Chapter 122: Knuckle Joe (2)
At Joe's words, the man with a skull-like face twitched.
"What? You think I should let this go? ...Why? You know him?”
"Yes.”
"Heh... Lately, it seems like you're no longer scared, now that you've made a name for yourself, huh? ...What, do you think you're a director at Crime Firm just because you're in charge of security here?"
"Of course not... That's not what I meant. I'm saying you shouldn't mess with that guy carelessly.”
The skull-faced man frowned, not understanding what Joe meant.
Joe beckoned with his finger, and though reluctant, the man leaned in slightly, lending his ear.
Joe whispered something. The man’s eyes widened slightly before he glanced back at Oliver.
"...Are you Dave?"
"Yes, I'm Dave Light.”
When Oliver answered, the skull-faced man gestured to his subordinates to release him, then straightened up and offered a somewhat polite apology.
"I'm sorry about that. There's been some trouble in the market lately, so we've been acting a bit rough. I apologize.”
Seeing his respectful attitude, Oliver also replied politely.
"No, it’s fine. I'm the one who should apologize if I caused any inconvenience.”
The skull-faced man looked at Oliver strangely, as if he were an unfamiliar creature, feeling something off about him.
After a moment of thought, the man introduced himself.
"...I’m Vinnie, a drug dealer. If you ever need anything, come find me. I handle things like filgaret, drug potions, cannabis, banned cigarettes, stimulants, painkillers, even rare Eastern opium... I deal with a bit of everything, though not in large quantities.”
"Well then, can you answer my earlier question?”
Oliver persistently asked, thinking they might be able to discuss it now that the tension had eased.
But it seemed that was just his misunderstanding.
"Sorry, I can't give you that information easily. We don’t know much about the place that makes the Gift, and we’ve only just started trading with them... If we slip up, they might cut ties with us. It’s risky.”
"Ah... I see. Then it can't be helped.”
Although disappointed, Oliver accepted the answer without hesitation.
Vinnie's words were sincere, and Oliver understood now that it wasn’t wise to recklessly disturb others' livelihoods.
While it would be nice to find out quickly, it wasn’t an urgent matter. Oliver decided to investigate slowly.
Perhaps sensing Oliver’s thoughts, Vinnie offered some advice.
"Just so you know, it’s probably best not to ask around at other shops either.”
Vinnie gestured toward the other drug stores.
Some were small like his, while others were wholesalers that dealt with larger quantities.
The owners varied as well, from pale women to fat men, young people, and foreigners wearing turbans, all exuding a dangerous aura.
"Even if it doesn’t seem like it, we’re all in fierce competition behind the scenes. We're already on edge because of supply issues, so we're pretty sensitive right now. If you stir things up, they might misunderstand you... You’ve heard the saying, right? 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"
"If satisfying curiosity means the cat dies, isn’t that fine?"
Oliver asked genuinely, as if truly curious.
If it was for the sake of curiosity, what was the harm in losing a cat?
However, Vinnie and the others seemed to misunderstand something, and their expressions stiffened awkwardly.
There was even a slight chill in the air.
Sensing that the conversation had taken a wrong turn, Oliver quickly wrapped things up.
"Anyway, I understand. I’ll make sure not to cause any trouble.”
Vinnie nodded. Then one of his subordinates whispered something to him, and he spoke again.
"By the way, Dave. Is it alright if I call you Dave?"
"Yes."
"Why are you investigating the Gift, if you don’t mind me asking?”
"...As I mentioned earlier, it's a personal matter, so it’s a bit difficult to explain.”
Vinnie shrugged his shoulders.
"...Well, there is something I could sell you, if you're interested."
"Didn’t you say you were sold out earlier?”
"I wasn’t including my personal stock.”
"I see. So, are you willing to sell it to me?”
Vinnie reached deep inside his shabby coat and pulled something out after rummaging around for a moment.
It wasn’t a regular cigarette pack like the ones used by the Joseph Family. Instead, it was a pack with a unique logo and lettering, almost like Murphy's magic liquor. Could he be thinking of starting a brand?
"How much?”
"Money? Hmm... Never mind. Think of it as an apology gift for earlier.”
Oliver shook his head.
"No, I made mistakes too, so it's fine... From what I’ve heard, a single cigarette goes for 300,000 randa. Considering the shortage, that means 7.2 million randa for a pack, right?”
Oliver pulled out a wad of cash from his Greedy Pouch and asked.
Vinnie initially tried to refuse but, after looking into Oliver’s eyes for a moment, accepted the money.
"...Yes, that's correct.”
"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness.”
Oliver bowed politely, carefully tucking the filgaret-Gift into his coat.
Though it was a significant expense given how much he still had to buy, he didn’t regret it.
It felt like a sort of keepsake.
"Oh, and thank you, Joe, for your help.”
As he finished his business, Oliver thanked Joe. Joe nodded in return.
"Just call me Joe. And by the way..."
Joe gave Oliver a once-over.
"You’ve changed quite a bit, haven't you?”
"Changed?”
Oliver looked at himself, unsure of what Joe was referring to.
"Oh, you mean my clothes? You’re the same, aren’t you?”
"I’m wearing this because I’m on duty.”
"Duty?”
"Yeah. I got hired to do security and escort work for the Black Market because of the Contaminated Zone.”
"I see... You're part of the Fighter Crew, right? Is that allowed?"
"The Fighter Crew isn’t too strict, so it’s fine... By the way, are you here to buy drugs?"
"Yes, but I also need to buy other things.”
"Other things?”
"Yes, drugs, a large tank, some surgical tools, and a few corpses.”
"Corpses?"
"Yes... I heard you can buy them here at the Black Market. Do they sell them?”
"..."
Joe fell silent and looked around.
"...Could you wait for about an hour?"
"An hour? ...I can wait, but may I ask why?”
"I've gotten pretty familiar with this place from working security here. My shift ends in an hour, so if you don’t mind, I can help you out.”
This unexpected kindness. Oliver didn’t refuse.
In the Black Market, unless you were directly dealing with Crime Firm, negotiations were common, and if someone was willing to help, it was appreciated.
Although Oliver usually enjoyed negotiating, this time was different.
He had a lot to buy, and above all, buying something as specific and important as corpses carried some risks he didn’t want to take alone.
If he could get help, he would gladly accept.
"I’d appreciate that, thank you.”
"Great. Let’s meet here in an hour then.”
"By the way, can I ask why you're helping me?"
"...Let’s talk about that when we meet again."
Joe hesitated briefly before answering, and Oliver agreed.
Some time passed.
Oliver wasn’t one to waste time, so he spent the remaining hour exploring the Black Market.
The Black Market was located deep underground beneath a small museum in R-District. At first glance, it wasn’t much different from the Grey Market, but appearances were deceiving.
The Black Market had far tighter security than the Grey Market, and there was a certain cautiousness in the air. The vendors weren’t like neighbors; rather, they eyed each other warily, more like competitors, some even harboring outright hostility.
Still, no major incidents occurred. Everyone seemed to be mindful of someone’s watchful eye.
That someone was likely Crime Firm.
One key difference between the Black Market and the Grey Market was the higher number of stores directly managed by Crime Firm.
These direct stores not only dealt in larger quantities of goods but also handled the raw materials for drugs. They also sold firearms, which attracted mercenaries, gang members, and other such figures, adding a heavy atmosphere to the market.
Though this particular Black Market was more accessible to the general public, there was still a distinct difference from the Grey Market.
However, Oliver wasn’t interested in Crime Firm’s direct stores. Instead, he focused on the independent vendors.
Aside from drugs, there were various herbs, bones, claws, human skin, and even parts of human bodies, as well as rare plant seeds being sold.
Oliver was tempted to buy a few things, but he refrained, knowing he had a lot more important items to purchase.
Even though he had come into some money recently, reckless spending was out of the question.
This was something Kent had stressed repeatedly—though being a Fixer could make you seem rich, the work was irregular, and your body was your only means of income. If anything happened, and you lost that, you'd be in serious trouble.
With that advice in mind, Oliver decided to hold on to as much cash as possible.
After browsing for a while, an hour passed, and Oliver met up with Joe again.
Joe was now back in his suit.
"Waiting long?"
"No, you asked me to wait, so I did.”
Joe nodded silently before asking.
"So, what are you buying again?”
"Hmm… First, a large tank or vat, big enough to hold a person. It needs to be made of the special anti-corrosion steel from William Heavy Industries.”
"That’s a tough item to find.”
Joe’s words were true. A large tank or vat big enough to hold a person could be found in regular markets if you searched well enough, but finding one made from William Heavy Industries' anti-corrosion steel was a different story.
It wasn’t indestructible, but this steel, highly resistant to corrosion, was used mainly for industrial and military purposes, making it hard to come by on the open market.
At best, you could find it in cookware like pots or pans.
If you wanted something like that, you’d have to place a custom order, which might attract unwanted attention.
That’s why Oliver had thought to check the Black Market according to Glyp’s diary. And that was the right decision.
"How about this, sir? Plenty of room here.”
A vendor in the Black Market, who dealt in various lab equipment, containers, and suspicious tools, spoke up.
His words were true.
After knocking on it, Oliver found that the material was indeed what he needed, and the size was more than adequate. In fact, it was large enough to fit three people stacked on top of one another.
"Yes, I’ll take this one. The quality is good.”
"You’ve got a good eye for these things. Since Joe brought you here, I’ll give you extra special attention. What else do you need? Since you’re already buying, you might as well get the rest here.”
The shopkeeper, eager to show off his experience, asked skillfully.
Oliver decided it was indeed best to make all his purchases here, so he began ordering less critical items.
A retractor to open up the abdomen, forceps to remove organs, scalpels, saws, hammers, storage bags, a deboning knife for separating bone from flesh, a special welder to reattach the flesh.
Additionally, large quantities of preservative solutions, coating liquid to reinforce the bones, special paints and powders to make the corpses look lifelike, and processed human skin for crafting were all ordered.
The shopkeeper was so diligent that he even went to neighboring shops to buy items he didn’t have in stock.
Of course, Oliver had to pay a bit extra for this service, but it wasn’t a bad deal.
He saved time and effort, which was well worth it.
"What are you doing? Starting a workshop or something?”
A passerby, seeing the mountain of items Oliver had ordered, made a comment.
It was no surprise, considering Oliver’s purchases had piled up into a small mountain.
The size and quantity of items ordered came at a substantial cost.
If not for the money he earned from Edith’s job, he’d be in trouble.
"Here you go.”
"Wow... You’re quite the big spender, aren’t you?”
The shopkeeper commented as he collected the pile of cash Oliver handed him.
Since the Black Market only dealt in cash, the shopkeeper expertly counted the money.
"One, two, three... Oh! It’s exact.”
The shopkeeper smiled as he spoke.
Though Oliver had spent a good chunk of his earnings already, he didn’t regret it.
On the contrary, he was looking forward to finally being able to make his corpse puppets.
"By the way, sir, do you have a way to carry all this? We offer delivery services here, though it’s a bit pricey. Would you like me to introduce you?”
The shopkeeper offered, but Oliver politely declined.
"No, it’s fine. I have a way to transport it.”
"A way to transport it?"
"Yes, Big Mouth.”
Oliver said as he pulled Big Mouth from the leather case strapped to his back.
As usual, the neatly folded Big Mouth swelled up like rising dough.
Just like in the Grey Market, the sight of Big Mouth astonished the Black Market’s customers, causing all eyes to focus on Oliver.
It seemed Big Mouth drew attention no matter where it went.
Oliver didn’t particularly enjoy the attention, but he couldn’t help it. He calmly gave Big Mouth its instructions.
"Big Mouth, could you do me a favor and swallow all this?”
"Grooooooowl... grrk..."
Big Mouth made a sound as if pouting, like it was unhappy about being summoned just to work again, waving its small arms animatedly.
Knuckle Joe and the others watched curiously, clearly intrigued.
Although Oliver disliked drawing such attention, he needed to finish quickly, so he pulled out 10,000 randa.
"Sorry for making you work. Here, take this for now.”
Seeing the 10,000 randa, Big Mouth reached out but then retracted its hand, crossing its short arms in front of its body. Its tiny limbs barely reached around itself, making the gesture almost comical.
It was still upset.
Oliver pulled out his trump card.
"I’ll give you another 10,000 randa after the job’s done.”
"Grgk!"
Big Mouth’s mood immediately improved, and it quickly began swallowing up the purchased items.
It slurped down the tank vertically like a hot dog and stuffed the other tools into its mouth in bundles.
Both Child and Big Mouth had impressive appetites.
After finishing its meal, Big Mouth happily gulped down the promised 10,000 randa as dessert, then shrank back to its compact form.
Oliver folded up Big Mouth like a piece of cloth and put it back into its leather case.
"Now, I just need to buy the corpses.”
"...You can’t buy corpses right away. You have to place an order.”
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Corpses are dangerous to handle and difficult to store... Do you just need any kind of corpse?”
Oliver shook his head.
"I’m looking for corpses of professionals, preferably those specialized in handling black magic or those with medical knowledge.”
"Well, at the very least, you’re looking at 60 to 70 million randa per body. For professional corpses, that’s the base price."
Sixty to seventy million randa... That was quite a sum. And Oliver didn’t need just one body; he needed at least three, possibly five.
Even a rough calculation meant he was looking at over 300 million randa, which was way over budget.
It was true what they said—you earned money slowly, but spent it fast.
Maybe he would have to revise his plans drastically.
"I’ll tell you where to order and how to use it, but the negotiation is up to you.”
"Thank you."
"No problem. Follow me."
Joe took the lead again, and Oliver followed. As they walked, Oliver called out to Joe.
"Hey, Joe."
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for your help. But you still haven’t told me why you’re helping me. Can you explain?”
Joe thought for a moment before answering.
"...I need to ask you a favor as well."