1
00:05
The auction-house lights die. A single follow-spot nails her face.
The auctioneer's voice cracks: "Sold—ten million!"
Gavel falls; no one claps.
She stands on stage, mask cold as a blade against her skin.
Shen Yan lifts a hand; bodyguards close in, escorting her backstage.
Qi Si leans against a back-row pillar, cigarette unlit, gaze a silent countdown.
Fei Ye flicks shredded canvas into the air; confetti of white drifts through the spotlight.
044 murmurs:
[Emergency branch: three-way standoff initiated]
[Choice timer: 30 seconds]
2
00:10
Backstage corridor, colder than the stage.
Shen Yan peels off her mask, thumb brushing the diamond stud—checking the bug is dead.
"Ten minutes to change. Car's at the rear exit."
"I have private business."
"Private sells for a high markup."
She smiles without warmth: "Including you?"
Shen Yan looks away for the first time.
Affection +3 (67/100)
3
00:25
Fire-stairwell, exit sign pulsing blood-red.
Qi Si blocks the way, the torn blank canvas in one hand.
"I bought the canvas; you fill it."
"Blood or ink?"
"Your call."
He offers a fountain pen, nib still dripping.
She writes two letters across the rip:
Q X
Ink beads. Qi Si catches her wrist—her pulse races under his thumb.
Affection +5 (38/100)
4
00:40
Subterranean garage, engines growling.
Fei Ye straddles his bike, helmet tossed to her.
"Running away?"
"Collecting winnings."
"Get on. I'll show you the real auction."
She snaps the helmet, swings onto the pillion.
Tires scream up the ramp; smoke coils like white flags.
044 blares:
[Leaving surveillance zone—route unknown]
[Instability +10 (51/100)]
5
01:05
Abandoned highway gas station. Neon "24h" flickers, bulbs all shattered.
Inside, candlelight and rows of monitors.
Live numbers pulse—heart-rate futures.
Anonymous bidders, human emotions as commodity.
Her ID flashes top row:
Lot 01: Chen Yanxi – peak 142 bpm – opening 0.1 BTC
Fei Ye presses his finger to the sensor; the bid doubles instantly.
"Buying myself. Buying you."
Her heartbeat line rockets like a stock about to crash.
044:
[System anomaly detected—protective protocol initiated]
[Countdown: 10 minutes]
6
01:20
Behind the fuel tanks, shadows swallow the floodlights.
Shen Yan's Maybach glides in, window down.
He extends a matte-black USB.
"Every bidder's IP tonight."
"Price?"
"Bring Fei Ye back by tomorrow night."
"Alive or breathing optional?"
Shen Yan's smile is all teeth, no humor.
"Your call."
The drive slides into her palm—cold as a bullet casing.
7
01:30
Bike engine snarls again—now carrying two.
Qi Si appears astride a second motorcycle, the Q X canvas flapping like a torn flag.
Three bikes, three taillights—three knives carving through the dawn.
044 issues its last warning:
[Countdown: 00:00]
[System rebooting…]
Screens go black; the world drops into sudden silence.
She pulls the diamond stud from her ear and flicks it into the night sky.
It glints once against the streetlight—then vanishes.