Chapter 1: The Auction - Beauty Holds the Power.

"Oh my heavens, our superstar has finally awakened!"

"Guan, how are you feeling?! Is your head aching? Can you tell how many fingers I'm holding up?!"

The voice, seeing his silence, quickly spoke again.

"Can't find your words? I'll go get the doctor. Wait here!"

When He Guan opened his eyes, he was overwhelmed by a splitting headache. It felt like his brain had been bashed with a hammer. The surroundings felt unsteady with the sound of water nearby, and the dim lighting suggested he might be in a ship's cabin.

Instinctively, he replied, "Wait—"

He got cut off after that one word, as if his throat was scorched by hot pincers.

He Guan sat up, letting the blanket fall away naturally.

Beneath the blanket, his body was lean with long limbs, looking unnaturally pale as if he had just recovered from a severe illness.

Upon closer inspection, He Guan realized he was only wearing underwear and nothing else.

This wasn't his body.

He tried to identify the curly-haired individual holding up two fingers before him and hoarsely countered, "What happened to me?"

He didn't recognize this person.

The room was brightly lit, with a tidy and clean European-style king bed, stretching out as far as the eye could see. A brilliant chandelier hung above, while a soft carpet lay beneath.

Outside the round window, the inky-black sea resembled oil, with a cruise ship carrying two thousand passengers floating atop.

It took He Guan fifteen minutes, and occasional responses from the curly-haired individual, to piece together the entire situation.

He had been transported into a novel.

Specifically, into a novel he had read the day before, filled with drama about a chase for love in a tumultuous setting.

The receiver of affection was a traditional innocent character, while the giver was arrogant with a sharp tongue.

The arrogant character reminisced about past affections but was also attracted to the current protagonist. Despite pushing him into the entertainment industry and a boyband, and providing numerous resources and endorsements, his stubbornness and refusal to acknowledge his feelings led to eighty chapters of psychological torment and manipulation.

Though labeled as a tumultuous chase for love, the latter half didn't torture the arrogant character as much.

Rather, the parts meant to torment the arrogant character were directed at a past love.

He Guan typically wasn't too invested in online novels, but the reason he read this one from start to finish...

Was because a character named "Bai Yue Guang" shared the same name and surname as him.

Bai Yue Guang was a popular idol who once helped the down-and-out arrogant character. Using the latter's lingering affections and the protagonist's sudden entry and subsequent backlash, he played the role of a victim, always undermining the protagonist.

At first glance, He Guan found nothing novel about this.

However, the subsequent portions piqued his interest.

This Bai Yue Guang... he's an imposter.

His wealth, his background, even his demeanor – all were façades.

Even the fragrance that the flawed suitor favored on him was merely sampled from a store counter.

Except for that genuine face of his.

The receiver of affections accidentally stumbled upon this secret and, after much pressing from the flawed suitor, divulged it.

The suitor swiftly exposed Bai Yue Guang, seizing the opportunity to blacklist him, thereby proving his loyalty to his partner and his integrity to the public.

Bai Yue Guang's "moonlight" ceased to shine.

The suitor and his partner reconciled, and the story had a happy ending.

All that remained was He Guan's sigh after reading, thinking that Bai Yue Guang's deception was still not perfect.

With just the right deceit in this fictional world, duping these people wouldn't be hard.

It was an offhand remark at the time, but who could have predicted...

That he would now find himself in Bai Yue Guang's shoes.

He rose from the bed and took the clothes handed to him by the curly-haired man — now presumably named Ren Ning. As he stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his cuffs, he asked, "When does the auction begin?"

He Guan frowned slightly.

His voice was still raspy, causing a tearing pain every time he spoke.

In the original world, Ren Ning, known for his utter honesty, always doted upon him as his cousin and agent. Hearing He Guan, he cautiously inquired, "Do you really wish to join the fray?"

Clearing his throat, He Guan rasped, "Yes."

He glanced at the mirror in front of him, refraining from speaking, and squinted slightly.

The reflection promptly mirrored the gesture.

He Guan's facial features were rugged, presenting a stern, indifferent countenance. At that moment, he looked like a regal aristocrat, utterly composed.

He donned a deep-blue suit with a notch lapel, the jacket slightly open, revealing a pointed waistcoat that held his tie in place, exposing a naturally classic V-neckline.

He stood tall, his face serene.

Then, he broke into a radiant smile.

This smile seemed out of place, yet it was strikingly beautiful, revealing sharp, fang-like canines. The pallor was gone; his eyes radiated confidence, making him look like an exuberant young man.

Reflecting upon it, He Guan noted the face looked eerily similar to his own past visage.

If he wasn't mistaken, the story was still at its onset.

Due to financial constraints, the receiver of affections was sold by his agent to a luxury cruise liner, only to be bought by the suitor in an upcoming auction.

The reason for the purchase was simple: in silence, from a certain angle, he bore a striking resemblance to He Guan.

He Guan, accompanied by Ren Ning, exited the cabin.

That day, his original self had been stricken with tonsillitis, succumbing to seasickness, and suffered from a fever that spiked at forty degrees.

In the book, he recalled his original self persevering, insisting on attending the auction to witness the spectacle and reunite with the suitor from years past.

Guided by hedonistic principles, the original self plotted to rekindle past flames with the suitor, thus ensnaring them all in a convoluted web of romantic entanglements.

But now, with the original self absent, He Guan had taken his place.

He Guan reasonably suspected...

That the original might have succumbed to the prolonged fever earlier that day.

Upon entry, a bunny girl checked their identity cards.

He Guan lowered his brows, feigning distress, and whispered to her, "Miss, could you help me with a mask first? My voice is hoarse today, and I wish to remain incognito. Would you mind?"

Noting her hesitation, he choked up, "Is it not possible?"

The bunny girl, upon hearing his raspy voice, inadvertently looked up, taken aback by his close-up handsome features.

The man's deep black eyes, against the light, shimmered brightly, reminiscent of vivid fireworks.

Despite her heart racing, the bunny girl, with commendable professionalism, helped him put on the mask, stating, "Sure, no problem. Please come closer."

He Guan complied, stepping forward.

The mask was silver, adorned with intricate European patterns, leaving only the eyes visible.

The bunny girl momentarily lost herself.

She was struck by He Guan's thick, imposing eyelashes.

Those butterfly-wing-like lashes were so long they cast a shadow on the mask's edge.

Seeing her consent, He Guan smiled brilliantly, taking the unchecked identity card from her delicate fingers, and collecting the keycard for his private suite.

The ID was a forgery by his original self; of course, he couldn't let her inspect it closely.

Gracefully, he navigated through the elegantly dressed crowd, leading Ren Ning into the suite indicated by the keycard.

Only after settling into the private suite did Ren Ning exhale, giving a thumbs up and praising, "The young master is truly one of a kind."

Leaning back casually, He Guan remarked, "A face holds its own currency."

After saying this, he fell silent, sipping the tea handed to him by Ren Ning, patiently waiting for the auction to commence.

The central wall of the suite was divided into two sections.

One part consisted of a one-way glass panel, allowing those inside to observe the auction proceedings without revealing their identities.

The other section had a screen equipped with a camera, facing the single sofa where Ren Ning sat, designed for assistants to bid without exposing their employers.

The original person's intent in attending was merely to bait a tycoon, rendering the auction itself secondary.

However, with He Guan in attendance, the dynamics shifted.

The original could not establish credibility through deceit alone, leading him to an industry where a face was an asset: the entertainment world.

Recently, leveraging his looks, he had secured a spot on a talent show. In it, he progressed rapidly, with a budding potential to debut as the rapper in a five-member band.

Votes and ratings were impressive. Due to his narcissistic tendencies, he amassed many fervent fans.

Ren Ning considered redirecting him into full-time entertainment, discontinuing his deceitful ways.

His polarizing character drew both fervent admiration and disdain, leading to discontentment among his band members over his flamboyant demeanor.

While he was gallivanting on the cruise, one of them had already secured trending tags, intending to exploit his notoriety and establish him as a controversial debut.

That couldn't happen.

He Guan pondered.

He had no desire to be an idol.

Expecting a suddenly deceased industrialist to become an idol?

Either Ren Ning had lost his marbles, or He Guan had.

A substitute was needed, and the protagonist seemed a promising candidate.

Despite his unfortunate background, transitioning into an idol could work.

Once famous, he wouldn't be traded around, at least not like being sold to a cruise.

After all, the immediate uproar from a missing idol comes from the fans. There would always be those devoted enough to search.

He Guan recalled the protagonist in the novel being described multiple times as having an "angelic countenance," making him easy to identify.

Gaining popularity wouldn't be a challenge either; the arrogant suitor had invested two million in him, yet the contract meant the protagonist netted him returns in the hundreds of millions.

As his memories faded, the once pitch-black venue suddenly lit up, and the auction behind the one-way glass commenced.

He Guan gazed at the arena.

The brilliance of the golden spotlights bathed the arena in a breathtaking warm gold hue. The audience section was bustling, and beneath their masks, they seemed like creatures of another kind gathered together.

The central circular platform removed its covering disk—

The auctioneer, with his gavel and item in tow, rose from below, spreading his arms to welcome the crowd's cheers.

He Guan's private booth was on the second floor. From this vantage point, the venue resembled a finely crafted spider's den.

The auction began.

The initial items weren't particularly noteworthy. He Guan listened as the auctioneer listed off pen holders, armchairs, jade, and art paintings, yawning in disinterest.

He glanced over at Ren Ning, who had been asleep for a while, and chose not to wake him.

Until the auctioneer presented... a baby.

It seemed to be suspended in formaldehyde, with soft black hair floating about, its tiny body curled up, revealing a spine that had been split open.

From within the spine, delicate black wing bones emerged.

Yet its face was incredibly beautiful, exuding a peculiarly serene aura even in death.

The auctioneer's voice took on an oddly fervent tone: "Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, this is merely a doll, crafted by a designer to appear this way. It isn't filled with formaldehyde but colorless, odorless silicone. Look at it—just look at how beautiful and soft it is..."

Someone from below immediately shouted, "1.5 million!"

Earlier items had a starting bid of one million with minimum increments of a hundred thousand.

The auctioneer's mask, unlike the silver ones worn by the guests, was gold.

At this moment, he flashed a grin, revealing teeth the color of his mask and puckered his lips in a playful shushing gesture.

"Hush," he amiably corrected, "It's not a million this time, sir."

"Starting bid at five million, with increments of two hundred thousand. Let the bidding begin!"

"Very well! This gentleman starts with 5.8 million..."

"Six million!"

"Seven million!"

"Ten million!"

"Ten million once! Ten million twice!"

"Sold!"

Clearly, the stakes of the auction were rising; the main event was about to commence.

He Guan shifted and nudged Ren Ning awake. "Are there cameras inside?"

Ren Ning, groggy-eyed, took a moment to assess the room before replying, "No. They confiscated our phones upon entry. No electronic devices are allowed."

He Guan furrowed his brows once more.

Ren Ning queried, "What's the matter?"

He Guan merely shook his head.

His thoughts were consumed with the possibility of rescuing the protagonist.

They were at sea. To ensure confidentiality, he had noticed jamming devices placed around, cutting off all contact with the outside world.

If someone alerted the police, they'd need some prior intel. Given that he had just transmigrated, he was unfamiliar with the police forces in this world.

The police route seemed implausible, thus ruled out.

He settled back into his seat, awaiting the appearance of the protagonist.

Suddenly, the room's illumination shifted.

The prior warm gold was now interlaced with a captivating golden-red. All the lights combined to bathe the venue in resplendent brilliance.

Countless sparkles rained down, moving spotlights roamed across the venue, and the background music surged passionately, heralding the arrival of a grand spectacle.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are now presenting our final auction item!"

The moment had arrived.

The auctioneer descended below.

When he rose again to his original position, beside him was a rectangular iron cage of unremarkable black mesh.

Inside the cage was a person.

From his frame, it appeared to be a male, with skin as white as snow, as if he had never seen sunlight.

He wore a shimmering sheer white garment that barely covered his essentials, leaving little to the imagination.

His head of lustrous black hair hung low as he knelt in the cage. Fingers threaded through the cage's gaps, clutching its bars with an eerie reddish hue.

A flickering caught He Guan's attention, and after observing for a moment, he realized it was a slender silver chain.

Dangling from a collar around the man's neck, it sensually wrapped around his body, constricting enough to indent the flesh.

Gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the audience.

From He Guan's vantage point, he couldn't see the person's face, only their skin, which was as translucent and snowy white.

The auctioneer pressed a button outside the cage.

From his perspective, and due to his excellent vision, He Guan could discern the instrument on the button.

Electricity.

The individual inside the cage started to convulse in agony.

The pain was so intense that he involuntarily arched his back, revealing his alabaster-like neck.

His slender figure made the butterfly bone in his back appear all the more fragile and pronounced, casting a large, chaotic, quivering shadow.

He was the most beautiful "item" of this auction.

To He Guan's surprise, there was a microphone positioned near the cage.

The venue resonated with the captive's painful whimpers and his breaths, which were on the brink of desperation.

Some men in the audience let out unmistakably lascivious gulps.

They were witnessing a defenseless, nearly fully exposed human being in the throes of agony.

The bidding began.

The ensuing bids came in a constant flurry, from both men and women.

"10 million!"

"30 million!"

"35 million!"

"50 million!"

"80 million!"

He Guan signaled Ren Ning to raise their paddle.

Ren Ning picked up the paddle and asked, "How much?"

Despite his puzzlement, he obeyed. Even if neither of them had a single cent, he raised the paddle.

After a moment's contemplation, He Guan nonchalantly declared, "200 million."

Author's Note:

Ren Ning: The hand holding the paddle trembles slightly.