Gu Cheng and his father talked in the study for a long time.
Gu Sihai offered plenty of advice and suggestions about what he had experienced on this trip.
Gu Cheng benefited greatly from it.
He kept marveling that experience really did count for something.
Finally, Gu Cheng asked about the auction.
"It's an auction organized by the Crescent Hotel."
The Crescent Hotel?
Something stirred in Gu Cheng's mind.
Gu Sihai took a sip of tea and said, "The Crescent Hotel is very mysterious. It rarely admits outsiders, so not many people know about it."
"On the surface, the Crescent Hotel is a restaurant, but it's actually the largest auction house in Yanbei City."
"Everyone in Yanbei City's antiques scene knows that the Crescent Hotel is where the real experts go. They deal in major pieces. Compared to them, Liulichang and Panjiayuan sell nothing but flea-market goods."
"This auction is supposedly a Divine Artifact Special, so plenty of billionaires and top big shots will be attending."
"It took me a lot of effort to get an invitation."
"With your appraisal skills, I'm sure you won't come back empty-handed."
Gu Cheng patted his chest. "Dad, don't worry. It's just that..."
He rubbed his fingers together.
Gu Sihai rolled his eyes at him. "I've pulled together all our family's liquid funds for you, four hundred million in total. You'd better take it easy. And remember, whatever you do, don't light the sky lantern!"
Four hundred million?
Gu Cheng hadn't expected his family to have such deep pockets. Their liquid funds alone amounted to four hundred million.
But lighting the sky lantern?
Don't worry, Dad. I'm not that stupid.
Just look at what happened to those big shots who lit the lantern in The Grave Robbers' Chronicles.
Zhang Qishan had lit three lanterns in a row, burning through half a year's earnings for the entire Zhang family.
Young Wu Xie had been tricked by Madam Huo into sitting in the sky lantern seat, nearly bankrupting Xie Yuchen.
In Sand Sea, Fatty Wang had spent ten years paying off his debt and still owed the Crescent Hotel 260 million.
With all those cautionary tales, how could he possibly do something so foolish?
"Dad, what does lighting the sky lantern mean?"
Gu Cheng felt helpless. Although he already knew, he still had to ask.
"Lighting the sky lantern is one of the Crescent Hotel's customs!"
Gu Sihai patiently explained.
"At the Crescent Hotel, there's an empty seat in the guests' private seating area. It's not a seat just anyone can take. Whoever sits there is declaring that they're lighting the sky lantern."
"Lighting the sky lantern means that no matter how high anyone else bids, you have to bid higher and ultimately buy the item."
Gu Cheng feigned astonishment. "Doesn't that mean if someone deliberately drives up the price, the person lighting the sky lantern will get fleeced?"
Gu Sihai nodded. "That's why I told you to remember, whatever you do, don't light the sky lantern!"
"Dad, don't worry. I absolutely won't light the sky lantern."
That evening, the three members of the Gu family enjoyed a delicious therapeutic feast.
As a result...
Gu Cheng woke up in the middle of the night and stared down at his crotch with a troubled expression.
"You've got to be kidding. I know snakes are lustful by nature, but isn't this a little excessive?"
"Am I supposed to get any sleep?!"
"If it keeps swelling, will I end up in the hospital?!"
He remembered a movie he had once watched in which a man took the wrong medicine. His penis stayed swollen for so long that the doctor eventually had to amputate it...
Gu Cheng shook his head violently, banishing the horrifying image from his mind.
Since he couldn't sleep anyway...
He might as well cultivate.
Gu Cheng took a wooden box out of his backpack and opened it. Inside was a round bead the size of a quail egg.
[Item name]: Black Flood Dragon Core [Item grade]: second-rank spirit material [Item ability]: increases true essence spiritual energy [Item description]: the power core of a spiritually awakened demon beast. Holding it in your mouth while cultivating increases true essence spiritual energy.
Gu Cheng placed the core in his mouth and began practicing the Fetal Breathing Method.
After daybreak...
Gu Cheng ended his cultivation and spat out the core, a satisfied expression on his face.
Just moments earlier...
His Fetal Breathing Method had officially reached the fourth layer.
All his physical capabilities had improved across the board once again.
He reckoned that, in terms of physical ability alone, he should now surpass Hu Bayi.
He left his room and went downstairs.
His father and mother were already sitting in the dining room, eating breakfast.
His mother was positively glowing.
She kept putting food on his father's plate, and even her voice was much gentler, without its usual fierceness.
His father looked refreshed too, enjoying his mother's attentions as though they were his due.
Gu Cheng watched the two of them with a strange expression.
He suddenly remembered his own predicament the night before.
Could it be...
In the end, Gu Cheng was too embarrassed to stay home any longer.
He left without even eating breakfast.
Panjiayuan.
A little shop tucked away in an obscure corner.
A middle-aged man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks was holding a porcelain vase, enthusiastically pitching it to two foreigners.
Whenever he spoke, his large gold front tooth showed, making it particularly conspicuous.
"Go ask around if you like. My reputation here in Panjiayuan is second to none. Everyone knows Big Gold Tooth."
"This blue-and-white porcelain piece dates back to the middle of the Ming Dynasty. Its market value is two million."
"Give me just 150,000 US dollars, and it's yours."
Unfortunately, the two foreigners didn't think paying 150,000 US dollars for the vase was much of a bargain. They shook their heads and turned to leave.
"Hey, don't go! We're negotiating a deal, aren't we? If you think it's too expensive, make a counteroffer!"
The two foreigners kept declining as they headed outside.
Just then, an old man and a beautiful woman walked in.
Seeing the scene...
The old man laughed. "Big Gold Tooth, trying to fleece foreigners again?"
Seeing that his customers had left...
Big Gold Tooth casually put the valuable blue-and-white porcelain vase into a box beside him.
Then he sighed. "Old Chen, what are you doing here again?"
The old man led the beautiful woman over and sat down across from Big Gold Tooth. He said cheerfully, "If I've come looking for you, it must be something important."
"Stop right there! Nothing good ever comes of your visits."
"You little brat! Is that any way to speak to your elder?"
"Bullshit! What elder? You just know my old man. We're not even related, so how does that make you my elder? Old Chen, quit pulling rank on me. If you've got something to say, spit it out. Don't get in the way of my business."
"Hahaha, there's no rush. Let me introduce someone first."
The old man pointed to the beautiful woman beside him.
"Her name is Shirley. She just came back from the United States, and she's a reporter."
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