The car came to a steady stop at the pier, and Aaron led the elegantly dressed Zuri and Saira onto the boat. Aaron presented the invitation card, and the security guard at the entrance, holding a tablet, carefully scrutinized both Zuri and Saira. After checking the information on the device, they were allowed to pass.
From the moment they boarded, they underwent three rounds of security checks, each more stringent than the last. This level of rigorous screening made Saira's heart race with excitement.
In her eyes, the higher the caliber of the event, the stricter the screening process would be. Given how strict it was even before the official party had begun, it was clear that the event was of an extremely high standard.
Saira's eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement.
Upon entering the interior, a tall hostess handed Aaron a mask.
Zuri asked, "Don't we get one?"
The hostess smiled and replied, "Miss, only the gentlemen are required to wear masks at the event; ladies do not need them."
Saira shot her a disdainful look.
Fool!
If you wore a mask, how would anyone see your face? Without showing your face, how could you mingle and make connections with potential suitors?
Though she scorned the hostess in her heart, Saira fully agreed with the party host's approach.
The moment Saira stepped into the grand hall, she was dazzled by the opulent décor and the glittering lights.
Zuri's eyes scanned the large venue, noticing that more than half of the attendees were women. These women were strikingly beautiful, each with a unique charm, far from the uniform "influencer" look. They were not only beautiful but also possessed alluring figures, making them true stunners.
The quality of women here was exceptionally high. Any one of them could easily be considered a great beauty.
As for the remaining third of the attendees, who were men, all wore masks, making their faces indistinguishable. However, judging by their physiques, most were either pot-bellied or elderly; there were few who had maintained their bodies well.
Something about this scene felt off. At a normal party, a man would typically bring one female companion, but that wasn't the case here.
Saira surveyed the men present and felt a bit disappointed. However, she reminded herself that this was just the beginning, and the real party was yet to come, so she put away her disappointment.
Noticing the appearance and figures of the women present, she frowned.
Why were all the women here so stunning?
In the eyes of the public, Saira was considered a petite beauty, but in a hall full of gorgeous women, she seemed rather plain.
The trio's arrival immediately drew the attention of the guests, with everyone's eyes fixated on Zuri and Saira.
The way people were looking at them was unsettling—an evaluative gaze, as if they were appraising merchandise.
Instinctively, Saira moved closer to Zuri.
Aaron addressed the two, saying, "You two can mingle on your own and chat with people. I'm going to greet the host."
"Alright."
Aaron whispered a few words to the hostess, who then led him away.
Zuri watched the direction Aaron went in, her brow furrowed.
At that moment, a waiter approached with two different colored wrist corsages. "Ladies, please choose a flower bracelet you like."
Saira immediately chose the purple one, which matched her evening gown.
When it was Zuri's turn, she declined outright. "Too ugly. I'm not wearing it."
The waiter hesitated, clearly troubled. "Miss Lin, all the ladies at the party are wearing one. You see…"
"If I don't wear it, are you going to throw me out?" Zuri asked.
Saira was speechless.
What kind of place is this to be causing a scene like this?
So embarrassing.
Saira instinctively distanced herself from Zuri.
While the waiter was in a dilemma, a man who seemed to be a manager approached, apologetically addressing Zuri, "I'm sorry, Miss. This employee is new and doesn't understand the rules. I apologize for the inconvenience. Miss Lin, if you don't like it, you don't have to wear it."
The manager waved the waiter away, who quickly left.
The manager then warmly stood beside Zuri and offered, "Miss Lin, if you encounter any issues or troubles on board, please feel free to contact me."
"I need to speak with my father. Could you take me to him?" Zuri immediately seized the opportunity.
The manager hadn't expected her to make such a request and hesitated briefly before smiling and saying, "I'll relay your message to Mr. Lin. Once he's finished his meeting with our boss, he'll return. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Zuri nodded.
The manager signaled a waiter, who then offered a glass of champagne from a tray to her. "This is a custom-made champagne by our boss, unique in the world. Miss Lin, please enjoy."
"Alright." Zuri took the glass and sniffed it, detecting a rich aroma.
After the manager left, he discreetly gave instructions to a nearby waiter while occasionally glancing at Zuri, who was standing in the center of the hall.
Holding her glass, Zuri aimlessly wandered around the banquet hall. Anyone who approached to greet her was promptly scared off by her cold demeanor.
As she made a circuit around the room, Zuri noticed that the entire hall was monitored from all angles, with no blind spots.
There were two exits in the hall: the main entrance and an entrance used by the staff.
Zuri was now almost certain that this was a large-scale illicit market, where each girl's bracelet bore a corresponding number, likely used by the men to mark their chosen targets.
She could hardly believe that Aaron, in his desperation for money, would bring his two daughters into such a place so openly.
Although the men here wouldn't dare speak of it publicly, the Lin family's reputation would be utterly ruined in Oceanic City after this.
It was evident that the recent series of setbacks had driven Aaron to the point of selling his daughters.
Looking at the women in the hall, who were laughing and chatting with the men, Zuri could tell that all of them were willing participants. Only she and Saira had been deceived into coming here.
In a large private room, a row of leather sofas lined the walls. In the center sat a bald man, flanked by two tall and burly bodyguards.
Aaron entered the room, and the bald man, puffing on a cigar, casually pointed to an empty seat. "Pour Mr. Lin a drink."
A seductive woman approached, smiling as she poured him a glass, her ample cleavage fully exposed.
Aaron glanced at her, his gaze deepening.
"Mr. Lin, what brings you to part with such beautiful daughters?" The bald man spoke with a thick regional accent.
In front of them was a large screen, displaying everything happening in the banquet hall.
"I don't want to, but I have no other choice."
The bald man chuckled, "There's no issue with your younger daughter, is there? The Feng family and the Ye family won't come after us, right? You know I don't like trouble in my line of work."
"Rest assured, they won't."
"That's good." The bald man laughed. "So, Mr. Lin, what price are you looking for?"
Aaron looked at the bidding board and wrote a number beneath Saira's photo. Then, he wrote a number twice as high beneath Zuri's photo.
The bald man raised an eyebrow at the amount. "That's the highest price I've ever encountered. Aren't you worried no one will bid? If no one does, wouldn't such a beauty go to waste?"
"Good goods don't fear a high price," Aaron replied confidently, raising his glass and downing the drink in one gulp.
An hour later, the attendees were signaled to leave the banquet hall. Saira, seeing everyone departing, was puzzled.
"Why is everyone leaving?" she asked, stopping a beautiful woman.
The woman smiled coyly. "We go back to our rooms first. We'll come out later."
Though Saira found it strange, she followed the crowd out of the banquet hall.
Two hostesses approached Zuri and Saira, smiling as they said, "Miss Lin, Miss Lin, please follow us."
The two followed the hostesses to the top-floor suites, walking down the corridor until they reached the door at the end.
One of the hostesses turned to Saira and said, "Miss Lin, this is your room. The night's excitement is just about to begin. Enjoy yourself."
Saira was confused, wondering if some special event was planned. She wanted to ask, but feared it would make her seem unsophisticated, so she pretended to understand and nodded.
The other hostess led Zuri to the neighboring suite. "Miss Lin, this is your room. Enjoy your evening."
Hearing the suggestive tone, Zuri's lips curled into a smirk.
Once inside, the door automatically closed behind her.
It was an exceptionally luxurious room with panoramic windows offering an unbeatable ocean view. The living room and bedroom were spacious, especially the bedroom, where a large bed stood out—a soft, sensuous waterbed.
They sure know how to cater to their guests.
After thoroughly checking the room to ensure there were no hidden cameras or listening devices, Zuri leisurely sat on the sofa, waiting.
About an hour later, the door opened, and a chubby middle-aged man walked in.
Seeing Zuri, the man's face lit up with a smile. "Miss Lin."
"Hello!" Zuri smiled and waved at the man.
The man was taken aback by her lack of surprise at his appearance. Could it be that she already knew the rules here?
If so, it might take some of the fun out of it.
He had paid a high price for this woman, hoping for something pure and fresh. If she turned out to be second-hand, he wouldn't be pleased.
Despite his suspicions, he didn't rush to complain to the host. He wanted to inspect the goods first. If she wasn't what he wanted, he could complain later.
Eyeing the beauty in front of him, the man licked his lips and said with a smile, "Miss Lin, you are truly beautiful."
"May I ask how I should address you?" Zuri asked with a smile.
The greasy middle-aged man chuckled, "My surname is Jia, you can call me Brother Jia."
Brother Jia?
Zuri almost gagged.
"Oh, so it's Mr. Jia. Pardon me for not recognizing you. May I ask how much you bid?" Zuri asked with a smile.
Mr. Jia was taken aback. "Miss Lin, you know everything, yet you're still willing?"
Ladies of your status, when they come here for the first time, usually make a huge fuss. It's rare to meet someone who can chat and laugh so casually.
"If I wasn't willing, would you use force?" Zuri asked casually, without any hint of accusation or displeasure in her tone.
Mr. Jia laughed heartily. "It seems I won't need this tonight."
He tossed aside a remote-like device he had been holding.
Curious, Zuri picked it up and asked, "What is this?"
"If you press this, something to enhance the mood will fill the bedroom. I thought it might come in handy tonight, but I guess it's not needed."
Mr. Jia's eyes glinted as he leered at Zuri. "Sweetheart, every moment of the night is worth a thousand gold. Let's begin!"
"Not so fast!" Zuri dodged as the middle-aged man lunged at her.
Mr. Jia, missing his target, wasn't angry. Instead, he seemed even more excited, his gaze fixed on Zuri like a hungry wolf eyeing tender prey.
Suppressing her disgust, Zuri calmly said, "Mr. Jia, could you do me a favor and call my father? I have something to give him. Once he's here, we can enjoy a beautiful night together."
"Can't you give it to him tomorrow? Sweetheart, let's not waste any more time," Mr. Jia said, already starting to undress.
Zuri shook her head, her voice soft and slightly plaintive. "Mr. Jia, can't you grant me this one little wish?"
Her tone and expression melted Mr. Jia instantly. How could he refuse?
"Alright, alright, my sweet. Don't be sad. I'll call him over right now."
As a valued client tonight, his request was naturally fulfilled.
Not long after his call, the door was knocked, and Aaron stood at the entrance.
Mr. Jia greeted him with a smile, letting him in before closing the door.
Seeing Mr. Jia in the room, Aaron recognized him as a wealthy businessman from Hong Kong.
Mr. Jia half-jokingly said, "Mr. Lin, I guess I'm half your son-in-law now."
Aaron's smile stiffened, but he didn't dare offend him, so he quickly changed the subject. "I wonder, Mr. Jia, what you need me here for?"
Mr. Jia chuckled. "It's not me who needs you, but your daughter. She said she has something that must be handed to you."
Aaron was puzzled.
Zuri stepped out of the bedroom, smiling at Aaron.
Aaron felt a chill run through him.
That smile filled him with unease, a bad feeling creeping over him.
"Zuri, you—"
"My dear father, the game is officially starting," Zuri said with a smile.
What does she mean?
Both Mr. Jia and Aaron looked at Zuri in confusion.
Before they could react, Zuri darted forward, striking them both on the neck, knocking them unconscious.
Five minutes later, Mr. Jia and Aaron were lying side by side on the sensuous waterbed.
Zuri looked down at them. "Enjoy your lovely evening."
She picked up the remote and pressed a button. Pink smoke began to drift from the vents, quickly filling the bedroom with a hazy mist.
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