Monster - Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Star City - A Style of Slaughter
Lou was left speechless by Lin Sandie's retort. The two returned to the hotel and went to their separate rooms.
The Scorpion on Lin Sandie's back made her tremble and shiver with cold from the pain, but because she was angry with Lou, she refused to let her help. Enduring the pain, she returned to her room and had a puppet apply the ointment.
Lou returned to her room. Through the Line she had placed on Lin Sandie, she could observe what Lin Sandie was doing, but she did nothing. She simply sat quietly by the window, gazing at the brightly lit city outside.
The next morning, Lin Sandie went out for breakfast and ran into Lou in the elevator lobby. Lou was wearing a floral dress, her long hair in a braid. The moment she saw Lin Sandie, she broke into a smile, looking like a sweet girl who couldn't possibly harm anyone.
"What are the plans for today?" Lou asked. The auction started at 7:30 in the evening, so they still had some time during the day.
"The auction tonight seems to have a dress code. Do you need to buy a formal dress?" Lin Sandie asked, her face expressionless as usual, yet her words were filled with concern for Lou.
"Okay. What about you?"
"I'll just stick with a suit. If anything unexpected happens, a dress and high heels would hinder my movement." Lin Sandie didn't possess Lou's combat strength, so she didn't want to add any unnecessary complications. She still planned on wearing the Rose Society's custom-made black suit and white shirt.
Lou nodded, imagining what Lin Sandie would look like in a formal dress. "How did you know I was on the bar street last night?"
Ding. The elevator arrived at the floor with the hotel's dining hall. Lin Sandie stepped out first.
"I was tracking my younger brother. I saw him last night in a bar controlled by Madness Material, but it wasn't a good place to make a move."
"Hmm~ and then you happened to see me," Lou said, following Lin Sandie into the hotel's dining hall. "That bar street is indeed divided among many factions. You can gather a lot of information there."
"What do you plan to do next?" Lou continued to ask.
"He's just a subordinate of a minor leader in Madness Material. Catching him won't be difficult. We'll attend the auction as planned tonight. I'll handle it myself," Lin Sandie said in a calm tone while getting her food. At that moment, she and Lou seemed like close friends. "With puppets."
Lou pouted imperceptibly. "They will indeed be good helpers for you."
After breakfast, the two efficiently headed out to a dress shop. Since time was limited, they didn't choose custom tailoring. Lou picked out a ready-made red formal dress. When she came out wearing it, Lin Sandie didn't hide her amazement, her gaze fixed intently on Lou.
Lou smiled shyly at Lin Sandie.
"Very beautiful."
At Lin Sandie's compliment, Lou's smile widened into a grin, revealing her white teeth and faint dimples. She eagerly went to look at other dresses. "I'll pick another one, then."
She was very curious what Lin Sandie would look like in a formal dress, and since she looked just like her, perhaps it was possible to achieve the same effect by changing her own demeanor.
Next, she chose a long dress in a more subdued and elegant color and went into the fitting room. When she emerged, her entire demeanor had shifted to one of cold serenity. Her usually smiling face was expressionless, and her light-colored eyes swept over the waiting Lin Sandie.
Seeing Lou like this, Lin Sandie blinked. It was like looking at herself, which made her gaze involuntarily turn into one of calm scrutiny.
"Do I look like her?" Lou couldn't maintain the act under Lin Sandie's gaze. The corners of her mouth curled up as she asked with a smile, instantly dispelling the aura she had just created.
"Not really." Lin Sandie shook her head. "You're more confident than I am."
"Uh..." Lou shrugged noncommittally and turned to the sales clerk beside them. "I'll take both."
"Now that we've bought the dresses, what's next?" Lou asked, carrying the dress bags and moving closer to Lin Sandie. She suddenly seemed unaccustomed to being with Lin Sandie, constantly asking for her opinion.
Lin Sandie, who had originally planned to return to the hotel to strategize their next move, paused when she heard Lou's words. She knew Lou was someone who couldn't sit still. If she didn't accompany her, Lou would definitely go out wandering and stir up trouble.
"It's a bit hot. Want to get some ice cream?" Lin Sandie asked. It was the most suitable date activity she could think of at the moment.
"Let's go."
The tension from the previous night was gone as the two spent the day on a date. While both of them enjoyed a life of adventure, Lin Sandie didn't find this kind of less dangerous daily routine boring, and Lou seemed to feel the same. After the ice cream, Lou dragged Lin Sandie around the mall, got her nails done to match her dress, bought some skincare products, and insisted Lin Sandie join her for a head massage. She even bought a stack of scratch-off tickets with the air of a true gambler, only to have the bad luck of winning just a few dollars...
At 7:30 PM, Lin Sandie and Lou arrived at the venue right on time. The auction was held in a villa in Star City's most prosperous district, organized by a major merchant named Will. Lin Sandie had already learned from the Red Phone that this middle-aged man, Will, was actually a broker who moved between the major organizations, peddling Remnants they couldn't easily sell themselves.
Upon arriving, someone immediately opened the car door for Lin Sandie and Lou. The security guards at the entrance wore neat suits and matching sunglasses. Even before entering, one could feel the atmosphere of a grand event.
"Have you ever been to an auction before?"
"I think so, but I don't remember it clearly. What about you?" Lou asked distractedly, observing the guests who had already arrived to attend the auction.
"This is my first time. I only just learned that these kinds of auctions usually have a preview. If we had arrived a day earlier, we might not have needed to come. You could have just gone to the preview to achieve your goal."
Chatting idly, Lou took Lin Sandie's arm as an attendant guided them into the villa's main hall. Through her earlier investigation, Lin Sandie knew that the minor leader Lin Youceng worked for would be attending. Entry required a security deposit, and the leader would only bring one trusted subordinate into the auction itself. Common thugs like Lin Youceng would be left behind in the villa's outer hall.
Having arrived deliberately late, Lin Sandie glanced out of the corner of her eye at Lin Youceng, who was sitting on a sofa in the hall. He saw her too and shot to his feet, his eyes filled with terror.
Without pausing, Lin Sandie and Lou entered the auction room. It was furnished with many antique and elegant tables and chairs. On each table lay a thick catalog, paper, and a pencil.
"I might be distracted for a while," Lin Sandie whispered, leaning close to Lou after they were seated. Their assigned number had led them to a spot near the back. The auction had already begun, and most of the seats were filled.
Lou loved it when Lin Sandie leaned in close to speak to her; it made her feel very comfortable.
"Okay." Lou smiled, refraining from any unnecessary movements or words.
Lin Sandie began flipping through the catalog, reading the descriptions of the magical items left behind by monsters. On the stage, the auctioneer had already started selling items according to their lot numbers.
In truth, she'd had a chance to get more magical items when dealing with the zombies Tree and Lou had killed at Thriller Paradise. However, finding items left behind by monsters usually required time and effort. Lin Sandie didn't have eyes like Lou's that could scan for such things, so she hadn't had the time to search through all those zombies by herself.
Tonight, Lou's goal was to scan each of the magical items. Lin Sandie's only objective was her younger brother, Lin Youceng.
Meanwhile, Lin Youceng had been on edge ever since seeing Lin Sandie. He sat on the sofa, hands clasped, leg shaking restlessly. The image of his sister's emotionless eyes kept flashing in his mind, filling him with an inexplicable fear and panic.
"What's wrong with you?" asked a companion who had also been left outside, looking at him strangely.
"Nothing, I'm going out for a smoke!" Lin Youceng shot up from the sofa and headed outside.
Because the auction had started, only a few security guards were patrolling outside the villa. Lin Youceng saw a tall woman in a black trench coat standing there, smoking nonchalantly as if she too were waiting for her master. In her other hand, she held a bottle of hard liquor, from which she occasionally took a swig.
Lin Youceng took out his own cigarettes. He scratched his scalp in frustration, then rubbed the bridge of his nose before finally taking out a cigarette to light.
He knew his sister, Lin Sandie, wouldn't remain indifferent after learning he had killed their parents. But he never imagined she would find out he was in Disorder Land and even chase him here. What about her good job? Her house? She'd actually given all that up just to drag him back to apologize to their dead parents?
What good would an apology do!? Lin Youceng thought resentfully, taking a harsh drag from his cigarette. He suddenly remembered hearing that his sister had latched onto some crazy killer. What was that killer like? Who was the woman with her just now? He hadn't gotten a good look... Damn it...
Lin Youceng complained endlessly in his heart, without a shred of the remorse he should have felt for killing his parents.
"Got a light?" The tall woman in the black trench coat walked over and asked. She was around forty, wearing dark glasses, with a gaunt face and a grim, dangerous aura that naturally made people feel afraid in her presence.
"Here." Lin Youceng had developed some street smarts during his time here. He quickly raised his hand to light the cigarette dangling from the lips of the woman, who was half a head taller than him.
The woman took the cigarette with her index finger and thumb, took a large gulp of liquor, and then handed the bottle to Lin Youceng.
Lin Youceng didn't want to take the liquor, but he didn't know if refusing would offend this woman of unknown origin. He had no choice but to accept the bottle and take a small sip.
"How did you end up in Disorder Land?" The woman's voice was a few notes lower than a typical woman's, but it was pleasant to listen to.
"Made a little mistake." Lin Youceng laughed self-deprecatingly. The image of his sister's emotionless eyes, looking at him as if he were an insect, surfaced in his mind again. A surge of anger rose, and he took a heavy swig of liquor.
"Just for killing one or two people, she's chasing me relentlessly, tsk... Anyway, people like them only lived for my sake." Lin Youceng took another gulp of liquor. His face gradually flushed, and he became more talkative.
The tall woman nodded and continued to smoke.
Realizing he had been disrespectfully talking only about himself, Lin Youceng's expression relaxed under the influence of alcohol. He asked, "What about you? How did you end up in Disorder Land?"
"Looking for someone." The tall woman took a deep drag from her cigarette. With half of it left, she threw it on the ground and stamped it out with her foot.
After doing this, she walked a few steps forward and hailed a passing taxi.
"Who?" Lin Youceng asked curiously.
"You." The tall woman opened the car door and turned to look at Lin Youceng. The flickering light cast an eerie, murderous aura on her face.
As Lin Youceng, shocked, prepared to take two steps back, he suddenly found he couldn't control his body at all. He couldn't even let go of the liquor bottle in his hand.
"No..." His voice was cut short. Lin Youceng couldn't even make a sound. He could only watch as his own legs moved, obediently getting into the taxi, while the nearby security guards noticed nothing unusual.
The tall woman sat down next to him, crossed her legs, and calmly told the taxi driver, "To the funeral home."
Lin Youceng desperately wanted to push the door open and run, but he found he could do nothing but watch as the taxi drove toward the destination the woman had named.
"Drink it." Lin Sandie watched her tear-streaked brother through the puppet's eyes. Under her control, Lin Youceng could only obediently raise the half-empty bottle of liquor and gulp it down.
Lin Sandie had long since mixed water soaked with the "Living Thing" into the liquor. After drinking it, Lin Youceng became her puppet while still alive, completely under her control.
This was the first time Lin Sandie had done something like this without relying on Lou, and her first target was her own brother, who had turned into a monster. She had tested Lin Youceng and found him to be a complete monster. Lin Sandie felt there was nothing to regret about such a monster disappearing.
She didn't want to lecture or waste a single breath. Letting the monster get drunk before entering the incinerator was already her most gentle mercy.
Regardless, Lin Youceng had to apologize to the parents he killed with his life.
What Lin Sandie didn't know was that this event marked the beginning of her future style of conduct. She would come to take the lives of those she deemed enemies with clean, ruthless, and silent cruelty.
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