A large auction was taking place in an Underground City in Bay California, where anything could be traded.
The host was excitedly announcing the final item of the night—an Eastern beauty.
Inside a golden cage, a woman lay on her side on a soft couch, dressed in an ink-blue cheongsam that accentuated her delicate figure.
The woman in the cage was unconscious, completely unaware of what was happening. Sitting below, Li Zhenmian propped her chin on her hand, watching the group of men bid wildly with utter boredom, a faint, mocking smile curling at her lips.
Li Zhenmian wore a mask, revealing only a pair of starry eyes and vermilion lips.
For identity protection, everyone attending the auction wore masks.
Li Zhenmian’s gaze shifted to the woman on stage—a gentle, refined Eastern beauty.
She was Li Zhenmian’s mission target this time: Wen Yang, the eldest daughter of the Wen family.
The bidding was drawing to a close, and Li Zhenmian waited for the host to finalize the result.
The host announced that the young master of the Collins family, Dawn Collins, had ultimately won the bid for this beauty.
On the second floor, in a dimly lit room, Wen Yang had already woken up. An iron chain at the head of the bed was locked around her wrist, binding her to the bed. She looked around the room in fear.
She remembered coming to Bay California on a business trip, then being knocked unconscious on the road. Where was this?
Meanwhile, Li Weizhong and the others were downstairs, keeping Dawn Collins occupied, while Li Zhenmian took the opportunity to quickly head upstairs and find the room.
After entering the room, she paused briefly to let her eyes adjust to the darkness, then locked onto the figure on the bed.
Wen Yang spoke up, tense and nervous. “Who are you?”
Li Zhenmian gently reassured her. “Don’t worry, I’m here to rescue you.”
She walked to the bedside, yanked hard at the iron chain, then pulled out a handgun and fired at the chain. It snapped with a sharp clang.
Li Zhenmian took off her own jacket and wrapped it around Wen Yang’s thin shoulders. “Once you’re out the door, run to the right. Someone will be there to receive you.”
Wen Yang looked up at Li Zhenmian. “What about you?”
Li Zhenmian flashed a brilliant smile, a cold glint in her eyes. “I’ll join you all once I’ve taken care of a few things.”
Li Weizhong’s voice came through the earpiece. “Captain, he’s coming up.”
Li Zhenmian narrowed her eyes slightly. “Got it.”
She opened the door and said to Wen Yang, “Go.”
Wen Yang ran in the direction Li Zhenmian had indicated.
She glanced back worriedly, but Li Zhenmian wore a mask, and she couldn’t see the woman’s full face.
Dawn came upstairs and entered the room, spotting the graceful figure sitting by the bed. A lecherous smile spread across his face. He reached out and turned on the light, eager to get a good look at the beauty he had purchased.
The moment the light came on, the figure sitting on the bed stood up and turned around.
Li Zhenmian spoke first, a smile curling at her lips. “Young Master Collins.”
Dawn paused, quickly scanning the room. The iron chain at the head of the bed hung limp on the floor. He looked back at the woman before him.
“You let my purchase go.”
His tone was certain.
“That’s right.” Li Zhenmian glanced down at her nails, her tone casual and indifferent.
The woman before him wore a mask, dressed in a black tank top, with a cold, striking aura. Even without seeing her face, Dawn could be sure she was a beautiful woman.
Instead of getting angry, Dawn’s tone turned cruel and playful. “Since you let her go, then you’ll take her place.”
“Heh, you sure know how to keep accounts.”
“It’s a bit of a shame, but you seem far more interesting than that fragile little beauty.” Dawn stared at her as if she were prey.
“Is that so? Well, that depends on whether Young Master Collins has the luck for it.”
Dawn stepped forward. The moment his hand touched her wrist, Li Zhenmian grabbed his arm and twisted it back, the pain contorting his face.
His other hand reached for his gun, but as he pulled it out, Li Zhenmian’s smile grew even more radiant.
“Looks like this hand isn’t wanted either.”
Dawn hadn’t expected Li Zhenmian to be so fast. Before he could react, she had circled behind him and wrenched his gun-holding arm behind his back.
Li Zhenmian casually picked up a pair of handcuffs from the table and cuffed Dawn’s hands together. She hooked a nearby chair over with her foot, then delivered a vicious kick, sending Dawn plopping down onto it.
Dawn, completely bewildered the whole time: “??”
Li Zhenmian raised an eyebrow at the handcuffs. This room was certainly well-stocked.
She picked up a knife and walked over to Dawn, then tapped his face with the blade.
Dawn glared at her with venom. “You want to die?”
“Everyone outside this door is mine. Can you afford to offend the Collins family?”
Li Zhenmian said nothing. She gripped the handle, the tip of the blade tracing down from Dawn’s neck.
Her movements were slow. As the blade tip crept closer and closer to a certain spot, Dawn’s eyes filled with terror. He shouted frantically toward the door, “Someone! Someone come quick!”
His voice trembled, but no one came in.
Seeing his fear, Li Zhenmian stopped the blade there.
“Stop shouting. There’s no one out there.” Li Zhenmian kindly reminded him.
“You… what do you want?”
Gone was the arrogance in Dawn’s tone.
Li Zhenmian parted her lips calmly. “I don’t want anything.”
With that, he drove the blade downward in a vicious stab.
“Ah—”
…
Only after screaming did Dawn realize the knife had merely pierced the chair beside his thigh. Cold sweat broke out all over him.
Li Zhenmian watched his reaction with leisurely composure.
“Don’t be nervous, young master. I was just having a little fun with you.”
“Alright, I won’t disturb your refined pleasures any longer.”
With that, he waved a hand at him and strode out of the room.