Behind-the-Scenes Deal

The aftershocks of the auction were still rippling through the city.

Inside the secret chamber on the top floor of the Miteer Auction House, however, there was nothing but tranquility.

A delicate fragrance curled upward from the beast-headed incense burner in the corner, soothing the mind.

Ya Fei reclined on a soft sofa, her fiery red qipao outlining her breathtaking curves to perfection.

Before her, on a precious rosewood table, lay a thin slip of paper.

It was no ordinary paper, but a top-tier gold note issued by the Jia Ma Empire Royal Bank, crafted from the hide of a magical beast.

The number written upon it was enough to drive any Dou King expert to madness.

One million three hundred and fifty thousand.

This was the sum belonging to that mysterious gentleman after the ten percent commission had been deducted—the proof of an overnight fortune.

Ya Fei was in an excellent mood.

This auction had not only brought her staggering results but had also elevated the name of Ya Fei to a new level among the elite circles of the empire's northeastern region.

And all of this stemmed from that mysterious man who always remained shrouded beneath a bamboo hat.

The door to the secret chamber was gently pushed open by a maid from the outside.

A lean figure walked in, neither hurried nor slow.

He wore the same unremarkable grey short-sleeved shirt, and the same tattered bamboo hat pulled low over his face.

Su Chen.

A charming, genuine smile tugged at Ya Fei's red lips.

She extended a slender, jade-like hand and gently slid the gold note toward the other side of the table.

"Mr. Su, congratulations."

Her voice carried a lazy, magnetic quality that would make any man's bones turn to jelly.

"To become a millionaire overnight—I doubt you could find a second person in the entire Jia Ma Empire capable of such a feat."

Su Chen walked to the table and sat down in the guest chair that had been prepared for him.

His gaze lingered on the gold note for a brief moment.

Under the soft glow of the moonstone, the astronomical figure on the note shimmered with a golden luster.

Anyone else would likely have felt their heart racing and their breath hitching.

However, Su Chen merely glanced at it calmly.

Then, he reached out his hand.

He performed an action that caused the smile on Ya Fei's face to freeze instantly.

He gently pushed the gold note, which could change the fate of countless people, right back to her.

The movement was light.

The gold note slid silently across the smooth rosewood surface, coming to a stop right beside Ya Fei's hand.

The entire secret chamber fell into an eerie silence.

The delicate fragrance in the air seemed to grow heavy.

Ya Fei's jade hand, holding a teacup, froze in mid-air.

For the first time, her captivating peach-blossom eyes revealed pure astonishment and confusion.

"Sir, what is the meaning of this?"

She slowly set down the teacup, her voice no longer lazy, but tinged with a subtle, newfound gravity.

"Are you dissatisfied with the Miteer commission?"

This was the only explanation she could conceive.

Su Chen shook his head.

From beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat came a steady voice, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"Miss Ya Fei has misunderstood."

"I have no need for the money, for the time being."

This statement caused Ya Fei's brows to furrow even deeper.

She could not keep up with the train of thought of the man before her.

He had gone to such great lengths, orchestrating such a grand spectacle, drawing in countless experts, and auctioning a rare treasure for an exorbitant price.

Yet, in the end, he claimed he didn't want the money?

Was there anyone in this world who did business this way?

What exactly is he trying to do?

Ya Fei's thoughts raced rapidly through her mind.

Su Chen did not keep her guessing for long.

He adjusted to a more comfortable position, leaning his body against the soft back of the chair.

"I do not want money."

"I wish to use this sum, along with the profits from all our future collaborations, to exchange with the Mite'er Family for two things."

Ya Fei's body leaned slightly forward.

She knew the main topic had arrived.

Su Chen held up one finger.

"First, I require the right to use the most detailed and comprehensive intelligence network within the Jia Ma Empire."

His voice was unhurried, every word crystal clear.

"I need to know all information within the empire regarding exotic flames, beast flames, ancient ruins, and the legacies of fallen alchemist families."

"The intelligence I require must be fast and accurate."

Ya Fei's pupils constricted slightly.

The intelligence network of the Miteer Chamber of Commerce was one of the family's true core lifelines; its value could not be measured by mere money.

The person before her had opened his mouth only to touch upon the very foundation of her family.

His appetite was far greater than she had imagined.

Su Chen ignored her shock and, of his own accord, held up a second finger.

"Second, I require the Mite'er Family's trade routes that cover the entire empire."

"I need a transport line that is absolutely secure and absolutely secret."

"One that can allow my 'goods' to avoid all unnecessary trouble and be delivered to any corner of the empire, into the hands of any buyer."

When Su Chen finished the last word.

The entire secret chamber fell into a deathly silence.

Ya Fei sat there blankly, her charming and moving face now showing nothing but undisguised emptiness and shock.

She looked at Su Chen.

For the first time, she felt she could not see through this man shrouded beneath a bamboo hat at all.

A madman!

A complete and utter madman!

To give up over a million gold coins within reach, to give up the endless, massive profits of the future.

In exchange for ethereal intelligence and a transport route?

This was a choice a shrewd merchant would absolutely, under no circumstances, ever make!

Money was wealth that could be seen and touched.

But intelligence and channels? What were those? They were bottomless pits! They were massive machines that required the continuous investment of vast sums of money just to barely maintain!

Was he using his own money to buy the services of the Mite'er Family?

No matter how you calculated this, it was a loss!

However.

Just as this sense of absurdity reached its peak.

A thought, without any warning, exploded violently in Ya Fei's mind!

Her body shuddered fiercely.

Those beautiful eyes, which had lost focus due to shock, refocused in that instant.

And, they erupted with a brilliant, dazzling, and astonishing light like never before!

She understood.

She finally understood!

What he wanted was not money at all!

Money, to him, was merely a number, a lever used to pry open a much larger chessboard!

What he wanted was to construct the... skeleton of a vast empire!

The intelligence network was the eyes and ears of this empire, allowing it to perceive every movement within the empire and discover all potential "treasures."

The trade routes were the blood vessels and limbs of this empire, allowing its influence to extend from the small corner of Wutan City to every pore of the entire empire!

And those endless "commodities" related to flames in his hands were the army this empire would use to conquer cities and lands, invincible and unstoppable!

He was not plotting to become a wealthy merchant.

He intended to be the king behind the scenes, controlling the lifeblood of all the flames in the empire!

This realization made Ya Fei's heart begin to beat violently and uncontrollably.

A tremor originating from the depths of her soul made every hair on her body stand on end.

That was not fear.

It was the immense shock and awe one feels when catching a glimpse of a true dragon, currently lurking in the abyss, gathering its strength and preparing to soar into the sky at any moment to stir the winds and clouds of the entire continent!

She looked at Su Chen.

Beneath that tattered bamboo hat, it no longer seemed to be a thin, gaunt youth.

Instead, it was a mastermind, sitting calmly upon a throne, overlooking the entire chessboard.

Ya Fei took a slow, deep breath.

The breathtaking curves of her chest heaved violently as she did so.

She knew she was facing a choice that could change her own fate, and perhaps even the future of the entire Mite'er Family.

Should she refuse him and safely earn that visible million in commissions?

Or...

Should she bet everything and bind herself and the entire Mite'er Auction House to his war chariot—one that looked incredibly insane, yet was filled with infinite possibilities?

The answer formed in her heart almost instantly.

She slowly reached out and took back the gold note that represented a massive fortune.

This action was her answer.

Ya Fei raised her head, and a solemn yet radiant smile, unlike any she had ever shown before, bloomed on her pale, excited face.

"Sir's request has already exceeded the scope of what I can decide on my own."

Her voice trembled slightly from excitement, but every word was filled with unquestionable resolve.

"However, I will submit an application of the highest level to the family headquarters in my own name, Ya Fei."

She stood up and bowed slightly toward Su Chen across the table.

It was a gesture of equality, even carrying a hint of reverence.

"I believe that as long as those old fogies in the family aren't fools, they will certainly be able to see just how... terrifying the value of your investment is, Sir."