"Ladies and gentlemen, does anyone have a bid higher than four hundred and thirty thousand?"
"If not, then congratulations to Clan Chief Jia Lie Bi on winning this Black Tier High Grade Dou Technique..."
As he watched the little hammer in Ya Fei's hand about to fall, Jia Lie Bi's aged face brimmed with delight. It felt exactly like when he had been blessed with a son late in life, when Jia Lie Ao was born.
A Black Tier High Grade Dou Technique might not seem particularly useful at present.
But in a few years, this Dou Technique would surely make the Jia Lie Family the dominant power in Wutan City!
"Ao, you're nothing short of a business genius. I really underestimated you before." Clearly overjoyed, Jia Lie Bi beamed as he slapped his son hard on the shoulder.
After all, he was a Five-Star Da Dou Shi. The force of those slaps nearly knocked Jia Lie Ao to pieces.
Only after a long while did Jia Lie Ao recover. He declared smugly, "Father, this is only the beginning. The final item is what really matters."
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had predicted.
Buying the Black Tier High Grade Dou Technique for four hundred and thirty thousand would leave him with three hundred and seventy thousand, enough to secure the final item as well.
"Heh, looks like I really am a business prodigy. Being invincible is so lonely!" Just as Jia Lie Ao was congratulating himself on his own brilliance, a calm voice rang out nearby.
"Five hundred thousand!"
Hearing the bid, Ya Fei abruptly stopped her hand and looked toward the source of the voice.
Quite a few people in the room turned their gazes toward it in unison.
Under those converging gazes, Xiao Yan remained perfectly composed. His black robe concealed his body completely, shrouding him in mystery.
Jia Lie Bi, who had been all smiles a moment before, turned gloomy at the latest bid.
He shot Xiao Yan a vicious glare, then said through gritted teeth, "Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Six hundred thousand!"
His eyes growing faintly bloodshot, Jia Lie Bi fell silent. This price had clearly exceeded the range he had anticipated.
He looked toward Jia Lie Ao, hoping to hear his opinion.
Then father and son simply stared at each other, one wide-eyed, the other narrow-eyed.
"Damn it, why did a Cheng Yaojin have to come charging out halfway through!" Angry and torn, Jia Lie Ao did not know whether he should give up bidding.
If he gave up, his own growth would surely lag far behind Xiao Yan's.
Besides, once Xiao Yan's wings had fully grown, there would still be no guarantee of Jia Lie Ao's life or fortune.
Jia Lie Ao deeply disliked the feeling of having his fate controlled by someone else.
But if he did not give up, he would inevitably draw Xiao Yan's attention...
After a full half-minute of thought, Jia Lie Ao had formed a plan.
One second before Ya Fei began the countdown, he raised his hand on Jia Lie Bi's behalf and called, "Seven hundred thousand!"
The entire room erupted!
The bid exceeded almost everyone's expectations.
Xiao Yan's brows furrowed as well.
Looking at Jia Lie Ao's confident smile, he lowered the hand he had been about to raise and quietly said, "You win."
His words carried a teasing note and the faintest hint of a smile, making it impossible to tell whether he had actually wanted this Black Tier cultivation method or not.
Jia Lie Bi looked somewhat stunned. A moment later, realization finally dawned on him.
He knew he had been played...
"Ao, you foolish boy! How could you be so impulsive!" It would have been a lie to say he did not feel the sting.
Seeing Jia Lie Bi beside him, endlessly beating his chest and stamping his feet, Jia Lie Ao hurriedly smiled and reassured him. "Father, don't grieve. This is all part of my plan. Just wait and see."
With matters already settled, Jia Lie Bi thought of his son's exceptional performance lately, and his agitation finally began to subside.
Before you continue