The Enigmatic Auction

"Who is it? Speak up!"

The woman's voice came through the phone again.

"Ahem, uh, Captain Yan, it's me—An Yi."

Seeing no way out, An Yi braced himself and answered.

He never would’ve guessed that the person Director Zheng had so highly recommended would turn out to be her!

When it came to Yan Zhi, his feelings were mostly just… awkward.

His identity as the Night Emperor had been exposed—and it happened way too suddenly.

The things he’d done under that alias weren’t exactly bad, just… a little underhanded in method.

Back then, Yan Zhi had constantly accused him of "defying the dignity of the Law Enforcement Bureau" and swore to "take his head as an offering to the heavens."

And then there was that incident not long ago where he’d… accidentally groped her backside.

"An Yi? What a rare guest. You’re actually calling me?"

Yan Zhi’s voice carried a hint of teasing. She cut straight to the chase: "Spit it out. What do you want?"

"Uh… do you know anything about Skybloom Grass?"

An Yi hesitated before asking.

He didn’t hold much hope.

He’d already asked Director Zheng and the others—even Elder Tang—but none of them had heard of it.

"Skybloom Grass…? I think I’ve heard of it. Let me check—"

The sound of rustling pages came from Yan Zhi’s end.

An Yi was mildly surprised. She actually did know?

"What do you need such an obscure herb for?" Yan Zhi’s voice returned, accompanied by more page-flipping.

An Yi brushed it off casually. "Just feel like trying something new to boost my health."

Yan Zhi’s voice dripped with amusement. "Oh really? According to the classics, Skybloom Grass is mainly used to treat infertility, impotence, and… ahem underperformance. Kid, you’re way too young to have that kind of problem."

Then, a series of loud, goose-like cackles erupted from the other end of the line, as if she’d just uncovered some scandalous secret.

An Yi:

"You’re the one with the problem!"

That’s what Skybloom Grass does?!

Yan Zhi’s laughter continued. "Relax, I won’t tell a soul! If I hear anything about Skybloom Grass, I’ll let you know ASAP."

Damn it!

This conversation was over.

"Uh, thanks."

Before Yan Zhi could respond, An Yi hung up.

Maybe I should just find another way to get rich.

Like acting!

With this face, I could make two million a day—way better than running around looking for some stupid grass!

Then I’d have all those girls donate their milk money straight into my charity fund.

Yunzhou City, the capital of the southeastern province.

Well, that part wasn’t important.

Tonight, the Yunzhou Medicinal Market had become the center of attention.

A fleet of outrageously expensive luxury cars crowded the parking lot.

Fully armed security personnel patrolled with rifles, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings like hawks. Hidden in the shadows, martial artists provided an additional layer of security.

There was no room for error tonight.

Everyone was on high alert.

At that moment, a couple strolled in.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in a sharp suit, his posture tall and straight.

His handsome features carried a roguish charm, his striking looks rivaling those of A-list actors.

Beside him, a woman in a red evening gown exuded elegance—her curvaceous figure and alluring presence made her nothing short of a goddess.

"Damn, security’s tight," An Yi muttered under his breath, glancing around.

The couple was none other than An Yi and Yan Zhi.

After two days of digging, Yan Zhi had tracked down the Skybloom Grass—tonight’s auction would feature it as a lot. So here they were.

"Behave tonight. The crowd here is… complicated," Yan Zhi warned in a low voice.

An Yi rolled his eyes. "Do I look like a troublemaker?"

If you were even remotely well-behaved, I wouldn’t have to ask! Yan Zhi thought bitterly.

Still, she kept it to herself.

"Thanks, though," An Yi said with a faint smile.

He was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected this law enforcer to go so far for his sake.

Yan Zhi sighed. "Don’t thank me. Just make it through tonight without incident—that’s thanks enough."

This kid’s a walking disaster.

Wherever he goes, chaos follows.

That night, An Yi had saved the Law Enforcement Bureau. If not for him, the Jiangbei branch might’ve been wiped out.

That was a debt she couldn’t ignore.

So when he’d asked about Skybloom Grass, she’d put in the effort—scouring leads until she learned it’d be auctioned here.

"Y’know, when you’re not being a pain, you’re actually kinda handsome," Yan Zhi remarked, adjusting An Yi’s tie.

At 181 cm tall, with a system-rated 8.8 charm score, even a simple touch-up made him devastatingly attractive.

If he’d just act normal for once, he’d probably have girls lining up for him.

Too bad An Yi’s only takeaway from his looks was "maybe I can hitch a ride with a sugar mommy."

An Yi stiffened slightly.

She was standing way too close.

Among the few women he knew who scored a perfect 9, Yan Zhi was easily the most seductive.

Slender waist, perky hips, full curves—her mature, domineering aura was nuclear-level lethal to a pure-hearted guy like him.

No, no—I can’t handle this. I’m lactose intolerant!

"Let’s go in," Yan Zhi said, smoothing his hair before looping her arm through his.

"Sure."

An Yi’s hand naturally settled on her slender waist.

So soft… perfection!

Yan Zhi’s expression darkened, her eyes flashing murder. "What are you doing?"

An Yi blinked innocently. "Aren’t we pretending to be a couple?"

Yan Zhi’s smile was razor-thin. "Hand off. We’re siblings."

"Oh. My bad."

Meanwhile—

A figure cloaked in black shuffled toward the entrance.

A guard spotted him and immediately blocked the way. "Halt! Who are you? State your business!"

"Oh, I’m here for the auction," the figure replied, pulling back his hood to reveal a pale, gaunt face.

"Credentials?"

The guard eyed him suspiciously. Something about this guy felt off.

"Here."

The young man extended a bony hand, offering a ticket.

After inspecting it, the guard scoffed and waved him through. "Go on in, you creepy bastard."

The young man said nothing. But the moment he stepped inside, his lips curled into a chilling smirk.

Nearby, Chen Bing adjusted his black-framed glasses, frowning.

"Zhang Fan… What’s he doing here?"

In his ten-thousand-plus cycles, Chen Bing had crossed paths with Zhang Fan before. He knew better than to underestimate him.

Every horrifying headline from last month? All tied to this guy.

"This auction’s getting interesting. Nothing but big shots tonight," Chen Bing mused, watching the stream of VIPs enter.

"Brother Niu… You feeling okay? Your face looks kinda green," a younger guard ventured cautiously.

Brother Niu scowled. "The hell you mean, ‘green’?! Screw off!"

"No, seriously—it’s really green. Maybe you should go home and check on things."

"Shut it! My wife’s loyal as hell! I don’t need to ‘check’ anything!"

Just then, Brother Niu’s sharp eyes locked onto a bespectacled youth trying to slip past.

"You! Glasses! Think you’re slick?!"

Chen Bing: "…"