Chapter 23: Auction

Chapter 23: Auction

If it's a dragon, you tame it; if it's a tiger, you make it lie down.

Under the watchful eyes of the masses, the auction began as scheduled.

There were three items up for bidding - Enhanced Cooling Talismans, Golden Shell Beads, and Storage Pouches.

Everyone was familiar with the Cooling Talismans, which were life-saving in this scorching heat, let alone the enhanced version presented at the auction, thus igniting intense bidding right from the start.

The Golden Shell Bead was a golden orb with defensive capabilities, a one-time use item that activated upon crushing.

As the name suggests, the Storage Pouch was a purse capable of storing items, and those available at the auction had a capacity of ten cubic meters.

Each of these items sparked fierce competition, even drawing the attention of the "Special Government Department."

"Wild De! How can these people be so rich?! I've even put my pension on the line! Damn it!"

"Boss, calm down."

"Snap it up! We must secure it!"

In the control room, Yi Shiyue, who was overseeing the event, watched the heated bidding with his heart pounding. Even he had never witnessed such lavish spending and fierce competition among this group of people.

It was utterly astonishing!

A thousand Enhanced Cooling Talismans, a hundred Golden Shell Beads, and a hundred Storage Pouches were swiftly snapped up.

After the auction, Chu Chuan's wealth had reached an astronomical figure. Just as he was about to leave, Yi Fei received a call from his father. After hastily hanging up, he hurriedly caught up with Chu Chuan and cautiously spoke up.

"Boss, someone wants to meet you."

Chu Chuan looked at him.

Yi Fei quickly explained, "My dad sounded very nervous on the phone, so it must be someone important from higher up."

Chu Chuan fell silent for a few seconds before turning back to the private room. "Go invite them. I'll wait here for five minutes. If they don't show up, I'll leave."

Yi Fei was initially taken aback, but upon realizing the situation, he gaped in astonishment. Indeed, Boss was Boss, with an unconventional style that was truly admirable!

Absolutely dashing!

Seeing Yi Fei standing still, Chu Chuan frowned. "What are you doing, frozen there? Go call someone."

"Oh, right!"

Realizing his task, Yi Fei promptly went to find his father. After recounting the incident to Yi Shiyue, the latter's expression contorted, uncertain how to handle the situation.

He couldn't afford to offend either side!

Half a minute later, Yi Shiyue steeled himself, marching into the VIP booth as if marching to his death, and relayed Chu Chuan's words verbatim.

The person seated in the private room paused for a moment, then rose with a smile. Without uttering a word, they indicated for Yi Shiyue to lead the way. However, the two men standing behind her, presumably bodyguards, glared at Yi Shiyue unhappily, as if warning him through their gaze not to push his luck.

Yi Shiyue tugged at the corners of his mouth, offering a wry smile. He then stepped forward to lead the way. In that mere minute of walking, it felt as if he had traversed a lifetime.

Finally, they arrived at Chu Chuan's private room.

Yi Shiyue and the two attendants of the noble figure remained outside; only Chu Chuan and the esteemed individual were inside the private room.

Outside the private room.

The two minions' faces were grim.

"Who does he think he is, daring to make Elder Xiao come see him? Just because he drew a couple of talismans, he thinks he can look down on people? That's too arrogant!"

"Yeah, no matter how capable he is, can he be more capable than someone from our 'Special Abilities Bureau'? Ignorant kids are so rampant!"

Yi Shiyue, listening to their conversation, wiped the sweat off his forehead but remained silent.

A few minutes later—

Chu Chuan emerged first.

Seeing that Elder Xiao hadn't come out, the two minions immediately approached and blocked Chu Chuan's path.

Chu Chuan tilted his head. "?"

"One of them spoke up, his tone domineering, attempting to intimidate Chu Chuan, "Kid, do you know who we are? We're from the Special Abilities Bureau! I suggest you wise up and don't act so arrogantly next time!"

Another person promptly stepped forward, patting Chu Chuan's chest with a menacing gesture.

"In front of the Special Abilities Bureau, even if you're a dragon, you coil, and if you're a tiger, you lie down. To survive in Country Dragon, you need to know your place, understand?"

As he spoke, this man attempted to slap Chu Chuan's face. However, before his palm could make contact, it was sent flying by an immense gust of gale force wind.

"Boom!"

He slammed into a portrait at the end of the corridor, a dozen meters away, shattering the picture and cracking the wall behind it like a spiderweb.

The man spat out blood, sliding to the end of the corridor before his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

Chu Chuan glanced over, a fleeting glint of killing intent in his eyes. At that moment, a hand landed on his shoulder, forcefully dispersing the impending "killing aura."

It was Elder Xiao.

Chu Chuan turned to look back.

Elder Xiao wore a warm and friendly smile on his face.

"A slight punishment should suffice. When they return, they'll face appropriate consequences."

Chu Chuan remained silent, merely glancing casually at the hand on his shoulder before leaving without further comment.

Yi Shiyue, standing by, saw his composed demeanor and felt even more admiration. Truly, he was a big shot, unfazed by any situation – this was someone whose leg one must hold onto tightly!

...

On his way back, Chu Chuan called his father. "Dad, the housing issue is resolved, and I've also exchanged for several granaries."

The idea of the granaries came from Elder Xiao.

Knowing that the Chu family had been stockpiling supplies and having witnessed Chu Chuan's remarkable skills, if he could continuously produce storage bags, storing supplies would no longer be an issue. Hence, she suggested trading supplies for the storage bags.

This year's unusually high summer temperatures, combined with the recent news reported by Xie Shuyan about the "apocalypse," had already prompted Country Dragon to prepare. Lately, they had been importing vast quantities of food and goods from other countries, even accepting exorbitant prices.

Country Dragon was wealthy and not afraid of high demands; their fear was that sellers might refuse to trade. While some still held onto hopes and illusions about the climate, they needed to hasten their stockpiling of granaries.

Though Country Dragon was rich, it also had a large population.

With the Golden Shell Beads and storage bags in his possession, along with substantial funds, Elder Xiao had offered Chu Chuan a deal: if he supplied the nation with the beads and bags, they would take care of the purchasing for him.

Given that Chu Chuan had billions at his disposal, even with the entire Chu family's combined spending, they couldn't exhaust it all in a short time. Hence, it made sense to collaborate with the state, utilizing the full amount to acquire high-quality resources and swiftly stockpile goods, including those difficult to store, like oil.

After considering Elder Xiao's proposal, Chu Chuan agreed. He would provide them with one hundred special Golden Shell Beads and a thousand storage bags, while they would handle the procurement and supply him with premium medicinal herbs as needed.

Having reached an agreement, Chu Chuan added Elder Xiao to the "VIP" group.

In the car, Elder Xiao vomited blood right in front of her subordinates, causing everyone's expressions to turn pale with alarm.

" Elder Xiao!!"

" Elder Xiao!!"

She waved them off, saying, "I'm alright." Then, she muttered to herself, "The green surpasses the blue; I shouldn't have provoked him. This slap alone has shortened my lifespan by at least three years." If only she hadn't tested him.

"Empress Dowager..."

"It's nothing," she assured them.

With a wipe of blood from the corner of her mouth, Xiao Lao checked her phone and saw the group she had been invited to by Chu Chuan. Initially, she thought it was just an ordinary group, but upon closer inspection, she was startled.

Given the visibility of past conversations, she realized that Yi Shiyue and Zhong Yi had known about these items three days ago and had even pre-ordered a set. These two sly foxes.

In the "VIP" group.

Both Yi Shiyue and Zhong Yi noticed the new member. At first, they were slightly annoyed by the addition, but their shock skyrocketed when they recognized who it was.

Xiao... Xiao Lao??

This was the ultimate boss behind the country's special department! A mastermind who was incredibly formidable!

She had even managed to pull in the Empress Dowager!

Xiao Lao sent the first message.

[Hello, everyone.]

[Hello, Xiao Lao.]

"Senior Xiao, how are you?"

Yi Shiyue and Zhong Yi responded simultaneously, followed by a silence in the group, especially for Zhong Yi. As an insider of the system, he had an intangible respect and fear for Senior Xiao.

Moreover, he knew that this revered figure was already 124 years old but appeared as a woman in her sixties.

Furthermore, when reporting the news, he deliberately concealed the fact that he had obtained a Golden Shell Bead and a Storage Pouch beforehand. Now, with the chat records as evidence, the thought of being caught red-handed by his superior made him wish he could vanish into the ground.

Embarrassing.

...

At the National Special Abilities Bureau.

"Boss! We've confirmed it! The items at the auction were indeed created by Chu Chuan! And they all work! Especially that Golden Shell Bead – its effects are tremendous! Then there's the Storage Pouch with a ten cubic meter storage space. As long as the runes remain intact, it can be used indefinitely! However, time flows at the same pace inside as it does outside."

"Boss! We sent someone to contact Chu Chuan, inviting him to join our department, but he refused! He even warned us not to bother him, or he'd confront anyone who does!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Bin narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

Now, not only did the Special Abilities Bureau wish to recruit Chu Chuan, but other national special departments were also eyeing him hungrily.

Old Xiao had even personally attended the auction and met with Chu Chuan. However, judging from Chu Chuan's demeanor and attitude...

It seemed that he wouldn't be joining.

"Never mind then. Let's not disturb him," Cheng Bin said, turning to Fang Yi. "Fang Yi, go to the Chu family and protect Chu Chuan and his family. The matter about the Golden Shell Pearl and the Storage Pouch must have been leaked abroad. Those people might take action."

Fang Yi nodded while chewing on a lollipop. "Don't worry, Boss. My strength is more than enough to protect a family."

Cheng Bin looked at the others. "New orders have come down. We're to escort the Golden Shell Pearl and the Storage Pouch to the various provinces and assist them in stockpiling food."

The moment the members of the Special Abilities Bureau heard that they had work, they all put on an act, groaning dramatically.

"Ahh~~~ No, not in this scorching heat!"

"Please have mercy on me, Boss~"

"I'm melting away from the heat~"

"Boss, give me a Cooling Charm to save my life~"

Cheng Bin: "Scram, scram, scram!!"

...

At the Chu family's villa.

Ever since the auction, Chu Chuan spent most of his time cultivating within the villa.

He utilized the precious herbs he obtained from Elder Xiao and Dean Zhong, combining them with the spirit qi bath technique he learned from the Jade Ring Golden Pagoda. This finally presented him with an opportunity to break through to the Fifth Stage.

Rivers of spirit qi drifted out of the bathtub, coalescing into ethereal, sand-like ribbons that rushed into Chu Chuan's body.

Chu Chuan was somewhat excited. He began to change his hand seals and incantations, accelerating the absorption of spirit qi. Just as he was about to touch the barrier of advancement, the doorbell of the villa rang.

"Ring... Ring... Ring! Ding! Ding!"

At first, Chu Chuan ignored it, but as the ringing grew more and more urgent, his already restless heart turned irritable. The barrier that was on the verge of breaking into the sixth stage suddenly thickened.

He snapped open his eyes, his gaze glowing with a bloody red hue. Filled with anger, he rushed downstairs and just as he reached the door, he heard an enraged voice shouting from outside.

"Xie Xingzhou! How dare you sell the supermarket? On what grounds did you sell it? That belongs to the Xie family, not just you alone!"

"Author's Note"