Chapter 7 Black Market

• Opal looked up and took a good look at Sullivan.
• Even though she couldn't see his eyes behind those sunglasses, he seemed pretty good-looking. Maybe she could ... make it work with him!
• All for the sake of the child!
• "Got it. Just give me your phone number, and I'll get in touch in a few days."
• Sullivan was surprised. Why not now?
• Infertility might seem tough, but it was actually not that hard to treat. It just needed to clear up the blockages and a few more medications to consolidate the treatment.
• "Actually, tonight would work too ... "
• Sullivan was anxious. He could already see the angry expression on the old man's face across from him.
• It wouldn't be long before he would come looking for trouble!
• "No, I can't do it tonight.
• "Give me your contact details. The rest of the money is yours. If you help me solve my problem, I'll give you an extra bonus. But you need to keep it confidential!"
• Hearing that he'd get to keep the rest of the money, Sullivan relaxed.
• "Sure thing. I know how to protect client privacy."
• He jotted down his phone number on a piece of paper.
• Making 150 bucks in one night was a nice surprise for Sullivan. It meant he had some extra cash for the next couple of weeks, so he figured he wouldn't set up his stall for a few days.
• To make sure everything went smoothly with his upcoming work, Sullivan decided to buy a set of silver needles for himself.
• With money comes hope, and that night, Sullivan slept especially soundly.
• In the morning, he woke up hungry and saw Lavinia in the yard, washing his clothes.
• "Sulli, you're awake."
• Lavinia was holding Sullivan's underwear, looking casual and natural, as if she had done this before.
• "Uh, Lavinia, what are you doing?"
• Sullivan's ears turned red.
• How could she be holding his underwear?!
• Since he was six, Sullivan hadn't had anyone else wash his personal clothes—not even his mom!
• No wonder he always had so many pairs of underwear. He thought Lavinia was buying them for him, but it turned out she was the one washing them all along!
• Honestly, even a guy would feel embarrassed about this!
• "I'm washing your clothes. You must be starving, right? I've got breakfast ready."
• "Uh, let's eat together. The clothes can wait. They can go in the washing machine."
• If Sullivan didn't want to give away that he'd already noticed what was going on, he definitely would have snatched his underwear back!
• "It's okay, this is the last one. Go ahead and eat. I already had breakfast before you got here."
• He knew he was the one feeling awkward. If he said something like "Lavinia, put down my underwear," it would only make things more uncomfortable for both of them.
• He just rubbed his nose and acted like he didn't see anything.
• After breakfast, Sullivan handed Lavinia 75 bucks.
• "Lavinia, here's 75 bucks. Think of it as my way of covering my share of food for the next couple of weeks."
• Sullivan had only met two really great women in his life. One was his mom, who went through a lot to bring him into the world and raise him on her own. He felt awful because his actions led to her death.
• The other was Lavinia. After his mom passed away, Lavinia was the one who stayed by his side, taking care of him and never asking for anything in return. She was incredibly supportive and hardworking.
• He knew Lavinia's life wasn't easy either, and Sullivan didn't want to be a burden to her.
• "No, it's just a few meals. It doesn't cost much. You keep it."
• Lavinia insisted on refusing, so Sullivan had to get firm.
• "You have to take it! Lavinia, if you don't accept it, then you don't need to come by anymore!"
• Seeing Sullivan's sudden seriousness, Lavinia stopped insisting and accepted the money. She thought to herself that she should make even more nutritious meals for him in the future.
• Sullivan took a nap and then went to the pharmacy, but unfortunately, they didn't sell silver needles.
• "You could order them from a jewellery store, or check out the black market under the overpass later. You might find some there."
• Black market? So, the place where he set up his fortune-telling stall was called a black market.
• The name seemed fitting—after all, all kinds of odd characters come out in the dead of night.
• "Thanks."
• Order them? Sullivan didn't think he could get a set of silver needles for just 75 bucks, so he decided to try his luck at the black market instead.
• That night, he took off his sunglasses, put on a baseball cap, and covered his face as he headed to the black market.
• He wandered around and saw lots of antique stalls, but no one seemed to be selling silver needles. Just as he was about to leave, he spotted something interesting!
• Talismans!
• Wow, they actually have these here!
• Sullivan could also make them, though it's a bit complicated. He was not able to create high-level ones yet, but he could manage lower-level protective and warding talismans.
• However, making talismans required some initial investment, which was why he hadn't considered it from the start.