《Black Market Merchant》Chapter 19: Contents
Advertisement
Lisa unlocked the key lock to her darkly polished wood coffin. The lock was inlayed smoothly into the wood, allowing the coffins surface to remain sleek. She had the key tied around her neck on a small but strong metal chain, along with her military dog tags.
The shop owner noticed the tags and gestured towards them. "So, miss, you're a former soldier I assume?"
"Yes, I used to be. But that was many, many years ago." Lisa replied indifferently while glancing up at him. She tucked the tags and key back under her shirt as the shopkeeper continued the conversation.
"Oh please." The aging owner said giving a small smile. "You look so young; it couldn't have been all that long ago. You still look quite young."
Lisa chuckled softly and opened the lid revealing its contents. "Looks can be deceiving."
Hanna stood on her tiptoes to curiously peer over Lisa's shoulder. The inside of the coffin and its contents surprised her. She had imagined some kind of mummy or creepy artifact hidden inside. Yet it was far simpler than what she expected.
The coffin indeed was made of simple dark polished plywood, but its insides were lined with some kind of darkly colored metal. Hanna wondered how Lisa could manage to hold up something so heavy. Ignoring this discovery for the moment, she then eagerly looked at the other things inside. It was also far more organized than she had expected.
The inside of the coffin was separated into several smaller compartments like a bookshelf. At the very top portion were four rolls of toilet paper, triple-ply. Then below the toilet paper were two slightly larger compartments that were half filled with MREs. Both items were also super rare here in town. Hanna knew that Lisa had come from Salt Lake City, but she didn't anticipate that she was still this well off.
The next three compartments, below the MREs, were in the middle of the coffin and were much larger. The one on the left had a clear lid with various electrical wires and various tech parts piled in mass inside. The center compartment had some changes of clothing and a large box of matches on top. All of which was strapped down for travel convenience. The compartment on the right had soaps, perfume, and other grown up lady necessities in it. Just like the left side, this too had a clear lid covering.
Then Hanna watched Lisa as she fiddled with a locked safe, it was located on the bottom right of the last two equally sized compartments. There were also two ammo boxes stacked and wedged above it. The words on the ammo boxes were to large, faded and confusing for Hanna to read so she ignored them.
The last remaining compartment, on the left, surprised Hanna yet again. There were three guns and what looked like two others that were disassembled but bundled together. Two of them were black ones Hanna had never seen before, while the other was a .45 caliber pistol. The exact brand she had no clue. As for the two disassembled guns she couldn't distinguish what they were, but even she knew that they had to be huge based solely on their barrel sizes. Lastly, among those guns was a large medical supply of practically everything imaginable. From bandages and cotton swabs to a small cardiac defibrillator and cauterizing tool.
Advertisement
Just then Lisa opened the safes combination lock. Inside, Hanna could see many shiny objects, but there was too much paper money inside. Which ultimately obscured what they really were. There was so much that Hanna couldn't believe her eyes!
"How rich is Lisa?! There's more money here than I've ever seen!" Hanna thought in awe.
There was one thing out of place inside that safe. It was a large satellite phone. Though judging from its dark screen, it was unpowered.
Lisa's hand shifted through the money and she pulled out an expensive looking watch. Then she closed the safe and locked it. Next, she held the watch up to her ear. The tiny tic-tock sounds of the gears running inside proved it still worked. She held out the watch to the shop owner who took it and observed it closely.
"My, my." The shop owner said as he turned the watch over in his hands. "This is actually of particularly good quality. Though it will be difficult for me to resell, just as it is equally as difficult to sell the .50 caliber ammunition. So, I'll accept the watch for just this one box."
Lisa smiled. "Glad to hear it. By the way, may I ask, what is for all the secrecy? Is there any reason to be so cautious?"
"Naturally, this should not be a very difficult question to answer. Yet I cannot tell you for free." The owner said closing the lid to the ammo box and sliding it across the counter to Lisa. She grabbed it and put the ammo box into the last open space on the bottom of the coffin and closed the door. It automatically locked with an audible click upon closing.
"Oh, I think I do already know, but what's the harm in knowing the specifics." Lisa said effortlessly shouldering the coffin once again. "Consider this intel to be an investment. You tell me and I become a new customer for you in, how shall I say, more troublesome items?"
"Hmm, very well. Sales have been low." The owner mumbled thinking it over. "The Mad Dog gang declares that anyone that has guns or ammunition will be killed and the items will be property taken from them. Of course, this caused people to resist, but the gang was smarter than most suspected. They first decided to do this when they controlled only a small area. Then before taking over an area, they scouted potential new members that had such weapons or just the potential to join them. Then after they got them or learned where their opposition was, did they then take over and declare their rule."
"Very interesting." Lisa said thinking about this intel. Thinking to herself, "Simple gangsters couldn't have thought up something as cunning as this. They might either have an outside backer or the leader actually is smarter than I guessed." Then turning to go, she called over her shoulder, "Thank you very much Mr.…?"
Advertisement
"My name is Tyler Nakamura." The owner replied curtly back.
Lisa opened the front door for Hanna to exit first. "Well then Mr. Nakamura, thank you for your help. I will see you again sometime soon. I hope that I will have things worth trading to you sometime." Lisa said before walking out of the shop.
Once back outside, Lisa adjusted the coffins straps on her shoulders and looked down at little Hanna. "Well that was fun!" Lisa said with a small gleam in her grey eyes.
"I guess." Hanna replied casually. "We just bought bullets."
"Oh no, we did a bit more than that. This is one of the reasons I decided to let you come with me. Other than finally getting you out the house." Lisa said smiling at the little girl and taking a step down the road. "The real reason was to teach you about gathering intelligence. If you are going to get your revenge, you must first know your enemy. You're not very big or strong and with no special skills at the moment. So, gathering intelligence is the best thing for you to learn right now."
Hanna perked up hearing this. She quickened her steps to keep up with Lisa. "What do you mean?" Hanna asked.
"Simple." Lisa replied and started to explain. "We knew before who our enemies were. The Mad Dog gangsters and especially their boss. Just from getting the ammo, we found out that the gangsters are not only equipped with lots of guns, but lots of people, too. Also, that they are apparently rather careful. So, we can't just rush into the enemy's base and start fighting."
Hanna nodded thinking the information over. Lisa turned to walk back towards the way they had come, and Hanna followed closely behind. They soon got to the road where the big puddle was without much trouble. When they were halfway across, from the opposite side of the puddle, Lisa saw a familiar face entering the intersection. It was Jerry.
He wasn't alone either. There were four other guys with him. Like Vance, from their first fight, two of the men were just as big. Clearly, they were also Match Fighters. A sudden thought popped into Lisa's mind. "How were these guys so big and strong? Clearly their size was far larger than one could get from natural weightlifting. So, what tricks did they use?"
Lisa and Hanna were just a few meters from the end of the puddle, when Jerry noticed Lisa, thanks to her easy to spot coffin. He pointed to her and excitedly talked to the men with him.
"This isn't good." Lisa thought. "Alone this situation wouldn't be any issue, but I have Hanna now. I can't act rashly."
"Jackson, that's her! That's Queen." Jerry was nearly jumping in excitement saying this. The two fighters immediately tensed up hearing this. Jerry must have warned them that Queen was actually a dangerous opponent.
"I thought you were joking when you said she carried a big coffin on her back." Jackson said looking her way.
Now that Lisa could see who Jackson was, she was intrigued by his appearance. He looked nothing like a typical gangster. He wore a nice black suite and red tie; his shoes were polished and his black hair, with a white strip coming from his bangs, was combed over neatly. He even had a handkerchief tucked neatly in his front pocket.
The other man next to him, however, did look the part. He had a long white T-shirt, two sizes too big, sagging jean shorts and sun glass that looked like they were holding up his afro. In his hands was the modern example of the AK47, the AK97. Over his shoulder was strung a long chain of bullets. He had to be a personal bodyguard for Jackson.
Lisa sighed and stopped moving. Hanna nearly bumped into Lisa when she did and almost fell into the puddle. Luckily, she grabbed hold of the coffin and peaked around it to see what had happened.
"Who are they?" Hanna asked timidly.
"Trouble." Lisa replied quietly. "If they start shooting, jump behind my coffin. Immediately run home as fast as you can if I can't stop them."
Hanna looked afraid, but nodded and continued cling to the coffin.
"Well hello, Miss Queen." Jackson called out to Lisa. "I know you intended to meet with us tomorrow, but I couldn't wait that long, so we we're coming early. I hope this won't be an inconvenience to you." His voice was calm and sounded much younger than Lisa expected.
Lisa smiled showing she wasn't afraid. "Not at all. I only told Jerry that to give you guys time."
"Thank you for the consideration." Jackson replied. "Now, shall we get to the point? What do you want with my boss?"
Advertisement
- In Serial425 Chapters
Rise
Su Xue, a woman in her mid 20s, is struggling both in paying rent and finding her path in life. Her latest stint has her trying to become a popular League of Legends streamer, though to poor results. One day, she is interrupted in the middle of a livestream by a surprise visit from her landlady. She is informed that she will be having a new roommate. The landlady’s nephew, Lin Feng, a 18 year old boy who has just transferred over to Shanghai for his last year of high school.Though initially opposed to it, Su Xue reluctantly agrees to the arrangement. She learns that the two share a common interest—League of Legends—and that he’s really amazing at the game. Lin Feng also reveals to her he wishes to become the best professional League of Legends player in the world.The next day. Lin Feng attends his first day of school as a transfer student at High School 13. He meets Ouyang and Yang Fan, and the trio find a common passion in League of Legends. Lin Feng is then introduced to Ren Rou, the president of the esports club with a fiery personality, and Tang Bingyao, a quiet bookworm with a love for money and a surprising talent for the game.A little about Lin Feng’s past is revealed. He was a once pro player, the youngest in history and a contender for the best player in the world. Until the finals of the Season 1 World Championship. There, he lost to his arch-rival, an equally brilliant Korean youth. That was the peak of his career, and also the turning point in his life. He stepped down from his team and disappeared from competitive play altogether. Now, after a four year long hiatus, he aims to make a comebackOver the next couple of weeks, Lin Feng learns about the upcoming Shanghai 16 School Tournament, and that his school’s esports club had performed especially poorly the previous year. He agrees to coach the club’s team and help them win the first place trophy this year. And so, he starts the members of the club out on an intense training bootcamp.Meanwhile, the Season 5 League of Legends World Championship is taking place at around the same time. Tian Tian, one of Lin Feng’s former teammates and best friend, is on one of the Chinese teams playing at Worlds. After a poor showing, he is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Lin Feng witnesses everything in a viewing party with the esports club members and becomes worried.On the day of the Shanghai 16 School tournament, Lin Feng reunites with Tian Tian on the phone. He tells Tian Tian he’s going to return to the professional scene, that he’s making a new team and plans to invite him. But Tian Tian has to vow not to give up at Worlds and keep winning. Tian Tian agrees, and Lin Feng promises he’ll fight alongside him. Lin Feng then heads into his match with renewed resolve, to climb from the bottom all the way back to the top, and overcome the rival that defeated him so many years ago.
8 1136 - In Serial479 Chapters
Phoenix's Requiem
Painfully shy and conflict-averse, Yun Ruoyan is a scion to a noble house only in name, a puppet embroiled in political machinations beyond her ken. At the tender age of eighteen, poisoned and at death’s door, she finds herself thrown out into the streets. Her relatives have all been executed, betrayed by her dear husband and her cousin. With her dying breath, she curses her own weakness and swears revenge.When Yun Ruoyan awakens once more, she is thirteen, transported five years into the past by the will of the heavens. Her death-defying experience has changed her: no longer is she the malleable creature she once was. But more questions await at every corner—what is the truth behind the birthmark that disfigures her appearance? What are the circumstances surrounding her mother’s mysterious death?Will the phoenix rise from the ashes, or will she fall once more in thrall to fate?
8 646 - End489 Chapters
Poison Physician Consort
Follow Bai Luochu on a journey back to the peak as she reincarnates into the body of an orphaned daughter of the former great general of the Cloud Water Nation.With the Three Great Immortal Sects in front of her, her mortal enemies who caused her death, how would she rise to the top again?With her astounding medical skills and ability to create heaven defying poison, Bai Luochu heals the crippled meridians of her new body and attracts the attention of all three princes of the Cloud Water Nation!
8 1749 - End413 Chapters
Rebirth of a Fashionista: This Life Is Soo Last Season
Cinderella went from rags to riches, but when you are already at the top, fate is more than happy to kick you down. A car accident kicks off Sheng Jiaoyang's reverse Cinderella story by trapping her soul in the body of a poor girl, leaving her to succumb to fate and wait for her Prince Charming to come to her rescue -- obviously not!Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, Sheng Jiaoyang forges her own way back up to the upper echelons of society, clearing obstacles, taking revenges, and bagging her handsome and rich childhood friend on the way.If you are tired of reading about poor damsel in distress waiting for a man to rescue her, and wants a female lead that can carry herself to the top, Rebirth of A Fashionista is the novel for you!
8 274 - End448 Chapters
The Attack of the Wastrel
Her rebirth gave her a second chance at life. She was back with a vengeance and wanted to make those that had harmed her pay. But to those that helped her, she wanted to repay them. Her evil stepmother? She would slowly pull out her claws, one by one. Her evil stepsister? She would crush her pride. She thought that by getting her revenge for her past life, she would be happy in this life. However, she never would have thought that danger would chance upon her time and time again. The hatred from her clan and whether their bloodline would continue to exist, lay solely on her shoulders. Luckily, on this thorny path, someone had always been protecting her. "Third Prince, have you ever regretted being with me?" That person laughed lightly and peered at her with a loving yet weary look, "As long as I am together with you, I have no regrets."
8 1461 - End401 Chapters
Demoness's Art of Vengeance
Jun Xiaomo, notoriously known as “Lady Demoness”, finds herself chained and bound in a dungeon. Her hard-earned cultivation has been completely crippled, and she has no means of escape. Qin Shanshan, a lady she used to called her “close friend”, mocks Jun Xiaomo, revealing that Jun Xiaomo had been used by the people around her. Even her lover, Qin Lingyu was one of the masterminds scheming against her. Jun Xiaomo watches her life flash before her eyes and realizes that she had indeed blindly placed her trust in people. Her naivety had led to her current predicament. Jun Xiaomo wanted to end it all. However, she is determined to deliver a swan song. Over the hundreds of days tormented in that very dungeon, Jun Xiaomo had painstakingly painted a complicated formation array with her own blood. With a determined look, Jun Xiaomo burns her life force to activate the array. Her sole intent? To bring with her as many schemers to the gates of hell as she could. The bright red light from thearray intensified, and the end was nigh.…or was it? Jun Xiaomo opens her eyes and finds herself alive again; time had rewound right back to when she was sixteen years of age, albeit only at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation. Armed with the knowledge and memories of her previous lifetime, Jun Xiaomo is determined to learn from her mistakes and bring retribution to those who so deserve…
8 368

