Ninth class citizen

Chapter 298 Norstar Harbor
For Jelly Dumpling, finding information is a piece of cake.

Nan Rong declined the captain's offer and decided to stay in Norstar Port for the time being.

Aside from buying and selling, she didn't want to get too involved with the Austin family, especially after receiving a warning from Steward Wu.

Fortunately, the captain was very sensible. After Nan Rong refused his offer to help her arrange accommodation, he did not press the matter further and bid her farewell with great courtesy.

Although both are starports, Nor Starport and Tulan Starport are like two different worlds.

The semi-circular transparent energy shield covering the entire starport refracted a cold, firefly-like light against the dark purple sky.

Countless activated blue defensive energy circuits, like fragments of starlight, floated within, isolating the deadly radiation storms of the chaotic star field.

Thousands of suspended connecting towers spiral around the main port, and holographically projected flight paths intertwine in the void to form a dazzling galaxy.

Spaceships from various star systems streaked through the area, leaving bright trails of energy, while the colorful lights shining through the portholes painted the area outside the dome into a dazzling and mesmerizing dreamscape.

Within the three-dimensional Star Harbor is a huge warehousing center, plus a super trading market.

A massive amount of goods are traded and transshipped directly here, which has given rise to various service and entertainment venues such as hotels, restaurants, and auction houses.

Thousands of advertising signs of various colors floated in the air, and Nan Rong even found the words "Black Thorn Arena" among them.

Of course, she had no interest in visiting the chain arena again. Instead, following the 3D holographic map provided by Jelly Dumpling, she found a tiny smart device store and carefully selected a bracelet specifically for the Chaotic Starfield.

She picked the oldest model and the most worn-out one in the entire shop. It was actually a second-hand item that had been scrapped and refurbished for resale. It was placed in the most remote corner of the shop's display stand and remained untouched.

The saleswoman, who had been extremely enthusiastic, turned completely cold when the woman insisted on asking about the price of this particular bracelet after rejecting several other expensive new models.

“800 Chaos Coins,” she said calmly.

"400, I'll pay immediately." Nan Rong habitually cut the price in half.

"Manager," the saleswoman called out to the man sitting behind her, "this man is here specifically to cause trouble!"

The store manager was wearing an open casual suit, and his forearms, which he had rolled up, were covered in tattoos.

He stood up, his sharp gaze sweeping over Nan Rong. Seeing her slender figure and being all alone, carrying only a small duffel bag, the corners of his lips slowly curled up.

In a place like Singapore and Hong Kong, where all sorts of people mingle, there are very few upright gentlemen doing business; most people treat others differently based on their status.

If a single female guest is exceptionally capable, it will inevitably be revealed through her clothing and weapons.

The person in front of us, dressed in ordinary low-resistance clothing and haggling over a few hundred Chaos Coins, is just a helpless lamb. If someone were to swallow him whole, skin and all, no one would care.

"Isn't this lady wearing a bracelet?" he asked with a flippant smile. "Want to buy another one? What, are you a runaway slave from somewhere?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper's hand pressed down on Nan Rong's shoulder. But this determined strike never landed. Because Nan Rong suddenly raised his head, his unfathomable black eyes staring indifferently at him.

The store manager's vision went black for a moment, and when he came to his senses, he saw the saleswoman with swollen cheeks, sobbing and crying.

The single female customer from before had long since disappeared.

"What happened?" he asked, pressing his hands to his throbbing temples.

"Manager, how could you hit me for that woman?" The saleswoman cried even louder, "And you made me apologize to her for giving her that bracelet for nothing!"

The store manager's headache worsened, because he had absolutely no recollection of anything the saleswoman had said.

However, the store's surveillance footage showed that he did indeed do those things.

“That woman is definitely suspicious.” The saleswoman, her tears still wet on her face, hooked her arm around the store manager’s. “Manager, should we notify Mr. Johnny?”

Mr. Johnny is a protector of many small shops. Although he charges a protection fee, he is indeed capable of handling things and taking action.

The shopkeeper had already roughly guessed the other party's abilities. To control a fourth-tier martial artist like himself, one would need at least a third-tier or higher manipulation-type extraordinary ability, and was not the lamb to the slaughter that he had previously thought.

He frowned and pushed her hand away.

“It was my own mistake,” he said. “Don’t bother Mr. Johnny with such a small matter.”

Nan Rong put on the new bracelet and threw the brand-new bracelet that the captain of the Austin family had provided her into her solidified space.

Of course, the 350 million Chaos Coins in the internal account have been transferred to the newbie bracelet by Jelly Dumpling without missing a single one.

Nan Rong entered the largest materials trading company in Xinggang and submitted the prepared materials purchase list.

The receptionist's businesslike smile immediately became much more sincere after seeing the list. He led her up to the VIP room on the third floor and served her sweet and refreshing Gan beer and pear wine, as well as various snacks.

A short while later, a composed-looking middle-aged man walked in. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I am the manager of the Wan Jin You Materials Store. Most of the materials on your list are in stock, except for the fifth-tier Spotted Azure Iris Blood and the sixth-tier Frosty Star Emerald Lichen. These two materials are both rare and hard to find, so we never keep them in stock. May I ask what you intend to do with them?"

Nan Rong put down her wine glass, looked up at the middle-aged man, and said, "Oh? Why do I have to pay with Chaos Coins and provide instructions for use when buying things from your bank?"

The middle-aged man smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "That's not it, I was just curious. But as you know, the Delin Federation and the Kungu Empire have recently gone to war, and the Chaotic Starfield will be closed for an unknown period of time, so the prices of many materials will inevitably rise. And these two rare materials are even more so."

"I had no idea that external wars could affect the price of materials unique to the Chaotic Starfield," Nan Rong sneered.

"Furthermore, as far as I know, a large number of merchant ships are currently stranded in Tanggula Port, and they will inevitably need to sell off goods that are difficult to preserve as soon as possible. Therefore, in the near future, the prices of imported goods may rise, while the prices of local goods will only fall. Does your company's attitude mean you treat your customers like fools?"

The middle-aged man blinked, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Since our esteemed guest is a discerning person, let's recalculate the accounts. Purchases exceeding one million Chaos Coins will receive a 5% discount on the total price. However, those two rare materials need to be ordered separately, and not only will there be no discount, but we'll also have to wait at least one or two months."