Director Silas Kaelen stood at the door, his tone polite. "Your Excellency, The Panacea. This is the private suite prepared for you."
He paused, adding a reminder. "However, I must clarify something first. On this voyage, the Med-Tech Quarantine is not only for trading pharmaceuticals, but also to assist in processing a portion of the Living Assets."
Serena's hand paused as she was about to set down the Quicksilver Med-Vault.
Living Assets.
She seized upon those words.
Dr. Geoffrey Grant had mentioned previously that Project Zero-Transit would be moving a batch of Semi-Finished Assets.
As long as this batch was successfully delivered, the Obsidian Sun's Obsidian Augment experiments could continue to advance.
Now, the director of the Med-Tech Quarantine had explicitly mentioned Living Assets.
The contents of the Sanctum Vault were likely related to the Med-Tech Quarantine.
But Serena wasn't in a hurry to ask.
After all, she was currently operating under the guise of The Panacea.
She knew exactly what The Panacea should care about.
Serena lifted her gaze lazily, a trace of greed flickering in the depths of her eyes. "Is the price high enough?"
Director Silas Kaelen smiled, as if he had anticipated her question. "I guarantee it will meet your satisfaction, Your Excellency."
Serena's lips curved in a satisfied smile. "That works for me."
Meanwhile.
At the boarding gate for The Buyers on Project Zero-Transit.
Compared to the Med-Tech Quarantine, which reeked of disinfectant and chemicals, this area was distinctly more luxurious.
Dark red carpets lined the corridor, muffling any footsteps.
The lighting was dim, yet perfectly illuminated each trading booth.
The air was thick with the scent of fine liquor and cigars, radiating the decadent stench of accumulated wealth.
There was none of the blatant murderous intent found in the Predator's Den.
Nor was there the tense atmosphere of the security zones.
Yet the danger here was no less than anywhere else.
Those who boarded from the Merchant's Quarter were rarely ordinary figures.
There were arms dealers, representatives of gray capital, underground auctioneers, and illicit experiment financiers.
There were even middlemen who
vernet
specialized in laundering money, facilitating connections, and
transporting special cargo for various factions, content
with refined met
These people dressed man
and spoke
looking for all the world like aristocrats from high society
But the stench of blood on them could never be washed away.
Julian Lancaster boarded from here.
He wasn't wearing his usual gold-rimmed glasses.
His disguised face retained its gentle contours.
Only, this gentleness differed from the noble elegance the eldest Lancaster usually displayed.
It felt more like he had lingered in the darkness for too long, carrying a dangerous aura that deterred anyone from approaching.
Especially the slight smile playing on his lips-it looked warm, but concealed a biting coldness beneath.
His sharp, dark gray suit accentuated his tall, lean frame.
At his pale wrists, the black-and-gold Joker cufflinks gleamed faintly under the dim lights.
That was the mark of Joker.
Marcus Vane, who was in charge of receiving guests in the Merchant's Quarter, personally welcomed Julian into the verification room.
Wearing a dark gray formal suit, the man offered a polite smile, respectful but not overly sycophantic. "Mr. Joker."
He bowed slightly and pushed the identity verification screen toward Julian. "Welcome aboard Project Zero-Transit."
Verification in the Merchant's Quarter was different from other areas.
It wasn't just a simple identity scan.
The ship's operators had to verify each buyer's transaction history to ensure they were qualified to board.
Julian raised his hand and slowly pressed his palm against the scanner.
On the screen, the black-and-gold Joker emblem flashed.
Quickly, a string of encrypted transaction records popped up.
Every single amount listed was enough to make an ordinary black-market buyer's
scalp prickle with shock.
A touch more caution entered
Marcus Vane's eyes, and his smite
deepened. "Mr. Joker's arrival is quite sudden. May I ask if you are
here for firearms, or för other business on the ship?"
The words were polite.
But his gaze remained fixed on Julian's face.