Chapter 1 The Auction

To expand its international influence, this auction featured only the finest items. Although most items came with certificates and professors' signatures, the buyers were all wealthy tycoons, clearly not trusting those so-called "professors" and "certificates." Almost everyone had hired specialized appraisal experts to carefully examine the items and determine their authenticity before bidding.

Fang Senyan had no interest in the other items. Having experienced the wonders of the Nightmare Space, the money of the real world held no allure for him. After waiting for a while, the item he wanted finally appeared. The words "Maotai 1950 Vintage" were music to his ears, so sweet that he even noticed how round the female auctioneer was and how perky her breasts were.

The Maotai 1950 Vintage was exquisitely packaged, but the jar itself was made of simple earthenware, looking quite unremarkable. However, it sparked a fierce bidding war as soon as it appeared. Several people took turns bidding, pushing the price from a base of two million to over ten million. Fang Senyan felt a sudden urge to rush up and snatch a sip, but his talent ability "Tenacity" couldn't be activated, and he couldn't bring equipment from the space. Otherwise, he would have had a good chance of success. But as it was, there was no need to take such a risk; it was best to come and go discreetly.

With the fall of the auctioneer's hammer, the two bottles of wine were sold for two million nine hundred thousand Singapore dollars, equivalent to over fourteen million RMB. The two bottles were immediately packaged and delivered to the buyer, whose name Fang Senyan made sure to remember: Li Xianhai.

He was a middle-aged man in his forties, with thick black eyebrows that swept into his temples, giving him an extraordinary air. Despite having just spent a fortune that an ordinary person could never spend in a lifetime, he remained calm and composed, casually placing the bag containing the two bottles of wine at his feet, as if they were merely appetizers before a gourmet feast. The bodyguards surrounding him stood ramrod straight, looking like battle-hardened elites from the military.

While closely monitoring Li Xianhai, Fang Senyan was also scheming about how to snatch a sip of the wine and escape successfully. Time flew by, and suddenly he heard the auctioneer say:

"Next, we will auction the last treasure: the Qianlong Nine Virtues Personal Seal."

Even though Fang Senyan hadn't been paying attention, he couldn't help but shudder when he heard the name. First of all, the item was classified as a "seal," which clearly meant it was reserved for imperial use. Any antique associated with the imperial family was bound to be worth ten times more, especially one belonging to Qianlong, a famous figure in history. The words "Nine Virtues" weren't praising the emperor but hinting at the texture of the small seal. The finest Tianhuang stone had nine characteristics: fineness, knotting, warmth, moistness, cleanliness, tenderness, greasiness, congealing, and spirituality, hence the name Nine Virtues Stone. In plain language, the name of this treasure meant the seal that Emperor Qianlong wore, carved from the finest Tianhuang stone.

A buzzing sound immediately filled the hall, indicating that most of the people present had come for this item. The value of this small seal was self-evident, and it also held a special meaning for the Singaporean elites and gentry present. Southeast Asia was known as Nanyang in modern times, and most of the Chinese living there had migrated from Fujian and Guangdong, holding a strong sense of belonging to their hometown. Even after death, they would bury a handful of soil from their hometown with them, even if they couldn't be buried there.

Tianhuang stone was only produced in Shoushan, Fujian, making it a symbol of their hometown. For these elites and gentry, buying the Qianlong Nine Virtues Personal Seal would be a great way to please their elders by using it as "hometown soil," or keep it for themselves. It was an elegant affair that would boost their reputation, display their wealth, and show their inner sophistication!

Wealthy people began sending their experts to verify the authenticity of the item. Just by looking at the entranced expressions of those experts, Fang Senyan knew that the item was definitely genuine. Li Xianhai, the middle-aged man who had bought the Maotai, also sat up straight, politely wiping his gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes revealed a hint of desire, indicating that he was determined to get it.

But at that moment, one of the "experts" suddenly bent down and pulled a triangular bayonet from his pants leg! His movements were extremely swift and agile, indicating that he had been honed in life-and-death situations. He stabbed the people around him one by one. He was incredibly fast, and the triangular bayonet was extremely effective at drawing blood. Those who were stabbed immediately had deep, bloody holes in their bodies, gushing with warm blood.

The "expert" snatched the box containing the Tianhuang stone and effortlessly stabbed three guards wielding rubber batons who rushed forward. He was about to turn the corner and rush into the inner room when a series of "shh shh shh shh" sounds rang out. It was the sound of silenced gunfire. The man had only taken two or three steps before he was riddled with bullets and collapsed, the blood flowing from his body instantly staining the ground red!

It seemed that the patrolling guards in the hall were just for show. The real security force was hidden in the shadows, appearing only in emergencies and retreating swiftly after a single strike! They were silent and quick, and even those standing next to them could hardly notice their actions. Fang Senyan's senses were much stronger than ordinary people's (except for his mental strength), so he could clearly see the positions and appearances of the shooters. These gunmen had different identities. Some were bidders, some were TV reporters, and some were cleaning staff. If they hadn't just killed someone, it would have been impossible to determine their true identities.

But at that moment, Fang Senyan's pupils narrowed slightly. Because of the sudden deaths, the hall was in chaos, and the guards were trying to maintain order. However, seven or eight people had taken advantage of the chaos to quietly approach the exposed security gunmen, like sharks smelling blood in the water and quietly pouncing on their prey.

The situation was clear: the guy who had initially tried to steal the jade seal was bait, and his purpose was to lure out the hidden guards!!!

At this point, the assassins had approached the gunmen and immediately drew their knives, delivering deadly blows. The gunmen also fought back desperately, firing their weapons. Intense gunfire erupted, making the situation even more chaotic, with screams and cries filling the air. Those sitting in the auction seats were divided into five distinct groups, each centered around a mastermind figure, surrounded by bodyguards with their hands inside their suits, extremely vigilant and calm. Among them, Li Xianhai had the most guards, and their defenses were the strongest.

"So, if I were the mastermind..." Fang Senyan's mind flashed with another thought: "Then the next step must be to eliminate the remaining resistance in the hall! The bodyguards of these dignitaries are all battle-hardened elites and must also be eliminated!"

With that thought, Fang Senyan immediately took a few steps back, stood in the corner, covered his head with his hands, and pretended to be terrified, but his eyes were fixed on the movements around Li Xianhai. For him, the more chaotic the situation, the better. His only goal was the two bottles of wine, even though they were extraordinarily expensive. However, with so many rare treasures on display at the auction, including the Qianlong Nine Virtues Personal Seal and the landscape painting by Mi Fu that had already been auctioned off, those two bottles of wine had probably been forgotten by everyone except those who had a specific interest in them.

Although the hidden security gunmen were skilled, they couldn't withstand the sudden attacks of the hidden enemies and were quickly killed like vegetables being chopped. The guards of the dignitaries remained unmoved, protecting their targets with impenetrable defenses, not distracted by anything else. At this moment, it was clear that they were highly professional, definitely not comparable to inexperienced bodyguards.

Li Xianhai frowned as he looked at the chaotic scene and realized that the Qianlong Nine Virtues Personal Seal, which he had been determined to get, had disappeared. He bent down, picked up the bag containing the "Maotai 1950 Vintage," and said in a low voice:

"Let's go."

Although he was a distinguished person, he walked with agility. As he stood up and moved, his bodyguards also took a step simultaneously. Previously, they had surrounded him in a large square, protecting him in the center. Now, as they moved, the square shifted horizontally as one, like soldiers demonstrating a formation on National Day, completely shielding the person they were guarding, leaving no gaps. Li Xianhai strode towards the corridor, his guards moving in unison with him.

The people who had ambushed the guards didn't stop them. They weren't having an easy time either. There were at least thirty bodyguards in the hall, all highly professional. Although none of them had fired a shot, almost all of their attention was focused on them. If they made the slightest move, they would be riddled with bullets!