiday welfare quota of more than a dozen or twenty faiths per capita, any salesperson can casually join the [White Feather Wish Association], and the rat heads hanging on street corners are all ‘supernatural cameras’.
In such a terrible city, ordinary citizens being bewitched by ‘deities’ to contact the pollution system is reasonable.
After all, who doesn’t want to make a little money, find a capable girlfriend, make the body healthier, career smooth, children smarter… Thus falling into different ‘pollution traps’.
This way, Running can indeed be called politically smooth and harmonious. Because the pollution degree of potential ‘out-of-control’ ones is not high, already very restrained.
Small pollution for pleasure, big pollution leads to death. At worst, if it goes wrong, can still go to the hospital for holy light treatment and rescue in time.
Yuan Zhu: “You say [Running] has unique features, implementing strict entry loose exit policy?”
“Yeah, local people born in our Running can casually go to Taixi to do business, work, study, and return home without restrictions. Running’s enterprise factories receive policy protection from the city hall, signing many trade contracts with Taixi for direct shipment sales. But external enterprises wanting to invest in Running need dual approvals from Running and Taixi. Foreigners coming for tourism are not restricted.”
In Zheng Hao’s eyes, [Running] is like a little waste protected specially by [Taixi], lacking self-care ability, so specially giving large orders to maintain local enterprises’ vitality, not letting Running’s local little wastes compete fairly with other big enterprises in the federation.
At the same time, only a strong one like [Taixi] can unscrupulously release eliminated’s garbage capacity to [Running], undertake backward production lines, industrial garbage, heavy criminals, various dangerous discarded pollutants…
However, according to the intelligence revealed by the senior student, [Running] is an extremely special ‘spirit descent place’, with frequent spatiotemporal docking phenomena, thus firmly sealed and controlled by [Taixi]. Must be very valuable, not sharing with outsiders.
Only forces with approvals and backgrounds can settle, open laboratories (observation points) to jointly observe Running’s changes.
Yuan Zhu: “I need you to go to [Cat Street] again, demand a more detailed contact address from the other party. Tomorrow, I will personally go to Taixi to discuss in detail with that A Miao. Once everything is settled, you handle receiving the arms here, then store them in the warehouse here. When I have time, I will arrange someone to pick up the goods.”
Zheng Hao: “President, everything else is fine, I just worry if someone notices this batch of ‘arms’ and gets improper ideas. The power in my hands is hard to effectively resist.”
“Don’t they [Cat House] provide after-sales?”
“Once the goods change hands, they are no longer their responsibility.”
Looking at small fry human Zheng Hao, Yuan Zhu had no way to blame him. He does have many ‘shadow magic worms’ in hand, and even if he can plant ‘parasitic eggplant (goblin)’ in the warehouse, he can harvest a batch of ‘earthbound spirit eggplant goblin security guards’ that don’t eat or drink.
Unfortunately, he as the [New White Feather Cult Leader] is unwilling to link the [shadow system] with the church. Even if one day [New White Feather]’s alt is exposed, it will be bound to his [Holy Church identity].
Nothing more than a young holy cultivator craving wealth, not honestly joining the [Holy Church] for cultivation and preaching, but secretly using illegal society methods, using ‘holy light’ to bewitch mortals for wealth accumulation.
After a little thought, Yuan Zhu promised: “You don’t need to worry. After I settle things with that ‘Cat Street A Miao’, you don’t rush to pick up the goods here. Let [Cat House] keep them temporarily for a while. When I return from Taixi, I will help you enter the path. I said I won’t mistreat loyal subordinates, and you joined the [White Feather Wish Association] back then also to pursue safe and stable power, right?”
Hearing there is a chance to enter the path, Zheng Hao immediately got excited, eyes revealing desire for ‘supernatural transcendence’.
Thinking of the 5% weak pollution sources, and his predecessor also keen on contacting underground fighting circle, inquiring about supernatural power. He realized that local natives’ understanding and view of ‘power of pollution’ obviously differ greatly from Earthlings.
They don’t care about side effects at all, pursuing sufficiently safe, stable, promising ‘pollution systems’, long aware.
This life sold to whom isn’t selling? Even if not sold, can one live smoothly? People all die eventually, so might as well pick a good buyer, sell the soul for ‘power of pollution’.
Ordinary people have more than a dozen faith quotas a year, isn’t it shopping around. At the same time waiting for some ‘deity’ to favor, grant blessing (pollution).
Zheng Hao at this moment didn’t expect that just by buying a haunted house for the other party, ordering a batch of goods, contacting other members to gather and pile up supplies, he got the unattainable ‘supernatural’ opportunity.
Immediately incredulous: “Can I?”
“Starting tomorrow, you can ask your detective friend about the contents of different [supernatural systems]. As long as you perform well, I can provide [Sword Immortal, Knowledge School, Path of Strength, Holy Light, Shadow School] total five different powers. In addition, if you want to embrace [Law], I also have connections to introduce.”
Hearing five paths optional, Zheng Hao immediately thrilled and excited. [Law] of course he has heard of, not choosing! That [Path of Strength] he seems to have heard of, very hard, backup!
[Holy Light, Sword Immortal], one world-famous, globally popular; one high B-grade, closely related to military. Both top choices!
As for [Knowledge School, Shadow School], completely unheard of, but shouldn’t be bad. Must inquire well, then decide.
Yuan Zhu saw the other party distracted, so reminded: “Don’t worry, the paths I offer (except [Shadow]), every one is safe legal system that can withstand [Security Bureau] testing!”
Among the six paths, [Law] has the lowest threshold, contact Zhou Chu to come to Running for vacation, can help her pull a lost lamb.
Choose [Wisdom School] directly send Meng Xiyue, give her an experimental subject, as witness of each other’s friendship.
Want to be [Sword Immortal]? Directly buy a [Blessing of the Sword] from the [exchange list], then enjoy ‘pain entry’!
[Path of Strength] even cheaper and cost-effective, [Body Tempering Fluid + Blood Tomato + Pill], guaranteed entry-level.
Actually among these many paths, the strongest potential is still [Shadow School]. After his [Three Phases + Anti-Law], he can do [shadow lending], helping the other become true supernatural in safer controllable way.
With high-ranking [Anti-Law Demon God] escort, the pollution erosion borne will drop sharply, safety soars. From here also see benefits of Holy Light system paying homage to a mountain head.
He himself can shelter contractee through [Anti-Law], how high can the more powerful [Tai Huang Dao Master] escort him?
“President, wait a moment, I’ll go to [Cat House] right now!”
