Chapter 207: Saving Someone
Nan Yu left his Mental Power there and listened for a while. He soon realized that the people inside were simply arguing because one of them had spent too much money, which might prevent them from successfully bidding on the spatial device later.
However, the person who had spent the money kept insisting that the amount they had brought was nowhere near enough to win the device in the first place, so spending some of it didn’t matter.
Some people argued while others tried to mediate. There was no important information.
Nan Yu quickly withdrew from the room and also pulled back the Mental Power he had spread throughout the surrounding area, focusing entirely on investigating the private rooms.
Checking them one by one was too slow.
He divided his released Mental Power into three streams and began sending them into three random private rooms at a time.
If there was nothing noteworthy inside, he immediately withdrew and moved on to the next one.
It wasn’t until he reached the thirty-seventh private room that he finally overheard a somewhat interesting conversation.
“How are the preparations? Once someone wins that item, will you be able to immediately obtain their identity information and track where they go afterward?”
“Boss, don’t worry. There absolutely won’t be any problems. My brother and I take money to get things done, and we succeed every time. I’m sure you know that already. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come looking for us again, would you?”
A woman’s sweet, charming voice rang out. Merely hearing her voice seemed enough to make someone feel as though his soul were being drawn away.
However, the man who had spoken first remained completely unmoved, as though he were made of stone.
Nan Yu used his Mental Power to observe the situation inside.
A brother and sister sat on the left. A man sat on the right, with two people who looked like bodyguards standing behind him.
There were five people altogether, and every one of them wore a mask.
Nan Yu couldn’t tell who they were. He didn’t recognize their voices either, so they were probably people he had never met before.
“That’s true. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Big Boss, you can absolutely rest assured if you leave this matter to us. However... we’ll follow the agreement we made beforehand. We’re only responsible for immediately providing you with their identity information, as well as the time and direction in which they leave the auction. Whether you succeed afterward depends entirely on you. If you fail to seize your opportunity, don’t come causing trouble for my brother and me afterward, all right?”
The man said, “Hmph! Of course. We’ll proceed according to our original agreement. That’s settled. You’ll come into the auction with us later. I hope nothing goes wrong.”
Nan Yu knew that this boss definitely had a First-Tier Invitation.
Otherwise, why would there happen to be exactly five of them?
Wasn’t that precisely the number of people permitted to enter with a single First-Tier Invitation?
Nan Yu continued observing them for a while, but everyone inside fell silent and stopped talking.
It looked like they intended to remain quiet until the auction began, so Nan Yu didn’t linger.
He quickly withdrew and sent his Mental Power into the remaining private rooms.
He didn’t discover anything else unusual afterward.
Once he returned, he didn’t speak aloud. Instead, he directly sent Yu Lanfeng a message through his terminal describing everything he had just overheard.
Yu Lanfeng replied as well.
Nan Yu opened the message.
There were only four words:
Adapt to the situation.
By then, the servers had begun bringing over the dishes they had ordered.
The table was soon covered with food, although for the four of them, it was only just enough.
They were merely filling their stomachs a little here. Once they entered their private room at the auction venue, they could order more food there.
What the auction venue provided was supposed to be truly delicious.
Even if they didn’t serve full meals, that was fine.
The invitation hadn’t mentioned whether full meals were available anyway.
They would find out when they got there.
Nan Yu tasted the food. It was decent, so he ate a little more than expected, though still not much.
Once he no longer felt hungry, he stopped eating.
Yu Lanfeng and the two soldiers finished everything that remained.
By the time they were done, it was almost time to leave.
People throughout the restaurant were already getting up one after another and heading outside.
Nan Yu said, “Brother, should we go too?”
Yu Lanfeng stood up and paid the bill, after which all four of them left the restaurant.
After they were gone, someone at the table beside where Nan Yu and the others had been sitting spoke softly.
“He called him Brother.”
“Yeah, he definitely called him Brother. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re actually brothers. Some couples also call the more dominant one ‘Brother.’”
“I know that, but that little beauty’s voice is exactly my type. I want to try pursuing him.”
“Little brother, is there something wrong with your brain? Just because his voice sounds good doesn’t mean he’s good-looking. What if he’s ugly? And what if those two are already a couple?”
“Big Sister, just indulge me! I really want to try pursuing him. Besides, even though he was wearing a cloak, hood, and mask, you could still roughly see his figure. With a voice that beautiful and such a slender build, he must be an incredible beauty. Trust my judgment. I’m definitely not wrong!”
“Little brother, have you considered that they might have come here solely to attend the auction? Once it ends, they’ll pack up and leave this planet. What are you going to do then? Chase after them? You might just get beaten to death the moment you try.”
The younger brother clearly wasn’t willing to give up after hearing that.
However, he also understood that the situation was somewhat difficult, so he immediately began thinking of a solution.
“I’ll catch up to them and ask right now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he shot outside to chase after them.
He moved so quickly that hardly anyone else sitting there noticed him. One moment he was there, and the next he had vanished.
“You’re really just letting him chase after them?”
“It’ll be good for him to suffer a little. Personally, I think there’s a one hundred percent chance he’ll fail!”
“Why, Big Sister?”
The eldest sister shook her head and said nothing.
But as she looked at the retreating figures of Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu, she seemed to have guessed something.
That voice really did sound familiar!
“Hey, you up ahead, wait a second! Hey! Hey, you up ahead?!”
Yu Lanfeng, Nan Yu, and the others didn’t think the person behind them was calling to them at all, so they simply ignored him and continued toward the plaza in front of the auction venue.
But soon, the man who had been shouting actually ran ahead and blocked their path.
Nan Yu’s expression beneath his mask changed slightly.
He thought this man was courting death.
Because he could feel that the hand Yu Lanfeng had wrapped around his wrist had trembled faintly just now.
It lasted only an instant, but it was enough for Nan Yu to notice.
Had Yu Lanfeng discovered something?
Why was he suddenly so angry?
“Brother?”
Nan Yu’s voice brought Yu Lanfeng back to himself.
“I’m fine.”
The man standing in front of them slowly shifted his gaze toward Nan Yu.
“May I ask whether I might have the honor of inviting you out to have some fun after the auction?”
Nan Yu looked at the seemingly polite man.
He appeared courteous enough, but in reality, he clearly thought very highly of himself.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to rashly block the path of several strangers whose backgrounds and strength he knew absolutely nothing about.
Nan Yu didn’t say anything.
He merely turned his gaze toward Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng was wearing a mask, so Nan Yu couldn’t see his expression.
But he could see a little of his eyes.
Very good.
This man was finished.
Sure enough, in the next instant, the man who had been standing in front of them vanished.
A short distance away, there was now someone upside down in a trash can, his head buried inside it.
The trash cans along the streets here were filled almost entirely with things discarded after people finished having sex, so the smell was extremely strong.
The stench immediately made him vomit.
Then the smell of his own vomit nearly made him black out.
He frantically struggled his way out of the trash can and finally breathed a huge sigh of relief.
But the smell clinging to his body left him utterly miserable.
“Wow, little brother, you stink! There’s no way they’ll let you into the auction venue like this. There’s still half an hour before admission officially closes, so hurry up and wash yourself. I’ll wait with everyone at the entrance. Go quickly and come straight back!”
“If you’re not back by the time admission closes, we’ll go inside without you. You can forget about attending this auction, understand?”
“Got it, Big Sister! You guys go wait over there. I’ll be back soon.”
Meanwhile, the culprits responsible had already entered the auction venue.
The lobby was certainly spacious and luxurious.
But Nan Yu was accustomed to sights like this.
He had even seen the Imperial Palace. How could this place possibly impress him?
Nan Yu and the others followed an attendant forward until they reached the third floor.
“Please come in. This is Private Room No. 2. The rooms are assigned according to the order of admission. Their views are all equally good, so please rest assured.”
Nan Yu and the others were about to enter and take a look around, but Nan Yu was still concerned about the food.
“Can we order food inside?”
“Yes, sir. There’s an ordering interface beside each seat. You can simply select whatever you want. The prices are displayed there as well.”
Nan Yu nodded.
“Understood. You can go.”
“Yes, sir. If you encounter any problems, you can press the red button on the wall inside. Our staff will come immediately.”
Nan Yu waved his hand.
“All right.”
They entered the private room and closed the door.
The room was approximately sixty square meters.
Five chairs were arranged in an arc, and beside each chair was an interface that could be used to order food.
Nan Yu immediately walked over and began browsing through the menu.
He discovered that it consisted entirely of snacks, small desserts, and all kinds of drinks.
Everything, of course, was freshly prepared on-site.
Nan Yu immediately ordered several small desserts and drinks.
Naturally, he also ordered plenty of snacks for Yu Lanfeng.
Then he turned toward the two soldiers behind them.
“If you want anything, order it yourselves. I’ll pay.”
Thinking the two soldiers might feel too embarrassed to order anything, he added, “I’m paying, so don’t hold back. Understood?”
“Yes!”
Both answered rather stiffly.
Nan Yu thought that although they had agreed, they probably still wouldn’t order anything.
After all, they were...
Hmm?
Hmmmm?
He had just been thinking that there was absolutely no way they would order anything, yet the next moment, both soldiers actually started placing orders.
And judging by the looks of it, they ordered quite a lot.
Nan Yu wasn’t distressed about his credits.
Rather, he thought these two soldiers were surprisingly open-minded.
They weren’t like certain bodyguards or accompanying soldiers who practically had the words I AM AN EMOTIONLESS ROBOT written across their faces.
Yu Lanfeng said, “The auction begins in fifteen minutes. Admission will close in five minutes, but it looks like almost everyone has already arrived.”
Hearing that, Nan Yu looked outside through the one-way glass in front of them.
The first and second floors were already completely filled.
Everyone wore masks and cloaks, with only a small number wearing masks without cloaks.
Nan Yu opened the auction network on the interface beside him and pulled up the auction catalogue.
He wanted to check the order of the items first.
If something interesting appeared later, perhaps he could try bidding on it.
“Brother, is that spatial device your target?”
Yu Lanfeng thought for a moment.
“We’ll see. If it’s worth it, we’ll bid. If it isn’t, we’ll give it up.”
Nan Yu asked, “Then how do we decide whether it’s worth it?”
Yu Lanfeng said, “Before the bidding starts, the auction organizers will send someone out to explain the item clearly. How much it can hold, how large the internal space is, whether it can contain living creatures, how long living creatures can remain inside, its usable lifespan, and so on. Those are all things we need to pay attention to.”
Nan Yu said, “Right.”
Even ordinary spatial buttons sometimes had a limited usable lifespan.
Continuing to use them beyond that limit could cause instability.
Of course, that was mainly a problem with lower-quality spatial buttons.
Nan Yu and the others always bought the highest-grade ones, whose quality was guaranteed, so they never had to worry about such problems.
But if this spatial device really did have a limited lifespan, then its value would be greatly reduced.
It wouldn’t be nearly as miraculous as the rumors made it sound.
They didn’t have to wait long before their orders arrived.
Nan Yu ate while waiting for the auction to begin.
Soon, the fifteen minutes passed.
A woman slowly walked onto the stage below.
She was dressed extremely revealingly. Tiny pieces of fabric covered only the places that absolutely couldn’t be exposed, leaving practically everything else visible.
Her skin and figure were both exceptional.
The moment she walked onto the stage, Nan Yu sensed the atmosphere throughout the auction venue become somewhat strange.
Had everyone really been captivated that easily?
Nan Yu didn’t think the woman was particularly beautiful.
He involuntarily glanced at Yu Lanfeng beside him.
Only to discover that Yu Lanfeng was looking at him.
Nan Yu blinked.
“Brother?”
Yu Lanfeng said, “That woman has coated her body with a special substance. It strongly stimulates Ability Users with relatively powerful desires.”
Nan Yu looked at Yu Lanfeng in confusion.
So?
“Brother, don’t tell me you’ve been affected?”
Yu Lanfeng looked slightly awkward, but quickly regained his composure.
“I’m fine. That substance is used as an aphrodisiac. There might be a small sideshow in a moment.”
Nan Yu soon discovered exactly what that “small sideshow” meant.
The woman onstage spoke directly.
“To warm everyone up before the official opening, the first item being auctioned is... me.”
She paused there.
Looking across the venue at all the eyes fixed firmly on her, gazes that seemed desperate to cling to her body, she gave them her most beautiful smile.
“What you’re bidding on is ownership of me for the duration of this auction. Whoever wins this bid will own me until the auction ends!”
“You can do anything you want to me!”
Nan Yu thought that phrasing it this way meant it technically wouldn’t count as human trafficking.
It was merely a temporary arrangement for entertainment.
Nobody would pursue the matter, yet it could completely ignite the atmosphere in the venue.
The bidding began almost immediately.
While Nan Yu was still momentarily stunned, the price had already exceeded ten million credits.
The bidding remained intense.
Within another minute, it reached fifty million credits.
At that point, however, far fewer people continued bidding.
After all, everyone had come here for something they genuinely wanted.
Spending tens of millions might be acceptable, but once the price approached a hundred million, it became excessive.
Anyone who still possessed even a little rationality had already stopped bidding.
Otherwise, if they spent so many credits now only to find themselves short by a few tens of millions when the item they actually wanted appeared later, that would be quite a joke.
In the end, the winning bid was more than ninety-three million credits.
It was already close to a hundred million.
Nan Yu noticed that the winner was a man seated somewhere on the second floor.
Once the bid was finalized, the woman onstage walked down in full view of everyone.
She followed the staircase along the edge of the venue up to the second floor, walked directly to the man, turned her back to him, and sat on his lap.
The man impatiently began undoing his pants.
Then...
Two attendants quickly carried over two large screens.
At least they provided them with a little privacy.
Looking carefully, Nan Yu could even see small soundproofing devices installed on the screens.
That meant even the people sitting near the man could no longer hear anything happening inside.
Quite a few people seemed disappointed.
They had apparently thought they would get to watch something.
Still, their enthusiasm had undeniably been stirred up.
Nan Yu was somewhat speechless.
He had known there would be some kind of unexpected sideshow.
But Yu Lanfeng had certainly known what to expect.
A “small sideshow,” indeed.
Yu Lanfeng explained, “It’s a tradition here.”
Nan Yu said, “Oh, so that’s how it is. Then you’ve experienced quite a lot of these ‘traditions,’ haven’t you?”
Yu Lanfeng replied, “I only know about them.”
Nan Yu said, “Hmph~”
Yu Lanfeng suddenly wondered whether bringing Nan Yu to this place had been the wrong decision.
The auction officially began.
Nan Yu had already seen the items being offered during the first and second sessions, and he had no interest in them.
What they truly wanted to see were the items in the third session.
Nobody knew what any of those were.
They would simply have to wait and see them one by one.
After watching for a while, Nan Yu lost interest.
He began eating his little desserts and drinking what he had ordered while casually opening the Interstellar Network and browsing through various things to pass the time.
What they didn’t know was that someone on the second floor kept looking around as though searching for someone.
“What? You still haven’t given up? You don’t even know how you ended up inside that trash can, yet you’re still trying to find them? At this rate, you won’t even know how you died!”
“Big Sister, I really do like him! After getting closer and hearing his voice again, I’m convinced he’s the destined love of my life! I already feel like I can’t live without him. I need to find him quickly! Big Sister, help me look too. Your eyesight is better than mine!”
The eldest sister was utterly speechless.
“If you haven’t seen him on the first or second floor, then he must be on the third. What are you planning to do, go upstairs and knock on every door?”
The man immediately quieted down.
“Oh! As expected of the person I’ve fallen for! He’s amazing. He goes straight to the third floor the moment he arrives. Sure enough, he got a First-Tier Invitation. But when the First-Tier Invitations were being auctioned earlier, I don’t remember seeing them.”
The eldest sister knocked him on the head.
“Do you have a brain? How many people currently on the third floor do you think personally won their invitations through bidding? Most either received them from someone else or robbed them from someone. A large portion of the people who originally bought those First-Tier Invitations are probably already dead!”
“All right, I get it. But... I like ruthless people who act decisively too. I really want to meet him. It would be even better if we could get to know each other more deeply afterward!”
The people beside him shook their heads and pretended they hadn’t heard him.
“Remember, we can’t bid recklessly later. First, we need to win as many of the items on our list as possible. These are things the family needs. Especially this one...”
Once they began discussing serious matters, they immediately became extremely focused.
Every item on their list appeared in either the first or second auction session.
From this, it was obvious that they had no intention of bidding on anything from the third session.
After watching for a while, Nan Yu needed to use the restroom.
He stood up.
“Brother, I’m going to the restroom.”
Yu Lanfeng stood up as well.
“I’ll go with you.”
The two soldiers remained behind to watch the private room.
When Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng opened the door, the door to the neighboring private room happened to open as well.
Someone stepped outside.
Nan Yu recognized her.
In fact, he had seen her not long ago.
She was the younger sister from the brother-and-sister pair he had secretly observed with his Mental Power in the restaurant’s private room—the pair who supposedly specialized in gathering information.
She left the room alone and headed toward the restroom.
Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng didn’t think much of it.
They were going to the restroom too, so they headed in the same direction.
Although the woman walked rather quickly, her steps weren’t particularly steady.
Perhaps she had drunk too much.
Or perhaps she had been a little too rough while doing that sort of thing earlier.
They soon reached the restrooms.
Two Ability Users dressed as attendants stood nearby, apparently to prevent certain incidents from occurring.
Then again, this was a restroom.
It really did seem like the kind of place where certain incidents would happen frequently.
The woman entered the women’s restroom.
Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng walked straight into the men’s restroom without looking aside.
About two minutes later, they came back out and headed toward their private room.
Just as they were about to open the door, one of the two men dressed as attendants who had been standing near the restrooms came over and stopped them.
“Gentlemen, I have something extremely important to tell you. I wonder if I could...”
Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu exchanged glances.
This man presumably wanted to enter their private room with them.
But even if they let him inside, what did it matter?
Could the two of them possibly suffer a setback against him?
As for the “extremely important” matter he claimed to have...
They had nothing else to do anyway.
Why not hear him out?
Perhaps it would be interesting.
Yu Lanfeng said, “Come in.”
The man quickly followed them into the private room.
The moment the door closed, he dropped to both knees.
“Marshal!”
That single word startled everyone in the room.
Nan Yu nearly jumped out of his skin.
Yu Lanfeng quickly calmed him down, signaling for him to remain composed.
Then Yu Lanfeng looked coldly at the man kneeling on the floor.
“Explain.”
“Marshal, I know you. I’ve always known who you are. I was originally a member of the legion too, but... but something happened before that made it impossible for me to return. Now I can only remain here as a fringe member...”
Yu Lanfeng said, “As far as I know, nobody from my legion has gone missing, nor is anyone unaccounted for.”
But the man proceeded to give them detailed information about his identity.
He even removed his mask and cleaned away all the elaborate makeup and other things disguising his appearance.
To tell the truth, Yu Lanfeng did have some impression of that face.
“Aren’t you the adjutant of Liu Hanjiang from Border Region Thirty-Two?”
“Marshal... You still remember me...”
His voice was already choked with tears.
It seemed he had been driven to the very brink of despair.