After the Snake-tailed Man finished dancing and went offstage, Lan Ya grabbed Lu Xia’s arm and began shaking it excitedly. "Here they come, here they come!"

Next, a cloud of ’Immortal Energy’ erupted, and then the stage lights dimmed. Silhouettes could be faintly seen moving about as the single figure on stage became five.

As the lights gradually brightened before the audience, Lu Xia saw that the single Snake-tailed Man on stage had turned into five Snake-tailed Men.

What was one man dancing had become five men dancing.

Lu Xia was completely unimpressed.

’I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up for what Lan Ya considered ’exciting’.’

Lan Ya clenched her fists, pumping them in excitement. "AHHHHH, they can really dance! They’re so hot! Slay me, slay me, slay me!!!!"

Plenty of others were just as excited as Lan Ya. As the spotlights swept across the crowd, Lu Xia realized it was composed almost entirely of females.

Even the few males scattered throughout the audience had either come with a female companion or were waiters working at the club.

Lu Xia sat back down to rest, thoroughly regretting agreeing to come to a place like this with Lan Ya to "relax." For her, this was anything but relaxing. It was torture.

"Lu Xia! Lu Xia! What are you doing just sitting there? Want to come to the front with me and interact with them? You can touch their abs, you know!"

Lu Xia just smiled and politely declined. "You go on. I’ll wait for you here."

’I have no real interest in touching abs. For that matter, I figure Lan Ya doesn’t either—it’s just that in this kind of atmosphere, the ones you pay for are always more appealing than the one you could touch for free at home. Especially when they’re Snake Men who can move their hips like that.’

When Lan Ya saw she wasn’t coming, she didn’t try to persuade her further. If she didn’t go now, she’d have to line up in the back, and she was in a hurry!

Lu Xia watched as a horde of females with the same "needs" as Lan Ya began to surge toward the stage. A great many people wanted to get in on the interaction.

Just as Lu Xia was thinking about how much money these performers must make in a single night, a waiter approached with a tray of drinks. "Ma’am, would you care for something to drink?"

Lu Xia selected a cocktail from his tray. "Thank you."

After speaking, she slipped him a tip.

He paused, stunned, then broke into a happy smile. "Thank you, Ma’am! If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask for me. My name is Xiao Du."

"Xiao Du, do you have any other shows here besides this one?"

"Other shows?" Xiao Du didn’t seem to understand what Lu Xia meant. He could tell she wasn’t very interested in the performance, and he was privately shocked. ’This female patron, who was polite enough to thank me, actually dislikes this kind of show?’ He knew this was their most popular attraction for females; it was on once a week and was always packed to capacity. "You don’t like it, Ma’am?"

"It’s alright. Are the rest of the shows like this one?"

"There are no other shows. After this performance, we have the auction. As long as you can afford the price, these men can accompany you for the entire night. Of course, besides them, some jewelry, potions, and other such things will also be part of the auction. Would you like to see tonight’s auction list, Ma’am?"

"Yes, please!" Lu Xia’s interest was finally piqued.

She took the list from Xiao Du and scanned it from the top. It was all jewelry, precious gems, and even a large combo pack of beauty cream and hair growth liquid. Only the very last item caught Lu Xia’s attention.

Ice Spirit Gene.

Lu Xia raised an eyebrow. ’Looks like I came to the right place after all. To think I’d find what I’m looking for in a nightclub.’

"When does the auction start?"

"The auction starts promptly at 10 o’clock. Actually, if you’re interested in one of the items, it’s also possible to conduct a private transaction with our boss. The auctions here don’t have that many rules." Xiao Du’s voice was low, but loud enough for Lu Xia to hear. It was clear he was offering information he didn’t have to.

Lu Xia’s eyes lit up. "In that case, could I meet with your boss?"

"Of course. He’s always here for the weekly auction. Shall I take you to him?"

"Please." Lu Xia stood up and glanced at Lan Ya, who was getting cozy with a Snake Man on stage. ’She probably doesn’t have time to worry about me right now,’ she thought.

She then followed the waiter to meet the owner of the club.

’The owner of a nightclub like this, who can also procure so many valuable items for auction, is definitely no ordinary person.’

After the waiter, Xiao Du, knocked on a door, a deep voice answered from within. "Come in."

’It’s a male,’ Lu Xia noted.

The door opened, and Xiao Du smiled at Lu Xia. "Please, go in, Ma’am."

Lu Xia nodded at him. "Thank you."

She started to offer him another tip, but Xiao Du refused. "There’s no need, Ma’am. You’ve already given me one. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. I’ll wait for you out here."

Lu Xia smiled and walked inside.

The door closed, and Lu Xia saw a tall man with his back to her, pouring a drink. The room was decorated entirely in mahogany, giving it a dignified and stately atmosphere.

"I wonder which auction item brought you to... " The man trailed off as he turned around. The moment he saw Lu Xia, his brown pupils constricted sharply. "Ahem. Are you here for one of the auction items, Ma’am?"

Lu Xia studied him with suspicion. She didn’t understand his bizarre hesitation upon seeing her, but she hadn’t missed the flash of surprise in his eyes. "Have we met before?"

"We have not. I just didn’t expect the one looking for me would be such a beautiful and distinguished female."

"Is that so? Aren’t most of the patrons here female? I would have thought you’d be used to it by now, boss." Lu Xia didn’t mince words and got straight to the point. "I want the Ice Spirit Gene. Name your price."

"Ahem, the Ice Spirit Gene, is it? Of course. Care for a drink, Ma’am?" The man offered her the glass of red wine in his hand, but Lu Xia declined. "Thank you, but I don’t drink alcohol."

"I see. In that case, I’ll have someone bring you some juice."

"That won’t be necessary. Let’s just get down to business."

"Mm, alright. Ten million for the Ice Spirit Gene. What do you think?"

’Lu Xia wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the man before her had been acting very strange ever since seeing her, as if he were deliberately trying to flatter her. Yet, neither she nor the body’s original owner had any memory of this person.’

"Ten million? Are you serious?"

"Of course. I run an honest business. I don’t cheat anyone."

"Then I’ll take it. How do I pay?"

"Any way you like. We accept all forms of payment here. If possible, however, I was hoping we could trade for two gene fusion agents. Would that be acceptable?"

Hearing this, Lu Xia finally understood what felt so off about him. "You know who I am?"

"Duke Lu Xia, who in the Empire doesn’t know you now?" The owner flashed a perfect, eight-toothed smile.

It was completely at odds with his mature, composed image and made him look a little dopey.

"I didn’t realize I was so famous. Your offer of two agents is acceptable. The No.2 Institute can also provide post-injection safety support."

’She really is different from the other females,’ he thought. ’Even knowing I’m a ’defective’ male, she doesn’t look at me with contempt.’