Almost everyone in the Lu family household was dead. Those without the alien gene had been shot by Lu Bieling, and the rest were meticulously screened, leaving only a few ungrown children and Lu Jinyu. The latter was dazed and despondent, no longer carrying the haughty air she once had. To avoid drawing attention, they were all still staying at the Marshal’s residence.
Lu Xunzhi had no particular attachment to the Lu family, so he didn’t feel regret, but his emotions were still somewhat complicated.
The reason the aliens had gone to such lengths to infiltrate the Lu family remained unclear, but one thing was certain: the illegal and irregular activities the Ministry of Defense had uncovered were undoubtedly linked to them.
Fortunately, Lu Bieling had noticed something amiss first and issued the investigation order to the Ministry of Defense, otherwise they would have been accused of colluding with aliens to harm the Federation.
After ending the call with Fang Jing, Lu Xunzhi rubbed his temples and immediately spotted Pu Xin happily splashing in the small nutrient pool, lifting her dress, likely no older than three and a half years.
Thinking this, Lu Xunzhi smiled faintly and beckoned her, “Mom, come put your shoes on properly.”
He no longer felt any psychological burden calling her “Mom” again after having done so once before.
Sure enough, Pu Xin immediately turned when she heard him call her mom.
Since returning to the Marshal’s residence, she had boasted to Qi Xia about the joy of soaking her little feet in plant nutrient solution and lamented that she couldn’t do it every day. Qi Xia, perceptive as ever, indulged her, gifting her the highest-grade plant nutrient solution on the market and showing her how to browse and place orders directly in the StarNet Mall.
Pu Xin, who had never been interested in high-tech, felt like she had discovered a new world. She gleefully filled her shopping cart with every type of plant nutrient solution and placed the order with a single click.
Lu Xunzhi had been startled by the massive deduction from his account but, realizing it was the “silly mom” buying so much, could only laugh and cry at once, eventually indulging her.
Pu Xin obediently placed her little feet on the edge of the pool, drained the nutrient solution, rinsed them with clean water, slipped on her shoes, and walked over to Lu Xunzhi, putting on her small white shoes properly.
The little pool in the garden had become her private soaking territory; whenever Lu Xunzhi couldn’t find her indoors, he could always locate her here.
Pu Xin had also bought numerous plant seeds and planted them throughout the garden, which all sprouted within days.
“Zhizhi, where are you taking me tonight?” Pu Xin asked, still thinking of what Lu Xunzhi had said at lunch. The sky had darkened in the evening.
Lu Xunzhi warned her carefully, “It’s not for playing, it’s for completing a mission. Stay close to me, don’t run off, don’t obey any alien on a whim, and don’t—and don’t reveal the alien’s identity!” Pu Xin quickly finished his sentence, then walked behind him, gently pushing him forward. “Got it, got it, you’ve said it several times already, you’re like a little old man.”
The “little old man” being pushed along couldn’t help but feel both exasperated and amused.
With her there as a guarantee, and Lu Bieling covering from behind, there was no need to involve the National Security Bureau, though cooperation with the mission was still necessary.
The last lead regarding the underground auction had gone cold halfway, but new leads appeared among the Ministry of Defense’s findings related to the Lu family.
Someone in the Lu family was also involved in running another underground auction.
After the mission was assigned to the National Security Bureau, Fang Jing had sent people to investigate and indeed uncovered some clues. The undercover agent discovered signs of violent-type alien activity in the auction, though no incidents had been reported.
The underground auction was highly cautious; anyone without sufficient work experience could not touch the auction items, making deep investigation difficult.
After an internal meeting, the National Security Bureau decided to have Lu Xunzhi pose as a businessman to infiltrate the auction and probe whether it involved illegal alien trading, similar to the previous underground auction. Pu Xin was brought along to prevent violent-type aliens from complicating the Bureau’s actions.
Once disguised, they were each given a mask before entering.
Masks were mandatory at the auction, concealing guests’ identities while also dampening psychic powers and altering voices, doubling as preparation for the masquerade ball after the auction.
Curious, Pu Xin touched the raised black feathers of the mask, noticing the precious rubies decorating them.
Now, little Dandelion stepped in starry blue heels, wearing a deep blue off-shoulder evening gown that revealed her flawless collarbones, her shoulders covered by a fluffy white cape Lu Xunzhi had insisted on. She was pure and ethereal, like a little princess from an ivory tower, far removed from seductive allure.
Lu Xunzhi felt a headache coming on.
His “mom” was too beautiful, her radiant skin glowing even in the dim underground auction hall. Her clean aura shone through the mask, drawing the astonished gazes of every guest they passed.
He resolved that next time, before any mission like this, he should have the silly mom get a tan to avoid attracting attention from random suitors. For now, he remained satisfied with Lu Bieling and had no intention of accepting new family members.
Pu Xin didn’t notice her little one’s protective thoughts. This was her first auction, a mysterious underground one at that, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit excited, her innocence unintentionally showing despite her efforts to restrain it.
The wide corridor could accommodate ten people side by side, and arriving guests politely paused to greet one another. As they turned a corner, a group of black-clad bodyguards came toward them—eight or ten in number.
Pu Xin’s gaze landed first on a silver-threaded mask, the transparent silver gleaming with embedded rubies, dazzling under the dim corridor lights.
The man wore a silver-gray suit, surrounded by bodyguards, lowering his head to adjust his cuffs. Brilliant diamonds flickered briefly under his fingers, tinged with a subtle crimson.
Pu Xin’s attention was drawn to the emerald green gem on his right index finger. Perhaps noticing her gaze, the man lifted his head and met her eyes.
From the front, the silver-threaded mask appeared even more intricate, with hollowed floral designs. But it was his amber eyes that captivated her, as clear and translucent as glass, glimmering like light on water, rippling gently with each blink.
Suddenly, he curved his lips into a smile and lightly winked with his left eye. Pu Xin froze, then, after a brief moment of hesitation, returned the gesture.
The brief exchange was an intimate secret that no one else could sense. As they passed each other, a vague yet subtle resonance formed in Pu Xin’s heart.
She stopped and turned, but the man, enveloped by bodyguards, had vanished down another corridor.
So strange…
It felt like Little One’s aura, yet not quite, fragmented and subtle.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Xunzhi asked calmly, concealing his agitation.
He had, of course, witnessed the elaborately adorned man “flirting” with his silly mom, his mind burning with anger and planning how to settle scores if the man’s hands weren’t clean once the National Security Bureau mission ended.
And now, silly mom had stopped and looked back for him!
Lu Xunzhi’s jealousy made him sour, but he had to keep his composure, kindly asking, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Pu Xin shook her head. Remembering Little One’s instructions not to reveal identities, she said nothing, looping her arm through his and continuing forward, though her thoughts lingered on the man.
Last time, she couldn’t sense Ye Hanzhou’s aura through the screen. After asking Qi Xia, she learned he was participating in an alien research conference far away in the Empire, so she had temporarily let it go.
Now it was different; the man was here in the auction with her. Once the mission was over, she resolved to have Lu Xunzhi help her find this man who might be Little One.
They arrived at the auction hall, which resembled an ancient opera house, with a gilded pipe organ sparkling at the center. Elegant women in red gowns played the organ, accompanied by the orchestra performing rich and graceful classical music.
If one didn’t know in advance, attendees might have thought they were about to enjoy a music concert.
The gold-accented decor added luxury to the hall. Some seats faced each other in pairs, others formed triangles or circles, arranged in a tiered layout.
Guests could choose their seats freely. To oversee the hall, Lu Xunzhi picked a rear seat, but all two-person seats were taken, so Pu Xin led him to a spacious five-person seat.
Lu Xunzhi adjusted the five-person seat into a row, and they sat in the middle two. Almost precisely on cue, the classical piece ended, and the hall lights dimmed.
Soft footsteps approached as an attendant came to Pu Xin, presenting a tray. “Esteemed lady, this is a gift from our gentleman. We hope you like it.”
On the tray gleamed the cat’s-eye green gemstone, the same one that had been on the man’s finger moments ago.
In human society, giving a gift symbolizes goodwill and blessing. Pu Xin’s eyes sparkled with delight, about to reach for it.
But Lu Xunzhi, dark as a thundercloud, grabbed her hand and sneered, “We don’t accept gifts from strangers.”