Jade said to Sylvester, "Before opening a Trash Can, I'd like to conduct an exchange with you, Shopkeeper Sylvester."
"If it's about raising the purchase limit, then forget it. My shop treats all customers equally." Sylvester cut her off before she could continue.
After all, this wasn't the first time. Many wealthy people had tried to buy more than their limit.
But unfortunately, Sylvester could never allow it.
"Of course not," Jade smiled lightly. "I'm a businesswoman too. Naturally, I understand the rules of the marketplace. I wouldn't tarnish your reputation, Shopkeeper Sylvester. I'm simply curious about what kind of Curios you've sold. My colleague Aventurine told me you don't seem inclined to share."
"Oh, don't misunderstand. I only want a record of what you've already sold—not future items. Since your stock of Curios must be vast, I wouldn't trouble you unnecessarily. And of course, I won't let you work for nothing." She flashed him a smile, the black fabric over her chest trembling with a wave that could topple kingdoms.
"Hmm…" Truly a remarkable sight.
Tonight's dinner deserved an extra glass of milk.
Seeing the glimmer of enjoyment in Sylvester's eyes, Jade knew she was already halfway there. Though she normally disdained using feminine charm, she couldn't ignore a pattern: the ones who had drawn rare Curios here were beauties like Fu Xuan, Feixiao, Jingliu, and Topaz. Aventurine, despite his Child of Fortune BUFF, had failed.
That gave Jade a hypothesis—perhaps Sylvester gave special treatment to beautiful women?
She wasn't certain, but it was worth a try. After all, she hadn't even changed her usual attire; a little trembling was hardly a true tactic.
If she could acquire that sales ledger, it would be the most successful pawn exchange imaginable.
"My apologies. I cannot disclose it."
Ha! Beauty traps don't work on me! And it has nothing to do with my fondness for watching. Ever since my angelic enlightenment, I'm no longer who I was yesterday. My heart is pure. No filth can taint my spirit.
Even in the face of beauty, I can emerge unstained, like the lotus from the mud!
If Jade could have heard Sylvester's thoughts, she might have exploded on the spot.
Lotus from the mud? Who's the mud here, and who's the lotus? The lotus seeds in your eye sockets are about to sprout wings and fly out!
Unfortunately, she lacked mind-reading.
Seeing Sylvester refuse so firmly, Jade's eyes flickered.
Oh? Then why were you staring so intently? Are your eyes and mouth divorced, giving completely opposite answers?
She began to feel uneasy. His supposedly "pure" gaze gave her the unsettling sensation of being completely exposed.
"It's… a little cold in here," Jade murmured.
She tugged at her collar, covering her chest fully, revealing nothing more.
If not for her status, she might have even wrapped her arms around herself.
"Hmm…" Sylvester slumped back in disappointment.
"Hoo~" The sensation of a spear stabbing her back finally lifted, and Jade exhaled in relief.
But immediately afterward, a pang of frustration surfaced.
As expected, he's not easy to deal with.
Sylvester drummed his fingers on the counter, looking bored.
Ever since he was young, he'd dreamed of being the target of a beauty trap. Now that it had come true, all he got were a couple of stolen glances.
Xianzhou, I've done you proud.
The customers behind him looked at Sylvester with utter contempt, disgusted by how he reaped advantage yet acted smug.
They thought Sylvester was just leering. But he wasn't looking randomly—he was watching carefully.
Sylvester had a habit: whenever strangers greeted him too warmly, showering him with compliments, he felt an instinctive chill. Unless they were long-lost parents, it usually meant they were after something.
Jade's polite flattery was a perfect example.
Phrases like "I understand the rules, I wouldn't damage your reputation," and "You must have countless Curios, I wouldn't trouble you"—all seemed innocent.
If it weren't for the ledger request, he might have accepted them as normal courtesies.
But his instincts screamed otherwise.
Jade was after something specific.
What could it be?
From what Sylvester knew, the Xianzhou had hidden the existence of a high-value Curio—the [Imagine Breaker].
Her goal was obvious.
Sylvester weighed his ties with Fu Xuan, Feixiao, and Jingliu… against the fallout of selling said sales ledger.
His decision was clear.
He would not sell.
Sorry, Ms. Jade. It's nothing personal. You're just not in the circle.
"Sigh." Jade shook her head, regaining her composed elegance.
Her attire, however, remained tightly fastened.
Aventurine's repeated failures had deeply worried her. His misfortune was abnormal.
From the black Trash Cans here, she suspected something on the Xianzhou was affecting him.
But she had no proof. That was why she came here hoping for a ledger. If she found evidence of a luck-altering Curio, she could use it against the Xianzhou.
But she left empty-handed. Sylvester had given her nothing but embarrassment.
What a crafty little fox.
Still, she smiled approvingly. "Indeed, these little tricks don't work on you, Shopkeeper Sylvester. If you joined the Company, with your wit alone you'd surpass SKott."
"Too kind," Sylvester narrowed his eyes in a smile, though his brow twitched.
What a filthy insult.
"Then I'll just buy Trash Cans." Jade handed him her device. Ten million Credits transferred instantly.
Sylvester returned it with a wave. "Go ahead."
Jade opened the five Trash Cans in the center, one after another.
Five beams of light shot upward.
Jade reached directly for the lone blue glow. "Heh, fortune favors the bold after all."
The two customers behind her felt a twinge of regret. That was what they had been after. A blue Curio guaranteed profit—easy resale value at multiple times higher than the cost.
After all, these traders lived off blue Curios.
What of purple or gold? If you pulled those, money was irrelevant.
Jade's hand tightened around the object. The handle, the slight sway—it was unmistakable.
A whip. Her favored weapon.
Excitement flickered in her chest as she pulled it free.
But when it emerged, it was not what she expected.
Normally, whips were long, meant for reach.
But this one was barely a meter. No metallic tips, no blades to boost damage.
Its flexibility was fine, but the braided cords looked… comfortable.
And the flowerlike tassels at the tip? Utterly devoid of menace.
Compared to her bladed whip, this didn't even count as a weapon.
"Tsshh—haa~" Sylvester sighed in awe. "Truly, the Trash Can's collection is all-encompassing. Ms. Jade, you weren't wrong."
But to include even this… has the system itself been enlightened by the angel? Has it become a gentleman's system?
For this whip was the weapon of a queen—though only to be used before rest.
[Queen's Little Whip:A wonderfully supple whip, it spins your partner's courage. An excellent tool that guarantees your partner will never be harmed.]
Jade blinked in confusion.
This… didn't seem like a combat weapon at all.