Chapter Thirteen: An Industry in Turmoil

The lights in the appraisal room were switched on, and the luminous pearl once again revealed its gentle, lustrous glow. Recalling how Wu You had wrapped such a legendary treasure with nothing more than that tattered scarf on the table and casually stuffed it into his trouser pocket to bring to the auction house, Zhou Peng and the others were beside themselves, wishing they could bang their heads against the wall.

If Wu You had known what was going through their minds, he might have actually applauded them. The scarf was indeed old and worn—Zhang Guihua had once accidentally singed a few holes in it with incense ash. That’s right, it was nothing more than one of Wu You’s mother’s vintage scarves, which she used to wear around her neck.

“Mr. Wu, please, you must let our Wanli Auction House handle the sale of this luminous pearl. I guarantee you will receive the supreme client treatment, and we’ll only charge you the lowest possible commission. We will also use every resource at our disposal to promote it.”

Zhou Peng was now terrified that Wu You might change his mind about selling. Every word was chosen with utmost care.

“So, approximately when can the auction be held?” Wu You was indifferent to the commission—whether it was one billion or nine hundred million, both were astronomical sums. He was used to dealing with figures as small as tadpoles; seeing such money as actual cash was a rare event for him. What mattered to him now was how soon he could receive the money—after all, Wu Jianguo was still waiting in the hospital for treatment.

“Publicity takes time. Clients from across the country and even around the world will need time to come. Besides, an auction needs other lots as well. The soonest we could arrange it would be in about a week,” Zhou Peng explained, suddenly realizing something.

“If you urgently need funds, Mr. Wu, Wanli Auction House can advance you fifty million.”

Hearing this, Wu You thought it was a good solution. To be honest, he’d never imagined the luminous pearl could fetch such a high price.

“All right, then. Please advance me part of the payment, and I’ll leave the luminous pearl here. I suppose there will be contracts to sign?”

“Yes, of course! I’ll have my secretary draft a special contract right away. Please wait a moment,” Zhou Peng replied, barely able to contain his excitement at Wu You’s agreement.

…

The events that had unfolded earlier at the reception between Zhao Xing, Wu You, and Zhou Peng had already spread throughout the Qiantang branch of Wanli Auction House. The staff were all picturing General Manager Zhou storming out of the appraisal room in a rage.

But the first to rush out was actually the chief appraiser, Huang Wei, followed by his mentor Qin Tianming, who dashed in together. The more astute among them realized something extraordinary must have happened.

After that, there was a long silence. The appraisal room was soundproof; no one outside had any idea what was going on within.

Roughly twenty minutes after Elder Qin entered, the door finally opened.

This time, Zhou Peng came out first, and to everyone’s amazement, he stood at the door holding it like an attendant, respectfully waiting for the young man named Wu to step out.

Following them were Qin Tianming and Huang Wei. Elder Qin cradled something delicately in his hands, while Huang Wei kept trying to sneak a look and was repeatedly shooed away.

What happened next again shattered the staff’s expectations: General Manager Zhou personally served tea, reviewed the contract, and escorted Mr. Wu all the way to the entrance of the commercial building.

After the whole episode, even a child could tell that Mr. Wu must have brought in a truly extraordinary treasure.

As for Zhao Xing, who was in the deputy general manager’s office, he was well aware of what had transpired and felt increasingly uneasy.

He was dying with curiosity but couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Towards the end of the workday, as the staff were preparing to leave, internal news finally broke: the mysterious Mr. Wu had brought in a luminous pearl the size of a longan.

It wasn’t the kind of synthetic or fluorescent stone, but a priceless, natural luminous pearl formed over many years within an old mollusk. Elder Qin was so impressed he canceled his flight back to the capital, deciding to stay in Qiantang until the auction was over.

General Manager Zhou was even more determined, insisting on organizing a special auction just for the luminous pearl.

By the time the employees learned all this, the luminous pearl had already been heavily guarded and transported to a special safe deposit box in the underground vault of a Qiantang bank. Not even internal staff knew which bank it was.

Zhao Xing was now beside himself with regret. He could doubt Zhou Peng’s words or even Huang Wei’s, but he would never doubt Qin Tianming.

Just look at Qin Tianming—he acted like a child who’d just gotten a new video game console, practically skipping as he walked. And he was an eighty-year-old man! What could possibly excite him so much?

Just before the end of the day, as Elder Qin and Huang Wei passed Zhao Xing’s office, the old man poked his head in to look at Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing was unnerved and asked what he wanted.

The old man just chuckled and said it was nothing.

Nothing, my foot! I feel like something big is about to happen to me!

…

In the underground parking garage, Zhao Xing had been waiting anxiously for half an hour, all just to catch Zhou Peng on his way out.

Finally, five minutes later, Zhou Peng arrived by elevator, ending Zhao Xing’s agonizing thirty-five-minute wait, which had felt like an eternity.

Zhou Peng ignored him and walked straight to his BMW 7 Series.

“Mr. Zhou, please wait!” Zhao Xing hurried after him, not about to let him leave.

Zhou Peng pretended to notice him only then. “Oh, Mr. Zhao! I didn’t see you there. Sorry about that.”

“No problem, not at all, I just arrived. I was hoping to invite you to dinner…”

“Ah, sorry, Mr. Zhao. I already have plans with a friend. I’m in a rush. Let’s talk tomorrow at the office. Actually, I’ll be busy at the ad agency and the TV station, won’t be in the office. Quite hectic. So, another time.” Before Zhao Xing could finish, Zhou Peng expertly cut him off.

Zhao Xing was truly desperate now. “Mr. Zhou, let me be frank. I, Old Zhao, failed to recognize real talent—I didn’t know Mr. Wu was the real deal. Fortunately, you have a discerning eye. To be honest, I’ve had issues with you since you came to Qiantang, and I’ve done my share of petty things. But I’m thick-skinned enough to beg you for another chance. If you let me off the hook, I’ll be your most loyal supporter from now on.”

With the temperament of Wanli’s owner, if he found out Zhao Xing had nearly driven away a client with a treasure rivaling the He’s Bi, he’d definitely have him fired. And due to this, Zhao Xing would be blacklisted throughout the auction industry.

Having laid it out so plainly, Zhou Peng couldn’t avoid the issue any longer. After some thought—since he was about to take over the whole company and Zhao Xing was actually quite capable—he decided to let it go.

“All right, Mr. Zhao. I’ll come to the office tomorrow. I’ll count on you to handle the publicity for the luminous pearl and the auction.”

Zhao Xing was moved to tears.

“With your trust, Mr. Zhou, I’d go through fire and water for you. I’ll head back to the office right now to draft the publicity plan. You go ahead.”

“Hey, Mr. Zhao, you should at least eat first!”

“I’ll order takeout.”

…

As he returned, Zhao Xing walked with a spring in his step. He couldn’t help but admire Zhou Peng—truly a man who knew when to hold on and when to let go. He was determined not to disappoint him.

…

When Wu You left Wanli Auction House, his bank card now carried a balance of fifty million. When he saw the notification, his heart skipped a beat, but he managed to keep his face calm—he’d grown accustomed to shocks lately.

At last, the system notified him that the task was complete.

Notification: Task completed—established a foothold.
Reward: Alchemy Energy +3, current total 8.
Task evaluation: Good. Additional Alchemy Energy +2, current total 10.

…

Seeing how Wu You could treat the luminous pearl with such indifference, and remain unmoved even by immense wealth, Zhou Peng and the others became all the more convinced that Wu You was far from ordinary.

He went first to the Qiantang Central Hospital, paid five hundred thousand at the cashier, and then visited his parents in their ward.

Wu You told Zhang Guihua that a friend had advanced him a large sum to jointly develop the back mountain of their village, so she need not worry about his father’s medical bills anymore.

After leaving the hospital, he called each of the relatives he’d borrowed money from to ask for their bank details, repaying every cent, not a penny more or less.

Ironically, when those relatives got his call, they thought the Wu family was desperate for another loan, and all avoided him like the plague. Some didn’t even answer until Wu You followed up with a text. The warmth and coldness of human nature was on full display.

…

Though Wanli’s publicity plan was still being drafted, news had already spread that very night among auctioneers, jewelers, and even antique dealers that Wanli had been entrusted with the sale of the priceless luminous pearl.

It was Zhao Xing who leaked the story, posting a short video Zhou Peng had sent via WeChat, complete with a caption, to his social media feeds. He followed up with three posts on Weibo, describing the appraisal process and personnel in detail.

Qin Tianming’s appraisal alone carried significant weight, and with the supplementary video Zhou Peng had recorded, Zhao Xing’s social media instantly exploded with attention from industry insiders.

The video was scrutinized repeatedly; there was no evidence of forgery. Countless people left messages inquiring about the starting price and auction date for the luminous pearl, but Zhao Xing made no further replies, leaving only the tantalizing promise of upcoming publicity.

Anyone with influence in the industry began probing for more information, some even forming alliances with the intent to acquire the treasure. Accounts and records of luminous pearls throughout history were dug up and analyzed. Nearly every story about such pearls was shrouded in myth, adding to the allure and mystery.

Wanli Auction House’s campaign for the luminous pearl had already begun quietly that very night.