Having a fool in the team is very important, because when everyone feels tired or upset, this fool always manages to cheer everyone up in various ways.
For instance, their fool now is Daniel.
Everyone looked at Daniel with an almost affectionate gaze.
And Daniel was still enthusiastically feeling his little dress.
"Doesn't it look lovely?" he asked.
He carefully tucked his little dress into a bag, clutching it tightly in his hand. After a while, he hugged it to his chest instead.
"...I wonder if I'll turn into a girl when I put it on."
Qin Huaibei gave him an odd look, but ultimately decided not to say anything else.
After all, this guy seemed genuinely delighted, and he thought it was better not to say anything weird that might upset him.
Caring for the fool is everyone's responsibility.
At this moment, Daniel had no idea that he had been classified as mentally challenged. He followed behind the others, looking around curiously at the goods displayed in the black market.
The five of them headed forward.
The deeper they went, the more precious the items in the black market became.
Chloe even spotted a Frigid Grass, which Ren Yunying had previously tried to bid for at an auction.
She paused momentarily, her gaze lingering on the grass.
Although she didn't know if Ren Yunying really needed that grass or if Hurst had eventually given it to her, Chloe still lingered in front of the stall.
What if Ren Yunying wanted that grass but Hurst didn't give it to her?
Although the Frigid Grass wasn't particularly rare, what if this was the last one and someone else bought it after they left?
After much hesitation, Chloe finally gritted her teeth and bought the grass.
She stared at the unremarkable plant for a long time, then pinched a small leaf and muttered softly:
"Small in size, but not cheap in price."
Anderson paid out 100,000 credits in one go, adding another expense to the terminal system.
Daniel noticed the commotion and came over to take a look. He then scoffed, "You're even buying things for Instructor Ren? If it were me, I would have punched her left and right the moment she tricked us into going to that arena!"
Upon hearing this, Chloe tapped her terminal and smiled radiantly, "Great, I recorded what you just said. I'll play it for Instructor Ren when we get back."
Daniel: "..."
He walked up in an attempt to bribe her, "Maybe you need a little dress that can turn you into a girl?"
Chloe gave him a withering look, feeling that this guy was getting stupider by the day.
The deeper they went, the fewer people there were in the black market.
Occasionally, a few figures were cloaked in black robes and wearing strange masks, their bodies and faces completely hidden and impossible to discern.
Among the crowd, only these fledglings stood out, instantly recognizable at a glance.
Chloe stored the White Parrot Potion and Frigid Grass in her mustard ring, intending to study them carefully after returning.
As they moved, Chloe turned her head to ask Anderson for some money, but before she could even turn halfway, she was knocked to the ground by a passer-by rushing past.
The person was very tall, and when they collided straight into her, Chloe couldn't keep her balance and fell to the ground.
"Chloe!"
The fledglings scattered around buying items immediately ran over and helped Chloe up from the ground.
Katherine checked her over to see if she had any obvious injuries. Seeing none, she asked, "Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"
Chloe shook her head, about to say she was fine, but then she felt an emptiness around her waist.
She paused for a moment, then said, "My money bag is gone."
Upon hearing this, Anderson subconsciously patted his own pocket, only to find it empty as well.
It was then clear to everyone that they had encountered a pickpocket.
Daniel cursed, "Dammit, was it that guy just now? What kind of person steals money from fledglings!"
Chloe stood up from the ground and turned around to look back.
Although there weren't many people in the depths of the black market, the man who had bumped into her had vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Chloe pursed her lips and said solemnly, "Let's go find him."
Qin Huaibei looked back, "The situation here is uncertain. If we recklessly pursue him, we may not get any results."
Chloe grabbed his fatal point, "Do you know how much silver I had in my money bag?"
She reported a figure with a pained expression.
Qin Huaibei immediately changed his tune, "How despicable to steal someone's money bag in broad daylight! We must bring him to justice!"
"...Will you share some with us if we find him?"
Chloe let out a wry laugh, "Depends on your performance."
...
For the sake of money, the five fledglings began seriously searching for the pickpocket's trail.
Qin Huaibei emphasized, "We're doing this for justice, for the benefit of our comrades. Don't think we're greedy people seeking vain glory."
Chloe couldn't be bothered to argue with this hypocrite.
So this was the role model of the new generation of humans? Whatever.
They followed the direction the pickpocket had fled.
Chloe released her perception sense, and Daniel carefully sniffed the surrounding scents.
They walked back for a while, then turned left, and soon came upon a dead end.
Katherine touched the surrounding walls, "There's no way out."
Daniel's nose twitched, "But his scent disappears right here. It's almost like he used a teleportation spell."
He looked up, "Or maybe he climbed over the wall?"
Chloe's perception also clearly told her that the pickpocket's aura ended here, not fully dissipated.
"Search carefully, there must be a hidden passage here."
Everyone began searching.
Daniel kicked the wall in frustration, muttering, "How could we find it that easily..."
"Bang!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the brick he had kicked sank inwards.
A dull clicking sound followed, and a faint light emerged from what had seemed like a dead end.
The wall opposite them started to shift, slowly revealing a hidden passage just large enough for a person to pass through.
Daniel awkwardly pulled his leg back.
Chloe withdrew her hand from the wall and gave Daniel a thumbs up, praising him, "Well done."
She then jumped into the hidden passage first.
The crowd gradually caught up, and Qin Huaibei patted Daniel's shoulder before entering:
"Fools have foolish luck."
Daniel immediately bristled: "Who are you calling a fool?"
Qin Huaibei skillfully dodged his attack and quickened his pace into the secret passage.
This secret passage was very long, with high walls embedded with magic stones that provided illumination.
For adults, they would likely have to walk one by one, but for the young ones, walking side by side wasn't a problem at all.
The further they went, the louder the commotion became.
Chloe wondered, "These walls have pretty decent soundproofing. The noises inside are so loud, but you can't hear a thing outside."
"Who says they're not?" Qin Huaibei responded from far behind.
After some time, daylight appeared.
"High roller, I'm betting big!"
"I have money! Really, I still have money!"
"If it really comes down to it, I'll leave my hand here for you to cut off!"
These voices came one after another.
Chloe stopped in her tracks, looking at the magnificent decorations of the door ahead, which were completely out of place with the Barren Planet's overall environment. Her brow furrowed slightly:
"This is a casino."
