Chapter 2995: The Store-Keeping Evaluation Council

Sound and reasonable.

Without needing to observe much further, Fu Qian could already tell that Excellency Kelin wasn't just making awkward small talk.

Even the title of "Central Business District" didn't seem to be an empty boast.

Whether the Birthday Party actually celebrated birthdays was hard to say, but Drifting Street really was a pedestrian street.

The clues had already started to show along their way here.

He could see the density of the "Travelers"—who had initially appeared only sporadically—increasing in a subtle, imperceptible manner.

By the time the group reached their current position, the crowd could arguably be described as an endless stream.

And because the intersection ahead narrowed, the foot traffic seemed to be climbing even higher.

In short, there were always more solutions than problems. Although the street was a bit narrow, the atmosphere had instantly come alive.

Coupled with the polished flagstone path, it almost made one wonder if they could buy things like Magic Wands and Brooms here.

"It certainly looks lively, but is the conversion rate actually going to hold up?"

Of course, Professor Fu wasn't a blindly optimistic person. Facing the Needle Witch's claims, he maintained a cautious optimism and raised a key question.

Namely, behind this seemingly bustling flow of people, could they really sell anything?

Speaking purely from a business perspective, surface-level liveliness was always something to be wary of.

It was hard to say why these Travelers, born in response to the architecture, would converge so densely on a location that didn't undergo replacements.

But based on his understanding of their mental states, would they actually spend money?

"Heh—I wouldn't know about that. I haven't worked here in a long time."

Sure enough, even someone as strong as Excellency Kelin had her blind spots.

Faced with Professor Fu's professional inquiry, she immediately admitted she couldn't answer.

But her reason—working?

A dignified former member of the Night Watchers Supreme Council, a Tier 2 Divine Envoy, actually had to work shifts on Drifting Street?

Fu Qian felt that his understanding of the situation shouldn't be wrong, but it was precisely because of this that the information he received truly boggled the mind.

He could even try to combine two rather abstract pieces of information—much like how she hadn't worked on Drifting Street in a while, it seemed she had also stepped down from the Supreme Council a long time ago?

Could those two events have happened at the same time?

"Let me think. Is Chaumont here today?"

Amid his reverie, even without Fu Qian having to ask, Kelin continued to provide answers.

For a moment, she seemed to recall something. She turned to look at Stoss and casually dropped another name.

This place really was a part-time workplace for the Supreme Council?

To Fu Qian, this new name was undoubtedly familiar.

A pale, beardless, sickly image naturally surfaced in his mind.

That's right. It was that exact Tier 2 who had traveled alongside Old Man Stoss during his first visit to Unseen Hill.

His burly Demigod Realm puppet had left a particularly deep impression.

Later on, he had even gone to the Academy once to investigate the incident involving Ye Island's Emperor Yasui.

And without a doubt, Chaumont was also a member of the Supreme Council.

Moreover, judging from the Needle Witch's words, he also worked long-term shifts here on Drifting Street.

Was that outrageous guess from just a moment ago actually coming true so quickly?

"He is," Stoss answered. "Logan should have been here too, but since he just recovered, he found someone else to take his place."

His guess was continuing to receive confirmation.

After being firmly suppressed when Kelin brought up Corvos, Old Man Stoss had been somewhat silent.

But when it came to matters concerning Professor Fu's interests, he still seemed to want to provide whatever intelligence support he could.

"That's a shame. However, Excellency Chaumont should also be an acquaintance of Professor Fu. We can go find him later to ask how business is doing."

Though she spoke of regret, Kelin's attitude was honestly a bit perfunctory.

Immediately after, she turned to look at him. After talking in circles, she was actually answering Professor Fu's question about how business was.

It was just that her mention of an "acquaintance" felt like it carried some underlying meaning.

Theoretically, he had indeed met Chaumont at the Academy, but they had only exchanged one or two words in private.

"I'm looking forward to it. If he's selling clothes or something similar, Excellency Chaumont could let his puppet be the model."

But when it came to cheeky remarks, how could Professor Fu be outdone?

He immediately nodded and casually offered more business advice.

This was despite the fact that during Chaumont's trip to the Academy, the Demigod Realm puppet theoretically hadn't made an appearance.

Were there really clothing stores here?

It was hard to say how Excellency Kelin felt about that, but at least on the surface, she seemed completely unfazed.

And right amidst this classic Hongmen banquet atmosphere, the group finally stepped into the interior of Drifting Street.

He had to admit, the sight immediately delivered quite a shock.

The street was truly narrow, to the point that the overly magnificent buildings on both sides created a jarring contrast—like the mighty warrior Lu Bu riding a tiny dog.

Fortunately, compared to other places, the consistency of the architectural style was maintained noticeably better, which salvaged the visual impression slightly.

Of course, none of that was the main point. To Fu Qian, the most eye-catching detail was that lining both sides of the street were actual, open-for-business storefronts.

Even though the buildings themselves weren't commercial in style, it felt as though they had been forcibly developed into retail spaces.

At a glance, he could easily spot a shop selling clothes among them.

Combined with the flow of people that looked even more bustling due to the narrow road, it truly looked like a great place for shopping.

"What a pity. Chaumont probably isn't in that shop."

Kelin actually still remembered Fu Qian's suggestion and immediately expressed her regret.

So dignified members of the Night Watchers Supreme Council were really just tending shops along this narrow street?

Imagining that astonishing scene, even Fu Qian couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder.

And with a casual glance at the shop right beside them, he could somewhat understand why Kelin had brought him here.

They really were shops, because there were actual goods displayed inside.

And the shops were truly incredible, because all the goods were transcendent items.

Yes, without even needing Transcendent Perception, the scene captured under his Vision Radar at that moment was spectacular enough.

There were truly no mundane items here. The shop right beside them seemed to be dealing in all kinds of jewelry and accessories.

Aside from wearable items of various materials and designs, he could also spot exquisitely crafted, ancient-looking jewelry boxes.

Without exception, if any single piece were tossed outside, it would likely become a target that countless people would fight over.

And looking further inside, he could see even more items stored in square boxes that hadn't been put on display.

The magnificent buildings themselves provided an ample amount of storage space.

If not for the different color tones and architectural styles, one might almost think they had entered the Warehouse.

So every shop here was stocked with the transcendent items the Night Watchers had collected over the years?

Was this the Restricted Zone of the Night Watchers Headquarters?

Fu Qian naturally didn't think these items were actually put out for sale. He could see that, just as he had worried earlier, most of the "Travelers" were only window-shopping, not buying, and couldn't even be bothered to step inside the stores.

And the people tending the shops were extremely laid-back, showing absolutely no intent to solicit customers.

He could only say that if his guess was true, this method of containment was truly refreshing.

Was this the legendary "The Great Recluse Hides in the Market"?

"So which shop are we going to?"

Fu Qian suddenly became even more interested.