The auction has begun.
Through the transparent glass, Yu Bai could see the auctioneer below introducing one item after another, and he could hear the repeated bidding from the audience.
He could also feel Fu Linyuan's gaze behind him.
It was filled with curiosity and scrutiny, not much different from when they first met in their previous lives.
Fu Linyuan was indeed watching him.
However, his sharp gaze eventually seemed to casually stop at the blood-stained collar of the other person.
The owner of the disfigured and terrifying scar behind the white skin was oblivious to the pain. His sea-blue eyes were focused on the stage below, like an innocent creature in the world, quietly curious.
When the communication from Vice-Admiral Duke was connected, the first thing he saw was their Marshal staring at the young man standing by the window, seemingly trying to pierce a hole through his back.
So focused was he that Duke had to clear his throat before the Marshal's attention shifted to him. "Marshal, we've handled everything according to your instructions."
Fu Linyuan made a sound of agreement, paused, and then said to Yu Bai, "Come here."
Although Yu Bai didn't fully understand the two words, he understood the tone in Fu Linyuan's voice. So he obediently moved toward Fu Linyuan and finally stopped two steps away from the holographic projection of the communicator.
He didn't recognize this person who had suddenly appeared on the table. Only the upper half of a human was visible, so he instinctively didn't get too close.
Projected Duke couldn't help but glance at Yu Bai again. The young man had an odd way of walking, and his appearance was not particularly attention-grabbing, at most, he could be considered handsome. However, his sea-blue eyes were astonishingly pure and clear, giving Duke an inexplicable sense of dissonance.
It was as if those eyes should belong to a different unforgettable face.
But why was he still conscious? Didn't they administer a sedative just before leaving?
Without waiting for Duke to think further, he heard the Marshal repeat his words patiently.
"Come here."
Duke noticed that the Marshal had placed a medical kit on the table.
Yu Bai saw the open medical kit and hesitated for a moment. He observed Duke's holographic projection for a moment, and then obediently sat down in front of Fu Linyuan.
Then, as per the Marshal's gesture, he lowered his head to reveal the injured, pale neck.
The interaction between the two was strange but surprisingly harmonious. Duke watched for a moment, a bit stunned, before he couldn't help but ask, "Commander, where did you pick up this kid?"
They hadn't entered Tarl Star with their official Imperial identities this time, and they were here on a mission. The security measures for this operation had been thorough, and Duke was confident that no information had leaked, except to a few high-ranking military officials.
However, even though Duke fully trusted the Marshal's judgment—if he had brought the boy back, it should be fine— he couldn't help but find Yu Bai's presence somewhat suspicious.
"He came to us on his own," Fu Linyuan replied calmly, without explaining further, and asked, "What about the other arrangements?"
Duke was used to his superior's economy of words. He promptly steered the conversation back to the mission. "Yes, all the reverse tracers have been deployed according to the plan."
Fu Linyuan made a sound of agreement without further inquiry, and Duke terminated the call.
Yu Bai didn't understand what Duke had said afterward, and he hadn't paid much attention to Duke's conversation earlier.
A merperson's [tn: from now on, all mentions of 美人/美人鱼/anything of that sort will be changed to gender-neutral terms] nervous system was highly developed, and he was acutely aware of the sensation at the back of his neck. The other person's movements weren't forceful, but as he used a medical device to close the wound, it caused intense pain that was almost unbearable.
Although Yu Bai didn't make a sound, his thin back trembled slightly due to the pain. However, it seemed that the man behind him noticed his discomfort, as the subsequent movements appeared gentler.
Fu Linyuan was proficient in treating wounds, and the process was quick and steady. The sharp pain didn't last long, transitioning into a dull ache suppressed by the sterile dressing.
But Yu Bai didn't completely relax because of this. When Fu Linyuan closed the medical kit and the small room fell into silence, he couldn't help but notice that something was off.
The two of them now stood and sat in the small room without speaking or moving. Meanwhile, the auction downstairs continued energetically, and if Yu Bai remembered correctly, the item currently being auctioned represented that the auction was already well underway.
The repetitive bidding voices became somewhat muffled as they passed through the lightly reflective surface of the window, but they hadn't stopped since the beginning.
A merperson's senses were also highly sensitive, and through the window's faint reflection, Yu Bai could clearly see that a sharp mental tentacle was positioned near his temple.
However, unlike normal white mental tentacles, this one was deep gray all over, and it had occasional spikes that seemed to be trying to break free from the tentacle's control.
Yu Bai knew that the darker the colour of the mental power, the more contaminated it was. He also knew that those spikes indicated that the mental power was in an extremely restless state, on the brink of a mental storm.
But the owner of the mental power seemed to be experiencing no pain at the moment.
Yet when Yu Bai looked up slightly, he saw that the man behind him still had a calm expression.
If it weren't for his instinctual aversion to this restless power, he might have suspected that he had been mistaken.
Then, he met the man's gaze in the window's reflection.
Those obsidian-like eyes looked at him just like they did the first time they met, cold and threatening.
Although he was a little nervous, Yu Bai was not afraid.
The fall of the disguise device had also broken the silence in the room. Fu Linyuan spoke in a deep voice, "You are the sea creature who will be auctioned tonight."
His words were not rushed, and Yu Bai understood his meaning. Even though it wasn't a question, the young merperson nodded.
Seeing that the sea creature seemed to genuinely understand his words, Fu Linyuan raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What is your name?"
Name.
Yu Bai also understood this question. He opened his mouth, but unexpectedly, no sound came out. His throat felt as if it was filled with cotton, and he only felt a secret numbness.
This numbness was quite familiar to him. In his past life, every time he was captured and brought back after escaping, the people in the laboratory would inject him with a transparent liquid. After that, he would feel this numbness.
Then he would lose consciousness.
Thinking back to the times he woke up with an IV in his arm, Yu Bai guessed that it was a similar drug. However, because the dosage was insufficient, he was still conscious.
Unable to speak, Yu Bai thought for a moment. He noticed a half-filled glass of water on the table. So, he dipped his fingertip, which had a hint of pink, into the water and then lowered his head, drawing on the table.
After a while, Yu Bai raised his head, his sea-blue eyes carrying a hint of expectation as he looked at Fu Linyuan.
Fu Linyuan frowned when he saw the drawings on the table. Then he furrowed his brows.
Thanks for the update!! 🤔🤔
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ReplyDeletethanks for the chapter!!