Chapter 108 Eye Contact

Chapter 108: The Stare-Down

The bidding price continued to soar, reaching hundreds of billions of stellar credits within minutes, fast approaching a trillion.

Ten minutes later, the bidding price hit five trillion, and the pace slowed. Some spectators in the general admission area began to leave.

Ji Anzhi glanced at the scene and stood up, saying to Ji Anjue, "It's about time, we should go."

Ji Anjue was still holding a cup of fruit tea and wasn't in a position to speak. He simply stood up and followed behind Ji Anzhi—it was time for them to leave.

At the door, he swiped their card for identity verification.

The door didn't budge.

Ji Anzhi frowned and swiped the card again, but the result was the same.

"We're locked in here."

Ji Anjue freed up a hand and placed it on the door, then asked, "Should we force it open?"

Ji Anzhi shook his head. Forcing it open would attract too much attention. With the King Insect still downstairs, causing a commotion would be dangerous for them.

Ji Anjue's presence had always been a strong attractant for the insectoids.

Ji Anzhi returned to the sofa and sat down, saying, "Let's play it by ear. Sit down first and see who ends up winning this King Insect."

As he spoke, Ji Anjue had already taken out a Psychic Stimulant and started consuming it, even complaining about its odd taste as he washed it down with his fruit tea.

After finishing a box, Ji Anjue began to project his psychic senses to scan the surroundings.

"It was the auction house that locked us in, but they're being controlled. All the higher-ups are being threatened. The other party threatened to make them experience death if they didn't auction this King Insect."

"The auctioneer downstairs is the one who modified the King Insect... well, not exactly the modifier, but he was involved. And he thinks this is a great advancement... he's seriously disturbed."

Ji Anjue muttered the last sentence under his breath.

Ji Anzhi agreed—indeed, he must be unhinged to be so insane.

After all, a madman isn't necessarily a genius, but a genius is always a madman... He had to admit he was pretty crazy himself.

Suddenly, he remembered his own insane actions a year ago. If it weren't for Ji Anjue, he might have truly disappeared from the face of the earth.

"Huh?...... Why is he here......"

Ji Anzhi snapped back to reality and asked, "Who?"

Ji Anjue was rarely at a loss for words, stammering for a while before only saying it was someone they had met before.

Ji Anzhi didn't pay it much mind. It was probably someone from the Federation. After all, having spent two years at the military academy, it wasn't surprising for them to receive news and come here for a covert investigation.

Relieved by Ji Anzhi's indifference, though a pang of guilt followed, Ji Anjue glanced at Qi Yanshen, who was sitting ramrod straight in the general seating area.

He didn't know how he had grown over the past year, but he had gotten even taller, with a more solid and burly build. Before, he only had the rudiments of an inverted triangle figure, but now it was a classic inverted triangle.

By human standards, Qi Yanshen could indeed be considered a prime alpha.

His physique, looks, family background, upbringing—all were top-notch, and he had no bad habits. He'd definitely be quite a catch.

Glancing at Ji Anzhi, who was still sitting there unaware that the "ex" he had exploited was currently downstairs in the auction hall, Ji Anjue felt a pang of guilt.

Their actions back then might have been justifiable to the Federation and all the soldiers present at the time—except for Qi Yanshen.

He had trusted Ji Anzhi so much back then, but what did they do?

One abruptly ended the relationship.

The other wiped his memories clean.

In tandem, they made him forget everything.

So Ji Anjue felt somewhat guilty. What they did back then was pretty shady. Even though he knew Qi Yanshen had no memories of Ji Anzhi, he still felt guilty.

Deceiving someone's heart and feelings—it just seemed so scummy.

Especially when the "deceiver" didn't care at all, Ji Anjue felt even more sorry for Qi Yanshen.

Time passed minute by minute, and the bidding entered a fever pitch. Only three people were still bidding now, while the others remained motionless, waiting with bated breath to see who would win.

At that moment, the adjutant who had gone to the restroom finally returned and signaled to Qi Yanshen—the fleet would arrive in thirty seconds.

Qi Yanshen nodded slightly and continued to look at the King Insect on the stage, trying to figure out the best way to handle this.

Although most people in the auction hall were unsavory characters, many of the service staff were there under duress. They needed to be protected as much as possible.

Before Qi Yanshen could come up with a plan, Ji Anjue upstairs received the news and said to Ji Anzhi, "The Federal Fleet will arrive in thirty seconds. Get ready to escape."

Ji Anzhi gave a soft hum of acknowledgment; he had expected this.

As for preparations, given his current physical condition, a few minutes of running would be enough to make him black out. Just walking to the auction hall earlier—nine-tenths of it was done by machines—had exhausted him so much that he immediately sat on the sofa upon arrival.

So his role was to stay quiet and not cause trouble, simply following Ji Anjue.

The seconds ticked down.

Ji Anzhi sat calmly.

Ji Anjue planned the escape route.

Qi Yanshen strategized how to capture everyone present in one fell swoop.

As soon as the thirty seconds were up, the fleet appeared above Yadecvi's primary planet.

Even the night sky couldn't conceal the dazzling Federation emblem. Over thirty warships made no pretense of stealth, ignoring Yadecvi's airspace violation warnings and brazenly appearing in Yadecvi's main planetary domain.

The situation in outer space was immediately relayed to everyone in the auction hall, as the entire planet sounded defense alarms—they couldn't possibly miss it.

Additionally, within ten seconds of the fleet appearing in the airspace, the auction house's internal network was invaded and taken over by the Federation.

"Everyone, please cooperate with the investigation by the Federal Third Legion. Those who resist will be treated as insectoids and eliminated."

"Everyone, please cooperate with the investigation by the Federal Third Legion. Those who resist will be treated as insectoids and eliminated."

"Everyone, please cooperate with the investigation by the Federal Third Legion. Those who resist will be treated as insectoids and eliminated."

All the loudspeakers in the auction hall broadcast the message three times, ensuring everyone could hear it clearly.

But instead, panic ensued. Those present here were either influential figures or notorious criminals. Being caught by the Federation would not end well for any of them.

As expected, chaos erupted in the auction hall.

If they didn't put up a desperate fight, they would end up disgraced and rotting in prison.

Ji Anjue noticed that when the announcement was broadcast and everyone lost interest in the auction, the auctioneer slipped backstage, unlocked the King Insect's cage, and released a gas that was extremely enticing to the King Insect before leaving.

Ji Anjue figured it would take only thirteen seconds for the gas to reach the King Insect, so they had to leave before then.

In the chaos, Ji Anjue grabbed Ji Anzhi's hand, forced open the private booth door, and made for the exit of the auction house.

Ji Anjue's pace wasn't a sprint, so Ji Anzhi could keep up. By the time the King Insect caught the scent, went berserk, and burst from its cage, the two had already descended the stairs to the first floor.

Even before the announcement went out, Qi Yanshen had already taken out a high-potency tranquilizer gun from his Space Bracelet. The moment the announcement began, he fired a tranquilizer dart to control the situation.

However, the dosage of this tranquilizer was thousands of times stronger than what would be lethal for an S-class Alpha. For a lab-modified creation, it was just a routine dose.

Moreover, the King Insect's carapace was extremely tough. Even a military-grade tranquilizer gun could barely penetrate it, and the auto-injecting tranquilizer couldn't immediately enter its bloodstream and circulate throughout its body.

As a result, Qi Yanshen's shot not only failed to subdue the King Insect but also enraged it.

Enraged, the King Insect broke out of its cage, desperately hunting for the source of the alluring scent that had driven it mad.

As it rampaged, the private booths in the auction house were destroyed, and the general admission area was a wreck.

The ornate crystal chandelier came crashing down, glass shards flying everywhere. Many people didn't even have time to react before being buried in the rubble.

Especially when the King Insect couldn't find its target, the violent genes within it drove it into a complete frenzy. It began indiscriminately destroying everything and devouring humans.

"Ahhh—save me—no—"

"Ahhhhh—"

The lights flickered on and off, terrified screams rang out one after another, and severed limbs and blood splattered everywhere.

Just moments ago, they had been the high rollers judging the merchandise; now they were the prey, their struggles meaningless.

Amid the chaotic crowd, Ji Anzhi and his companion, moving calmly, stood out starkly.

Ji Anjue used his psychic energy to create a clear space around them. The chaotic crowd couldn't notice them, and even if they somehow did, they were too panicked to process it.

When they reached the outer hall on the first floor and were heading toward the exit, Ji Anzhi finally asked, confused, "Have you finally gotten off the insectoid menu?"

Ji Anjue was speechless: "Old Man Ji, I'm not that easy to detect. Besides, what was my psychic level before, and what is it now?"

Ji Anzhi had to admit he had a point, so he didn't say anything more.

They were almost at the exit when Ji Anjue suddenly spun around. Ji Anzhi, following closely behind, nearly bumped into him and shot him a puzzled look.

Ji Anjue led Ji Anzhi back to a corner of the auction house and whispered, "Levin, the Federation marshal in that secret affair with your principal, is outside, along with another SSS-class Omega from the Federation."

Hearing this, Ji Anzhi understood why Ji Anjue had made such an abrupt turn.

The Federation was serious this time. Out of only three SSS-class psychics, two were present.

Ji Anzhi reflected that he should have gathered more information and double-checked everything instead of acting so rashly, landing them in this bind.

Sensing Ji Anzhi's dejection, Ji Anjue reassured him, "I didn't notice either, did I? Besides, we didn't expect them to commit crimes during such a sensitive period."

That was true. It was like an S-class Alpha in a sensitive period being provoked by a B-class Alpha releasing pheromones—who could tolerate that?

Receiving information from his psychic threads, Ji Anjue swore violently: "Fuck! Damn it! They're going to blow up all the ships and starships at the port!"

Ji Anjue looked around, searching for a place to evade detection, and replied, "I don't know. That marshal, your principal's lover, gave the order. I can't read memories without being detected."

As he spoke, Ji Anjue spotted a corner and led Ji Anzhi toward it.

Along the way, there were many fallen lamps, rubble, metal plates, and other debris, which the two dodged as they went.

The corner was between a support column and two walls, with potted plants in front providing cover, making it hard to spot with the naked eye.

After hiding there with Ji Anzhi, Ji Anjue extended his psychic energy to create a protective shield. Now, they had to ensure they weren't eaten by the King Insect while also avoiding detection by the Federation.

The Federation's official stance was friendly enough, but humans were fickle creatures, and they couldn't take any chances.

...

In the center of the auction house, Qi Yanshen was hiding in a corner, preparing to fire a second tranquilizer dart.

Although he could have just killed it, the research institute needed to understand the physiological structure, damage resistance, and other aspects of the modified insectoid to devise a way to wipe them out.

Seizing the opportunity...

Three... two...

Before he could even finish the countdown, the King Insect's compound eyes shifted slightly, and a small hole on its back spewed black fluid right at where Qi Yanshen was hiding.

Qi Yanshen, who was on high alert, dodged in time. Only a small amount of the liquid splashed onto his clothes, giving off a foul, acrid smoke that made his skin crawl.

The metal plating at the impact site began to melt instantly, thick smoke billowing everywhere. Even the obsidian plates, known as the hardest material in the galaxy, were dissolved.

Qi Yanshen immediately shifted position—the King Insect had spotted him.

Qi Yanshen barked into his comms: "Tranquilizer failed. Should we eliminate it on the spot?"

The response came from Levin: "Lure it to the main entrance. We'll decide based on the situation."

"Copy that."

After speaking, Qi Yanshen changed course and made a beeline for the main entrance.

Once the King Insect spotted Qi Yanshen, it seemed drawn to him, abandoning everyone else along the way and chasing only Qi Yanshen with all its might.

Seeing this, the adjutant and Fu Kong, who were rescuing the staff, clicked their tongues. Their Brigadier General was as consistent as ever, always attracting the 'affection' of insectoids.

Initially, they had thought this politically-appointed lieutenant was just a pampered young master. But since following him, their performance had skyrocketed to first place in the Third Legion.

Fu Kong had started as just a non-commissioned officer but made it through the year and was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

In the military, it was said that if you wanted to earn merits quickly, you should join the unit under Qi Yanshen's command—you'd get promoted at least once a month.

"Our commander really is an insectoid magnet. It happens every single time."

The adjutant continued bandaging the Beta under his care and said, "It's been a year. When will you stop marveling at this?"

Fu Kong: "...Hmph."

Fu Kong didn't bother replying and looked back toward where his commander had gone.

Unfortunately, he could no longer see his commander, only the King Insect violently destroying everything in its path to catch up with Qi Yanshen.

With the King Insect hot on his heels, Qi Yanshen quickly approached the main entrance of the auction house. At the same time, he used walls, metal doors, vases, and any other available objects to block the venom sprayed by the King Insect.

If it weren't for the limited space here, Qi Yanshen would definitely have piloted Thor to escape.

During this time, those fortunate enough to run outside were placed under unified federal custody, while the unfortunate ones perished here.

Ji Anzhi noticed a little girl among them, likely the beloved daughter of someone in a private box. Around ten years old, her clothes were worth a fortune, and she was chubby and adorable. But amid the panic-stricken mob, the little girl got separated from her parents and was swallowed by the masses.

When Ji Anzhi saw her again, all that remained on the ground was a pile of unrecognizable flesh and bone fragments, barely identifiable only by her clothing...

Turning his head away, Ji Anzhi had no choice but to force himself to ignore it.

Ji Anjue saw it too, but as he wasn't human himself, witnessing human death was like a human seeing a cat or dog—there was no emotional foundation. He might sigh at how life could vanish just like that, but he felt no fear or sorrow.

Except for Ji Anzhi, who was the one paying the bills.

Noticing the noise drawing closer, Ji Anjue carefully restrained his psychic power, well aware of his own insect-magnet quality.

Ji Anzhi looked toward the source of the sound. Most of the survivors had already escaped, while the remaining few were either fleeing or cowering in corners.

Suddenly, an Alpha charged out. Judging by his speed and the energy gun in his hand, he was likely from the Federation.

As if on cue, Qi Yanshen instinctively glanced toward the corner where Ji Anzhi was hiding.

The moment their eyes met, Ji Anzhi quickly averted his gaze.