A dim, flickering streetlamp at the entrance of the Black Market cast shifting shadows of Zhao Dakuo and Wang Jianguo, while the surrounding air was thick with a peculiar mixture of dampness, rot, and the gritty atmosphere of street life.
Zhao Dakuo had just finished negotiating with the burly guards at the gate, and an awkward expression still lingered uncomfortably on his face. The corners of his mouth turned down unnaturally, his eyes darted about evasively, and dense beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the dim light. Shifting slightly sideways with a somewhat stiff and constrained posture, he cast a glance at Wang Jianguo that held a mix of helplessness and expectation. After hesitating for a split second, he finally spoke:
"Brother, I'm purely here to accompany you on this trip. As you well know, I'm not exactly well-off myself, so the management fee to enter the Black Market... well, you should pay this money."
Chapter 590