Glittering Pearl Among the Trash [Wang Ba]

The opening of the auction at Shinagawa lent room for many odd couples- But fewer as mismatched as Wang Ba and Zhu Que. The two were of the same height, yes, and each wore a mask. yet, that was where such similarities ended. The former was large, in fact, among the largest present- His mere girth was enough to stand out, a sign of his wealth, opulence, and lack of restraint. In fact, even now, another piece of fine cuisine was wasted on his piglike tongue. Was that a slab of kobe beef, or had it been bought on a street corner? In any case, it slid down with little savoring. Truly, a despicable sort. The glittering gemstones on the rings of his fingers only cemented his image as a nouveau riche, flaunting his wealth as though others would not believe he could afford to be here otherwise. Of course, unlike many others who so gallantly displayed themselves, this absolute un-gentleman had the wealth to support his appearance.

And demurely, three steps behind him, stood the blonde-haired Zhu Que. What about her was more immediately noticeable, I wonder? Was it the bright red dress she wore, sparkling as though under sunlight despite the dimness? Or was it the large wings folded behind her back to form quite the notable mutation? Or perhaps it was the beauty which no mask could hide, which stood in stark contrast to the man she was clearly here to accompany. Of course, no matter how mismatched they were, who here would give them to bats of an eyelid? This was the Plutocracy auction, the underworld's biggest news since... Well, since the arrest and subsequent escape of the Kobayashi Clan's head. No one here was someone who could be called normal, and it wasn't odd for one to bring a toy or two.

In fact, it may be odder that the man's free hand was toying around with the rings on his fingers, rather than holding onto one of the many protrusions from her body.

"Master, was it truly necessary for you to come in person? You are aware of the risks! This event is simply too large, it would be unsurprising for news of it to leak.!" Surprisingly, the woman who one might assume to be a paid escort spoke to the man with fear in her voice. As your face, I am sufficient to participate! If our fears are to be realized, it would be acceptable for myself to be captured, but not y-!" She stifled her voice, realizing what she was saying. The man suddenly stopped, causing her to collide with his back as he turned around with a glare.

"Do you think so lowly of me, Que'er?" Despite the affectionate addition to her name, his voice was anything but. "If they come, let them come. Do you really believe I am so defenseless? I have not come this far in life by hiding, nor by playing games I cannot win." In fact, were the Heroes not to appear at a time such as this... Why, the foul man would be tempted to have his network anonymously drop some hints. After all, Plutocracy was his competitor in this field. Were they to fail and lose the trust of the underworld, room would appear for him to take some market share... A slice of fatty tuna slid down his gluttonous throat. "Do not forget why we are here, nor your place."

It was the end of the discussion- And naturally, they would not confirm their purpose here out loud. In a word, espionage. As competitors, how dare they not witness that which their competition has to offer? Sabotage was, of course, still on the table... But today's was a reconnaissance mission, and one which even the boss would participate in. "I understand." The beautiful woman could only stifle her concerns, and trust in the man to whom she had dedicated her life.

As the awkward silence closed in, Wang Ba and Zhu Que waited for the auction to begin... Or they might, if the feathered woman did not suddenly narrow her eyes. "Boss, we're being watched." She whispered, her eyes dark. Their dispute held no water in the face of such a thing- "Oho? Watched, you say?" He replied, casually casting his gaze around the room, as though taking stock of the others present. While not the main attraction of the day, Plutocracy's unusually large movement had attracted more than a few interesting fellows- Himself included. And while he was not so inclined as to set up such a back-room auction... Why, it was interesting to see how the Japanese auctioneers plied their trade. And by the looks of things, this vendor was rather well off- His prized eyes could see the wealth in their bones, much the way he suspected they could see his.

It didn't take long to figure out who Zhu Que referred to. Eyes which glowed a faint pink were quite notable, especially in such a dimly lit room. The man's eyes narrowed imperceptibly- If it was just a glance, it would be natural- Everyone here had a desire to scope out their competitors in advance- If only to hazard a guess as to their budget when it came to a bidding war. But few would so straightforwardly stare. Consider his interest... Piqued. Unconcerned for his safety as usual, the large man strode over to her table, his companion following three steps behind.

Even as the auction would begin, a snivelling man taking the stand and introducing the first item, Wang Ba would ignore the proceedings. It was a miracle he fit in the seat, which he took without asking permission. "Is there something on my face?" The man would bring up in a casual tone, but the meaning was obvious- He had noticed her faux pas. The question then, was why? "Que'er, what do you think?" The man seemed to ask his companion about his face, but as his long time follower, how could she not know his meaning? "Hmm, nope!" The girl replied. Or in short, no, she cannot tell why he was being watched.

If the two knew it was because he appeared wealthy, they would be unable to laugh or cry. After all, who here was not in possession of fabulous wealth? Who would show their face at an auction they could not afford the least item at? It was only natural to think that the other had recognized him... Which becomes a problem, when they do not recognize her. However, despite this, his caution is limited to the same he has been showing all night- His thumb tracing the curve of the ring on his forefinger. After all, for her to so obviously keep her eyes on him... She was either an amateur, or held no ill intentions. Either way, it was something he was capable of handling.

Breaking the solemn attitude was Zhu Que, who wasted no time in pulling up a seat of her own. "Interested in the boss, miss? Excellent taste!" The girl would chatter, though it would call her sense of taste into question. "But you know, if you really wanted to get to know him, you should have just introduced yourself!"

The woman was surprisingly nonplussed at having a stranger approach her- Well, not unexpected, given the way she had been staring a hole in him. She would probably have been more surprised had he not come... But as a gentle(?)man, how could he disappoint a lady? He sat quietly and waited for her response to Que'er's nonsense... Since this woman had so blatantly invited him over, he had no need to rush. She would get to her point... While there were all types of people in this world, he was quite certain that Xiao Que's understanding was dead wrong. Only someone with the brain of a bird would hold that kind of interest in a man as corpulent as he... And while the world had all types, he doubted this was hers.

However, her eventual words were unexpected, even to him. Let alone to his companion. "Eh? me? I'm-" But she couldn't finish her thought before being cut off again. "Eeeeeeh, me!?" She said again, although this time her casual enthusiasm was replaced with sheer unadulterated shock. "Nouiaddadadania" As the innocent girl began blathering some level of gobbledygook, her employer would take center stage. "Interesting. Very interesting. But can you afford her? As my assistant, her time is my time... And my time, is quite valuable." He put forth. He wasn't by any means opposed to the idea- It wouldn't be the girl's first time being merchandise... Of course, that was a story long since past.

[Boss, you wouldn't!] The woman protested in their native tongue, too shocked to even bother speaking Japanese. Tears came to her eyes as she imagined herself being sold to an utter stranger. Exactly the reaction both had been looking for. Her boss smiled, before following up. "Alive isn't good enough. I need her intact. Before we talk about the price... Security deposit. One billion. US." He quoted an absolutely exorbitant price. It was enough to show his feelings on the matter. The teary eyed bird sniffled. "I.. I mean, I knew you wouldn't sell me, Daren!" Though the wetness at the corners of her eyes suggested no such faith.

In her defense, if this... Lady Chernova, could put up the cash, he wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind. The tears were as much gratitude at the value her boss placed on her, as at the thought of being sold... Although if she knew what Chernova had planned for her, her tears might lean to the latter. But this too, was part of his plan. Between simply refusing, and placing a defined value on Zhu Que's head... The latter would inflate her sense of worth more. After all, compared to her previous price... She was on a completely different order of magnitude.

But, that aside, business would continue. "Lady Chernova, was it? I'm afraid I haven't heard the name before." He glanced sideways at his partner. The other party had already made her interest in Zhu Que clear- The question, then, was how far would that interest go? More importantly, what kind of benefits could he gain from it. "Of course, I imagine you'd say the same about me. Hei Dawu." Without missing a breath, the fat man gave a self-introduction. A fake name, of course. "And so, I suppose that places us on even grounds. So, speak. I can't imagine your sole purpose in calling me out was interest in my... Assistant."