"Boss, how about I take on the role of the auctioneer?" one underling eagerly volunteered.
"Heh, sure thing. Let's see what kind of nonsense you can spout," the boss replied with a smirk.
The underling grinned as he stepped up to the car, cleared his throat dramatically, and shouted, "Listen up, everyone! Homeowners, neighbors, pals—tonight we've got something special for you: this stunning woman right here."
"Uh… what's her name again?"
"Ye Qingyi!" someone called out from the crowd.
"That's right, folks! Our item up for grabs is none other than Miss Ye Qingyi. And how old are you, sweetheart?"
Mao Gang chimed in from the crowd, "Twenty - five. She's the vice president of an advertising company."
The crowd let out low whistles.Women like her used to be untouchable goddesses—admired from afar.Now, while still out of reach, at least they could ogle her flawless white skin.
Ye Qingyi glared at Mao Gang through gritted teeth.Brother Gangzi wasn't the same man he used to be!
"Miss Ye Qingyi is twenty - five years old, a VP at an advertising firm, and also happens to be the daughter - in - law of a Fortune 500 CEO.Think about it, gentlemen—owning the daughter - in - law of such a big shot? Pure satisfaction at bargain prices!"
"But wait, that's just her title.The real prize is Miss Ye Qingyi herself.Look at those perfectly natural features—no plastic surgery needed.Pure beauty."
"And her skin? So smooth it feels like heaven itself.But the real kicker? Her figure.I'll leave that part for the three bosses to explore later—we don't need any spoilers."
"Now, remember the saying: 'The poor get the sweet, the rich get the salty.' Starting bid is one bottle of water.No upper limit!"
"One bottle!" one of the underlings shouted impulsively, startling his friends."Are you insane? Bidding against the boss for a woman? Do you have a death wish?"
Ding Feng calmly raised the stakes."One case."
"Boss Ding, that's stingy.Five cases!" Sun Youqing declared confidently, holding up his hand.
Feng Jin cut in coldly, "Boss Sun, are those five cases from your personal stash or the group's?"
Sun Youqing's men exchanged uneasy glances.If their boss spent his own water to buy the girl, would they end up empty - handed?
Cursing inwardly, Sun Youqing snapped, "It's my private stash, alright? I'm not stealing from my brothers' share."
The underlings sighed in relief.
"Fine, we'll use our own supplies," Ding Feng said, raising the ante."Six cases."
Feng Jin's face darkened, but he pressed on."Seven cases!"
Seven cases of water—a fortune, especially now when resources were scarce.
"Seven and a half cases," Ding Feng growled, gritting his teeth.He could ration his own supply and borrow from his men.Rain Wind quickly went off to fetch more supplies.
"Eight cases!" Sun Youqing scoffed dismissively.
The crowd erupted into loud whispers.Eight cases of water could save countless lives, yet here they were, wasting it all on a beautiful woman.Beautiful women always drew attention, no matter the circumstances—but this only fueled jealousy among the other women.
"Ten cases." A voice rang out, laced with amusement.
The three bosses exchanged puzzled looks.None of them had made that bid.They turned around to see who it was.
What?!
It was the delivery guy! He wasn't dead!
Had the shooter been the one killed?
Yes, it was Tang Ze.He'd just leveled up at home and, bored, decided to check out how much loot they'd gathered—and maybe find some good deals.
As he approached, he heard the commotion and saw a woman tied up on the car roof.
Tang Ze was stunned.He'd never seen her before in the neighborhood.She was breathtaking, rivaling even An Bai, and exuded an air of authority.
What luck! Resources falling into his lap, and triple - speed grinding mode about to kick in.
Ye Qingyi couldn't help but look up at Tang Ze.Wasn't he the delivery guy? No—the bloodthirsty delivery guy.
Tang Ze's arrival sent a chill through the entire underground garage.Wasn't he afraid of being ambushed? How dare he show up alone?
Feng Jin broke the silence first."Isn't that the boss of Building Three? Out for a stroll?"
"Just bored, saw you guys having fun, and thought I'd join in.No harm in that, right?" Tang Ze scanned the three bosses, his smile casual—but they knew better.That smile came from a man who killed without hesitation.Where was his machete today? Or did he bring a gun instead?
Sun Youqing wasn't intimidated."You waltz in and expect to take our spoils? Not happening."
Bang!
A puff of smoke rose from the gun's barrel, and a bloody hole appeared in Sun Youqing's forehead.Blood trickled down as he reached up to touch it, then collapsed in disbelief.
"How's that for fair?" Tang Ze smiled at Feng Jin and Ding Feng.
Their composure shattered instantly, replaced by wary stares at Tang Ze and his gun.
They considered ordering their men to rush him, but at this range, they'd be shot dead before taking a single step.
Survival instinct kicked in.The guy had a gun.Should they gamble on it being out of bullets?
The underlings were petrified by Tang Ze's ruthlessness.Last time, he'd taken down Dong Fei and his gang with a machete.Today, he'd blown Boss Sun Youqing's head off with a single shot.
This delivery guy was terrifying.
Not just the underlings—Ye Qingyi's already pale face lost even more color.She felt warmth on her cheek.Was it blood?
"Of course, it's fair.Boss Ding, don't you agree?" Feng Jin forced a nervous smile.
Ding Feng immediately nodded."Fair, fair, absolutely fair."
"I'm a reasonable man.If I lose the auction, that's my problem."
As Tang Ze spoke, everyone remembered his maniacal laughter from that day.
"In the apocalypse, who cares about reason?"
But now he was talking about being reasonable?
Did he follow reason or not?
Wait—he just blew someone's head off.That's reasonable?
"Auctioneer, what are you waiting for?" Tang Ze reminded him.Hurry up—he had levels to grind.
The auctioneer stammered, "Uh, the boss of Building Three bids ten cases of water.Any higher bids?"
"Eleven cases." Feng Jin's face twitched with pain.He was practically offering up his entire stash.
But then Tang Ze's low voice cut through, "You really dare to outbid me?"
Ding Feng secretly hoped Tang Ze would shoot Feng Jin next.
Feng Jin panicked, "You—you said it was a fair auction!"