The night and day of Chirok City are two different cities.
When the last glimmer of sunset sank below the horizon, neon lights took over the city.
The luxury shop windows on both sides of the main street were brightly lit, faint music and laughter drifted from Advanced restaurants, and people in suits and leather shoes went in and out of various clubs.
And in the depths of the alleys where those lights couldn't reach, it was a different scene—homeless people curled up in cardboard boxes, junkies trading in the shadows, and police cars on night patrol driving slowly by with red and blue lights flashing.
Leo and Sophia returned to the hotel after wandering around the market until past seven.
Sophia had bought a few small crafts and eaten a bellyful of local snacks, and she was in a very good mood.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the two had a simple dinner in their hotel room.
Sophia organized the intelligence collected today, while Leo stood by the window, looking at the city's night view.
On the edge of the city, an abandoned construction site.
This used to be a construction site for a shopping mall, but the developer's capital chain broke, the project was abandoned halfway, leaving only the concrete skeleton with exposed steel bars and piles of construction waste.
Moonlight poured down from the holes in the damaged roof, casting mottled spots of light and shadow on the ground.
Standing quietly on a high platform was Chrollo Lucilfer.
The hem of his fur-collared coat fluttered slightly in the night wind, and the inverted cross tattoo on his forehead appeared and disappeared in the shadows.
His hands were in his coat pockets, his posture relaxed, but there was not a trace of warmth in those pitch-black eyes, like a bottomless cold pool.
Below, seven figures appeared one after another.
The first to appear was Franklin, who looked up at Chrollo and nodded slightly.
Immediately after was Machi, who walked out from behind a concrete pillar, her purple-red hair shimmering with a dark red luster in the moonlight, her expression as indifferent as always.
Nobunaga strolled over from another direction, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist, a newly picked grass stem in his mouth.
Then came Pakunoda, Shalnark, and Shalnark.
Pakunoda's short hair was neat and capable, and she stood in the center of the open space.
Shalnark, wearing a white suit and gold glasses, also stood beside Pakunoda.
Shalnark sat directly on a broken slab of cement.
Finally, Omokage emerged from the deepest shadow.
He did not walk to the others but leaned against a corner in the distance alone, arms crossed.
His eyes scanned between Chrollo and his companions, carrying a certain indescribable scrutiny.
Chrollo's gaze slowly swept over every face below.
There were no greetings, no small talk; the assembly of the Phantom Troupe was always like this—concise, efficient, and straight to the point.
"The target this time."
His voice sounded calmly, echoing in the empty construction site.
"Is all the auction items of the Xililike Auction House."
Franklin grinned, revealing a smile.
"No problem, Boss. We will execute your order perfectly."
The others—Pakunoda, Shalnark, Shalnark, Nobunaga, Machi—nodded one after another, with varying degrees of movement, but the meaning was clear.
Only Omokage remained silent, just changing his standing posture and continuing to watch while leaning against the wall.
Chrollo's gaze lingered on Omokage for a moment, then moved away.
His gaze turned outside the construction site, past the dilapidated wall, toward the brightly lit city center in the distance.
That city was like a huge treasure house, and the Xililike Auction House was the most dazzling jewelry box in the treasure house.
His voice was still calm, but every word pierced the air like an ice pick.
"Now, I order you—"
A brief pause.
"Take all the treasures."
"And those who obstruct—"
A faint smile, almost without an arc, rose at the corner of his mouth.
"—Kill them all."
Moonlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the inverted cross on his forehead.
The spider began to act.
At almost the same time, on the roof of a seven-story building opposite the Xililike Auction House.
A burly figure stood by the railing, overlooking the brightly lit stone building below.
He was over 2.3 meters tall, his muscles bulged like granite, and he wore only a simple vest and trousers, but his whole body exuded a beast-like aura.
Morex.
He stared at the luxury cars and well-dressed men and women entering and exiting the main entrance of the auction house, with no greed in his eyes, only a kind of near-cruel satisfaction.
It was as if he was not seeing an auction, but a group of fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Tomorrow night... those treasures will all be mine."
He turned, went downstairs, and disappeared into the night.
Chirok City Airport. 9:20 PM. An airship landed slowly.
The cabin door opened, and the gangway was lowered.
A slender figure appeared at the cabin door.
Scarlet hair like flames danced wildly in the night wind, and even without any hair gel to set it, it still maintained that exaggerated style.
On his pale face, a blue teardrop pattern was painted under his left eye, and a golden star under his right eye.
The makeup was exquisitely strange, but it didn't look feminine at all; instead, it had a dangerous, seductive feeling.
He wore clown-like attire—loose bloomers, a tight top, colorful yet unexpectedly coordinated.
A smirk hung on the corner of his mouth, a smile that was both like an innocent child and a bloodthirsty demon.
Hisoka.
He stepped down the gangway, his pointed shoes hitting the ground with a crisp "click" sound.
The airport staff instinctively stepped back a few steps.
Not out of instruction, but the intuition of living things in the face of danger—the aura exuding from this man made people think of tight bowstrings, drawn blades, and volcanoes about to erupt.
Hisoka didn't care about the eyes around him at all.
He took a deep breath of the night air, narrowed his eyes slightly, and licked his upper lip lightly with the tip of his tongue.
"Mmm~ ♦"
A pleasant trill came from his throat.
His gaze turned toward the city center, his golden pupils contracting into thin lines under the lights.
He started walking toward the airport exit.
Wherever he passed, the crowd automatically separated into a passage.
The next day, 7:45 PM.
On the rooftop of a five-story building on the street opposite the Xililike Auction House.
Leo and Sophia had been here for ten minutes.
The rooftop had an excellent view, and they could clearly see all the movement at the main entrance of the auction house—luxury cars arrived one after another, celebrities in evening dresses and suits entered one after another, flashlights went off from time to time, and reporters surrounded both sides of the red carpet.
Sophia looked at the crowd below, her lips moved, wanting to speak but stopping.
Leo leaned on the railing, his gaze calmly sweeping over those bright and beautiful figures, his voice flat:
"I know what you are thinking."
Sophia turned to look at him.
"We are standing by here, if an attack really happens... those people below might die."
Sophia nodded, her eyes complex.
Leo continued, his tone without ups and downs.
"Even if you rush in now and successfully stop the attack, these well-dressed guys won't thank you. They will think this is what you should do, and some will even complain that you didn't do well enough, disturbed their interest, and ruined the atmosphere of the auction."
He paused and looked at Sophia.
"People must rely on themselves. We are not gods, we cannot save everyone. Just do what you can, don't take everything on yourself—that will only exhaust you, and often it will be counterproductive."
Sophia was silent for a long time.
The night wind blew her blue hair, and the lights of the auction house in the distance flickered in her eyes.
Finally, she sighed softly.
"I understand, Master."
Leo nodded and said no more.
Some truths need to be realized by oneself; saying more is useless.
Time passed minute by minute.
Eight o'clock sharp.
Inside the auction house, all the lights dimmed suddenly, leaving only a spotlight in the center of the stage.
A figure stepped onto the stage.
It was a woman in her thirties, wearing a deep purple off-shoulder evening gown, her hair coiled high, revealing her slender neck.
She walked calmly, with a strong presence, walked to the auction stage, and placed her hands gently on the table.
The sound of the microphone turning on rang softly.
"Ladies and gentlemen—"
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, with just the right amount of enthusiasm and solemnity, spreading through the speakers to the entire venue, and even faintly to the street outside.
"The Xililike Auction, now—officially begins!"
Polite and restrained applause rang out from the audience.
The woman opened her arms, a professional yet very infectious smile blooming on her face.
"Welcome everyone for coming today!"
Her gaze swept over the expectant, reserved, or determined faces in the audience.
"Gathered here are rare and exotic auction items with unique styles!"
She paused, her voice raised slightly, with seductive charm.
"Please—enjoy competing for what you love!!"
Applause rang out again, a bit warmer than before.
The auction officially began.