All-out: Starting with the Awakening Special Operations Unit, search, attack, and withdrawal.

The Huangshan base city under the cover of darkness had very little lighting.

Apart from some major urban areas and main roads, the residential areas near Chu Hong's house, which can be considered old buildings, are basically without lights.

However, this is precisely the situation.

This created a situation in Huangshan Base City where the upper and lower levels tacitly acknowledge each other's existence.

Huangshan Black Market!

The black market isn't underground; in fact, it would be more accurate to call it a ghost market.

Every night around 11 or 12 o'clock, when it gets completely dark, people selling things can be seen in a cement factory area that was originally an abandoned factory, not far from Chu Hong's house. They are using table lamps or headlamps.

There are ordinary people.

However, there were also many pioneers.

Chu Hong carried a hiking backpack from the "Clifftop Plague Hospital," wore a hood, and had a black mask covering his face. His attire was not particularly out of place or strange in this area.

When Chu Hong arrived, there were already quite a few ordinary people setting up stalls here.

The vendors selling canned goods, clothes, and secondhand or stolen items—no one cares where these things came from; all they care about is the price and the quality.

"Halt! This is the pioneer settlement area!"

Chu Hong walked to the factory gate and was stopped by a burly man in black.

He didn't say much, but stretched out a hand, and the next moment, a clear flow of energy rose from his palm.

It is the source of energy!

Seeing this, the burly man nodded and stepped aside.

"If this is your first time here, take this with you. If you want to sell or buy something, the prices at the stalls listed are quite reasonable and there are no fees. This is just a suggestion."

A booklet was handed to Chu Hong.

Thank you.

Chu Hong nodded and thanked him. His voice, which clearly carried a hint of youthful naiveté, caused the burly man to pause in surprise for a moment.

However, Chu Hong had already stepped into the factory building.

Unlike ordinary stalls outside, they need to light their own lamps.

Inside the factory, however, there was independent power supply and lighting, which also shows that the so-called black market was just a place where the government and the people tacitly understood each other.

This was Chu Hong's first time entering this place, but there was no sign of nervousness in his eyes as he silently observed the layout.

A huge open space was divided into rows of counters.

Apart from a few scattered collectibles that were not particularly valuable but were displayed to impress customers, each counter contained large metal boxes.

There were at least three people at each stall.

One person was responsible for negotiating prices, while the other two were responsible for guarding the premises and protecting their own goods.

Surrounding the factory building is a ring of separate rooms on the second floor, unlike the banners hanging on the counters below that belong to the pioneer teams.

The second floor features a series of clearly visible, long-standing shop signs.

Chu Hong didn't rush to sell his items. Instead, he slowly scanned the counters, listening to the discussions and bargaining sounds of the other pioneers around him.

"If you want Source Energy Points, then this is all I can offer you: 20,000. Although your skull is a magic-related item, it's only blue-level and not particularly valuable. However, if you accept Universal Currency for payment, I can offer 100,000."

"Universal coins are fine too, but 100,000 is too little. One price, 150,000!"

"Hey, have you heard? A new secret realm has recently appeared forty miles west of the base city. I heard that our base city is about to send a pioneer team to investigate it."

"Heh, who doesn't know? It's just the plague hospital on the cliff, right? The magazines are buzzing about it. But I've heard that this secret place is no ordinary place..."

Chu Hong paused slightly.

Upon hearing information about the plague hospital atop the Secret Realm Cliff in reality, he couldn't help but listen a little longer.

"Not simple? No matter how simple they are, can they be more simple than the Jianglong Squad? They are certified by the Pioneers Guild as one of the top ten teams in our Huangshan Base City. All of them are at least Energy Gathering Realm experts, and the captain, Jianglong, is the youngest Energy Gathering Realm expert in our Huangshan Base City."

"Ah, that's true. A team full of Energy Gathering Realm cultivators, unless they're courting death, might not be able to be captured in ordinary secret realms... But, I heard that the Crossing-the-River Dragon Team recently fired someone?"

Chu Hong listened attentively. At that moment, the woman in charge of managing the counter also clearly noticed Chu Hong carrying a bag.

He stepped forward with a smile.

"Little brother, do you have something to sell? Or are you looking to buy something? Our Beetle team has an excellent reputation throughout the market."

The woman greeted him warmly, and Chu Hong noticed that the two guards, who had been chatting enthusiastically, had stopped talking.

So I didn't pay any attention to it.

Looking at the stall in front of me, I thought of the brochure I had just skimmed through, which did seem to contain an explanation of the Beetle Squad's counter business.

The reputation seems good.

He nodded and stepped forward to take off the backpack from his back.

"Some simple collectibles, you should be able to handle them..."

As he spoke, he began taking out one item after another from his backpack.

"High-quality blue jewelry: two rings and one necklace."

The woman's eyes lit up, and she immediately took the item from Chu Hong's hand and began to inspect it on the spot. A satisfied smile quickly appeared on her face.

Nodding, he said, "That's right, they're blue-quality collectibles, and they're not damaged at all. If those prop makers need to make specific ornaments or props and require blue-quality jewelry as materials, these items of yours can fetch a good price."

Chu Hong nodded, but continued to rummage through his backpack.

"Purple-quality 4K camera, purple-quality permanent ink, purple-quality white porcelain teacup."

There were three things again.

But this time it was upgraded by one grade, reaching the purple level.

As soon as the item was taken out, it immediately attracted shocked and curious glances from the staff at the surrounding counters.

Behind the woman from the Beetle Squad, the two team members who had been chatting just moments before immediately became alert, their eyes darting left and right warily.

He looked like he was warning those around him.

The woman was clearly surprised that Chu Hong, who looked like a young man, would directly take out three purple-quality collectibles.

Purple quality!

In this catastrophic era of scarcity and high-level collectibles, anyone who can produce three purple-level items at once is definitely not ordinary.

After all, this thing can only be found by searching in secret realms.

In places like secret realms, one wrong move and you could lose your life.

"Well, sir, how about we go to the VIP area to discuss this in detail?"

The woman pointed to several separate rooms on one side of the second floor, her face showing obvious seriousness.

Chu Hong nodded.

All the items he brought out had been selected by him.

It wouldn't reveal that it came from the "Clifftop Plague Hospital," and its price would be relatively higher, making it easier for him to accumulate funds and prepare for what he would need next.

Under the careful protection of the Beetle Squad, Chu Hong quickly sat down in a reception room on the second floor.

A spacious sofa, plus a steaming cup of aromatic coffee.

Coffee is quite expensive these days.

For the average person, drinking synthetic coffee would cost at least a thousand dollars if converted to common currency.

Chu Hong didn't drink, but looked at the woman in front of him.

"We can give you a price estimate now. If you can't finish it, I can find another place."

"No, no, no, sir, although our Beetle Squad isn't the strongest, we've been operating here for several years, so these things shouldn't be a problem..."

The woman hurriedly waved her hand, while looking at the items in front of Chu Hong.

A price quickly comes to mind.

"You can get 40 energy points, or 300 if you accept universal currency for payment!"

The woman quoted a very good price; in fact, the ratio of Universal Coins offered was significantly higher, by at least one million.

"Hehe, sir, if you'd like, we can transfer the money right now," the woman said with a warm smile.

Chu Hong gently shook his head.

"No rush..."

He took a list from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to the woman.

"Take another look at these items. Which of these can you provide the fastest?"

"I need it urgently..."