Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Facing the barrel of a gun, people often become nicer and more talkative. Just moments before, he was stubbornly insisting on his costs and his boss's orders, but the bandana-wearing youth obediently used the keycard to open the underground warehouse at the back of the supply station, moving out boxes of sealed No. 26 fuel.

"There, wasn't that easy?" Guluo patted his shoulder and then asked how he intended to receive payment.

"Forget about 2 million Federation Coins, but you still won't skimp on what's owed."

"There's a card swiper inside that's connected to the star network," the bandana-wearing youth replied with his hands raised, occasionally glancing at the group, particularly at Efnie and Ruby. After all, in this desolate wilderness, it was rare to see pretty girls like them—probably once in ten years.

"Keep it together, and watch where you're looking," Kinsenke kicked him, nearly sending him tumbling, but he didn't dare to retaliate and merely let the group into the main hall.

Surprisingly, the few customers who were originally in the hall hadn't left. Some were drinking, some were sleeping off to the side, seemingly accustomed to such displays of force. They were armed and most wore bulletproof vests, their voices gruff.

This was, after all, the lawless Northern Second District. Without some defensive ability, one wouldn't dare to step outside. In theory, there should be security forces in the store, but upon seeing the weapons of the few intruders, the bandana-wearing clerk wisely chose to submit. Resistance might lead to death, but not resisting would only cost the boss's money and goods, and he was clear on that.

"This is the card swiper," he said, as he dug around under the counter for a while before pulling out an old white card swiper, with several old stickers partially peeled off. Judging by the yellowed edges of the stickers and the model number on the side of the machine, it was quite an old device.

"I've only seen this old thing in nostalgic games. I didn't expect to find one in reality. The question is, can it still be used?" Ximu knocked on it, and a crisp echo came from the hard case.

"It's usable, but it's a bit of a hassle to adjust. The encryption for modern communications tends to be problematic for these older models, and it can run quite slow," he remarked while activating and adjusting the card swiper, inputting passwords, and after fiddling with it for about ten minutes, he finally got a successful connection and the payment page came up.

"According to the market price, 400L of type 26 fuel would cost 20,000 Federation Coins, but considering the hassle to transport it here, let's make it 100,000 Federation Coins." Although 100,000 seemed like a lot, for someone like Kinsenke, it was probably just the cost of a few meals, and he generously swiped his card to pay.

"Thank you, uh, thank you." Seeing that the boss actually paid without playing any tricks, the bandana-wearing clerk's expression immediately became much more flattering and obsequious, and he quickly asked if there was anything else they needed. By this point, he had realized that these people indeed had money and were not going to kill him.

"Don't need your food, we wouldn't trust it. Just tell us about any recent information or maps you have," Kinsenke demanded, sitting with authority at a table, while others began carrying the fuel back to the vehicle and some browsed the store, examining the various old items among the decrepit interior decor.

Ruby was rummaging behind the bar with Efnie, naming some of the types of alcohol she knew. Many were fake, poor-quality copies, with a few looking like genuine bottles.

"I'm actually quite skilled with wines. A red wine brand once approached me for collaboration, too bad there aren't as many who appreciate red wine these days." In the new era, a variety of new beverages had been developed, and the classically styled red wine naturally wasn't as popular as before.

As the two women whispered among themselves, the gaze of several customers in the corner of the room focused on their silhouettes. After all, in this wilderness where females were rare, young and beautiful girls like them were truly an uncommon sight.

One of the customers, already a bit drunk, stood up unsteadily, mumbling unintelligible words as if seeing some hallucination, and staggered over, intending to reach for the two girls behind the bar. But Valke snatched his wrist and then stood in front of him.

"Who are you... let go of me... I warn you, I'm... I'm with 'Leopard Head Gang,' offend me... and you can forget about leaving the Northern Second District." He spoke incoherently, as if he might collapse at any moment. Valke just shook his head and with a gentle tug, the drunken patron fell to the ground.

Seeing Valke's tall stature, the drunk customer's companions dared not make a move. They helped him up and took him to one side, murmuring quietly, "Dragon, wake up."

Meanwhile, Kinsenke was slowly taking in what the bandana-wearing clerk described.

"So you're saying, the Northern Second District is now a wasteland, with only a few areas settled by people, and the major powers are 'Sun Burning City' and 'Withered Tree Garden,' right?"

"That's right. There used to be 'Jielou City,' but last year they seemed to change their usual tactics and left the Northern Second District entirely. That convoy was grand; it surprised many people."

"Oh? They just left like that, where did they go?"

"I'm not sure about that. Rumor has it that they went off to explore other districts. Now, the ruins of Jielou City are still sporadically occupied by some of the elderly who refused to leave. The surrounding areas have been slowly abandoned, and several gangs fought over these vacant spots. Now, some newly formed gangs are holding the ruins of Jielou City."