670 A Million Times for You 32 (1/2)

There was a far greater number of people there than in the black market of A City.

The place was extremely spacious.

The hub where illegal and unethical transactions took place was yet another example of the dark side of society. Only the wealthy and powerful would be aware of the existence of such a place.

An Xiaoning slowed down in her tracks and walked inside. After having walked a distance, she reached a small door in the middle and opened it, only to be greeted with an appalling sight.

What stood in front of her was complete chaos. A sudden, deafening shriek filled her ears all of a sudden. She walked forward to discover that the wailing was coming from a woman who was rigidly shackled and tied up, stark naked and drenched in blood. A man was standing beside her with a whip in his hand.

An Xiaoning immediately retreated, the shock robbing her of her senses. This is a really dark and twisted place, she thought to herself.

Indeed, such cruel business deals ought to be kept behind closed doors.

She stopped in her tracks when she walked past a tall and handsome-looking man.

She then shifted her gaze onto a signboard next to him, which read: ”Trained under a warrior since a young age, absolutely loyal, in the pink of health, grew up in an orphanage…”

An Xiaoning was well aware that most of the slaves on sale at such markets were orphans who have undergone rigorous training to become warriors. They were all abandoned by their masters, usually because of a mistake made or various other reasons.

How was it possible to tell whether one was healthy or not, simply based on appearance?

”Get them to remove all their clothes except their shorts,” An Xiaoning instructed.

”No problem.” The boss immediately waved at them and ordered, ”Do as this lady here instructed.”

Although there was a heater in the basement, it was still rather chilly because of how spacious the area was.

They stood in a single file and began removing their clothes.

An Xiaoning took a close look at each of their bodies to discover that they were all covered in wounds and scars, which were traces left behind by the severe physical torture they had been subjected to. An Xiaoning could not help but feel sympathy for the young men standing before her.

It was hard to believe that harsh slavery still exists in the modern society of today.

”You may put on your clothes.” An Xiaoning turned to the seller and asked, ”For how much are they going at?”

”To be honest with you, each of them is sold at a different price.” The seller rubbed his hands together and pointed at the most handsome man amongst the group. ”Look at this one, he's tall, handsome, and very fit and agile…”

It sounded as if she was looking to buy a boy toy.

She interrupted, ”Tell me how much each of them costs.”

”Two million, 1.5 million, 2 million, 1 million, 3 million, 2.8 million, 1.5 million, 2.4 million…”

”Ten million dollars. Sell them all to me for ten million dollars,” said An Xiaoning, glancing at the seller.

”Goodness gracious, are you kidding me, lady? We're talking about fourteen people, not fourteen objects!” the seller exclaimed with a look of disbelief.

”Aren't you selling them like they're inanimate objects? Don't think I haven't bought slaves before. Are you trying to fool me? They can't be healthy with so many wounds and scars on them. I might even have to pay for their medical bills if they turn out to be ill-stricken with a long list of diseases. I'm buying all of them for ten million dollars. Take it or leave it,” An Xiaoning insisted.

Well aware of the health condition of the young men, the seller sighed and said, ”I've really made a huge loss this time. But I shall sell them to you, on account of how gorgeous you are. They're all well trained and proficient in martial arts. They would've long fled if it weren't because I had their indentures.”

An Xiaoning remained silent. She knew how important those indentures were in the world of black markets, though they were not legally recognized.

Apart from those who were sent to training camps when they were infants, the rest of them had all willingly begun training from a young age.

An Xiaoning was handed the indentures of the fourteen men she had just bought after making payment with her bank card.

After checking through all the relevant documents, she stowed them away in her bag and said to the men calmly, ”Come with me.”