"Out of respect for me," Silas said calmly, "how about we let this one go?" Finley scoffed, resting his sword over his shoulder with an arrogant smirk. "Let this one go? Sorry, Mr. Vaughn, even if you're personally here to plead, this little punk will bleed out on the spot tonight." The onlookers tensed, shocked that Finley would not even show respect to the auction host. Then again, the Hidden Dragons' reputation was formidable enough to back Finley's audacity. Most spectators silently fretted. If even Silas could not control Finley, Andrew might be in grave danger. However, Silas looked at Finley as if he were an idiot. He barked, "You fool, when I said to let this slide, did you think I was begging you?" The crowd was stunned by Silas' words. Finley froze and darkly replied, "Silas, I don't owe you any respect just because you're Radiant Group's CEO. You'd better back off." Silas raised a finger, nearly poking Finley in the face. "You little brat, you're nothing more t
Christina turned to Harvey with a cold smile. "Didn't you just say Finley would kill Andrew? Things turned out quite differently from what you predicted!" Harvey opened his mouth but could not find the words to explain. He, too, was shocked by Silas' respect for Andrew. "That pretty boy must be riding on Mr. Yates' connections to get such treatment from Mr. Vaughn," Michael mocked dismissively. Harvey quickly seized the opportunity. "That's right! Mr. Vaughn and Mr. Yates are close friends. Andrew is just hiding behind Mr. Yates' influence to save his skin." Finley growled, "Marvin may be Jayrodale's richest man and quite the figure. But if I want to deal with Andrew, he won't dare interfere. This isn't over!" Michael and Harvey exchanged a glance, their eyes brimming with malice and cold calculation. With the brute Finley joining their side, they felt confident Andrew would eventually fall. … The underground auction hall at Radiant Group was not particularly large, but i
As Lauren turned to look at Andrew, she quickly caught the eye of several onlookers. "Yes, there's a small item I'm interested in," Andrew replied with a smile. "Is it a medicinal herb, Andrew?" Francesca asked, and Andrew nodded. "Yes, a Celestial Nymphaea." Francesca thoughtfully explained, "The Celestial Nymphaea is a premium medicinal herb, highly valued by medical experts and serious collectors. Though in Jayrodale, unlike metropolises like Chetvine, there probably won't be many interested bidders—you should get it easily." Just as she finished speaking, the host, Elsie Santana, pulled back a red cloth downstairs, revealing a perfectly preserved Celestial Nymphaea. She announced, "Distinguished guests, tonight's item is quite special. It's not a priceless jewel or a master's artwork, but rather a professionally authenticated medicinal herb that's at least 500 years old—truly a rare find that interested parties shouldn't miss." Despite Elsie's enthusiastic presentation
"Since our distinguished guests don't seem too interested in this Celestial Nymphaea, let's start the bidding at 750 thousand dollars," Elsie announced with feigned disappointment. Her alluring glance across the VIP suites stirred even the initially uninterested buyers into participating. "780 thousand dollars—consider it a favor for you, Ms. Santana!" someone called out. "825 thousand dollars—we must support Ms. Santana, after all!" … The bidding quickly heated up, reaching 900 thousand dollars. Lauren frowned. "Ms. Santana may have fooled these hormone-driven idiots, but these rising prices aren't doing Dr. Lloyd any favors…" Then, she announced loudly, "1.05 million—let me cool things down a bit." Elsie's eyes lit up. "Ms. Rhodes bids 1.05 million! Any other offers? If not, this premium medicinal herb goes to Ms. Rhodes." The sudden jump in price silenced many bidders. It was not that they could not match Lauren's bid, but rather that they were not interested enou
As the auction host, Elsie was fully aware that the Celestial Nymphaea could not possibly fetch such a high price. Even so, she still asked symbolically, "12 million dollars! Are there any other bids? If not, the Celestial Nymphaea will go to Mr. Lloyd!" Elsie could barely contain her excitement, knowing well the astronomical figure was unbeatable. Just then, a mocking voice cut through the air, ruining the moment. "I bid 12.3 million!" A wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the crowd. Everyone realized someone deliberately tried to stir up trouble for those in The Vault. In Michael's private suite, Bane let out a sinister laugh. "Serves them right. If I can't have this precious item, that boy won't get it either." Michael sneered. "I figured Finley wouldn't stay quiet for long. With him stirring up trouble, Andrew will have to bleed money if he wants to win this." The curtain to Finley's box was dramatically pulled aside as he revealed himself, challenging Andrew arrog
Finley laughed out loud. "Mr. Weller, I love how you bid! When it comes to being shameless, you're truly in a league of your own!" Michael chimed in with a booming laugh. "Harvey, you really know your way around an auction. I'm impressed!" In his private box, Harvey's face twisted into a malicious grin as he listened to Finley and Michael's words. His sole purpose was to destroy Andrew, and he did not care if it meant temporarily aligning with Finley. Christina cast a cold glance his way. "Do you really find this amusing?" "Why wouldn't I?" Harvey spat venomously. "After all the times Andrew has messed with me, don't I deserve to make him suffer a little?" Christina shook her head disapprovingly. "I'm not talking about you bidding—it's an auction, after all, and everyone has the right to compete fairly. I'm talking about that pathetic hundred-dollar increase. Isn't that beneath the Weller family's pride?" Harvey shrugged. "I couldn't care less about the Celestial Nymphaea.
With a 30-million-dollar sale, the auction house's commission alone would be in the millions. It was definitely a windfall. Lauren and Francesca stared at Andrew, clearly struggling to comprehend the astronomical number, and their hearts ached. Lauren muttered, "Dr. Lloyd, 30 million dollars… I think we might've gotten carried away." "I just didn't feel like playing games with these idiots," Andrew said casually. "Better to crush them with one bid and be done with it." His casual tone made Lauren and Francesca grit their teeth in frustration. After all, 30 million dollars was not just a small sum. It was a monumental deal. Anyone else would have spent hours debating about that kind of money, let alone tossing it out so casually. "Spending 30 million on a single item?" Finley laughed mockingly. "Andrew, I can't tell if you're actually stupid or just pretending to be. I was going to keep playing, but after seeing that move, I'll let you enjoy your foolish victory." No one j
Finley let out a cold snort, dissatisfied with Harvey's show of arrogance that had stolen his thunder. Just as he was about to argue, a commanding voice, though accompanied by a cough, resonated through the room. "As the elder, I'm here to support my son Harvey. I trust everyone will show proper respect." The auction house erupted in commotion, as no one had expected the head of the Weller family, one of Jayrodale's most influential figures, to make a personal appearance. "That decrepit old man Kane actually showed up, huh," Finley muttered under his breath in his private booth, choosing to hold his tongue. While he could provoke Harvey, it was a different story with Kane. After all, as the head of an established family, Kane held the same status as the leader of the Hidden Dragons. Finley knew all too well that Kane, despite his current frail appearance, had been a force to be reckoned with in his younger days. As a junior grandmaster in martial arts, Kane could end him with