Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 445: Chapter 445

The auctioneer announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, our first item is ready. As per the rules, it's a mystery lot—place your bids now!"
Hearing this, the people leaning against the railing erupted in excitement, waving their bidding paddles and shouting.
Zoe stood up as well, ready to join the crowd and see what all the excitement was about.
Shawn didn't stop her but followed her to the railing, looking down at the auction floor below.
In the center of the circular arena sat a massive cage, shrouded in black cloth. No one knew what was inside, but the starting bid was a staggering $300,000, with each bid increment also set at $300,000.
As the bidders kept raising their paddles, the price of the lot skyrocketed to $16 million—but then abruptly plateaued, with no further increases.
Zoe narrowed her eyes. 'That's probably a woman,' she thought. 'And whoever buys her surely isn't bringing her home for anything decent.'
Zoe and Shawn weren't do-gooders. They knew they couldn't save everyone or end all the crimes, so they just observed coolly, waiting for true evil to reveal itself.
The auctioneer called out, "Any more bids?"
Finally, a bidder offered 22 million dollars. The auctioneer said, "$22 million going once, $22 million going twice, $22 million—sold!"
"Open it up! Show me what I've got!" shouted the winning bidder.
The crowd roared.
"Open it!"
"Open it!"
Curiosity had reached fever pitch in the crowd. Seeing the winning bidder eager for the reveal, the auctioneer signaled for someone to pull off the black cloth.
Inside was indeed a woman, but she was extraordinary. She had two cat ears on her head and a long cat tail behind her. At first glance, she looked every bit a catgirl in those fantasy stories.
However, a closer look revealed the harsh truth: she was a person with severe genetic deformities, not some fantasy creature. But there were those in the crowd with particular tastes.
"Damn, if I'd known she was such a stunner, I would've bid higher."
"What a shame. Such a rare treasure ended up in someone else's hands."
"Got any more lots like that? We've got money to burn."
Amidst the disappointed murmurs from the crowd, the auctioneer announced, "Apologies, ladies and gentlemen. This is a one-of-a-kind item—the only one in existence."
The crowd erupted in boos, some even hurling trash down at the auction floor.
"Hold your horses, folks," the auctioneer said, "The best is yet to come."
While he was speaking, the second lot was wheeled onto the stage.
This time, there was no attempt at secrecy. In the cage sat a naked man—an awkward and unsightly spectacle.
Shawn's hand shot out, blocking Zoe's view. He wouldn't allow her to look at another man's body.
Zoe couldn't care less—a body like that held no interest for her.
"It's just an average-looking guy. What's the big deal?"
"He's not even as good-looking as my servant. Who'd even want to buy him?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, you're gravely mistaken," the auctioneer explained. "This individual possesses the rarest Rh-null blood type.
"As you all know, Rh-null blood is exceptionally precious. For those in need, the bidding starts now—take him home, and you'll have your very own lifesafer."
The auctioneer was silver-tongued, whipping the crowd into a bidding frenzy with just a few words. In the blink of an eye, the price of the man—which was originally $1.5 million—soared to a staggering $16 million.
Zoe and Shawn continued to observe the proceedings with detached interest, showing no intention of making a move.
Just then, someone came over, flanked by several sidekicks.
"What's so interesting about these dull auctions, anyway?" It was a woman's voice.
Zoe instantly recognized the voice—it was Aileen.
Aileen was bored out of her mind. Lately, she'd tried everything—pulling strings, calling in favors—to make Shawn hers, but nothing worked.
So someone suggested she check out the auction—she might be able to buy a decent male slave, or even acquire a peerless assassin.
It was said this place auctioned off top-tier fighters who, for various reasons, had been trained into killing machines. Buying one was equal to getting an unwavering bodyguard who would never betray. It was a good deal.
Aileen glanced at the man on stage with utter disdain and scoffed, "That face? Hard pass."
Suddenly, someone advised, "Ms. Carleton, no need to rush. The best is yet to come."
Zoe thought the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Maybe that person was using a voice changer.
Seeing Zoe staring at someone not far away, Shawn frowned and asked sharply, "Do you know them?"
"No, I don't," Zoe said flatly, though her gaze remained locked on Aileen.
"Stop looking at them," Shawn said.
With the second round of the auction over and the man finally taken away, Shawn didn't have to block Zoe's view anymore.
Zoe teased, "You're even jealous of a woman?"
"As long as your attention isn't on me, I have every right to be jealous," Shawn said deadpan, spouting a cheesy line.
Zoe looked up at him. "Wow, I never thought you'd actually admit to being jealous," she teased.
"Real men don't hide their jealousy," he said confidently. Since Zoe was the woman he loved, he didn't find his jealousy embarrassing.
Zoe reached out, ready to pinch Shawn's cheek. Since he was being so bold, of course she had to play along.
Just then, Shawn suddenly caught Zoe's hand.
The auctioneer's voice boomed, "Next up, we have something truly special—human organs. As you all know, healthy organs are getting harder and harder to come by, so prices have skyrocketed. If you've got the money, these rare organs can be yours. Let the bidding begin!"
The auction of organs was unlike any other. The starting bid was an astonishing $16 million, with each raise set at $3 million.
"$23 million."
"$26 million."
"$33 million."
"$66 million."
These people had gone completely mad, shouting out bids like maniacs just to get the organs they needed.
But that was hardly surprising. When the wealthy got sick, all they wanted was to get organs for surgery as soon as possible—money meant nothing to them.
Bid after bid sent the price soaring. It eventually hit an astronomical $160 million.
But they weren't paying $160 million for just an organ—they were buying a whole person. The buyer would keep that person alive as their personal organ farm, harvesting whatever they needed.
The blood type matching profiles for these individuals had already been distributed to all bidders' tablets. Only those in genuine need would place bids—the rest were just there for the grim spectacle.
Zoe and Shawn were mere spectators, simply observing. They noticed that ten people on the list were being trafficked as organ donors.
"Should we make our move now?" Zoe turned to Shawn.
"No rush," Shawn said calmly. "After the auction, they'll be taken straight for harvesting. That's when we follow."
"I'm going to the ladies' room," Zoe said. Seeing how confident Shawn was, she figured it was the perfect time to attend to her own business.
The moment she walked away, Shawn's gaze lingered on her retreating figure.
Truth be told, Shawn had long since realized that Zoe wasn't just here to help him—she clearly had her own agenda. Still, he chose not to confront her, curious to see what she was doing.
As planned, Zoe made her way to Dimitri's exclusive suite.