After bidding on the girl, Jiang Hai continued sitting comfortably, watching the auction unfold before him.
In truth, he didn't care whether he spent all his money. If his balance got low, someone would surely approach him. And as far as Jiang Hai was concerned, money—especially cash—wasn't something he feared losing.
"How many more people are we targeting?" Jiang Hai asked Azarina.
"Two more," she replied after a moment of thought. "The rest is up to you."
"Alright. Let's see what comes next." Jiang Hai nodded and turned his attention back to the platform.
Following the Wolf Leader he had just purchased, the next auctioned item was an Auxiliary Wolf—visibly masculine in appearance. Jiang Hai took one glance and lost interest. He didn't have any unusual preferences.
"By the way," Jiang Hai asked while casually rubbing the Poison Spider's upper body, "does this organization only recruit women? I'm genuinely curious—I haven't seen a single man yet."
"There are men," Azarina replied, "but I don't know why none are here today."
Of course there were men. Even in films like Red Fruit Girl, there were male instructors—let alone in real life.
In the real world, men often outperformed women in combat. While women might excel in intelligence gathering, men typically held the advantage in physical conflict due to inherent biological differences.
"Yes, men do get auctioned," added the Poison Spider in Jiang Hai's arms, "but not today. Also, when we're sold to private buyers, it's mostly about matching the owner's preferences. Unless a man has some special allure, few people want to buy them. On the other hand, I've heard that wealthy women are particularly enthusiastic about these auctions."
Jiang Hai nodded. Indeed, having a beauty in his arms like this was an unmatched experience. If it were a man... well, forget it.
As they chatted, several more 'wolves' were auctioned off. Then, about ten minutes later, another woman rose onto the platform.
The moment Jiang Hai saw her, his eyes lit up.
What could he say? This woman was truly stunning.
And more surprisingly, she was Chinese—not Korean, not Japanese. A quick glance at her profile confirmed it.
She appeared to be in her twenties, with long black hair and a crisp white trench coat. Her expression was calm, almost indifferent. If she hadn't appeared in this setting, Jiang Hai might have mistaken her for a movie star.
From a Chinese aesthetic standpoint, she was absolutely top-tier.
Large, almond-shaped eyes, long lashes, a high but delicate nose, soft fair skin, and a pointed chin—by Jiang Hai's standards, she scored well over 85.
Compared to someone like Feng Yunchen, who made a living off her looks, this woman wasn't inferior. Even when stacked against Qi Li, the difference was minimal.
"She's also one of our targets," Azarina said softly, just as Jiang Hai was about to place a bid.
Well, that sealed it. Jiang Hai had already planned to buy her, and Azarina's confirmation gave him all the more reason. He glanced at her details:
Codename: Wolf Leader 13-1
Age: 27
Blood Type: O
Height: 171 cm
Weight: 112 lbs
Measurements: 88-59-86 (M)
Training Start: Age 5
Graduated: Age 16
Mission Completion Rate: 71 A-rank, 36 B-rank, 14 special assignments, 0 D-rank
Confirmed Kills: 84
Skills: Close combat, disguise, intelligence gathering, assassination, vehicle operation, fire control, firearms, electronics
Note: Has a known weakness—dislikes killing
Starting Price: $4.3 million
Minimum Bid Increment: $50,000
Jiang Hai nodded thoughtfully. Averse to killing? That could be considered a weakness in this world—but to him, it didn't matter.
The bidding started, and without hesitation, Jiang Hai entered: $10 million.
Yes, his previous Wolf Leader cost $10 million, and since this one was also a priority for Azarina, he didn't want to lowball it. He had the money—why not use it?
"Baga!" A furious shout rang out from Box 17, where a group of East Asians glared at the sudden jump in price. Judging by their reaction, it was obvious—they were Japanese.
In front of their leader, several women they had recently purchased were kneeling, serving them in silence.
Box 17 had also purchased the first Web Spider in the auction, as well as eleven other women in various categories.
Six were Wolf Spiders—stoic and imposing—currently standing in a line. Three were Web Spiders and two Poison Spiders, all five lying unclothed before their buyers.
For these women, this was nothing new.
Nightclubs and brothels—those were the places where spies collected the most intel. Seduction was part of their craft, and now that they'd been purchased and their dues paid to the organization, they belonged to their buyers. Pleasing their new masters was expected—just like with Jiang Hai.
But the Japanese didn't just want spiders. Their real targets were the Wolves. And of the Alpha Wolves—those rare commanders—there were only 38.
Twelve had reportedly been claimed by top officials of this country. Of the remaining 26, four had defected, leaving just 22 Alpha Wolves—18 men and only 4 women.
These four female leaders were highly coveted, and the Japanese had hoped to secure at least two of them.
Now, two had appeared—and both had been intercepted by Box 8.
Spending $10 million on a single woman was no small matter. The Japanese in Box 17 looked to their middle-aged leader, who was being served attentively by his women.
"Raise the bid again," he said.
The auction rooms were soundproofed, their occupants concealed to avoid political or personal conflicts. Still, the grudge against Box 8 had begun to simmer.
"$11 million."
One of the Japanese input the new bid. Jiang Hai blinked when he saw the price rise—then casually typed in $12 million.
One-million-dollar increases meant little to him. He could earn that much back in days.
But for the men in Box 17, this was a serious blow. They belonged to the Yamaguchiyama Organization, one of Japan's most powerful underground groups.
Even at an even exchange rate of 100 yen to the dollar, $1 million equaled 100 million yen. To jump by such an amount without hesitation shocked them.
Yamaguchiyama had deep pockets, but they weren't limitless. While they were the largest gray-market syndicate in the world, their expenses were also immense.
After a long pause, the middle-aged man sighed.
"Let it go. We'll fight him for the last one."
That was it. The Japanese withdrew, and Jiang Hai secured his fifth acquisition.
But the auction wasn't over.
A few rounds later, another Wolf Leader appeared—this one clearly of Germanic descent. Jiang Hai's smile widened. Another one for his collection.
Without pause, he entered $10 million.
Other boxes were stunned. Again?
Was Box 8 made of money?
Box 17 tried once more, offering $11 million, but Jiang Hai immediately countered with $12 million—crushing their hopes yet again.
"Forget it. We'll fight for the final one," the Japanese leader said, clearly prepared now. His subordinates nodded grimly.
They checked their remaining funds—$21.875 million. Originally meant to buy two wolves, but now three had been snatched away.
This damn guy!
Now, the entire room's attention turned to Box 8.
After acquiring three Wolf Leaders, an Auxiliary Wolf, and two Spiders, Jiang Hai had spent over $35 million. Everyone watching assumed he must be worth billions—and likely had powerful backing.
No one could guess who he was. But that wouldn't remain a mystery forever.
Meanwhile, inside Box 8, Azarina couldn't help but worry.
"Boss… do you still have enough money left?" she asked softly.
"Oh?" Jiang Hai looked at her, slightly surprised. "I've spent that much already?"
He did a quick mental tally.
Three Wolf Leaders—two at $12 million, one at $10 million—totaled $34 million. The Samoan woman had gone for $500,000. The seductive Poison Spider in his arms had cost $1 million. Altogether, he'd spent $35.5 million.
He had paid a $50 million deposit, leaving him with $14.5 million.
That should be enough for one more Wolf Leader, assuming prices didn't jump too high.
Still, Jiang Hai preferred to play it safe.
He pressed the manual service button.
"Hello, sir. How can I assist you?" came a gruff male voice, not the usual sweet tone.
"I'd like to increase my deposit," Jiang Hai said casually.
There was a moment of silence on the other end—clearly, the man had access to Jiang Hai's balance. He'd already deposited $50 million, and now he wanted to add more?
The message was clear: Jiang Hai wasn't done yet.
Taking out his checkbook, Jiang Hai scrawled $20 million across the Poison Spider's belly and handed the check to Azarina.
She would take care of the formalities once someone came to collect it. Jiang Hai, meanwhile, turned his eyes back to the stage.
If something else caught his interest… he'd buy it.
This feeling—of spending money like water—was simply intoxicating.
(To be continued...)