Chapter Thirty-Three: The Genius Hacker Marauder!

The two turned through a narrow, gloomy street. Beyond it stood an iron gate; after Jack picked the lock, they continued forward.

"Once we pass this gate and cross a kitchen, we'll be there."

They traversed the kitchen of a bar, where several chefs ignored them entirely. After passing through the kitchen and walking down an alley about a hundred meters long, they arrived before a massive, solid iron gate. It was constructed entirely of titanium-tungsten alloy and stood at least ten meters high. Calling it a city wall would hardly be an exaggeration. A single titanium-tungsten alloy blade could cost thousands of Alliance Credits, yet here was an entire gate made of the material. The cost of this gate alone was immeasurable.

After Jack verified his identity, they waited for a moment. With a "click," the lock disengaged. The heavy titanium-tungsten doors slowly retracted into the walls, revealing the black market to Su Cheng.

It was a very wide street, flanked by shops identical in size and style. Everyone here had disguised their true appearances. It was eerily quiet; there was no hawking of wares or solicitation of customers. Buyers and sellers negotiated in hushed tones. Su Cheng also noticed many guards wearing uniform black suits and cylindrical black metal helmets. Through the two narrow vertical slits in their helmets, one could see their alert gazes.

"I'll leave you here. I have to get back to picking up more clients. See you." Jack waved and walked away, and the gate slowly closed behind him.

The vendors sat at their shopfronts, waiting for customers to approach, each preoccupied with their own affairs, utterly indifferent to the outside world. Su Cheng observed carefully and noticed that each shop bore a number. They started from 303, implying there were at least two hundred shops in the black market. Behind these shops were two-story buildings where the proprietors likely lived.

Su Cheng hurried forward, searching for shop number 520. He walked to the very end, but the numbers only reached 404 before a T-junction appeared. Directly ahead was a metal wall marked with the directional ranges of the shop numbers. A set of double doors was set into the wall, and from within, one could faintly hear a chaotic din. Su Cheng headed toward the 500-600 range, approaching from the end of the sector.

Soon, he arrived. Su Cheng looked at the number "520" hanging on the wall—the place Remi had mentioned. However, sitting in front of the shop was a man with his head down, dozing off.

Su Cheng stepped forward and asked softly, "Excuse me, is Remi here?"

The man didn't even lift his head. "This is not the place to go asking for information."

Su Cheng frowned; Remi had definitely specified this location.

"Why are you looking for me so late? Don't tell me..."

At that moment, Remi's voice rang out from behind him. Su Cheng turned to see that she had changed her outfit. A black Rosa gown clung perfectly to her stunning figure. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a black silk veil covered the better part of her face, leaving only her charming, alluring eyes visible. She stood very close, a faint scent of perfume lingering in the air.

Su Cheng took a step back. "I need to ask some things."

Remi smiled. "I know. Come with me; I don't live in this dump."

Su Cheng frowned slightly; this woman was truly unfathomable. Remi looked back with a smile. "I just thought the number 520 was perfect for saying to you—it represents my feelings."

The two walked one after the other until they reached a villa district. Su Cheng stared in astonishment at the sprawling area filled with spacious villas, pristine exterior walls, and lush greenery. He hadn't expected such a high-end area to exist within the black market; it was a veritable paradise.

Remi led Su Cheng directly to the three central villas. Located at the heart of the district, they occupied the largest plots and were built not of metal, but of old-world bricks. This required vast resources, labor, and wealth. From the black market gates to this villa district, it was clear that this place was incredibly wealthy.

"Here we are." Remi walked straight into the villa on the right.

Su Cheng followed, glancing at the trash can by the entrance. As soon as he entered and closed the door, Remi suddenly spun around, pinning him against the door with her slender leg pressed against him.

"I know what you want to ask, but before that, don't you think you should offer something in return?"

Remi slowly removed her veil, revealing a face of exquisite, painterly beauty. A tear mole at the corner of her right eye added a touch of seductiveness. As she leaned in closer, Su Cheng could feel her body heat.

"Like this?"

Su Cheng held her back with his hand against her shoulder. "That won't do, but I have something else I can offer for trade." He produced the metal block containing the source code for the Skeleton Virus.

"Don't be a buzzkill; I have no interest in that." Remi pressed her hand casually against his, her pupils turning red as she leaned in even closer. "The more you refuse, the more interested I become! I truly do like you."

"Like me?" Su Cheng sneered. "Like how you'd like to tear me apart?"

He had just caught a glimpse of a human arm protruding from the trash can outside. He was certain that if he truly let himself be seduced by Remi's beauty, his fate would be no different from the person in the bin.

"Hahaha..." Remi chuckled, her eyes returning to normal. "That bitch Rebecca was faking it, but you seem to be the real deal." She swayed toward a luxurious sofa and crossed her legs casually. "Sit."

Su Cheng sat on the sofa to her right, leaving the one opposite her vacant—it had a better view for the reader.

"You're asking about 'Evil,' aren't you?"

Su Cheng nodded.

Remi lit a long, thin cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled slowly. "I can tell you, but my consultation fee is very, very high."

"I can pay whatever the fee is." He still had a balance of 3,000 Alliance Credits, plus the carrier for the Skeleton Virus source code; it was more than enough.

"Don't speak too soon." Remi gave a playful smile, leaned back against the sofa, and blew a puff of smoke upward. She went straight to the point. "'Evil' isn't some common raider gang like the Dog Pack or the Rabid Rats, although they are raiders themselves. They are far more powerful, unified, and mysterious. Their leader is a genius hacker, so you understand, right? Raiders become crazed and bloodthirsty due to the Black Death Virus, but he was a hacker. When he was infected, he miraculously managed to reverse-control the virus."

Su Cheng listened quietly. He hadn't expected the leader of this organization to be so formidable. If he could reverse-control the Black Death Virus, then he must have been the one who developed the Skeleton Virus!

"Not many people in the entire Scrapyard City know about them. We only know that six years ago, they seemed to vanish. Even we in the black market couldn't find any information on them." Remi looked at Su Cheng through the smoke. This man was filled with a sense of mystery that made her want to explore him as well.

"Vanished six years ago?" Su Cheng asked, puzzled.

"That's right," Remi nodded. "But a year ago, a hunter killed one of their members, ranked 'Z'. Combined with the 'X' we encountered in this current bounty, perhaps they are starting to surface again. It is precisely because they can control the Black Death Virus that the moment they appear, they attract the attention and sieges of the Scrapyard City arenas and waste disposal plants. After all, that is a truly powerful ability!"