As soon as Xu Mo's mind flashed with a slight suspicion, he instantly dismissed the thought. The strange power was simply too weak. If it hadn't been for the "Immovable as a Mountain" defense blocking most of the physical impact, he probably wouldn't have even felt the nearly negligible force.
Moreover, the long-legged girl's formidable combat skills were built entirely on her fierce leg techniques. Although her physique was rare among girls her age, it was still within the range of an ordinary person. There was a vast difference compared to the exaggerated enhancements seen in apocalyptic shard wielders.
Perhaps the martial arts she practiced had some peculiarities?
After her full-force attack failed, the long-legged girl quickly retreated, her face showing no signs of surprise. She casually brushed off the dust from her shoes and nonchalantly said, "Can't beat you... I'm done."
After speaking, the long-legged girl walked past Xu Mo with remarkable grace. Her tall, slender figure gradually disappeared into the crowd.
"Hey? Li Jie?" The other three "non-mainstream" girls froze, their eyes wide as they exchanged glances before hastily chasing after her.
Seeing that a crowd of over thirty people had gathered at the narrow alley's entrance, Xu Mo decided not to stay in the spotlight of idle gossip. After instructing the fashion girl, who was still thanking him, to call for emergency help, he squeezed out of the crowd and left the alley.
"Hey! Big Brother, wait!" The fashion girl, who had just helped her boyfriend sit on the steps, suddenly got up, picked up an old brown wallet from the ground, and hurriedly caught up with Xu Mo. She handed it to him, saying, "I think this is yours?"
Xu Mo didn't recall ever losing a black wallet, but as he was about to deny it, he instinctively opened the wallet and unexpectedly found a student ID with a photo of the long-legged girl.
"Oh, it's mine, thanks."
Perhaps out of a subconscious desire to protect the long-legged girl, Xu Mo slipped the wallet into his pocket without a word and walked away from the scene.
Xu Mo had intended to catch up and return the wallet to the long-legged girl, but since he wasn't familiar with the streets of Nanzheng City, he quickly lost track of her and her group in the dense crowd.
Just as he was about to give up, he remembered the phone number the long-legged girl had given to the fashion girl earlier. He returned to the scene but found that the couple had already been taken away by an ambulance, and the onlookers had all dispersed.
Forget it. There's nothing of real importance in the wallet besides the student ID. Maybe the owner won't even care... Why am I in such a rush?
Xu Mo thought of tossing the wallet, but then reconsidered. It didn't feel quite right, so he kept it on him, deciding to hand it over to the police before leaving Nanzheng City.
After spending a few hours aimlessly wandering outside, the sky gradually darkened.
Xu Mo ate a large bowl of mutton stew noodles at a bustling noodle shop before taking a taxi back along the same route. He arrived at the agreed meeting point with Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong just before 7:00 PM.
Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong were sitting in a corner music cafe in the hotel lobby, sipping coffee. When they saw Xu Mo, they both put their cups down at the same time, stood up to meet him, and walked together out of the hotel.
Chang Zitong looked energetic, but Du Zhizhang seemed sluggish, his dark circles under his eyes evident. He was yawning repeatedly, clearly exhausted.
Chang Zitong didn't notice Xu Mo's strange glance at the two of them, patting Xu Mo on the shoulder and laughing, "Xu Mo, little brother, why didn't you sleep in your room? If you're tired tonight, there won't be a place for you to sleep in the Alliance."
"Wasn't Du Ge also not sleeping well?" Xu Mo chuckled awkwardly, with a double meaning in his words.
"Uh…" Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong exchanged an awkward glance. They couldn't tell if Xu Mo's comment was just casual or if there was a deeper meaning, but they quickly changed the subject.
According to the address Du Zhizhang provided, the headquarters of the World Fruit Trade Alliance was located in the Goods World, a huge wholesale market in Nanzheng City famous for clothing and small goods. It was a half-hour taxi ride from the Crown Plaza Hotel near the train station.
However, to avoid attracting attention, the three didn't head directly to the Goods World. Instead, they had the taxi stop at a park near the destination, and then casually walked like ordinary citizens, heading into the Goods World.
The Goods World, which was the largest distribution center for clothing and small goods in Nanzheng City, was still bustling with business at this hour. Tens of thousands of customers were moving between the various stalls, haggling and bargaining. Occasionally, small retailers could be seen leaving with satisfied expressions, their bags full, creating a scene of busy activity.
Looking at the crowded hall, Xu Mo couldn't help but quietly murmur, "So this is where the World Fruit Trade Alliance is? Truly hidden in plain sight! With so many people around, it would be hard for the identities of us apocalyptic shard wielders to be exposed..."
"Actually, the Alliance is both here and not here," Du Zhizhang replied ambiguously. He then led Xu Mo through a maze of turns until they entered a public restroom in the eastern corner of the first floor. Chang Zitong also entered the women's restroom next door.
As soon as Xu Mo stepped into the restroom, he noticed something strange about its layout. After entering, he saw that it was a small, independent room with doors on all sides. The front had a sign that said "Men's Toilet," but the two side doors were labeled "Employee Only, No Entry for Outsiders."
When there was a brief moment with no one coming in or out, Du Zhizhang led Xu Mo into one of the employee-only bathrooms and locked the door. He then inserted his membership card from the World Fruit Trade Alliance into a small, inconspicuous gap in the wall. The wall in front of them silently slid open, revealing a narrow passage leading somewhere unknown.
This secretive method, straight out of a movie, shocked Xu Mo. He couldn't believe it and asked, "Du Ge, the apocalyptic shards have only appeared for a few months—how could there be such a mechanism here? What exactly is the World Fruit Trade Alliance?"
"Don't be so surprised. You'll get used to it," Du Zhizhang said as he entered the passage. He took two black hooded cloaks off a rack and handed one to Xu Mo, signaling him to wear it. "The World Fruit Trade Alliance's predecessor was the largest underground black market in Nanha Province, 'Nightshade.' This place was originally their headquarters, and there are countless similar secret passages. What we can access is just the part that's specifically open to apocalyptic shard wielders."
Xu Mo put on the black cloak that covered most of his body and noticed a series of numbers printed on both his and Du Zhizhang's cloaks. Du Zhizhang had the number "OO83," while Xu Mo's was "0108."
Seeing the confusion in Xu Mo's eyes, Du Zhizhang explained, "These are just temporary codes, they don't mean anything. In fact, for low-level members like us, the code changes randomly each time we enter or leave. So don't use the code to identify others."
"Low-level members? Are there other levels?" Xu Mo asked, curious.
"Of course. Every transaction a member makes involves a 5% commission fee for the Alliance, and members also accumulate points. Once they reach a certain amount, they can level up. The higher the membership level, the more benefits you get. You'll understand once you join."
The passage stretched on for several dozen meters before ending. Du Zhizhang placed his hand on the door handle and suddenly turned around to remind Xu Mo, "The sights ahead might be a bit overwhelming. Stick close to me, and especially avoid looking at the high-level members. You don't want to attract unnecessary trouble."
"Got it, but how do I distinguish the high-level members?" Xu Mo asked, still confused.
Du Zhizhang smiled mysteriously, "You'll be able to tell just by looking."
As the small iron door in front of them slowly opened, Xu Mo couldn't help but hold his breath, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. After hesitating for a moment, he finally took his first step into the world of apocalyptic shard wielders.