Chapter 72.2 – Sin City (6)
◎ Of course together! ◎
Song Ke and the others were led to a splendid building that was not yet open. Beside an exquisite signboard, there was a line of small characters written in decorative script.
“Rose Auction House,” Zhuang Qingyan read the name in a low voice.
Cheng Yi sneered, crossing her arms. “The name seems quite fragrant, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, what goes on inside is nothing but the dirty business of human trafficking—half-fish people, zombies, fierce beasts, foreign sl*ves, and kidnapped young boys and girls. Life here is the lowest of commodities. As long as you’re willing, you can buy all sorts of bizarre ‘goods.’
“This is the most important money bag for Warden She.”
After saying this, there wasn’t any particular reaction from Song Ke and the others. Instead, they huddled together and whispered, seeming to have some disagreement.
Cheng Yi tapped her fingers on her arm, waiting for a full ten minutes, but the people on the other side didn’t come up with a decision. A hint of imperceptible impatience flashed in her eyes.
Just as Cheng Yi was getting impatient, Zhuang Qingyan stepped forward from the crowd, smiling meaningfully at her. “Manager Cheng, we want to enter the Death Prison, and there are other ways we can explore. But using us so blatantly, you’ve got quite a scheme going.”
“Yeah,” now that she was found out anyway, Cheng Yi admitted openly, “I do have ulterior motives. I’ve been fed up with this place for a long time. But I’m a businesswoman, and businessmen are fundamentally profit-driven. I haven’t deceived you. The Rose Auction House is indeed the lifeblood of Warden She. As long as you destroy it, none of you can escape, and you will all be thrown into the Death Prison.”
This cunning merchant had finally exposed a flaw, and Zhuang Qingyan being Zhuang Qingyan, how could he easily let this opportunity pass, taking advantage of the situation to drive a hard bargain.
“Since Manager Cheng wants us to work for you, can you show some sincerity first? This kind of place, tsk tsk, it’s not easy to handle.”
Zhuang Qingyan was calm and composed, while Cheng Yi appeared conflicted. The negotiation roles reversed, and they remained in a stalemate for a while.
In the end, Cheng Yi gritted her teeth and said reluctantly, “Fine, I will only charge you for the information and send you in for free.
“But let’s make it clear, if the operation fails, you absolutely cannot implicate me. Anyway, I won’t acknowledge it.”
…
At 10 o’clock in the evening, it was the most bustling time in the underground city.
Cheng Yi, dressed in a sequined suit, walked into the Rose Auction House with a handsome man, his hair tied in a bun at the back of his head.
The security guards at the entrance stopped the two of them, asking for an invitation. Cheng Yi took out a black card with gold embossing from her wallet and handed it to the security guard.
After careful verification, the security guard looked up in confusion. “Miss Li, there’s only your name on it.”
Cheng Yi moved her finger slightly, and a delicate auction paddle with the number 38 appeared.
Participants in the auction could bring one companion, as per the rules of the Rose Auction House.
The security guard didn’t inquire further and immediately allowed them to pass.
Once inside the venue, Cheng Yi lowered her voice and asked, “Have your people all entered?”
Fang Zhixu, with drooping eyelids, said nonchalantly, “No need to worry. They… should not fail.”
Cheng Yi managed to obtain two invitations—one for Zhuang Qingyan and the other for herself. She brought Fang Zhixu in, stating that, in her opinion, Fang Zhixu was the only “man” among them who appeared relatively normal.
After all, the others…
One was a disabled person in a wheelchair who always had a cunning smile, one was a violent and icy guy, and then there was a little radish head—they were just too conspicuous, not at all low-key.
The two found their seats, and Fang Zhixu observed the surroundings. The furnishings here were ordinary. Apart from the crimson auction stage in front and the huge screen occupying one entire wall, the rest of the place looked like an ordinary auction venue. There were no visible signs of the illicit human trafficking activities being conducted in the background, indicating that the owners were quite cautious.
…
Shortly after Cheng Yi and Fang Zhixu entered, two more people arrived at the entrance of the Rose Auction House.
A boy of about ten, dressed in a small suit with a neat tie, pushed a silver-white wheelchair forward. A languid man reclined in the wheelchair. When they approached, the man held the invitation between his slender fingers and handed it to the security guard casually.
The security guard glanced down and recognized Mr. “Vyacheslavsky.” He was indeed a distinguished bidder. The guard nodded respectfully and without further ado, prepared to allow them inside.
As they passed, another security guard hesitated, unsure whether to stop the boy pushing the wheelchair.
“Mr. Vyacheslavsky” gave him a casual glance, his fingertip brushing over the blanket on his leg. “This child is attending to me.”
The security guard, having worked here for a while, knew exactly what kind of activities were taking place inside. When he heard the word “attending,” he immediately understood and quickly nodded. “Yes, of course, Mr. Vyacheslavsky, please come in.”
Out of the security guard’s line of sight, Xu Xing released his hands from the wheelchair and instantly jumped in front of Zhuang Qingyan, gritting his teeth and shouting, “You’re treating me like a sl*ve!”
Zhuang Qingyan said calmly, “Be quiet. Do you want the whole place to know we’re here to cause trouble? Be careful not to ruin the plan. Your sister won’t forgive you.”
Xu Xing quickly covered his mouth, staring at him angrily.
Zhuang Qingyan beckoned to him. “Come here, and push me along, little sl*ve.”
…
At the rear entrance of the Rose Auction House, there was a food transport passage.
After the sentry finished checking, the rolling shutter door opened automatically, and a white food cart slowly entered the venue.
Lin Youyou and Song Ke were dressed in white waiter uniforms, blending in with the crowd and moving forward.
“You two, stop.” The captain of the food delivery team suddenly stopped them.
Song Ke’s footsteps halted, her right hand subtly moving towards her uniform pocket.
“You’re here to deliver vegetarian meals? You need to go to the other side; don’t get it wrong.”
“Okay,” Lin Youyou said, lowering her head and nodding obediently.
Song Ke breathed a sigh of relief and put her right hand back by her side.
She and Lin Youyou exchanged a glance, and Lin Youyou playfully winked at her. The two of them quickly disappeared into the passage.
…
At eleven o’clock in the evening, the auction officially began.
An auctioneer with slicked-back, shiny hair stepped onto the stage gracefully.
“Good evening, esteemed guests. Welcome to the 278th specialized auction at Rose Auction House. I am Alan, a registered auctioneer of the Alliance. All the items for tonight’s auction can be viewed in the catalog next to you. Without further ado, let’s begin the bidding.”
Alan clapped his hands, and the backstage staff immediately wheeled in a massive iron cage.
“The first item tonight to make its appearance, ‘Pure White Grace,’ sourced from District C75, features six innocent and pure teenage girls. I can almost smell the fragrant scent they exude,” Alan said, his expression intoxicated as he sniffed the air. “Only available for bundled sale, starting bid at 50,000 Alliance coins.”
The curtain was raised, and the girls inside the iron cage were suddenly exposed to the light, trembling in fear and huddling together.
“Scum,” Lin Youyou cursed from behind the curtain. She looked up, and Song Ke had successfully climbed to the top steel beam, signaling her to get ready.
Lin Youyou scanned the seating area, quickly finding Fang Zhixu and Cheng Yi, Zhuang Qingyan and Xu Xing, and signaled back to Song Ke that the “four people were in position.”
Now they were just waiting for Su Cha.
“Pure White Grace” was eventually sold for 350,000 Alliance coins. However, as a display, the sold item would remain temporarily in the venue and would be handed over to the buyer after the auction ended.
Alan energetically introduced the second item, “Next up, we have quite a behemoth. Attention to all pet lovers.”
The closed compartment covered with black cloth was wheeled in, and Alan vividly explained, “Straight from District F180, we have the Deep Crimson Sand Scorpion. Everyone, please take a look!”
He tore off the curtain, gradually revealing the monstrous creature inside—the scorpion, with a length exceeding two meters, entirely golden in color like a spider, was trapped in a transparent container, its sharp stingers banging against the walls.
“This is not an ordinary scorpion but a one-of-a-kind mutant scorpion! Everyone, please carefully observe its golden eyes. This unique pet will make you stand out wherever you go. As a gesture of goodwill, we will give the buyer a strong electric shock device, ensuring that it behaves obediently, transforming into a little sheep~” Alan imitated the posture of a scorpion, exaggeratingly twisting his body.
Laughter intermittently emerged from the buyer’s seats.
“Bang!” The mutant sand scorpion hit the wall again.
Alan glanced at it nonchalantly and turned his head to continue shouting, “Starting bid is 300,000 Alliance coins, with increments of no less than 10,000 each!”
“I bid 310,000.”
“I’ll offer 330,000.”
“I’ll take it for 350,000!”
The mutant sand scorpion was eventually auctioned for a staggering 560,000 Alliance coins and, like the six girls, was pushed to the display area to wait.
“Now, for the upcoming item, ‘Exotic Allure,’ this is a rare sight once in a century,” Alan said with a suggestive expression. “Without further ado, let’s first look at the actual item, and then I’ll introduce it to everyone slowly.”
The black iron cage was once again pushed onto the stage, and a slender young man appeared in the center of the stage.
He was extremely beautiful, with damp black hair clinging gently to his ears. His pupils were amber like honey. The upper half of his body was so white that it seemed to glow, but from the waist down, it was surprisingly a dark green, coiled snake tail!
Alan’s voice was unusually excited, “The third item, coming from U-Lab Laboratory, is the mutant—Snake-tailed Youth!”
Song Ke, hanging on the beam, suddenly looked down!
In the buyer’s seats, Zhuang Qingyan also frowned slowly.
U-Lab Laboratories had branches across various districts in the Alliance, not just the one near Tongwan.
The Tongwan branch primarily focused on genetic research, while this snake-tailed youth clearly originated from U-Lab’s division specialized in human research.
The snake-tailed youth held onto the railing with both hands, his clear eyes gazing outward, seemingly puzzled about his situation, innocently tilting his head.
His actions stirred the crowd, igniting an unprecedented wave of bids.
Alan could only shout, “Starting bid at 1 million Alliance coins, with increments of no less than 30,000!”
The auction paddles kept going up in quick succession, and Alan was busy confirming the bids, temporarily forgetting about the item.
The snake-tailed youth curiously looked around, catching sight of Song Ke, who was hanging on the beam. Their gazes met, and his pupils suddenly shrank by a fraction!
Song Ke: “!” Oh no, why was she so unlucky?
She quickly made a “shush” gesture toward him, disregarding whether the mutant could understand her or not.
Fortunately, the snake-tailed youth didn’t yell. He flicked his tail lightly and nodded with a mixture of belief and doubt.
Song Ke breathed a sigh of relief, silently praying, ‘Su Cha, Su Cha, please hurry up and create some distraction. We’re counting on you.’
Five minutes later, a wisp of green mist subtly wafted in through the ventilation of the auction venue and quickly dissipated in the air.
Song Ke keenly caught a fleeting use of special ability, recognizing it as Su Cha. He was in position!
Song Ke signaled to Lin Youyou behind the curtain, and Lin Youyou nodded.
“3 million! Any more bids? 3 million once, 3 million twice, 3 million…”
Alan was red-faced, and the hammer was about to fall in his hand.
Suddenly, the power in the auction venue was cut off, plunging it into complete darkness!
Yes! Song Ke silently celebrated. Following the first step of the plan, Su Cha had cut off the main power.
Buyers looked bewildered, whispering to each other, thinking this was some surprise event arranged by the auction.
Alongside their ears came the haunting and sorrowful song: “Why do you always leave me alone in the deep night~ I can’t control this longing, searching for you~”
The mesmerizing song filled the ears of the crowd, gradually clouding their consciousness, making them leave their seats and wander aimlessly.
Silent and unnoticed, a frost spread over their feet, slowing their movement, preventing anyone from taking advantage and escaping.
“Boom!!” A deafening noise came from above as a girl wielding a massive silver axe was smashing the ceiling, swinging her arms for another blow!
“Boom!!” The ground seemed to tremble, and the entire auction house felt like it was on the verge of collapse.
Amidst the chaos, someone shouted in panic, “Run! The items are out!”
“Nonsense, how is that possible!” Alan immediately protested.
It was true. In the dark of the night, ghostly figures appeared at the display area, opening each cage.
The six girls ran out in a panic. Lin Youyou pointed them in the direction of the exit. They hurriedly thanked her and helped each other make their way towards the main door.
The mutant sand scorpion also escaped and wreaked havoc inside, flames of bright yellow erupting everywhere.
The snake-tailed youth moved playfully, seemingly amused. He coiled his long tail around a person and casually tossed them away.
“Ah!!” Alan let out a miserable cry as the massive tail flung him towards broken steel rods, impaling him.
“Haha.” The snake-tailed youth laughed joyfully.
Song Ke and Su Cha seized the opportunity and wreaked havoc in the auction house. Their goal was not to kill but to wreck the place. As long as they tore it down quickly and mercilessly, the Death Prison would surely monitor it and come to arrest them.
As expected, just two minutes later, hundreds of particle cannons were aimed at the heavily damaged Rose Auction House. Warden She’s chilling voice came through the speakers, sounding angry and cold.
“Everyone inside the auction house, you’re all under arrest! Drop your weapons immediately and go to the Death Prison to surrender now!”
“I repeat… ”
They did it! Song Ke was satisfied.
Now the Death Prison would become very lively.
