After five or six minutes, the buyer named "Miss Kalina I really really like you" sent a few pictures.
Zhou Chen opened the pictures. They showed an open cloth bag filled with a powdered substance made from a mixture of ground, unknown materials.
He raised an eyebrow. 'Aren't you being a little too bold, my friend?'
'Selling powder to a Star Association Operator?'
The person on the other end sent a long explanation: "This is Liberation Dust I made myself. You can look up the patent on the Alchemy Association's official website. Specifically, it's refined from materials like Paralyzing Mushroom, Deep Sleep Flower, Crimson Mandala, and Poisonous Violet Grass. It has paralyzing, poisoning, sleep-inducing, and stamina-draining effects."
"About five grams of Liberation Dust can make an adult man lose his ability to move within two minutes, putting him in a weak state of poisoning and paralysis before he falls into a deep sleep. The effect is weaker on an Ascender, but it's still decent. I've tested it on myself, and it took me a good three or four minutes to recover."
"So, what do you think? I'll trade you a kilogram of Liberation Dust for fifty thousand. This is my exclusive secret formula. It's much stronger than all that miscellaneous junk on the market, and it's cheaper too. An absolute steal."
Zhou Chen stared at the screen, thinking. He was tempted.
'A chainsaw isn't easy to carry around,' he thought, 'and as an intern Operator, I only get issued a firearm when I'm on a mission. So having a concealed weapon on me would be a good choice, just in case.'
He typed, "Tell me more. Does it have any other special effects?"
"Miss Kalina I really really like you": "Liberation Dust can also be burned like incense. When lit, it releases an odorless gas with strong hallucinogenic and hypnotic effects."
'It can be burned... This stuff would work well with my Ability...'
Zhou Chen nodded to himself, his desire to buy it growing strong.
He just couldn't shake the feeling that the person he was talking to was no saint. After all, the effects of Liberation Dust were perfect for committing certain illegal acts that would get you '404'd'.
"Meow Meow Squad Catches Big Fish": "Friend, be honest. Have you ever used this stuff for anything illegal or against the rules?"
"Miss Kalina I really really like you": "??! Don't you dare make false accusations! I'm about to become a Level 1 Registered Alchemist. Why would I do something that would destroy my future? Besides, the Alchemy Association's regulations on these kinds of Artifacts are extremely strict. We have to report every single gram we produce."
Zhou Chen was taken aback. This person was about to become a certified Alchemist?
'Then why are you short on cash?'
He typed out his question.
"Friend, don't think being an Alchemist is easy. Guess how much money I burned through during my apprenticeship? Three million! I'm still carrying over two million in loans. If I don't become a Level 1 Registered Alchemist next month, I'll have to go haul bricks to pay it all back."
You could read the helplessness and grief in their every word.
'This burns more money than an art degree...'
Zhou Chen sighed internally and typed, "One last question. Liberation Dust is poisonous, so is there a way to avoid its effects? I can't just hit myself with the AOE, can I?"
"Miss Kalina I really really like you": "I've also formulated an antidote. You can take it orally or apply it topically. If you don't have time to use it, just hold your breath. The dust has to enter the body through the respiratory tract to take effect. It's the same for the smoke it produces when burned. If you can't take the antidote in time, hold your breath and do not inhale."
"Meow Meow Squad Catches Big Fish": "Okay, give me a minute."
Zhou Chen exited the chat and browsed through similar products in the shopping portal. He compared them one by one and found that the other person was right: the Liberation Dust was well-made, reasonably priced, and of decent quality. It left other products in the same price range in the dust.
And so, the deal was done.
For confidentiality, neither party's real name or address was displayed. The system handled all the logistics.
As the seller, Zhou Chen's part was simple. He just had to go to the consignment point next to the cafeteria to ship the package, and then he could wait to receive his payment and the other item. He didn't even have to pay for shipping—the shopping platform was run by the Star Association, and free shipping was one of the basic employee benefits for its Operators.
As for the authenticity of the items and all related procedures, they would be verified by a human specialist.
For something like Liberation Dust, which is strictly regulated by the Alchemy Association, the information for both the buyer and seller would inevitably be thoroughly checked. The slightest issue would terminate the transaction.
Zhou Chen wasn't worried, though. With his status as a Star Association Operator, he wouldn't have any problems no matter what he bought.
After completing the whole process, the two of them happily finalized the transaction.
With a BEEP, a six-digit number appeared in Zhou Chen's platform account.
The buyer's payment is temporarily held by the system. Only after the buyer confirms receipt of the goods will the money actually be transferred to the seller's account.
So for now, all Zhou Chen could do was stare greedily at the huge sum of 400,000, his mouth practically watering.
...
That afternoon, after a detailed examination by the doctor confirmed that there was nothing seriously wrong with him, Zhou Chen was discharged from the hospital.
For the next few days, his life fell into a strict routine.
He would perform Meditation for an hour each in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, then help Jiang Che with some of her work, and finally spend three or four hours cramming knowledge about the Extraordinary Realm.
At the same time, he requested a copy of the compendium of Forbidden Objects, which contained information on all such items cataloged by the Star Association. It was an incredibly rare and valuable source of knowledge for any Ascender.
Relying on the powerful learning ability of an Ascender, he also attempted to teach himself Alchemy.
After reading through many introductory books on Alchemy, Zhou Chen suddenly felt like he was ready to get his hands dirty. But then he got awkwardly stuck at the next step: he had no money for materials and equipment!
The most basic set of equipment cost 300,000. Even when the money from the Fire Slave Crystal sale arrived, he wouldn't dare to buy it.
The research department's lab equipment was available to rent, but a single use cost tens of thousands. He could barely afford his nutrient solution, so where was he going to find the money to rent equipment?
And so, his dream of becoming an Alchemist was shattered.
Three nights later, Zhou Chen was woken from his Meditation by his ringing phone.
It was Jiang Che.
"I have an urgent mission for you. Come to my office within ten minutes." Her calm voice was almost cold, without a trace of inflection.
Zhou Chen sighed. This was just how the job was: it was either dead quiet or frantically busy at any time, in any place. It was like a possessive girlfriend randomly checking up on you—it happened whenever it wanted.
'Oh, right. I don't have a girlfriend. Never mind, then.'
He hurriedly dressed and rushed to the office door, where he happened to run into Yang, who was also rushing over.
"You got the notice for an urgent mission too?" Zhou Chen asked.
"What else?" Yang sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "But I didn't see anyone else on the way here. Looks like it's just the two of us. It probably isn't too dangerous of a mission."
After knocking and entering the office, they sat down. Jiang Che took a sip of coffee and got straight to the point.
"After days of investigation, the intelligence department has finally located an Eternal Flame Cultist hiding in Jinzhu City."
"I need you two to capture her, preferably without attracting too much attention."
As she spoke, she activated a projector. Light rose from her desk, weaving together to form an intangible screen that displayed the detailed contents of the mission.