The Top-Tier Alpha Is Lured and Captured by a Green Tea Merman - Chapter 20

In the auction hall, as the auctioneer stepped onto the stage, the event officially began.

Pei Yan was accustomed to the items presented in the early stages. He only bid on a few things that caught the interest of his two subordinates, gifting the items to them; after all, to him, it was only pocket change.

Xu Hao grinned and said, “No wonder so many people want to go on missions with the boss. Turns out the boss is so generous!”

Pei Yan propped up his head, finding it somewhat amusing. “Who the hell spread that rumor?”

Xu Hao replied, “Everyone says so.”

“Then you’d better watch your mouth, or next time you’ll be squeezed out and won’t get a share.”

Xu Hao hurriedly covered his own mouth, his voice coming out muffled. “Got it!”

As he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a prickling sensation on his back—what was going on? He rubbed his arms, thinking perhaps the air conditioning in the hall was set too low; he’d have to wear more layers next time.

On the stage, items were replaced one after another. Pei Yan watched with boredom until a chest chain was brought out, adorned with blue sapphires and crystal clear.

Pei Yan instantly thought of Xie Yu. He imagined how beautiful Xie Yu would look wearing this sapphire chain in his merman form. He immediately put all his effort into bidding, eventually winning it for 200 million.

Xu Hao and Xia Xu remained silent for a long time. So, their boss had this kind of hobby.

Pei Yan’s mind was filled with the image of Xie Yu’s happy expression upon receiving the chain; he didn’t notice his subordinates’ strange gazes at all.

After a long while, the lights in the hall suddenly went out. Then, a cluster of spotlights focused on the stage. Two burly men carried out an object strictly covered by a black cloth. Judging by the sound it made when placed down, it seemed to be an iron cage.

The host held the microphone and said mysteriously, “This is the grand finale of our auction. The seller went through untold hardships to obtain it. It is said that its voice is like celestial music, and its appearance is like that of a deity…”

As he spoke, he walked to the side of the iron cage and abruptly pulled away the black cloth. Revealed within was a green-tailed merman, exquisitely beautiful. The moment it was shown, the hall was filled with one gasp after another.

The merman curled up helplessly in the cage. Without the black cloth as a shield, the intense light hit its face, causing its ear fins to flare instantly. Its eyes were filled with terror and wariness.

Its tail lashed out reflexively like a lethal weapon, but the moment it touched the iron cage, a strong surge of electricity charred the tail black. It screamed and scrambled away, but the space inside the cage was small; as it recoiled, its back was electrocuted again…

After a period of restless agitation, the merman could only curl its body tightly to keep itself in a safe zone, all its fins flared in a defensive state.

Faced with this scene, not a single person below the stage showed a hint of pity. On the contrary, the atmosphere grew excited as people rolled up their sleeves, eager to win the merman.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently stirred, the host said at the right time, “This is a rare green-tailed merman. The starting price is one billion!”

The moment he finished, people began competing to raise their number plates.

Xia Xu leaned into Pei Yan’s ear and whispered, “Boss, this is a merman. It doesn’t count as human trafficking, does it?”

Pei Yan remained silent.

According to Alliance law, of course it didn’t.

But he suddenly thought of Xie Yu. If Xie Yu hadn’t met him but had been captured by others instead, would he be facing this same scene now? Or perhaps he would be tied to a cold iron bed, left to be poked and prodded by researchers…

He looked at the merman in the cage and made a decision. “I’m going to bid for it.”

“Ha? Boss, are you sure?” Xia Xu said in shock. “This is a merman. They are wild and untamable.”

Xu Hao looked at Pei Yan with a strange expression and said seriously, “Boss… tell us the truth. Do you… have some unspeakable hobby?”

Anyone who wanted to buy a merman definitely wasn’t a good person!

Think about it—compared to humans, mermen were no different except for having a tail. These people were simply taking advantage of the fact that the Empire and the Alliance had no laws protecting mermen to inflict behaviors on them that were otherwise prohibited by law.

It was either a thirst for the exotic or perversion; none of them were good.

“What are you two thinking!” Pei Yan glanced at the two who were clearly letting their imaginations run wild. “I’m buying it to release it back into the wild, obviously. What did you think?”

“…”

Xia Xu was silent for a moment before finally giving a thumbs up.

Xu Hao acted as the translator: “As expected of the boss, you’re rich!”

The bidding on-site had reached a fever pitch. The initial crowd had thinned out to just a few people. The price had risen to two billion star coins, and someone was still raising the bid.

Pei Yan was in no hurry; he would wait until the very end to participate.

The duel between the remaining bidders was indeed exciting. Just as only two people were left, Pei Yan raised his plate to join in, but unexpectedly, a VIP on the second floor beat him to it. A deep, pleasant voice spoke slowly: “Five billion.”

The people in the hall were stunned.

Who was so wealthy that they would directly add three billion star coins to the price?

Everyone looked up to see a man with long white hair and a noble aura standing by the railing. His hand, perfectly encased in a glove, rested lightly on the banister. He wore a silver mask on his face and was looking down at a certain spot in the auction seats.

Pei Yan looked up and happened to lock eyes with him. The white-haired man’s lips curled up slightly.

At this moment, Xia Xu leaned toward Pei Yan’s ear and reminded him, “Boss, that person seems to be the Master of the Dungeon.”

In an instant, Pei Yan keenly sensed the white-haired man’s aura darken. Even the temperature of the entire hall seemed to drop by several degrees.

His intuition told him that this person was very dangerous.

The final two bidders on the floor hesitated. A man who could casually produce so much money and sit on the second floor held a status they absolutely could not afford to provoke.

They were hesitant and afraid, but Pei Yan was not. He raised his number plate. “Six billion.”

The hall fell into a dead silence as everyone cast looks of disbelief at Pei Yan.

Pei Yan accepted it calmly. He had expected a fierce battle of wealth, but surprisingly, the white-haired man did not compete with him. Pei Yan successfully won ownership of the merman.

He followed the staff to settle the payment, instructed them to send the chest chain to his home, and then headed to the backstage to collect his “merchandise.” Xu Hao and Xia Xu went to pick up their own items.

As Pei Yan walked toward the iron cage, the merman curled up inside immediately entered a state of defensive aggression. He paused his footsteps instantly. However, in the next second, a hint of confusion appeared on the merman’s beautiful face. He twitched his nose slightly, stared at Pei Yan for a few moments as if unsure, and then slowly approached.

The electricity had been cut off, so the merman wouldn’t be harmed even if he touched the cage. He reached out a webbed claw, attempting to touch Pei Yan.

Xia Xu and Xu Hao were both startled and shouted, “Boss…”

Pei Yan raised his hand, stopping them from coming closer.

He watched as the sharp claw moved inch by inch toward his face. Just at the moment of contact, a cold wind swept by. Pei Yan felt someone grab him by the waist from behind and pull him back. He ended up pressed tightly, safe and sound, against the newcomer’s chest.

The merman’s expression suddenly froze, and he immediately lowered his body in a posture of extreme fear.

Pei Yan frowned and immediately turned around, using his arm to pin the person back.

The newcomer followed his strength and retreated until he hit the wall.

“It’s you?” Pei Yan said coldly.

The person was none other than the white-haired man from the auction. He wore a casual smile and raised his hands. “Commander Pei, don’t be so fierce.”

Since the auction was held on his territory, it was normal for him to know Pei Yan’s title.

Pei Yan didn’t let go, questioning him, “You haven’t given up on this merman yet, have you?”

“How could I?” The man lowered his hands and laughed. “I just heard that mermen are brutal and was afraid Commander Pei might get hurt, so I came to take a look.”

Pei Yan’s brow furrowed even tighter. “We don’t know each other, do we?”

The smile on the man’s face deepened, but his eyes held no warmth; they could even be described as icy.

He looked at the now very obedient merman in the cage and asked instead, “How does Commander Pei plan to handle this merman?”

Pei Yan released him and said rudely, “None of your damn business!”

He disliked the aura surrounding this man—gloomy and damp. He felt like this man would be smiling at you one second, and the next, he would pounce to tear your throat out, devouring your flesh and drinking your blood, finally spitting you out until not even a bone was left.

This was the first time he had ever felt such a hair-raising aura from a human, like someone who had fought his way out of a pack of wild beasts drenched in blood.

This kind of person was too dangerous; he had to stay away.

The man stunned for a moment, seemingly blinking his eyes.

He watched as Pei Yan turned to whisper a few words to the staff. Though quiet, he heard them clearly.

Pei Yan said, “Please help me release this merman back into the ocean.”

The man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He leaned lazily against the wall with his arms crossed, staring intently at Pei Yan’s back. “Commander Pei, did you spend such a large sum just to set it free?”

“Are you that bored?”

Pei Yan turned sideways, meeting his gaze directly and without evasion, his annoyance clearly written on his face.

The man blinked. “No, I’m not.”

Pei Yan sneered. “You’re already this old, stop acting like a child and blinking your eyes. It’s disgusting.”

Man: “…” Brother, but every time I blinked and acted spoiled for you before, you seemed to enjoy it very much.

This person was, of course, Xie Yu in a disguise.

Pei Yan didn’t bother to continue arguing with him. He led Xia Xu and Xu Hao to leave, but Xie Yu reached out an arm to block them.

Pei Yan raised an eyelid, saying nothing.

He wanted to see what this man was trying to do.

Xie Yu didn’t speak. Instead, he took off his glove and, with an unyielding grip, took Pei Yan’s hand. He let out a soft laugh, pressed a devout kiss onto the back of Pei Yan’s hand, and then looked up at him with eyes shimmering like starlight. “Commander Pei, until we meet again.”

Pei Yan: “…”

My hands are itching; I want to hit someone!

But looking into those eyes, he had a hallucination of his own little “pitiful thing” at home, and for a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to strike.

However, he could snatch off the mask.

Just as his hand reached out, it was nimbly avoided by the man, who circled behind him and leaned in suggestively. White hair brushed against Pei Yan’s ear. “Commander Pei, sneak attacks aren’t a good habit.”

Pei Yan swiftly turned and kicked at him, but Xie Yu caught his ankle. His gaze lingered from Pei Yan’s calf up to his face, and he chuckled. “It seems Commander Pei harbors a great deal of hostility toward me.”

Pei Yan barked, “Let go!”

Xie Yu obediently released him, cheerfully accepting Pei Yan’s fierce glare. He watched as Pei Yan disgustedly wiped the back of his hand, acting as if he wanted to rub off a layer of skin from the spot that had been kissed.

Unable to contain his anger, Pei Yan snapped, “Don’t let me see you again!”

With that, he took Xia Xu and Xu Hao and left straight away.

As soon as they were gone, an elderly man who had been hidden in the shadows appeared. “King, he is…”

Xie Yu swept a light glance over him, and the elderly man immediately shut his mouth.

…

Inside the car.

Xu Hao said cautiously, “Boss, do you know the Master of the Dungeon?”

“How could I know him? Today was the first time I’ve ever met him.” Pei Yan gripped the steering wheel, his face dark with rage. “If it weren’t for the fact that it was his territory, I would have beaten him until he was looking for his teeth on the floor. How dare he flirt with me!”

Xu Hao: “…”

Actually, looking at the display just now, it seemed you couldn’t beat him anyway. But of course, he couldn’t say that out loud; he had to coax the boss when he was angry.

“The boss is right! Next time we see him, we’ll beat him to death!”

In the back seat, although Xia Xu’s gaze was on the two of them, his thoughts had already drifted far away.

Wasn’t it said that the Master of the Dungeon was gloomy, brutal, and bloodthirsty?

Why did he seem surprisingly easy to talk to now? Though he was very frivolous, especially toward Commander Pei…

…

On the other side.

The Dungeon staff were driving to transport the merman.

Reaching the seaside, the two men moved the cage down from the vehicle. Just as they were about to open it for release, a group of burly men carrying firearms swarmed forward. Without a word, they shot and killed the staff.

Seeing that the newcomers meant trouble, the merman immediately became restless, his webbed claws gripping the iron bars in an attempt to wrench an opening.

But how could it be that easy!

A young man wearing a white lab coat slowly stepped out from the crowd. He looked indifferently at the merman struggling to escape and quickly fired a tranquilizer gun into its tail.

Feeling the pain, the merman’s fins flared instantly. It thrashed its tail restlessly, and even the iron cage seemed like it might not hold. But a few seconds later, it gradually calmed down and finally fell into a coma.

The young man watched the entire process without any emotion. He handed the gun to a nearby guard and coldly uttered two words: “Take it.”