"Hello."
Lu Yuan picked up his phone and answered.
"Mr. Lu?"
A deep voice came from the other end. "I just got off the plane. The paperwork and everything is taken care of."
"Good. The pass for Christie's is ready, and the hotel is booked. There's enough money on that card. Remember, no matter what, you must get your hands on it. Contact me anytime if there's a problem."
Lu Yuan spoke calmly, giving a long list of instructions in one breath.
Christie's.
One of the most famous auction houses in the world.
Its lots included rare works of art from all over the globe.
And one of the items in this auction was exactly what Lu Yuan needed.
So he'd hired a professional and sent him abroad to acquire it.
"Yes, Mr. Lu."
The man on the other end replied. After a few more questions, he hung up.
Lu Yuan took a sip of red wine, opened his phone's photo album, and pulled up several pictures.
They showed a yellowed ancient Chinese book. It wasn't written in ordinary Chinese characters, but in ancient oracle bone script. Foreign experts in ancient texts had examined it and suspected it was connected to the Classic of the Way and its Virtue, written by Laozi. It was at least two thousand years old.
It had been unearthed in China a hundred years ago, then found its way overseas amid the ravages of war. After changing hands several times, it had been acquired by Christie's.
Not long ago, the auction house had announced that it would be one of the lots in the upcoming auction.
Normally, the appearance of something like this would have stirred up a heated discussion in China.
But Chinese experts thought the book might have been forged by someone in ancient times. Its word count and chapters differed considerably from the versions of the Classic of the Way and its Virtue passed down to the present. Aside from its age, it didn't have much research value.
But only Lu Yuan knew that the book at Christie's was the complete Classic of the Way and its Virtue.
People believed the book had only eighty-one chapters.
In truth, it had one hundred and eight.
The version passed down in China was merely a fragment, and it had long been missing its most important part.
In his previous life, after the global upheaval, Lu Yuan had been little more than a nobody. He'd heard that a mighty expert had comprehended the complete Classic of the Way and its Virtue, tempering his body and soul to their limits. His strength could shake the stars, and his soul could commune with the divine. He walked through the starfields. It was a true supreme scripture, no less valuable than the Bodhi Ancient Tree in Tianzhu!
Now that he'd decided to make up for his regrets in this life and ascend to the highest peak,
the complete Classic of the Way and its Virtue was absolutely indispensable.
"The Bodhi Ancient Tree cost nearly a hundred million. This trip to Christie's will set me back at least tens of millions more. An ordinary person really couldn't handle that." Lu Yuan put away his phone and couldn't help sighing.
Just like before his rebirth,
he was still a rich second-generation heir.
His parents had died in a car accident a year ago, leaving him a fortune worth tens of billions.
The difference was that in his previous life, after inheriting the family fortune, he'd done nothing but squander it, giving no thought to the future.
His wealth was enough to support a lifetime of extravagance. But later, when the global upheaval came and might made right, the strong preyed on the weak. No matter how much money he had, it turned into worthless paper.
In his previous life, Lu Yuan had gone from a carefree rich heir to a nobody in the blink of an eye.
He'd had a few lucky breaks, but they couldn't change a thing.
After living through that world, where the strong devoured the weak
and dignity was trampled underfoot,
he knew all too well how important strength was. Without power, anyone could bully you.
So after returning to life, Lu Yuan had immediately begun preparing for the future. He sold off all kinds of family assets, turning them into cash as fast as he could, even if it meant accepting low prices. The mysterious Shanghai City tycoon who had recently made the news for selling off huge amounts of stock and property was none other than him.
To outsiders, this was undoubtedly foolish. After all, what his parents had left him were all sound investments.
Selling them meant losing at least several million a day.
But Lu Yuan didn't care.
The global upheaval would come in a little over a month. What use was a fortune then?
In the new era, what mattered wasn't money, but oneself.
The villa he was living in now was part of his inheritance, too. When he'd bought it, he'd simply wanted some peace and quiet.
After his rebirth, he'd renovated it so that he'd have a base where he could quietly prepare for what was coming.
"Now that I've got the Bodhi Ancient Tree, there shouldn't be any surprises with the complete Classic of the Way and its Virtue either. Next are the other divine treasures that will appear after the upheaval." Lu Yuan settled his mind, his thoughts racing as one plan after another took shape.
That was right. These two treasures alone weren't enough.
Before the upheaval, he had to gather as many of the supreme treasures he knew about as possible.
Only then would he be ready to face any crisis that might arise when the new era arrived.
Then he'd have the first-mover advantage at every turn, staying ahead of everyone!
Bzzzz.
Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated, interrupting his thoughts.
He picked it up and saw a group chat for his university class.
Li Sisi: It's almost been a year since graduation. We haven't gotten together in ages.
Wang Zibo: Yeah, @Li Hansheng, our class monitor, got any plans?
Li Hansheng: Of course! I've booked a room at the Cloud Grand Hotel. Food, drinks, and entertainment all in one place. Make sure you all come!
Li Sisi: Wow, isn't that the best five-star hotel in Shanghai City? It costs tens of thousands a day. Class monitor, you're going all out.
Chen Song: @Li Hansheng, hey, class monitor, do we need to chip in?
Li Hansheng: No need. Zhou Yunqiong will be there, too. The Cloud Grand Hotel belongs to her family, so I've already arranged everything. Just come and enjoy yourselves.
Wang Zibo: What? Zhou Yunqiong, our goddess, is coming? Then there's no way I'm missing it.
Chen Song: Me too. It's been ages since I last saw Zhou.
Zhang Wei: I'll definitely be there!
Zhao Pengfei: +1.
Qian Gang: +1.
A bunch of the guys: +1.
Li Sisi: Look at you guys. The moment you hear Yunqiong is coming, you all pop up. So this is what you boys are really like.
Li Hansheng: Li Sisi, what are you talking about? We're not the ones who should be happiest. That'd be a certain someone.
Wang Zibo: @Lu Yuan
The rest of the class: @Lu Yuan
Li Sisi: That's right. Lu's been in love with Yunqiong for four years. He must be over the moon now, right?
Li Hansheng: @Lu Yuan, stop lurking. Whether you're coming or not, at least say something!
Looking at the long string of messages on his phone,
Lu Yuan shook his head and tossed it aside.
In his previous life, he'd have been interested in something like this and eagerly replied. But now, he didn't care in the slightest. Time was short, and a class reunion was completely meaningless to him.
As for the girl he'd liked, after going through the global upheaval and all those bloody battles,
Lu Yuan no longer cared about romantic feelings.
There was no need to reply.
But just as he was about to get up and leave, his eyes suddenly shifted.
He immediately picked up his phone again, opened the chat app, and slowly typed a single character: "Going."
His reason for changing his mind was simple. He'd remembered that something he needed was connected to this class reunion, so he had to go.
After doing that,
Lu Yuan gave it no more thought.
He turned and walked straight into the villa's gym, where he began working out.
There was a little over a month left until the global upheaval. He had a lot to do before then.
For example, some divine treasures couldn't simply be bought while sitting at home. He'd have to make the trip in person, and some places were dangerous. Lu Yuan needed a strong physique.
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