Move Forward (The Card Player) Chapter Thirty-Six: The Players’ Market

As expected, the players' marketplace was indeed located near the Cocoon Corporation.

Because he was too weak himself, Wu Hui put away his glasses; he didn't want to risk being injured or provoke an attack from one of the top players.

"Why does this place feel just like a vegetable market..." Li Xiaojing glanced at the crowd of hawkers setting up stalls everywhere, the few shops scattered among them, and listened to the constant cries of vendors and the haggling. The sense of déjà vu hit her hard.

Wu Hui replied, "Because it's similar in nature to a vegetable market. People come here to pick and choose, though there are fewer people than at a real market."

Although there were hundreds of thousands of players, and Evergreen City was a hub for many of them, the location of this market was rather discreet—not everyone knew about it.

The marketplace was mainly controlled by the Cocoon Corporation, or more accurately, the Butterfly Organization. Here, dishonesty in business could literally cost you your life.

Cocoon Corporation had also assigned dedicated personnel to purchase various props and supplies. Many of these staff were level five players who no longer wished to play the game, earning points by working here. It could be said that before level five was just the novice phase; only after reaching level five did one truly enter the game.

"Bullets...firearms, grenades...these are crucial in the early stages. And substitute dolls, healing crystals," Wu Hui wandered around and found the items surprisingly comprehensive. Many must have been supplied directly by the Butterfly Organization, exchanged for points and maintained to keep the market thriving.

The most profitable venture is always running the platform.

Li Xiaojing bought a pistol and several magazines here, as did Ren Yin. They planned to practice at a shooting range not far from the market later—no points required, just cash.

This was just an ordinary market; nobody approached them for a chat or to stir up trouble.

Wu Hui only bought some bullets; he found nothing else suitable. Either it was too expensive or not particularly helpful to him. Indeed, there weren't many props appropriate for this level; he could probably get better things from his sister later.

Instead, Li Xiaoyue bought a pocket watch that could help enhance her mental control abilities.

"What's wrong, young man? Didn't find anything you liked?" A matronly woman, who looked at least in her forties, suddenly poked her head out from a nearby stall. "Why not take a look here?"

"Alright," Wu Hui was hoping to encounter a high-level player offloading items they no longer needed after an upgrade—that would be the best value for money. Of course, if he went back and relied on Wu Tong, none of this would be an issue.

But a man must stand on his own feet. Wu Hui wasn't keen on being a kept man. It was one thing for his sister to pay his tuition, but enjoying her blessing in the game while also having her supply props would inevitably affect her own resources.

Points were the lifeblood of every player. Even though his sister, as a high-level player, had plenty to spare, Wu Hui would never ask for them lightly.

Whatever she could give him, she certainly would. The game most likely imposed restrictions on gifting and taking care of others, though he didn't know how strict the limits were.

"I have a lot of beginner items consigned here by someone who just reached level five. Come take a look." The woman, or rather, the shopkeeper, opened a drawer filled with miscellaneous objects. Wu Hui put on his glasses and began sifting through them for anything he needed.

She was about to introduce the items, but seeing Wu Hui could directly discern their attributes, she decided not to say more.

"Nightmare Chess Piece: Black Knight

Consumes one intelligent life as a sacrifice to summon a Black Knight to fight for you on the field."

It was a chess piece styled like a knight, its head shaped accordingly, but it lacked specific attributes. Theoretically, it shouldn't be bad, since it required a sacrifice—though he wasn't sure how that process worked.

"Book of Life

Activates a healing aura, restoring health to everyone within it. Cooldown: thirty minutes."

A green book. It didn't specify how much health was restored and seemed indiscriminate, affecting friend and foe alike. Still, it could save lives.

"Dream Fuel

Can provide energy to any item that needs it—vehicles, appliances, torches, etc. Remaining energy: twelve kilowatt-hours."

A dark, shadowy mass, seemingly quite useful.

"How much for these three?"

"The chess piece is eight hundred, the Book of Life six hundred, and the Dream Fuel three hundred. If you buy them all, I can give you a bit of a discount," the shopkeeper yawned.

Wu Hui pondered for a moment and decided to bargain, "I'll take them for one thousand."

"Young man, it's similar, but you can't treat this like a real market—cutting the price in half isn't going to work." The shopkeeper was a businesswoman, not offended, and leisurely began negotiating with Wu Hui.

"Is that so...then I can add three hundred thousand cash (one point exchanges for a thousand cash)," Wu Hui tried a monetary tactic and pointed out the flaws in the first two items.

"We players have to exchange cash for points at a rate of at least one thousand five hundred per point. Your three hundred thousand is worth at most two hundred points—not enough," the shopkeeper disagreed.

"My companions can each pick two items as well."

"Add more points. One thousand is too little; I just get a commission and still need to pay the consignor."

"I only have nine hundred and fifty points—I'll have to borrow fifty more," Wu Hui tried to sound tough, though his face remained expressionless.

After much haggling, he finally succeeded. Ren Yin and the others also bought a few things.

One thousand points, equivalent to about a million in cash—a significant sum for anyone. Who knew where this money came from, or if it would cause inflation.

He also paid three hundred thousand in cash—though it was a transfer, not physical bills. Nowadays, carrying hundreds of thousands around meant you were smuggling arms or drugs.

Wu Hui didn't blink. Meanwhile, Li Xiaoyue and Li Xiaojing, realizing the value of points, began to regret their purchases.

"Nothing is more valuable than life. The remaining points can be traded with other wealthy players for relaxation and enjoyment," Ren Yin adjusted her glasses, advising the two, "But don't be wasteful."

"Wealthy players..." The sisters turned in unison to look at Wu Hui.

He did have plenty of money in his account, courtesy of regular transfers from Wu Tong. Apparently, his sister feared he might die and lose his source of income, so she kept sending him money.

He was touched, but with their relationship, words weren't necessary. All he could do was grow stronger in the game and support her in turn.

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