Chapter 751: Returning Back to a Nightmare
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling did not make this call for no reason.

Soon after she put down her phone, she received Li Lei’s call. “The location has been cracked. Shaohui is in a certain place on the high seas of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea is vast and there is no cover. If we dispatch a rescue helicopter, it will be too obvious. We have to think of another way.”

Xia Ling was very uneasy.

Although she already guessed that there was a high chance that Shaohui was kidnapped in a foreign country, when the truth was finally revealed to her, she was really frightened. Not many laws governed the high seas, and no order was in place. Anything terrible could happen.

She asked Li Lei, “Who are the people who are looking after Shaohui? Are they from the Li Family?”

Li Lei said, “No. The investigation results show that it’s a master-slave syndicate with a huge military and political support. They sail the high seas all year round like ghosts. People call it the ‘Blissful Paradise.”’

Blissful Paradise…

Xia Ling held her breath and her face became pale.

She heard of this syndicate before. To be exact, she joined it before as a slave.

In her past life, Pei Ziheng brought her to a conference hall by Blissful Paradise for professional tests. That was one of her deepest nightmares, and until now, she trembled at the thought of it.

She knew how cruel that place was.

“We must save Shaohui right away!” She could not wait a moment longer.

Li Lei sighed. “The best way is to sneak in. Blissful Paradise has a membership system, and only the most supreme black card members can get on the high sea ship. I will find a way to get access.”

“You?” Xia Ling asked, “Only you?”

Li Lei spoke very slowly. “Xiao Ling, I’ve inquired about the membership system there, and the person who submits the membership application must have great interest and prowess in S&M. The person also has to… perform in front of the interviewers.”

He tried to be vague.

Xia Ling understood what he meant. To enter, one had to be a sadist or a masochist.

There was no other way.

Her body began to shake uncontrollably. She understood why Li Lei did not want her to participate. He knew what she had encountered in her past life. If she returned to her nightmare, he was worried that she would collapse.

“How do you plan on joining?” She asked a difficult question.

Li Lei already thought about it. “I’ve sent people to look for a master in this area to teach me how to be a sadist. I will also look for a masochist to perform with so that we can get past the membership interview.”

Xia Ling shook her head. Her voice was very soft. “There won’t be enough time.”

Li Lei asked, “Why not?”

She looked out of the window. In the distant night sky, the crescent moon was like a hook. She felt the icy cold breeze of the late autumn night. She said, “This city is so small, and people who have this fetish… are very limited. The community is too small. Who doesn’t know one another? If you rush to hire people, it will be suspicious.”

Her eyebrows frowned as she looked out the window at the villa not far away next door.

Nearby in that house lived a senior member of Blissful Paradise, Pei Ziheng. If he received a little bit of the news, who knew what would happen?

She took two steps back and her body disappeared in the darkness.

At the end of the phone, Li Lei also thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps you are right. So far, my people haven’t found a suitable master.” It was very easy to find an ordinary sadist. Blissful Paradise had beginner services that catered to those who just joined this interest group, but these beginners were unable to get a Supreme Black Card which was only available to real masters.

That meant that only real masters could get on that ship.

“Furthermore, you won’t be able to find a suitable… slave.” She said the words with difficulty and closed her eyes as she recalled the conversation she overheard when she was brought to the terrifying club by Pei Ziheng. From the conversation of those members, she learned that slaves who qualified for the Supreme Black Card were fewer than those who qualified to be submissive members. They also had fixed masters who could not be found easily.

In her mind, a plan gradually surfaced.

Her body trembled even more.

Li Lei stayed silent, and she also did not speak.

She faced a dilemma. She fought with the fear of her past and her maternal instinct, which was the desire to save her child.

“Xiao Ling, you can’t go.”

“Li Lei, I will go with you.”

After a long time, both of them spoke at the same time.

Li Lei was taken aback and became anxious. “Xiao Ling, you can’t!” He knew that this nightmare had tormented her for a long time before she finally overcame it. How could she go back?

However, she said, “Li Lei, you can’t find anyone. There’s only me.”

If there was really another way, she wouldn’t be willing to re-enter this nightmare.

However, after experiencing so much, she knew clearer than everyone else that Li Lei would not be able to find a suitable person in a short amount of time. In other words, he would also not be able to become a master with such short notice. Furthermore, Li Lei still had to mix around with the Supreme Black Card members and take a huge risk to save someone.

“I will tell you how to become a highly skilled master.” Her voice was as light as a feather. She almost couldn’t stand straight and was leaning her back against a rough wall. “As for me… I’m already a very good slave.”

Some wounds were already deeply imprinted on her soul.

Even though she was in another life, she knew how to please and fawn on her “master.”

Pei Ziheng had already destroyed her. Now, she was a building that was reconstructed from the ruins of her soul and was extremely fragile. If it were gently pushed down, it would reveal the darkness and filth buried in her past.

She would rather experience it again than let Shaohui become like her.

She made a list for Li Lei. “Prepare these things and a secret venue.”

Even though Li Lei was unwilling, his subordinates didn’t get any results just like Xia Ling predicted. He couldn’t even find a senior master to be his teacher, so he had no choice but to agree with Xia Ling’s plan.

Xia Ling changed into a casual shirt, put on light makeup, and left with her manager and assistant.

The news reported that she went to the mountains for a shoot and would only return in a month.

After seeing the news, Old Master Li was very satisfied. He felt that this girl’s life was hard, but she was becoming obedient since she left the city to avoid his grandson.

However, he didn’t know that she assigned Lin Yunan and her assistant to a secret base to create the illusion of her being on a filming job. On the other hand, she made a huge detour and rushed to meet with Li Lei.

Chapter 752: Her Sunlight
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

At a secret base.

Located deep in the mountains. There were endless deciduous forests nearby where cold and bleak winds blew.

Xia Ling walked in alone, and the heavy automatic door slid quietly behind her. Bam— The soft sound seemed to announce her arrival as the white lights in the corridor gradually lit up and extended all the way into the depths of the mountain. As she followed the lights and turned around, her eyes suddenly widened.

It was huge.

The silvery-white metal floor, the four walls and ceiling gave off a cold and oppressive feeling. All kinds of props were on the floor and hanging on the walls: collars, whips, handcuffs…

They came in all shapes and sizes.

A man standing in front of the props looking at the bone whip in his hand seemed to be waiting for her. He was wearing a casual shirt, the thin cotton fabric faintly outlining his muscles. He looked like an oppressive and dangerous beast.

Her footsteps stopped suddenly and she shivered.

“Li Lei…”

She had never seen him like this. Holding a whip in his well-defined hands, slightly lowering his head with a contemplative look in the soft silver-white light. He looked much colder.

Like… Pei Ziheng in that year.

Gentle and cruel.

Her body shook even more and she could barely stand still.

Over there, the man noticed her and turned around. “Xiao Ling.” His low magnetic voice echoed in the silent metallic room, forming a strange lingering charm.

She subconsciously took two steps back.

Li Lei put down the whip and walked towards her. “Did everything go well on the way here? I’ve told them to seal this place. There will be only the two of us in this space, so it’s very safe. Don’t worry.”

However, she could not calm down at all and retreated like a frightened bird.

Only then did he realize that she was afraid and stopped in his tracks. “Xiao Ling.” His voice was gentler. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He knew better than anyone else about how horrible it was for her to return to her nightmare. However, they had no choice. This was the only way to save Shaohui.

He made the least hostile stance and looked at her tenderly.

After a long time, she used all of her strength to take a deep breath and suppressed the fear in her heart as she walked towards him step by step. “I’m fine…” She said with difficulty. “Shaohui is still waiting for us. Let’s get started.”

As they got closer, they could hear each other’s breathing.

Xia Ling still looked pale as she looked at his handsome face without hesitation, forcing herself to cast aside the horrible thoughts in her mind. Her breath was short, her heartbeat was in disarray, and she broke out in cold sweat.

Li Lei warmly said, “Relax, Xiao Ling. Before we start, can you tell me what is our safe word?”

“Safe word?” She was too nervous and did not react immediately.

Li Lei was slightly startled. “I did some research become I came. I heard that this sort of arrangement has a safety word to ensure the safety of the… masochist.” In the process, the crying and begging of the slave was a form of delight for the sadist. Thus, even if the slave pleaded for mercy, the sadist would not stop.

Unless the slave said the safety word. It was the only word that would make the master stop.

This was the agreement between the slave and master to ensure the safety of the slaves.

Xia Ling finally understood what he was talking about and looked a little absent-minded. No wonder she did not respond. In her past life with Pei Ziheng, that sort of word… did not exist. In the year of purgatory, even when her endurance reached its limit, the man would never be soft-hearted or pity her.

All of her screams, struggles, and cries could not be exchanged for the slightest glimmer of light.

Now, looking at Li Lei, her eyes turned red and she almost cried.

Li Lei felt that something was wrong. “Xiao Ling, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She frantically shook her head. After thinking about it, she said, “Let’s use ‘sunlight.’”

The man in front of her was her only sunlight in her darkness. In the beginning, he led her out of her horrible nightmare and past life, so he could definitely do it again. This word made her feel alive.

Li Lei nodded. “Ok. Let’s change our clothes first.”

He casually took out a set of leather outfits that he had prepared and took off his thin cotton shirt and trousers. He was only wearing his low-waist black boxers and was about to wear the leather outfit.

“That… you also have to take that off.” Xia Ling whispered.

Startled, Li Lei realized that she was referring to his boxers. He did not know why, but his handsome face was slightly heated. He looked at the leather outfit in his hands. To be specific, it was just a few leather straps connected to a few pieces of leather. It looked very strange. If he removed his boxers, what… could this cover?

Looking at his dumbfounded expression, Xia Ling couldn’t help but laugh, and her originally depressed mood faded a little. She said, “Let me help you. Take that… off first.” The man in front of her had perfect proportions and was comparable to the world’s top male model. When he stood in front of her like that, she couldn’t help but blush.

Li Lei really took them off. He had such a perfect body that she didn’t dare to look at him.

She took the item from his hands and tried to focus on the thin leather straps, not daring to look at even an inch of his body.

Even so, her ears had already turned red.

“We’re already an old couple.” He said softly as he mocked her. “Why are you so shy?”

“Since when are we an old couple?” She rebuked. The last time she saw him naked was a long time ago, such that their son was so old now. However…

She was still embarrassed!

Li Lei laughed softly. “You’re really cute.”

“You’re the cute one!” She got angry and forced the leather strap around his waist. She really wished she could strangle this man. Seriously, why did he have to work out till his body was like that? Was it to seduce others?!

In annoyance, she didn’t realize that the tension between them eased a lot. She was no longer pale, and her forehead was no longer covered in cold sweat.

Li Lei looked at her with a gentle expression.

After a long time, she finally put the leather suit on him. Technically speaking, it was leather, but more accurately, the outfit was made of a post-modern abstract style as the scraps of leather barely covered him. Large parts of his chest and legs were exposed, revealing his compact muscles.

She only felt the blood rush to her head and was blushing very hard. She tried her best to avoid looking at him.

“You can be like this.” He chuckled. “Look at me more and get used to it, or else, we won’t pass the membership interview at the club.”

Chapter 753: Helping Her Heal
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

She glared at him and ignored his nonsense.

Li Lei rummaged through a pile of props for a long time before taking another set of leather clothes. “This is for you.”

This set of leather clothes was different from the one he was wearing. Although it was also a combination of black metal, ropes, buckles and leather, its design was very elegant and conservative. Places that could be covered were securely covered, and it only exposed some of her calf and her back.

It was not even as revealing as the dresses that she wore on the red carpet.

She took it. “This…”

“It’s enough for one person to expose himself. As I said, you will be very safe,” said Li Lei. Their goal was to get the Supreme Black Card membership. If they were too conservative, the club would suspect that they were not perverted enough. However, if one person wore revealing clothes and the other was a little more conservative, it would be considered a coordinated set and would, thus, be acceptable.

Li Lei chuckled. “I only dressed like this for you.”

Xia Ling glared at him again. However, looking at the leather clothes that protected her very well, she felt a current of warmth in her heart. This man always thought about her even in times when she did not think about herself. Perhaps after these years and experiencing so much pain, this was why she was still unwilling to forget him.

She touched the buttons on her shirt. Just as she was about to change, suddenly, she remembered something and glared at Li Lei even more fiercely. “Turn around. You aren’t allowed to turn back!”

“Ok.” Li Lei knew that she was shy and turned around.

Only then did Xia Ling slowly change her clothes. However, looking at the leather’s matte texture, she started to tremble again and was short of breath. Thus, she couldn’t put it on easily.

This was not a problem about how revealing the outfit was.

This leather outfit was a symbol of her return to her nightmares.

Just by touching the cold buckle with her fingertips, she didn’t dare to imagine how she would look like when she wore it. The horrific memories of her past came back again, and any glimpse of light was just an illusion.

Old Master Li was really cruel. He kidnapped Shaohui and placed him somewhere she would never want to be in so that she would fail at the preparatory stage.

Her hands trembled, and finally, she couldn’t help but throw the leather outfit far away.

Crash.

Li Lei spun around. “Xiao Ling?”

“Don’t look at me!” She covered her face and crouched helplessly in a corner like a powerless creature.

Li Lei’s expression darkened. He walked over and knelt in front of her.

He knew what she was afraid of and was clear of what she experienced in her past life. He knew that putting on this outfit required a lot of courage from her. He reached out and wrapped her in his arms. Using his warmest voice, he said, “Xiao Ling, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

He tired his best to comfort her.

She struggled and cried, “Let me go!” She didn’t want him to see her in this state. At that time, she was dripping in blood and there was no way of escape.

She didn’t want him to know.

However, he did not let go of her hand. Instead, he tightened his grip and was as firm as a mountain.

“It’s ok, it’s ok…” He said over and over again. “I’m here. I’m here for you.”

Perhaps his arms were too warm or maybe his voice was too gentler. She finally stopped shaking and raised her tearful face in his arms. “I don’t want to do this…” she said. “I don’t want to do this…”

He swept her long hair aside and said, “We’ll think of something else then.”

However, she stopped talking. Another way? No, there was no time. Every second that Shaohui was on that ship was dangerous, and no one knew what would happen. Their time was very tight, and they could not mess it up. Biting her lip, she pushed him away and went to pick the leather outfit again. “I must wear this.”

Her voice was frail and weak.

Li Lei frowned. He didn’t want her to force herself. However, he knew that this was the best solution. He said, “I’ll help you.” He was worried that if no one helped her, she would not be able to stand straight.

Xia Ling hesitated, knowing that her condition was pretty bad. Finally, she nodded.

Li Lei took the leather outfit and, with her guidance, slowly unfolded it and wrapped the pieces around her thin body slowly. She closed her eyes and remembered that many years ago, when she was imprisoned by Pei Ziheng, that man treated her like a doll and always used to help her put on clothes that she did not like…

The darkness was back again.

Her body began to tremble again. She exhausted her strength trying to restrain herself from pushing Li Lei’s hand away.

Crack.

It was a very soft sound.

Li Lei only felt that his hands were wet. When he looked at them, he realized that there was blood on them.

He turned around. “Xiao Ling?!” Under the silver moonlight, her face was still white, but there was a patch of redness on the corner of her lip. She had bitten herself.

She looked horrible as she stared at him blankly. Even her voice was empty. “I’m fine. You… move faster.” She didn’t know how long she could endure before collapsing.

Li Lei felt like his heart was being sliced. He once vowed to not let her suffer any harm. Unexpectedly, in the end, she still had to return to her endless nightmare. He sped up, finished dressing her up and held her in his arms.

“Ok.” He said softly, “You’re safe.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, her body became soft and she fell in his arms.

Li Lei held her. He lightly lifted her chin and used his fingertips to wipe off the blood on her lips. Unknowingly, he lowered his head and kissed her gently.

Her body trembled a little. She instinctively tried to push him away, but somehow, she seemed to have lost all of her strength and couldn’t even lift a finger. She closed her eyes and let him carefully lick the blood on her lips. It was as if she was dependent on him to heal.

Her tears gushed out.

After some time, he finally cleaned the blood on her lips.

“Don’t hurt yourself again.” His voice was very low. “My heart will hurt.”

Her reasoning slowly returned with the sound of his voice. Although she was still in a daze, she forced herself to stand up and by supporting herself using the wall. Looking at him, she said, “I’m fine. Let’s go to the next step.”

Time waits for no man.

Their Shaohui could not wait.

“The next step?” Li Lei looked at her. “How should we do it?”

Xia Ling finally remembered that the man in front of her did not understand this dark game. She slowly walked away from him, picked up a whip, and put it in his hand.

Chapter 754: How Could She Give Him Up
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Lei looked at the whip and then at her.

In the spacious silver-white hall, her petite body looked so frail as if she could be easily knocked down by the wind. It seemed that even if he gently waved the whip, she could be knocked down just by its sound.

Her face turned pale and she unconsciously started to bite her lip.

Her body slightly shook, but she continued to stand in front of him. It was obvious that she was extremely afraid, but she did not cower in fear.

Li Lei raised the whip.

Her face became paler and she shut her eyes. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, she did not experience the pain she expected. A little fearfully, she opened her eyes and saw that he was still holding the whip in the same position. The cold, silver-white light was sprinkled on his face which was as handsome as a sculpture. There was silence.

“What are you waiting for?” She asked softly.

Li Lei walked towards her step by step. Looking at the whip in the man’s hand, she subconsciously retreated.

Until her back fell against the icy cold wall. There was no other way out.

Li Lei stopped half a step away from her and looked down at the pale and delicate girl. She was shaking in her dark matte black leather outfit. It was as if she were restrained by endless darkness, enslaved and unable to breathe, her slightly enlarged eyes filled with fear.

He really didn’t know what would happen if the whip really fell on her.

Perhaps she would no longer be herself and he would no longer be himself. They might not be able to return to the past anymore.

This kind of scary and dangerous game could easily destroy one’s psyche. Li Lei was afraid that he might lose control and become a demon like Pei Ziheng. That year, even though Pei Ziheng loved her so deeply, it was destroyed by this terrifying game. He was really not confident that she could still love him if he inflicted such pain on her.

He was unwilling to take the risk.

Li Lei placed the whip handle in Xia Ling’s hands. “There’s no rule that states the slave has to be a woman, right? Let me be your slave, Xiao Ling. With me here, you’ll always be free.”

She did not expect him to do this and looked at him in shock for a long time before reacting.

Tears fell without warning. In this world, there was no man who had done this for her before; even Pei Ziheng never did this. However, Li Lei, who was such an arrogant man, was willing to let go of his pride for her… To be exact, he was willing to be a lowly slave.

“Do you understand what this means?” Her voice was very soft and hoarse. “Li Lei, being a slave is not as simple as you think it is. I could whip you, insult you, make you kneel, order you to crawl like an animal or even make you lick my feet…”

Suddenly, she stopped to take a breath.

“Like this?” In front of her, the man knelt down. Wearing skimpy clothes that barely covered his body, he lowered his head and devotedly kissed her toes with his lips.

As she was wearing the slave costume, she did not wear any shoes. A current of numbness ran up her toes and she almost couldn’t bear it.

“Stop… Stop it…” She weakly said.

Li Lei stopped, but he continued kneeled as he looked up at her. “I can do it very well, master. I belong to you.” Unconsciously, he changed the way he addressed her, but he did not feel the slightest humiliation or discomfort. To him, this was not embarrassing. It was his responsibility as a man to protect his beloved woman.

If she really collapsed because she couldn’t stand this sort of game, this would be the humiliation of his life.

Thus, he was willing to take on the dangerous role.

Startled, Xia Ling looked at him as if this was the first time she saw him. She didn’t know what she was feeling. Even though she thought about a thousand and one outcomes to mentally prepare herself such as her going crazy, collapsing, screaming, crying to quit…

She never expected that she would become the “master.”

And the man who was stronger than her by ten thousand times was at her feet and willing to become her slave.

She held the whip in her hand and was at a loss for words.

“What’s wrong, master?” Li Lei continued to look up at her and spoke gently. “You don’t need to hesitate or be afraid. I will cooperate with all your instructions. We still have to save Shaohui, we don’t have time to waste. Let’s get started.”

Only then did she came back to reality.

Yes, they still had to save Shaohui.

She was unsure how much time she needed to enter the role if she were a slave. She was even unsure if she would completely collapse. As for Li Lei? At least on the surface, he looked like he was adapting well and his emotions were more stable than hers. If he were the slave, their training would progress much faster.

She said, “Li Lei, I’m sorry.”

Li Lei smiled at her. “I said that I am yours.” He gazed at her like a devout follower admiring his goddess. To him, she was everything.

Xia Ling closed her eyes and took a deep breath to adjust her state of mind.

When she opened her eyes, she was ready to play her role. “The first thing I want to teach you is—”

She raised the whip and hit him mercilessly. “When you’re speaking to your master, you have to be more polite.”

In the silver-white, cold and empty hall, she was high up in the air like a queen.

This training required a day and a night. Li Lei adapted very well, and after overcoming a few psychological roadblocks, she slowly mastered the skill of being a master.

She ordered to Li Lei get up and exited the training mode.

“Take a break.” She said, “We’re almost ready now and can apply for a black card membership for Blissful Paradise.”

Li Lei nodded and stretched his aching body after kneeling for a long time. His body was still as perfect as before the training. His healthy wheat-colored skin only had a few traces of bruising that would soon disappear. After entering Blissful Paradise, no one would notice his injuries.

This was not because Xia Ling’s technique was perfect.

Her strength and skills were still a little lacking.

However, his skin was thick, unlike her delicate skin which virtually offset many injuries.

Xia Ling looked at him remorsefully. “I’m sorry that you suffered from this…”

“There’s nothing you have to be sorry about.” He interrupted her and smiled. “Xiao Ling, I love you. I’ve already been yours a long time ago. This time, it’s just an act which was clarified.”

She did not know if he were comforting her or if he actually thought this way.

She only sniffed and had a hunch that perhaps she could never leave Li Lei anymore in this life.

“I’ve already been yours a long time ago.”

This sentence was like a spell.

Since he was hers, it was like he was a part of her life or part of her body or another soul of hers or her shadow… How could she give him up?

Chapter 755: Entering Paradise
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

After a night of rest, they arrived at Paradise the following day.

Xia Ling was in a leather outfit and had on an exquisite, gem-studded mask to hide her famous face. She had a leather leash in her hand that was hooked onto the collar around Li Lei’s neck, while Li Lei was in the outfit from the previous day and had a mask on as trailed behind her subserviently.

They walked into Paradise.

“Welcome.” One of the employees came out to greet them courteously. “Respected Madam, may I help you?”

He was looking at Xia Ling mostly, and as for Li Lei?

Too bad, slaves were not considered people in their eyes.

Xia Ling’s voice was played through a voice-altering device; she sounded different, but with the same arrogance as before. “I heard that you have interesting activities on the cruise? I plan to have a look.” When she spoke, she exuded a natural aura — this was the result of having been in the spotlight for so many years. As long as she wanted it, she could become the center of attention anytime she wanted, and rule the place like a queen.

Just like a perfect S-grade “owner.”

The employees sized her up quietly. Frankly, they had seen so many guests come and go over the years that they had long become immune to even the most perverse S-type — also known as Sadomasochist —”owners.” But this lady before them was different — they detected no attempt to flaunt her authority and power in her voice, and she even sounded leisurely and casual. Yet, there was a natural sense of arrogance and pride that one simply could not emulate…

And it made them want to surrender to her.

The employees tried not to get too affected by her.

It had only been a brief minute since they met, and they were already full of admiration towards her; for such a brilliant S-type, it wouldn’t be surprising if many M-type — Masochists — would vie to be her slave. How lucky this man must feel to have such a perfect owner.

They looked behind her.

Li Lei was one head taller than Xia Ling, and his splendid physique — those well-built abdominal muscles and toned limbs — actually made him appear threatening, almost like a wild beast.

At this point, this “wild beast” was being willingly led along by his owner, with no intent to break free from his collar. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, given the way he looked at his owner with utmost admiration, and possibly even love.

The employees found out that they were wrong.

It wasn’t the slave who was lucky to have such a perfect queen as his owner.

The queen was equally lucky to have such a perfect slave.

They were basically a match made in heaven.

“Why, is there a problem?” The lady’s proud voice rang with a hint of annoyance.

“Oh, n-no.” Only when the employees snapped out of their daze did they realize how long they had been staring at this pair. Knowing that they were being rude, he hurriedly said to Xia Ling, “You’re not a member of Paradise, right? It’s very simple. If you want to get onto the cruise, you just have to pass a test and become our Black Card member.”

“Very simple…” The lady smiled and tugged at the leash with her slave, before turning to the employees. “Then let’s get it done now, I don’t have much patience.”

In fact, the test wasn’t so simple.

But seeing that they were a perfect owner-slave pair, the employees had no doubt that they were experts in this field. For experts, the test really was a piece of cake.

They took them to the room specially used for tests.

Xia Ling was extremely nervous — whether or not they could get onboard the cruise to save Shaohui depended on this.

Li Lei could tell that she was nervous, and he began to look at her with even more gentleness and reverence. “My Owner,” he knelt down. “I belong to you, forever.”

I belong to you, forever.

Wherever you go, I’ll follow.

Xia Ling knew what he was really trying to say, and managed to calm herself down.

She raised her hand, and the performance began.

The test took close to an hour to conclude, and it was a favorable result. Both of them had gotten a Black Card membership, and were allowed to board the cruise whenever they wished to. Xia Ling did not want to delay this any further. She instructed the management of the cruise to send a helicopter to their location to pick them up, and take them to the cruise on the seas.

The helicopter stopped at the deck.

With their masks still on, Li Lei helped her up the deck.

Her 20-centimeter tall stilettos were glistening with diamonds as her eyes flashed with utmost pride. As she took her time to strut towards the helicopter, everyone nearby — from the guests to the employees — turned their heads to watch her. She appeared to be such a respectable queen, bringing along her slave who seemed to protect her like a tamed beast.

“Who is she?” Some people whispered, “Is she the Peacock Queen?”

The Peacock Queen was a renowned figure in the field.

Someone nearby shook his head. “Peacock Queen? That woman is too flirtatious, how could she be anywhere as haughty as this lady here? But it seems like she’s even more difficult to get ahold of than Peacock Queen.”

“I think so too.” Another nodded. “Is she knew? I’ve never seen her.”

Most of the guests had masks on. Given that it was a luxurious cruise, many of them were high-flyers, and some were even celebrities who appeared on the news before. The majority of the guests found it taboo for others to discover their odd fetishes, and hence, often used masks and voice-altering devices to conceal their identity and keep their secrets.

“She has a mask on, how’d you know if you’ve seen her?” Another guest said and walked towards Xia Ling with his slave. “I might as well say hi to her.”

A few other guests followed closely out of curiosity.

“Hi.” The man arrived before Xia Ling and greeted her easily. “Nice to meet you, Miss. Do I have the honor of getting to know you? I’m Fiery Eagle, but you can call me Eagle.” Besides masks and voice-altering devices, people here often used a nickname as well.

An employee had already gone over such details with Xia Ling on their way here.

She sounded as carefree and unshaken as usual. “Are you interested in me, or in my slave?” She looked at the Eagle and his slave with a tinge of sarcasm, portraying her character well. “You’re an ‘Owner,’ and so am I. I don’t see what interest you could take in me besides my slave.”

In this circle, a recognized pair had to be made up of an owner and a slave.

The Eagle smiled upon hearing her words. “Alright then, I’ll admit it. I’m indeed a wee bit interested in your slave.”

Chapter 756: First Young Master’s Taste
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling said, “There are many interested in him.”

She turned around a little and caressed Li Lei’s face — with his mask on. Meanwhile, her “slave” was looking up at her, his eyes full of admiration.

They were a perfect pair.

Even somebody who had seen as much as Eagle was in awe. Although this was a rather large community, it was difficult to find a wonderful “owner” or “slave.” Yet, the two of them had everyone’s heart racing just by glancing or caressing each other, even without any intent at torture. This interested Eagle even further.

He looked at Xia Ling. “How about we become friends?”

It was common for owners to exchange their slaves. Maybe one day when she was done torturing him, she could let him have this perfect slave. Though this was a far-fetched idea, there was some benefit in interacting with her. Perhaps he could learn more about how she managed to train her slave this well.

Well, too bad Xia Ling saw right through him.

She took her hand off Li Lei’s face and rugged at the leash. “I’m not used to making friends, don’t even think of having my slave.”

With that, she strutted past him in her 20-centimeter stilettos.

Li Lei looked at her with reverence throughout and seemed to tune out everything else. Seeing his owner walk off, he hurriedly caught up with those long, toned legs.

Behind him, whistles and catcalls sounded.

Although his owner was dressed relatively conservatively, he was simply dressed too skimpily, so much so that everyone could see practically every inch of his tanned skin and the well-toned muscles beneath.

“Tsk.” one of the members said as Eagle rejoined the group. “Given his physique, anyone wouldn’t mind just having a child with him. So, Eagle, did you manage to find out anything about them?”

The Eagle shook his head in dismay. “That lady seems like she doesn’t like making friends. But…” He squinted at the two of them as they walked off and smiled. “Looking at his physique, I doubt it’s a result of training in the gym.”

The muscles that were toned in the gym were vastly different from those that naturally occurred after years on the battlefield. Although it wasn’t too obvious to everyone, it was a considerable difference for this group of people.

His partner nodded. “They’re in trouble.”

The Eagle agreed. “That pervert Li Feng is on the cruise too, and that slave happens to be just the type he likes.”

Li Feng was a well-known figure around here. Even in the perverted community, he was considered one of the most extreme. The fact that he didn’t wear a mask nor hide his name said enough — he couldn’t care less about anyone finding out he had such a fetish. In fact, he was even proud of it.

It was said that any slave who ended up in his hands did not come to a good end.

Most of them went missing, and some people had even seen broken skulls and decapitated limbs and body parts in the sea. They were mostly still covered in blood, attracting the sharks. A smaller percentage of them was slightly luckier — they managed to get out of it alive, but never sane. Whenever someone asked about their experience, they’d lose their minds or start crying hysterically.

They were either placed into mental health institutions or left the field entirely.

“First Young Master Li ruined so many slaves, just the amount of money he paid in compensation is unimaginable. I remember that he just bought two pretty good slaves from Paradise a while ago. Is he back for more already?” One of Eagle’s friends mentioned.

Most of them brought their own slaves to the cruise.

However, Paradise also provided the option of buying and selling slaves. Nobody really knew what happened to such slaves eventually — even if they died, no one bothered.

Eagle stroked the chin of his slave and ordered her to get on her knees and act as a stool for himself. Once he was comfortable sitting on her back, he said, “I was around the last time Li Feng came to buy the two slaves. Back then, he seemed unsatisfied with them, saying that… they looked too scrawny, their skin tone didn’t seem healthy enough, their muscles were not toned and that they probably wouldn’t hold it out for even two weeks. True enough, it hasn’t even been two weeks yet and he’s back.”

His friends around couldn’t help but feel a chill.

Someone even whispered, “This First Young Master Li is way too cruel.”

Someone shook his head. “His criteria for a slave seems to be modeled after a person…”

Everyone kept quiet. This was actually a secret that had been going around — the slaves who had been tortured to death by Li Feng resembled his brother Li Lei in some way. Some even said that Li Feng hated his brother to the core, while some said… he was simply perverse.

Nobody knew the actual truth.

And nobody had the courage to ask Li Feng in person.

Once, someone had asked out of curiosity, and the following day his corpse was hanging on the entrance.

“Let’s not talk about this. Next topic.” Eagle found it disturbing to be having a conversation about this man.

His friends shared his sentiments and hurriedly moved on to another conversation topic. Only then did the odd feeling of heaviness and suppression dissipate.

Xia Ling led Li Lei along as they walked about on the cruise. There was a lot going on there, with various venues for specific activities — watching special performances, trading slaves, wine-tasting, and gambling of sorts.

All Xia Ling wanted was to find Shaohui.

Yet, with eyes all around her, she couldn’t appear too anxious. All she could do was to act like she was strolling leisurely, and at times she even made an effort to greet the other members briefly.

Finally, they’d walked on every space a member was allowed access to.

Nothing, there was nothing at all.

They hardly even saw children around, not to mention Shaohui.

Xia Ling was getting frustrated and decided to walk to a secluded corner on the third floor for a breather.

“Don’t be too anxious.” Li Lei knew she wasn’t feeling too good. “We’re already here, we’ll definitely find him. He’s probably in the hands of an employee here, maybe we could try asking about buying slaves.”

Xia Ling nodded, knowing she had no better option.

They were still talking when Eagle suddenly arrived on the same corridor with his slave. Seeing that it was Xia Ling and her slave, he approached them. With a smile, he greeted once again, “Hi, what a coincidence. We meet again.”

Chapter 757: Greetings and Formalities
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

It was a coincidence indeed. She’d just wanted to get some information, and someone had come.

In that split second, she had replaced her anxious expression with a rather carefree yet overbearing facade.

She slowly replied, “So we meet again.”

Eagle acutely sensed something different about her, and half teasingly said, “Why, the mighty queen was too proud to speak to me at the deck a while ago, but now she’s interested to talk?”

Xia Ling casually fiddled with Li Lei’s leash. “It’s boring here.”

Eagle smiled. “Most first-timers on the cruise find it all too enticing.”

Under Xia Ling’s mask, her lips curled up a little as she made no effort to hide her despise. “That’s all there is to Paradise? There isn’t anything more… special?”

“Special?” Eagle narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

In the sunlight, he saw that the lady’s skin was fair and smooth, almost like a young girl. Her slave humbly covered her shoulders with a black shawl to prevent Eagle from eyeing on her flesh.

Eagle asked, “Don’t you find this unnecessary?”

He noticed that the slave couldn’t be bothered about how skimpy his dressing was as he kept his eyes on his owner in admiration at all times. Once he noticed that someone was potentially taking interest in his owner, however, he draped the fabric over her immediately. Now, almost every inch of her skin was covered.

Eagle looked at Xia Ling. “This slave of yours seems very jealous.”

Xia Ling didn’t seem bothered by it and even reached out to caress her slave’s face. “I just like the way he’s so concerned about me, every single moment.”

Eagle laughed. “He looks more like your owner.”

Xia Ling laughed as well. “Don’t say that, it makes me feel uneasy.” She pulled the leash and her slave knelt before her immediately, erasing Eagles suspicion. Xia Ling still sounded disinterested. “It’s so troublesome. I’ve to often come out to take walks to expose him to others so that he’ll be jealous of the attention I’m getting. So, in order for me to see him this concerned about me and at my convenience, I’ve decided—”

Xia Ling smiled all of a sudden. “I’ve decided to buy another slave.”

“You want to have two slaves who’ll vie for your attention? What a good idea.” Eagle was impressed. Most people around here only owned one slave, as it took quite a bit of effort and time to train even one. But there was a small number who owned two, or even more, slaves—that was a kind of fun too.

Xia Ling sighed. “I came to take a look because I heard that there’s a sale of slaves onboard. But what a pity…” She shook her head. “They’re all rather disappointing. None of them is even half as good as the one I have.”

Upon hearing that, Li Lei cooperated by looking up at her with gratitude.

Eagle truly felt that this owner-slave pair was meant for each other, and it would be way too hard to find another to come between them. He asked Xia Ling, “Have you seen all the slaves on sale?”

Xia Ling said, “I’ve looked at the slave chamber on the first floor, but there’s nothing good there.”

Eagle smiled. “No wonder you find this place boring. Those on the first floor are just ordinary slaves. If you want the higher grade ones… there’s a monthly auction here. Oh, you’re just in time, there’s one later at midnight.”

Xia Ling’s eyes lit up.

She asked Eagle, “What sort of slaves are put up for auction? Sex, weight, and age?”

Eagle said, “It’s different for each auction. There are males, females, sometimes even transgender ones. The oldest ones are probably in their 70s, while the youngest…” He tried recalling. “Last year, there was a four-year-old girl.”

Xia Ling’s heart skipped a beat. They were selling children!

She tried to conceal her disgust as much as she could. “Girl? Do they have boys?”

“Why not?” Eagle smiled again, but then looked at her slave a little doubtfully. Given his figure, he must’ve been well trained in combat, and would qualify as a bodyguard or for the special forces. “You like boys? Children are very fragile though, you can’t play with them in the same way you play with yours now.”

Xia Ling felt nauseous hearing that but hid it well. “It’s good to change my tastes every once in a while.”

Eagle shrugged. “Well, as you wish.”

They talked for a while more, and then Eagle divulged everything she needed to know, including the exact place of the auction as well as things she needed to take note of. He even remembered to remind her: “When your taste has changed and you’re done with this male slave,” he pointed towards Li Lei. “Remember to look for me.”

Xia Ling played along. “Sure.”

Eagle still felt that she was a newbie and added, “Oh, by the way, there’s this person here that you have to avoid at all costs—” He had to tell her about Li Feng. Otherwise, if Li Feng laid his eyes on this slave, nobody else was going to have a chance.

But before he managed to finish his sentence, someone called out to him.

“I’m coming!” He hurried off and left Xia Ling hanging.

But Xia Ling barely registered what he was saying. Once he left, she staggered a few steps back and turned around, puking in a corner.

There was nothing but bile.

Li Lei supported her. “Xiao Ling, are you alright?”

She panted for a while before weakly saying, “I’m fine.” The things Eagle had told her were far too disgusting. Although she already knew that there were children on board, it was a different matter to hear someone talk about the specifics.

Li Lei wrapped her in an embrace. “Our Shaohui will be alright.”

She prayed hard that Shaohui was well and fine. “What should we do next?” She asked Li Lei.

Li Lei was evidently better when it came to rescue. He had already thought of the next step when Xia Ling was talking to Eagle. “Eagle said that there’s a name list for the auction later. We’ll get a copy of it first and see if Shaohui’s name is on it.” If it was, then things were simple; they could simply buy him back.

But Li Lei felt that a second possibility was more likely—

“Since Grandpa told you that he’ll keep him safe as long as we’re not together, then it’s unlikely that he’ll be auctioned off. If my guess is right, he’s just being detained.”

Chapter 758: Useless
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“Then what should I do?” She asked despondently.

Li Lei’s voice was very calm. “Let’s first take a look at the auction catalog and rule out the possibility that the child will get auctioned off. Then, you should go back to the room and have a rest…” Every guest in this place had their own guest room. Li Lei continued, “I’ll go around and explore all the nooks and crannies in this ship that we haven’t explored yet.”

This was the fastest way to look for Shaohui.

Xia Ling didn’t have a better idea, so she agreed with Li Lei’s plan.

The two of them arrived at the auction venue. Since it was not yet time for the auction, it was quiet in the room with only a few staff members tending to guests that had come to get the auction catalog. Xia Ling dragged Li Lei to one of the staff members and asked for a catalog as well. They scrutinized the exquisitely put together catalog, which was printed on nine pages of craft paper, each with a picture of a slave.

There were seven adults within them, and the last two were kids.

Both were girls. Shaohui was not in the catalog.

Xia Ling breathed a sigh of relief.

The staff members asked respectfully, “Miss, is there anything that I can help you with?”

Xia Ling’s voice was cold and arrogant, maintaining her queen-like image. “Nope, not necessary.” She walked away elegantly with her man-slave—Li Lei—in tow.

They bumped into someone on the way out.

“Yo…” The person let out a long and sleazy acknowledgment, which made Xia Ling give a start. This voice…

She lifted her head and saw a face that she would never forget in her entire life.

She was right, it was Li Feng. He was the first person that Xia Ling saw who was not wearing a mask or using a voice distorter on this ship. He was dressed in a long traditional Chinese robe and had grown out his black hair. His gleaming, slitty eyes that peeked out from under his fringe had the cunning, cold glint of a snake.

Xia Ling stopped in her tracks and had to physically stop herself from taking a step back.

Li Feng looked down at her and laughed lightly. “Not bad… it’s rare to come across someone that isn’t afraid of me.”

After he spoke, his gaze moved from her to the man standing behind her—Li Lei. At this moment, Li Lei was wearing a mask, but his tan face was grim under the black elastic bands of the mask. His muscles were tensed up like a beast that was alert and ready to battle.

Li Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He walked closer to Li Lei and reached out his pale hand, making to lift his chin up.

Xia Ling blocked his hand before he could do so. “You can’t touch my slave without first seeking my permission. Don’t you know this basic courtesy?” She was trying her best to control her voice such that it would not tremble. She put herself between Li Lei and Li Feng, and looked Li Feng in the eye, trying her best to exude a relaxed confidence.

Li Feng appeared to be mildly surprised. “Interesting… Miss, do you know who I am?”

“Do I need to know who you are?” Xia Ling was pulling out all her acting chops, wishing at this moment that the spirits of all the acting geniuses in this world would come upon her, such that Li Feng would not realize her real identity.

She couldn’t understand why she was so unlucky to be meeting the lunatic Li Feng here.

But she knew that every time she came face-to-face with him, nothing good came out of it.

She lifted her head and looked coldly at Li Feng.

One of the staff members ran over nervously, wiping away his cold sweat as he did so. “Mr. Li, it’s this miss’ first time here in Blissful Paradise. Please forgive her if she’s offended you unknowingly.” He then turned to Xia Ling and said, “This is Mr. Li Feng. No one in this place dares to offend him.”

As he spoke, he shot Xia Ling a warning glance.

The staff member was doing this for Xia Ling’s good. Everyone that offended Li Feng had not come to a good end. He didn’t want this big client to suddenly die after her first trip to Blissful Paradise.

However, Xia Ling was not hearing any of it as she continued to stand in front of Li Lei protectively.

Of course she knew who Li Feng was. She couldn’t be more aware of what a lunatic he was. Yet, she couldn’t give in because the man behind her was the love of her life. She didn’t know what would happen if she stepped aside.

Li Feng smiled pensively as he watched her, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips like a snake. “If it was anywhere else, I might have the interest to play this little game with you. However, here…” He made a sudden motion and pushed Xia Ling aside.

Xia Ling only felt herself being flung aside by a strong force and didn’t have the time to react as she took a few steps backward to steady herself. Just as she was about to fall to the ground, she felt someone catch her.

It was Li Lei.

He had materialized behind her to ensure that she didn’t fall and hurt herself.

“Master, are you alright?” His loyal voice rang out.

Xia Ling’s face was pale but shook her head.

Li Feng was walking over slowly.

“Excellent agility…” Li Feng clapped lightly, a knowing smile on his face, his gaze falling on Li Lei’s half-naked torso. “What a loyal slave… you remind me strongly of someone.”

Li Lei glanced at him coldly through the mask, his voice ringing out through the distorter attached. “No one can harm my Master.”

“Really?” Li Feng laughed as he gave Li Lei a once over. “Be my slave.” This was a command, not a question.

“No way.” Li Lei rejected without so much as a thought. He held onto Xia Ling and walked out of the room.

Li Feng watched as they left, the smile deepening on his face, and his gaze full of interest.

A frail-looking slave was following behind Li Feng, and for some reason, he looked like he had been tortured so much that he couldn’t stand steady and was always on the verge of falling.

Li Feng watched as Xia Ling and Li Lei disappeared around the corner before he turned and glanced in disdain at his own slave. He suddenly gave him a tight kick. “Just look at him… look!” He was suddenly furious and gave the slave on the ground a few more kicks to vent his anger. “What rubbish are you?!”

The low thump of someone being hit rang out in the room.

Together with the sounds of ribs being broken.

Not long later, Li Feng’s slave lost all consciousness.

Li Feng was still upset and kicked the corpse on the ground till it was almost deformed, staining the expensive parquet floorboards with the bloody mess. Several of the staff members were standing to the side watching as Young Master Li kicked a person to death. This scene was commonplace for them, and nobody even thought of stepping forward to stop him.

A long time later, Li Feng finally stopped.

One of the staff members came forward with an exquisite porcelain basin and a pristine white towel. He bowed respectfully to Li Feng, saying, “Mr. Li, please wash your hands. It wouldn’t be good for you to dirty your clothes. We’ll clean this up.”

Li Feng took his time washing his hands. By this time, staff had already come forward and were kneeling as they cleaned his shoes with water before waxing it with shoeshine.

The staff carefully said, “You bought this slave about a week ago. Since he’s dead now, do you want to pick another?”

Li Feng gave a huff. “They’re all useless.”

Chapter 759: The Auction
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The venue was quiet.

The staff member who made the suggestion became quiet at his disdain, not daring to make a sound.

A cold, sinister smile appeared on Li Feng’s face, as he whispered like a snake. “Take me backstage to have a look. Hopefully, there are some interesting new finds.” He was not limited to the nine slaves listed in the catalog. There were many other slaves-to-be that hadn’t been trained yet in Blissful Paradise obtained through various underground channels. Li Feng’s impatience meant that they were part of his choice pool as well. He wouldn’t care to wait until these slaves were trained properly.

The staff murmured something before taking him backstage.

On the other end, Xia Ling and Li Lei returned to their guest room.

The highly luxurious room was clearly prepared for the ultimate platinum card members. When they opened the door, they were met with a wide living room with a thick, gold-lined carpet and an eye-catching king-sized bed right in the middle of the room. Behind the bed was a full-length window that was semi-glazed such that they were able to see out of it at the beautiful blue sea beyond the deck, but no one could look into the room from the outside.

Xia Ling only relaxed when they were safely in the room and threw her scarf on the bed.

Li Lei pulled out their luggage and changed out of the sexy and revealing leather outfit he was in into a conservative and expensive-looking black suit that covered his chest and thighs. He looked completely different but still exuded a beastly attractiveness.

Even though she was preoccupied, Xia Ling still gave a start when she saw Li Lei dressed so handsomely.

This man always looked so outstanding that it was difficult for her to remove her gaze from him.

“You can look at me all you like when we get home.” Li Lei caught her in her reverie and teased, before leaning forward to give her a light peck. “I’ll go take a look at the places that are not open for guest access and then report back to you.”

She nodded and told him to be careful, before watching as he left the room.

Li Lei was away for more than two hours, and just as Xia Ling was starting to get antsy, he suddenly returned.

She hurriedly went up to him and asked, “How is it? Are you alright? Did you find out what happened to Shaohui?”

Li Lei nodded. “He’s in a little isolated cell on the third floor of the ship. It looks like he’s only suffered some minor abrasions and is in good mental condition.”

Xia Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Shaohui was fine. What great news!

Almost immediately, she became antsy again. “Why didn’t you save him?”

Li Lei was clearly prepared for this question. “This ship is in open waters. Every day, only the Blissful Paradise helicopters can take-off and land on this ship. The guests on this ship have to use their helicopter if they want to leave. Even if I save Shaohui from the cell, we can only leave here via helicopter, so…”

“So what?”

“I need to create a ‘legal’ identity for Shaohui to be able to take him onto the helicopter without problems.” Li Lei responded. “At the auction tonight, there’s a girl that is being auctioned who is about Shaohui’s age. Xiao Ling, you need to go buy her back so that we have three spots on the helicopter.”

Xia Ling understood what he was saying. “You’re saying that you want Shaohui to take the place of that little girl and board the helicopter with the identity of being the new slave that I bought?”

“Yes.” Li Lei said. “We can dress the little girl like Shaohui and put her in his cell. Nobody will notice the difference for a while.”

Xia Ling hesitated. “Isn’t that being too cruel to the little girl?”

Li Lei’s voice was cold. “Xiao Ling, there are too many people in this world to protect. You can’t protect them all. We can only protect the ones closest to us. That girl’s life was destined to be tough the moment she was captured and brought to Blissful Paradise. She’s going to be bought by a lunatic sooner or later, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

Xia Ling replied softly, “But if I buy her and take her away from here, she’ll be free.”

Li Lei incredulously asked, “And you’re okay with her taking Shaohui’s place?” With Li Lei’s upbringing, he was long used to seeing all kinds of cruelties from a young age. It was not that he was ruthless, but that he had to learn to sacrifice some things for others.

Xia Ling bit her lip. “It’s Shaohui that would be taking her place.”

Li Lei gave a cold huff. “If it wasn’t for Shaohui, would you be here to buy her?”

Xia Ling didn’t say anything. She knew that Li Lei was right. Regardless of whether she was here, that girl’s destiny was not going to change. She couldn’t put her own son in danger because of her sympathy. Everyone was selfish, and she was no exception. Especially when family was on the line.

“We’ll go with your plan.” She said.

Li Lei hugged her. “Don’t be upset.”

She shook her head to indicate that she was fine, but her unhappiness was written on her face.

“Blissful Paradise isn’t going to be here much longer.” Li Lei consoled her. “I’ll get someone to destroy this place when we go back.” Given that they were in this mousetrap now, and it was a critical moment when Shaohui’s identity was about to be revealed to his family, he didn’t want to create any more trouble. As such, he didn’t wage war against Blissful Paradise because of its many strong backers.

But they would have to answer to his wrath for daring to touch his lady and her son.

Blissful Paradise would be annihilated very soon.

Xia Ling felt better after hearing this.

The two of them rested and then had dinner.

Li Lei was still dressed in the outfit he was in while exploring the prison cells, but he changed his mask. If he didn’t admit to it, nobody would be able to tell that he was that man-slave beside Xia Ling in the morning.

He bade Xia Ling goodbye and they went in separate directions.

She was heading to auction for the little girl, and he was going to save Shaohui from the cells.

Xia Ling draped a black scarf over her shoulders and walked down the luxurious corridor of the ship in her 12 cm stilettos to the auction venue. She retrieved her auction number and sat down in the crowd.

There were already many guests gathered in the auction room, all in leather outfits and masks, making it difficult to identify anyone’s true identity. The room was dimly lit and had an eerie atmosphere.

Xia Ling controlled her rising discomfort as she waited for the auction to start.

The auctioneer was dressed in a fishnet outfit as he went onstage. He used a sickly passionate tone as he introduced the first “auction item” for the night—a young man with ghostly pale skin and a pair of innocent and doe-like eyes. His eyes were filled with tears as if he was terrified of his impending doom but had no way of getting himself out of the situation.

The auctioneer explained where he came from and his main characteristics, as well as the skills he had developed through the training program.

Many terms were greek to Xia Ling, but it still made her shudder.

Her back was tense as she sat up straighter in her seat. At this moment, she wished that Li Lei was by her side so that she wouldn’t feel so alone in this eerie room.

Unfortunately, he had his mission to carry out.

And she had to do this alone.

The auctioneer started the auction at a million for the ghostly pale young man, and the price tag soon escalated to five million. He was sold at the price of seven and a half million yuan.

“Done!” The auctioneer announced in the same passionate voice. “Let’s invite the lucky winner of the first auction item—number 18, Mr. Shark—to come onstage to retrieve your prize!”

Chapter 760: The Mysterious Bidding Rival
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The room broke out in applause.

Xia Ling saw a plump man with a green monstrous-looking mask go onstage. Ignoring the struggles of the pale young man, he dragged his prize like a victor off the stage.

Xia Ling subconsciously clenched her fists. She was tempted to buy all the slaves on auction at that moment so that all the young girls and boys would not have to suffer such dreadful destinies. However, she knew that she couldn’t do that and cautioned herself to keep her cool. She needed to remain low-key and out of the limelight so that she could save Shaohui without a glitch.

Li Lei was right. He should destroy Blissful Paradise when they returned home.

This horrendous enterprise should not be allowed to exist.

She took a deep breath to keep her emotions in check as she waited for the next “item” to be auctioned.

The auction continued with each “auction item” being dragged on stage and retrieved by their respective owners after a round of intense bidding. Finally, the auction came to the first little girl in the catalog.

Xia Ling sat up straight and held her breath.

She would compete in this round of bidding. If she failed in this round, there was still a second little girl to follow. If she didn’t compete in this round, she would only be left with the second little girl. The risk was too high.

The auctioneer started the auction. “This is really a good bargain. You have to know that every country is doing a lot to watch out for these little ones. It was really difficult for us to get such a beautiful and cute little girl. The starting price is… eight million!”

This starting price was a full eight times higher than the first young man that came onto the block.

However, there were still many bidders raising their hands. “Ten million”, “thirteen million”… The prices being called out went on and on. Xia Ling raised her slender fingers and entered an amount in the bidding machine in front of her.

Twenty million.

“Twenty million!” The auctioneer shouted out. “Twenty million once! Twenty million twice… and thirty million!”

The auctioneer’s voice became increasingly excited. “Who would have thought that thirty million would be the next bid! Does anyone want to up the bid? Thirty million once! Thirty million twice! Thirty million… Thirty-two million!”

It was Xia Ling. She had increased the bid by a further two million.

She frowned. Things were not going as she expected. The auction for the previous few slaves had been uneventful, and the prices had risen slowly and steadily. This girl that she was bidding for didn’t seem to be all that special, why was someone increasing the bid in ten million increments? As she was still deep in thought, the mysterious rival raised the bid again.

“Forty million!”

This time, there were rumblings across the room.

Even though most of the guests on this ship were wealthy and would consider tens of millions spare cash, they still thought it exorbitant to be paying such a high price for this pretty little girl.

The auctioneer shouted out in surprise. “Forty million! Is this going to be tonight’s highest price? How exciting! I’m shaking all over in excitement… Is anyone going to follow? Anyone at all?!”

He started to count down again. “Forty million once! Forty million twice!”

Xia Ling input forty-three million into the system.

“Forty-three million!” The auctioneer screamed out.

“Fifty million!” The mysterious bidder followed immediately.

Xia Ling’s face was ashen. She needed to give up on this little girl or else she was going to become the center of attention with this crazy bidding. It would then be extremely difficult to switch the little girl for Shaohui when they wanted to leave.

Hence, she remained silent as she heard the auctioneer count down.

The gavel came down and the little girl was bought for fifty million.

The auctioneer announced. “Congratulations to guest number 23, Mr. Lonewolf, for winning this little girl. Please come onstage to retrieve your prize!”

From within the crowd.

Mr. Lonewolf bowed towards the man by his side, his voice quivering. “Mr. Li Feng, I’ll go onstage to get your prize right now.” He was feeling incredibly unlucky for having sat right next to the lunatic Li Feng today and being forced to bid for this little girl.

No one dared to offend Li Feng. He was almost close to tears.

Li Feng’s blinked his narrow slitty eyes and said in a sleazy tone, “Go right ahead. Don’t let my little baby realize that you are retrieving her on my behalf.” As he spoke, his tongue flitted out to lick his lips.

Mr. Lonewolf felt goosebumps appear on his body as he hurriedly went onstage to retrieve the little girl.

Li Feng smiled in the shadows and murmured. “My little baby… who would have thought that you would come into a place like this… Come come… let me finish this little game with you… haha… haha… hahahahaha… ”

Xia Ling looked up at the person that went onstage to retrieve the little girl.

He looked like a normal man. So why did he go all out to win this little girl?

Perhaps…

Did he have a weird fetish?

Xia Ling almost balked at this thought.

Now, she could only pray that this man would be satisfied with buying this little girl and wouldn’t fight her for the next little girl.

However, it was not meant to be.

The next little girl’s starting price was ten million. When Xia Ling opened the bid at fifteen million, someone called it up to thirty million immediately. The rumblings from the crowd got louder. Even though kids were a rarity in these auctions and would fetch higher prices, it was still uncommon to see the prices rise at such an alarming rate.

Everyone was waiting to see if anyone would raise the bid.

Xia Ling’s expression became darker. However, she needed to win this little girl at all cost.

“Forty million.” She no longer tried to hide and went head-to-head with the mysterious bidder.

The mysterious bidder continued. “Fifty million.”

“Sixty million!” It wasn’t that she wanted to be the center of attention but that she needed to win this girl to save Shaohui. Now, there was no time for her to overthink.

“Eighty million.” Her rival calmly raised.

“A hundred million!” Xia Ling followed.

A hundred million!

A buzz went through the room. This bid was a historical high in the auctions but usually reserved for extremely rare and outstanding slaves. However, this little girl didn’t seem all that special.

“Who’s that person with so much spare cash to spend?” Someone started to whisper.

“Right?” Someone else joined in. “A hundred million for a little girl? Is she crazy?”

“She must be new, right?” The murmurings spread out through the room.

Onstage, the auctioneer was banging the gavel excitedly. “A hundred million once! A hundred million twice! Is anyone going to follow? Anyone?” The room was silent.

Mr. Lonewolf, who was still helping Li Feng with the bid, was standing by the sinister man in trepidation. “Li… Mr. Li… Do we still follow?”

“Follow?” Li Feng’s face broke into a scary smile as he shook his finger.

Mr. Lonewolf nervously retracted his hand.

“A hundred million… sold!” The auctioneer’s gavel came down. “This little girl belongs to…”