Chapter 2741: Transmigrated to the Noble Academy as a Special Recruit 26

The auction officially began, the auctioneer stepped onto the display platform, and the first lot was carefully presented.

Ling Yao leaned against Jin Chen's arms, yawned lazily, and had no interest in this routine opening.

Jin Chen casually pulled the soft cashmere blanket stacked on the sofa and covered Ling Yao with it.

Ling Yao glanced at him and whispered a protest, "I'm not cold."

"Hmm," Jin Chen kept his expression unchanged, lowered his voice even further, almost whispering in his ear, "I'm feeling a bit cold."

A few seconds later, Ling Yao's waist tensed slightly.

Jin Chen stared at the first item being displayed downstairs, his expression focused.

Beneath the thin blanket, warm fingers slipped under the shirt's hem, found the ruby waist chain snug against the lower back, and gently played with it.

Ling Yao's eyelids twitched slightly, he leaned further into Jin Chen's embrace, and pleasantly pressed his lips together.

During the ensuing auction, Ling Yao practically embodied the phrase "spending money like water" to the fullest.

Various rare gems, artworks, and even mining rights to a specialty vein in a fringe star system—whenever he fancied something, he raised his paddle without hesitation, as if not bidding but happily making a big purchase.

Lin Baiyu, who usually wasn't keen on such events, surprisingly bought a few items today—mostly obscure rare metal raw materials—and didn't say who they were for.

After purchasing a few items, he lowered his head to operate the terminal, handling family information.

Only occasionally would Lin Baiyu lift his pale gray eyes, his gaze sweeping toward Jin Chen's direction.

Whenever this happened, his throat would reflexively burn with a searing sting—the spot where, that night, Jin Chen had harbored killing intent and briefly gripped with his fingers.

In that moment, Lin Baiyu could even feel his life force gradually draining under absolute control.

Yet looking back now, the first thing that surged in his heart was not the fear of having survived a disaster, but……

Lin Baiyu lowered his eyelids, his fingertip sliding across the terminal.

The first half of the auction came to a temporary close.

Servers entered the private room in single file, carrying trays bearing the auction items, while simultaneously replacing the drinks.

Ling Yao was still arguing with Jin Chen over the Delta Star deep-sea diamond he had just won.

"I won't wear some chest chain," he frowned, lowering his voice to complain, "It's obviously perfect—cut and fire are top‑grade; wouldn't it be better made into a diamond ring?"

But Jin Chen said it looked great.

Ling Yao was still torn when he turned his head and saw Jin Chen staring fixedly at the private room door.

Ling Yao followed his gaze, and his face instantly darkened.

A young‑looking boy, slender, his uniform shirt seemingly altered to be a size smaller, revealing a slim patch of fair waist, with a crushed‑diamond navel stud set into his lower abdomen.

Jin Chen's gaze lingered on the boy for several seconds until the boy approached with a drink in hand.

Ling Yao and Lin Baiyu both looked at the server.

Lin Baiyu glanced a few times and furrowed his brow.

Ling Yao's voice turned cold: "Don't come over."

The boy froze for a moment, lifted his face to reveal a fairly handsome countenance, his eyes showing just‑right panic, and hurriedly nodded, "S‑sorry, Young Master Ling……"

Ling Yao was about to say more, but Jin Chen moved first, gently covering his mouth.

Jin Chen's tone gave no hint of emotion as he told the boy, "Please go out first."

"... Thank you, sir." The boy, feigning shyness, deliberately glanced at Jin Chen, set the red wine on the coffee table, and hurriedly exited the private room with his companion.

As the door shut, Ling Yao flung off Jin Chen's hand, fuming, "I'm still here! You pervert! You actually stared at that boy for so long right in front of me!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew—was it because the boy's navel piercing looked good? Or because that sliver of waist was so white and thin?

Just as Jin Chen was about to explain, Lin Baiyu suddenly said, "He's not an ordinary person."

Lin Baiyu spoke with certainty: "He's at least undergone professional training—not like a regular server, more like an assassin, or…… a space pirate who roams the star realms year‑round."

As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the private room shifted instantly.

"I‑I… really?" Xisi blinked dazedly, not even noticing any server.

Jin Chen nodded, confirming Lin Baiyu's judgment: "Yes, his stance is very solid, like someone who's long been accustomed to holding a weapon."

Ling Yao straightened his back, his face grave, "I'll send people to deal with him right away."

"Not so fast," Lin Baiyu raised a hand to stop him, "First send someone to tail him covertly—people like this showing up here certainly aren't acting alone."

——

The second half began, the auctioneer returned to the stage and cleared his throat.

"Honored guests, next up is Lot No. 20 of this auction—a legacy from the lost Life Cradle Laboratory, the X7‑type gene‑repair primal fluid!"

As he spoke, a cylindrical container emitting a pale blue cold light was pushed onto the display platform by two fully armed guards.

Inside the container floated about a hundred milliliters of liquid, brimming with tremendous vitality.

"As everyone knows, the X7‑type gene‑repair fluid is, among known interstellar civilizations, the legendary substance with the greatest restorative potential for irreversible damage such as gene‑chain collapse from acquired trauma or genetic contamination, and psychic frenzy. The amount still in existence is barely countable……"

Jin Chen, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, sat up a bit, his dull eyes lifting.

It's here.

This vial of gene fluid is one of Ailike's most important early‑game cheats.

In the original plot, Ailike went to great lengths, paying a hefty price, to obtain it.

It was precisely by relying on this vial of gene fluid to raise his genetic load limit that the later gene‑swap surgery could be carried out, making it the cornerstone of all subsequent developments.

Ling Yao turned his head, "Do you like this?"

He was a bit puzzled—Jin Chen had shown no interest in any auction items before, so why would he be interested in a potion?

Jin Chen glanced casually at the opposite sofa; sure enough, Ailike was also astonished, evidently never expecting the long‑sought‑after gene fluid to appear in this auction.

Before Ailike could speak to Xisi, Jin Chen got ahead, turned to Ling Yao, and gave a light nod.

"I like it," he replied, completely changing his previous indifferent attitude toward any auction item.

Jin Chen lowered his eyelids slightly, making his usually expressionless face seem to carry an indescribable sense of stillness and fragility.

My genetic power isn't very stable; my mental power sometimes cannot be controlled.

That's not untrue; this original body indeed has some hidden dangers.

Ling Yao stared blankly at him, as if he had swallowed a big clump of cotton covered in fine prickles, stuck in his chest causing pain, an indescribable discomfort, sour and painful.

So this is what it feels like to ache for someone.

Ling Yao turned his hand and gripped Jin Chen's hand tightly, 'I'll definitely record it for you.'

Eric opposite them was half a beat slow, completely not expecting Jin Chen to pull this stunt.

He opened his mouth, feeling unwilling, 'Jin Chen, we've been roommates for a while—how come I never heard you say you have this... illness?'

Jin Chen lazily lifted his eyelids, 'There are many things you don't know.'

Xisi jabbed Eric with his elbow, 'Alright Eric, why pick at someone's wound—do you have any tact?'

Eric: '……'

His face turned a shade of green-white.

It's not like we haven't seen Jin Chen's god‑blocking, Buddha‑blocking fierce look when he fights—his mental power is so strong! Where is any sign of instability?

What exactly are you feeling sorry for!

He seethed inwardly, but constrained by the situation, could only force out a smile uglier than crying, and resentfully closed his mouth.