Chapter 27: I Have No Money

Chen Fan sat in his private box, utterly indifferent to the antique up for auction. Instead, he curiously opened the window to listen to the conversation among Jiang Yueshan, Jiang Xiao, and Han Chunyu down in the main hall. He wanted to see exactly how Han Chunyu intended to swindle the Jiang family.

It took only a few exchanges for him to understand the scheme. Han Chunyu was feigning wealth and influence, insisting that he would only treat Jiang Xiao well if she agreed to marry him. He had even brought her along to "scavenge for treasures," claiming a bronze tripod worth one million could be flipped for twenty million, and offering to front the capital himself. Who wouldn't be dazzled by that? Yet, at the critical moment, Han Chunyu would inevitably manufacture excuses for why he couldn't produce the money. It was a transparent ploy to use the Jiang family’s capital to secure the tripod for free, then take it away to sell for himself. While the tactic seemed simple, once a victim fell into such a trap, it was incredibly difficult for them to see clearly and walk away. In the past, Chen Fan might have intervened to warn them or silently resolve the trouble for the Jiang family, but now, he merely viewed it as entertainment.

"One... one million two hundred thousand!" Jiang Xiao called out, raising her paddle. The price of the modest tripod had soared by four hundred thousand. The rest of the crowd shook their heads and bowed out. After three strikes of the gavel, the woman in the cheongsam smiled, "Congratulations to this lady for winning the lot! The next item is..."

A flash of excitement crossed Han Chunyu’s eyes, while Jiang Xiao and Jiang Yueshan looked on with fervent anticipation. Chen Fan glanced at them once before pulling his window shut. One con artist thought he had successfully reeled in his marks, while two fools thought they were on the verge of taking flight. Chen Fan figured the con artist would win this round.

The subsequent items were mostly antiques and paintings, which failed to pique Chen Fan's interest, though they were a thrill for the young blonde girl beside him. She bid on whatever she liked, but strictly capped her offers at 1.1 million, not a cent more.

"Chen Fan, aren't you going to bid? You should try it—it's so exhilarating!" Zhao Chenxi laughed.

Chen Fan watched as the woman in the cheongsam brought out a new tray, his lips curling into a faint smile. It was the Yaoan Iron Finger-Guard—a treasure of his sect. To the naked eye, it looked like a rusted, broken piece of brass knuckles, but in truth, it was a weapon used to slay immortals. When the last immortal vanished and the world entered the Age of Dharma Decline, the Yaoan Iron Finger-Guard had been a catalyst for that transformation.

"Esteemed guests, this is an item of unknown origin. Even the appraisers at our auction house cannot determine its era," the auctioneer announced. "However, the seller was in a rush to liquidate, which is why they chose our house! It possesses significant research and collection value. The starting price for this nameless finger-guard is five million! Minimum increments of five hundred thousand!"

The moment the Yaoan Iron Finger-Guard appeared, some in the room began weighing the pros and cons, while others were visibly excited. The latter group clearly knew what the item represented. Even if they couldn't identify it, they were certain it was a magical artifact—a tool for a Feng Shui master.

"Five million five hundred thousand!"
"Six million five hundred thousand!"
"Seven million!"

The bidding was relentless. Zhao Chenxi pouted, clearly displeased; the starting price was far beyond what she could play with. Downstairs, the trio of Jiang Xiao, Jiang Yueshan, and Han Chunyu were stunned. How could a broken piece of metal escalate so rapidly? It had hit ten million in an instant!

"Fifty million," Chen Fan said, opening his window and raising his paddle.

The jump from ten million to fifty million silenced the entire hall. Jiang Xiao and Jiang Yueshan stared at Chen Fan in disbelief, while Han Chunyu was struck dumb. He no longer thought Chen Fan was a fellow con artist; one didn't casually toss around fifty million if they were in that line of work.

Chen Fan sensed several auras vanish from the hall—the auras of evil cultivators. They had been hiding their presence, but Chen Fan didn't care. In the adjacent box, a man with a flat-top haircut narrowed his eyes. "Trying to compete with the Quest Society... you are dreaming." The man opened his window and raised his paddle. "Sixty million."

"Seventy million."
"Seventy-five million!"
"Eighty million," Chen Fan said coolly.

The flat-top man’s expression darkened. He stood by his window and said coldly, "Friend, this item is useless to you. It would be better not to make enemies. Wandering the world, it is better to have one more friend than one more foe."

Chen Fan glanced at him dismissively. "Are you going to bid or not?"

The man’s face turned even darker. "This is my final warning to you."

Chen Fan shook his head slightly. "Enough with the warnings. If you want to bid, do it quickly; if not, shut your mouth and sit down."

The man was so incensed his face twisted into a snarl. He raised his paddle and roared, "Ninety million!!!"

Jiang Xiao covered her mouth in shock. This? For such a small thing? It had actually been bid up to ninety million? Zhao Chenxi blinked her large eyes, filled with excitement—this was incredibly satisfying! To see this little trinket driven to ninety million, and without having to pay for it herself—hehehe.

The guests were stunned, and even the auctioneer was taken aback. For an item starting at five million, a ten-fold increase was usually the ceiling. This was nearly twenty times the price!

"One hundred million," Chen Fan’s calm voice echoed through the hall.

The flat-top man trembled with rage. He gripped his paddle tightly but did not raise it. "Very well, I will remember you," he spat, closing his window to signal he was done.

"Going once!"
"Going twice!"
"Going three times!"

The auctioneer’s voice was practically trembling with excitement. "Congratulations to this gentleman for winning the nameless finger-guard!"

Jiang Yueshan, teeth gritted, stood up agitatedly. "I demand a verification of funds! I know him—there’s no way he has one hundred million!"

Chen Fan looked down at Jiang Yueshan coldly, a faint smile on his lips. At that moment, Song Hong knocked on the door of the private box. Zhao Chenxi remained completely unperturbed. What was one hundred million? Chen Fan was already living in the Fu family manor; wouldn't Sister Xueyue cover it?

"Mr. Chen, you don't mind if we conduct a verification of your funds, do you?"

Chen Fan smiled faintly. "I don't have any money."