The White Jade Token Part Four

The auction was forced to a halt, and everyone remained at the scene to await news.

While lost in thought, a staff member approached Luo Qiu.

Accompanied by the staff member, Luo Qiu and You Ye were led to a side entrance of the venue, where several people were already waiting.

Among them were Zhang Qingrui, whom Luo Qiu knew well, a stout man in his early thirties, and a woman around fifty.

"Luo Qiu, this is Miss Dong, the host of the auction, and this is Manager Han, who was in charge of the event," Zhang Qingrui quickly explained. "I'm very sorry that the item your friend was bidding on was stolen mid-auction. We will do our best to retrieve it as soon as possible."

"...So you haven't found it yet?" Luo Qiu asked after a moment of silence.

The woman surnamed Dong sized Luo Qiu up. They had been watching the auction from backstage via video feed. She had a strong impression of the person who had bid the highest for the Jade Token.

Zhang Qingrui seemed to know Miss Dong, and there was a degree of familiarity between them. Since the item someone had purchased was stolen, Miss Dong felt a sense of apology and said kindly, "Mr. Luo, please rest assured. We have already reported it to the police, and that thief will not escape."

Luo Qiu was taken aback and asked out of context, "Could it be that they let the person leave the venue?"

Zhang Qingrui looked a little embarrassed. "That guy probably had a plan. We discovered that the lock on a fire exit door was broken. Then someone saw the thief leaving the east wing on a motorcycle. It seems it was all prepared in advance."

Luo Qiu shook his head. If he were in his own city, he could probably reach that man with just a thought, but being in a different place made him less agile. He didn't have any good ideas at the moment.

Besides, he hadn't actually lost anything. The auction had been successful, but he hadn't paid yet.

"I don't care what method you use, but we're flying out tonight. You'd better give us an explanation before evening."

You Ye suddenly said calmly, "It's your responsibility that the security here was negligent. We liked that Jade Token and intended to buy it. There's an old saying in the East: 'A thousand pieces of gold can't buy a beloved item.' This isn't something that can be resolved with simple compensation."

"We understand, we understand," Manager Han said, forcing a smile. "Even if you have to leave tonight, the Supreme Treasure Auction House will not let this matter drop! Once the Jade Token is recovered, we will deliver it to your hands by any means necessary."

Miss Dong and Zhang Qingrui secretly thought, This woman has such a powerful aura, it makes one feel unable to lift their head.

This wasn't something an ordinary rich young lady could achieve.

Zhang Qingrui looked at Luo Qiu with a hint of difficulty. Luo Qiu turned to You Ye and said, "Since the item was stolen, there's nothing we can do. We're not interested in anything else... Well, Zhang Qingrui, you should have my number. If you get any news, please notify me... You Ye, we still have some time. Let's go see somewhere else. We came all this way."

The club's maid doll, who unconditionally obeyed Luo Qiu, nodded obediently. However, when she looked at the three of them, her gaze was as sharp as the cold wind on the Siberian plateau.

As the two walked towards the exit, Miss Dong subconsciously let out a sigh of relief. "Qingrui... what's the background of this girl? I've met many formidable women in my life, but I've never felt so intimidated that I couldn't even breathe."

Zhang Qingrui gave a wry smile. "Aunt Dong, to be honest, I'm also completely clueless. I only know she's Luo Qiu's friend... perhaps girlfriend?"

"And that man?" Aunt Dong asked curiously.

Zhang Qingrui was reluctant to say more. "He's my classmate... Although he's my classmate, we're not really close."

Aunt Dong nodded. Being astute, she could tell Zhang Qingrui was being evasive. This only made her more curious about the identities of the young man and woman.

Aunt Dong shook her head. "For now, let's focus on recovering the lost item. I, Dong Minghua, am not a woman who lets herself be bullied without a fight... Hmph!"

Luo Qiu used a ride-hailing app to call a taxi.

While waiting outside the venue, You Ye softly asked, "Master, I failed in my duty... I'm sorry."

Luo Qiu was surprised. "It's nothing, really. Not everyone can predict something like this happening. Besides, with so many surveillance cameras at the scene, that guy won't escape. Your deposit has been returned anyway, so we haven't actually lost anything."

"But if that guy hadn't caused trouble, the Jade Token would be yours now."

Luo Qiu said with delight, "But isn't it more interesting now? Why did that man snatch the Jade Token? Does he know something unknown about it? That in itself is more valuable than simply acquiring the token."

The taxi driver began to pull over. Luo Qiu smiled and said, "Let's go. I have a rough idea of the direction that guy fled."

You Ye opened her mouth in confusion.

Luo Qiu took out the Jade Token he possessed and said, "This thing has been getting warm since a while ago. When I touch it, I get a feeling."

He walked towards the taxi, muttering, "Maybe I can find out what this Jade Token is without having to shorten my lifespan..."

In a secluded cargo hold.

A man wearing black glasses held a white Jade Token in a dazed state, repeatedly saying, "Found you, finally found you... Found you... Found you..."

He polished the small Jade Token, again and again, for an unknown amount of time, as if he and the white Jade Token were the only things in the world.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps and looked up sharply, seeing a man and a woman who had appeared before him out of nowhere.

The man became flustered, clutching the white Jade Token tightly in his hand... He seemed to recognize this young person who had suddenly appeared.

He had seen this young man at the auction, so he instinctively said, "It's you?!"

Luo Qiu looked disappointed. "I waited here for half an hour, and besides hearing you constantly repeating 'Found you, found you,' I didn't hear anything else. I had no choice but to come out."

"W-what do you want? Do you want to snatch it from my hands...?" the man became even more nervous, like a lion-tiger protecting its cubs.

Luo Qiu took out his own white Jade Token and waved it. "Can you tell me what secret this thing holds?"

The man was stunned, then ecstatic. "I knew it! I knew it! There's another one! When I saw you, I had a feeling, I had a feeling! It's true, it's on you! Give it to me!"

The man suddenly lunged at Luo Qiu like a madman.

But before he could reach it, You Ye easily subdued him on the ground. The man clutched his stomach in pain, the forceful impact making him feel like vomiting.

"Master, he's just an ordinary person," You Ye whispered in Luo Qiu's ear.

Luo Qiu pondered for a moment, then crouched down. "Sir, I mean no harm. I just want to know what this thing is. Likewise, I hope you understand that we acquired this item at the auction, and theoretically, it belongs to us. Yet, you snatched it away."

The man gasped for air, speaking with difficulty. "They... they belong to me! Not you, not any of you!!"

Luo Qiu frowned. "As far as I know, the Jade Token you stole originally belonged to Gu Yue Zhai, and was then transferred to the auction for sale. As for the one in my hand, it's probably not yours either, is it?"

"It's mine!" The man's eyes snapped open. "They all belong to me! Five hundred years ago, they all belonged to me!"

Luo Qiu blinked in surprise... Five hundred years ago?

The man suddenly gave a wry smile. "Do you... believe in past and present lives?"