Ava had never seen
anyone
spend money like Lucas Bai.
Or in this case—
tokens.
The
Token System
wasn't officially rolled out yet. But in the
underground trade scene?
It was already
spreading.
Lucas was treating it like law.
The Black Market was
louder
today.
Word had spread—Lucas Bai was
buying.
And when Lucas Bai
bought
, he didn't
haggle
like a scavenger.
He dominated.
They moved through the
chaos
, past stalls stacked high with
weapon mods, stolen rations, and pre-collapse luxuries
that should've been extinct by now.
Lucas walked like he
owned
the place.
And honestly?
He might as well have.
William shadowed them, scanning
every corner
like he expected a blade to come flying out of nowhere.
Ava?
She kept her focus on Lucas.
Because
this
was something new.
Lucas wasn't just
spending.
He was
controlling.
Every vendor he stopped at, every deal he made—
it was deliberate.
Not just for the goods.
Not just for power.
For influence.
Every move was intentional. Lucas
stopped
at a weapons stall, eyeing a
set of reinforced gauntlets.
Ava immediately
scanned them.
[ITEM: TITAN MK-II GAUNTLETS]
[MATERIAL: ALLOY – UNKNOWN SOURCE]
[FUNCTION: ENHANCED IMPACT + GRIP LOCK]
[STATUS: SLIGHTLY DAMAGED]
Lucas tapped the metal.
"Repairs?"
The vendor, a
grizzled ex-soldier
, rubbed his jaw.
"Pricey."
Lucas tossed a
gold-marked token
onto the table.
"And now?"
The vendor's eyes
widened.
"That's military grade."
Lucas smiled, easy.
"So are the gauntlets."
Ava watched as the man
caved in seconds.
One token, and Lucas just
bought himself an ally.
A few stalls later, Lucas
stopped
again.
This time?
An info broker.
Ava recognized him—
Jin Lao.
Scarred hands. Cybernetic eye. A man who only sold information that was worth killing for.
Lucas didn't bother with small talk. He tossed a
stack of tokens
onto the counter.
"Tell me about General Zhao's latest bunker orders."
Jin's
smile
turned razor-sharp.
"Dangerous request, Bai."
Lucas's
golden eyes gleamed.
"So is keeping secrets from me."
Ava exhaled
slowly.
Jin
laughed.
But he took the tokens.
And when he leaned in, whispering
classified military movements
, Ava knew—
This wasn't just a shopping spree.
Lucas Bai was
playing a bigger game.
The cycle repeated.
Ava was mentally cataloging their haul when Lucas suddenly
veered off course.
She blinked.
"Where are you—"
Then she saw it.
A
stall filled with old-world tech.
Not weapons. Not armor.
Blueprints.
Her heart
skipped.
Lucas barely glanced at the seller.
"The entire crate."
The vendor hesitated.
"That's—"
Lucas flicked
five
high-grade tokens onto the counter.
"I said, the entire crate."
The man swallowed, nodded.
Lucas handed it off to William
without a word
and turned to Ava.
"Happy?"
Ava stared at him.
"You—"
She shut her mouth, exhaled.
"You spent an obscene amount of money on something for me."
Lucas smirked.
"I did. Shall I remind you of our deal, Beauty?"
Ava rolled her eyes,
but her fingers tightened on the crate.
He didn't have to do it.
But he
did.
And
that
was more dangerous than anything he'd bought today.
"You're making waves," Ava muttered as she followed him through the hub.
Lucas smirked. "Making
progress
, Beauty."
Ava scoffed. "More like making yourself a target."
Lucas stopped at another vendor, examining
high-tier weapon mods
like he was casually browsing a market stall. "People don't target the smart ones, Beauty. They
follow
them."
Ava crossed her arms. "You sure about that?"
Lucas's golden eyes flickered with amusement. "Not at all. That's what makes it fun."
Ava muttered a curse under her breath.
William Zhou, silent as ever, carried the previous purchases with
zero
complaints.
Energy cells, encryption keys, modified fuel rods, filtered water units, medical injectors—
Lucas Bai was
stockpiling.
And Ava had a sinking feeling
why.
Every time he made a trade,
he used them.
Every time a seller hesitated—
he made sure they accepted.
Ava clenched her jaw. "You're
manipulating the market.
"
Lucas's smirk widened. "Now you get it."
Ava exhaled sharply. "You realize the military is going to
notice
this, right?"
Lucas shrugged. "That's the point."
Ava blinked.
The hell was that supposed to mean?
But before she could
demand
an explanation, Lucas was already moving again—
flashing tokens, sealing deals, changing the game.
And
Ava had a feeling the world was about to catch up.
Ava had
exactly two
priorities when it came to trading—
efficiency and survival.
Lucas?
He had
none.
Because the moment they hit the vendor stalls,
he started picking things at random.
"This," Lucas said, grabbing a high-caliber sniper scope.
"Ten cells," the vendor responded.
Lucas tossed the required
energy cells
onto the counter without blinking.
Ava barely contained her
frustration.
"Bai. At least
negotiate.
"
Lucas smirked. "Beauty, I don't
negotiate.
I
buy.
"
Ava sighed through her nose.
Of course he did.
Meanwhile,
she
had no interest in fancy, overpriced
weapons.
She went for
broken tech.
Disassembled terminals. Glitching interfaces.
Security locks missing their internal drivers.
Stuff
nobody else wanted
because they didn't know how to fix it.
Ava picked up a malfunctioning
biometric lock
, turning it over in her hands.
The vendor raised an eyebrow. "That thing's fried. Not worth your time."
Ava ignored him, pulling up her
Blueprint System.
[LOCK ANALYSIS...]
[BIOMETRIC MODEL: X-7]
[STATUS: CORRUPTED – 72% REPAIRABLE]
[RECOMMENDED ACTION: INTERNAL RECALIBRATION]
Perfect.
"How much?" she asked.
"Five cells," the vendor scoffed. "Not that you can even use it."
Ava tossed the required energy cells on the counter and grabbed the lock before he could change his mind.
Lucas watched her, golden eyes glinting. "Buying junk again, Beauty?"
Ava shot him a
look.
"You just bought a sniper scope when you don't even
use
snipers."
Lucas smiled. "Details."
Ava muttered a
very
impolite word under her breath.
And then—
She saw him.
A
familiar face.
Jessica Tang.
Her stomach
dropped.
The last time Ava had seen Jessica was
four weeks ago
—when she had tried to steal from her.
And now?
Jessica was standing across the trade floor, talking to
military personnel.
Ava
froze.
Lucas
noticed immediately.
His golden eyes flickered, following her gaze. When he saw Jessica, his entire expression shifted.
"Friend of yours?" Lucas murmured, voice too casual.
Ava clenched her jaw. "Used to be."
Lucas tilted his head. "She the kind to hold grudges?"
Ava
exhaled slowly.
"She's the kind to sell information."
Lucas's smirk faded.
"That's inconvenient," he murmured.
And then—
Jessica turned.
Her gaze landed on Ava.
And she
smiled.
Not friendly.
Not surprised.
Satisfied.
Ava's blood
ran cold.
Lucas shifted slightly, stepping closer to her side.
William Zhou was already moving.
Jessica turned back to the military officers. Said something.
One of them
nodded.
And just like that—
Ava had a problem.
"Beauty," Lucas murmured, voice low. "I think it's time we leave."
Ava was already
moving.