Merman Mating Show: Live!

The customer service reply came faster than I expected.

"Ms. Ross, Lance is one of only 100 limited-edition merfolk worldwide. Returning him for gene recycling would be a huge loss."

Reading that message, I paused and suddenly had a new idea. I made my request.

After a moment of silence, the agent replied, "Request approved. A new merman will be delivered within three hours."

I ended the chat and walked over to the eco-tank.

Lance was resting in the shallow end, his scales glowing with a cold light. He looked so beautiful, like a dream I could never reach.

Actually, over these three months, I hadn't been blind to what was going on.

Vivian's visits to my place had increased from twice a month to four times a week, sometimes even more. She always claimed she was just passing by or "wanted to see my new friend".

At first, I thought she was just curious.

Until one day, I came home early from a business trip and saw Vivian standing by the tank. Her palm was pressed against the glass, and Lance's hand mirrored hers on the other side.

She whispered, 'You poor thing, trapped in this place… Wait for me. I'll take you away."

I made a noise on purpose.

Vivian immediately spun around with a flawless smile. "Isabel! I was just talking to Lance. I think he understands me!"

Lance quickly swam away, leaving a trail of guilty bubbles behind.

Looking back now, that wasn't just chatting. It was taming.

"Lance." I activated the underwater communicator.

He immediately opened his eyes and looked at me warily.

"The company found you a roommate," I said calmly. "And starting tomorrow night, everything you do in this tank will be livestreamed."

That was right—livestreamed.

My request to AquaGene Corp was a live competition.

They'd deliver a new merman, and Lance would share the tank with him for a 30-day livestreamed evaluation. At the end, I'd choose the one I preferred, and the other would be gene recycled. The company would cover all expenses.

It could promote the new merman while serving as an advertisement for their brand. It was a win-win for them.

Lance froze.

"Perform well," I said, turning away. "After all, the loser will turn into ocean fertilizer."

I didn't look back, but the water temperature monitor showed a drop of nine degrees Fahrenheit in just ten seconds.

That was a unique physiological reaction when a merfolk's emotions spike.

The new merfolk arrived on schedule the next day.

"Hello, master. I'm Sylas," the clear, gentle voice said. "From today, I pledge to serve you loyally. I will never cause you any trouble."

Sylas had silver hair and pale golden eyes. He was taller than Lance, less aggressive but more elegant.

He swam up to the glass and pressed his head against it right in front of me. That was exactly the gesture Lance never made for me but always showed Vivian.

I instinctively glanced toward Lance.

The blue merman hovered in the distant seaweed, his dorsal fin fully flared and lips drawn tight into a thin line. His eyes were locked on Sylas in a deadly stare.

"That's Lance. He came here before you," I said casually. "You'll share this space for the next 30 days."

Sylas turned to Lance, his tail flicking in a friendly arc. "Lance, nice to meet you. I will do my best to serve our master."

Lance didn't respond. He turned and slammed his tail hard on the water surface, splashing water on the viewing window. Without turning around, he swam away into the deepest cave in the tank.

"He might need time to adjust," Sylas said softly, his eyes on me. "Master, your heart rate shows fatigue. Would you like me to sing? My sound waves help with relaxation."

I froze for a moment. Then, a soothing, ethereal singing voice filled the room through the speakers.

My headache from days of restlessness and sleepless nights began to ease.

I looked at the tank. Sylas was watching me attentively, his pale golden eyes shining bright. In the distance, in the cave's dark entrance, a pair of blue eyes glowed faintly.

That night, AquaGene Corp's livestream platform went online on time.

Within five minutes, the number of viewers shot to number one, and the chat exploded.

"Holy crap! Two mermen! That's some serious money!"

"Wake up. This is a survival contest. The loser's life is on the line."

"Sylas is so gentle. He's always watching his master."

I shut off the live stream and watched the two mermen, worth ten million dollars in total, sleeping in the tank via the monitor.

I'd spent ten million dollars on this whole online circus.

Well, if I was going to make a scene, I might as well go big.