Tehran Grocery Store: My Intelligence is Priced Clearly

The gun barrel was pressed against the back of Zhang Jian's head.

Bakhtiar and Haishen's expressions changed drastically. Just as they were about to step forward, they were surrounded by people lying in ambush nearby.

Zhang Jian did not turn around.

His right hand still firmly gripped his cane as he spoke fluent Persian: "Is this how the bazaar treats its customers?"

The breathing behind me paused for a moment.

Click.

The gun barrel was removed.

Zhang Jian slowly turned around, and two skinny men in leather jackets were staring at him.

Her gaze swept across his face, making no attempt to hide her surprise.

The man on the left took out a walkie-talkie, covered his mouth, and mumbled a few words in Persian.

A few seconds later, there was a crackling sound from the walkie-talkie.

The person stepped aside, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

But as soon as he stepped aside, the butt of his gun came across and blocked Bakhtiar and Hashan's chests.

Only one person can come in.

Bakhtiar's brows furrowed instantly, and Haisan's hand was already on the hem of her clothes at her waist.

"Wait for me at the door."

Zhang Jian glanced back at the two of them, his tone calm.

"Boss."

Bakhtiar lowered his voice.

Zhang Jian shook his head slightly, offering no further explanation.

He turned around, leaning on his cane, and limped over the rusty iron threshold, walking alone into the courtyard.

Three hundred meters away, at the top of the abandoned water tower.

Shahra lay sprawled on the dusty concrete platform, her fingers gripping the edge of the night vision binoculars tightly.

In the shot, Zhang Jian's somewhat thin figure was completely swallowed up by the rusty iron gate.

Bakhtiar's hushed voice came through the earpiece.

"The boss went in alone, while we were kept outside."

Shahra's breath hitched.

This was beyond our expectations.

Sending a man with no fighting ability alone into a place like a bazaar, where people devour each other, is too risky.

She stared at the closed door for a full three seconds.

"receive."

She raised her wrist and glanced at her tactical watch.

"Attention all units, the timer has started, twenty minutes."

"If the boss doesn't come out in twenty minutes, launch a full-scale attack!"

Zhang Jian watched as the person behind him slowly closed the door.

The space inside was much more spacious than I had imagined.

The guide led Zhang Jian through an open space filled with scrapped car chassis and tractor parts without saying a word.

The air was filled with a pungent metallic smell.

After passing through two heavy security doors, the two went down a set of cement steps and entered a warehouse that had been converted from an underground air-raid shelter.

Several stark white incandescent bulbs hung overhead, illuminating the entire space.

Several wooden crates were scattered in the corner, and four armed men in camouflage pants stood apart, each carrying a short AK assault rifle with a folding stock.

A large metal table was placed right in the center.

Behind the table sat a middle-aged man who was overweight and somewhat out of shape.

He was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and holding a velvet cloth stained with gun oil, slowly wiping a Makarov pistol.

Farhad provided the information.

This man, codenamed "Blacksmith," was one of the key figures on the outskirts of the bazaar.

Hearing footsteps, the blacksmith stopped what he was doing and looked up.

Upon seeing Zhang Jian's face, he paused in wiping his gun.

"Chinese?"

He asked in somewhat broken English, leaning back in his chair.

Zhang Jian nodded.

He walked to the iron table, took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, and pushed it over.

He tapped his finger twice on the paper.

"RPG-7 launchers, warheads separately; four M18A1 rounds, and the remaining C4, we're still short by more than three kilograms. As for the strips, prepare at least five basic loads."

The blacksmith glanced down at the note.

His eyebrows were slightly raised.

He raised his head again and looked at the young man in front of him once more.

His previously casual sitting posture became more restrained, and his eyes held a strange glint.

Having been in this business for a while, you can tell whether a buyer is a novice or a seasoned pro just by listening to their voice.

The man in front of me wanted a variety of things, but they were all essential and dangerous items. He was clearly an amateur, a first-timer.

Moreover, what they wanted was exactly the same thing someone else wanted yesterday.

The blacksmith threw the Makarov on the table.

Instead of immediately quoting a price, he crossed his hands over his stomach and suddenly asked a question.

"How is your friend, the one who came to pick up the first batch of goods last night?"

The atmosphere in the warehouse changed instantly.

The four armed men in the corner all turned their gazes to Zhang Jian.

Zhang Jian's expression remained unchanged.

He met the blacksmith's gaze.

"What friend? This is my first time here."

"I heard from other sources that you have a full range of products here, so I came here specifically to check it out."

The blacksmith stared at him for a few seconds.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't press the matter further.

He reached for the calculator on the table and typed in a string of numbers.

Turn the screen around and push it in front of Zhang Jian.

"How's this price for you?"

Zhang Jian glanced at the screen.

The price is nearly 30% higher than Fahad's previous estimate, which is clearly taking advantage of newcomers.

Zhang Jian nodded and took his phone out of his pocket.

"account number."

The blacksmith paused for a moment.

In the bazaar, who doesn't haggle?

It's been a long time since I've seen a buyer who pays without even haggling over the price.

He gave the account number directly.

One minute later.

The blacksmith's phone on the table lit up.

Half of the deposit has been received.

The blacksmith's face instantly scrunched up, and his attitude became visibly enthusiastic.

"Delivery will be made in batches within 48 hours."

He put the note in his pocket. "You decide the location."

Zhang Jian provided three addresses.

These were all new dead mailboxes that Farhad had hastily planned before his departure.

"Can."

The blacksmith nodded.

After finishing his business, Zhang Jian turned and walked out.

He had only taken two steps.

"friend."

The blacksmith's voice rang out from behind.

Zhang Jian stopped in his tracks.

"Doing business is not easy these days. Be careful not to get targeted by unrelated people."

Zhang Jian didn't turn around. Leaning on his cane, he walked step by step up the cement steps.

The iron gate was pushed open again.

As the night wind blew against his face, Zhang Jian realized that his back was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Bakhtiar and Haishen immediately came forward, flanking him on either side.

"Walk."

Zhang Jian said in a low voice.

On the abandoned water tower in the distance, Shahra heard "people are coming out" in her earpiece, and her tense shoulders suddenly slumped.

She glanced at her watch.

Twelve minutes.

"Attention all groups, evacuate according to the predetermined route."

Half an hour later.

The basement of the grocery store.

Zhang Jian took off his coat and threw it on the bed, then picked up a glass of cold water from the table and took a big gulp.

Farhad walked over quickly.

"Boss, how's it going?"

"The deal is done. The goods will be delivered to those three new addresses in batches within 48 hours."

Farhad breathed a sigh of relief.

"but……"

Zhang Jian put down his water glass and looked at Farhad.

"That 'blacksmith' was testing me."

He repeated the blacksmith's question verbatim.

Farhad nodded.

"That's normal. After all, some of the notes you gave him were ones I asked for yesterday, so it's understandable that he's suspicious of me."

Zhang Jian pulled over a chair and sat down.

"That's why I said I'd go today."

Even if the blacksmith has doubts, he can't be sure about the relationship between you and me.

"His last reminder was more like a warning not to bring trouble to his territory."

"Accept the goods as usual. When delivering the goods, have Bakhtiar and his men sweep around the perimeter and cut off any tails found."