The watermarks on the table dried quickly.
Yu Bai also noticed this.
So he wiped the table with his other hand, dipped his fingers in some water, and rewrote his name.
Those sea-blue eyes were filled with undisguised anticipation, and if Fu Linyuan hadn't misunderstood, there was even a hint of pride in the little merperson's gaze.
Indeed, Yu Bai felt a bit proud.
In his past life, the first two characters Fu Linyuan had taught him to write were his own name. Although he never had much opportunity to practice, he still remembered how to write it.
Thinking about this, Yu Bai felt even prouder.
Under that eager and hopeful gaze, the Imperial Marshal fell silent for a moment and then said, "Lü?"
Yu Bai, filled with anticipation, was momentarily puzzled.
What was this new pronunciation?
It didn't quite match his impression.
He shook his head slightly at Fu Linyuan and wiped away the watermarks on the table, then rewrote his name.
This time, Fu Linyuan remained silent for an even longer time.
"Yue?" he finally ventured.
Shaking his head once more, Yu Bai rewrote it.
"..." As the disappointment in those eyes became more apparent, the Imperial Marshal, feeling inexplicably uneasy, said, "...Mo?"
Yu Bai was dumbfounded.
This was completely different from what he had expected.
The glass on the table was almost empty.
The little merperson, who had been looking proud until now, gradually lowered his head, and even the ear fins that peeked out from his hair drooped dejectedly.
The vivid display of emotion made one couldn't help but feel pity.
Seeing this, Fu Linyuan's gaze shifted slightly.
But just before he could say anything, the young merperson, who had just looked downcast, suddenly raised his head, pointed to his own silver hair, and fearing that Fu Linyuan might not understand, he grabbed a few strands of his hair and shook them in front of him.
The silver strands of hair drew a graceful arc in the air.
"…Bai?"
Yes!
Yu Bai's eyes brightened suddenly, and then he nodded vigorously.
However, whether it was the vigorous nodding or the tension that had been building up in his nerves finally relaxing, Yu Bai suddenly felt the world in front of him swaying.
Following that was a faint dizziness.
After his conscious mind relaxed, the sedative finally took effect.
The auction was drawing to a close.
When Duke arrived with the items instructed by his superior, he found his Commander standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the stage below.
The unfamiliar young man they had seen in the hologram earlier was now curled up on the sofa, eyes closed, breathing steadily, as if he were asleep.
Duke first noticed the disguising device on the young man's ear and then keenly realized that he was wearing the Marshal's coat.
The oversized dark coat made his slender frame appear even more fragile.
As he shifted his gaze away, Duke approached Fu Linyuan from behind and saluted. "Sir, I've brought the clothes you asked for."
After arranging the personnel for the reverse trace, Duke had initially planned to return to the auction. However, he received a message from Fu Linyuan on the way, asking him to prepare a clean set of clothes, with a smaller size.
Duke could easily guess who the clothes were for.
The scene before him now piqued his curiosity, and he asked, "Sir, what's his identity, exactly?"
Fu Linyuan's gaze remained fixed on the stage below, and his tone didn't betray any emotion. "The sea creature being auctioned tonight."
Duke nodded in understanding. "I see, that explains the tracking devices on him."
...Wait a minute, what?
Duke's eyes widened in shock as he stumbled over his words, "Sea... sea?"
Fu Linyuan merely made a sound of agreement.
Duke stared at the young man sleeping on the sofa and stammered, "Well, he looks quite human."
At least in terms of his body shape.
One of the most distinctive features of the sea creatures, apart from their ferocity, was that their overall appearance usually wasn't very pleasing, and some of them looked downright terrifying.
Duke's words made Fu Linyuan involuntarily recall the way the young sea creature had gestured and drawn on the table just moments ago.
Throughout the entire process, the young merperson had seemed completely unaware of the mental tentacle near Fu Linyuan's temple that could have easily taken his life.
Instead, he had appeared excited, docile, and endearing, without a trace of the ferocity typical of sea creatures. He even seemed unusually intelligent.
At the same time, on the stage below, the spotlight finally shone on a transport container placed on a rotating stand.
The container appeared larger than what was described in the brochure, standing at approximately fifty centimeters in height. When the spotlight hit it, occasional flashes of dazzling green light could be seen reflecting from the mouth of the container.
The tone of the auctioneer's introduction carried a hint of mockery.
"The next item up for auction is consigned by a client, and I'm sure there's no need for me to provide much introduction. Our esteemed guests are well aware of the value of this green gold. The client consigning this batch has 1.5 tons of similar-quality merchandise, with a starting price of one billion transaction points."
The auctioneer's words sparked a buzz of discussion in the lobby on the first floor.
Certainly, Medusa was dangerous, but the potential profits were substantial enough to entice certain desperate individuals to take the risk.
However, two issues came to the forefront.
First, the quantity of merchandise being auctioned tonight greatly exceeded the expectations of most star pirates looking for a quick score. One billion transaction points was a significant sum, and there weren't many people who could readily produce that amount of money.
Secondly, the news of the Emperor personally assigning First Legion Marshal Fu Linyuan to investigate the illegal drug case had spread throughout the Federation. While the Marshal himself was reportedly engaged in exercises at a remote frontier base, his involvement was enough to make ninety percent of star pirates think twice.
After all, the First Legion represented absolute strength, and its leader, Fu Linyuan, was notorious for his brutality and eccentricity in the Imperial Star Sector.
Even though the profits were high, the possibility of being traced by Fu Linyuan made many potential buyers hesitate.
The host seemed to anticipate the guests' hesitation. He let the discussions continue for a moment and then began to introduce the Medusa market.
At the same time, he cast his gaze towards the observation windows of the private rooms upstairs.
The target buyers for this batch of goods were not the small-timers sitting on the first floor. These prominent figures upstairs were the real targets.
With the thought of their commission in mind, the host unconsciously became more enthusiastic in his introduction.
Fu Linyuan stared at the transport container on the stage for a while and, seeing no one placing bids, pressed a button on the side.
"Di—"
[tn: sound of a button being pressed, probably a buzzer]
A notification light lit up outside the window.
"...For such a high-yield product, everyone..." the host hesitated, then exclaimed, "Ah, the first bidder has appeared! Guest 203 bids one billion!"
The auction hall fell silent for a moment before erupting into another round of discussions.
Soon, another notification light lit up.
"Di—"
"Guest 201 bids one billion and ten million!"
"Di—"
"Guest 203 bids one billion and twenty million!"
"Di—"
"Guest 207 bids one billion and forty million!"
The bidding didn't stop there but concentrated in the private rooms 201, 203, and 207.
The prices rapidly escalated with each notification light.
Some of the guests on the first floor couldn't help but turn their heads to look at the one-way glass above, speculating on who had the confidence and financial means to bid so boldly.
The atmosphere in the auction hall became increasingly lively as the bids continued to rise.
Meanwhile, Yu Bai, nestled on the sofa in private room 203, remained oblivious to the commotion outside.
However, because he hadn't received the full dosage of the sedative, he didn't fall completely asleep.
In a semi-dream state, he recalled something that had happened a long time ago.
It was a very long time ago when he wasn't proficient at transforming into a human form yet.
It had just turned dark, and the stars were still waking up. He was practicing changing forms in the shallow bay.
It was at that moment when a point of light in the sky suddenly began to grow at an exceptionally fast speed, dragging behind it a tail of thick black smoke.
Yu Bai watched the entire process as the escape pod crashed into the distant sea.
At that time, he didn't know what this spherical object falling from the sky was. He only felt that there was a life inside the shattered sphere, and this life was growing weaker with the passage of time.
He remembered what his mother had taught him when he was young.
So, even though he was injured himself at that time, the naive little merperson swam with all his might towards the direction where the escape pod had crashed.
His silver tail moved gracefully in the black seawater, creating beautiful waves.
That day, he pulled a human out of the sea.
He spent some time with that human and went through many experiences together.
But just when the young merperson thought he had finally made a friend, that human, along with the scale he had given to him, disappeared from his world as suddenly as he had entered it.
Without leaving a trace.
They didn't meet again until several years later.
Although the human's voice had changed, he presented the same scale that had been sent away back then. So, Yu Bai believed him and followed him, leaving the sea where he had grown up for a strange planet.
In a daze, he seemed to hear the auction host's voice again.
"Starting bid... twenty billion transaction points!"
Yu Bai hadn't misheard. The auction had indeed reached the item related to the sea.
The previous item had eventually been sold for two billion, bought by the guest in room 207.
Yet, the lively atmosphere in the auction hall showed no signs of abating.
A price of twenty billion for a sea that could extend one's life.
At the same time, the door of room 203 was gently knocked.
"Respected guest?"
The voice of the scar-faced individual they had encountered before came faintly from outside the door.
"Our boss would like to discuss something with you in person. Would it be convenient for you now?"
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Thank You!!!! I can't wait for the next update!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapter!
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