Chapter 108: Forcing a Sale

"This is way too much trouble. Having to change vehicles just to go on a trip? Fine, let's do it then," Chen Yun complained.

"You got it. I'll head to the nearest 'bus stop' then," the taxi driver said, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he steered the car toward their destination.

"Chen Yun, don't you feel like something is a bit off?" Qi asked, noticing that the buildings outside were becoming increasingly sparse. She felt uneasy and quickly questioned him.

Chen Yun had sensed something was wrong the moment they left the city center. He gave Qi a look that meant *don't worry, I'm here*, and asked the driver, "Exactly where is this bus stop you mentioned? I feel like if you keep driving for a bit longer, we’ll be out in the wilderness."

"It has to be in the suburbs! A bus stop like this needs to be out of the way. If it were in the city, there’d be inspections all the time. Don’t worry, we’re almost there," the driver replied dismissively.

Before long, the driver pulled up in front of a small restaurant. It wasn't large, containing only seven or eight small wooden tables, each meant for four people. Yet, the place was packed; looking around, there were roughly fifty people crammed inside.

Chen Yun looked at the taxi driver with suspicion.

"These are all people waiting for the bus. It’s secluded here, so they can't track us. Just wait here patiently. If you’re hungry, you can eat something," the driver said, growing impatient. He had delivered them, and he figured they weren't going anywhere anyway.

Qi timidly clutched Chen Yun’s arm, staying close behind him. The atmosphere was clearly wrong, and having never encountered such a situation before, she was terrified.

"True enough, let's get something to eat first," Chen Yun thought. He wasn't worried; with his attributes significantly enhanced, he feared no one unless he ran into a major boss.

He patted Qi's arm and whispered, "Relax, it’s just a small situation. It’s nothing."

The restaurant felt eerie. All the travelers were unnervingly quiet, whispering only when they spoke. Chen Yun scanned the room and noticed a door to a small side room left ajar. A few men were inside, shrouded in cigarette smoke, casting glances toward the main area every so often.

Chen Yun approached one of the travelers and asked softly, "Sir, what’s going on here?"

The man, who wore glasses and appeared to be an intellectual, looked at Chen Yun and replied, "Did you get tricked by those taxi drivers too?"

Chen Yun nodded. "Yes. They said there were traffic restrictions and that taxis weren't allowed on the road to the Oceanarium, so we had to switch to a specialized bus. That’s why they brought us here."

"What he said was half-true. The city does have traffic restrictions, and there are indeed specialized buses, but this method of picking up passengers is illegal," the man said.

"What do you mean?" Chen Yun asked, confused.

"Let me explain. I didn't understand what was happening when I first arrived, but I figured it out eventually. The bus drivers have reached an agreement with these small diners. And these diners, in turn, have deals with the taxi drivers. They force you to consume their goods at exorbitant prices. Furthermore, there are local thugs in this place. If you refuse to pay or try to leave, they’ll come out and make trouble for you."

"See that small room? That’s where the thugs are. Two or three people who resisted have already been dragged in there. For those of us left, I’ve heard we’ll have to pay another hefty fare once the bus arrives before we can even leave."

"How can they get away with this? Isn't this just layers of exploitation? Is there no one to stop them?" Qi whispered.

"Stop them? How? Who would dare? These gangs have powerful connections; who would risk offending them?" the man replied bitterly.

Just as they were talking, a vehicle that could only generously be called a bus pulled up outside. It looked ancient from the outside, not to mention what it might be like on the inside.

At that moment, seven or eight burly men emerged from the side room and stood by the restaurant counter. The owner, standing behind the counter, addressed the crowd: "The bus is here. Everyone, come here and buy 500 copper coins' worth of goods, then pay the driver 500 copper coins for the fare, and you can take the bus to the Oceanarium. If anyone doesn't want to show me respect, don't blame my brothers here for not showing you respect."

The people in the restaurant were enraged, but seeing the seven or eight thugs, each holding a wooden club as thick as a bowl, they dared not resist. After hesitating, they sighed and resigned themselves to the loss, treating it as the price to pay for safety.

"I'll take this, this, this, and this," a middle-aged man said, pointing to items totaling about 500 copper coins and placing the money on the counter.

"Not enough! What you've picked out is worth 1 gold coin," the owner said, folding his arms and sneering.

"What?! For this little bit, you want 1 gold coin? You’re a thief!" the man shouted.

"Shut up! I said 1 gold coin, and I mean 1 gold coin. Let me tell you, in this shop, 500 copper coins only buys you a lighter." One of the thugs slapped the man across the face, knocking him to the ground.

The owner, clearly accustomed to such scenes, picked up a box of lighters and said to the crowd, "Come on, come on! One lighter per person, 500 copper coins, and you can get on the bus. Think about it—what’s more important, your safety or your money?"

The people present were furious but dared not speak. Earlier, someone had tried to call the police, only to be dragged into the side room and beaten severely; they still hadn't emerged, and no one knew their condition. The travelers seemed to have accepted their fate, dejectedly picking up lighters, paying their 500 copper coins, and finally being allowed to leave.

Soon, it was Chen Yun and Qi's turn.

Qi’s stunning appearance made her the center of attention wherever she went. As soon as the owner and the thugs saw her face, their eyes locked onto her, completely ignoring Chen Yun.

"Oh, what a gorgeous babe! Brother Wei, we've hit the jackpot today. If we sell this girl, a few hundred thousand shouldn't be a problem, right?" a bald thug said with a lecherous grin.

"More than just a few hundred thousand. If we find the right buyer, a few million is easy," said the man referred to as Brother Wei, his eyes gleaming with greed. He turned to Chen Yun and said, "Kid, I'll give you a chance. Leave the girl, and I'll let you go."

Chen Yun was furious. He had originally intended only to teach these people a lesson, but they were so ignorant as to harass his maid and even plot to sell her. They were truly courting death!