"Thank you!" Chu Tian clasped his hands and bowed, then retrieved the beast skin bag. "I'll go out for a while. When should I come back?"
"Well..." the examination official looked at his manual. "You can come back within today. Tomorrow, we'll report to the headquarters of the Mercenary Guild."
"Alright, I understand," Chu Tian nodded. "I'll be back today."
"Good, take care, sir," the examination official said respectfully and made a polite gesture.
Chu Tian walked out of the temporary warehouse used for the assessment without looking back.
Meanwhile, the girl in the red dress had been observing him curiously for a while. After some contemplation and seeing that people were gradually leaving the assessment area, she also left.
On the other side, Chu Tian followed the signs to the Freelancer Mercenary Alliance Free Trade Center.
Although it was called a trade center, it was essentially a black market.
Getting cheated, extorted, or scammed was common here, and Chu Tian had heard plenty of negative stories about this place during the journey. Therefore, he was very cautious about his disguise.
First, he changed his tattered clothes and washed himself thoroughly in the nearby river. Then, he put on a clean white suit he had brought from home. He added some makeup to his face, wore red contact lenses, put on a golden wig, and controlled his vocal cords to sound more gender-neutral.
With these adjustments, he achieved a perfect androgynous appearance.
Chu Tian was satisfied with the result. He cleared his throat, producing a voice that even he couldn't tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman. Then he looked at his reflection in the river: golden shoulder-length hair, red pupils, a pale face, slender neck, and a lean figure.
With white gloves added to the ensemble, he had created a flawless androgynous image.
Chu Tian confidently walked toward the black market, attempting to appear curious but restrained.
As he approached the black market, someone had already noticed him from afar.
This person scrutinized Chu Tian from head to toe and then hurriedly ran off.
"Boss, someone who looks like a wealthy young girl is coming this way. Seems like they're here for a look around," the person entered a shop and whispered in the ear of a charming woman.
"Are you sure?" the woman, referred to as the boss, hesitated for a moment. Then she asked nonchalantly.
"80%... No, 90% certain."
"Got it. Go back to work," the boss waved her hand as if unconcerned and stood up from her high-backed chair. She took out a mirror and began decorating her face.
At this time, Chu Tian had arrived at the streets of the black market.
To his surprise, the doors of several shops on the street were tightly shut. It seemed like they were not welcoming customers at all. The streets were empty, and it felt like he had entered a dead end.
The last shop with an open door was already the ninth one he had passed.
Chu Tian walked toward that shop in a daze. Before he could reach the door, a mature and reliable-looking lady came out.
She looked Chu Tian up and down with a surprised expression. She first carefully examined him, then asked in confusion, "What is a young lady like you doing here?"
Chu Tian was about to reply when the mature and reliable lady took his hand. "Come inside and talk. It's not very safe outside now."
Chu Tian was led inside the shop without any resistance, but the array of goods inside made him unsure of where to look.
"Just take a look around. We have everything you want, whether it's shiny crystals or cute pets. We've got it all here," the mature and reliable lady said.
"Um..."
"Don't be so shy. Everyone's a guest here. Even if you don't buy anything, it's okay. Take your time to look around and broaden your horizons," the lady advised, seeming not to care.
As Chu Tian looked around, he couldn't help but notice the wide variety of items in the shop. Besides the shiny crystals and cute pets mentioned by the shopkeeper, he also saw a range of weapons: from old-fashioned flintlock rifles to new-age laser swords, from 5.8mm handgun bullets to massive 460mm battleship shells.
Chu Tian was bewildered as he stared at a particularly oversized shell. No matter how hard he tried to figure it out, he couldn't fathom why such items would be found here.
"Oh, a girl interested in these things?" the shopkeeper, noticing Chu Tian's pause, remarked with surprise. At the same time, she glanced at the glass flower they had prepared and walked a few steps closer, almost reaching the designated spot.
Once she reached that spot, a mechanism would trigger, causing the glass flower to fall. Then, if the young lady panicked, they would have an opportunity to take her money. The shopkeeper was contemplating this scheme in her mind while subtly urging, "What's so interesting about these? Let's go to the front. There's a crystal-made flower there, our prized possession!"
"No, thanks," Chu Tian waved his hand. Due to his altered vocal cords, his voice sounded somewhat high-pitched, with a hint of femininity. "Actually, I'm here to help my brother choose combat attire!"
"Oh?" The shopkeeper looked somewhat surprised as she observed Chu Tian, then asked, "So, have you picked one you like?"
"Well..." Chu Tian pretended to be in distress.
Seeing this expression, the shopkeeper could tell what was going on. She removed the outermost camouflage combat suit from the rack and said, "How about this one? It's made from the softest yet most resilient belly skin of the Ironhide Lizard. It's not only comfortable to wear but also provides good defense!"
"Wow!" In the shopkeeper's eyes, Chu Tian's eyes suddenly lit up. He touched the combat suit in his hands, showing that he was quite fond of it. Just when the shopkeeper thought the sale was about to happen, Chu Tian spoke again.
"Ironhide Lizard, huh? My brother said this beast seems quite powerful. He sold the skin he peeled off to you last time for a very high price!"
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, her heart sinking. Could it be the super troublesome C-ranked mercenary from last time?
"Oh, haha... yes, yes. Last time, he brought in some goods with excellent quality, very few damages. They sold for quite a high price," the shopkeeper muttered, secretly cursing the troublemaker. She couldn't afford to offend him!
Seeing the subtle change in the shopkeeper's expression, Chu Tian couldn't help but smile inwardly. This transaction was sealed.