It was one in the morning. Everything was quiet and peaceful everywhere else, but here at Water Dock,
things had only just warmed up. It was the most chaotic time of the day, when all kinds of colorful
characters began to show up.
Renee hade to Water Dock on her own, with nothing but a ‘top-secret” map of the area that she
bought at a high price from the second-hand market. She headed straight to Carmine Pawnshop.
Water Dock had indeed lived up to its reputation. It was every bit as much of thewless, “no man’s
land” it was rumored to be, where burning, looting, robbing, and killing took ce at almost every
corner. Anything that was too sickening to be found in civilized society was nothing but a normal
urrence here. It was truly a dreadful ce to be.
The whole area of Water Dock was actually not thatrge, but it was divided into three main zones-
upstream, midstream, and downstream.
The upstream area was at the outermost edge. It was rtively the most” normal” zone here, where a
trading center was located. Here you could find all kinds of goods, and if you looked hard enough, you
might even leave with a good deal in your hands. It was certainly the safest area in the Water Dock.
Things began to stray off the beaten track in the Midstream zone. Here you would find illegal casinos,
illegal racetracks, illegal brothels, and an illegal marketce for all kinds of shady goods. This was also
a ce where you could find groups of thugs and ruffians who had no fear of death. They would do
anything for you as long as you agree to their price.
Unsurprisingly, people get killed here every day.
The downstream area, however, was basically purgatory on Earth. Danger lurked in every corner and
most normal people would never dare get close to it, let alone set foot there. It was just as Liam had
described-even the devil himself might get conned out of the clothes on his back here.
Yet here was the ce where Carmine Pawnshop was located, in the deepest bowel of the
downstream zone in Water Dock. It was right in the center of an absolute hellscape, and just from this
fact alone, one could guess what kind of man Mr. Q, the owner of Carmine Pawnshop, really was. You
would have to go through an ordeal just to meet him!
If Renee was not so desperate to get the money, she would’ve never even imagined having anything to
do with such a shady guy. But she was not afraid of him in the least. After all, she used to be an
infamous figure herself back when she was still in the circle. She had been to many godforsaken
ces that were a thousand times more ursed than Water Dock, so she was perfectly in her
element in this kind of ce.
But she had two children to think of now. This made her a lot more cautious than she was in the past.
Back then, she would dive headlong into anything without a care for the consequences. The very
thought about how reckless she used to be made her shudder!
It was still early, so Renee parked her car in a parking lot in the upstream zone with a n to go to the
famous antique market first.
The antique market was located in the upstream zone. It also acted as the entrance to Water Dock.
Because of its special location, many rare treasures from all around the world were smuggled and sold.
Countless people have made their fortune here, but just as many had their life ended here as well
because of their greed.
The antique market dazzled with lights and bustled with activity. Traders and peddlers were shouting,
advertising their wares to the rest of the market which was filled with a flurry of people.
“Come and take a look! This is a genuine ss urn from Ulria! It’s the only one of its kind in the whole
world! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal! Don’t miss out on a great deal…”
“Feast your eyes,dies and gentlemen! These are sacred stone beads from the Western Hignds!
Legend has it that these were blessed by angels! These are only meant for those who are destined to
have them!”
II It
Renee was both fascinated and overwhelmed by the sight of rare treasures all around her as she
strolled through the market. Never would she have guessed that there would be such an exciting
“treasure trove” right here in Beach City, where one could buy whatever their heart desired.
She then came across a smaller stall attended by an old man with a gray beard and dark skin who was
engrossed in ying his fiddle. His stall was rtively simple and somewhat shabbypared to the
others around it, consisting only of a table covered by a coarse linen cloth where a few pieces of jade,
ancient paintings, ceramics, and other knick knacks were lined up on. It was hard to tell where these
objects came from, but they seemed to have been dug out of old tombs and graves.
What caught Renee’s eye the most was the stack of cards right next to these treasures. She looked
closer and realized that they were tarot cards. This inexplicably piqued her interest, so much that she
asked, “Are you good at predicting the future, old man?”
But the old man did not even open his eyes. He was lost in his music, passionately pouring his heart
out to the song he was ying on his fiddle. Renee thought the song he yed was familiar. She
thought it sounded rather like a song called “Destiny”.
Seeing that the old man was so absorbed in the music, Renee thought it best not to disturb him, so she
was prepared to leave.
Just then, the old man finally finished ying his song and stopped her,” Where are you going, young
lady? I’ve been waiting for you for so many years. The person I was destined to meet is finally here.”
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“You’ve been waiting for me?” Renee asked. She was even more fascinated now. With a smile, she
asked, “Do you know me?”
“You can put it that way.”
“Then tell me, who am I?”
Renee waited eagerly for the old man’s answer with a yful smile on her face. She had heard of
swindlers and conmen who could tell someone’s fortune by just randomly picking a name-statistically,
there woulde a time when they’d get it right.
That was why she absolutely did not believe that this old man could guess her real name. After all, her
last name was pretty rare and her first name was not amon one either