Chapter 12: The Male Lead with X-Ray Vision VS Five Female Leads (12)
The An family’s private auction was brought forward, but the invited guests didn’t object, at least not outwardly.
However, most of the guests were older; young people like Huo Xian, in their early twenties, were rare. The bigwigs chatted amongst themselves. Huo Xian sat in a front row seat, but those around him ignored him. He didn’t initiate conversations; in his view, they were merely props, and he was the only reality.
Until…
“Mr. Huo?” A familiar yet unfamiliar voice sounded above him.
Huo Xian: Today is another day of female lead showdown.
He looked up, with a suitable amount of surprise, “Miss Liu?”
Liu Xuesue’s smile was gentle and her temperament refined. Her features weren’t breathtakingly beautiful but were fresh and pleasant, making people feel comfortable.
“What a coincidence, Mr. Huo is also attending the An family auction.” Liu Xuesue nodded slightly and gestured to the seat to his right, politely asking, “I’m a little late; only this seat is available. May I sit here?”
“Please.” Huo Xian gestured with a welcoming hand.
After sitting down, Liu Xuesue didn’t mention Liu Chengpei but asked, “Mr. Huo is interested in raw jade?”
Huo Xian smiled, replying, “I received an invitation; I had nothing else to do, so I came to see the world.” After a brief pause, he returned the question, “Is Miss Liu interested in raw jade?”
Liu Xuesue shook her head, “The An family sent an invitation to my father, but he’s busy today, so I came to take a look and broaden my horizons.”
They spoke similarly, politely distant yet courteous, and were able to chat for a while.
Their conversation didn’t last long before the auction officially began. Although Anna was in charge, her high status meant she wouldn’t personally handle the items, so she sat to Huo Xian’s left.
Huo Xian: Does this count as achieving a left-and-right embrace unexpectedly?
“There are twenty-one items today, using a bottom-price auction method.” Anna introduced the system to Huo Xian as the staff brought the raw jade to the auction stage.
“Bottom-price auction?” Huo Xian had heard the term before but hadn’t looked into it.
This method was different from the highest bidder winning. Instead, the auctioneer, the An family, sets a price for each piece of raw jade. Interested guests can write their chosen jade number, desired price, and number on a tablet connected to the main system. The bid closest to the An family’s price wins.
“Excuse me…” Liu Xuesue leaned towards Anna.
Anna recognized her immediately and nodded slightly, “Miss Liu, please.”
Liu Xuesue smiled warmly. Pointing at the raw jade pieces of varying sizes on the stage, she politely asked, “I don’t know much about raw jade, so I’d like to ask Miss An, do all these raw jades contain jade?”
Her question was subtle but easy to understand: if one “bids” on a raw jade piece but it doesn’t contain jade, wouldn’t the money be wasted?
If someone else had asked, Anna might have thought they were being picky, but this sheltered young lady, a wealthy heiress who had been protected abroad for years, might not understand the gambling aspect of jade, so she didn’t get angry at her question.
If Huo Xian knew what Anna was thinking, he’d probably call her “naive.”
No matter how sheltered and naive Liu Xuesue was, she was still the heiress to a large fortune. Would she not know about jade gambling, a famous pastime for wealthy people?
However, since Anna was willing to believe her and explain the thrill of jade gambling, Huo Xian didn’t interrupt.
“The bottom price on the price tag isn’t publicly listed. Mr. Huo, if you have something in mind, I can help you.” Anna pointed to the twenty-one pieces of raw jade, whispering to him.
Huo Xian’s eyes flashed with a strange color, then he shook his head, “Thank you for your kindness, Miss An, but our Huo family has been having bad luck this year, and I almost died unexpectedly. I’d rather not join in this fun.”
Anna said, “Besides these twenty-one pieces today, many of the raw jade pieces from the same batch produced good results. In particular, there’s a ‘Fortune, Luck, Longevity’ piece. These raw jades should also have something. Our An family holds this private auction and wouldn’t want customers to lose too much.”
“Since Miss An has said so, I won’t refuse. Perhaps with Miss An and Miss Liu’s presence, my luck will change.” Huo Xian subtly praised the two female leads. “But I don’t need Miss An’s ‘convenience’; it wouldn’t be fair to the other customers.”
When he said “fairy,” he wasn’t frivolous, and it didn’t offend anyone; in fact, it felt sincere. Therefore, both female leads were slightly embarrassed.
Liu Xuesue also said, “Since Miss An guarantees it, then I’ll try my hand too.”
[Host, your ability can finally be put to use!] The system appeared, its mechanical voice slightly excited.
Huo Xian silently chuckled, not responding. Liu Xuesue was more interested in him than the raw jade. When she inadvertently saw his slightly amused expression as she subtly looked at him, her heart unexpectedly beat faster.
Many guests at the auction had some interest in jade gambling, with some attending for networking, but most went to the stage to examine the raw jade closely when the auctioneer announced the selection process. Many brought high-powered magnifying glasses—what if they could see a hint of color through a crack?
Huo Xian and Liu Xuesue only brought tablets to record. They were both complete novices. Liu Xuesue whispered to Huo Xian, her tone helpless, “In my eyes, these raw jades are no different from the stones I see on the roadside.”
Huo Xian nodded, “It’s my first time seeing raw jade. I don’t understand.”
He looked casual but knew that someone’s gaze was always on him, but he pretended not to notice.
Soon, Liu Xuesue encountered another difficulty. She quietly asked Huo Xian, “Is the bidding for the chosen raw jade entirely based on personal preference? What’s the bidding unit?” She had heard of jade gambling and “one cut makes you rich, one cut makes you poor, one cut leaves you with rags,” but the concepts of “poor” and “rags” varied from person to person. At least, with her family background, one cut didn’t carry that much weight.
Huo Xian also looked hesitant. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “I haven’t looked into it. Maybe write down one or two hundred thousand?”
“One or two hundred thousand?” Liu Xuesue was surprised—that amount was too low.
Huo Xian said calmly, “It’s about participating. I’m just here to see the world.”
Liu Xuesue stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled, “That makes sense.”
Back in their seats, Huo Xian chose his raw jade on the item interface: No. 3; psychological price: 200,000, then submitted it.
“Mr. Huo only chose one?” Liu Xuesue asked.
The auction didn’t limit the number of raw jades a guest could choose. The bottom price was already set, and it wasn’t the highest bidder wins. It was purely a matter of luck, so to increase their chances, most guests would choose several, even a dozen, pieces.
Huo Xian used the same four words: “It’s about participating.”
Liu Xuesue smiled, then submitted the three pieces of raw jade she had chosen and priced.
In the auction’s independent monitoring room, Anna frowned, enlarging Huo Xian’s expression as he examined the raw jade. She almost analyzed each frame. During the entire observation process, Huo Xian spent a maximum of half a minute and a minimum of five seconds in front of each piece, and he also chatted with Liu Xuesue because the previous guests hadn’t left, preventing him from leaving.
“Miss, Mr. Huo has submitted.” The statistician said.
Anna didn’t take her eyes off the screen. “Which ones did he choose?” As she asked, she frowned again because she noticed that Huo Xian’s gaze hadn’t fallen on the bottom price tag.
The statistician replied, “No. 3, the bid… two hundred thousand.” The tone was slightly incredulous. Two hundred thousand for a piece of raw jade at the An family auction? This was either a complete layman or extremely poor.
Anna didn’t pay attention to the price, “He only chose one?”
The statistician carefully checked again, confirming, “Yes, Miss. Only No. 3.”
Anna then brought up the 3D image of No. 3 and frowned again. No. 3 was a piece of raw jade slightly larger than a basketball, a medium-sized piece among today’s offerings, and one that the An family’s experts had deemed unpromising. If anything, it might contain jade, but of average quality.
However, her brother had an inexplicable confidence in Huo Xian, and she didn’t know where it came from. But she could verify it today.
About an hour later, all the guests interested in the raw jade submitted their bids. Almost everyone participated, with a few having the same attitude as Huo Xian—it’s about participating.
The prices of the raw jade weren’t revealed immediately but were instead cut open on-site by master carvers, as promised by the An family. The guests eagerly watched.
Usually, after purchasing raw jade, the buyer decides whether to cut or polish it. However, here, they were all polished to preserve the jade’s integrity and prevent disappointment for those who might strike it rich. All the carvers were experienced, and even the largest piece was polished quickly.
As the polishing progressed, excited exclamations came from the guests as jade appeared in the raw pieces.
When Huo Xian received a call, he glanced at No. 3. Half of the stone had been polished away, but no color was visible. He didn’t use his X-ray vision, and after telling Liu Xuesue, he answered the call.
It was the police station. Fang Sheng had revealed the hiding place of the stolen jewelry, and the police had already recovered it. He could go to the station to claim and register it. Also, Fang Sheng requested another meeting, saying he had something only Huo Xian could know, and he would regret it if he didn’t come.
Huo Xian didn’t ask further. He knew Fang Sheng still had something to say, probably related to Liu Chengpei. A technical expert like Fang Sheng, who took money to do “big things,” wouldn’t sleep soundly if he didn’t have some leverage.
It seemed he would save him a lot of trouble.
Huo Xian returned to the auction hall in a relatively good mood, but the atmosphere was lively. A group of middle-aged men crowded to the front, leaving the back empty.
Liu Xuesue was still sitting in her seat, texting her father. After sending the message, she saw Huo Xian return and greeted him.
As Huo Xian sat down, he casually asked, “Did they find good jade?”
Liu Xuesue nodded, “No. 3 did. I heard them say it’s something called ‘Three Sheep Auspicious,’ and it seems to have three colors.”
Huo Xian was stunned. Before he could ask more, he heard the crowd exclaim, “It’s purple! It’s ‘Four Seasons Peace’!”
The crowd stirred again, rushing to the polishing of No. 3, surrounding the carver.
About ten minutes later, a high-pitched male voice exclaimed, “Yellow! There’s yellow, and no cracks!”
“Five Blessings!”
“Five Blessings!!”
“It’s really Five Blessings!!!”
Huo Xian’s eyelids twitched. He hadn’t used his X-ray vision, yet he had chosen a jade of likely inestimable value.
The system quietly appeared, seeming to gloat, “[Because you’re the protagonist.]”
Author’s Note: Thank you to little fairies “Fo Xi Sui Yuan” for watering 2 nutrient solutions and “flyl” for watering 10 nutrient solutions. Mwah =3=