"More than one underground market?"

On the street, Sherlock and Donald were walking and discussing the underground market. The latter started the conversation.

"Of course, there are two markets, north and south, in Preston. We are going to the southern market, which is closer to us."

Sherlock said without looking back, his eyes were always on the notebook page in his hand, and all of Donald's translation was transcribed on it.

"why......"

"Why are there two? The reason is very simple, the government stipulates."

This reason is just what Sherlock used to gag Donald's mouth. The real reason is of course more complicated.

The volume of underground transactions in the entire Preston City is not small. On the one hand, the control of commodities in underground transactions is not so strict. There has never been a department like the Quality Supervision Bureau. For sale, there are also those who regard real goods as parallel imports because they are not enough in their own eyes.

Killing customers, picking up leaks, this kind of thing is not uncommon in the underground market, and most people still eat this set, compared to those regular stores that have been checked layer by layer before putting on the container, this kind of place can always give A peculiar sense of excitement.

When there are too many people, trouble will come.

Not to mention the store, the seller must at least have a place to move a small bench to set up a stall, right? Otherwise, where to put the goods.

Buyers on the other side have to have somewhere to walk, right? Otherwise, how can it be called a market?

However, there is a very helpless thing in this joint: the government does not allow this kind of market to appear aboveboard. Once some of the goods in the underground market are exposed, it will easily cause unnecessary trouble.

The size of the market should not be too large, otherwise it will be easy to be discovered. The government can turn a blind eye at some point, but if the underground market is exposed, they will have to take action to manage it. feel good.

Therefore, after coordination and negotiation and on-site investigation, two underground market areas were formed in the city of Preston, which were tacitly opened by the government, located in the north and south urban areas.

The brightly lit blocks are full of shops on both sides of the road. The spacious alleys that should have been designed to accommodate three people in accordance with urban planning have been compressed again and again. This is normal. Capitalists have always liked to maximize the use of resources, even if only just It is a one-square-meter store expansion.

That means a single small table, a new guest or two, an extra income.

The heat of the summer night fuels the lively atmosphere. People wandering the streets in groups of three or five, the laughter inside and outside the tavern, the ambiguous calls in the Nightingale shop, and the tempting aroma in the restaurant make people stop involuntarily.

"This is where the underground market is located?"

Donald looked at the block in front of him and found it absurd. It was clearly a bustling commercial street in Preston.

"That's right, the underground market exists just below the bustling commercial street, isn't it weird?"

Sherlock asked with a smile, Donald was startled, and then he laughed.

As a commercial street with complete facilities and mature operations, I don’t know how many people will come and go in this area every day. Is there a better disguise than this?

There are all traders here, but some people's transactions are on the ground, and some people's transactions are underground. After buying or selling things, they walk into the crowd, and they can't make a splash. Those who want to check, These ordinary people are a natural barrier. After all, to make trouble in such a place is to provoke the government, and the consequences will undoubtedly be serious.

In the words of his previous life, this is called hiding in the city.

"Come with me, don't look at the number of shops here, there are only a few places where people can go down. For example, some vendors have other passages."

Sherlock walked ahead, through the crowd, and continued until he stopped at the door of a restaurant:

"Because you helped me earn more than 10 gold pounds, I will give you an extra piece of information. Can you see the difference when you see the sign on the restaurant?"

"Jeff's restaurant...the two forks on the wooden sign?"

The restaurants Donald had seen before were all hung with crossed knife and fork signs, which belonged to the industry. The real name of the restaurant was on the top of the restaurant door. This Jeff's restaurant had a knife and fork sign hanging outside, on the top of the door. However, a double-forked sign appeared repeatedly, and ordinary people would not seem to think that there was anything. After all, the restaurant owner had the final say on what brand to hang.

"This is the sign of the entrance to the underground market. The double fork usually appears under the name of the restaurant. It should be similar in other cities... I don't know how it became popular."

Donald is right, this is for people who understand pedestrians.

"Go in now?"

The diners in the door were sitting separately, and the food was in full swing. The two of them stood at the door and looked inside. This behavior was a bit weird.

"It's almost something. You go to the side and buy two cod for 1 shilling. Remember, 1 shilling."

Raising his cane, he clicked on the shop next to him. Only then did Donald realize that there was a seafood shop near the restaurant. The city of Preston is not in the coastal area, but it is not far away, so there is no shortage of fresh seafood. He didn't ask any further questions, and returned a few minutes later with two live cod tied with straw ropes.

"This palm-sized cod sells for a shilling. I think 3p is the normal price."

Although Donald doesn't know much about the price of fish, he can still make a basic comparison. A cod is 1 shilling, which is not just a black heart.

"You'll know why it's so expensive later, let's go."

Pushing open the door of the restaurant, Sherlock walked in front and went directly to the ordering counter in the back.

"Sir, bring your own materials? We don't support it."

Behind the counter, the gray-haired old man was wearing glasses and holding a small square book in his hand. He glanced at the two cod fish in Donald's hand, and spoke skillfully.

"We'll pay the full price, can you help me with the food?"

"That's ok, go straight 5 meters after entering the door, turn left, the fish warehouse."

The person next to them was talking about a diner who wanted to borrow the kitchen to cook. Does the store have any rules in this regard? The two sides finally reached a compromise.

It's just that Donald, who knows something, sounds a bit like a password.

There are a lot of password programs, and it's quite unique...

Following the old man's instructions, he walked into the half-height self-return door on the right side of the counter. The back of the restaurant was naturally the back kitchen. After passing the corridor, the collision of pots and pans and the sound of ingredients pouring into the hot oil were particularly loud.

Turning left, there is indeed a small warehouse that is separated out at the back of the restaurant. A young man in a black leather apron is sitting at the door, holding a cod and disemboweling it. He is skilled in craftsmanship. his hand.

Sherlock took the fish from Donald's hand and put it directly into the bucket beside him. He waved his hand back and motioned to follow.

When passing by, Donald deliberately glanced into the washbasin. Seven or eight cod fish were swimming in it. There was also a wide basin that reached the calf. The side was pasted with the logo of the previous seafood store, and there seemed to be a lot of cod in it.

1 shilling is not so much the price of fish as the price of an admission ticket.

Entering the cubicle, you can see that the entrance to the cellar is open. Going down the stairs is not a small warehouse, but a corridor with kerosene lamps. The journey is not long, and there is a closed wooden door at the end.

"Apply some of this medicine under your nose. The underground market is made of abandoned sewers. Although it has been cleaned many times, there is always some smell due to some special commodities and the underground environment. When the medicine fails, you will almost Get used to the smell."

After taking the medicine, like Sherlock, he took some of it with his index finger and rubbed it on the back of his hand, then wiped it under his nostrils.

As he walked forward, Donald was inexplicably excited. The underground market was like the other side of the world to him now. When he was close to the wooden door, he seemed to be able to hear faint sounds coming in from outside.

"Are you ready? Don't blink. Entering the underground market for the first time will be an unforgettable experience in your life, at least I think so."

He squeezed the brass handle and pushed it out, his vision suddenly widened, and the noise rushed into Donald's ear. The sight in front of UU's reading www.uukanshu.com was indeed shocking.

The secret and cumbersome entry method before made Donald always feel that the underground market is a place full of dark flavors.

Rows of black tents, dark green hanging lamps, and colorful oil paints on his face, as if looking at him are about to lose half a year of life, plus some strange creatures dried corpses and bones, this is him. imagination.

However, the moment the wooden door opened, just at first glance, it overturned all Donald's imagination. A few meters outside the door was actually a spacious gravel platform with a diameter of nearly 20 meters!

A stone path paved with gray bricks connects this platform, with kerosene lamp posts on both sides, which are brightly lit. If you look left and right, you can see the same seven or eight stone paths, each connected to a wooden door, and a few people are opening the door. .

Donald was speechless. He just didn't want to waste the blink of an eye. He kept walking forward. He reached the gravel platform first, where people from the nearby passages gathered, and then set foot on a road close to the width. The five-meter road leads directly to the large square dotted with lights in front!

"Are you surprised? Are you surprised? Haha, the first time I came here, the expression was similar to yours. Each of the two underground markets in Preston City is no smaller than the above-ground trading center, and the number of resident merchants is no less than eight. Ten, to ensure a variety of goods, as for the details, I will not tell you, that is to destroy your experience, enjoy your 'first night', I am only responsible for bringing you in, go out and find a way, remember to go to work tomorrow, yes Now, let me remind you last, take care of your purse, there is a gold hole in front of you."

Sherlock had his own business to do, and without waiting for Donald's response, he rushed out a few steps, as if to avoid him on purpose.

Donald slapped his cheek, it's shopping time!