C45 Something Is Going to Happen

Chen Chengde paused to reflect. How many times had he actually met Lee Yu? Upon counting, he realized it was only their fourth encounter. And here he was, considering an investment of over a billion yuan. Could he truly place his trust in Lee Yu?

The stakes of this gamble were astronomical.

"One billion, one hundred and fifty..." Le Lin's words were cut short.

"Two billion!" Chen Chengde bellowed, just in the nick of time before the final gavel could fall.

Le Lin's eyes sparkled with surprise; she hadn't anticipated the strange seed fetching such a staggering price.

"Grandfather!" exclaimed Chen Jingfu, taken aback.

"Hehe, my young friend, I might be able to muster the funds, but it seems I'll need to liquidate some assets," Chen Chengde said, brushing off his granddaughter's reaction and turning to Lee Yu with a grin.

Lee Yu responded confidently, "It's worth it, even if it means selling a bit more."

Truth be told, Lee Yu was astonished by the old man's faith in him, something he hadn't anticipated at all. It was only their fourth meeting, and their previous encounters had been strictly business.

"I'm reassured by your words, but if the bidding were to go any higher, I'm afraid I'd be out of options," Chen Chengde, shrewd despite his advanced years, sensed a shift in his 'young friend' Lee Yu, even without explicit expressions of commitment.

For him, this burgeoning closeness was priceless, far more valuable than a fortune in gold.

"Damn it, damn it!" The man in black in the back seat growled in frustration. Two billion yuan—where would he find the excess funds?

"One hundred and fifty million going once."

"Two hundred and fifty million going twice!"

"Three hundred and fifty million going thrice! Sold!" declared Le Lin. With those words, the auction came to a definitive close.

"Let's head out, collect our item, settle the payment, and then we can head home," Chen Chengde quipped. "You're in good shape, my friend. As for me, I've got some property to sell!"

Lee Yu promptly completed the transaction. In comparison to the tens of millions in his bank account, this amount was a mere trifle.

With Huang Xiu needing to study for her exams, Lee Yu didn't linger. After bidding farewell, she headed back.

"Grandfather..." Chen Jingfu began, then hesitated.

The Chen family was well aware of their financial standing. They certainly had one hundred and fifty million, but that included real estate and other assets—not just liquid cash.

This meant they might have to either borrow some money or sell off assets to come up with the one and a half billion.

"Hehe, I get your point. But playing it safe means we just maintain the status quo!" Chen Chengde shook his head. "I've never heard of a ship making history by strictly following the rules. We just need to wait a bit, and we'll soon find out if we've hit the rocks!"

Photography was prohibited in the auction hall, but as soon as Chen Chengde got backstage for the seed handover, he snapped a photo and sent it off.

True to Chen Chengde's prediction, his phone rang shortly thereafter.

The man on the line unexpectedly lost his usual calm and asked anxiously, "Elder Chen, did you manage to get a picture of the seed?"

"I did. Same procedure as before, right? Set it aside and wait for someone to collect it?" Chen Chengde mused, feeling the billion yuan spent was well worth it.

"No, I've sent someone to your location. Stay put," the man instructed before abruptly ending the call.

"Looks like we've avoided the rocks," Chen Chengde said with a chuckle, gesturing to his phone. Turning to Chen Jingfu, he remarked, "Have you ever seen such a reaction?"

Chen Jingfu shook her head; she couldn't recall ever seeing the man on the phone in such a state.

"You must learn to observe in life," Chen Chengde never missed a teaching moment with his granddaughter. "Having ginseng might not seem like much, but when you factor in Lee Yu's vision and his capabilities, you'll realize he's no ordinary individual!"

"His capabilities?" Chen Jingfu inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Exactly. His capabilities exceed mine!" Chen Chengde asserted. He had only seen Lee Yu break free from his hold once, subconsciously, but with his seasoned experience, Chen Chengde was confident in his assessment.

After a moment's thought, he added, "Even if he's not as strong as me at the moment, he's bound to surpass me within five years!"

Chen Jingfu's mouth fell open slightly in astonishment. She trusted her grandfather implicitly, but this revelation was truly frightening.

Her grandfather had trained in martial arts from a young age, amassing decades of internal strength, and had achieved mastery of Covert Power. And now, he was telling her that a teenager might be more formidable than him.

What was the significance of this? Lee Yu wasn't just a prodigy; he had the full support of his influential family, who were dedicated to his development!

Otherwise, the decades of inner strength he'd built up would have been an insurmountable chasm for Lee Yu to cross!

As they were in the midst of transferring 1.5 billion yuan, a man dressed in black entered. Clenching his jaw, he fixated on his phone screen.

"Got it. What's the next step?"

The man in black commanded, "Take them both out!"

"Understood..."

At the top of the chat was a photo of a young man and woman. Upon opening it, one could clearly see it was Lee Yu and Huang Xiu, who had left earlier.

Guided by the supervisor, the man in black passed by Chen Chengde's room, glanced inside, and muttered to himself,

"And you two, once my people get here, you won't escape either!"

Huang Xiu glanced at the package she was holding, containing over a million yuan worth of Guangxu Emperor coins. She felt almost giddy carrying it. There were more precious antiques at home, but this was her own purchase, something her grandmother had recently mentioned.

"Watch where you're going. Let's head home," Lee Yu hailed a cab. "Also, are you planning to attend the evening self-study session?"

"Will you be home today?" Huang Xiu inquired.

"Today..." Lee Yu nodded, "Yes, I'll be home."

He had intended to return immediately, considering the different pace of time between Blue Star and the Otherworld. A single day here didn't even complete a full day there, where seven or eight days could pass. He had a preference for staying in the Otherworld.

The tangible growth of his strength was too significant to ignore.

Yet, seeing Huang Xiu's excitement, he found himself unable to broach the subject of leaving for business.

"I won't be going to self-study tonight. I'll be home too!" Huang Xiu's eyes twinkled with joy, and her smile was wide and bright.

Meanwhile, in the Otherworld, the mimesis puppet obeyed Lee Yu's orders, settling into several days of a quiet, homebound existence.

"Lee Yu, would you join me for a stroll?" Qing Anqi called out from the open doorway, her voice clear and sharp.

The mimesis puppet didn't look up. "No!" It had just finished absorbing the energy from the thunderstrike wood. To maintain the facade of a typical level eight, it had to stop drawing in the thunder attribute's spiritual energy and instead, refine its meridians with the Gentle Lady's Buddhist Sword.

With a huff, Qing Anqi stormed off.

The mimesis puppet made no effort to stop her, understanding that too much interaction could jeopardize its master's cover upon his return.

A competent puppet would never engage in actions that could endanger its master.

Inside the taxi, Lee Yu suddenly felt a throbbing in his head for reasons unknown. He massaged his temples.

Huang Xiu looked at him with concern. "Yu, are you okay?"

"It's nothing," Lee Yu replied, shaking his head as he murmured, "I just have this nagging feeling that something bad is on the horizon."