Chapter 547: Midnight Deals in Huichun Battle Zone

Jilin, Huichun Battle Zone.

Cold winds howled in the dead of night.

At the desolate port, scattered blue containers lay haphazardly like crooked coffins on the ground.

The cranes that once hoisted containers now stooped like old men, swaying unsteadily.

On an open lot, several shadowy figures faced the sea, standing silently as if waiting for something.

“Sir, this time we made contact with a Japanese smuggling faction. They have their own Safe Zone in Nagasaki, and their leader boasts Third-Stage Advanced strength.”

“The team we’re dealing with is an Awakened Squad—three Third-Stage Beginners and one Third-Stage Mid-Level.”

“They’re qualified to be directly nominated for Divine Warrior status, bypassing the first three selection rounds.”

Speaking softly into Yenir’s ear, Wang Tian briefed him on the situation as he nervously scanned the coastline; the frigid night made him shrink involuntarily.

With a slight nod, Yenir calmly gazed at the distant sky.

After more than thirty hours of flight, he finally arrived at the Jilin Battle Zone from the Far Frontier at top speed.

This is where the Huaxia Battle Zone comes closest to Japan—and also the hotbed of rampant smuggling.

Following instructions, Wang Tian had located a major power in the Japanese Battle Zone to facilitate control.

The combination of Third-Stage Advanced strength and nomination qualification perfectly met his requirements.

Especially the nomination qualification, which would greatly save both time and risk of exposure.

The Divine Warrior Program has been underway for half a month, and to get in now he could only rely on a major force’s guarantee to cut in line.

“What did you tell them? That we’d trade military supplies for spirit energy ore?”

Yenir asked casually, his gaze drifting over the abandoned port.

“Yes. Without that pitch, they wouldn’t have bothered with us—after all, this place is too close to the Coastal Defense Line. They’re also wary of cutting each other down.”

“I got this lead from an old friend of mine.”

“Sir, his name is Wang De Kun.”

In a hurry to answer, Wang Tian replied while almost handing over the credit, pointing to the foremost Middle-Aged Awakened man standing behind him.

Beside him stood a middle-aged awakener who, over twenty years ago, had dared to engage in transnational smuggling during the apocalypse. A glint of ruthlessness shone in his lowered eyes, marking him as a formidable enforcer.

But when he noticed Yenir nodding at him, the battle-hardened man became suddenly abashed, bowing repeatedly in deference.

“It’s an honor to serve you, sir.”

Utter humility indeed.

Though known as the underground emperor in the Jilin Battle Zone with modest strength, he commanded a host of Third-Stage troops and private militias; ruthless in his methods, he was undeniably a major player in the post-apocalyptic world.

Yet, aware of Yenir’s true status, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the youth before him constantly exerted immense pressure, leaving him extremely uneasy.

Of course, he knew it was merely his own imagination—someone like Yenir would never bother to hold him down.

But…

It can’t be helped. He might be a petty thief, but Yenir represented the pinnacle of the Military—one burst from him would blow anyone away!

It wasn’t just Yenir; even when Wang Tian approached him, he was visibly rattled. He knew that ever since Wang Tian—a small-time merchant—aligned with this big shot, he wielded a terrifying power.

Noticing the middle-aged man’s overt nervousness, Yenir simply offered a light smile and didn’t press further.

In the post-apocalyptic world, dangers lurk around every corner, and sea crossings are particularly treacherous.

With systems available that can transport supplies and facilitate trades, smuggling might seem almost illogical.

But according to the middle-aged man, smuggling between neighboring countries and the Huaxia Battle Zone centers entirely on spirit energy ore.

Japan and South Korea have jointly monopolized dungeon outputs—publicly colluding to sell at high prices, though their inner circles also possess spirit energy ore.

To boost profits, these major powers covertly smuggle batches of ore into the Huaxia Battle Zone. It helps them evade oversight—since militaries routinely audit each Safe Zone leader’s transactions—and saves them the system’s handling fees.

Over the years, despite open hostilities, various private factions have maintained surprisingly close ties.

But these are merely minor details.

After about ten minutes, six fast-moving figures suddenly darted across the shimmering sea horizon at low altitude.

Leading them was a Third-Stage Mid-Level member; it took Yenir but a moment to realize these were the Japanese Battle Zone Awakeners here to trade supplies.

Unlike Wang Tian and the others, who nervously prepared to greet them, Yenir—standing quietly among the crowd—had a flash of cold resolve in his eyes.

After a brief, cautious circle to check for ambushes, the lead Japanese Battle Zone Third-Stage member descended slowly.

Upon landing, he looked arrogantly at Wang Tian’s associate before speaking in a cool tone:

“Why the rush this time?”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to rush over here overnight?”

“Next time, if this happens again, no extra payment will get you out of trouble!”

Listening to the blunt rebukes, Wang De Kun repeatedly offered an apologetic smile, spreading his hands as if to dismiss the criticism.

“Sorry, sorry—this batch of military supplies was rushed out, so we took a risk too.”

“So, after the transaction, I’ll arrange for you all to have a good time as a token of our apology.”

With a raised eyebrow, the Japanese Battle Zone Awakener—who had been looking cold and disdainful—softened his expression slightly upon hearing this.

Wang De Kun’s proposed arrangement was well received by them.

“Hmph, make sure they’re clean and young—preferably Awakeners.”

“You bunch of rats—you might lack other skills, but you’re damn good at stealing.”

With a derisive snort, the lead Third-Stage member, unfazed by Wang De Kun’s role as his partner, remarked that when it came to spirit energy ore, those Chinese always had high demands.

He knew that the so-called stolen military supplies claimed by that group were, in truth, likely sold off by the Military out of necessity—using these useless intermediaries to acquire essential strategic resources.

And because of that, he held an added contempt for the entire Military.

A bunch of losers; publicly they couldn’t best them, and privately, to save face, they’d resort to selling out everything. If it were him, he’d rather starve than stoop so low.

As if struck by a thought, he cast a sideways glance at the abandoned port and suddenly spoke up again:

“Oh, by the way.”

“The price of this batch of ore has gone up. Based on our previous agreement, you owe me an extra 30%!”

At the near-unreasonable price increase demanded by the lead awakener, Wang De Kun’s face suddenly darkened.

What a joke—the initial price was already among the highest! And to lure them over early, they had offered a premium rate!

Now they dare to renegotiate with a bold demand—it’s downright shameless!

Just as he was about to refuse instinctively, the silent Yenir stepped forward from the crowd, frowning slightly as he fixed his glare on the lead Japanese Battle Zone awakener.

“Too weak…”

Huh?

Seeing Yenir suddenly approach, the Japanese Awakeners were taken aback, unable to fathom what he meant by ‘too weak.’

Before they could assume he was mocking them and launch into insults, a flash of crimson light danced momentarily in Yenir’s eyes.

Under an oppressive surge of psychic force, a Mind Storm—mixed with a concussive blast—suddenly slammed into them all.

In the blink of an eye, before they could even cry out, Yenir’s mental power blasted them, leaving their noses and mouths bleeding as they immediately blacked out.

Shaking his head at the sight of the Japanese Battle Zone Awakeners who couldn’t withstand his mental assault, Yenir laughed lightly and immediately shifted tactics.

Too bad.

His comment about ‘too weak’ was because his valuable slot was being wasted on this bunch of trash.