This was the first time Xu Mo had ever experienced such an unfiltered, blatant temptation. Though the beauty before him might not be on the same level as Tang Guo or Lin Yijing in terms of absolute stunning looks, her voluptuous, peach-like mature figure carried an equally irresistible allure. Especially that final sultry hum, almost exhaled through her nose, unexpectedly made Xu Mo recall the intense "intestinal battle" he had overheard that afternoon. He nearly lost control on the spot, narrowly avoiding a full-on nosebleed.
However, the "tent" in his lower half was unavoidable. Fortunately, his oversized cloak concealed his figure entirely; otherwise, he might have embarrassed himself on the spot.
Under the short-haired beauty receptionist's "resentful" gaze, Xu Mo firmly declined her repeated offers to act as his guide, then quickly pulled Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong away from the reception desk.
Seeing Xu Mo's flustered retreat, Chang Zitong couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "Xu Mo, little bro, we've brought you here, so our job is done. You're way richer than us—why not pick a beautiful guide to accompany you? They're not only informative but also easy on the eyes, plus it comes with a five-star 'personalized service'..."
"Sister Chang, can we not talk about that?" The moment Xu Mo heard her emphasize "personalized," he felt a wave of awkwardness. Luckily, his mask concealed his expression, but the tips of his ears still burned. To divert attention, he quickly countered, "Brother Du, did you also hire a guide when you first arrived?"
"Would he dare?!" Chang Zitong immediately narrowed her eyes and let out a cold laugh.
"Haha… I was dirt poor when I first came here—where would I get the money for a guide? I had to ask around and figure things out on my own, which honestly took me quite a lot of time," Du Zhizhang admitted sheepishly, scratching his head.
"Oh, right. When I mentioned paying for the guide in Huaxia currency earlier, why did those receptionists look so upset?" Xu Mo suddenly recalled this detail and turned to Du Zhizhang for an explanation.
"Haha, that's because of the exchange rate difference," Du Zhizhang laughed. "The alliance sets a fixed guide fee—either ten Fruit Coins or one thousand Huaxia yuan. While the official exchange rate makes them equal in value, the catch is that the alliance only allows Fruit Coins to be exchanged for Huaxia currency, not the other way around. Plus, Huaxia currency can't be used to buy Apocalyptic Shards. Because of this, Fruit Coins keep appreciating in value in real transactions—going up practically every day like a stock that never falls. So those receptionists would do anything to get paid in Fruit Coins."
At this point, Chang Zitong chimed in, "Once you've been in the alliance long enough, you'll realize that some things can't be bought with Huaxia currency at all—but with enough Fruit Coins, you can get anything you want. The alliance is practically a paradise if you have them."
As they talked, the three of them arrived at the entrance of a subway car. As they stepped inside, the red brick walls at both ends of the carriage instantly vanished, replaced by an endlessly connected train—each carriage stretching far beyond the eye could see.
Sensing their entry, the train's automated broadcast played a sweet-toned message:
"Welcome to the World Fruit Trade Alliance's NanZheng City headquarters, the 'Endless Train!' If you wish to conduct Apocalyptic Shard transactions, please turn left. If you seek other services or entertainment, please turn right. Should you have any questions, please consult a guide or station personnel. Enjoy your time!"
Only now did Xu Mo notice the signage on both sides of the carriage, listing the functions of different compartments.
The carriage they were in was labeled "Carriage Zero." The left side contained ten carriages marked with an "L," including:
L1: Official Trading Zone
L2–L7: Free Trade Zones for six different types of shards
L8: Electronic Trading Zone
L9 & L10: Free Trade Zones for Apocalyptic Shard derivatives
On the right side, twelve carriages marked with an "R" housed various leisure and entertainment facilities. Their names didn't seem much different from typical recreational venues outside.
However, two carriages caught Xu Mo's attention—"Arena" and "Beast Battle Arena."
"I can understand the Arena—it's probably a place where Apocalyptic Shard wielders duel. But what's the Beast Battle Arena? Like underground cockfighting or dogfighting for gambling?" Xu Mo asked, pointing at carriages R11 and R12, his curiosity piqued.
"Something like that," Du Zhizhang replied. "But instead of real animals, the fights involve intelligent creatures summoned using blue shards. Compared to the Arena, the Beast Battle Arena is considered safer, and the battles are more spectacular. That's why it's one of the most popular entertainment options here."
Du Zhizhang then gestured toward the left side of the train. "Enough sightseeing. Everything in the right-side carriages can only be paid for with Fruit Coins. Even if you want to check it out, you should at least visit the trading zone first. Come on, let's go!"
Though Xu Mo was eager to explore, he knew priorities came first. He took a final glance at the various signs in Carriage Zero before following Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong into L1—the Official Trading Zone.
Upon stepping into L1, Xu Mo realized that within this mirage, the subway carriages were merely passageways connecting countless independent spaces. Each carriage door opened into a separate station, identical in appearance to the Zero Carriage exterior. The trading zones were located on these stations.
The Official Trading Zone resembled a bank's transaction hall, with a solid marble counter reinforced with thick bulletproof glass, completely separating staff from traders. Transactions could only be conducted through a one-way secure exchange box embedded in the glass.
Although the hall provided various services such as shard sales and currency exchange, most people came for one reason only—to sell their Apocalyptic Shards to the alliance at the official price in exchange for Fruit Coins.
Despite multiple service windows being open, only a sparse few individuals were conducting transactions—likely due to the holiday season slowing business.
Xu Mo didn't have many shards to sell, only two unactivated red enhancement shards. However, since they were in their original state, their value was boosted by 50%. He ultimately sold them for 1,000 Fruit Coins each.
"How much did you get for your shards?" Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong had just finished their transactions, their faces glowing with satisfaction from their earnings.
Xu Mo pointed at the ATM-like transaction machine, where his meager total of 2,000 Fruit Coins was displayed. He sighed, "Just this much. Honestly, even though I know that at the official rate, this is worth 200,000 Huaxia yuan, seeing one less zero makes it feel way less exciting… How much did you guys make?"
"Hehe, check this out!"
Chang Zitong excitedly inserted her membership card into the machine, revealing a glaring five-digit figure—11,700.
"Whoa! That's a ton!" Xu Mo exclaimed instinctively. Even at the official rate, that was a massive 1.17 million yuan!
"Yup! And if we use the last black-market exchange rate of 1:400, that's 4.68 million yuan! Even after deducting the 5% transaction tax, we still pocket 4.446 million. We're rich!" Overjoyed, Chang Zitong couldn't resist planting another firm kiss on Du Zhizhang.
Unlike her, Du Zhizhang didn't seem overly thrilled. Instead, he let out a faint sigh of regret and murmured, "Back to being an ordinary person… It feels strange."
Having also relinquished her shard-enhanced abilities, Chang Zitong understood his sentiment and leaned gently against his shoulder, comforting him. "You'll get used to it. We just want a peaceful and happy life, don't we?"
"Heh, I'm just feeling nostalgic," Du Zhizhang chuckled. "Our time in the alliance ends here, but for Xu Mo, it's just beginning. Let's not just celebrate on our own—let's stick around and accompany him for the rest of the night!"