Starforce Warriors

Li Xiaofei sat in the auction hall, licking an ice cream cone while glancing around arrogantly. Huang Dinggou stood behind him and Ah Qing cradled Black Emperor in her arms. Black Emperor made satisfied slurping noises as it licked an ice cream cone twice the size of Li Xiaofei's.

The private auction hall was built in a funnel shape. It somewhat resembled a gladiatorial arena. The circular tiered seating was lavishly divided into different VIP booths. There were a total of seventy-two booths, and all of the seats were full at this moment. The place buzzed with excitement.
𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

COS-dressed beauties glided around on hover-skates like diligent little bees. They wove between the booths, serving expensive drinks and offering 'other services.'

A nine-meter-high stage was at the center of the hall. It was perfectly level with the surrounding tiered seating.

On the stage, a vigorous song-and-dance performance was reaching its climax. A steel suspension bridge slowly descended as the final note rang out, connecting the stage to a passageway in the east.

A short-skirted woman with an alluring figure emerged from within the passage, moving forward at a slow and deliberate pace. Each step seemed to land directly in the hearts of the male spectators.

Plop.

Li Xiaofei's ice cream cone hit the floor. He didn't even notice.

"Damn, what a beauty." Clicking his tongue, he muttered, "Full marks on fertility potential. Those legs, that ass, that waist... tsk tsk. Definitely a one-shot jackpot. Just wonder if she has any sense of virtue."

"Hall Master, her name is Xia Mengxi." Huang Dinggou leaned in and whispered, "She's the chief auctioneer of the Wanjie Auction House. She's made it into the top three of Chongque City's light network beauty rankings for three consecutive years and is the dream woman of countless people. Many powerful figures have tried to win her over, but all have failed miserably. It's rumored that she's the daughter of a high-ranking figure in the Inner Division."

"So, by that logic, her virtue must be quite high." Li Xiaofei stroked his chin and said, "Prepare some betrothal gifts. Once the auction is over, find an opportunity to propose."

"Huh?" Huang Dinggou was stunned.

Hall Master, I'm not trying to discourage you... But with your reputation and status, not to mention your looks and character... Do you not have a mirror, or have you just never relieved yourself near one?

Of course, he didn't dare say any of this aloud. As a loyal sycophant clinging to a powerful figure, the most his conscience would allow at this moment was silence. Ah Qing glanced at Li Xiaofei, then at Xia Mengxi. The little black dog in his arms let out a soft bark.

Xia Mengxi truly lived up to her reputation as the most beautiful auctioneer as the auction began. Every smile and movement exuded charm and allure. Before anyone realized it, she had effortlessly auctioned off several weapons and pieces of armor at three to four times their actual value. Those were just the opening appetizers.

Li Xiaofei stroked his chin.

Is the female economy really this terrifying? Or is there some price manipulation going on?

"The ones placing bids are all guests from Booth 22," Huang Dinggou said, his sharp eyes and keen ears quickly picking up on something. "See that young guy over there? He's the one bidding, he's the one raising all the prices."

"Could he be a shill for the auction house?" Li Xiaofei asked.

"No." Huang Dinggou answered decisively, "Wanjie Auction House has a great reputation. They never pull such tricks, especially not for a few insignificant auction items."

Li Xiaofei fell into thought as he glanced at Booth 22. A young man in a white suit sat in the center, surrounded like the sun among stars. He appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old.

His fair, refined face carried an air of nobility. However, his gaze was both arrogant and greedy. It was fixed unwaveringly on Xia Mengxi, scanning her again and again.

Each time a new item went up for bidding, he waited. He allowed the price to climb to a higher range before giving a slight nod. The people around him immediately scrambled to place bids, driving the price up to four or five times its actual value just to secure the item.

Clearly, they were all trying to curry favor with the man in the white suit. It seemed that this young man truly held some significant status.

Li Xiaofei looked away. He was here today to gather intelligence and, incidentally, stir up some trouble. As for the young man's identity? That had nothing to do with him.

***

"Sir, take a look." At Booth 22, Zhou Chenguang pointed into the distance and said, "What do you think about that girl over at Booth 63?"

Cao Shaoang followed his gaze and his eyes instantly lit up. Ah Qing's face was simple yet elegant, pure and untainted. It was like a lotus emerging from clear water. Despite his extensive experience with women, he suddenly felt a rare urge to handle her with care.

"Natural beauty, untouched by embellishments. One word, exquisite," said Cao Shaoang as he clapped his hands and laughed.

Zhou Chenguang smiled and said, "To be honest, sir, she belongs to Li Qingchen, the Hall Master of Red Shield Hall under the Exploding Star Gang. They say she was bought from the outside, a mere lowborn."

"The Exploding Star Gang?" Cao Shaoang chuckled. "Let's focus on the auction first."

Zhou Chenguang nodded repeatedly. He had delivered his message. Saying more would only backfire.

A short while later, the highlight of tonight's auction began. When Li Xiaofei saw the first featured item, a look of surprise flashed across his eyes.

A Siberian tiger?!

The first auction item was actually a young Siberian tiger that had not fully matured yet. It was also known as the Northeastern Golden Gradient.
𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Isn't this thing from Earth?

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, the eighth auction item tonight is a rare pet tiger transported from Base Planet No. 258. It is a pure-blooded, low-level creature. It is one hundred percent natural, with minimal threat but great cuteness and taming potential. The starting bid is 25,000 kilograms of celestial jade, with a minimum increment of 500 kilograms per bid..." said Xia Mengxi, introducing the item briefly.

It really is a Siberian tiger. So, rare animals from Earth have actually become prized pets among Chongque City's elites?thought Li Xiaofei. He was at a loss for words.

Many noblewomen and socialites at the venue eagerly fought over the bids. More Earth-exclusive rare animals soon followed. There were snow leopards, golden lions, each one an exceptionally furry, aesthetically pleasing exemplar of the species. They were all placed on auction as luxury pets.

Once again, they were fiercely contested by the city's wealthy and influential. Li Xiaofei was completely dumbfounded.

What the hell is going on? If I had known animals from Earth were this valuable, then I...

Wait a minute. These animals had long gone extinct on my Earth after the relentless onslaught of star beasts. Come to think of it, I really did miss them.

Half an hour passed and the wave of animal auctions came to an end. Many of the booths around the auction hall were now vacant. The number of attendees had dropped significantly, and less than a third remained.

Judging by their attire, demeanor, and the entourages around the ones still seated, they were undoubtedly the true elites of Chongque City.

The real event was about to begin. A spark of anticipation lit up in Li Xiaofei's heart. Just then, a super-powered electromagnetic field spread throughout the auction hall. All electronic devices and light-based equipment were rendered unusable. Communications were completely blocked.

Next, experts from Wushuang City moved through the venue, distributing documents to each remaining guest, outlining the rules for the second stage of the auction. In the end, there were only three words.

No unauthorized recordings.

The first auction item of this stage was wheeled onto the platform. It was sealed within a glass container. Li Xiaofei took one look.

Pfft!

He spat out a mouthful of salt soda. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought the first item of the second stage would be this.