Apocalypse Trade Monopoly
Chapter 47: : Cleaning house

Chapter 47: : Cleaning house

Lucas walked through the market like he owned it—casual, unbothered, golden eyes scanning every stall, every trader, every deal happening around them.

Ava kept close, listening carefully as his voice dropped into something lower, sharper.

"Had a shipment hit last week." His fingers trailed along a stack of sealed supply crates, eyes flicking to their markings. "Standard trade run. Military stock. Delivered clean."

Ava glanced at him. "And then?"

Lucas chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Then someone took it."

Ava’s brows furrowed. "Before or after payment?"

Lucas’s jaw ticked. "After."

Ava’s stomach twisted. "So the cargo was stolen after it was delivered?"

Lucas nodded once. "Disappeared before it could be distributed. Neat, efficient. Almost like it was planned."

Ava’s mind raced. "That’s... bold."

"Bold is one word for it." Lucas reached out, casually flipping over a crate tag, reading the faded numbers like they meant something.

Ava watched his expression carefully. "You think it was an inside job?"

Lucas exhaled sharply. "Don’t know yet. But someone’s selling goods that shouldn’t exist."

Ava’s eyes flicked toward the market around them.

Food. Tech. Medical supplies.

All flowing through Level Two like nothing had happened.

Like an entire shipment hadn’t just vanished.

Ava’s jaw tightened. "What was in it?"

Lucas finally looked at her, golden eyes unreadable.

"Enough to make someone very, very rich," he murmured.

Ava exhaled slowly.

Whoever pulled this off wasn’t just stealing.

They were challenging Lucas Bai directly.

Ava glanced around again, scanning the traders, the stalls, the quiet undercurrents of deals being made.

Somewhere in this market—

The stolen cargo was being sold.

Lucas clicked his tongue, stepping away from the crates, clearly losing interest.

"Not here," he muttered, more to himself than to Ava. "Figures."

Ava arched a brow. "You sound disappointed."

Lucas grinned, but there was no real amusement behind it. "Not disappointed, Beauty. Just recalculating."

Ava’s eyes narrowed. "You think they’ll move the stolen cargo soon?"

Lucas tilted his head. "Oh, I know they will. But that’s a problem for another day."

Ava folded her arms. "And what’s today’s problem then?"

Lucas turned, stepping deeper into the market, his golden eyes scanning faces instead of goods.

"An employee of mine has been getting sloppy." His voice was smooth, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it. "And sloppy people? They get replaced."

Ava’s pulse sharpened.

She knew that tone.

Lucas Bai wasn’t here just to check his inventory.

He was here to remind someone who they worked for.

Ava fell into step beside him, matching his pace. "And this employee—what exactly did they do?"

Lucas sighed, lazy but sharp. "Sold something they shouldn’t have. To someone they shouldn’t have."

Ava’s jaw tightened. "That sounds an awful lot like a betrayal, Bai."

Lucas smirked. "It does, doesn’t it?"

Ava exhaled slowly. "And I assume you’re here to handle it personally?"

Lucas gave her a sideways glance. "You catch on quick, Beauty."

Ava huffed. "You’re not exactly subtle."

Lucas laughed. "I could be. If I wanted to."

Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t press furtheras she followed behind him.

Lucas moved through the market like a predator that already knew where its prey was hiding.

Ava kept pace, eyes scanning the shifting crowds, catching the way traders either nodded in respect or avoided looking at him entirely.

Finally Luca stopped near a corner stall, where a man in a worn-out tactical vest was counting tokens with a little too much satisfaction.

Ava’s Blueprint System flickered, analyzing instantly.

[IDENTITY: DERRICK LAU]

[OCCUPATION: MERCHANT – MID-LEVEL TRADER]

[CONTRACT STATUS: EMPLOYED UNDER LUCAS BAI]

[LOYALTY: DECREASING]

Ava’s stomach tightened.

She hadn’t needed the system to tell her that last part.

Because the second Derrick looked up and saw Lucas standing there—

He went pale.

"Boss." His voice was forced, his hands freezing mid-count. "Didn’t expect to see you here."

Lucas smiled, slow and lazy. "Yeah? Funny, I didn’t expect to need to be here either."

Derrick shifted slightly, sweat already forming at his temple.

Ava tilted her head, watching the interaction carefully.

Lucas let the silence stretch, then picked up a small trinket from Derrick’s stall—a cheap tech scrap, barely worth a token.

He rolled it between his fingers, voice smooth.

"Tell me, Derrick. Do you know what I value most in an employee?"

Derrick swallowed hard. "P-Profit?"

Lucas chuckled. "No, no. That’s a given. Try again."

Derrick’s jaw clenched. "Loyalty?"

Lucas’s golden eyes gleamed. "Bingo."

Then—without warning—

He threw the tech scrap straight at Derrick’s hand.

Derrick yelped, tokens scattering as he jerked back, clutching his now-bruised knuckles.

"Boss—"

"Shh," Lucas murmured, stepping forward. "You know, Derrick, I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to make an example out of you."

Derrick’s breathing turned shallow. "It was just a side deal! Nothing serious—"

Lucas tilted his head. "Oh? So selling my stock behind my back to a Level One trader is ’nothing serious’?"

Ava’s pulse sharpened.

Level One.

That wasn’t just betrayal.

That was stupidity.

Derrick’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.

Lucas sighed dramatically. "You disappoint me, Derrick. I really thought you had a better survival instinct."

Derrick visibly trembled. "Boss, please—"

Lucas held up a single finger.

Derrick immediately shut up.

Lucas leaned in, voice dangerously smooth. "I don’t like repeating myself, Derrick. So tell me—"

His golden eyes flickered, sharp as a blade.

"Who bought it?"

Derrick’s face drained of all color.

Ava watched carefully as Derrick opened his mouth—then hesitated.

The split-second of panic. The calculation. The desperate scramble for a lie that wouldn’t get him killed.

Lucas saw it too.

His golden eyes gleamed, his smirk sharpening.

"Derrick." His voice was silk. Dangerous. "You’re thinking too hard."

Derrick swallowed. "Boss, I—"

"Wrong answer."

Lucas moved so fast Ava barely registered it—one second, he was standing there, all lazy amusement, and the next?

Derrick was on his knees.

A single, precise movement. Lucas had grabbed him by the collar, yanked him forward, and forced him down in one smooth motion.

Gasps rippled through the market.

No one intervened.

No one dared.

Ava’s Blueprint System flickered, analyzing Derrick’s vitals—

[SUBJECT STATUS: ELEVATED STRESS RESPONSE]

[BREATHING IRREGULAR]

[FEAR LEVEL: CRITICAL]

Derrick’s hands trembled as he tried to pry Lucas’s grip off his shirt. "I swear, Boss—"

Lucas sighed. "Derrick. Derrick. You’re making this harder than it needs to be."

Derrick was shaking now. "I—I sold to a middleman! That’s all! I don’t even know who the buyer was!"

Lucas clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

Ava knew that look.

He wasn’t buying it.

Lucas leaned down slightly, voice dropping into something colder. "Let me tell you how this works, Derrick. You don’t get to sell my stock without permission. You don’t get to lie to my face. And you definitely don’t get a second chance to correct yourself."

Derrick made a choking sound. "Boss, please—"

Lucas tilted his head. "Last chance. Who. Bought. It?"

Ava watched Derrick’s expression carefully.

Because if he lied again—this would end badly.

Derrick was shaking so hard Ava thought he might pass out.

His hands clawed at Lucas’s grip, his breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps.

"I swear, Boss—"

Lucas tightened his hold, just enough to cut off the excuses.

"Derrick." His voice was almost gentle. "I’m not asking again."

Derrick let out a strangled noise—then finally broke.

"Jessica Tang!"

Ava’s stomach dropped.

Lucas’s expression didn’t change.

He held Derrick there, golden eyes unreadable, his grip firm but not crushing.

"Jessica," he murmured, as if testing the weight of the name.

Derrick nodded frantically. "She—she paid double the asking price! Said she had a buyer waiting—someone high up! I didn’t ask questions, I just took the deal!"

Ava’s pulse pounded.

Jessica Tang.

Of course it was her.

Lucas exhaled slowly, then—

Let go.

Derrick collapsed, gasping for air, shoulders trembling.

Lucas straightened, adjusting his sleeves like nothing had happened.

Ava’s voice was tight. "Jessica’s working with Level One traders now?"

Lucas grinned, slow and sharp. "Looks like it."

Ava crossed her arms. "And that doesn’t bother you?"

Lucas tilted his head. "Oh, it bothers me, Beauty."

He glanced down at Derrick, who was still kneeling, too terrified to move.

Lucas sighed dramatically. "But, hey—at least now we know who we’re dealing with."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "And what are we dealing with, Bai?"

Lucas’s golden eyes gleamed. "A very expensive mistake."

Ava exhaled.

Derrick was still gasping, hunched over like a man who had just seen his own grave.

Lucas rolled his shoulders, unbothered, eyes flicking toward the market like he had already moved on.

But Ava knew better.

In the short time she knew him Lucas Bai was the typecthat plan every thing down to the last five minutes.

Ava exhaled sharply. "So what now?"

Lucas grinned, smooth as ever. "Now? We let Derrick go."

Derrick’s head snapped up. "W-what?"

Lucas sighed like he was dealing with a particularly slow child. "What, you thought I’d kill you?"

Derrick didn’t answer.

Lucas laughed. "Relax, Derrick. You’re too small-time to be worth blood on my hands."

Derrick visibly sagged in relief. "T-thank you, Boss, I swear—"

"But."

Derrick froze.

Lucas crouched slightly, voice smooth as silk.

"You still owe me."

Derrick swallowed hard. "O-of course! I’ll make it right, I—"

Lucas tilted his head. "You’ll do exactly what I say, when I say it. No complaints, no hesitation."

Derrick nodded so fast it looked painful. "Y-yes! Anything!"

Lucas smirked. "Good. Then we’re square."

Ava watched, arms crossed. "You’re letting him live?"

Lucas rose to his full height, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve. "For now."

Ava exhaled sharply. "And Jessica?"

Lucas’s golden eyes gleamed.

"Oh, Beauty. Jessica’s another story."

Ava folded her arms. "She’s working with Level One now. You’re not concerned?"

Lucas chuckled. "No, I’m thrilled. Because now I don’t just get to deal with her—"

His smirk turned razor-sharp.

"I get to deal with whoever’s backing her."

Ava’s stomach tightened.

Because that was the real problem.

Jessica Tang wasn’t smart enough to pull this off alone.

Which meant someone bigger was calling the shots.

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