The tolling bell that marked the auction's end came through the thick walls as a distant, muffled echo.
Inside the VIP room, the soothing, delicate fragrance still curled lazily through the air.
Ya Fei reclined against the soft sofa. Her fiery red qipao flowed like flames, outlining her mature curves to perfection.
She said nothing.
Her limpid, peach-blossom eyes simply gazed at the young man across from her.
Admiration, curiosity, scrutiny.
All sorts of emotions intertwined in the depths of her eyes, until at last they settled into an ever-deepening interest.
This young man was like an ancient well with no bottom. Every time you thought you had glimpsed its depths and reached down, you found nothing but more unfathomable, heart-stirring darkness.
She had thought that thousand-gold gamble, which had trampled the Jialie Clan's pride underfoot, was the limit of what he could do.
But now, facing the Purple Gold Card representing a fortune of nine hundred gold coins, he still wore that same placid expression.
As if it weren't a fortune enough to drive even a Dou Shi mad, but merely a pile of meaningless numbers.
"It seems our cooperation has been a great success."
In the end, Ya Fei was the first to speak. The deliberately seductive softness in her voice had vanished, replaced by the brisk, levelheaded manner of a top businesswoman.
With a turn of her slender hand, a card made entirely of purple gold, engraved with intricate magical patterns, appeared between her fingers.
"As agreed, the auction house takes a ten-percent commission on the thousand-gold sale."
She gently pushed the Purple Gold Card with her pale fingertips. It slid in an elegant arc across the polished rosewood table and stopped in front of Su Chen.
"There are nine hundred gold coins on it."
Nine hundred gold coins.
That sum was enough to make any mercenary group in Wutan City green with envy, and to let an ordinary family live in extravagant luxury for several lifetimes.
Now, it had become a light little card, lying quietly there and giving off a faint purple glow.
Su Chen tapped the armrest once with his fingertip.
Just once.
He didn't immediately reach for the card. Instead, he lifted his head and calmly met Ya Fei's gaze.
"I think our cooperation has only just begun."
At his words, Ya Fei's red lips curved slightly into a captivating smile.
She liked dealing with clever people.
They saved her from so much needless probing and small talk.
"Of course."
She rose and walked over to Su Chen with graceful steps.
This time, she didn't approach with that aggressive, bewitching air. She kept a polite, respectful distance and bowed slightly.
"In fact, what I was about to discuss with you, little brother, is our 'future' cooperation."
She paused, then returned to the sofa across from him. The smile in her peach-blossom eyes faded, replaced by the keen seriousness of a chief auctioneer.
"In the short time since the auction ended, barely the span of a single incense stick, people have nearly beaten down my door."
"Oh?"
Su Chen picked up the fragrant tea in front of him, long since gone cold, and took a light sip.
"After obtaining that bottle of 'Rock Fire Seed,' Liu Xi, the first-tier alchemist whom the Jialie Clan hired at great expense, immediately fired up his furnace and refined a batch of 'Blood Coagulation Powder'—something he had failed to make several times before."
Ya Fei lightly tapped the armrest with her fingertips.
"Success on the first try, and the pills were of the finest quality."
"They say Master Liu Xi hugged the pills in a frenzy of delight and declared, right to Jialie Bi's face, that this fire was a miraculous treasure every alchemist dreamed of, worth far more than a thousand gold coins."
"Jialie Bi has already sent a calling card. His words were most earnest; he hopes to meet the supplier of the 'Rock Fire Seed.' The price is negotiable."
"And then there's the Aoba Clan. Although their clan leader, Aoba Pa, came up short at the auction, he's more desperate than anyone now. He even offered an irresistible price, hoping to buy it from the 'mysterious VIP' who won the fire seed."
Ya Fei calmly and unhurriedly recounted the reactions of the city's two great clans.
Every word she spoke quietly raised Su Chen's value.
"Of course, besides them, several other prominent alchemists and blacksmiths in the city have also sent people to express their keen interest in cooperating."
"You could say your 'Rock Fire Seed' has become the most sought-after treasure in the eyes of every powerful figure in Wutan City—in the space of a single night."
"A succulent piece of meat, enough to draw countless wolves circling overhead."
As Ya Fei spoke those final words, her tone suddenly turned cold.
The air in the room tightened faintly with it.
Su Chen set down his teacup.
The bottom touched the table with a clear, light click.
"So, what is it you want to say, Miss Ya Fei?"
"What I want to say is simple."
Ya Fei straightened up. The breathtaking curves of her figure tightened with the movement, but no one would have noticed the allure now. They would only have felt the force of the powerful presence she exuded.
"An innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth."
"What you have is no longer some rare curiosity. It's a gold mine capable of changing the balance of power in Wutan City. A gold mine like that is more than you can protect on your own."
"The Jialie Clan may have lost face this time, but they won't let it go. If they can't come at you openly, they'll resort to underhanded methods. Kidnapping, threats, assassination... They're better at those unsavory tricks than anyone."
"You need an ally."
"An ally powerful enough to shield you from every attack, seen or unseen, and let you earn your money in peace."
Her voice was decisive and firm.
Every word struck like a drumbeat against the heart.
Su Chen said nothing.
He simply watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
Ya Fei met his deep gaze, then suddenly broke into a smile. It was like snow melting at the first touch of spring, like a hundred flowers bursting into bloom, brightening the whole room.
"And my Miteer Auction House is your best choice—the only choice."
She extended her slender, jade-white hand across the table and pointed at Su Chen.
"On behalf of the Miteer Auction House, I formally invite you to work with us."
"We'll sign an exclusive supply agreement."
"From now on, every one of your 'Rock Fire Seeds' in Wutan City and the neighboring Stone Desert City and Tanger City must be sold through Miteer's channels—and only through ours."
"In return..."
She drew back her hand and raised three pale, jade-like fingers.
"First, the commission. We can cut it from the original ten percent to five. Don't underestimate that five percent. Once your future transactions reach staggering sums, it'll amount to a fortune."
"Second, payment. We'll give priority to settling all your accounts. You won't have to wait for the auction to end. Once the goods have been appraised, we can pay you the full amount on the spot."
"Third, and most importantly."
Ya Fei's expression turned more serious than ever.
She took a badge from her storage ring.
The exquisite badge was made entirely of purple gold. It felt cool to the touch, and its face was engraved with the intricate emblem of the Miteer Family: a silver sword intertwined with auspicious clouds.
At the emblem's center was a tiny red crystal, glittering with an eerie light in the lamplight.
"This is the Miteer Family's Purple Gold VIP Badge."
Ya Fei solemnly placed the badge on the table beside the Purple Gold Card.
"There are no more than five people in all of Wutan City who possess one."
"With it, you can freely enter any Miteer Family property within the Jia Ma Empire without having to announce yourself."
"With it, you can call on a squad of up to twenty guards from the auction house to protect you, without any conditions."
"And with it..."
Ya Fei raised her eyes. Her peach-blossom gaze was now as sharp as a blade.
"You can tell every blind fly in the city that from this day on, you, Su Chen, are under my protection!"
"Anyone who dares touch you makes an enemy of me, Ya Fei, and of the Miteer Auction House throughout Wutan City!"
Her final words rang out with resounding force.
This was no longer a shrewd businesswoman's calculation, but the unshakable authority and promise of a top-tier power!
She had staked her own reputation, along with that of the entire auction house, on this gamble.
She was betting on the future of the young man before her!
Su Chen looked at the Purple Gold Badge on the table.
He could feel its faint chill, and the scorching weight it represented—weight enough to shake all of Wutan City.
This was no mere olive branch.
It was a shield.
A sturdy shield forged for him by the Miteer Family itself, one strong enough to withstand every storm!
He knew he had already gotten everything he wanted.
He didn't hesitate.
Su Chen reached out and slipped both the Purple Gold Badge and the Purple Gold Card into his robes.
That gesture was his answer.
"Pleasure doing business."
He looked up and spoke those four words.
Ya Fei watched him and finally smiled—a sincere smile of relief.
"Pleasure doing business."
She rose and held out a hand as white as jade.
Su Chen stood as well and gently clasped her cool, soft hand.
They parted at once.
A business alliance that would one day stir up the entire Jia Ma Empire had quietly been forged in that small VIP room.
"By the way."
Just as Su Chen was about to take his leave, Ya Fei seemed to remember something.
"The mysterious VIP who bought the 'Rock Fire Seed' asked me to pass a message to you before he left."
Su Chen paused slightly.
He turned around.
A playful smile touched Ya Fei's lips.
"He said..."
"This fire is very good."
"But he wants to see something better."
Before you continue