At midnight, the streets were utterly silent. The low-rise houses cast eerie shadows under the starlight, sending chills down Guo Youning's spine.
When setting the meeting time, she had only considered the advantage of darkness for clandestine activities, emboldened by the security of her space ability.
It never occurred to her that this era wouldn't even have street lights. Fortunately, the clear weather allowed faint visibility by starlight, and the destination wasn't far.
In her left hand, she carried a cloth-covered solar flashlight to light the way, while her right hand gripped an electric baton for courage.
She didn't dare use full brightness, fearing patrol officers might spot her and arrest her as a spy.
Fifteen minutes later, she reached the small forest unscathed despite some nervous moments. Calming her breathing, she scanned the surroundings but found nothing suspicious.
She had deliberately arrived half an hour early, worried that Old Wang's group might arrive first and make it inconvenient to retrieve items from her space.
Guo Youning advanced cautiously into the woods, using the flashlight to illuminate the path and the electric baton to clear the way.
Suddenly, a dark shadow darted out! She clamped a hand over her mouth, feeling her heart nearly stop!
Damn it! Just as she was about to retreat into her space, the flashlight beam swept over the fleeting shadow of a wild cat – a false alarm.
Regret! Deep regret! What was a young girl like her trying to prove, playing the hero in the dead of night…
Steeling her nerves, she ventured deeper and found a bramble-filled spot. Removing the cloth from her flashlight, she scanned the area once more. Detecting no abnormalities, she finally transferred the goods from her space.
Then she hid in her space, originally planning to wait in the woods since the contact person should arrive soon.
But the dancing tree shadows, chirping insects, and occasional mournful wind howls made the forest too terrifying. She didn't dare stay outside for even a second longer.
Goddammit, this money wasn't easy to earn! Even if she were dying of poverty, she'd never conduct nighttime outdoor transactions again.
Guo Youning had been in her space for less than five minutes when she faintly heard the sound of a truck.
Wow, this Old Wang was really impressive – he could even dispatch trucks!
Moments later, rustling footsteps accompanied by a cuckoo call signal announced the arrival of her contacts.
Emerging from her space, she hid in the shadows and observed quietly. Wang Li had brought Uncle Mengzi and Xiao Liuzi, carrying numerous packages while peering around the forest.
Recognizing all the familiar faces and assuming no danger, she signaled them by waving her flashlight. Soon both parties met up.
Wang Li, seeing her alone in the deep night guarding a pile of goods, showed admiration on his face and gave her a thumbs-up. "Quite the brave lady, coming solo to this meeting!"
Guo Youning shot him a sidelong glance. "Do you think I could have moved all this alone? My friends just prefer to remain unseen. Let's hurry with the transaction – don't cut into sleep time. More sleep might help me grow taller."
This was Wang Li's first time encountering such a daring girl. Instead of worrying about being robbed, she was concerned about her height – truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. Fortunately, she had met decent people like himself.
This girl was too interesting – he genuinely wanted to get to know her better!
He grinned roguishly. "Alright, for the sake of your height, we'll proceed immediately. The sacks contain everything on your list – go ahead and inspect them."
Turning to his two subordinates, he said: "Mengzi, Xiao Liuzi, I'll verify the goods. You two load them onto the truck carefully – they're all treasures, so handle them with care."
After inspecting the goods, Wang Li handed her a thick stack of banknotes. "3,400 yuan in cash, count it first. The items on the list were discounted by 190 yuan, and the remaining 4,000 yuan will be covered with Old Items."
Guo Youning's eyes lit up. She happily took the money, counted it quickly, confirmed the amount was correct, and excitedly stuffed it into her satchel—though in reality, she stored it in her space.
She smiled and said, "It's correct. Old Wang is truly trustworthy! What about the Old Items?"
Wang Li pulled out a cloth bag from behind him and opened it under the beam of Guo Youning's flashlight, showing her the contents.
She carefully examined the tightly wrapped items: two pairs of translucent white jade bracelets, two pairs of gold bracelets, four gold hairpins inlaid with gemstones, an antique Hui inkstone, two exquisite small blue-and-white porcelain vases, and four small yellow gold bars.
She wasn't an expert in appraisal, but the small yellow gold bars were unquestionably genuine, and the other items looked authentic as well, bearing a distinct vintage charm. In this era of "Destroy the Four Olds," it was unlikely anyone would go to the trouble of creating counterfeits.
Seeing her gaze fixed intently on the Old Items, Wang Li couldn't help but speak up, "Don't worry, these are all carefully selected treasures. If there's any issue, you can exchange them anytime. I'm counting on future collaborations—I would never cheat you."
Guo Youning trusted him and her own instincts. She switched into business-praise mode, "Old Wang's reputation is well-known. It's an honor to trade with you, and I have full confidence in you. Pleasure doing business!"
As she spoke, she naturally extended her right hand. Wang Li was momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered, smiling as he reached out and gave her hand a light shake.
Most people who did business in the Black market were rough characters or desperadoes—handshakes were rarely used. His interest in Guo Youning grew another notch.
With the transaction completed, Wang Li glanced around and, seeing no one coming to assist her, considered the several sacks of goods on the ground.
He politely asked, "Miss, do you need me to escort you? And how should we get in touch if you want to continue trading in the future?"
Guo Youning waved her hand, "Thank you, Old Wang, but no need. Our people will show up as soon as you leave. I might not be able to trade for a while—my friend is leaving Beijing for some time. You know how hard it is to get these goods. When I have stock, I'll reach out to you."
"Alright, be sure to come to me if you have good goods. First time strangers, second time friends—I'll never shortchange you. We'll take our leave now. Until we meet again!"
After saying this, Wang Li even performed a traditional fist-and-palm salute.
Guo Youning returned the gesture, "Until we meet again!"
In an instant, she was alone in the woods again. She counted the newly acquired 3,400 yuan once more. Combined with the 5,000 yuan already in her space, she now had over 8,000 yuan in cash.
With this money, she could be considered quite wealthy.
Just then, the sound of the truck driving away reached her. After confirming no one was around, she stored everything in her space.
Feeling her way back along the original route, whether it was the excitement of making money or having adapted to the unlit environment, Guo Youning found she wasn't afraid anymore.
Checking the time, she realized she had been away from the hospital for an hour. If her mother woke up and couldn't find her, it would be trouble.
She quickened her pace on the return journey. To save five minutes, she decided to take a shortcut—truly bold for someone without any special skills.
Walking through the narrow alleyways, she felt a twinge of fear, but excitement dominated as she remained immersed in the joy of her successful transaction.
Suddenly, from a courtyard on the right side of the alley, came the sound of gunshots, fighting, shouting, and the thud of heavy objects falling…
She jumped in fright. A dark and windy night—perfect for murder and arson? Had she stumbled upon something serious through sheer bad luck?
This was not something she could get involved in. She only had one life—better hide quickly!
At that moment, with a "thud," a leather bag was thrown over the three-meter-high wall on the right, landing right at her feet.
Reflexively picking it up, she slipped into the space along with the object.
Back in the space, her heart was still pounding wildly.
Guo Youning had no time to attend to the bag at the moment. Setting it down on the ground, she stared intently outside through the space.