Sickly Cannon Fodder: Spoiled by the Powerful Apocalypse Bosses-Chapter 45

The vendor’s face split into a wide grin. "Two hundred dollars."

The Asian woman frowned immediately, muttering under her breath, "That’s so expensive."

Suzy heard her clearly.

Two hundred dollars was obviously over the woman’s budget. Hesitation flickered across her face.

"It’s a good piece," the vendor added smoothly.

Suzy quickened her pace and stepped up to the stall before the woman could speak again.

Forget two hundred—she would pay a thousand if she had to.

"I really like this bracelet. Would you mind letting me have it?"

Out of courtesy, Suzy addressed the woman in a polite tone. The woman glanced at her as if she hadn’t understood a word.

Suzy’s brows knit slightly. She repeated herself. Only then did the woman fully turn her head.

Her eyes—sharp and slightly upturned—narrowed as she sized Suzy up from head to toe. There was something faintly dismissive in that look. After a moment, she looked away.

She did not respond.

Instead, she lifted a hand tipped with long, crimson nails and pointed at the bracelet.

"I’ll take it."

Suzy froze.

The vendor nodded eagerly, already reaching for the sandalwood bracelet. He flashed Suzy an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. The lady came first."

He still followed the basic rule of first come, first served.

Suzy clenched her fists, forcing down the anxiety rising in her chest.

How foolish. She had naively relied on her money alone, while the woman had clearly hesitated about that on purpose.

From that earlier look alone, Suzy had sensed it—disdain. A faint aura of superiority.

What exactly was she feeling so superior about?

Suzy was certain: if she hadn’t spoken up just now, the woman wouldn’t have been so quick to commit to buying it.

In that case... She absolutely could not back down.

Just as Suzy was about to unleash the power of cash, another Asian woman with dyed blonde hair hurried over.

"Alice! Why did you run off here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you," the blonde complained.

So her name was Alice.

Alice glanced at her friend. "I’m buying something."

The vendor, afraid of losing the sale, chimed in at once. "Two hundred dollars, ma’am."

"I know," Alice replied, lowering her head to rummage through her bag.

The blonde woman sucked in a sharp breath. "What are you buying that costs two hundred dollars?!"

The vendor lifted the bracelet with a flourish. "This. Two hundred."

"That’s insane," the blonde muttered.

After searching for a while, Alice pulled out only one hundred dollars in cash.

"I only have this much. Can I use a credit card?"

The vendor shook his head. "Cash only."

Alice glanced at Suzy, who was clearly waiting for an opening.

Then she turned to her friend. "Kelly, do you have cash? Lend me some. I’ll pay you back."

Kelly’s expression twisted. "Are you crazy? You’re seriously going to spend two hundred dollars on that thing?"

"I like it," Alice insisted. "Just lend it to me."

Kelly sighed heavily and dug through her purse.

She produced sixty dollars. "I only have this much."

Alice grabbed it and combined the bills. She looked at the vendor.

"I have one-sixty right now."

Suzy saw her chance. "I can pay two hundred. I have two hundred in cash."

Without hesitation, she pulled the bills from her bag.

The vendor looked conflicted for all of half a second.

If only Alice wanted it, he might have settled for one-sixty.

But Suzy was offering the full two hundred. Who turns down money?

He made his decision swiftly. "Sorry, ma’am," he told Alice. Then he turned to Suzy with a bright smile. "It’s yours."

"No! I want it. I was here first!" Alice’s voice rose. She stared at the bracelet. "I’ll go get more money. Just wait."

Kelly grabbed her arm and leaned close, lowering her voice.

"Don’t be impulsive. That bracelet doesn’t even look that great. Calm down."

"It’s nice. I like it."

"You can’t like everything," Kelly hissed. "Alice... this thing gives me bad vibes."

Her expression grew uneasy.

"Didn’t you hear about those Chinese businessmen who were kidnapped recently? What if this came from something like that?"

A few weeks ago, several Chinese business owners had been targeted. Rumor said they were found dismembered by the roadside—pieces scattered everywhere. Their families had identified and assembled the remains.

By coincidence, one of those men had often worn a sandalwood bracelet just like this one.

The moment Kelly saw it, that gruesome memory surfaced.

The image of something scattered—fragmented—it felt ominous.

Alice’s skin prickled with goosebumps. "Kelly, don’t scare me."

"Anyway, I just have a bad feeling. If that girl wants it, let her have it. The man with her doesn’t look easy to mess with."

Kelly’s eyes flicked toward Thomas Kim.

There was no denying it—he was striking. Tall, powerfully built, dangerously handsome.

But he radiated the kind of presence that warned people to keep their distance.

Alice followed her gaze and accidentally met Thomas’s eyes.

His gaze was cold. Calm. Yet something in it made her spine turn icy.

"...Yeah, alright," Alice muttered. She looked at the vendor. "I don’t want it anymore."

Then she tugged Kelly away.

Suzy wasted no time. She completed the transaction swiftly. She didn’t know what had changed Alice’s mind, but for Suzy, it was nothing short of a blessing.

The moment the bracelet was in her hands, she slipped it into her bag—using it as cover to send it straight into her space.

Only then did the tight coil in her chest finally loosen.

She got it. She had actually gotten it.

She hadn’t expected that having Thomas by her side would bring such an unexpected advantage.

"Ma’am, you can take a look at my other items too," the vendor urged enthusiastically.

Suzy smiled politely and declined.

"Let’s go," she said to Thomas.

"You’re done?" he asked.

To be honest, he didn’t quite understand why she had insisted on buying that sandalwood bracelet.

It looked ordinary. Was it really worth two hundred dollars?

"Done," Suzy replied lightly. "We can head back."

She had already checked all the red markers on her mental map. Everything worth buying was secured.

She couldn’t believe her luck—finding such a major item here of all places.

Her mood soared. The corners of her lips curved upward uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Alice, who had walked away, felt increasingly unsettled. Not long after leaving, regret began creeping in.