The two men took a couple of steps, but hearing no footsteps, they turned back to see Xu Wenwan standing at the mouth of the alley. They couldn’t help but urge her on.

"Come on! Mr. Jiu is waiting inside!"

Xu Wenwan couldn’t help but ask the system.

"You’ll be fine."

Reassured, Xu Wenwan finally stepped inside.

"Who is Mr. Jiu?"

Hearing her question, the two men chuckled and explained.

"Our Mr. Jiu is the boss of the black market around here. If you want to sell those facial soaps of yours, you’ll need his nod of approval."

"Be sharp when you go in."

Xu Wenwan agreed, a look of excitement on her face.

’This Mr. Jiu is the boss of the black market, which means he must be more powerful than that Third Master from before. If that’s the case, I absolutely have to get on his good side.’

As she was pondering this, the group stopped in front of a courtyard.

The two men had apparently arranged their visit in advance, as they pushed the gate open and walked right in.

They then led Xu Wenwan into a room.

Xu Wenwan had complete faith in the system, so she entered with almost no hesitation.

A thick smell of Chinese medicine filled the room. The moment Xu Wenwan stepped inside, the odor nearly sent her stumbling back out. Caught off guard, she had inhaled a couple of lungfuls and immediately turned away, breaking into a fit of coughs.

Mr. Jiu was the same man Leng Yuan had beaten half to death.

He was still unable to walk.

Knowing Xu Wenwan was coming today, he’d had his men help him into a rocking chair, hoping to maintain some semblance of his usual image. He never expected that the moment she walked in, she would wear a look of disgust.

Mr. Jiu’s face instantly darkened.

Seeing this, one of his men immediately snapped at her.

"What are you coughing for? Shut up."

Startled, Xu Wenwan clamped her mouth shut, not daring to cough again.

’Even though I have the system, there are seven or eight of his men in this courtyard. If I piss them off, it’ll be a huge hassle.’

She quickly began to explain.

"Mr. Jiu, I’m so sorry. I was a sickly child and had to take a lot of medicine. Ever since, that smell has made me uncomfortable. It’s nothing personal, I assure you."

She had fabricated the excuse.

Mr. Jiu sat in his chair, his eyes fixed on Xu Wenwan.

Xu Wenwan was already quite attractive, with fair skin and large eyes. Now, with the system’s enhancement, she was even more beautiful. As she spoke, her gaze was flirtatious and alluring, as if lined with hooks. Yet her voice was soft and ended with a delicate lilt, enough to make anyone listening go weak in the knees.

Mr. Jiu was captivated by her soft voice. His small eyes lingered on her face for a moment before roaming up and down her figure. Then, a gentle smile spread across his face as he spoke.

"Don’t worry about it. The smell isn’t pleasant to begin with, so it’s perfectly normal that you’re not used to it."

He then glanced at the men beside him.

"You lot shouldn’t be so aggressive all the time. Be careful you don’t frighten the young lady."

Every one of the men who followed Mr. Jiu knew he had a weakness for beautiful women.

Hearing Mr. Jiu’s rebuke, they immediately took the hint.

The way they looked at Xu Wenwan changed instantly.

’This Xu Wenwan really is a looker. If you didn’t know better, you’d think she was some well-bred lady from a rich family! But judging by her words and behavior, she’s no high-society lady. She’s more like one of those girls from the red-light district—a real siren.’

The men’s gazes toward Xu Wenwan grew more lecherous, completely unafraid that she might take offense.

They had already investigated her background thoroughly.

She was the daughter of the Qingshan Team’s village chief. While her father had some influence, it was limited to the Qingshan Team. Here in the County Town, the title "village chief" didn’t mean much.

Besides, what Xu Wenwan was doing—speculation and profiteering—was illegal. As long as they played their cards right, how hard could it be to control one person?

"I hear you’re the one who makes the facial soap?"