'He wants to find Steward Mandala…'
The brothers, Xia Bo and Xia Qi, exchanged a glance. The younger brother, Xia Qi, hurried forward to pull down the shop's security shutter, temporarily closing for business. The older brother, Xia Bo, said with trepidation, "Sir, this is not a place to talk. Please, follow me."
He turned and walked toward the back, leading Zhou Chen to the warehouse where they kept their stock. He plastered an obsequious smile on his face. "Please forgive us, Sir. The black market is crowded, and prying eyes are everywhere. It's much more private in the warehouse, so we don't have to worry about eavesdroppers... I'll contact the Steward for you right now."
As Xia Bo spoke, he pulled a phone from his pocket, logged onto a dark web address, and quickly made contact with Mandala.
He typed out Zhou Chen's exact words and sent them to Mandala. After a few seconds of silence, Mandala initiated a voice call.
