"Then.. would you like to join me?"
Lian studied him from head to toe and gave him a small smile.
"Sure."
The man beamed happily and Lian turned his gaze from him.
"What's your name? Am Larry."
Is he an idiot telling a total stranger his name? Never mind, I can tell from his clothing and appearance that he's from a well off family. Maybe they spoilt him too much since he's not wary of a stranger years older than him.
"Am Leon," he replied and emptied his glass.
"Leon... Nice to meet you," he said placing a kiss on the back of his hand.
Lian chuckled nervously and pulled his hand away.
"Yeah."
As the two were talking, Ding from above, watched their interaction in silence.
"Hmm, seems he's not so useless as I thought. He managed to be friend that old man's son."
His gaze landed on Lian and he pulled out his phone, dialed a number and brought it to his ear.
"Hello sir. How may I be of assistance?" the man's voice on the other end of the line inquired.
"How's the surveillance?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary sir."
"I need you to keep a close eye on a certain precious thing of mine."
"Sir?"
"I'll send you the details. Make sure you don't let him out of your sight," he said and hang up the phone his eyes finding Lian's figure.
I appreciate the helpfulness my dear pet but this time, am afraid you've bitten off more than you can chew by talking to that guy.
A cold shiver ran down Lian's neck and he nervously looked around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The auction will now begin!"
Larry slipped his hand into Lian's and pulled him towards an upstairs lobby where they had a great view of what was going on.
"We can see clearly from up here," he said after noticing Lian's questioning gaze," another drink?"
"How considerate, thank you."
He raised his glass and Larry filled it for him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you are all aware, today we will be hosting the auction for the goods that just arrived recently. In today's auction, we will..."
Lian took a sip from his glass and listened as the auctioneer stated what was to be sold off.
"... now then. The first item!"
On queue, a young lady walked on the stage pushing with her a trolley with a female, golden statue.
"Thirty thousand!"
"We have a thirty, anyone else interested?"
Receiving no response from the crowd, the auctioneer indicated the item sold to the first bidder, since no one bid a higher price. This went on without any distractions and on the eighth bid, Lian's gaze became blurry, a buzzing sound echoing in his ears. He grabbed his throbbing head and closed his eyes in an attempt to clear the blurriness.
"Are you okay?" Larry asked his hand on his shoulder.
"I.. think... I drank... a bit... too much," he mumbled and leaned on the rails supporting his trembling body.
Larry helped Lian to a nearby chair and he flopped on it eyes threatening to close.
Damn, I didn't think I would get drunk after a few glasses of wine... unless... Did he add something to the wine?
His gaze landed on Larry who had a wicked grin on his lips. This smirk confirmed his assumptions and he struggled to form his thoughts into words.
"What did you..."
"Pity. I've never seen anyone as foolish as you are. Who easily accepts to share a drink with a total stranger?"
Lian opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He was slowly loosing consciousness and he wished more than anything that he would not loose himself in front of the guy who posed a potential threat to his well being, or so he thought.
"Don't worry, I won't harm you just yet."
The way he spoke those words made him shiver.
I guess I wasn't too careful. Am a disgrace of an officer. I can faintly hear Rin scolding me and master laughing at my gullibility... Master...
His eyes slowly closed engulfing him in darkness. Ding watched this and shook his head in disbelief.
"How come he is so dumb?"
"Do you need us to retrieve him boss?"
"Not yet," he said and pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket.
The guy beside him hurriedly produced a lighter and carefully lit his smoke. He took in a long puff and slightly opened his mouth allowing the bluish-grey smoke to escape in small cloudy streams.
"Is it time for the final goods?"
"Sir, do you think it is wise to place those people on the stage?"
"Why not? Only by doing so can we get those greedy bastards to show themselves."
"What about the guy you came with?"
"Him? Let him be, that old man's son is part of those I want to ambush tonight," he said and lightly tapped the top of his smoke on the ash tray," make sure everything goes according to plan."
"As you wish boss."
The guy excused himself and walked out of sight leaving Ding to his thoughts.
Hold on for a little longer my dumb pet. Your master will surely come and get you.
Following the instructions, the final items; consisting of three young beautiful ladies; were brought up. Cheers and surprised murmurs arose among the bidders.
"For the last items, we have these beautiful ladies who, once purchased, can not defy their owners. Shall we start the biddings?"
The first lady walked into the light and gasps of surprise echoed all around them. Her skin was porcelain, smooth and almost translucent. She had captivating, expressive eyes that lit up the room. Her smile, through her white teeth was radiant and her raven hair which was dark and mysterious, cascaded down her shoulders in glossy waves.
The second lady stepped into the light and like the first one, her features were stunning. Her warm caramel complexion was complemented by her chestnut brown hair. She had a graceful and elegant figure. Her complexion was flawless, with a natural glow that enhanced her beauty.
The third walked up behind the two and unlike their light and fair skin tones, she had ebony skin which was striking and smooth. Her snow- white hair with the tips silver lay on her head. Her hair gave off a pure and elegant feeling while the silver tips shone with a metallic sheen creating a striking yet elegant look. She had a beauty that was not just skin deep but radiated from within.
"Now then let's begin. The first..."
"Five hundred thousand!" a voice echoed around.
"Five fifty!"
"Seven hundred!"
"Seven fifty!"
Ding watched as the bidders each competed to win over the other a smile on his lips.
"Perfect," he mumbled to himself.