Ghost Exorciser: Is Loved By All
Chapter 708: Auction

Chapter 708: Chapter 708: Auction

"No! Wait! How come he is the male lead?" Sheng Yin questioned.

The director looked confused.

"What do you mean? He was chosen for the role long ago. Isn’t that great? You two already have chemistry!"

Sheng Yin’s eye twitched. "Who chose him?"

Yu Shuchang crossed his arms, looking proud. "The director, of course."

Sheng Yin clenched her fists. "Did you bribe them?"

Yu Shuchang gasped dramatically. "Miss Sheng, how could you accuse me of such things? I got this role fair and square!"

Sheng Yin wasn’t convinced at all. She turned to the director. "Director, I can’t act with him!"

The director sighed.

"Sheng Yin, please be professional. The movie has already started production. If you back out now, it’ll be a huge problem."

Sheng Yin groaned. She turned back to Yu Shuchang. "You did this on purpose!"

Yu Shuchang just smiled. "Like I said, what a coincidence."

Sheng Yin wanted to scream.

Just then, the assistant director called out, "Alright, actors, get ready for the first scene!"

Sheng Yin felt like she was trapped. There was no way out.

She took a deep breath. Fine. If Yu Shuchang wanted to play games, she wouldn’t lose.

She walked past him and muttered, "Let’s see how good your acting is."

Yu Shuchang smirked. "Oh, don’t worry. I’ll give you the performance of a lifetime."

As the cameras started rolling, Sheng Yin prepared herself. But she didn’t expect the first scene to be...

A love scene.

Her whole body froze.

She slowly turned to the director. "What... scene is this?"

The director smiled.

"Oh, it’s a very emotional moment. The female lead is sad, and the male lead comforts her... by hugging her tightly and whispering sweet words in her ear."

Sheng Yin felt like lightning had struck her.

She looked at Yu Shuchang, who was grinning from ear to ear.

He leaned closer and whispered, "Still think you can run away?"

Sheng Yin wanted to cry.

This was going to be a long shoot.

Sheng Yin took a deep breath. No matter what, she had to stay calm. This was just acting. Nothing more!

The director clapped his hands. "Alright, places, everyone!"

Sheng Yin stood in her spot, her heart racing. Yu Shuchang stepped in front of her, his eyes filled with something she couldn’t quite understand.

"Action!" the director called.

Yu Shuchang moved closer. His arms wrapped around her gently. Sheng Yin stiffened. His warmth... it felt too real.

"Don’t be sad," he whispered in her ear. His voice was soft, deep. "I’ll always be here for you."

Sheng Yin’s breath caught in her throat.

No, this was acting. Just acting!

She forced herself to relax. Slowly, she lifted her hands and placed them on his back, returning the hug.

The director smiled. "Good, good! Now, Sheng Yin, look into his eyes. Show the emotions of the character."

Sheng Yin pulled away just a little and met Yu Shuchang’s gaze.

His eyes were warm, gentle, yet intense.

For a moment, she forgot about the cameras, the people watching... everything.

All she could see was him.

Her heart pounded.

Yu Shuchang raised a hand and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"You’re beautiful," he said softly.

Sheng Yin’s face turned red. That wasn’t in the script!

The director looked excited. "Yes! That’s the kind of emotion we need!"

Sheng Yin wanted to protest, but Yu Shuchang was still looking at her with that deep, serious expression.

Was he really acting? Or... was this real?

Her mind was a mess.

"Cut!" the director finally called. "That was perfect!"

Sheng Yin quickly stepped back, her cheeks burning.

Yu Shuchang smirked. "See? We make a great team."

Sheng Yin glared at him. "You—!"

But before she could finish, the assistant director announced, "Next scene! Get ready!"

Sheng Yin sighed. This was only the first scene, and her heart was already in chaos.

How was she going to survive the rest of the shoot?

........

On the other hand, at Special Force’s Headquaters.

Yu Holea was called for an urgent meeting.

Once she entered, the suffocating silence of the room made her steps falter for a bit.

Sitting in her position, she glanced at Luo Murong and asked,

"What happened?"

Luo Murong’s expression turned grave as he explained,

"Remember the Old Taoist temple you found?"

Yu Holea nodded.

It was one of the most powerful temples she had ever seen in her life. And the one even she had fear of going in.

"And the website named Luck Bound?" Luo Murong continued.

"Yes." Yu Holea nodded.

"Then do you remember the Reptilian Shapeshifters you had found?" Luo Murong continued.

Yu Holea felt her heart heavy and nodded again.

"They are all connected." Luo Murong announced.

"What? How?"

Yu Holea frowned. "How are they connected?"

Luo Murong took a deep breath.

"We received new intel. The Old Taoist temple, the website Luck Bound, and the Reptilian Shapeshifters... they’re all part of a secret organization."

Yu Holea’s eyes darkened. "Secret organization?"

Luo Murong nodded.

"They call themselves ’The Bound Ones.’ Their goal is unknown, but they have been operating in the shadows for years."

Yu Holea crossed her arms.

"And how did we not know about them before?"

Luo Murong’s expression turned serious.

"Because they are dangerous. Every time someone tries to dig too deep, they disappear."

Yu Holea felt a chill run down her spine. She had been in dangerous situations before, but this felt different.

Luo Murong continued,

"The Old Taoist temple isn’t just any temple. It’s a place where they perform strange rituals. We suspect it’s where they communicate with... something."

Yu Holea narrowed her eyes. "Something?"

Luo Murong hesitated before saying,

"We don’t know if it’s real, but they believe they are summoning beings from another world."

Yu Holea stayed silent for a moment, processing the information.

"So the dark lord has returned?"

Only the dark lord was capable of summoning beings from other worlds.

"No... it’s his follower. As you had found earlier, the dark lord had indeed left this world, but his followers who remained had power or gifts left behind by the Dark Lord, and now they are using that gift in partnership with an organization that deals with Dark Warden."

Yu Holea’s face darkened.

It was as if all the supervillains were snowballing into the main villain...frustrating.

Yu Holea clenched her fists. "So, this is bigger than we thought."

Luo Murong nodded.

"Yes. The Dark Lord’s followers are gathering power. If we don’t stop them soon, they might bring back something even worse."

Yu Holea took a deep breath. "What’s the plan?"

Luo Murong slid a file across the table.

"We have a lead. There’s going to be a secret meeting at an underground auction. They’re selling something called the ’Dark Warden’s Seal.’"

Yu Holea’s eyes narrowed. "The Dark Warden’s Seal? What does it do?"

Luo Murong shook his head.

"We don’t know yet. But if the Bound Ones want it, then it must be dangerous."

Yu Holea smirked. "So, we crash the auction?"

Luo Murong sighed. "I knew you would say that."

She stood up and cracked her knuckles. "Then let’s get started."

.......

Underground Auction – Midnight

Yu Holea walked through the grand hall, her disguise perfect.

She wore a sleek black dress and a mask, blending in with the rich and powerful people around her.

Luo Murong’s voice came through the earpiece. "Be careful. This place is crawling with the Bound Ones’ members."

"I know," she whispered, scanning the room.

She couldn’t see 9 out of 10 people’s destiny rings. This means that most of them are reptilian shapeshifters.

Yu Holea’s eyes darkened. This place was more dangerous than she thought.

Luo Murong’s voice came through the earpiece again. "Stay calm. Don’t blow your cover."

Yu Holea took a deep breath and walked toward the center of the auction hall.

The stage was lit up, and the auctioneer stepped forward, holding a small wooden box.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced. "Our final item of the night—The Dark Warden’s Seal!"

The crowd murmured in excitement. Yu Holea focused on the box. She had to get it before the Bound Ones did.

"Starting bid: ten billion!" the auctioneer called.

A man in a dark suit raised his hand. "Fifteen billion."

Someone else spoke. "Twenty billion!"

Yu Holea calmly noted the mask of the people bidding and flicked invisible tracking talismans on them.

Her plan was pretty simple: ’Arrest or capture all the reptilian shapeshifters’.

These shapeshifters had so much money...it means they were among the top 1% of rich people.

Yu Holea stayed calm, watching the bidding war continue. The numbers kept going up.

"Fifty billion!" someone shouted.

"Seventy billion!" another voice joined in.

Yu Holea’s fingers twitched. These people had too much money. More proof that the Bound Ones were deep in powerful circles.

"One hundred billion!" a voice called. All the people turned to look at the bidder.

The room went silent.

Yu Holea turned her head and froze.