Chapter 51: The Highest Milk Volume?

In the eastern part of District 14, inside the Da Yuan Auction House.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this lot is absolutely not to be missed…”

As the host on stage introduced the item, bidders below raised their bids.

It was daytime, so this was the human world—though even by day, a few ghouls inevitably slipped in.

The auction house grew increasingly lively; two solemn old men had both set their sights on the item and began outbidding each other.

Su Xiao sat among the crowd, but his focus differed from everyone else’s.

The auction house was sizable, capable of accommodating several hundred bidders at once, and had three exits total.

They were: the main entrance, the rear exit, and the emergency escape route.

The emergency escape route remained sealed unless a fire or other emergency occurred, but it still needed to be secured.

With three exits, even Shinohara Akira alone couldn’t handle it—someone from the branch must be dispatched.

Su Xiao rose and walked through the crowd to the restroom, pulling out his phone.

“Senior Shinohara, this is Baiye.”

Shinohara Yukiki was likely on duty; the voice on the line was noisy.

“What is it, Senior Baiye?”

Shinohara Yukiki’s title startled Su Xiao—he called him “Senior.” The headquarters must have promoted him.

“I’ve located a large gathering of ghouls. I need manpower. A lot of it.”

Su Xiao emphasized “a lot,” knowing that clearing District 14 with just himself and Shinohara Akira would be difficult.

It wasn’t that Su Xiao lacked combat power—clearing District 14 required many to block escape routes.

“How many?”

As a Senior Investigator, Su Xiao had authority to mobilize personnel, but he couldn’t request too many.

“A lot—but the combat strength needed is low. Just enough to block roads.”

Shinohara Yukiki paused to consider.

“There aren’t many investigators in the District 14 branch. Third-class and below, maybe around eighty.”

“But first, tell me your plan.”

Su Xiao explained his plan to Shinohara Yukiki, who reacted with clear shock.

“Clear District 14? That’s no simple task. Though there aren’t many ghouls there, they’re hidden well. Do you have a way?”

“I do.”

Shinohara Yukiki fell silent for a long while.

“If you fail, it could seriously damage your future.”

Su Xiao chuckled lightly—he didn’t care about his future.

“Irrelevant. I’m acting tonight.”

“I can’t get there now. I’ll send Shizao. As for the manpower you need, it’ll arrive soon.”

Su Xiao moved to hang up, but Shinohara Yukiki called out.

“Baiye, you’ve been promoted to Senior Investigator. Your credentials are at the branch. I’ll have Shizao bring them to you.”

“Hmm.”

Su Xiao hung up.

As he prepared to leave the restroom, he accidentally spotted a rat.

This rat was unusual—its fur was pale yellow. Su Xiao examined it closely: it was a hamster.

A rat in the restroom wasn’t surprising, but why a hamster? Perhaps a bidder’s pet—possible.

The pale yellow hamster wasn’t afraid of people. It stood upright on the edge of the sink, holding something in its front paws and gnawing.

“Crack~ crack~ crack~.”

In the quiet restroom, only the hamster’s chewing could be heard. The little creature chewed rapidly, cheeks bulging, looking adorable, its jet-black eyes curiously fixed on Su Xiao.

For some reason, Su Xiao suddenly felt watched—as if this weren’t a hamster, but a person.

“Squeak~.”

The hamster squeaked, holding out a small piece of carrot in its front paws—offering it to Su Xiao.

The meaning was clear: he should eat it.

Su Xiao sighed bitterly and turned away. The hamster was just too smart—nothing else seemed wrong.

After Su Xiao left, the hamster devoured the carrot in a few bites and patted its belly contentedly.

In its jet-black eyes, a flash of blue light passed, and with several agile leaps, the hamster vanished from the restroom.

…

In a house five hundred meters from the auction house, a girl in a light green dress suddenly opened her eyes.

“Sister, I found him.”

The green-dressed girl had a pure face, long hair falling to her shoulders. If you stood near her, you’d smell a scent of plants and trees—not perfume, but the raw scent of nature.

“Is he really as strong as Han Yu claimed? That guy’s cunning—he pretends to fear us but harbors ill intent. If not for that person’s sake, we’d have erased him already.”

A tall woman in knight armor, wielding a metal shield the size of a door, spoke.

Her armor weighed at least two or three hundred jin, yet she moved with ease.

“Han Yu might be lying. According to Kaka’s (the hamster’s) perception, the man enhanced three attributes: Strength 13, Agility 13, Intelligence 12.”

“His individual stats are similar to ours, but he chose a balanced path.”

The green-dressed girl yawned, her face showing fatigue—controlling the hamster remotely wasn’t easy.

The armored woman frowned.

“High strength and agility I understand—but what the hell is this ‘intelligence’? He’s a sword-wielding warrior—why boost intelligence?”

The green-dressed girl lay on the bed, her pale legs propped up, occasionally swinging.

“Who knows? Weirdos are everywhere, and today there are extra ones.”

She giggled.

“Should we kill him?”

A slightly hoarse female voice came from the corner of the room. The corner was pitch black; only the faint outline of a woman in a tight-fitting suit could be seen.

If she didn’t speak, no one could detect her.

The armored woman was clearly the leader of the three. She thought carefully for a long time.

“Of course we kill him. A lone individual in one faction is abnormal. His death will shatter the balance of this derivative world, triggering massive World Source output.”

“We three entered this low-level world using exemption scrolls—no main quest. If we do nothing, we lose. This is an opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

The other two women nodded.

“Then, Your Majesty, when do we strike?”

The green-dressed girl yawned again, looking half-asleep.

“Just call me Queen. Don’t add ‘Majesty’—it’s so tacky.”

The armored woman glared at her.

“Understood… Queen Majesty~.”

A sultry laugh echoed from the corner.

“Hei Bai, you’re joining ‘Airport’ in this nonsense.”

At the word “Airport,” the green-dressed girl exploded, sitting up on the bed.

“I’m not Airport! My ‘milk volume’ is enormous! If not for my ‘milk volume,’ you’d already be dead meat in a giant’s mouth!”

The Queen suddenly remembered something and smiled warmly.

“Yes, yes—you’re the highest milk volume healer in Layer One. Enough joking. We strike tonight.”

At the mention of serious business, the other two grew solemn.

“I’ll find a high ground.”

The woman hidden in the shadows stepped forward. Her purple tight-fitting suit accentuated her curvaceous figure; her long purple hair was tied in a ponytail, and behind her back was a heavy sniper rifle at least one meter long.

“Thanks, Hei Bai.”

Thus, the three women of unknown origin began preparing to ambush Su Xiao—unaware, Su Xiao was finalizing his plan to eliminate the ghouls at the auction.